Chapter 7 - The Betrayal
Derek and I crept up the basement stairs.
I gently pushed the door open just a fraction of an inch.
Through the crack, I could see the kitchen.
Travis was awake, lying on his side, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
Lena was standing over him, but she wasn't helping him.
She was holding the baseball bat.
"You ruined everything!" she screamed at Travis.
"You were supposed to just get the money and wait for me!"
"I tried!" Travis sobbed.
"But the kid wouldn't stop crying, and then that masked guy showed up!"
Lena raised the bat, her face twisted in a mask of pure cruelty.
The masked hitman walked back into the kitchen, looking frustrated.
"The hallway door is barricaded," the hitman said.
"Give me the keys, Lena."
"I don't have them," she lied smoothly, lowering the bat.
"Just shoot the lock."
I looked at Derek, and he gave me a silent nod.
We couldn't let him get through that door.
Derek pushed the basement door wide open and stepped into the kitchen.
"Hey!" Derek shouted, drawing their attention.
The hitman spun around, raising his handgun.
But Derek was already moving with terrifying speed.
He closed the distance in a split second and grabbed the barrel of the gun, forcing it upward.
I ran past them, sprinting straight for the hallway stairs to get to Noah.
Just as my foot hit the first step, something hard slammed into the back of my knees.
I collapsed onto the stairs, turning to see who had hit me.
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Lena was standing there with the baseball bat, her eyes wild and desperate.
"You're not taking my payday!" she screamed.
