I finally got up the nerve to go face Brian, Han and Dom. Getting out of my car I locked the door before leading them all to my garage. I spent most of my time out here so all my furniture was in the garage. There was even a fridge, grill, and pots and pans out here. I pretty much only went in my house to take a shower.
I walked over to the fridge to grab beer for everyone before handing them out and opening my own. I walked over to the purple 1969 Corvette Stingray coupe that was in the garage running my hand over the hood.
"There a bathroom in here?" I heard Brian ask.
"Over there." I heard Mercy reply. She knew I was stalling. I whipped around when I heard a door squeak open.
"Not that door." I said trying to hide the panic that was bubbling up. It was already too late though, the door stood wide open. On all of the walls in the small room there were pictures of the people that were in Jared's gang. Some were crossed out, others circled, and some with big question marks still beside them.
"What the hell is this?" Dom asked looking from the room over to me.
"None of your damn business." I said walking over to the door and slamming it shut. "The bathroom is that door." I cocked my head to the side, and could hear a car coming down the road. It made me glad I was already by the door of my planning room. I opened the door and flipped three switches before grabbing two different guns off the table, and closing the door again. The first switch shut off the lights, the second shut the garage door, and the third turned on a small lamp that couldn't be seen from the outside. "Mercy." I said and she cut me off.
"I know, I know, go to the safe house, and don't come out until you come to get me, or morning comes." She said walking over to a section of wall that only opened for me and her.
"One more thing." I said as the wall slid open revealing a stairwell. She looked at me confused. "Take them with you." I said nodded over at Brian, Dom, and Han who were looking between the two of us a bit confused.
"I'm not leaving you out here alone." Dom said folding his arms over his chest.
"What makes you think you have a choice?" I asked walking over to stand in front of Dom. I heard the car start to slow down, and knew they would circle the block once before stopping.
"The fact that I'm still standing here." He said looking down at me.
"Is that all?" I asked pulling one of the guns out of my waistband. "That can be easily remedied." I said pointing it at his chest. "Now either walk to the safe house on your own, or they will be carrying you there."
"Really, you're threatening to shoot me. You won't do it, you won't hurt me."
"You're wrong about me not shooting you." I said pulling the trigger. "But it won't hurt you." I said watching him stumble a bit before falling to his knees with a small tranquilizer dart sticking out of his chest. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" I asked sliding one of his arms over my shoulders and my arm around his waist. I managed to pull him to his feet before walking over to where the others stood shocked. "You have about five minutes before he can't stand. I suggest you use that time to get him downstairs." I said handing him over to Brian and Han.
The wall had just slid shut behind them when I heard the car come around the corner for the second time. I turned off the small lamp before walking over to the door of the garage. I watched through the window as the car pulled up at the end of the driveway. Three men with guns got out of the car, one went to the front door, one to the backdoor and one came at the garage. I couldn't help but smile at their stupidity at I checked the second gun making sure I had reloaded it with the amnesia darts. Just one dart would make a person forget everything they once knew, and never let them remember it again. I stepped into the shadows as he got closer to the door. I smiled as the door opened, and waited for the guy to walk into view. I let off a shot in his direction and smiled when he dropped to the ground. Along with making the person who is hit with the dart forget everything they once knew, it also instantly knocked them out.
I slowly walked over to the door keeping my eyes trained on the door in case the others decided to check out the garage. When I got to the door the only person I saw was the guy waiting by the back door. I quickly pulled the guy I knocked out over into a corner and waited for one of the others to get curious. I continued to watch out the door as the guy who went in the front door came out the back. They stood on the back door talking for a minute before the guy who stood watch at the back door gestured over to the garage. They spoke for a few more minutes, and the back door guy gestured to the garage again.
