Page 15 (2/2)

The Waters’ Homestead

Outside Ellisville, VA

“Over there! Behind the trucks!” Frantic shouting is followed by the swift fire of shots, followed up by return fire

“I see him!”

“I need hile on the other one!”

“Augh!” A screalass

“How bad is it?!”

Jason slid down the wall next to thehe had been shooting frorazed me; I’m fine!”

Rapid, unending fire continued to pour into the upper s o

f the house as Mark crawled across the floor to examine Jason’s wound for himself Delays in the fire only occurred when individual assailants needed to stop and reload, and even then there were still at least three or four ere firing nonstop

The attack had co, just a couple hours after Tina had awoken She was still pale and weak, but her breathing had improved and she was able to instruct Dianne in the proper ive and how to redress the wound without riskinginto her chest cavity Jason had just finished up a long-overdue and extreinesclothes on over his still-dripping form

The pair of trucks that roared down the driveway ignored the gate and the boards with nails entirely, the lead truck ra all of their tires as they screamed across the traps Nealson had no plans to make an escape—he would either triu It was as simple as that

“Stop playing around and shoot theed through a hall, sprays of shrapnel and bullets whizzing past her She slid to a stop near the kitchenand looked over at Sarah, as cradling Tina in her arer children to the basement door “Hurry! Get them downstairs quickly!”

“I’!”

Dianne put her head back against the wall and closed her eyes as the storm of fire continued to rain down on the house They had been expecting an attack from Nealson—it was foolish not to expect one—but one so ferocious? That was the surprise The last time, when he had taken all of them except Tina, Jason and Mark, their attack had been coordinated and calculated This felt completely different, like all Nealson wanted was to use brute force to try and bring the entire place down around them