Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 6.1 - Sunglasses and Screwdrivers

"Oh. Right." Snitch Gravel squinted at Kyle. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second then a scowl replaced the shock. "You've never heard of me." He raised his hand and his men pointed their rifles. "To cut a long story short, I hate your father enough to kill you."

"Oh, for crying out loud." Harris threw his hands in the air. "That was twenty years ago!"

Sam turned to him unable to tell how much more shock he could take. How many people knew about their father's enemy and how come this precise man was one of them?

Snitch Gravel narrowed his eyes. "Twenty years, five months and twenty three days, to be more precise." He then glanced at Sam and grinned. "Oh, this is so good. Do they even know your real name, Harrison James?"

"Wait, what?" Jerry asked.

"Thought so. Dear brats, please meet Harrison James, secret agent, long time frenemy and professional liar."

Sam's heart beat like a trapped bird trying to escape. What had they gotten themselves into? And Kyle squeezing his shoulder wasn't helping. Sam winced and stepped back.

"Distract him," Kyle whispered in his ear and nudged him forward.

Sam stumbled and grabbed on to Jerry. Kyle was right. As much as he wanted to strangle the fake professor Harris right now, he wasn't the one pointing a gun at them. They had to get away from Snitch Gravel if they wanted to live long enough to find out what was really going on.

"Relax," he said loudly, regaining his footing. "He's not going to kill us."

Snitch Gravel raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're a grown man with an army of other grown men sporting rifles," Sam said as though explaining a basic mathematical fact. He wasn't sure it would work, but he had no idea what else to do. "We're three children, none of us legally allowed to drink. You can't just shoot us."

A mocking smile spread across Snitch Gravel's lips. "I beg to differ. I'm not above shooting defenseless children."

Sam swallowed. So much for that idea. Those pointed guns made his stomach feel as if he'd hit himself with that blasted door again. Which actually gave him an idea.

"Kyle, go!" he yelled, and before any of the armed men could make a move, the grabbed the handle of the door leading to their room and pulled it open blocking their view of the rest of the hallway.

"They're getting away!" yelled one of Snitch Gravel's men.

Sam heard footsteps, breaking glass, panting, as he ran backwards. Jerry got to his knees and scuttled inside their room. Sam reached the door to the next room and pulled it open just as a bullet splintered the flimsy protection they had. With the third door pulled open, they actually had a bit of a shield.

"Come on!" Harris yelled.

"Boss, they're getting away," a man grunted.

Sam pivoted in mid-run and watched Harris' back as he jumped out a small window at the end of the hallway, leaving it empty. Sam sped up and threw himself through the window just as a bullet soared past him and hit the wall. He landed on a wooden platform and rolled towards its end. He tried to grab the edge, but his fingers closed around air. Sam shut his eyes, bracing himself for impact with the ground. It never came. Someone caught him.

Kyle put him down, his eyes fixed on the window. Long scratches marred his forearms and Sam guessed he must've jumped through the closed window.

"Go!" Kyle nudged him forward.

Sam shook his head, out of breath. "But Jerry..."

"I'm here." Jerry rushed out the door of the inn, dragging three rucksacks after him.