Dark Sky

27 - Escape Plan

Chapter Twenty Seven

"I say we hand him over!" Ryan screamed bursting through the door where Joe was still picking himself up off of Leila.

The pain in Joe's chest stabbed like a fresh knife as he sat back against the wall staring at the angry man before him.

"Your the reason this is happening." Ryan seethed raising his rifle in Joes direction.

Joe remained silent as Floyd stood from the window crossing the room and placing himself between the two.

"Calm down Ryan." He advised calmly, "this is not the way to go."

"We should have listened to Leila and left him outside to die!" Ryan scowled through gritted teeth. "He is the reason Carl is dead!"

"No! That bastard outside is the reason Carl is dead!" Leila shrieked through the tears. "Ryan, please this is not Joe's fault!"

Ryan shifted uneasily, his finger twitching on the trigger of his gun. He had just watched his friend be murdered and the only reason for it was the man now sitting at the end of his weapon.

"They're here for you!" Ryan spat. "You brought this on us all!"

"Ryan put the gun down." Floyd instructed raising a hand gesturing him to lower the rifle. "Come on, you are not thinking straight."

Ryan glared through the tears that were now welling up in his eyes taking a firmer grip on the gun.

"Oh I'm thinking real clear Floyd!" He snarled. "He is gonna go outside and face the music."

Joe watched as things began to fall apart before him. Ryan was right, the men outside were here for him and unless he was handed over to them, everyone in this house was going to die in the next ten minutes.

"He's right." Joe agreed picking himself up. "I have to go out there."

"Joe. No!" Leila wailed running over to him. "They will kill you!"

"If I don't we will all be dead." Joe smiled running a hand down her face wiping away a tear. "There's no way the five of us can fight off all of them."

Leila broke into uncontrollable sobbing now and buried her head into his shoulder. "No! I won't allow it!"

"They won't leave us even if they do get Joe." Floyd looked towards the window as if he was weighing up their options and then back to Ryan. "Surely you all realise that?"

"They want him! Why wouldn't they leave us alone?" Ryan's voice had calmed a little now. "I say we take the chance."

Leila broke her grip on Joe.

Reaching down to the floor she retrieved her rifle and without warning she had it aimed at Ryan's head.

"Nobody is giving up anybody!" She screamed in almost hysterical shrieks. "You understand me Ryan?"

Everyone froze as the situation inside became more unstable. Ryan kept his gun trained on Joe as he stared at Leila peering at him down the sights of her weapon.

"In eight minutes or so, gunman are gonna storm this house." Floyd reminded them. "So before we start killing each other, perhaps we should be working out how to get the fuck out of here!"

The room remained silent as Ryan and Leila continued their standoff. Leila fully intended to take Ryan out if he refused to back down, She had just got Joe back and was not about to lose him again for anyone. Her blank expressionless eyes bore into Ryan and he knew she would do anything to protect Joe.