The loud sound of the gunshot sliced over the oppressive quiet of the warehouse. Emily stopped, her heart thumping in her chest as she fixed Marcus. His rifle still hung in the air, his smile unbroken. For a heartbeat, time, sound, and breath appeared to stop all around.
Then a quiet moan.
Emily turned her head down to Daniel. Her body stiffened on her lap, eyes wide with suffering, blood running from a new cut on his side. Her pulse accelerated and terror surged like bile in her throat. She tried valiantly to halt the flow by pressing her palms on his wounded side.
"Daniel!": She started to cry; her voice shook. Not, not, not, remain with me!
Daniel had a pale, sweat-soaked face and short gasps for his breaths. "Em... Emily," he said, his voice almost audible. As the blood kept pou
