Turned out, the tanker was only one quarter full. The compression wave of the explosion shook the tanker, stirring up the fumes, and a collection of about ten projectiles sliced through the metal frame and caused a spark.
The spark caught the fumes, and the tanker, barn, and several other nearby buildings exploded, blown to bits, showered with diesel, and set on fire in the space of about five seconds.
The same compression wave blasted through the compound, throwing all of us forward, into each other, over each other, into walls, into other people. Windows were smashed, tiles and awning ripped off the houses.
Picking myself up, I looked around. The barn was a wall of flames, now lighting the place up since the power was out. The smaller outbuildings were adding to the light.
Aubrey had landed next to me, and she was looking pretty dizzed out. Chase and Marcus were further down the road in the open. They’d clearly gone ass-over-tea-kettle a few times. Noah and Uriah had the kids between them. Somewhere, Devon had been blown off Marcus’ back.
“Get up!” Smoke yelled, barreling into the area. “Get up, and run!”
He wasn’t just talking to us. The hay in the barn was starting to rain down on everything, setting the scrub and shrubs on fire. There was one house with burning shingles already.
I turned to point everyone toward where the Suburban would be, and stopped dead.
The trees were on fire.
“Shit,” Aubrey said. She glanced around, and pointed the other way. “There. That’s the main road. We have to go that way.”
“But the SUV—” Chase stated.
“It’s a SUV, you think the police and fire department aren’t already on their way here?” Noah said. “Go! Front entrance. Just run—fire spreads fast!”
We all picked up and started running again. This time, we had half the compound running with us. The fire was going to ruin everything on the compound, and no one wanted to be there for that.
Marcus screamed, and jerked back. We all stopped short and turned.
Gerry had Devon in his grasp, and his gun was pointing at his head.
Uriah
I’d tried to keepa grip on Carly, but when she saw her father had a gun at her brother’s head, she broke free.
Darting out of the dark, she slammed into Gerry full tilt, pulling Devon to the ground with them.
“You fucking bastard,” she screamed, swinging her fists at him. “You let them touch me. You let them grope me! You were supposed to protect me from those men andyou are one!”
Jordan swept by and scooped Devon off the ground, shoving him into Aubrey’s arms. He spun and had a gun on Gerry—and accidentally Carly.
“I’ll get her—” Noah started.
“No,” Smoke snapped off the word, appearing from the dark. “Stay right there.”
I saw why in the next moment. Gerry had a knife at his daughter’s stomach. The same kind of Bowie I was wearing. The roar of the fire was making it hard to hear, but Carly’s gasp was clear.
I lowered my hand, slowly. She saw me do it. She took a deep breath and let it out, climbing away from the point of the knife and standing.
My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour. I was so glad she followed that nonverbal condition. She and I had bonded a bit in that shed, and I knew that she couldn’t act rash around her father. He didn’t care, and he’d kill her if it gave him an opening to survive or escape.
I had just a moment to look around, finally, and catch my breath since I’d heard my brother’s voice at the back of the shed.
Austin was here, as were Chase and Marcus. Aubrey was clutching her son tightly. What the hell were these people doing here? AndSmokewas with them? Smoke didn’t show his face unless something was really going down—and considering that Jordan was a plant, and my brother and boyfriend? were both wearing vests that said FBI on them—something was really going down.
“Don’t you touch her!” Aubrey screamed at Gerry. “You miserable piece of shit!”
“Fat cow,” he barked back.
Two of his lieutenants stepped out of the shadows and trained their guns on Austin. “He owes me money! I want the trust funds!”
