Page 68 of Summer Affair

“I have to,” she said, and before Kara could stop her, she bolted out the back door.

Chapter Twenty-One

Dean ran as if his life and everything he’d worked hard for was on the line. Every muscle in his body burned, his entire body ached, but he pushed himself harder. He was fueled by a single, terrifying thought: the gunman was heading towards the pool house—towards Andrea.

The sight of the man, who was dressed in all black, disappearing through the trees made Dean’s blood run cold. He could see flashes of movement between the tree trunks, just enough to keep him locked onto his target.

His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps as he cut through the dense underbrush. Thorns and branches tore at his skin, but he didn’t care about the scrapes, the pain. Nothing mattered but stopping the shooter.

The campgrounds, normally a place of peace and joy, had in the past few moments turned into a chaotic nightmare.

Less than ten minutes before, he had just returned from dropping off food by the poolside and was planning to pick up his next order. Everything had seemed so normal—until it wasn’t.

He had been at the loading dock doors and had been heading inside to get his food order when he heard shouts followed by gunshots. The memory of it made him run even faster now, fear and anger pushing him beyond his limits.

He’d seen the aftermath just inside the doors seconds after those first shots. Someone was lying on the ground. At first, he’d been unsure, his brain refusing to register it.

Then someone pushed past him as a gun was shoved in his face. If Kyle hadn’t thrown himself at the man holding the gun, the shot wouldn’t have missed.

For the next few seconds, he and Kyle had wrestled with the man. When the next shot sounded, Dean watched in horror as Kyle crumpled to the ground.

This time Dean didn’t let the gunman lift the riffle towards him. Instead, he charged into the man, knocking him backwards straight out the back door.

The guy disappeared as the door swung shut for a second. When it flew open again, Dean watched in horror as the dark figure disappeared down the pathway heading towards the pool house.

“Shit,” he said as other employees arrived and started helping Kyle and Corey. “I’m taking off after him,” he called out.

“Here.” Someone shoved a walkie-talkie into his hands.

He grabbed it and took off after the shooter.

He’d be dead if it wasn’t for Kyle.

Two more shots rang out and he felt and heard them zip past his head.

The shots had been deafening, but fear hadn’t paralyzed him. Instead, it had fueled his pursuit, driving him to chase the shooter down, no matter the cost.

“I’m heading towards the south side of the camp. I think I’ve got eyes on him. He’s dressed in all black and has a backpack. He bolted into the trees.” He practically yelled in his walkie-talkie, now breathless as he ran.

“Copy that. Be careful. We’ve got local authorities en route,” Brett’s voice crackled back. “I’m heading your way. Stay put.”

Stay put? Dean didn’t have time to think about backup. He couldn’t stay put. The shooter was heading towards Andrea, and every second counted. His eyes locked onto the figure moving swiftly through the trees, the glint of metal in the boy’s hands confirming his fears. The shooter was just a kid. He’d seen his eyes behind the mask. He knew them very well. It was Jake, the waiter. The kid was no older than nineteen. Why? his mind screamed as he chased after him.

Then it dawned on him. Shit. He’d fired Jake a couple of days before. Double shit. This was his payback.

The kid moved with a frantic desperation that made him even more dangerous. He was angry, hell-bent on getting his revenge no matter who got in his way.

Dean pushed through the thick underbrush, the sharp branches scratching at his arms and face as he pursued the boy. The kid was fast, driven by adrenaline and anger. Dean was fueled by fear and love.

Every few seconds, Dean would relay his location over the walkie-talkie, hoping someone would reach them in time. But in the back of his mind, he knew that it was up to him. If he got the chance, he knew that he wouldn’t wait. He’d do everything he could to take Jake down.

Jake’s backpack bounced against him as he ran, no doubt heavy with a stockpile of ammunition. Dean’s heart sank at the thought of how much more damage the kid could do if he wasn’t stopped.

“Jake!” Dean shouted, his voice cutting through the air. It was the only thing he could think of to stall the kid. To keep him from reaching the pool house and its glass doors. There were probably more than a dozen guests hiding there if Andrea and Kara had followed protocol. “You don’t have to do this, Jake,” he called out.

The boy glanced back, his eyes wide with laughter.

“Fuck off, Dean, and die,” Jake called back as he lifted his weapon and fired off several shots aimed at his head.