“What?” Jake said. “That he’d double-cross you and use you as collateral damage?”
Emma whimpered on the cold floor. Jake pointed his gun dramatically at Simon. “I’m not afraid to kill him,” Jake said. “It would be my pleasure. Astrid, Emma – cover your eyes.”
He fired the trigger, simultaneously moving his gun so that the bullet smashed into the huge mirror behind Simon, shattering it into smithereens and making Simon roll onto his front for cover. Graves recoiled from the blast, so Astrid – who’d covered her face at Jake’s instruction – raised her own gun and shot Graves in the shoulder, pinning him to the mirror behind him, and cracking it down the middle. Jake sped over and pulled Graves to his feet, then punched him hard – taking his gun away and kicking him in the stomach to wind him while he was down.
At the sound of gunfire, the cops piled in, rushing over to arrest Simon and Graves. Jake shouted instructions at them, then he ran to Astrid and pulled her into his arms. “You okay, my love?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“You did great, babe. I’m so proud of you.”
Astrid threw him a smile of relief, then she turned to check Emma was okay. But she was crying – crumpled on the floor – so Astrid crouched down with her.
Jake surveyed the scene, as the excitement buzzed all around – rights were being read, and cops were shouting at Graves, Simon, and each other. He stood over Emma and Astrid. “Emma, I should tell these cops that you were involved in this.”
Astrid stood up, leaving Emma strewn on the ground. She placed her hand on Jake’s arm. “Please… she’s sorry. She didn’t mean –”
Emma’s face suddenly contorted and she cried out in agony. Jake wheeled round to see that Simon had broken free, grabbed a gun, and shot her in the shoulder.
Shocked silence gripped the room. Simon held the gun toward Emma with shaking hands. “I’m going to kill her,” he shouted. “And then I’ll kill Astrid!”
Jake held up his hands to placate him, but two cops behind leapt forward and slammed into him, tackling him easily to the ground, where they disarmed him and put him in handcuffs. Jake ripped off his shirt and pressed it against Emma’s gushing shoulder. She was wailing in pain. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
“I think that’s enough penance for you,” Jake said. “Astrid, call an ambulance… She’ll be okay. I’ve had personal experience of a bullet in the shoulder. It hurts like hell, but she’ll recover.”
Astrid grabbed her phone and called the first responders, who arrived quickly and removed the bullet from Emma’s shoulder right there in the disused warehouse. She was taken away to the emergency room, but the paramedics assured Astrid she’d be fine. Astrid wanted to go with her, but the police who’d arrived with the paramedics wanted to ask Jake and Astrid some questions, so they stayed to answer them in a blur.
Eventually, the police said they had enough information for now, and Jake and Astrid found themselves alone in the warehouse.
They gazed at each other. The tension swirled between them – full of relief, love, and pumping adrenaline. The warehouse walls seemed to exhale – glad it was all over. Astrid burst into laughter. “Jesus, that was…”
She shook her head and trailed off. Jake wrapped her up in his arms. “You did amazing. Your sister should be okay. How do you feel?”
“Shattered. Like those mirrors.”
He cupped her chin. “It’s true that the old Astrid is shattered in pieces. But now the new Astrid can emerge from behind the smeary reflection, and shine.”
She chuckled. “Very eloquent. I feel new. Shiny.”
He gazed at her beautiful face and felt his affection soar. “You look it.”
Astrid opened her mouth to reply, but Daniel wafted inside – now the danger was over. “Well,” he said. “All’s well that ends well, huh?”
Jake smiled. “I guess so.”
“But there was just one more thing,” Daniel said, delving into his jacket.
“Oh yeah?” Jake asked.
“Yeah.” Daniel pulled out his gun. “Hand over the treasure map.”
Jake sighed – this guy just didn’t take no for an answer. “Not in a million years.”
Daniel pointed his gun at Astrid. “Give it to me now, Jake. Or I’ll kill her.”
Astrid stood firm, not even flinching. Jake was so proud of how far she’d come in such a short time.
“Why do you want it so badly?” Jake asked. “You don’t even know how much money’s buried there.”