Chapter Thirty Eight

Rating/Warning: MA for character death and violence

Note: Edited late, forgive all errors please!

Christopher started to bring the bat forward at a terrifying speed, aiming for his knee at such an angle it was certain that he wouldn't miss. Cody screamed as it came down, eyes wide with terror. "NOOO!-!" But the bat came faster, Christopher letting out a feral snarl until suddenly, so very abruptly, he stopped. Cody gasped and shook hard, starring wide eyed up at Christopher as the bat fell to the ground with a loud clanking; Christopher's arms still hanging high as they clawed at a hand curling around his neck. What the fuck?-! An arm?-!

Oh god, RANDY!-! It was Randy!-!-!

Christopher made a loud choking noise as Randy's hand closed around his jaw and faster than Cody could even blink Randy's other hand closed around the top of Christopher's skull. Randy's eyes were dark, squinted and narrowed to dangerous points with furry, his lips drawn back into a sadistic, feral snarl; his fingers instantly tightening their hold. He was mad. Not just emotionally but, entirely. Randy had slipped away to the darkest depths of humanity that allowed even the best of people to willingly and proudly tear the hearts out of anyone who threatened their life. He'd slipped away to pure insanity; Cody could see it in his eyes!

Randy didn't hesitate or waste any time, tearing Christopher's head to the side far too hard, far too FAR, and snapped his neck like a fucking twig with one go.

Christopher fell, nothing but a lifeless heap at Randy's feat beside the table, Randy staring down at him, panting, shaking; anger quickly leaving his body and leaving him with the realization of what he'd just done…And Randy just stood there. Shit shit SHIT!-! "Randy?-!" He called, squirming against the table frantically. He just couldn't believe it! Randy saved him! HE SAVED HIM!-! Fuck not that he didn't think he incapable but come on! They were pretty fucked less than two minutes ago! And now there was Randy standing over Christopher, stopping his cruel torture before it even really began! He cried out for him again when Randy didn't move or respond, clashing his body against the table over and over, so desperate to get to him! Because, fuck, YES he was glad he'd saved them but what was this going to do to Randy in the long run?-! He'd never killed anyone before and even if Christopher deserved it, taking another human life was something that could haunt Randy for the rest of his life! Or worse, make him completely and utterly insane! "Randy?-!" Oh god he had to get to him to see if Randy was even still there!

Randy jerked around, "Cody?" He called as if he'd lost for a moment, eyes softening from a hardness he knew he'd only see just a small glimpse of. Randy gave another jerk as he reached for the strap around his wrist, "Hang on baby I'm going to get you off this fucking table." He got one strap and moved onto a bigger one around his knee, moving so quick Cody could barely keep up with pulling each extremity free. And then suddenly he was just that. And Randy tore him off the table by his torso.

Randy shook as he pulled Cody from the table, breathing in hard as he pulled him against his chest, holding him there and holding him up as Cody clung to him around his shoulders. "Oh my god Randy!" Cody panted incredulously against his shoulder, "How did you escape?-! How did you get free we were just-and then you were just-" He paused as he shuddered, clinging harder. "Oh my god Randy HOW did you fucking do that baby?-!"

"That Evan guy, he gave me a key." Randy quickly answered, already checking the door to make sure no one was planning on coming in just then. But it was shut tight. Good; that gave him time to think about what to do next.

Carefully he set Cody on his feet, letting him get his balance before drawing back just enough and claiming his mouth in a frantic, desperate kiss. They were pressed for time, he knew, he just didn't care. They had to come together, they had to touch and with desperate hands that told the other just how much they truly did love and cherish their existence. Because they'd almost lost the chance to ever do so again; and that alone scared Randy so hard, so deep it nearly turned him mad! With a possessive growl he lifted Cody clear off the ground with the force of his arms around him; he just couldn't stand to go another second with Cody in his arms. He just had to have him close! And he'd never let him go again if they weren't in the middle of the fucking snake pit!

But, he let go after a moment, shaking as he carefully set him down, panting and trembling against his lips as they parted and brought them back to reality; their horrible, HORRIBLE reality. "Do you know a way out of here?" Cody quickly nodded before he broke away and seemed to look around for something, "There's only one way out and it's threw another room just down the hall," He looked faster, eyes widening in panic. "But fuck we'll never make it if we can't find a weapon!" And he couldn't go out there naked either!

