Dreamcatcher

Chapter 14 - Show Down

Sam and I freeze in place as the rest of the room comes into view. The horrifying scene before us hits like a punch to the gut—there are more bodies, more victims, laid out on cold metal tables, their lifeblood slowly being drained by the IVs connected to them. My heart clenches when I see the setup—Ashlyn isn't the only one they've trapped. And worse, there's not just one Djinn. There are three of them.

They move around the room methodically, checking the blood bags, adjusting the IVs like it's routine. They look almost bored, completely unaware of the storm that's about to hit them. I should've brought more weapons. I curse myself silently, running through every possible scenario in my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sam tense up too, his body coiled tight like a spring, ready to snap.

There's no time to retreat, no time to regroup. We can't afford to run back and grab more gear—Ashlyn, and the others, won't last that long. The element of surprise is all we have. It's our only shot.

I can feel Sam's breath beside me, quick and shallow. He's ready. We both are. We creep back into the shadows, watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Every muscle in my body is straining, my pulse pounding in my ears. I grip the gun in my hand tighter, knowing this has to be precise. No mistakes. No second chances.

The Djinn closest to Ashlyn turns his back, moving to check on another victim. I meet Sam's eyes, and we both give a subtle nod. This is it. We have to hit them fast and hard, take them out before they even realize what's happening.

I mouth the words to Sam, barely a whisper, "On my mark."

He nods again, and we sink deeper into the shadows, waiting for the exact moment. Waiting for the kill shot.

We're still hidden, shadows swallowing us whole as we wait, muscles taut like a loaded spring. My heart slams in my chest, and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Sam grips his knife tighter, eyes locked on the Djinn closest to Ashlyn. My breath is steady, my focus razor-sharp.

The second Djinn turns his back, moving toward a blood bag. The third one shifts to another victim, his glowing blue eyes trained on something else. They have no idea we're here. This is it. We only have seconds.

"Now," I hiss to Sam, and we explode from the shadows.

I'm on the nearest Djinn before he even knows what hit him. My gun comes up, aimed directly at his head. One shot. The silenced round cuts through the air, and the Djinn drops to the ground, a surprised grunt escaping his throat. No time to savor the kill. Sam moves like lightning, his silver knife flashing through the dim light as he sinks it deep into the second Djinn's chest. The creature lets out a guttural snarl, but Sam's relentless, driving the blade further until its blue eyes flicker and fade.

But there's still one left.

The third Djinn spins around, eyes blazing with fury as it lunges at me. I barely dodge in time, the thing's fist hitting my jaw with enough force to make my vision blur for a second. I stagger back, and before I can regain my balance, it's on me again. It swings a heavy fist, and I feel the impact in my ribs as I hit the concrete floor with a grunt. Pain radiates through my side, but I push through it, rolling away as the Djinn slams down where I just was.

Sam lunges at the Djinn, slashing with the knife, but the creature is a blur of movement—too fast, too strong. Before Sam can land the blow, the Djinn's hand snaps out like a whip, grabbing him by the throat. In an instant, Sam's back slams against the concrete wall, his feet dangling off the ground as the Djinn pins him there with an iron grip. He drops the knife.

Sam's face flushes red, veins bulging as he struggles to breathe. His hands claw at the Djinn's arm, trying to pry the creature's fingers away, but it's no use. The Djinn is too powerful. Sam gasps, the sound ragged, each breath more desperate than the last.