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She goes to the front door in the living room, makes sure it’s locked. There’s a chain and lock that she additionally secures, which will only slow the invaders by a few seconds, but she’ll take it.
Kay steps in, voice trembling. “I can’t make a call.”
“Service here is blocked,” Noa says.
Noa goes back into the kitchen, grabs a chair, brings it to the door and shoves the back under the doorknob. She looks into the living room and says, “Help me with the couch.”
The two of them drag the couch so it’s nearly blocking the door.
The lights flicker and stay out.
Noa says, “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Over here.”
Noa goes to the bathroom, takes a quick glance, and says, “Do you have a weapon? Any kind of firearm?”
“What, no, I mean—”
Noa says, “Get into the tub. Now. Keep on dialing 911 in case service is restored. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Move, move,she thinks.
Kay calls out, “What’s going on?”
“Into the tub!”
Messy bedroom. More books and papers on the floor, along with piles of clothes. Noa strips off the top sheets and blankets, hauls the mattress out, knocking over a lamp, and pushes and shoves the mattress into the bathroom.
“Stay here, no matter what,” Noa says. “Keep on dialing.”
“But—”
Noa drops the mattress over Kay, steps out, locks and closes the bathroom door.
Move, move, move.
The couch is tipped over.
She thinks she hears low voices.
Route of escape?
On the other side of the living room is a set of sliding glass doors, leading to a small outdoor deck.
Three floors up, but still.
Noa kneels behind the couch, takes a throw pillow, unzips it, and tugs out the foam insert. She tears off chunks of the foam, wets them with her mouth, rolls them into tight little balls and puts them into her ears.
Weapon now in her hands.
Waiting for what’s coming.
Sharp, twin blasts from a shotgun in the hallway takes out the door hinges, and a battering ram breaks down the door. Noa opens her mouth, waiting for the flashbang grenades to go off, but, surprise surprise, the two-man crew wearing helmets and black tactical gear start shooting, no flashbang grenades in play.
No yells ofPolice!orSearch warrant!
You started it,she thinks, and starts shooting back.