"Wait what about the others?" Randy winced as every idea he tried to think of failed within seconds. Just how WERE they going to save the others? If they escaped Michael would surely kill them all the second he discovered they were gone! Shit shit shit! "Fuck we can't just leave them here." He said aloud and Cody stopped in his tracks and quickly turned, eyes wide with a mixture of fear, panic, and guilt. "But if we stay we won't make it! Let's just get the fuck out of here and go for help-"

"We CAN'T Cody. Michael will kill them all just as soon as he realizes we're gone!" He shook his head repeatedly. Not only that stopped him from leaving but also, he fully intended to kill Michael and he couldn't do that if they left. Whether he broke his neck, blew his head off, stomped him to shit it didn't fucking matter! He wasn't leaving until that sadistic bastard was fucking DEAD! Even if it meant spending the rest of his life in jail he was going to see to it personally that Michael Mizanin wouldn't live to see another day! "We have to try!" He turned and frantically searched the room, "Wait! There is a weapon!" He suddenly remembered. "That Evan guy said Christopher had a gun in here somewhere!"

Cody gasped, "That's right!" And whirled around and dove down beside Christopher, pushing him onto his side and tore the zipper of his jump suit down to his waist in one go. "I think he kept it on his-yeah, got it!" He sat back, lifting the very same gun Randy had given him earlier that day into the air, "I'm going to take his jump suit too." Randy nodded although he was staring hard at the deep welts covering Cody's back, his teeth clenched hard as he counted just how many might need stitching. Six…Maybe seven total…

He clenched his jaw so tight it hurt, staring harder and shaking with rage. Those fucking BASTARDS!-! FUCK!-! God damn it that pissed him off so fucking bad he wished Christopher was still alive just so he could kill his sorry ass again! Those welts would leave permanent scars that weren't just on surface, oh no, they'd run deep and fuck Cody up for the rest of his life! Cody had managed to go that entire time without getting physically hurt but now all hope of ever forgetting about the horrible things he'd been through was fucking GONE! He'd always have a constant reminder all over his fucking back!

With an angry deep breath he checked the gun, clicking the safety off as he watched as Cody quickly tore the jump suit from Christopher's body and hastily put it on, zipping it up all the way and folding down the collar.

He watched him closely all the while; simmering, seething; already dreaming about just how HARD he was going to kill Michael for tearing up his beautiful Cody's once perfectly soft backside that would never be the same. His beautiful Cody was damaged, inside and out and now it was forever on his back for all to see; telling a story that no one wanted to hear or remember. And Michael was going to pay more for that, than anything else.

Randy told Michael to leave Cody alone, to let him go and leave him be. He fucking WARNED him.

The door suddenly swung open sending light bursting into the room from the hallway and he jerked away from it, instantly throwing an arm out and forcing Cody behind him. It was Michael, his eyes wide and instantly glued to Christopher lying lifeless on the floor by their feet.

Randy clutched the gun tight with his other hand, holding it up with a firm, steady grip. "Don't take another step!" He checked the safety one more time with a quick glance, his heart pounding with a rush adrenaline he could barely breathe around. "Put your fucking hands up!" He shouted and Michael ignored him, just standing there, staring blankly at his fallen lover, and didn't so much as blink. Randy took a step closer, his mouth twisting into a vicious snarl as his finger twitched over the trigger. "I said put your fucking hands up!-!" He'd shoot him now if he could but chancing the sound of a gunshot ringing down the hall to whoever was keeping watch over John and the others wasn't the best idea. He had to wait until he knew they were safe before he put an end to that miserable parasites life. FUCK!-! He stepped closer, his finger twitching more and more against the trigger. He wanted to kill him NOW!-! He had the fucking shot! The spot between his eyes and just one fucking bullet and that would be the end of that sorry son of a bitch! Everyone would finally be free!-!

"Randy don't!" Cody stopped him again with a desperate but soft plea. "They'll kill the others!" His hand closed around his wrist with the gun, pulling it down with a frantic breath, "Don't!-!"

"Fuck!" He sneered as he let Cody guide his aim downward, growing even further enraged and anxious as Michael continued to just, stand there silently.

He had to act quickly.