I watched as they both readied their guns as they came walking over to the garage. I backed up into the shadows again, and waited. When the first guy walked in the door I was tempted to just shoot him and get it over with, but I waited until the second guy walked in and took him out first. When the first guy heard his friend hit the floor he turned to look at him, and I shot him with a dart as well. After pulling both of them away from the door I deposited them with their friend knowing they would be out for a while. I finally emerged from the garage to make sure that there were only the three of them. When I didn't see anyone else I got into their car and pulled it up into the backyard where it wouldn't be seen as easily, and went back in to let Mercy, Brian, Han, and Dom know it was safe to come out of the safe house.
I flipped a switch that would signal to Mercy that all was well, and then went over to the intruders to find their wallets. I had just fished out the last wallet and sat down to erase their existence when the safe house door opened. I didn't turn to look at any of them until Brian spoke up. "Dom is still out cold down there."
"I'll get to him when this is done." I stated erasing all files on Alexander Jose, Harrison Glove, and Brandon White. When I was sure no more file existed I gave them new papers, and went to my planning room, and crossed the three men's pictures out before walking over to load them back into their car. I went to change into sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt before walking back out to the garage. "I'll be back in about an hour. If you want answers you'll wait here until then. Mercy, if anyone else shows up you know what to do." I said before getting into the driver's seat of the car and taking the men a few counties over, where I rented a hotel room, and dropped the three men in it before taking their car to Jim's chop shop, from Jims I walked the rest of the way home.
When I got back I knew it was time to face the music so I went to the fridge and pulled a syringe out of the back. "What the hell are you doing with that?" Brian asked getting in my face. I knew he was pissed at me for shooting Dom, even if it was just with a tranquilizer dart.
"Going to wake him up." I said pushing past him, and slammed the door to the safe house in his face. I could hear Brian yelling something on the other side of the wall, and I let out a sigh before walking down the stairs to the small apartment style safe house. They had decided to set Dom in a chair when they got him down here and I knew that was going to be to my disadvantage. Whenever someone wakes up from one of my tranquilizer darts they always seem to hit first and think later. Something about it just puts them on edge. "Well here goes nothing." I said injecting the fluid that would wake Dom up into his bicep. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back and the right side of my face was throbbing.
I continued to lay there for a few moments not moving, mainly because my head was throbbing when I heard Dom get up from where he was sitting. I heard him curse under his breath a few times before coming over to me. "You ok?" He asked slipping him arms around me to pick me up.
"Yeah, don't worry, that's a normal reaction to wake up with." I said as his eyes wandered to the redness in my cheek.
"What happened with those guys?"
"I'll tell you when I tell the others. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions." I said gesturing to the stairs that would lead us back up to the garage. I had Dom set me back on my feet when we got to the top of the stairs, and then I opened the door.
Mercy was the only one to see the door open, so she was the only one who saw me stumble a bit before Dom slipped his arm around me and helped me over to the couch. I let out a sigh when I saw everyone staring at me. "Do you want to start with the story, or the questions?" I asked pulling my legs up to sit with my legs crossed letting my hair hid the bruise that I know was forming on my face.
"Start with the story." Dom said, "Start with why you left, so we're all on the same page."
"Why I left the first time, or the second time?" I asked knowing I was just being difficult.
"The first." Was Dom's reply.
"I guess that starts with the day of the trial." I said thinking back. "I had just been told by one of the officers that what the judge said was for the benefit of the jury. They led me back to my cell to let me change into my clothes and I noticed a paper on the pillow. When I opened it the letter said that whoever it was planned on killing me and anyone who got in their way, so when Mia asked me to leave I didn't protest. I went to get on a plane, and the plane blew up. I knew that the only reason the plane blew up was because I was supposed to be on it. I had the plane checked out before I bought the ticket and there was nothing wrong with it. So when the plane blew up I took that as my chance to disappear, but I didn't want to leave the family thinking that I was dead so I changed my appearance and stayed until the funeral. Dom was the only one out of everyone I knew who had seen through the changes so I figured I was safe. I gave Dom the letters to give to the family explaining what was going on, and why I wasn't staying, and then I left. Everything seemed to be going alright for a couple weeks until I noticed the same people kept showing up everywhere I went. After doing a bit of digging I found out they were from Jared's old crew, and I knew they were following me because they were suspicious of me. My only guess was because I participated in the funeral with the family, or because of the interest I showed in the cars. Either way they were on my trail and I knew I had to do something, so I drove all the way from Washington to Florida, and bought this place. Then I started to research Jared and his gang, that's what's in that room. They can't get anyone else to join because everyone is convinced that gang is cursed, so if I get rid of those people the gang falls apart. If the gang falls apart then I can go home." I explained to them before whispering the last line to myself. When I felt Dom's arm tighten around my waist I knew he had heard me though.
