Luka had no sooner reached the cashier then the door to the restaurant slammed open with a crash as it hit the wall and three men brandishing guns entered.
"Get back, everybody, back!" The first of those started immediately shouting orders as they burst inside. The sight of the tall Croat at the register was unexpected and his immediate reaction was purely defensive. The man was too close. Rather than firing his weapon he brought the butt of the rifle he held up and slammed it into the man's temple, dropping him where he stood, instantly.
"Luka! Abby screamed as her husband went down and despite the threat of danger to herself she knew she had to go to him.
"I said stay back!" Luka's attacker dropped the barrel of the rifle to his victim's head, the unspoken threat instantly stopping her in her tracks. As the others locked the door and began herding the rest of the patrons to one side of the room, Abby was left to try and determine just how badly he was injured without even the luxury of an exam.
"Everybody, down on the floor, we want wallets, purses, jewelry...now" The men began barking orders, each shouting over the other to be heard over the voices of the terrified customers. For Abby it were as if she were watching it from the outside, while she found herself complying, she couldn't help but keep looking back to where Luka still lay on the floor, as yet unmoving.
"Please, can I see to him? I'm a doctor." It took everything in her to retain her calm as she handed over first her watch and then was forced to add her wedding ring to the growing pile on the tray held by the man before her.
"I know you didn't mean to hurt him, he just surprised you. He's my husband, please?" The oldest of the men leveled his gun on her, delaying a response as he looked first to his partners then to Luka before returning his full attention back to her.
"All right, you can check on him, but you try anything and I'll kill him and then that girl there." Using the weapon as his pointer, he chose the pre-teen from a family who had been celebrating her mother's birthday. As if the gun alone had not been enough to convince her, the tone of his voice left no doubt as to the seriousness behind his words, and while Abby appeared to remain calm, the girl and her family were far from that.
"Will you all just shut up, I swear, one more sound." The man snapped as the noise in the room grew steadily louder fueled by his own words.
"We want cell phones, Ipods, anything else like that...better get those ties and belts off too, going to need something to tie you up with." They continued manhandling their way through the other patrons, yanking off necklaces and tossing threats when someone moved too slowly to suit them.
"Joey..get everyone down on the floor by the bar...line them up there, we'll use the railing to secure them." The man who stood over Abby glanced away long enough to issue the order to the youngest of the three before turning back and nudging her with the end of the gun.
"Go if you're going, but so help me, I'll kill him where he lays and then that girl, if you try anything, you got me?" He issued the threat with the barrel still trained on her.
"Yes, I understand, I won't do anything but check on him, please just let me go to him." Her voice trembled despite her best efforts to control it.
"All right." Motioning her to stand up with the rifle, the man watched her make her way over to Luka's side, even going so far to walk across the room and stand beside her as she sank to the floor beside him.
"Luka?" Abby lifted his head onto her knee as she brushed his bangs back, feeling the sticky wetness of blood on her fingers. "Luka, come on, I need you to wake up now."
to be continued...
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