He bravely closed the distance in a few long strides, pushing the gun into Michael's stomach, "Where are my friends?-!" He grabbed Michael throat with a furious grunt, fighting every ounce of his being not to tear him around and snap his neck like a fucking twig. "Tell me or I'll fucking kill you right now Mizanin!-!" The others were dead if Michael wouldn't tell him where they were so…If Michael wasn't in the mood for talking…Randy was definitely in the mood for shooting.

"You're friends are dead!" Michael broke his silence with a hiss but still didn't move. "Just like you!-!"

Liar! With a vicious hiss he clawed his hand into Michael's throat, choking him hard, absolutely FUMMING. His friends weren't dead, Michael was lying, as usual! Only this time Randy didn't have the patients for it! He snarled as he forced Michael back, slamming him out into the hallway and against the wall, "Cut the shit!" He kept choking him, kept forcing the gun harder and harder into his gut, his hand shaking to pull the trigger.

"You think you've won?-! You think it's over?-!" Michael thrashed and snarled, "You stupid bitch I say when this is over! This is MY fucking game!-!"

"Shit I think someone's coming!" Cody gasped and whispered, ducking backwards into the room, "We gotta hurry! I-I think the guys are in the same room as the only door out! There's only two other rooms down here-"

"Shut up you worthless slut!" Michael interjected in a raspy but loud shout. Randy choked harder, cutting off all air and gave his head a nasty yank so it bounced hard against the wall. "Say that again and I'll cut your fucking tongue out." He repeated in the same dangerous tone that Michael's lover had used on him not but a short while ago. "Only I'll make you fucking eat it!-!"

"We can make it if we run!-!" Cody finished, already pulling on the sleeve of his shirt. "Hurry!-!" Right. Not time to kill Mizanin. Time to run.

With a disappointed growl he tore Michael away from the wall, dragging him by his throat down the hall in a fast run towards a door Cody reached just a few seconds before him.

He gasped and held his breath as Cody tried the door, bursting into the room when he found it open and scared the shit out of Randy who went rushing after him. He was the one with the gun damn it! HE should have gone in first! "Cody!" He shouted frantically, still dragging Michael behind him, "Wait!" He took his eyes off of Michael for a split second, trying to see where Cody went as he heard so many confused shouts and swears and only managed to get a quickly view of the room they'd ducked into. Everyone was there; Jason, Adam, and John, all bloody and tied together in three chairs sitting side by side in the center of another bright red room; except for Tristan who was in the corner on the floor. And they were surrounded by the enemy, Alex, Otunga and fucking Barrett standing beside Hunters dead body still seeping blood that had collected in a big puddle on the floor. Jesus…

Hunter?-! Really?-! Fucking hell what had they brought him there for?-! He was already fucking dead wasn't he?-!

He brought his eyes back to Michael and went to tighten his fingers around Michaels throat only to turn his face into a solid fist that smashed into his jaw, staggering back and losing hold of him completely; and also his gun.

It fell and so did he, his he'd spinning as blood welled and poured from somewhere in his mouth.

He was stunned but not so much that he didn't know to try and get back up right away. So he tried and Alex kicked him in the arm and knocked him down as he rushed by.

"Michael!" Alex ran to his side with a horrified gasp. "Are you alright?-! Oh my god did he hurt you?-!"

"I'm fine," Michael snarled, rubbing his throat as he took Alex into his arms for a brief hug. "But they killed Christopher." Alex gasped again, pressing against him for another hug. "They killed him?-! Those worthless cunts!" He whirled around and found him on the floor, still dazed and spitting blood. "You're fucking dead!-!"

Randy spit more blood, glaring up at them as he tongue a small gash along the inside of his cheek. Funny how, Michael wasn't a complete wreck after having discovered Christopher dead like he'd thought he would be. Funny how he was incredibly affectionate with Alex instead! But now, Randy knew this. And now he knew Michael's one true weakness. It wasn't Christopher. It was Alex. Cody caught his attention as he scrambled on the floor over to their friends, frantically working to set them free during all the commotion, wisely starting with John first. But he didn't get far. Randy shouted a warning but it was too late as Otunga landed a solid, hard kick to the back of Cody's legs.

"Fuck!" Cody cried out as he shot forward into John's stomach, curling against Johns legs and feet instantly as if that just might keep him safe. They wouldn't; they didn't. David kicked him again, this time hitting his lower back hard enough that Cody screamed and fell over completely, writhing and arching, gasping and choking in pain.

