Killer Santas

Chapter 3

"Down!" Michael hissed as he lunged forward, slamming into Elaina's back and knocking her to the ground. She gasped as she fell forward, the concrete biting her palms as they hit the ground, trying to break her fall. Then her face slammed into the concrete, pain flooding through her.

Another gunshot rang out in the parking garage and Elaina gasped again as Michael shifted in the direction of the noise, pulling a pistol out of his suit jacket. He fired off a round in the dim lighting of the garage, teeth clenched.

"Elaina, stay down!" he whispered.

Elaina was too shocked to say anything in return. Someone's shooting at us? Michael's shooting back? What the hell is going on?

More gunshots rang out in the garage as Michael grasped the back of Elaina's coat, hauling her up and shoving her forward. He fired back in the direction of the shooters as he shielded Elaina with his body, pushing her down behind a car as he peered around it, gun ready.

"What's going on?" Elaina whispered, eyes wide. Michael didn't respond for a moment, then he pulled back behind the car and glanced at her.

"Listen to me, Elaina. You are in danger. No one has your name, but for some reason they're trying to kill you. Most likely their target is me, but we're not taking chances. They will keep trying to kill you until you are dead. I'm going to bring you to –"

More gunshots echoed in the structure and Elaina jumped as bullets struck the car they were hiding behind, letting out a scream. Michael turned, moving around Elaina and creeping up the other side of the car until he reached the hood.

Elaina crawled after Michael, flinching every time she heard the bullets hit metal. Why is this happening? What is going on? Why does Michael act like he's been here before?

Michael fired off three shots and then ducked back down, reaching into his jacket and producing another clip. Rapidly, he switched them out, reloading the gun.

"What now?" Elaina whispered. "What is this about?"

Michael hushed her. "Do you want to die? Don't answer that. It's my ass if you end up dead."

Elaina stared at him. "We're in a parking garage pinned down behind a car and the only thing you can say is that it's your ass if I die?"

"Cause it is!" Michael hissed. "Just stay quiet and stay with me."

"Who's trying to kill us?" Elaina asked quietly.

Michael ignored her. "You're coming with me. You won't be safe anywhere else."

"Look, Michael, we know it's you!" a voice shouted from across the parking lot. "Stayed loyal to old Andrisano, did you?"

Michael gritted his teeth but didn't answer as Elaina's eyes widened. She recognized that voice...it belonged to another of her coworkers, Emily Smith. Emily was trying to kill her? And Michael? Why? None of this made any sense.

"Why is Emily trying to kill us?" Elaina whispered as silence continued in the garage.

"She's new blood," Michael said with disgust. "Of course she's against us. But who else is with her?" He said that last part as if to himself, furrowing his brows. "No matter. I know I've killed one, just got to get the others before they get us."

"I'll call 911," Elaina gasped, the thought suddenly striking her. She reached for her purse then realized she'd dropped it when Michael had shoved her down.

"Don't," he hissed as she realized she didn't have her phone. "This is private business."

"They're shooting at us," Elaina reminded him. "Or did you forget?"