Desperate Measures

44

The crowd had gathered at the entrance.

I stood on tiptoe to get a better view. Lucas Westwind and his team were seated at the dining table, deep in discussion.

Hudson Blake entered with his gun drawn, and I subtly closed the warehouse door behind him.

Lucas quickly sensed something was off. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to stand guard outside?"

I hadn't expected him to react so swiftly, but I couldn't let Hudson go back out now.

"Hello, Lucas Westwind," I called out, pushing through the crowd.

The warehouse fell silent.

Everyone was shocked by my audacity in addressing him by name. Everyone except Chris, whose expression was grim.

Noticing my arrival, he immediately started moving toward me.

"Don't move."

The warning and gunshot came simultaneously. A bullet grazed Chris's pant leg, the impact leaving a mark dangerously close to his shoe.

Lucas Westwind didn't even glance at the shooting point as he moved the gun back to Zenith Franklin.

Chris froze mid-step.

His aim was deadly accurate.

Steeling myself, I walked in, trying to appear confident. "How's the negotiation going? Any conclusions yet?"

"Interesting." Lucas chuckled. "And who might you be?"

"Who I am isn't important."

With each step, my nerves settled.

"I'm not here to negotiate. I just want to know, as a resource, who am I assigned to?"

My eyes widened as I got closer. Zenith Franklin's right hand was pinned to the table with a dinner knife, and his rifle was nowhere to be seen.

Lucas Westwind, the instigator, was grinning as he gripped the knife handle. "Your member catches on quicker than you do, Zenith."

Turning back to Lucas, the amusement had vanished from his eyes.

His patience was running thin.

"Captain Westwind," I halted in front of him, "Aren't you curious? Aren't you curious why I dare speak to you like this?"

"Surely you've noticed, not everyone has come inside…"

"If I were you, I'd want to find out why."

Hudson paled and reported, "Captain, there's still a girl and an old man outside. I—"

"Why is anyone still outside while you're in here?" Lucas interrupted, his voice icy.

Hudson stammered, unable to answer.

"Go," Lucas commanded, already suspecting the warehouse was locked, "use your gun and open the door."

"Wait." I tried to stop him,

but no one paid me any heed.

Hudson moved through the crowd toward the door.

Just as he raised his gun to aim, a piercing whistle sounded from outside.

The tension in my body eased, and my legs nearly gave out.

"Captain Westwind, you wouldn't want to break down this door." I sat down, gripping the table. "Because soon, it will be the only barrier between you and the horde."

The whistle blew continuously, mixed with thunder, creating a cacophony.

"If you insist on breaking out, Old Grant will open the gate connecting to the stairwell."

"All the zombies in the mall will swarm the rooftop, so I hope you won't act rashly."

Gunfire erupted downstairs, and Lucas's face darkened.

His team was still inside the mall.

"If your brother surrenders, we will let him up. As for the others, I'm afraid they won't be as lucky."

This was a bluff.

Anne was already stretched thin guarding the stairs, and she couldn't discern who was coming.

But to prevent Lucas from losing control, I had to say it.

"And then?"

"Leave your weapons, and I'll let you go."

"Let us go?" He sneered.

"Yes."

Lucas nodded. "A nice proposal."

He stood and walked toward me. His words were filled with praise, but his expression was terrifying.

"You better start praying." He grabbed my wrist, pulling me up.

The gun shifted from Zenith Franklin to my head.

"Pray nothing has happened to my brother, or I will make you wish you were dead."

Almost simultaneously as he moved the gun, two figures sprang into action.

Zenith pulled out the knife and held it to one of Lucas's men, while Chris tackled Hudson.

We all realized it.

In this room, the only one truly willing to shoot was Lucas Westwind.

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