CHAPTER 7

Kaylee nearly shrieked, but before she could make a sound the barrel of the gun filled her vision. Her scalp screamed as Voohres held her up by her hair and she balanced precariously on her good leg. She grasped his wrist with her good hand, just to keep herself from falling onto him.

“What's your story, girlie?” he growled.

She couldn’t see his face... she couldn’t see anything except that huge, long barrel pointed right between her eyes. Her eyes filled with tears, her mind occupied by a single thought. She couldn't stop his name from rising to her lips as she whimpered for salvation. “Simon.”

“Let her go,” a firm voice commanded. Zoë? A glimmer of hope surfacing in her soul, Kaylee peaked around the barrel of the gun. Jackson!

The little boy stood at the door, his face one hundred percent business, holding Jayne’s favorite gun - Vera. What was he thinking? The kickback from that thing would send him through the wall!

“You’re a little young to be fighting, boy,” Voohres laughed condescendingly. “Hand over that gun, nice-like, and I promise I won’t shoot the lady.”

Jackson stood firm. “Let her go and walk out of this house, or I will kill you.”

“You can't handle that gun.”

Jackson shifted Vera in his arms, adjusting his grip, and Voohres let out a cocky laugh, finally lowering his own gun from Kaylee’s forehead. Jackson did not lose the moment. His little hands moving like lightning, he dropped Vera, drew his Mateba and fired, hitting Voohres in the knee. Kaylee yelped and stumbled backwards as the tall man’s hold on her suddenly went slack and his blood spurted on her body. Jackson charged the collapsing man, kicking the gun from his hands, then backing away, training his small Mateba on Voohres.

“I can handle this one,” Jackson assured, shifting nervously on his feet, fueled by adrenaline

Voohres did not give up so easily. He pulled a knife from his boot and tossed it at Jackson, who dodged easily. The distraction gave the man enough time to reach for his weapon, but Kaylee