"CODY!-!" In a momentary rush of adrenaline and quite possibly stupidity Randy shot upwards into the air, lunging, arms out to grab David's neck with a furious snarl; he would kill that son of a bitch for hurting Cody! And not just then but for everything else he'd done to him before this! That pathetic son of a bitch had already signed his own fucking death warrant when he sold out the LVPD and Randy, he was the fucking reaper there to collect! Fuck it if it mean he went to prison for the rest of his life! FUCK EVERYTHING!-!

He landed hard and didn't miss; catching David from behind with a strong arm around David's thick throat. "Don't you ever touch him!-!" He roared, completely enraged and seeing red as he closed David into a lethal choke hold he'd learned from Hunter within in the first two weeks after joining the LVPD. His partner had seemed abrasive before, his tactics rough and brutal and Randy hated all of them. But now, they started to make sense. As he held David in a hold he wouldn't soon let go he realized Hunter had been right all along. Being nice? Got you shit. Being ruthless and hard? He had a new sense of confidence. "You gutless bitch!" He hissed into David's ear, excitement rising in his chest as David struggled and thrashed about beneath the strength of his arm even he hadn't known he'd had. "This is for the LVPD!" He choked harder, panting as he watched the life flicker in the darkness of David's eyes. "And this is for Cody!" He flexed harder and David thrashed wildly for his life, almost knocking them backwards and off their feet. But Randy held strong, ignoring everyone and everything else around them and brought David's head in his hands. And in one split second, it was all over.

David's neck made a loud snap as he tore awkwardly to the side and it into breaking, the room falling silent as David fell to the ground at his feet.

Hands grabbed and pulled on his arms and shoulders but instantly he fought them; tearing away with a snarl as he dove towards Cody still nursing his back on the floor. "Can you move?-!" Cody shook his head, gasping hard, "No!" Shit shit shit! He needed him to be on his feet! Fucking hell they wouldn't have a chance to make it out if he didn't have someone to watch his back!-!

"RANDY!-!" John suddenly screamed a warning, "LOOK OUT!-!" But there was no time; a heavy solid object smashed against his back in a painful, stunning blow that sent him down to the floor with the others.

Fuck. On your feet Randy, on your feet!

It hurt but just as quickly as he went down stubbornly he was already fighting to rise up on his hands, dazed, almost rigid with pain. He wasn't giving up this time! Come hell or high water they were getting the fuck out of there!-! ALIVE! He pushed up, getting on his knees, shaking, panting; dueling with pain and a strong sense of responsibility that worked to wash away the rest. Everyone was counting on him now, everyone's life depended on him getting his ass up off the floor!-!

With everything he had he got to his feet, unsure of what he could do next but so far, two down, three more to go.

As he rose he turned and found Michael standing before Alex, blocking him as he drew his face into a horrific snarl. "Just fucking shoot him already!-!" Shit!-!-! He froze, eyeing his lost gun on the floor and so did Wade; he was only a step closer but he was injured, and Wade wasn't. Shit shit shit! He didn't know if he could make it! But luckily, Wade didn't seem to think so either; he stayed where he was, eyes flicking back and forth between him and the gun until Michael gave his shoulder a hard shove, "I SAID SHOOT HIM YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER!-! SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM NOW!-!"

They both dove for the gun, clashing head first into one another and both completely missing the gun that seemed to move out from beneath them on its own. It was just gone, like someone had picked it up and now they were just struggling over an empty space….

WHAT THE FUCK?-!

He gave up on the search and punched Wade hard and in the face. But Wade didn't go down, he was tough and brutish, brought up to be a fighter and only sharpened his skills with age. Or so Randy had been told about him anyway. And it may or may not have been true but, Wade did take a punch really well. And even a second harder punch that he managed to land before Wade fist came up and knocked him under his chin, knocking his head back into oblivion.

His vision shattered away to darkness as he felt himself falling, his head hitting the floor with a loud smack that radiating pain like broken glass spreading outwards along his skull. He could barely move, too stunned to remember how to use his arms. Oh god he wasn't getting up from that one! That was just one punch too many! Wades hand closed over his throat, instantly choking him as he pressed down hard; and he could barely bring his arms up to try and stop him. He pulled but and clawed against Wade's fingers but was too weak, gasping barely even as Wade cut off all circulation and only squeezed harder.

His hands dropped to the floor on their own, all his strength depleted and his fight completely gone. He was dying. Wade was killing him. And he couldn't stop it.

