Moonlit Shootout [pt. 2]

A continuation of part one; this is when all the spooky stuff starts happening }:)

"Alfred! Rick! What's going on up there!!" Cameri called.
There was no answer.
Heartbeat racing, she scrambled up the slope from the dock to the door of the cabin. Soon, the others followed. While they ran into the cabin, Lia caught sight of two lights shining in the distance. It took her a moment to realize they were flashlights, but another moment to realize the men holding them didn't appear very friendly.
"Rick! Alfred!" Cameri called desperately. As soon as she slid to the door of the kitchen, the breath was sucked right out of her, "Oh my�."
"What�" Lia stopped behind her friend, who stood motionless in the doorway of the kitchen and dining room.
After two seconds of hyperventilating, Cameri let out a shrill, piercing scream that seemed to echo throughout the entire mountain area. Lia pushed by her, then stopped and stared at the gruesome sight.
Blood. Everywhere. Both boys lay on the ground, each with bullet holes through their skulls and crimson pools seeped from under their heads. Cameri and Lia were so sick with fear that they felt like throwing up.
Away from the cabin, a dark van pulled up beside the two figures. A third figure joined them, holding a flashlight in his hands.
"Let's go, boys." He ordered. Rifles in hands, they headed out towards the back of the cabin.
Two more gunshots sounded out. At that point, Josh realized they were in great danger and darted out to grab both girls' hands, "We need to get to a safe place-- NOW!"
"What's-what's going on--" Lia whimpered breathlessly as she followed Josh upstairs in the cabin.
A bright flash came from one of the windows. The three stopped to see one of the men light a flare and set it by the side of the cabin.
"What is he doing�" Cameri whispered. Flames gradually built up from the place where the flare was set
"He's setting the cabin on fire."
Right before the cabin burst up into a raging, hellish bonfire, Josh, Lia and Cameri were able to escape harm's way. They sprinted past the dock and towards the forest.
"There's an emergency cabin out here somewhere; we'll be safe there!" Josh called, little-knowing what followed behind, listening to his every word.
It was pitch dark and they were without flashlights, thus relying on the full moon for what little light they needed to find the emergency cabin in the woods. Lia breathed heavily-- both from exhaustion and fright. When she felt her legs tiring, she held Josh's arm tight and kept on the path to safety.
Soon, they came upon a trail that led to an opening in the trees ahead. A lone cabin, set quiet and undisturbed in the darkness of the night, was spotted in the gap amongst the trees. Hurriedly, they raced to the door of the emergency cabin. Josh struggled to pull out his father's keys to find the right key that would give them access through the door.
Two more gunshots came out from behind, which prompted Josh to move faster. Lia batted at his shoulder, "Hurry, hurry, hurry!!!"
"I'm going as fast as I can!!" His voice shuttered in panic. Finally the door swung open. Cameri slammed it behind her-- forgetting to lock it-- and followed the other two up the stairway to a single room.
Josh heaved the dresser against the door, and even added on any other heavy objects in the room, to create a barricade. Now that everything had been shoved to one side of the room, they all dropped down on the floor, panting heavily. The girls sobbed hysterically, praying for it all to end.
Josh pulled them close, "It's ok; we'll be alright."
"But what about Rick!" Cameri pulled away, but her angered expression softened when she saw Lia crying and huddled close to Josh. It was obvious they too were in distress, so there was no use to add to it with her yelling.
"Cameri� relax, please." Josh spoke as calmly as he could to settle her down.
Cameri inhaled deeply and sat up on her knees. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, then, she pounded her fists against the ground, "Those b******s!" She looked up at Josh, her face wrinkled like she was about to burst out in tears-- not like she wasn't already. "They� They killed Rick� Why? What did he ever do to them? Huh?"
Josh merely stared at her with enlarged eyes that were full of desperation.
Cameri had completely broken down. She fell down against Josh and buried her face into his side like Lia. The room fell silent except for the soft whimpers from the two frightened girls, and Josh finally looked around the room, actually examining it for the first time.
Mounted to the wall on his right was a telephone, which struck him funny considering they were in the mountains where there was no reception. He also found that the room had two large windows: one above his head and the other mounted high up on the left wall adjacent to the one they sat against.
The three jumped when they heard yet another gunshot that sounded like it came right outside the cabin. Lia clutched Josh's arm tightly, whimpering harder.
"It's ok; we'll be safe as long as we're quiet." Josh looked over at Cameri, who sat up on her knees again; her eyes grew round and glassy with fear.
"I forgot to lock the front door�." She spoke.
At that moment, the window above them shattered. They were showered with shards of glass.
"They're outside!!" Lia screeched.
"Shh! They'll hear you--"
Cameri dug in her pocket, pulling out a cell phone. She quickly dialed a number, but there was no signal on her phone so the call didn't go through.
"We're in the mountains, Cam, there's no reception up here--"
"Well there SHOULD BE!!" She frantically tried to dial more numbers as if she could get through to any of them. Josh grabbed the phone out of her hands and threw it.
"Stop it!" He snarled.
"I'M NOT GONNA STOP UNTIL WE--"
A range of bullets was fired at the window, causing Cameri to drop to the ground and cover her head.
"Don't get in front of the window; you'll be KILLED!"
"Don't you think I've figured that OUT already!!" She shuttered.
Outside, they could hear footsteps from one of the men. He paced back and forth by the cabin with his rifle ready to be fired. While waiting for another to jump up in front of the window, he looked over at the two other men and signaled them to go in through the front door.
