RENEGADES

Chapter Eleven

It must have been around nine thirty before we heard any footsteps.  First, it was just Rickie's haughty steps strutting into the alleyway.  Then Davey, Nate, and Marque came up behind.  Pete wasn't here.  I wondered if he was still hurt from when I hit him.

I felt a little guilty about that because Pete was just trying to help his friend and I wiped him out.  

"Hi-hi guys," Siggy stuttered.  He was good at acting scared, or maybe he wasn't acting.  "Rickie, nice to see you, Evening, Nate, Davey.  How are you Marké?"

"Now you can quit the flattery Siggy.  I know your buddy is around here," Rickie said.

Darn it.  I should've known the Roaches are too smart.  From a crack between the dumpsters, I saw Rickie for the first time in days.  His right eye was all swollen with black and blue all over.   There were scratches and cuts on his neck and a few on his face.  I had beaten him up pretty good.

Davey had a long gash on his forehead too.  That must have been when they were chasing after Siggy.

"Andy Dandy? Come out and play!" Nate called in a high-pitched voice.  That guy always scared me.  He had a voice that sounded like someone scratching a blackboard with long fingernails.  His black greasy hair hung over his white face.  Nate reminded me of a vampire.

Then a thought hit me.  The Roaches didn't know about Theo.  Theo had the most muscle of between Siggy and me.  At least he would be a surprise.  I crossed my fingers that  Theo would stay hidden until he could really get one of them.

I reluctantly climbed out of my hiding spot.  The Roaches all laughed at me, except Marque.

"Hahaha, that's where you belong Andy, in the trash!" Davey chuckled.  I walked over to where Siggy was standing.  I noticed his hands shaking and realized that he really was nervous.  I hated putting Siggy through this.  We often fought against one or two of them at a time, but with all of them together, it was no picnic.

Last year Davey had caught Siggy alone and beat him up real bad.  Siggy was limping for weeks.  My friend was terrified of Davey especially.   He never picked a fight with him unless he had to.

Our gang was tough, we had beaten up many guys before.  But we fought fair, and we never beat someone else up without a decent reason.  

I glared at the Roaches.  Davey started snapping his knuckles, trying to be cool.  Marque made the first move.  He walked up to me and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"No one.  No one beats up my little brother," he breathed.  I watched his fist ball up and I tried to get away.  He still smashed my left eye with his white knuckles. I fell towards the ground, but my feet caught me as I staggered toward the wall.  I leaned up against it and put my hand over my eye.  Blood came dripping down my face and I couldn't see anything out of that eye.  

I was caught off guard.  My head felt dizzy.  Don't faint, don't faint, I told myself.   

After I regained balance, I was face to face with Davey.  The bloke stuck his foot right into my stomach.  I doubled over.  I could feel all the pain now.  My fighting instincts were failing.  I was no longer immune to the hurt.  I coughed and felt my breakfast rising up from my stomach.  I choked it down and front kicked Davey right in the groin.  He winced.  

I was about to finish him off when I saw Siggy on the ground with Nate kicking him.  That got me going.  I socked Davey right in the jaw and dashed towards my friend.  

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Siggy coughed.  He sat up and pulled Nate's leg out from underneath him.  Nate landed on his elbow and yelped.  Rickie helped him up and the Roaches stood around us.

But Siggy wasn't okay.  He couldn't move his right leg.  It was the same one that had gotten beat up before.  

"I can't, I can't get up," Siggy cried.  Rickie threw back his head and cackled that rooster call of his.

"Looks like it's all over for you two," Rickie said.  He nodded to Davey, who had quickly recovered from our fight.  The realization crashed over me like a freezing wave.  They were going to kill us.  They had planned this.  My head hurt so much I couldn't see Davey crouching down toward Siggy.

"And now, you get to watch your friend die," Davey whispered.  

No.  He was going to choke Siggy.

Suddenly, Theo ran out from his hiding spot and shoved Davey out of the way.  I got up and kicked Davey's face to make sure he would stay down for a while.  Theo got this wild look in his eyes whenever he was fighting.  He charged at Rickie and punched his neck.  Rickie fell to the pavement and scraped his knee.  Idiot.  Everyone knows not to wear shorts if you're looking for a fight.  

Marque and Nate came at me at the same time.  I couldn't see Marque because of my eye.  I jumped out of the way and Nate ran into Marque.  Nate fell down, but Marque was quicker than that.  He grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground.  

I couldn't breathe.  The wind had been knocked out of me and something sharp had pierced my back.  I coughed.  Marque stomped on my leg three times as I cried out.  The hard soles of his shoes rammed into my calf and I attempted to hit his leg.  

But I was weak.  I had lost a lot of blood and my energy was drained.  I wanted to keep fighting.  This was supposed to end, we were supposed to fight them off.  I caught a glimpse of my friends.  Theo was being punched again, again and again, by Rickie.  He had blood and bruises all over his handsome face.  Siggy was crouched in the corner, Davey standing over him.  

"STOP!" Nate stood in the middle of the alleyway.  Everyone turned to look at him.  He pulled a gun out of his pocket. Nate looked at me.  "This for you."

Marque slowly stepped out of the way and I knew it was all over for me.  Siggy was begging me to get up from afar, and I could barely hear his cries.  Theo was passed out with blood all over his face.  I didn't want it to end this way.  First me, then my friends.  I didn't want to remember them this way, and I didn't want them to remember me this way.  We were fighting simply because I had beaten up Rickie before this.  It was all my fault.

Nate stood over me, I just saw his inky black figure casting shadows over me.  He aimed the gun at my head.  

"No, please, I'm sorry..." I mumbled struggling to find the words.

Elle.  No.  I loved her, I loved her so much.  And she loved me.  I couldn't leave her.  

I began to cry.  Big wet tears slid down my bloody face.  

"Aww, look he's crying," Nate laughed.  I could tell he had killed many people before.  "You are pitiful, Andrew.  And now you die."

I watched his finger close over the finger.

"NOOOO!" 

Thomas, it was Thomas.  He had lept in front of the gun.