On their own his eyes fluttered open, letting him see the world one last time in a hazy fog as he stared blankly up at Wade bitter, ugly, sneering face…

"Hey ugly!" Came a strained voice beside him on the floor; the voice making both him and Wade jerk in surprise. But it was Wade that suddenly had the barrel of a gun pressed to his head. And it was only then that Hunter appeared out of the corner of his eye. "You missed!" He'd fired; Wade's head exploding over them in a rain of blood and other disgusting bits as Randy turned and freed himself of Wade's hand. He took a hard breath, choking hard as the air filled his lungs. Oh god, HUNTER?-! HE WAS ALIVE?-!

"You alright?" He heard his partner grumble and then felt his hand come to rest on his shoulder. All he could do was nod; and cough. "Mizanin and the blonde took off. So come on get up we gotta go get em'." Hunter added in the same tired grumble and Randy wanted to laugh; that was just like Hunter to tell him to walk this off. He'd only been almost strangled to death, no big deal! He could just walk it off and be just fine! Oh and not to mention that fact that Hunter had either a big hole or a nasty gash on the side of his fucking head! Walk it off?-! Amusing. But not possible. He did lift his head up though, rubbing his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night; and he was sure to check on Cody the second they came into focus. He was still on the floor, curled on his side and holding his back…

He didn't know how much time passed before he caught his breath but it felt like forever before he could finally breathe without gagging. And when he finally did he felt Hunter squeeze his shoulder. "Come on dude get up," Hunter coaxed again, getting to his feet and offering him a hand.

"Dude..." He turned, bracing himself to sit up on both hands as he stared up at Hunter in pure shock and straight up disbelief. "You're…You're alive!-!"

"No shit I just saved your ass didn't I?" Hunter sneered and motioned to his bloody forehead. "Stupid dead bastard almost got me." He wiped his brow before reaching down and grabbed his shoulder, yanking him to his feet like a good partner should. "Here," He paused as he reached down and pulled his jeans up along his calf, revealing a well holstered gun he'd always carried there. "Those dumb fucks actually left me armed." Randy took the gun his partner offered him, clicking off the safety before doing anything else, already prepared to use it. "They thought you were dead, why would they search you?" They didn't worry about an answer to that as they quickly went around and untied everyone far enough that they could help themselves and once everyone was on their way to being free Randy rushed to Cody's side and gently pulled him to sit up, bracing him against the wall and cupping his face gently, "You still with me?" He whispered; his heart racing as he watched Cody's eyes flutter and struggle to stay open. But slowly they appeared beneath heavy lids; his bright blue eyes shiny with hope and behind that, pain. "Oh god is it? Is it over?" He asked, his hands coming up and curling desperately tight around is wrist against his face. "Is Michael dead?"

"Not yet," He hated to tell him, "But I promise you we'll get him."

"Wait just a damn minute you can't just go shoot him!" John was suddenly objecting, throwing the last of his ropes off as he got to his feet. "That's murder!"

"If we don't shoot him now he'll never stop, he'll make our lives hell no matter how deep we burry him in the system!" Randy was the first to point this out and lucky Hunter was quick to back him up, gesturing to his bloody forehead repeatedly as he tried to convince John otherwise. "Dude he even fucked up the lab rats!" Everyone nodded at that, actually backing Hunter up despite the much hated nickname. "Did you not see what he did to Tristan?" Randy added, nodding towards the younger man on the floor. John turned, slowly, but he turned and gave him a hard stare. "What do you mean 'what he did to Tristan'?-?-?" He gave the smaller man still huddle on the floor a quick glance, "He said they just roughed him up a bit...I mean he's a great kid but that doesn't warrant murder Randy. You guys seem to have lost sight of what's right and wrong here! You've already ended two lives tonight, do you really need to make it another?-!"

"They didn't just rough Tristan up John, don't be so thick." Randy pointed out for him, "You have no idea what that sick bastard put us through, especially Tristan and Cody." Randy said calmly as he checked the safety on the small but powerful handgun once more. "And if I find Mizanin first-"

"I won't let that happen."

"Oh, really? You have your own gun then?"

John ran a hand over his short blond hair, clenching his teeth and pursing his lips in a defeated expression. "No. No I don't." He shook his head as he let out a heavy sigh. "But still it's just not right." He turned to Tristan, still shaking his head. "I'm sorry for what he did to you but...But murder goes against everything I've ever believed in and I just can't condone it, no matter the circumstances."

