Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (50 page)

Shannon

“We’ve been at this for hours, Nicky!” I yell stomping my heels into the bed like a child. We have gone over every restaurant and meal I ever had with my father…nothing. Nicky put more salve on my backside a few hours ago, then we ate some sandwiches, we talked about the guys for a while, we went to the bathroom, but other than that all we’ve done is talk about two brief twenty-two year old memories. I’m wiped and frustrated and in the middle of a full blown temper tantrum and Nicky is laughing at me.

I glare at him and he laughs even harder. His laugh is deep and raspy, it makes me smile.

“Jerk,” I huff after he calms down.

“I’ve been called worse,” he jeers. “Let’s try one last thing and then we need to get a new plan.”

“One more,” I warn. His team is coming back soon and I don’t know what we’re going to do then.

“Where did you have milkshakes with your dad?” he asks simply.

“At the kitchen bar. It was our treat, my mother fuckin’ hated the mess we’d make,” I say through a smile.

“Where would you have a sit down meal?”

“At the dining room table. That almost never happened though. I still have that table. Uncle Mick got it in the will. I thought it was weird because he was only family by marriage, but it’s a beautiful antique table…” I stop mid-sentence. The table…a nice meal…Uncle Mick… “It’s in the table, Nicky,” I whisper.

Gunfire…I hear gunfire outside.

“FUCK!” Nicky bellows jumping up from the bed. “I missed the deadline. That’s a new team comin’ to grab you. Put this on.” Nicky rips his long sleeve T-shirt over his head leaving him in a white tank and jeans. I fly out of the bed no longer in any pain as the adrenaline kicks into high gear. I pull his huge shirt over my head and roll the sleeves up.

“Gun Nicky,” I demand with my hand out.

“I’ve got one piece on me. I need to go get a visual on what’s goin’ on. I’ll come back for you with your piece. Get under the bed.”

This goes against every instinct I have, but I do as Nicky says. I crawl under the bed like a child afraid of the boogie man.

“Hurry,” I implore. He slowly moves out the door into the hallway. I’m in blackness again. Alone and unarmed while men are coming to take me. I’m pissed. I breathe calmly thinking of Uncle Mick.

Never let them take you without a fight
.

Oh I’ll fucking fight.

The gunfire is getting closer, louder, more constant fire than brief bursts. I breathe and listen. I can use this bed as a barrier if they get in here. The door flies open.

“Shanny,” I hear Nicky and let out a huge breath. I quickly scurry out from under the bed and make my way to him. He’s still in his tank, no injuries. “We need to move you.”

“Gun!” I demand loudly.

“Couldn’t get to ’em. They’re on the other side of the house. I can get you out come on,” he says holding his hand out to me. Hand in hand we approach the door, before I’m stopped by a familiar sight.

“Taylor?”

Kellerman

We met up with the guys perfectly. I’m a little in awe of how perfectly. We were driving (illegally paced) down the road and then I saw Kav at an intersection. We pulled our caravan off the road and supplied everyone (that can operate one) a gun. As soon as that was done we were back on the road. Taylor has stopped. So either he made it where he was going or we’ll catch up to him and make him take us to Kid, either way this is coming to a quick end.

Kieran just pulled onto a dirt road behind Kav and Aidan. It’s either a road or a long ass private drive because I see no signs of life. My stomach is in my throat and I’m clutching my pistol tightly. I see a flicker of light over a hill and to our right that looks like headlights. All four of our caravan turn off their headlights and creep toward the lights.

I have two extra pieces on me. My plan is to find Kid and put a gun in her hand (maybe two). I’m good with a gun and so is Finn, but the rest of the guys are average at best. Kieran and his boys are comfortable with guns, but I’m guessing they’re less about precision and more about destruction. Kid can out shoot anyone I’ve ever seen. I know Taylor beat her by two millimeters to get his job (I cringe at the thought) but Kid creamed his ass in shots on target…she never missed. If she’s whole and has a gun, all will be well.

Kav takes a sharp turn into the fields heading toward an old farm house. We all follow. As we creep slowly toward our target a large SUV tears up the road toward the front of the house. Who the fuck is that? We park at the back of the house surprised to see Adam’s car empty with the door open near where we parked. Then gunfire erupts hitting the cars. We all scatter and I run toward an open door at the back of the house. There’s a light dusting of snow frosting the fields around us and the moon is reflecting off of it making it a little easier to see at almost 5:00 a.m.

Before I reach the door I’m brought down hard from my right side by a tackle. My gun flies from my hands as I wrestle this guy as best I can in the dark.

I don’t know if he has a weapon, but I’m not waiting to find out. I roll him to his back, sit on his chest and wail away at his head. I continue until he’s no longer moving. Satisfied he’s not coming back anytime soon, I jump up snatch my gun from the snow and haul ass to the door.

