Sharp, loud, but it didn't come from Vaughn's weapon.
Cassandra Blackwell stood in the doorway of the war room. Her injured arm still in a sling, but her good arm holding her pistol steady.
She had fired at Dominic Vaughn and stopped him before he could hurt Finn.
Vaughn dropped. The gun fell from his hand.
Finn collapsed to the floor gasping, coughing his throat bruised where Vaughn had choked him.
Cass moved forward carefully and confirmed that Vaughn was no longer a threat. Then she looked at Finn.
"Twice. You've saved me twice now."
Magnus helped Finn to his feet. The boy was shaking.
Adrenaline crash, pain, shock, all of it hitting at once.
"You did good, kid. Real good."
Outside the sound of gunfire was dying down. The Vegas assault was breaking.
The remaining mercenaries were retreating dragging their wounded leaving their dead. They'd lost completely decisively.
The Hells Angels had defended their home.
As dawn broke over Bakersfield, the compound looked like a war zone. Bullet holes in walls, shattered windows, blood on concrete.
Three angels wounded non-critically. Doc Rafferty worked on them with steady hands while others swept the perimeter securing the scene.
Twelve Vegas mercenaries were dead, and another eight were captured. The rest had fled back across state lines carrying the message that Hells Angels territory was not to be trifled with.
Dominic Vaughn's body was removed from the compound. It would be delivered to Vegas with a message.
Simple, direct, final. Stay out of Bakersfield.
Finn sat on the steps outside the war room. The same steps where he'd sat with Cass just hours before.
Doc Rafferty had checked him over. Bruised throat, reopened stitches on his forehead.
But nothing that wouldn't heal.
Magnus sat down beside him. They watched the sunrise together in silence for a long moment.
"You could have died tonight."
"I know."
"Why'd you leave the safe room?"
"Because hiding didn't feel right. Because I saw the threat."
"Because I couldn't just let him hurt Cass."
Magnus nodded slowly. "You've got the heart, Finn."
"The courage. But you need training."
"Need to learn how to fight proper. How to defend yourself and others."
"I'll learn whatever you teach me."
"Good. Because I'm not losing you now that I found you."
Finn looked at Magnus. Really looked at him.