I lifted my head at the truck engine sounds. It had stopped for a while, and a long silence had taken over since. I prayed that Edgar and Robert would see something amiss, turned around, and got back on the road. But I knew that was wishful thinking.

Edgar would never leave without a fight, rightfully so, and neither Robert. For whatever reason. 

I turned to my dad. His eyes dashed back and forth, following Meg's movement like a cat following its prey. Next to him, Vince stared at nothing. He looked paler than a sheet of paper. I didn't think that would be possible, considering how tanned my brother was, but I supposed the way Meg had treated him on Miramar was still fresh in Vince's mind. Charlie kept shaking his head and mumbling like a madman. 

The zip tie on my wrist hurt more every minute. I tried to decipher the muffled conversation outside the front door before footsteps rushed to it. The door was ajar. That should be the first glaring sign. Edgar had grilled us so many times on not leaving it open, even just a slightly bit if we didn't want to become mosquitoes' food, and, so far, we had obeyed that rule to the T. I now hoped Edgar and Robert would be ready for a living room filled with mercenaries, each armed to their teeth. 

"In position, boys!" Meg jerked her face toward the moving handle, cutting my train of thought short. 
 
Two men who looked like bridge trolls in their tactical gear walked to the door and aimed their machine guns at it, leaving the other four in different corners of the cabin. 

"Come on in! Breakfast is ready!" Meg sang like a church bell. 

The door was kicked open. Edgar barged in first, holding his gun that now seemed miniature compared to the weapons pointed at his face. Robert came in after, holding Charlie's gun, but the way he looked convinced me that he couldn't shoot anything besides his own toes. I wanted to cry at the sight. 

"Who the hell are you..." Edgar's heroic demeanor died a little as the men shouted their overlapped commands at him.

"Put it down! Put the gun down! Now!"

"You put it down first, fuckers!" Edgar screamed back. His face was redder than a boiled crab. 

"Put it down, or we blow your brains out!" 

"Always have to make things so difficult, don't you?" Meg tut-tutted and came forward. 

The rays of sunlight from the window danced on her slick back ponytail. Meg looked quite different now when a bulletproof vest and combat boots replaced her blue dress and stilettos. She tapped one of the men's shoulder. He immediately lowered his gun. Meg then walked over to my dad and smashed her Glock butt in his face. 
"What the hell? Dad? Dad? Are you ok..." Vince, who was next to him, jumped up only to receive a blow in the back of his head. 

Charlie shared the same fate, even when the old man didn't do anything. A muzzle pressed against my temple making my blood run cold.  

"What happened to small talk? Hm?" Meg sighed dramatically. "What happened to 'How are you doing?', 'Nice seeing you again?" "Am I asking too much? I don't think that is too much." 

"Don't hurt them." Robert gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"

"I have an order," Meg said, "To deliver Hayne and you alive. God knows why, but I didn't ask. It's not my place to pry anyway." Meg lifted the gun off my temple. "Castillon is a tricky motherfucker, you know? But he's nice enough to give me a second chance. To get paid. After you all FUCKED IT UP!" 

"Then let them go," Robert breathed shakingly. "They have nothing to do with this." 

"Nothing to do with this? What part of 'You all fucked it up' don't you get?" Meg acted offended. "You made me look bad in front of my employer. You all have to pay." 

"It was my fault. Please. I tased you and tied you up. I did all that. They didn't know I would show up. They didn't do anything. They were under your control, remember? If you want to punish someone, it should be me..." 

"Nah... Don't think so." 

Meg cocked the gun and pointed it at me again. This time, she pulled the trigger.
 
***

I heard Robert scream. My world blended into a blur. Past and present. Memories and regrets. They all mixed up. A boy sitting in the shade of the barn house blended in with the man in front of me.  

What should I feel now when the last image he had of me would likely be one of my head getting blown open; my blood and brain matter painted the wall? What should I feel when my sulking black and blue face and my bitchy attitude would stay with him more vividly than the years we had been in each other's lives? What should I feel while trying to keep my eyes open as big as I could, like a stupid frog, to take in all of Robert: How he looked, the clothes that he wore, and the broken note of his voice? 

They were all I had.  

Because after-life experiences had always been farfetched to me, how would I even know? 

How different would our lives be if we had never parted ways, and Robert had never decided to carry the weight of secrets all on his own?   

How would I know? I wouldn't know. 
 
The gun clicked next to my ear.   

Meg stared at it for a second before turning to one of the men. "You. Shoot her." 

"You touch her, and I'll shoot!" Robert put Charlie's gun under his chin. "You want me back alive, right?"

"Gosh," Meg raised her hands. "Such temperament. You people are exhausting. You're not afraid of death, but what about them?"

She eyed her team members who pointed their guns at us. Robert's hand shook, but it didn't move.

"Fine," Meg spat after a long staring contest with Robert. "I'm just joking. Just joking." Her charming smile returned. "We ain't have all day to play nanny with you. Some of the men will stay here until the General confirms that you and Hayne got on the ship. If either of you want to pull a fast one on us, you know what will happen to your friends. Right, princess?" 

She patted my face like she would a dog and gave me a long, wet smooch on my mouth. I gagged. 

"Now, throw away your toys." Meg laughed heartily and turned back to Robert and Edgar. 

"Hell no!" Edgar squeezed his gun. "I ain't giving up my piece! You're gonna kill us anyway! At least I won't be going down alone." 

"If I want you to 'go down', you woulda. A long time ago." Meg rolled her eyes. 

"Shut the hell up, woman!" Edgar screamed.  

"It's ok," Robert tapped Edgar's shoulder before throwing Charlie's gun forward. "Let's not waste any more time here." 

One man came over to pick up the gun, emptied it out, and zip-tied Robert's hands behind his back. 
 
Meg cleared her throat. "Your turn, fat man."  

"Fuck you," Edward spat but reluctantly did the same. 

"Good boys. Now, to the corner. Face the wall." 

"What do you think I am? Five, bitch?" 

"Shut up and do it." One man shoved Edgar to the corner. As soon as they got there, the man smashed his gun butt in the nape of Edgar's neck, knocking him out cold.  

"What was that for?" Robert said. "Why do you have to do that?"

"No one likes smart mouths," Meg exhaled.  

Robert stared daggers at her. 

"What are you glaring at me for?" Meg threw a taunting smile at him and made a signal to the men. Two of them forcefully yanked Robert around and shoved him out the door. Robert tried to look back, but they pulled him forward. Another mercenary walked to my still-unconscious dad and lifted him as if he were a stuffed animal. Meg watched them leave before turning to us. 

"I'll see you all again. Someday." She winked and bowed out of the cabin.

My chest tightened as if it would explode. I wanted to scream, but only tears came out. They burned my cheeks. My eyes punched holes in the now-closed door.