The Millionaires - Brad Meltzer [120]
Over Gallo’s shoulder, Charlie’s still on the ground, holding his ear. DeSanctis stands over him with a cocky grin. And behind them all… I swear, something moves in the kitchen. Before I can react, the whole room fades and spins sideways. It’s like being underwater, sucked down by the tide. Gallo squeezes tight and I float back to last night. Back to Gillian. She’s all I see—which is why, when I open my eyes—I almost don’t believe she’s actually there.
Gillian tears into the living room swinging the glass blender straight at the back of DeSanctis’s head.
There’s a loud, haunting thunk as it ricochets against his skull. The impact sends a zigzagging fracture down the side of the jar, even as it sends DeSanctis staggering forward and tripping over Charlie.
As Gallo turns to follow the sound, I grab a stray hardcover book from the shelf and crack him in the back of the head. It knocks him off-balance, which is all Gillian needs to rush in close. Gallo reaches for his gun, but he doesn’t have a chance. Already in mid-swing, Gillian wheels the blender jar through the air and catches Gallo on the side of the head. But just as the jar collides with his skull, there’s a loud crash… the fracture gives way… and the glass shatters into hundreds of tiny shards which flick against my chest. In Gillian’s hand, all that’s left is the solid glass handle. On the carpet, Gallo’s dazed, but not out.
“Let’s go!” Gillian shouts as she grabs me by the hand. Coughing and fighting to catch my breath, I step over Gallo and go straight for Charlie, who’s just now picking his head up from the carpet. His eyes flit back and forth—first at Gillian, then to me, then back to Gillian. He’s in shock. Gillian takes one arm; I take the other. We scoop him up by the armpits and pull him to his feet.
“You okay? Can you hear me?” I ask.
He nods, quickly finding his equilibrium. “Get us out of here,” he demands. There’s no fear in his voice. Just anger.
Gillian leads the way. Not to the front door—to the bedrooms in the back. Where she snuck in. She’s first… then Charlie… then me. But just as I fly forward, something grabs me by the ankle. And twists. Hard. An electric shock of pain shoots up my leg and I crash to the floor. Behind me, DeSanctis grips my ankle, refusing to let go. He’s on his stomach, clawing his way closer. A trickle of blood drips from his hairline, down the side of his forehead, to his cheek.
Scurrying backwards on my elbows, I kick wildly, fighting to get free. His nails dig deep into my ankle. I can’t get him off. “Charlie!”
I look back frantically, but he’s already there. My brother’s thick black shoe stomps down on DeSanctis’s wrist. Howling in pain, DeSanctis lets go and looks up at Gillian.
“What’re you—?”
Before DeSanctis can finish, Gillian lets loose with a whirlwind kick that crashes into the side of his head. His neck snaps to the side with an unearthly crack. It doesn’t slow Gillian down. Lashing out, she kicks him again. And again. Her clunky shoe hits like a brick. Over and over.
“Enough,” Charlie says, pulling her back. From my place on the carpet, he’s twenty feet tall. The new big brother. “Let’s go!” Charlie shouts, reaching down and tugging me to my feet.
Unsure of what’s waiting out front, he rushes toward the back of the house. Ignoring the pain in my ankle, I follow as fast as I can, hobbling down the hallway. Behind me, Gillian has a hand on my shoulder. “Just keep going,” she whispers. We cut through the bedroom, where the sliding glass door that leads to the backyard is wide open.
“Go right!” Gillian yells.
Spotting his own way out, Charlie goes left.
Bursting outside, we’re on a cement patio. Straight ahead, the wall’s too high. On the left, the path runs through the neighbors’ backyards—each patio connecting with the one next to it. Charlie