Page 18 of The Forever (When the World Fell #3)

Liv

O ur return to the house with an extra person resulted in an explosion of activity. As soon as Remy caught sight of Garrett, he jumped up from an armchair. “Where’d he come from?”

Tae rose from the couch at the same time. “What’s going on? Who’s this guy?”

“We’ll get to that in a second.” I looked around the room, and when I noted our missing people, my stomach dropped. “Gabe and Jonah aren’t back?”

“Not yet.” Ellie looked up from the middle seat on the couch where she sat with Willow.

“Give them time,” Ro said as she came in from the kitchen. “Still five minutes until the hour’s up.” She scanned the room, and upon spotting Garrett, her eyes narrowed and slid straight to me. Something in my expression must have put her at ease, though, because she visibly relaxed and returned her attention to our new friend. “Who’s the silver fox?”

He grunted and averted his gaze, clearly uninterested in her antics. Any other time, I might have found the situation amusing, but with a gang scouring the town, I was too concerned with the whereabouts of Gabe and Jonah.

Cruz raised his voice to get the attention of the room. “Listen up, everyone.” He waited a few seconds before launching into a recap of how we’d spent the last hour. “This is Garrett McKenzie, and he’s been… displaced from Harmony Ridge—the property we came here to find.”

“Explain displaced ,“ Ro piped up. “Are you saying the house is no good now?”

“Going by what we’ve heard,” Cruz said, “the property’s exactly what we were hoping for.”

He described Garrett’s situation and what had led to him hiding out in town, going into detail about the gang and their arrival. Sparing no details, he made sure everyone knew about the guns and danger, and how much we had to lose. As the conversation went on, the mood in the room grew more intense, the urge to take action turning into a palpable thing.

“So, you want help to take care of the guys?” Remy asked.

Garrett gave him a curt nod. Seeing him stand in a room full of strangers and still appear confident told me a lot about his character. “And you want a safe home. Seems like we can all get something good out of a less than ideal situation.”

Willow sent me a wary look. “Does take care of mean…?”

I wished we didn’t have to expose her to this side of life. “Exactly what you think it means.”

“There are four of them,” Cruz said, forging ahead. “If they’re on the move, the chances of me hitting each target with a kill shot are low, which means we need people on the ground to run in and finish the job. If you think you’re up to it, volunteer. Otherwise, I’ll do this with Liv and Garrett.”

I loved that he automatically included me without questioning my ability to back him up—even if he was talking about a murder spree.

Remy and Tae were the first to put their hands up. As the others talked amongst themselves to decide who’d stay behind, Gabe and Jonah came in through the rear door right on time.

My stomach flipped, and elation rushed through me. Although I’d made no promises to Dawn to keep her son safe, the responsibility still weighed on me, and I couldn’t have been happier to see his face.

When the two men sidled in right behind him, my relief disappeared in an instant, and I suddenly knew how the others had felt when we walked in with Garrett.

Another round of confusion followed, a mass of voices blending together and rising in volume—twelve people crammed into a room that could barely contain them.

When Garrett wrapped each of the men up in rough, manly hugs, I instantly knew two of the missing members from his crew had been found. Where the third one had disappeared to was anyone’s guess.

“This is Dolan,” he said, gesturing to a man in his forties with wild brown hair, hazel eyes, and an overgrown beard. His blue shirt had been ripped under one armpit and exposed the skin beneath. “And this is Freddy.” He pointed at a tall, gangly man with curly red hair and pale skin scattered with freckles. To his friends, Garrett said, “These people are going to help solve our problem.”

Cruz spent a minute introducing each member of our group to the new arrivals, and a burst of chatter followed that quickly grew out of control.

To avoid being distracted from our goal, I used a more commanding tone. “Okay, everyone, we need to focus. We’ve got limited time before the sun goes down, and we need to make use of every minute of daylight. Who wants in on the next step?”

The room quietened, and some people took seats on the couch while others leaned against the walls.

Ro looked at her nieces before addressing me. “I’m in, provided Ellie stays here with Willow.”

Ellie let out a gusty sigh that insinuated it was anything but fine. She was capable and fast, and a valued member of our group, but Willow needed a loved one here with her, and her big sister knew it. “Okay. I’ll hang around.”

“The three of us are on board, too,” Garrett said. “Obviously.”

