In one quick motion I move the gun from being tucked away in my jeans to now pointing directly at Lance. Pulling back the slide on top, the gun loads with a click. As Lance’s eyes look back at me, they narrow. I swallow hard, trying to contain my nerves, I have to get out of this alive and not try to be the next John Wick.

A deep belly laugh rumbles out of Lance. He’s a big man, both tall and broad, grey stubble creeps up his jaw along with a thick goatee. Tattoos cover half his face and both his arms, not in the sexy way like Tanner either; this guy gives me an ick.

“Put the gun down kid, you’ll flamin’ hurt yourself.”

Instead of listening, I do the opposite. With my eyes glued on the man in front of me I speak with clear determination and my finger on the trigger. “Get in the van, Warren, we’re leaving.”

Lance hovers his gun between Warren and myself. “I’ll ask once more, you little cunt.” His face turns a lovely shade of red. “Then you’ll see just how fucking nasty I can get.”

I take the opportunity while he isn’t focused solely on me. In my head I count down from three, ‘on one, we shoot’ I tell myself.

Three. Two. BANG.

The gun fires, the sudden bang causing my eyes to close and my ears to ring. My elbows bend slightly, as I’m hit with the recoil. For something so small, this thing has a kick to it.

Shit. What did you just do Jesse? I wasn’t aiming to kill, I was aiming to buy us time, just to slow him down a little. It was only a split second, but it was like everything moved in slow motion, as if I could see the bullet leave the barrel, spinning towards Lance and the impact of it going right through his shoulder.

Another bang sounds, or at least I thought it did; maybe it was just still echoing in my ears. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard things that weren’t there. Focusing on all that is happening in front of me, I see Lance stumbling backwards into the wall, holding his shoulder. The impact had caused his shoulder to snap backwards and throw him off balance; hitting the wall, he lands on his ass with a groan and a thud. Warren is standing behind me in shock; he reaches out for me, and I flinch at his touch. Voices are coming closer. If anyone was in the warehouse, they would have heard the shots go off.

Get out of here, Jess. Now!

“Warren!” I yell. “Get in the van!”