Bethany's Arc

Chapter 4 of 6

Bethany racked another shell and caught movement at the edge of the yard — two small shapes near the water barrels. Emmy. Thomas. They were out in the open, crouched behind nothing. A Vael on the wall had already turned its head their way. "Move!" Bethany shouted. She broke from the gate and ran to them. Thomas pulled Emmy up by the arm. His shirt was torn at the shoulder. He looked at Bethany without speaking. "The shack," Bethany said. She pointed at the scrap-wood hut against the inner wall. "Go. Now." They ran. Bethany kept the shotgun up and swept behind them. The shack door hung on one hinge. Emmy went in first. Thomas ducked after her. Bethany followed and shoved the door shut with her shoulder. The latch never caught. The door slammed open again and a Vael came through with it. Purple plates. Antenna twitching. It swung an arm and hit Bethany across the chest. She went sideways into the wall. The shotgun jumped out of her hands and skidded across the dirt floor. Her ribs would not pull air. She saw the gun by Emmy's foot. She saw the Vael turn. It lunged at Emmy. Thomas stepped in front of his daughter. He did not shout. He put his hands up like he was catching something heavy. The Vael's claw went through him below the ribs and came out his back. Thomas made a small sound. His knees folded. The Vael shook him loose and he dropped. Emmy did not scream. She bent, picked up the shotgun, braced it against her hip the way she must have seen Bethany do, and fired. The blast took the Vael in the face. It went down flat and did not move. The shack rang. Smoke hung between them. Emmy stood with the gun still raised. Her arms shook. She looked at Thomas on the floor and then at Bethany. Bethany crawled to Thomas. She pressed both hands to the hole in his stomach. Blood came up between her fingers, fast. His eyes were open, but he was already going. He looked at Emmy. He tried to say something. He didn't. Bethany pulled her hands back. She wiped them on her pants. She stood up and took the shotgun from Emmy's hands, checked the chamber, put it back. "You keep this," she said. "You stay in here. You do not open the door. Not for me. Not for anybody. Not until you can't hear anything outside. Not one sound. Do you understand?" Emmy nodded. She was looking at her father. "Emmy. Do you understand?" "Yes." Bethany pulled the dead Vael's blade free of its belt. She stepped over Thomas. She stepped out into the yard and pulled the door shut behind her. Outside, the fighting was still going.