Masked

four

Once again with the adrenaline.

Tanner starts to quiver in my arms. "I'm going to be right back," I say to the older boys.

I leave them in the kitchen, taking Tanner upstairs to his room. I set him down, "Hide under your bed."

T follows my command, sliding under his bed. Once he is situated, I reach my hand under the bed to grasp his.

"I need you to listen to me," I tell Tanner, looking into his grey eyes. "I'm going to go outside. If I ask you to come out with your blanket, come out. If I just ask you to come out, don't. Do not. Understand?"

Tanner nods, "Only me, too. If Josh or Luke asks do not do it."

"I NEED YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF NOW. WE WILL ENTER IN FIVE MINUTES," the voice booms across the yard again, the troop remaining where the originally were.

"If you hear gunshots, it's okay. I want you to understand that you might here screams and it's going to be scary; you're going to need to be strong for us, okay?" I think I've scared him a little, seeing as his face goes pale.

I don't have time to fix what I did, however, because Josh and Luke are yelling for me to get downstairs.

"I've got to go, I love you," I embrace him, closing my eyes and taking in this last peaceful moment with him.

Little did I know, I would be able to see him again.

Tanner hesitantly let go of me, and then I was able to see his tear streaked face. "You'll come back?"

"I promise," I can feel my tears coming, but I hold them back and kiss his cheek.

A promise, at the time, I didn't know if I could keep. But I made it anyways. Why?

I don't know. You tell me.

I stand up and head for the door while Tanner crawls under his bed. I lock his door, then step outside and close the door.

I take a deep breathe and start down the stairs. I meet Luke and Josh in the kitchen.

"So," Luke looked at Josh, expecting a speech, as was I.

"So," Josh repeats back to Luke, indicating that he has nothing to say.

"I say we go for it," I hold my hand open for Josh to hand me my gun. He looks at it questioningly.

"That's it?" He looks at me. "Any other advice?"

"Sure," I shrug, "aim for the head and the job gets done faster."

"Damn," Luke looks at me, then to Josh, "that sounds like something I would say."

"Just remember that you have something to protect," Josh indicates upstairs to Tanner.

Luke and I nod, agreeing with his statement.

"Alright guys, now or never," Josh hands us our guns.

When he sets mine in my hand, it feels like a piece of me has been returned to my body.

I learned how to shoot a gun at seven years old.

I've been using it ever since.

The cold metal digging into my hand as I grip it. I feel like the most powerful person in the whole world when I hold it.

"I'll shoot out the kitchen window," Josh points towards the kitchen. "Luke, you take the living room window. Talia, shoot out my bedroom window."