The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 41/Raven's return

The Style's Family Lodge: Twilight zone

Confused after the shot  Harry didn't move. Zoe kicked Harry and he bent double and fell over. He fell and narrowly missed another shot which hit the snow behind them kicking up a huge amount of white spray.

"Sniper" Zoe shouted getting to the ground. "Get down."

"Shit" Harry said.

'Oh god what have I done?' thought Zoe. 'Raven it must be Raven'. The thought was chilling. If Raven killed Harry, she would not fulfil the Napolian contract. If someone got to Harry killing Ryan was a waste and she would be hunted for the rest of her life. This is what Raven wanted. 

"Stay down," Zoe shouted to Cathy. 

Cathy got down to the ground following her dad. She was in a collage of consternation and confusion. 

Max and Jericho looked around when a couple of more shots hit the ground. Raven was near his effective range. 

"Get the fuck down." Shouted Zoe "we need cover! now.!"

The robots didn't hesitate but formed a protective wall of metal bodies around the humans. 

"Law 1. Protect human life at all costs," they repeated. 

"Back to the lodge," Harry said, and so they started to crawl along the snow. The sight of humans crawling while the robots stood protectively over them would be comic if it wasn't so dangerous. 

While they crawled Zoe looked around. She quite quickly noticed the nearby cliff top. She could see the outline of a camouflaged drone ship. It had a clear fire area but the drone ship could easily escape. Raven was there.  Zoe knew if Raven only had one short he would not have gone off early. Her conclusion was that he had the exit covered, possibly by drones if not accomplices. Once in the lodge,  there would be no way out, but it would give them a time to think.

When they got back to the lodge the shooting had stopped. Harry ordered the winter shutters to lower over the glass plate. Zoe looked at Alux and Max as the heavy shutters crawled shut. Alux looked as shaken as everyone at this. Perhaps he didn't realise that the assassin would attack with him around? All that time hiding out in orbit had been for nothing. Perhaps he thought that the Dark Orbits had taken the money and walked away. Zoe wasn't sure.

"Dad your arm!" Cathy said.

It was hard to tell but through the bulky winter clothing there was a hole. Zoe quickly pulled the coat off and revealed an arm wound. Cathy found a medical kit and applied it to the wound. The wound kit came with an anti-bio patch which also included anti-dotes to standard toxins. IF anyone poison coated his bullets it would be Raven.

"The phones are down" said Max looking at his phone"We are isolated."

"Send a robot for help" said Alux.

"They will be destroyed just for practice," said Jerico.

Harry was sitting down and accepting a warm drink from one of the robots.

"Wait. Just wait all of you." Harry said. He paused. "They just want me. They are hired to kill me. I'll just go out there, get it over with and then you will all be OK".

There was a moment of shocked silence then everyone treid 

"How do you know they won't kill everyone else? " said Max.

Harry paused again."Because I hired them." He said as if it was a simple matter of fact.

Everyone stared at him.