Relics of Armageddon

Men With Guns

Mount Parnitha, two hours later

"How many times do I have to remind you, I didn't choose to come with?" huffs James.

"Evil people broke into my house, and they saw you. I'm sorry if I drag you along with me," I sneer. "If you'd rather die, go on back!" he'd just pointed out that there's no way to get through this wall, and I'd responded with he didn't have to come with me.

I open the front door and look up in surprise, taken aback by the sixteen year old boy sitting on the entry hall couch. Well, one of the couches. "James," I cross my arms. "How did you get in here?"

"Came in through the window," he lies. I always know when he's lying. He fidgets.

"Dad let you in," I correct. "Didn't you, dad?"

"Yes," dad calls from somewhere upstairs. The library, maybe. As a professor at the local college, he spends a lot of time there. "He brought donuts."

"Aren't you on a diet?" I point out.

"Well the kid brought donuts, so don't blame me," he defends himself.

"You're right," I concede, "James, why did you bring donuts?"

"You always blame me when you can," he whines. "I was hungry."

"I know, you're like a brother to me," smirking, I sit down next to him. "So I noticed you missed school today."

"Yeah," he admits, "had to take my sister to the doctors office."

"Is she okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, just the routine stuff. She's fine, though she did cry when they took blood."

"Oh good," I nod. "Let's-" I'm about to suggest that we play football, but just then the skylight breaks. Acting on reflexes from when my mom trained me, I grab James and pull him under the coffee table. Glass falls around us and I hear the sound of grapple ropes being activated. I see black boots touch down on the floor.

"Tamsen!" my father shouts and I hear the library door slam. Dad, no... there's gunfire, and a gurgling. Something heavy hits the ground. I don't have to be an idiot to know who was shot. Dad never carried a gun. No! I try to get out from under the coffee table, but James stops me.

After that, I was so stunned that James had to drag me out of there. Then I wanted to leave him at our friend Caryn's house, but he insisted that he tagged along. And Caryn insisted we stay the night. I mourned my dad that night, then swore revenge on whoever killed him. I resolved to check the mansion for clues tomorrow.