We heard shots fired next door. One each for Tony, Jenna, and Simone. Damn it! They would be coming for us, next.

I told Anna, “Upstairs! If I go down…”

“I know,” she said. “I love you.” Before I could reply, she ran.

A knock at the door. “Anyone home?” I stayed as quiet as I could. If I could sneak out back, maybe I… I wasn’t watching, though, and knocked over a lamp. It shattered.

“Somebody’s home!” That sing-song voice didn’t fool me. Try as she might, she couldn’t actually put any emotion into it.

“You two, stay here. I’m going around back.” Dammit! There’s three of them! I heard the back gate open and close. She checked the door. “Locked.” I heard something else that sounded like…

“FIRE IN THE HOLE!” Oh, hell! The back door blew in. The blast knocked me down. Before I could get up, they were inside, guns aimed at my head. Blood stained their merit badges. With a machete at my throat, little Sing-Song asked, “How many boxes of cookies?”

Whose brilliant idea was it to arm the Girl Scouts?