Bang, bang, bang!
Looking up from the ground, my fingers tighten around my gun and I quickly get to my feet, looking around. My heart speeds in my chest and I wave my weapon around again, not understanding what's happening. Three men lay on the ground, dead, and it wasn't me who killed them.
“Hello?” I say again and no one answers. Not so much as a branch snaps or a leaf bristles.
Examining the men's faces, I don't recognize who any of them are. All I know is they must have been here to kill me and they would have if it wasn't for someone else taking them out first.
I run into the house, not wanting to stand around for too long again, waiting for more gunshots to go off. I call for my mom as soon as I pull the back door open, stomping into the house and locking the latch behind me.
“Ma, where are you? Are you here?”
Footsteps rush my way and my mom stares at me with a curious expression. “What's going on? Were those gunshots I heard?”
I nod, gesturing toward the front of the house. “We need to go. Now!”
“What?” Her eyes widen and she clutches her necklace.
“I said we need to leave. Get your jacket on. We'll need to check the car too.”
“What are you talking about? What's going on?”
“It's not safe here anymore.” I'm not sure anywhere is. I almost let her down again. I take a few deep breaths before grabbing her arm and then guiding her through the living room. “There are three men dead outside.”
Her hand flies to her mouth. “What do you mean? Where'd they come from?”
“I don't know but I have a feeling there will be more soon.”
She grabs her coat and purse on the way to the door. “What about our stuff?”
“It can be replaced. None of it matters anyway.”
She nods, swallowing hard as her hand twists the doorknob. I quickly step in front of her, making sure we don't have more company before allowing her to follow me to the car.
“Wait. Let me first make sure it hasn't been tampered with before you get in.”
After reassuring that my vehicle is safe to drive, we both get in and I quickly start the car. Not waiting for it to fully warm up, I pull out of the yard, not bothering to look back. “Where does Tia Rosa live? Which lake?”
“The lake I used to take you to when you were a kid.”
“Does my dad or Everett know where it is?”
“No. I never told anyone about it except Rosa. It was where we both liked to escape to when life at home got hard.”
I nod and quickly turn the car the opposite way, my mom gripping onto her seat belt. “I get you're in a hurry, but we don't need to crash in the process. If the men are dead, we should be safe for now.”
I release a shuddery breath, tightening my grip on the wheel while checking my rearview mirror for anyone following us. “I didn't tell you the worst part.”
“What is it, Ignacio?” Her whole body turns to face my way.
“I wasn't the one who killed those men.”
Her eyes widen, her face paling. “Then who did?”
“The person we are running from.”
Sure, whoever they are saved my life, but what if they did it so they could be the one to take me down? It wouldn't be the first time.
My phone vibrates and the message shows on the car's screen.