New York, Summer, 1921 . Your new neighbor across the lake is the mysterious bachelor , Dutch. His reputation for excess and extravagant parties precede him in the prohibition era. But after an invitation to one of his soirees, you discover your...
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Richard backed away from you, his eyes on Charlotte.
"What a surprise, Charlotte!" Richard clapped his hands in front of him. Charlotte narrowed her eyes, threateningly, and he raised his hands in front of him. His bad arm hung a little lower.
"Put the gun down, Charlotte," he said dismissively. He glanced over at Shih and his men who still had their guns drawn on Tom and Harrison. You slowly and discreetly crept along Richard's car while all eyes were on Charlotte.
"I think the women in my family are through with listening to you," Charlotte said with a confidence that made your heart swell for her.
With your back to the vehicle, you carefully reached in for the rifle in the back seat.
"Come now, Charlotte, listening to me pulled your family out of ruin, made your pockets full again. Or did you forget that I own you and all the women in your family," he said mockingly.
Charlotte kicked the bag of money Tom gave her. It tumbled down the steps and landed in a sad heap on the pebbled driveway. "Not anymore, you bastard," she called.
Richard's gaze was fixed on Charlotte with a sneer. His arrogance blinded him to anything else surrounding him. Tom's eyes darted around, but he couldn't see you without turning his head, and he didn't dare. Shih seemed captivated by Charlotte. He watched her with sincere admiration. Of all the people in this scenario, he had the most advantage. He also did not have a gun pointed on him. That needed to change.
You held the rifle behind your back and prayed it was loaded. There was no time for you to load it and doing so would have drawn attention to yourself. You recalled Richard had managed to drunkenly load two slugs in earlier that evening. Hopefully they were still there.
Your eyes drifted back to Shih and his men. Three men, two bullets. The odds were not in your favor, but when have they ever been?
You swiftly drew the rifle in front of you, circling around the driveway until you got closer to Shih and his men. Now everyone's attention turned to you, everyone except Charlotte. She kept Richard in her sights. He was in a static state of shock and contempt.
"Is that Father's rifle?" you shouted to Charlotte. Your aim was on Shih himself, as you circled closer.
"Yes!" Charlotte said from the steps behind you, "The very one he used to teach us hunting."
"Of course! Foxes and hares," you replied. You were now only feet away from Shih and his men. Dear Harrison was frozen in fear. Tom glanced at you out of the corner of his eye.
"And ducks," he said quietly with a slight smirk. You stifled a smile, recalling the time he nearly wet himself when he took you duck hunting.
"I always keep Father's rifle with me," Charlotte declared, "You never know when you'll come across some animals that need to be put down."
