“¡Tiene un arma! ” one of them yelled, and just like that everybody in the diner was suddenly much more interested in Riley and his gun than in the helicopters hovering over the parking lot and the soldiers roping down to the ground.

Riley ducked out of the kitchen behind the fleeing employees, careful to keep the gun in sight, but pointed at the floor.

“Get the fuck outta here,” he yelled, trying to sound scary instead of scared. “Out! Out! Now!”

The advantage of being armed was that nobody thought to argue.

Nobody wanted to stay behind to negotiate with a mad gunman and turn into a hostage. Customers and staff alike were up and running as soon as

they heard Riley’s deep bellow and spotted the blunt, black snout of the H&K poking from his hand. Someone screamed. Stools clattered to the floor. A plate went flying off a table and shattered on the tiles, which woke up the baby and made it squall in protest. The mother snatched it up and clutched it to her chest as she scooted out of the booth as fast as she could.

Daddy was ahead of her, eyes bulging, mouth hanging open. The little girl didn’t quite get it, but she scurried after her mama, anyway, sticky fingers clenched around a handful of the woman’s colorful skirt.

Maureen’s pretty face darted across Riley’s field of vision, pale as the moon, eyes wide and glassy with fright. Riley sympathized, but didn’t move from his position next to the bar. He wanted them to go out front, not into the back where they’d be trapped. The way his day was going, those soldiers would blow up the freezer and come in shooting.

Business Suit, in true gentlemanly fashion, elbowed the waitress aside to get to the exit first. He hit the door running and slammed the wings open so hard Riley was surprised the greasy glass panels didn’t break. Maureen stumbled, flailed, would’ve fallen if the cook hadn’t grabbed her around her generous hips and steadied her. They hurried along together, out of the diner and into the sunlight. The rest were right on their heels, feeding off each other’s fear, some quiet, some shouting, until all of them were mindlessly running for their lives.