Chapter 6 - THE SPARE MAGAZINE
Vivienne stood frozen, the silver rosary slipping from her fingers to clatter against the concrete floor.
She looked at the guns leveled at her chest, then down at Vincent, who was still kneeling, bound, but entirely unbothered by the sudden shift in power.
"You used me," Vivienne whispered, her voice trembling as she looked back at Harlan.
"You were an incredibly useful tool, Vivienne," Harlan said, adjusting his pristine silk tie. "But tools get put away when the job is done. Kill her. And the woman."
One of the gunmen turned his weapon toward Noah’s mother. The woman squeezed her eyes shut, sobbing into her gag.
Up on the catwalk, Noah’s heart stopped. He couldn't wait anymore.
He didn't have a gun. He didn't have a plan. But he had the heavy metal magazine Vincent had given him.
With all his ten-year-old strength, Noah threw the magazine.
It flew through the air and slammed perfectly into the main electrical junction box on the wall directly above Harlan’s head. Sparks exploded in a violent blue shower.
The entire warehouse plunged into pitch darkness.
"Don't shoot!" Harlan shrieked in panic. "You'll hit me!"
But it was too late. The confusion was all Vincent needed.
Even with his hands bound, Vincent was a lethal weapon. Noah heard the sickening crunch of bone, followed by a grunt of pain. A gun clattered to the floor.
"Mom!" Noah screamed, abandoning stealth. He scrambled down the rusted metal stairs in the dark, his feet slipping.
A flashlight beam cut through the blackness. One of Harlan’s men had pulled a light, sweeping it wildly across the floor.
The beam illuminated Vincent. He had managed to sweep the legs out from under one guard, grabbing the fallen pistol with his awkwardly bound hands. Contorting his body, Vincent fired blindly over his own shoulder.
The guard holding the flashlight dropped.
Noah hit the ground floor, sprinting toward the crate where his mother was tied. "Mom! Mom, I'm here!"
He fumbled in the dark, finding her bound hands. He desperately tugged at the thick plastic zip-ties, but they wouldn't budge.
"Move, kid!"
Vivienne was suddenly beside him. Noah flinched, expecting her to grab him. Instead, she produced a small silver pocket knife and slashed through the ties binding his mother’s hands and feet.
Noah’s mother ripped the gag from her mouth and pulled Noah into a desperate, crushing hug.
"You're okay, you're okay," she sobbed, burying her face in his hair.
"Get behind the machinery," Vivienne barked, pushing them toward a massive rusted conveyor belt.
She turned back to the fight.
Vincent was struggling. With his hands tied behind his back, he was losing ground to Harlan’s last remaining heavy. The man had Vincent pinned against a steel pillar, raising a crowbar to crack his skull.
Vivienne didn't hesitate. She snatched up a dropped pistol from the floor and fired twice.
The heavy slumped forward, dropping the crowbar.
Silence fell over the warehouse, save for the sound of the rain pounding on the metal roof.
Vivienne breathed heavily, keeping the gun raised. She walked over to Vincent, picking up the fallen knife. With one quick slice, she cut the zip-ties on his wrists.
Vincent rubbed his raw skin, slowly standing to his full height. He looked at Vivienne.
"You saved my life," Vincent said.
"Don't flatter yourself," Vivienne said bitterly. "I just wanted Harlan for myself."
"Where is he?" Vincent asked, scanning the shadows.
A low, cruel laugh echoed from the far side of the cannery near the rolling doors. The emergency exit lights flickered back on, casting a dim red glow.
Harlan was standing near the exit. But he wasn't alone.
He had one arm wrapped tightly around Noah’s mother’s neck. He had dragged her from behind the machinery while they were distracted. A gun was pressed hard against her temple.
Noah screamed and tried to run forward, but Vincent caught him by the back of his shirt, holding him tight.
"Ah, the little waiter," Harlan smiled, panting slightly. "You've been a very persistent nuisance tonight."
Harlan looked at Vincent. "Drop the gun, Vivienne. Or the boy watches his mother paint this floor."
Vivienne hesitated. She looked at Vincent.
Vincent didn't look at Harlan. He was looking at Noah.
"Noah," Vincent said softly. "Do you remember what you wrote on that pad at the restaurant?"
Noah blinked through his tears. He nodded.
"What did it say?" Vincent asked.
"Watch the man by the piano," Noah whispered.
Harlan frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Vincent smiled. A terrifying, cold smile.
"He’s right behind you, Harlan."
Harlan spun around in panic.
May you like
There was no one behind him.
But the distraction was exactly what Vivienne needed. She raised her weapon and fired a single shot.