I scoot in quietly my back to the wall, my gun at the ready. I look like something out of a cop show. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I want my back against something solid and my finger on the fucking trigger. As I move through the house I can hear voices. One sounds like Kid and I pick up my pace silently, letting my ear guide me to her.

I make my way down a stairwell leading to the world’s longest hall in the basement and see Taylor’s back in a doorway. A man (I’m guessing Nick Scarso) is in front of him facing me. I move quickly down the hall creeping quietly as the gunfire enters the house. I get maybe twenty-five feet behind Taylor when I hear her.

“Taylor?”

Shannon

“What the fuck are you doin’ here?” Nicky spits at Taylor.

“Two birds, one stone, Nick. Gettin’ rid of you and takin’ her,” Taylor sneers and then smirks that Taylor smirk. I don’t understand. Does he know Nicky? It sounds like they know each other. How is that even possible? He’s here to rescue me. I knew he’d find me, but I can see him training his eyes on Nicky. He’s going to kill him. Everything moves slowly. Taylor raises his gun toward Nicky as Nicky returns aim. I drop Nicky’s hand and throw myself in front of his body wrapping my arms around his neck. I hear multiple pops and look up into Nicky’s face smiling into the blackness.

Kellerman

Scarso recognizes Taylor. I fucking knew it. Gunfire starts going off like crazy upstairs drowning out whatever is being said and then it happens. Taylor raises his gun simultaneously with Scarso. Then she’s there. She throws herself around Scarso like a shield.

“Nooooooo!!!!” I scream running toward her. I see it, her body quakes as each shot hits her. I raise my gun, firing it at Taylor’s back running full speed toward them. Taylor’s body jars as the bullets penetrate his body, and then I’m hit. One of Scarso’s rounds hits, dropping me where I stand. He screams a feral cry cradling Kid to the ground as I lay two inches from the man that just murdered Kid. With one last look upon her body I fall into the blackness.

“See you soon, Kiddo.”

Kavanagh

I fly down the stairs to the basement. It’s the only place I haven’t been yet. We finally dropped maybe fifteen guys outside, Kieran and his boys doing most of the work (happily). I don’t give a shit who’s dead or if I spend the rest of my life in prison. I have to get to Kid.

The rest of the guys are hot on my heels as I hear the whoosh of helicopter propellers. I believe the cavalry has arrived. I get to the bottom of the stairs and stop. There are bodies lying lifeless at the end of a long fucking hallway at the entryway to a room. I sprint down the hall. Kellerman’s down. Taylor’s down.

“Nooooooo!” I scream flying into the room to find Kid wrapped around a man like a blanket. She’s drenched in blood. “Aidan!” I scream. He flies in pushing me out of his way. I fall on my ass and stare at her lifeless body. She’s pale and limp. Her eyes are fixed open. I roll to my left and puke. She’s gone.

“Get the fuck up!” Aidan screams. “Get out to those choppers, get me a spinal board, and tell them to get ready to move to Northwestern!” He goes back to C.P.R. on Kid and I race down the hall noticing my brothers with Kellerman. O’Sullivan is sitting with Cal in the hall, heads cradled in their hands.

“Help me!” I command. Both jump to their feet and fall in stride next to me. I run out to see Sully Sr. running at us fury on his face. I cut him off before he can waste any time.

“She’s bad. Aidan needs a spinal board and a lift to Northwestern, now!” I scream over the whir of the helicopters. He wastes no time barking into a radio. Two teams of whatever they are go flying past us with spinal boards, Sully Sr. in step with them. The three of us stand there in silence. I taste salt on my lips and realize tears are streaming down my cheeks. Cal’s face is also tear-streaked. O’Sullivan is a mask of pain. No tears, just devastation.

Aidan comes tearing out of the house with four guys carrying Kid on a board. I watch as her body goes past. She’s gone. I can feel it. She’s not here anymore. I watch the shell that used to carry my heart float past me and I crumble to the ground is sobs. A medical helicopter lands just as she passes me. The team carrying her followed by Aidan, sprint to it and disappear inside. It takes off in a matter of seconds. She’s going back to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where this all started. She’ll be in the same hospital she was as a little girl fighting for her life. This time she won’t win.

“These two can go to Centegra Hospital. If they need moved from there the hospital can sort it out,” Sully Sr. yells at EMTs. I look up to see Kellerman and the man Kid was wrapped around being wheeled into waiting ambulances. Finn’s on the ground leaning against the house with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Kieran and two of his guys are talking to cops or feds (I’m not sure which).

“How the FUCK did this happen?!” Sully Sr. bellows. I try desperately to get my brain in gear to figure out what I just saw.