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"Stay right there," the guy ordered Carter He held the gun steady and stepped closer to hiid, his shoulders tense He wasn’t steady and didn’t really seem in control At any moment, he could shoot

I wouldn’t let that happen

Slowly, I edged inside the rooht, and I aimed carefully

Carter watched me now His eye twitched I didn’t knohy--then I said, "Put it down"

The guy tensed ian to turn around

I ht behind him My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear myself "Put it down Now"

"E else My pulse was deafening The guy still hadn’t done what I said, and I gestured to the floor "Drop it Now"

He didn’t He turned and pointed his gun directly at un cleared fro, "Get down!"

I sank to the floor The guy wavered, confused at seeing Andrea behind asped, then fell to the floor

At the sauy’s ar his elbow into his head The guy fell to the floor His hips landed not far from me, just as someone else ran into the roo, and pulled out a second gun I recognized Michael just as the shooter pointed his second gun at hiun fell fro above hiun cupped in both hands, was Carter

He’d shot hi to shoot Michael, and Carter killed hile came up my throat I was relieved, terrified, and joyous all at the sa, but Carter was there

He sweptme clean off the floor and wrapped his arod" He treod" His hand stroked od"

I was alive So was Andrea Peter Drake Michael And Carter, too I leaned back and framed his face "I love you so much"

Tears covered his face He pressed his lips to my forehead, then my mouth I didn’t care what happened after that Carter was safe We were all safe

The police were suspicious, but Andrea corroborated our story