Cruz looked around the room with an assessing gaze. “Not you.” He pointed at Dolan. “Nothing personal. This is going to get messy, and you’re better off waiting here. Not you either.” He gestured to Tae. “Your injury needs time to heal—and Gabe, we need you to stick around in case those pendejos accidentally find our base.”

Everyone accepted their roles, some reluctantly and others with relief.

Those of us who were heading out gathered around the dining table to run over our game plan, and as the intensity built, I tried to keep my nervous energy in check.

When Cruz and I were on the run in Melbourne, we were the prey strategising to out-manoeuvre the predators.

Now, we were in charge.

Our new targets had no clue of our existence or what they were up against, and Garrett’s knowledge of every street gave us the distinct advantage.

This was his town. His home.

And soon enough, it would be ours, too.

“That’s the place,” Garrett said, pointing toward the hill’s peak. Harmony Ridge sat right beside the cliff, just as Gabe had suspected. “If we get separated or anything happens to us, head up there and ask for Celia. She’ll take you in.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” I said.

We were standing in the front garden of a house on the same street where Garrett had hit Cruz with the apple—only closer to the eastern end this time. The seven of us had headed out with only our weapons to avoid being weighed down if we needed to run.

As the sea breeze whipped through my ponytail, I listened out for the car engine. The men had already made one pass, but we weren’t ready for them yet.

Cruz turned to address our newly assembled group, running through the plan one last time to ensure everyone had their tasks locked down.

It would kick off with us setting up in a residential street where the smaller houses were, our group split into two and hiding on both sides. As soon as the car entered the street, Garrett and Freddy would run out and wait for the gang to spot them, then head straight back for cover in opposite directions.

When the car stopped and the gang jumped out to hunt them down, it was game on.

“Remember to hit every one of them with lethal force,” Cruz said. “If you use your weapon, go in for the kill.” He scanned each face, his expression dead serious. “Even if you think you can do it now, that could change in the heat of the moment, so just hold them down until someone else can take over. We’re not letting any of them finish the day alive. Got it?”

To be having this conversation at all blew my mind.

We nodded our understanding, and a fluttering started in my stomach. As soon as the fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, I’d stand strong and see this through. I’d done it before, and I would again without hesitation. It was the aftermath that had me nervous, the realisation that once this was over, our new lives could begin.

It almost seemed unreal.

“You’ve got this under control,” Cruz said, watching me intently.

I looked up at him, holding his gaze. “I’m not the same person I was when you met me.”

“I know,” he said, “but you were strong then, too. You always have been.”

“Hear that?” Remy said at the sound of smashing glass. “Are they searching the houses now?”

They could have been doing that all along and this was just the first time we’d heard anything, but it propelled us into action. We took off at a steady pace, keeping our group tight as we headed for the street Garrett had suggested for the confrontation. The breathtaking sunset reminded me of how little time we had left.

Jonah’s face set in a mask of determination as we walked. “We’ve gotta get to them before they can find our people,” he said, his tone laced with steel. “With Ellie and Willow there…”

He didn’t need to finish that thought. Ro retrieved a long-handled screwdriver from her belt and strode beside me, wired and ready. “If anyone’s not sure about dropping these guys, leave ’em to me. I’ve got a shitload of suppressed perimenopausal rage just looking for an outlet.”

“Sweet Jesus.” Garrett shot Freddy a look as we turned onto the chosen street.

“If this is you when it’s suppressed,” Remy said with a shudder. “I’m genuinely scared.”

Cruz stopped and pointed at a house with an open front yard and a couple of trees for cover. “This place looks good. Everyone but Remy and Jonah stays with me. The rest of you head over there and get ready.” He nodded at the house on the opposite side of the road, with a massive tree rising from a collection of head-height bushes. “Remember,” he said, “Don’t get caught up in their bullshit. We’re not talking this through. We’re not bargaining with them. You’ve got one job—and when they find out they’re outnumbered, they’ll throw us off course any way they can. Stay focused. Chase down anyone who runs.”

When the engine started up again and the sound came closer, my pulse hammered, and I grabbed Ro’s elbow. “Let’s get moving.”

Garrett and Freddy followed, while Remy and Jonah headed to the other house with Cruz.

We positioned ourselves in amongst the cover of the bushes and waited, pumped and alert.