Thoughts raced through Josh's mind until he remembered, 'Guns! Of course! This is the room where Dad stored some of his guns!' Slowly, he pulled his arm away from Lia.
"Josh, what are you--"
"Shh�" He hushed, "Wait right here; I'm going to get something really quick." Josh moved across the floor as inconspicuously as he could. The glass that was scattered over the hardwood tore up his palms and knees, but he continued on towards the dresser that barricaded the door. His hand moved along the bottom drawer until he found a handle and slowly pulled it open. Then, his other hand moved down into the drawer to pull out two rifles and a handgun.
The girls' eyes widened, "We had guns?"
Josh picked out a box of bullets and, one by one, he loaded them into the guns, "Yes. My dad always stores his guns anywhere he might need them." He cocked one of the rifles.
"Oh, be careful!" Cameri flinched.
"Relax; I know how to use a gun. I went hunting all the time when I was thirteen."
With that being said, Josh slid back over to where the girls sat against the wall. In the gap between the window and corner, he stood up and waited for any possible sight of the predator that lurked outside the cabin.
Josh remained so deathly still that even his heart seemed to be laying dormant in his chest. He lifted the rifle carefully up, pointing it out the window. When he finally spotted the darkened figure pacing outside, Josh pulled the trigger, sending a bullet off into the night.
Immediately, in retaliation, an array of bullets was sent right back-- now more than ever before. All of them huddled close to the ground, waiting for the bullets to cease. While many bombarded the walls of the cabin, it felt like minutes before they stopped-- when really it was only a few seconds.
"I want to go home!! I want to go home!!" Lia cried. All the while, Josh tried his best to quiet her. He then looked up at the other window, which was untouched unlike the shattered one they sat under. Underneath that window was a latch that could unlock and open it, and further down was a window seat that made the window accessible. With the door being barricaded and the other window being watched, the last window was their only exit.
"Guys look." Josh pointed, "We can sneak out that window up there."
Lia shot him a frightened look, "Are you crazy? We'll be killed!"
Josh looked up at Cameri, who appeared sullen, almost dead. It was clear now that she had lost her will to live.
"I would rather die now than have to wait while being cooped up in this gosh-forsaken room." Her voice was grave, almost monotone. The other two watched her as she moved up to the window seat-- careful not to be seen-- and unlatched the window. She pushed the glass out, letting in the cool mountain air. Below the window on the outside, she found an old rope ladder that went all the way down to the ground.
"Any volunteers?" She spoke again.
Josh and Lia remained silent.
"I guess I'm first then." Cameri shrugged.
Josh looked out the window at the figure that continued to pace back and forth. It was astonishing how patient this man was; he probably could've waited all night if he wanted to.
Cameri placed one foot on the first rung of the ladder and tested its strength before climbing down the side of the cabin.
The man outside looked around carefully for any sudden movement in front of the window. It was a long time before he finally grew impatient, "If you're not gonna show yourselves, then fine! Be cowards!" He opened fire. Bullets were shot blindly in all directions-- including the direction of the shattered window.
Lia almost let out a scream, but Josh covered her mouth and held her close. Bullets veered closer and closer, pushing them further and further against the wall on the window seat. When Josh believed this was the end, he moved his lips close to Lia's ear, "Lia."
"Huh�" She shivered.
"I love you�."
Lia gazed into his eyes, which were just inches away from hers. In the moonlight, they glittered like the brightest stars in the night sky. Never had she been so close to him before. Since their lives were clearly coming to an end, she might as well give him one last scrutinizing look before they were blown to pieces.
"I love you too�." She whispered and pressed her lips hard against his.
As more and more bullets were shot, a silver flash went across Lia's eyes. She opened one eye and gazed down at the handgun within her reach.
Josh opened his eyes when Lia pulled away. She reached over, avoiding the bullets, gripped the handgun and slowly aimed it at the window.
"There were only enough bullets to put one in that." Josh pointed out.
Lia looked down at the gun and sighed, "Then we might as well use it while we're still here." Josh covered his ears. Lia squeezed on the trigger, sending the very last bullet on its course. The gun made a loud crack, and then�
� Silence.
The two opened their eyes to find that the bullets had stopped.
Lia winced, "What� what just happened?" She sat up. Where bullets should have turned her into minced meat, Lia remained untouched. Nothing was fired at all. Nothing.
Josh looked around, then got up, "Cameri!"
"Josh? Lia?" Cameri's voice came from outside, "What just happened?"
Lia sat frozen, "I� I think I hit him."
There was a moment of silence after that. Then, Josh and Lia both scrambled out the window. Down on the ground, they took every precaution before going out into the open.
"C'mon, guys." Josh beckoned. The two followed him around to the side of the cabin where the shooter had been.
There, lying motionless on the ground, was the shooter. In the moonlight, a dark, glittery substance oozed from his forehead. Josh knelt down before him and found that the substance was blood, and what made it glitter was the single bullet lodged into his skull.
"Who is it?" Lia peered over his shoulder.
Josh did not respond. He only ran his fingers through the warm fresh blood that now stained the man's forehead. He felt around for a flashlight, found one right by the shooter's body and shined it on him.
Josh's heart stopped. He jumped up while holding his hand over his mouth in shock.
"D�Dad�."