"It's-It's okay Mr. Cena..." Tristan said with a weak smile, his bright eyes shiny and raw with fresh tears. "I understand...I mean truth is I deserved it anyway. After all I'm the one who sold us out and got everybody into this mess didn't I?" Only to spare John his life, had he so soon forgotten that? John jerked forward and suddenly frowned, hard. And then suddenly something seemed to dawn on him; almost like a light went off in his head and brightened his eyes with understanding as he starred silently at Tristan still tied and propped up against the wall. No one had even bothered to untie him yet...

Randy watched John tense with a familiar emotion he knew all too well, rage. And he almost smiled. Finally John understood. Finally he saw firsthand the type of damage Michael was capable of and felt the rage just as he did. Suddenly, it was okay to want Michael dead. Suddenly it was alright to want to blow a hole in his fucking head! He could tell just by watching the muscles along John's shoulders and back twitch and jerk beneath his torn shirt that the rage had won; and not too soon because frankly, they were running out of time.

"Come on John help me get the others on their feet," He said as he reached down and quickly pulled Cody up from the floor. "You gotta get them out of here."

Cody gasped and shook his head repeatedly, "No, no way, I'm not leaving you." He pushed away and stood freely on his own, holding still even though it was obvious from just his eyes that he was in pain. "I'm the only one who knows the layout down here! You need me to stay!"

Fuck fuck fuck! Of course he would say that! "Damn it Cody," He hissed at him and kept close to him as he watched the door behind Cody open slowly; John being brave and peeking outwards before opening it all the way and going to Adam and together he and Jason quickly lifted him out of his chair, bracing the rather bloody blonde between them. He gave them a nod. Good but, shit. Cody should be going with them! "You should go with them." He decided to give it one last try, sighing as Cody again shook his head in protest. Stubborn ass!

Wisely he quickly gave up on Cody leaving with the others and looked to Hunter who'd helped Tristan out of his binds, guiding the younger man towards the others. Seriously, thank all that was holy for his pigheaded stubborn ass partner! Jesus it was like he had nine lives just waking up and shooting Wade dead like that! He still couldn't believe it! Hunter hadn't had a pulse when he'd checked for one on the shore! Fuck he wasn't even breathing the last time he saw him! So how was he even alive?-! It was just so fucking crazy! Maybe in the heat of the moment he'd somehow missed his pulse or the rise and fall of his chest as he took a breath but he could have sworn he hadn't seen or felt either! Hunter was fucking dead, he was sure of it! But yet there he stood; blood dried and matter in his hair, a complete mess and probably suffering from one of the worst headaches of his life. And he was still ready to have his back so that they could finish Mizanin once and for all!

Fucking amazing.

"Just stay behind me," He told Cody softly and gestured to the other door that would leave out into the hallway. "And when I say duck you fucking DUCK, alright?" Cody nodded, their eyes locked and gazing hard at the other for just a brief moment. They just didn't have the time…

Hunter joined their side, staying beside him, his gun aimed at the door they would have to go through to find where ever Michael had escaped to, his face so very serious. "Find Alex first," He told his partner who nodded and followed him as he moved towards the door. "That's his sweetness and we're bound to lure him out if we watch that piece of shit first." Hunter gave another nod, his jaw tensing but he remained quiet and deadly serious.

There was something building in the air around him, Randy could feel it so warm and pressing against his skin as if it might grow to be too much and actually…Suffocate him. It wasn't distracting but he definitely noticed a sudden change of temperature and the odd feeling of peace that entered the room when there should be none there at all; not with two bodies still on the floor…

He frowned hard. What the fuck was he still drugged?-! No that couldn't be it, he hadn't felt shit until now, until they were about a step away from the door! Fuck fuck fuck it was like the feeling of…the feeling of…impending doom! Shit! "Wait!" He called out to Hunter, grabbing his partners shoulder. But it was too late, the door swinging open hard and fast; knocking Hunter's gun out of his hand and almost out of his own. Instantly he rushed a few steps back, pushing Cody further behind him, eyes wide and his heart in his throat as Hunter scrambled to retrieve his lost weapon. It was Michael standing in the doorway; snarling deep and loud, his face beat red... with a gun...pointed at the center of his chest.

And it went off.

And so did his.