Though he hadn’t been hit, Decker let out a yell as though he had so the other guy would let down his guard.
A moment later, hefired half his mag up the stairs in an arc wide enough to cover the entire width of the doorway.
He heard an impact, and then another, and then a grunt.
He stepped out of the way as something came rolling down the steps and landed in a heap at the bottom.
Decker retrieved his phone and shone the light on the bundle.
It was a man.
A dead man now, thanks to Decker.
As he stared down at the corpse, Decker felt himself audibly gasp.
Normally, when he was confronted by death, Decker’s synesthesia would kick in. The hairs on his neck would rise, as though an electrical current was running through him, he would feel dizzy and nauseous, and, most significantly, he would see the most vivid shade ofelectric blue. It would assail him from all angles, suffocating him.
Yet he wasn’t experiencing any of those things. He just saw a body.
It was as though his synesthesia had simply vanished.
And then he heard the sirens.
And then heavy feet clattering on the front porch.
Agent Jenkins from next door, he was certain.
The cavalry was here.
Decker slumped down on the bottom step and waited.