“Take them as shields.”

Marcus drew his weapon, a heavy black semi-automatic.

I did not wait for him to raise the barrel.

I lunged toward the nearest table, ready to tip it over.

Isabella grabbed Eli by the collar of his jacket and pulled him completely behind the thick oak door.

The brass handle clicked shut just as the first shot cracked through the cabin.

The bullet shattered a display case of crystal glasses behind me.

The sound of the explosion was deafening in the enclosed space.

Shards of glass rained down onto the polished wood floor.

I hit the deck, my shoulder slamming hard against the brass railing.

Outside, the first red and blue lights began to paint the falling snow.

The sirens were much closer now, echoing off the concrete walls of the harbor.

Marcus took another step forward, his gun pointed toward the floor where I lay.

But the boat lurched violently as the pilot tried to reverse the engines.

The sudden movement threw Marcus off balance, his boot slipping on the scattered glass.

I reached out and grabbed his ankle, pulling with all the strength I had left.