Austyn gestured for her to answer it.
She wiped away her tears. 'Santoro! Where's my son?"
"You lied to me, bitch!' Santoro bellowed. 'I'm standing right next to your van. There's no body inside.'
Austyn mouthed a reply.
Deborah delivered her lines. 'I don't know what you're talking about."
"There's no coffin in the van! And you didn't leave the keys! Bitch, you just signed your son's death warrant!"
"Wait, no, Mr Santoro, there has to be a mistake! Deborah said as she jogged after Austyn who was sprinting out of the room.
Santoro was downstairs.
'I didn't bring the coffin as it would draw too much attention. Deborah had to improvise. 'His body is under the cardboard boxes at the back of the van. Did you see it?' She heard the sound of glass shattering.
Santoro was smashing the van's windows with a rock. 'You better be telling me the truth!"
'I am!'
She and Austyn were now on the second floor.
'Mr Santoro, please wait for me! I can give you the keys to the van!' Deborah shouted into the phone.
Santoro didn't appear to have heard her.
Austyn shot a text to Damian.
He heard footsteps from above.
Damian's men were searching the upper floors.
They were coming down right now.
'Bitch! Santoro had gotten into the back of the van. 'There's nothing here!'
Deborah was running out of excuses to stall him.
She heard a faint sobbing sound on the line.
Santoro slapped the boy. 'Shut up!"
'Is that Aiden?' Deborah shouted. 'Aiden! Mommy's here!"
Santoro's head whipped up.
He heard Deborah's voice from the building.
And more than footsteps.
'Bitch! I told you to come alone!' Santoro clamped a hand around Aiden's wrist and started dragging him towards his car.
He had to get out of here.
'Aiden! Aiden!" Deborah stumbled.
Austyn shot out an arm and steadied her.
They were now on the ground floor,
Austyn dashed out of the building.
He spotted Santoro and the boy in the distance.
They had their backs to him and were hurrying towards a black Chevrolet parked less than fifteen metres away. Austyn stopped.
He planted his feet on the ground, raised his gun and took a deep breath.
There were overgrown weeds everywhere, some of them chest high.
A wind was blowing.
Austyn traced Santoro's movement with his gun, aiming for the man's head.
The top of Aiden's head barely reached Santoro's waist.
Austyn was confident he could keep the boy out of harm's way.
Even if the shot missed Santoro's head, it would still land somewhere on his upper body.
He counted to three in his head.
'No!' Deborah lunged at him from behind and knocked the gun out of his hand.
It fell to the ground.
What the hell are you doing?" Austyn spun around just in time to stop Deborah from charging at him.
'You were going to shoot Aiden!'
'I wasn't!'
He reached for the gun.
But it was too late.
Santoro had heard the commotion and whirled around.
He yanked the boy in front of him, using Aiden as a shield.
Then he clamped one hand around Aiden's throat. 'Don't move! Or I'll kill him!' Austyn froz
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Shot In The Chest, Survival Unlikely
Austyn raised both hands slowly in the air. I'm armed.'
Santoro had a pistol in his right hand.
Sweat dripped from his face onto.Aiden's.
The boy screwed his eyes shut and cried.
Austyn looked straight at Santoro, 'Let him go!'
He had to restrain Deborah, who was shrieking and wanted to go to her son.
He calculated the time in his head.
Damian's men must
seen them by now.
He just needed to give them sixty seconds to get into position.
"You wanted to see me,' he said calmly. 'Here I am."
"I wanted to see your bloody corpse!' Santoro roared.
He was red in the face and foaming at the mouth,
Austyn could see the blue veins popping in his forehead even from a distance.
Something was wrong with Santoro.
It wasn't just rage.
He was acting all jittery.
His hands shook.
The muscles in his cheeks twitched uncontrollably.
There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes.
Austyn suspected Santoro was on drugs.
Aiden's face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen.
His mouth was open, trying to suck in air.
'Back off!' Santoro shouted.
Austyn took a step back, keeping his hold on Deborali.
Santoro gritted his teeth.
Sweat was dripping into his eyes and blurring his view.
There was a loud bugging in his head.
He inches towards the chevrolet, keeping his eyes on Austyn. 'Don't you dare follow me!!
Aiden Deborah stricked.
Austyn clutched her arm and stopped her from chasing after Santoro.
She would only become one more hostage
He has my son' Deborah clawed at Austyn's arm
Santoro was now at the car
He groped at the door handle and pulled it open.
Still holding Aiden in front of him, Santoro raised his right hand. I should've known you'd double cross me. You bitch."Text content © .
'No, I didn't!' Deborah could no longer think straight. He forced me! Austyn forced me to Ite to you!!
She shoved Austyn forward. 'He's here! Take hing Give me back my boy!"
Austyn caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
He recognised one of Damian's men.
Santoro's right hand went up.
He tried to take aim but the muscles in his hand spasmed uncontrollably.
Austyn kept Deborah behind him, watching Santoro's gun hand.
He would drop to the floor the moment Santoro pulled the trigger.
Two shots rang out at the same time.
Behind Austyn, Damian fired his gun.
The shot hit Santoro right in the forehead.
Santoro's eyes were wide open
He shumped back against the car, then his limp boily slid onto the floor.
*Aiden' Deborah screamed and ran towards her son.
'Austyn!' Damian dashed forward and caught Austyn in his arms.
Santoro never got the chance to pull the trigger.
The second shot came from somewhere behind Astyn and hit him in the back.
Austyn felt a sharp stabbing pain.
He looked down and saw bright red liquid seeping out from his shirt.
He collapsed onto the floor.
'Austyn!' Damian tried to staunch the blood with whatever came to hand.
He tore off Austyn's shirt and assessed the wound.
The bullet had entered a spot half an inch below Austyn's right shoulder blade and exited from
his chest.
It was a through-and-through gunshot wound.
Mike! Call an ambulance!
Damian whipped his head around in time to catch a man clad in black dashing away.
"Sam, Zac, Jacob, go after him!"
'Yes, Captain!'
Austyn stared up at the blue sky.
He felt as if someone had poked a hot iron rod into his chest and was twisting it deeper into
his flesh.
The next second, the iron rod was gone, replaced by a dagger-sharp icicle.