Time To Make A Stand

My father was normally a very laid back and peaceful man, hardly ever raising his voice and never in my lifetime rasing a hand, to anybody. That is, until you got his back up, then he became, well, like a monster, sort of a Dr. Jykle/Mr. Hyde kinda thing.
  When Felix and I entered the main part of the church, my father was fighting with almost every member of the damn town. The man had taken an oath to serve and protect these people and it appeared that they had turned on him. Selfish self preservation and fear had won out over loyalty as they all yelled and screamed at my father, who stood on the steps of the alter, clutching my five and a half year old half brother, Zach, who was wailing.
  My heart broke for both of them, the fear in my baby brother's emerald green eyes, and the disbelief and anger in my father's identical green eyes.
  I turned to Felix, whose hold on my hand tightened to the point where I thought for sure he would crush my hand. A swell of love for him over took me as I watched his face contort in anger, twisting his normally handsome Latin features.
  The intense loyalty Felix felt for Daddy made me love him all the more.
  "Aw, f**k," he snarled. "C'mon."
 His grip tightened even more as he forced his way through the mob to stand beside Daddy, me trailing behind him. When we reached the alter, Daddy looked at us both, relief in his eyes. Backup had arrived.
   "What's going on here Matt?," Felix demanded, his chocolate brown eyes searching each and every face as the din finally began to quiet. You could practically feel the anger coming off him in strong waves.
 He was pissed.

 "I'll tell you what's going on here," Mr. Salinas bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at my father.
  I saw red. How dare he! After all my father had done for these people.
  "Matt here is refusing to tell us the details of that transmission from Laredo!," Mr. Salinas shouted. "We have a right to know! Talk some sense into him Felix."
 I blanched. Seriously? They were all pissed off and ready to flog my father because he wanted to spare these people a few nasty details of a dead man's last words and death?
My gaze instantly sought out the other three men who had heard the transmission as well. I could find none of them. Chicken s**t b******s, leaving my father to fend for himself against these fiends.
  I was willing to bet that all three had bailed out and left. I hoped they got what they deserved for bailing on their townsfolk. It was a dark thought, but I couldn't help it. They were supposed to be here with their people in their time of need, it was why they were elected in the first place!
  Felix shook his head as he focused the full intensity of his glare on Mr. Salinas. His anger had found a target. Oh, snap.
  "And so this is why you've all ganged up on Matt? All of you? Have you all gone mad?," Felix snarled. "How dare all of you-"
  The solid mahogany double doors of the church banged open with a dramatic flourish. Douglas Benson tumbled inside, his clothes caked with dirt and half dried blood. He let out a keening wail as he fell to his knees, his eyes wild with blinding fear.
  "Oh God!," the man screamed, "Oh God! Oh God!"
  He covered his bloodied face with grimy, trembling hands as sobs shook his entire frame.
  "Doug!," Father Miguel said as he rushed to kneel by the man. "Where is Lisa and the girls?"
  Doug looked up at the Father, tears streaking his face, his hands slowly dropping into his lap.

 "Dead," he whispered, "they're dead, those things killed my family, MY ENTIRE F*****G  FAMILY!"
  A collective gasp came from the room. They were here, in Agua Dulce!
Panic immediately set in as people began screaming in sheer terror, crying, running and a few even began to pray.
 My father handed off my brother to me as he raced to the doors, locking and bolting them.
 "Felix!," my father shouted as the large wooden bolt slid into place.
 With a nod Daddy didn't see, Felix turned and raced off towards the back of the church.
 Zach began screaming anew in my ear and it was all I could do to keep from screaming myself out of terror. It felt like the bottom of my stomach had dropped out and I was left floating somewhere between limbo and hell.
  My head was spinning and I felt the prickly twinges again. I fought them. I had to be strong, for Zach, for Daddy, and for Felix.
I clutched my brother to my chest as I stood on the alter, lost in the pandemonium.
  Fear, plain and simple, rooted me to the steps of the alter. My mind felt horribly numb.
  I didn't notice that Felix had returned until he whirled me around, shoving something hard and cold into my hand.
  A gun.
 It was his own 9mm. I knew without even having to look at it.
 Being a country girl, born and bred, I had grown up with guns of every caliber. My father had made sure that I knew how to use and handle one effectively.
I looked up into Felix's face, unable to find my voice.
  "Listen to me baby, I want you to take this, okay? Use it only if you have to, hear me? But only if you have to. And I know you know how to use this. Safety is on."
  "But Felix..."
  "Skyler, please don't argue. Now listen. If those... things get in here, I want you to take Zach and get the hell out of here. Just run, okay? And don't come back. I'll find you, I promise."

"What about you and Daddy?," I protested.
"Daddy!," Zach wailed, his arms squeezing around my neck, choking me slightly.
Felix managed a tight smile. "We're big boys, we can take care of ourselves. It's you and Zach we're worried about. I love you Skyler, always have and always will."
  "I love you too," I said as tears that I hadn't realized were there, suddenly began to fall from my eyes.
  I was beginning to crack. I couldn't breakdown now. Not now, not ever.
  Felix kissed me. It was full of empty desperation as he crushed me to him, sandwiching Zach between us.
He broke away and it was then that I noticed that Felix was caring a large black gym bag filled with various guns, most likely all from my father's collection, and ammo.
 This was war.
 A last stand.