Life in Death by Harlow Drake

through this.
    ***
    Cobb entered the church from the rear and followed the sound of the voices until he came to a black velvet curtain. He could see Kari seated next to Erik through the slit. Nicolet stood with his back to the curtain. Cobb dug in his pocket for a coin and tossed it to the far right of Nicolet. He rushed out while Nicolet was distracted by the noise.
    “Nicolet, drop it.” Cobb called out, with his gun on him.
    Nicolet snatched Erik up and put his arm around his neck with the gun to his head.
    No!" Kari screamed and rushed toward them. “Use me instead. Let him go.”
    Kari locked eyes with Erik. She hoped he could read what she tried to communicate with her gaze. Erik elbowed Nicolet in the stomach and ran down the aisle way.
    Nicolet took aim on him.
    “No,” Kari yelled and slapped at Nicolet’s arms and face, so he couldn’t get a shot off.
    Nicolet grabbed her and shook her like a rag doll.
    “Do that again and you’ll regret it. Do you hear me?”
    She didn’t respond.
    He yanked her head back. “Answer me.”
    “Yes, yes,” she said through the pain.
    A door slammed.
    Erik had gotten out. That’s all that mattered to her.
    Nicolet put Kari in front of him like a shield.
    “Cobb, walk away. I got what I want.”
    “You know I can’t do that. You’re a murderer,” Cobb said.
    “That’s not very nice, partner. I haven’t called you any names.” Nicolet laughed.
    “Let’s end this before more people get hurt.”
    “She comes with me. If you try to stop me, I’ll kill you.”
    Nicolet edged his way to the door with Kari in his grasp.
    Cobb followed them. Nicolet spun, took aim on Cobb and fired. Kari screamed. He hit Cobb in the shoulder. Cobb fell to the ground. Nicolet walked over to him with Kari firmly in his grasp and kicked Cobb’s gun away from him.
    Cobb held his shoulder as blood oozed on to the floor and stained the carpet
    “God damn you,” Cobb spat out. “You’d better kill me now. I’ll hunt your ass to the ends of the earth for what you did to those kids.”
    “Now, that’s the Cobb I know and love. Be glad I’m not going to take your miserable life. Come after me, and I’ll go after your sweet little Charly Rose.” He turned and walked to the exit with Kari still in his vicious grasp. Nicolet stopped right before they reached the door.
    “I know what you did.” He placed a wet kiss on her lips. “We belong together.”
    She turned away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Edvard, what is this?” a female voice asked from the entrance.
    Edvard? Who the hell was Edvard?
    “Why are you here?” Nicolet asked.
    Kari couldn’t see Nicolet’s face, but she felt a shift in the tension of his body.
    “You first.”
    “Tying up some loose ends, Saura, my love.”
    Saura? What the hell? “Oh, really.”
    A shot rang out and hit Nicolet in the chest. He fell to the ground. Kari screamed. She looked in the direction the bullet came from and gasped.
    Mina stepped out of the shadows with a gun in her hand.
    “I know him better than I know myself.” Mina said as she walked toward Kari. “He liked you a bit too much. I won’t tolerate that. I’m a jealous girl.” She laughed.
    “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here?” Kari asked.
    “Absolutely,” Mina said.
    Kari marveled at how well Mina hid her true self all these years. How could Kari not have seen through this façade?
    Kari saw Cobb move ever so slightly. Thank God, he wasn’t dead.
    “Jefferson, your old beau, drew up the papers to get the parents and kids over here. We even got them jobs. They just had to pay us. When they couldn’t, we let the kids work off their debt. Patience wouldn’t go along with it and ran away. I had to make an example out of her. Those kids played a role too, so they’re not as innocent as you might think.”
    “Oh, my God.” Bile rose in Kari’s throat.
    “Actually, I’m thankful to Patience. We offered her organs in sacrifice and