“He wanted us to come,” Josh eventually breaks the quiet.
“Why?” Warner flaps his empty hand. “If no one is here, then this isn’t a trap.”
A living darkness falls over Blaine’s face, capturing my gaze. “A trap is only a trap if you don’t know about it. If you do know about it… then it’s a challenge.”
“And what better way to lure us in than by giving us exactly what we asked for?” The words make my throat spasm.
A distant-sounding crackle causes us to collectively flinch, all searching around for the source of the odd sound. When a voice trickles from the PA system tucked into the corner of the lofty building, fear chews away at the lining of my stomach.
“Close.” A voice cackles. “But not everyone left.”
“Motherfucker,” Hyland blasts. “Get down!”
The first red beam of light appears from high above us. In those precious few seconds, my brain is too slow. It slices through the dust too fast for any of us to comprehend, landing on my immediate left.
Josh.
The scream that rips out of me feels deafening in the silence of the sniper shot. One moment, we’re standing in a close circle. The next, Josh smashes to his knees with violent force, a burst of red exploding from his unprotected throat.
“GET DOWN!”
My eardrums protest the volume of Warner’s shout. I’m barely able to process the blur from Blaine throwing himself in my direction. Watching Josh grapple at his spewing throat is sending me into a spiral.
Another sniper shot streaks above us, slashing straight through where Blaine had been standing. His body crashes into mine, bones smacking together, sending us both plummeting to the concrete floor.
Deep pain bites into me as we twist and roll, grinding to a halt behind a fully-loaded pallet. The feeble protection allows me a moment to look up, frantically searching the space where we’d stood.
“Josh!” I scream.
Around his curled-up body, deep crimson splatters coalesce to create an oceanic wave of red. Josh gargles and jerks like a fish on a hook as blood pours from his neck, forming a geyser-like spray.
“No!” Hyland howls.
He and Warner have taken cover behind a pallet of wrapped boxes, watching Josh choke on his own blood. None of us can move an inch to step in or help him. Not without meeting the same fate.
“Shooter,” Warner pants into his comms.
“Incoming!” Archer booms back. “Location?”
“Main floor. We… have a casualty.”
“Who?” Axel’s voice wails into my ear canal.
Their urgent yelling fades into the background as Blaine shifts his weight on top of me, using two hands to tightly cup myface. His long, lithe body presses me into the floor, ensuring I’m fully covered.
“These boxes won’t protect us from a bullet,” Blaine rushes out. “We need to move now before they take another shot. Get ready.”
“Josh… Shooter… The…”
“Ember? Snap out of it.” Fingers dig deep into my skin, pinching my jaw in a tight grip. “I’m going to get us both out of here, but I need you to focus.”
After a second, I summon a numb nod.
“Good girl. Let’s move.”
Blaine rolls sideways to free me. I scrabble up to press my back into the stack of boxes, spotting the others crouched in preparation to move. We all take one last look at Josh, his gargling becoming quieter as the pool of blood grows around him.
Survival mode feels like slipping back into comfortable clothing. I let the cold detachment sink into me, wrapping me in a chill that crystallises the world into one simple task. Outlive my opponent.