When the car bypassed the end of the street and continued on its way, Cruz lifted his hand to signal holding our positions. They’d be back in minutes at most. Catching Garrett’s crew had become a game for them now, a way to pass the time in a town where no dead roamed and the people weren’t built for confrontation.

It gave me a morbid thrill knowing how much we were about to surprise them.

As the car swung around to do another loop, I braced myself. If they’d driven by on the last circuit, they’d come down our street for sure the next time around. “Get ready,” I warned, hearing nothing but my controlled breaths and the incoming car.

My pulse fluttered in my throat, and I kept a tight grip on my sword.

My limbs were taut, my stomach clenched. Almost go-time.

A flash of blue in the distance had me tapping Garrett’s shoulder. “Time to move.”

Just as we’d discussed, he and Freddy ran out into the middle of the road and stopped dead like deer in the headlights. They paused for a second to ensure they were seen, then made a show of spotting the car and running in opposite directions back to safety. Although they wouldn’t win any academy awards, it was enough to get the attention we wanted.

Freddy came our way again and Garrett joined Cruz on the other side. When I heard the gang’s taunting words from their open windows, my heart wanted to burst through my ribcage. They were entertained by the chase, just as Jackson and his crew had been, but it wouldn’t be long before we wiped any trace of humour from their faces.

“Here we go,” Ro murmured. “Let’s aerate these bastards.”

Freddy ignored her and stared at the road, panting after his burst of activity.

As the vehicle picked up speed and closed in on our location, I forced my breathing to slow. The car screeched to a stop between both houses, and a burly man with a shotgun jumped out of the passenger seat, yelling at the others to follow.

The driver had possession of the handgun, and I’d keep that in mind when I rushed someone.

All four of them exited the car in seconds and left it running, each of them in ratty clothes and various states of disarray.

None of them spotted us—their first mistake. The notion that they might face some kind of push back genuinely hadn’t occurred to them.

“Hold on,” I whispered, ensuring we stayed out of danger.

With Jonah at his side and Remy behind him, Cruz lined the driver up and fired, dropping him with a single shot.

Conflicting emotions clashed inside me, but I ignored every one of them. The handgun clattered from his loosened grip, his body lying splayed across the road. Blood and gore covered one side of his head, and he remained still, his chest no longer rising and falling.

Stay focused. Don’t feel bad. He would have done the same to you in a heartbeat.

The second they witnessed their friend smacking the bitumen, the other three reacted fast—but we did, too.

“Go!” I yelled, leading the charge.

Remy and Jonah took off like a shot from their side of the road, their focus on the two rear passengers, one with dark, scraggly hair, and the other a weedy blonde. Neither of the men attempted to rush for the unattended handgun or dive inside the car and drive to freedom. The idiots went straight back in the direction they came from, their steps frantic.

Only one left.

Ro stayed behind me as we ran into the middle of the road, with Freddy keeping pace. The man with the shotgun stopped short and surveyed the scene, his eyes wide. He hadn’t planned for resistance and now had to decide whether to take us all on with one gun—if it contained any rounds—or flee the scene.

He went with the latter and turned, just as Freddy wrapped him up in a spear tackle and took him down.

He hit the ground harder than his friend. His head whacked the unforgiving surface, and I winced at the sound. The blow left him disoriented, his words slurred as he called out, “Brett! Cam!”

They wouldn’t be coming to his rescue.

Ro and I stopped beside him, and I stood over his body with my sword in a two-handed grip.

As I raised my weapon to chest height and braced myself, Cruz pulled up short and snapped, “Stand back . ”

As soon as we were out of the firing line, he shot the man straight through the temple, spraying the road with blood and brains. I flinched at the sight and wished I’d thought to look away before he pulled the trigger. Breathing hard, I averted my eyes seconds too late and swallowed the vomit that rushed up my throat.

“He had it coming,” Ro said, her tone shaky. “I’ll keep that in mind whenever I feel shitty about the things we need to do. He had it coming.”

Cruz didn’t wait around for a debriefing session. He didn’t say a single word. Two men were still on the run, and he sprinted in that direction to provide backup for Remy and Jonah.

As Garrett and Freddy collected the guns, I grabbed Ro’s elbow. “Get in the car.”

I checked the horizon as we hurried to their idling vehicle. We were losing daylight fast, and doing the rest in the dark ramped up the danger, but we’d set the plan in motion now and there was no turning back.

With that thought in mind, I dived in the car and shoved the gear shifter in drive.