Page 5 of The Norcross Rescue

One man in a black-and-white tiger mask lifted an AR-15 and fired at the ceiling. The gunfire was deafening, and more screams broke out, guests dropping to the floor.

“Nobody move!” the man bellowed. The mask covered most of his face, leaving only the bottom of his chin bare.

There were ten of them.

She tried to note heights, builds, clothes, masks, and their weapons.

A tall man stepped forward, scanning the room like he had all the time in the world. He wore a wolf mask covered in gray fur, and something about the way he held himself told her that he was the man in charge.

“Everyone put their phones in the box.” His voice was deep, and he spoke with an American accent.

One of the others, a man with a pink pig mask, walked through the crowd with a cardboard box. “Phones! Now!”

Frightened guests opened handbags and reached into pockets, pulling out cellphones.

She scanned the room. Where was Vander?

There was no sign of him at the bar. Pig got closer, and her breath hitched.

Her police badge was in her handbag. She carried it with her all the time, it was an ingrained habit.

Shit. She sidled closer to the potted tree, sitting in a large pot. As surreptitiously as she could, she pulled out her badge, and buried it at the base of the plant.

“Phone!”

She jolted and swiveled. Pig was right there. She could see his blue eyes through the holes in the mask. From what she could tell, he looked to be in his early thirties.

“Here.” She dropped her phone into the box.

He moved on. Across the room, she watched two masked men, a rabbit and a fox, dragging Carolyn Stewart out of the crowd.

What the hell were they after? And what did they have planned?

Brynn’s mouth firmed. She hated the helplessness twisting inside her.

But most of all, she wondered where the hell her husband was. She scanned the room again.

A shadow. There. To the right of the bar. She couldn’t make out details, but she knew it was him.

She tilted her head. Go.

He wouldn’t want to leave her, but he was the only one who could go and get help.

Then she swallowed and focused back on the intruders. One man gave a terrified woman a shove. With a cry, she careened into several guests. The man who’d pushed her, wearing a wild-boar mask, laughed.

Brynn cradled her growing child and smoothed her hand over her stomach. She glanced back at the bar. The shadow was gone.

Get help, Vander.

She prayed he wouldn’t do anything risky. Who was she kidding? Her husband was a born protector, and although he’d hate the label, a hero.

Now, she had to wait for him to make his move and help him any way she could.

Stay safe, Norcross, or I’m going to be really pissed.

CHAPTER TWO

From his hiding place in the shadows, Vander worked to get a grip on the sticky panic riding him.