I got a chill from what the guy said. His eyes were full of a deadly mixture of desperation and wrath, and he held the rifle steadily. The only thing preventing my anxiety from taking over was Ethan's presence, and his arm tightened around me. I gripped his hand tightly, clinging to it as if it were my last—and it was.
The distant sirens were becoming louder, yet they seemed so far away. The anxiety was heavy in the air, and each second seemed to drag on forever. The man's contorted look made it obvious that he wouldn't think twice about pulling the trigger, and I couldn't take my eyes off it.
With a calm but forceful voice, Ethan made a little step forward to further protect me. "This is not required of you. Now leave so that nobody else is harmed.
The man's eyes darted between us as he let out a loud chuckle. "Go away? Do you really believe I can ignore Neil? from this disaster that you made? You want me to simply go now that you've wrecked everything?
