Just as she turned the lock and started to pull the door open, Sam moved forward, drawing his mace from his belt.
“Wait!” he said.
It was too late. Frances was pulling the door inward when Leonard and Wendell hit it hard from the outside.
Frances stumbled, slipped, and fell backward. As she went down, Mick saw Leonard bring a gun up, aim it at Sam, and fire, striking him in the chest. Sam went down, the useless can of mace dropping from his hand. In slow motion, Mick saw Sam hit the floor and roll to his side, his hand on his chest, blood running between his fingers. As if from a distance, he heard Frances scream and saw Leonard swing the gun toward her while Wendell kicked the door shut behind them.
“No!” he shouted. “Don’t hurt her!”
Leonard stopped, stared at him for what seemed like a long time, but couldn’t have been more than a second or two, and moved the gun away from Frances and toward him. No one had been supposed to get hurt, much less killed. That had been part of the deal. Now Mick knew the terms of the deal had changed.
“Wait!” he said.
It was too late. Frances was pulling the door inward when Leonard and Wendell hit it hard from the outside.
Frances stumbled, slipped, and fell backward. As she went down, Mick saw Leonard bring a gun up, aim it at Sam, and fire, striking him in the chest. Sam went down, the useless can of mace dropping from his hand. In slow motion, Mick saw Sam hit the floor and roll to his side, his hand on his chest, blood running between his fingers. As if from a distance, he heard Frances scream and saw Leonard swing the gun toward her while Wendell kicked the door shut behind them.
“No!” he shouted. “Don’t hurt her!”
Leonard stopped, stared at him for what seemed like a long time, but couldn’t have been more than a second or two, and moved the gun away from Frances and toward him. No one had been supposed to get hurt, much less killed. That had been part of the deal. Now Mick knew the terms of the deal had changed.
