"He...he..."
"I don't understand?!"
"He was in the house!"
Sissy suddenly looked over my shoulder. I followed her gaze to the fenced in pool and the sight that met my eyes sent a chill up my spine: Gus and a hooded figure with a knife fighting on the lip of the pool. Gus screamed - and then the lights zapped out momentarily.
"Oh my...Gus!" I yelled.
I turned to Sissy. "Stay here!"
I raced toward the pool screaming Gus' name. Jumping into the mostly dry pool, I saw a figure lying face-down in the rainwater that had collected on the opposite side.
"Gus!" I screamed, fearing the worst. "You're okay! You're okay! You're okay!"
I splashed into the water, falling on my knees - oh no, it WAS Gus. I got my arm around him and turned him over, pulling his head out of the water. He began coughing, then took a shallow breath and relief flooded me.
"Gus! You okay?" Gus opened his eyes, but before he could say anything, I felt something sharp and cold press up against my neck.
"Hello, Shawn," Clive said with a grin.
I still has my arm across Gus' chest and for a moment, all I heard was Gus' gasps and my own even breathing as I stay extremely still and tried not to panic.
"Clive, you don't want to do this," I said.
"Oh, but I do!"
I gritted my teeth as Clive twisted the knife just enough to cut my skin and I felt a trickle of blood roll down my neck.
"SBPD! Drop your weapon!"
I had never been so happy to hear Juliet's voice.
"No! You drop yours!" Clive yelled.
I heard, rather than saw Juliet fire her gun and Clive cried out, dropping the knife.
"In the hand!? Really?"
"Don't move!" Juliet commanded.
Juliet was suddenly right there, cuffing Clive. I returned my attention to Gus, who was trying to sit up.
"Gus! Are you okay, man?" I asked, helping him sit up.
Gus blinked. "Yeah, I think so." He saw the blood on my neck.
"Shawn, your bleeding!"
"Clive held that knife to my neck. He's crazy." I touched the cut and winced.