Dim The Circus Lights (Book 2 of Beneath The Circus Lights)

Chapter 57

⚠️Warning this chapter make contain elements that may upset or trigger readers. ⚠️

Jerome had just barely stopped the motorcycle before Elsie jumped off, racing towards the house, skillfully dogging bullets that wizzed past her through the war that was raging through the fence line that separated the main house from the warehouse that was a thirty feet away.

"Shit." Jerome cursed, moving on the opposite direction, running to the adjacent extension piece of property and searched for Macy, finally finding her on the second floor of the building next to a window where she ducked out to spray bullets before hiding behind the safety of the stone wall.

"Thank fuck you two are back." She yelled as Jerome flew to land beside her, narrowly missing a bullet in his leg.

"What the fuck happened?!" He growled, accepting the weapon handed to him and began shooting.

  "I have no clue. One minute I'm making martinis and Jason is drawing some picture and the next thing those fools are shooting up the fucking place." Macy ducked, dodging a bullet.

"Those pricks really know how to play a man don't they," Jerome laughed but there was viable rage in his eyes, "Elsie's ma was right. Lies are like butter. Spread easy but bad for ya heart."

    Elsie dragged her knife across the throat of some unknown goon who was clearly trying to loot the house. Curling her lip, she stepped over his choking form, moving further in as she searched for her children.

  "Jason? Terry?!" She called, running down the hall, and into Jason's bedroom, only to come face to face with a shotgun pointed at her head.

  "Elle? Fuck, thank Christ it's you. What're you doing bursting in like that, I nearly blew your fucking head out!" Terry put down the shotgun, dropping his shoulders as he quietly cursed to himself.

  "Terry where are the....." Elsie's haze moved from the young man before her to the children huddled behind one of the overturned cribs, "kids....." She rushed over to the makeshift barrier, checking over the twins and Jason, pulling them close.

  "Mommy, I'm scared....what's happening?" Jason whimpered, burying his face in his mother's chest.

  "Just some fireworks baby. Nothing more. It's okay, Mommy's here now." She soothed, kissing the top of his head.

  "Where's Daddy?" Jason clutched his mother's shirt and she rested her hand on the center of his back.

"Daddy's busy baby. He's dealing with some....bullies." Elsie glanced around Terry who had moved to the window and peaked through the curtain.

"Shit, they're breaking the fence." Elsie gently pried Jason off of her to move to look out the window. Indeed some of the rebels had broken through and were beginning to march towards the back of the property.

"No. Not here. Not near my children." Grabbing the shotgun out of Terry's hands she ran for the door, ignoring Terry's yells for her to stop and Jason's confused cries.

Bursting through the back door, Elsie ran for the staircase situated near the opposite side, "Don't you heathens touch my goddamn porch!" She snarled running to the top of the stairs.

"Now look here Miss Els-" One of the rebels, (that she somewhat recognized and remembered his name was Ben, having removed a bullet from his stomach not even a month ago,) began to speak as the group paused at the bottom of the steps.

Click click. She pulled back the gun, aiming straight for his head, "Turn around Ben, before I send us both to damnation."

Ben genuinely seemed taken aback and began to laugh in disbelief, "Jesus Christ Elsie."

"That thing ain't fucking loaded anyway!" One of the men scoffed spitting on the ground and Elsie's lips drew back in a snarl.

"Oh yes it is."

"Move aside bitch." One man barked and the rest roared in agreement however Ben raised his hand and they all shushed.

"Now look Elsie. I don't want to see you get hurt, you've been good to most of us, hasn't she boys? Patched us up real good. Now for that, I'm willing to let you and the kids go. Don't really want children's deaths on my conscious. Now just get your kids and get on out of here okay?" Ben tried to play the peacekeeper, tried to be her friend and all it did was make her blood boil.

"Yeah? And what about Jerome?"

"Sacrifices have to be made. If we let Jerome go, he'll probably come back and kill us all." Ben shrugged indifferently and there were murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

Elsie shook her head, raising the shotgun even higher, "You ungrateful bastards. After everything we've done for you! We've given you food, shelter, work, allowed to cause what mayhem you want and this is how you repay us? This is how you repay Jerome?!"

Ben, had the audacity to smile sheepishly, "This is Gotham sweetheart. There's no room for saints in this city," he frowned suddenly, "now go upstairs like a good woman and get those kids out of here like I said  for the last damn time."

"There's no way in hell I'll let you take this place, get away from my home!" Her finger began to squeeze the trigger, "get away from my children! You men better pray the lord feels merciful come judgement day." She spat and the sound of the back door opening missed her as she saw a shuffle in the crowd before her.

"Enough talking Goddamnit and just shoot the bitch!" Someone raised a handgun and a shot went off, just barely missing Elsie as it zoomed past her side.

"Mommy?"

Bang.

"No!"

"Oh fuck!"

"Who the fuck pulled that goddamn trigger?!" Ben roared, turning his back on the scene before him.

Elsie's ears filled with cotton as she watched Jason crumble to the ground, crying out as his small hands went to clutch his stomach.

  Without even thinking, she whipped around and began firing blindly, caring not who she shot, barely acknowledging Jerome burst through the door behind her and drop to his knees next to Jason while Macy joined Elsie in shooting.

Hell hath no fury like a vengeful mother.