The sun hovered high over the mountainous area when police and forest rangers crowded the area. Caution tape was wrapped all around the cabin and blocked off the road. At the scene, paramedics placed the dead shooter in a body bag and sent him off into an ambulance.
"Your father� He, well, I thought he wouldn't but, he would've never done something like this. Never." Josh's mother stood with him as they were being questioned. Lia and Cameri were there as well, seeing as though they were there when the whole experience happened the night before.
"Was anyone else with you last night when this all happened?" The investigator questioned.
Cameri lowered her gaze to the ground.
"Well, there were two others but�" Lia looked over at her friend, "They didn't make it."
A tear escaped Cameri's eye, "Rick, my boyfriend, and his friend Alfred, were the first ones to be shot." Lia placed her hand on Cameri's shoulder and then embraced her.
"Wait� Weren't there two other shooters other than my dad?" Josh mused.
"Oh yeah," Lia said, "What happened to them?"
"We found two rifles in the cabin, but it looks like the other two shooters fled the scene of the crime; my guess is that they got scared and took off when the main shooter-- your dad-- was killed." An officer came up.
Lia looked down at her hands in shame, "I can't believe� I killed him�"
"It was a lucky shot, too. Didn't you say you've never shot a gun before?" Josh looked at her. Lia nodded.
The two officers smiled, impressed, "Wow."
"I have one more question," Cameri began, her voice crackly, "How come his dad didn't shoot me when I was right there on the escape ladder?"
"He probably wasn't aiming at you."
Josh and his mother exchanged looks, then his mother winced, "You mean to say� my husband wanted to kill his own son?"
The officers nodded, "Looks like it."
Lia turned to Josh, "Maybe this is why your dad suddenly let us use his summer cabin! He wanted to kill you!"
Josh blinked, "�Oh my gosh�."

Author's Note

I didn't want to post the entire story as one part because it would be too long soooo yeah... ^^; here's the last part, hope it wasn't too long!