No Exit by Taylor Adams 2

Perfect darkness.
Lars knelt to the floor and groped for his brother’s
flashlight. His fingertips found it beside the gas can —
bumping it, sending it rolling. He chased it down, his heart
banging in his ribs, clicked the button, and aimed the bluewhite
LED beam at the closet door.
To his relief, Darby was still there, and Jaybird, too, both
standing in his spotlight, both squinting back at him. Of course
they were. Why had he been so frightened? He was sick of
this. He wanted to shoot Darby now. Right now. And torch this
stupid building with Ashley, and end this hellish night, and get
to Uncle Kenny’s and kill some grubs in Gears of War.
“Ashley.” His voice was hoarse. “Can I kill her yet?”
No answer.
Just the rasp of wind outside.
“Ashley, can I please—”
Jay moved suddenly, startling him, and walked around the
room’s dark perimeter. Lars aimed his Beretta at her, and his
flashlight, tracking her like a searchlight as she walked past Ed
and Sandi’s bodies, past the barricaded window. “Jaybird, ah,
what are you doing?” She ignored him and stopped at the
doorway. Then she grabbed the front door.
She pushed it shut.
“Jaybird. Stop.” He turned back to Darby, spotlighting her
with the flashlight. He was splitting his attention now between
the two females in the dark room — Darby to his left, Jay to
his right. He could only illuminate one of them at a time.
He didn’t like this. Not at all.
He heard a click behind him and whirled back, aiming the
beam — now Jay was on her tiptoes, engaging the deadbolt.
Locking the door. Then she turned around to face him,
squinting in the glare, and he recognized that same frightening
look as Darby. Yes, they were both definitely in on it, some