"What has people thinking that gang is cursed?" Han asked looking over at me curiously. I got up to go get the gun that I used on the intruders and brought it back over to where I was sitting before. I opened the gun pulling out one of the darts that was inside the gun.
"This does." I said holding up the dart that contained a pale pink liquid. "One drop of this will put you out for twenty minutes, and make you forget everything you've done for the past five hours. An entire dart full puts you out for eight hours and you forget everything, even your own name, with no hope of ever remembering it again." I said with a small smirk. "When gang members started showing up with no memory of themselves or anyone else, three counties away from where they were supposed to be going, rumor started that the gang was cursed."
"What exactly did you shoot Dom with?" Brian asked still ticked off about that.
"It's an all-natural valerian root tranquilizer. The second shot was mostly caffeine." I said knowing he was going to ask that next.
"Why didn't you let me help you?" This time it was Dom.
"Because I knew you would hit them. If they start showing up bruise people will realize that it's not a curse on the gang, and that the idiots are actually reaching their destination." I said looking over at him to see a frown on his face, but he knew I was right.
Everything was silent for a few minutes after that until Mercy finally broke the silence. "What now?" she asked looking around the room. Looking around at the tired faces staring back at me I spoke up.
"Now it's bedtime. You guys are welcome to stay if you want. We're sleeping in the safe house tonight." I said letting Mercy help me up. I watched as the others got up as well, and followed us to the safe house door. When the safe house door opened I pushed a few more buttons and watched the door to my planning room disappear behind a wall, and the corvette that sat in the center of the room sunk into the floor before another slab slid over it. I looked back over and saw that Dom was watching the changes take place in the garage with a raised eyebrow.
"What can I say." I said with a shrug. "I love that car."
Dom chuckled before wrapping his arm around my waist and leading me down the stairs. When I looked at the people settled in the living room something finally pushed its way to the front of my Brain. I walked over to where Han was standing, and looked closely at his face before walking around him and looking him up and down. I finally stopped in front of him again and poked him in the stomach. When he raised an eyebrow at me I turned to look at Dom crossing my arms over my chest with a pout on my face. "He doesn't look dead to me." I said before turning to walk into the kitchen leaving them all laughing in the living room. I got myself a glass of water, before walking back out into the living room. "Those doors are the bedrooms." I said pointing down a set of hallways that contained about thirty doors. "The bathroom is there, and if you're hungry there is food in the kitchen." I said walking to the room at the end of the hall.
I lay in my bed for about five minutes before I heard my door open and Mercy walked in. "I hope you don't mind, but I told Dom he could come sleep with us if he wanted to." She said snuggling up in my arms.
"I don't mind." I whispered to her running my hand over her hair until she fell asleep. "Thank you." I whispered to her when I heard his steps approach the door. When he opened it I could hear him hesitate for a minute before he came over and crawled into bed behind me, slipping an arm around my waist. "I'm glad you're here, even if I don't show it very well. I'm just worried you'll all get hurt. With Mercy I knew if I told her to go she would, but I know you won't and I can't have you all getting hurt because of me." I said holding onto the arm that was wrapped around me.
"Then trust me not to get hurt. If you want them shot with your tranquilizer gun with no bruises, then give us tranquilizer guns, and we'll do things your way, just let us help." He said tightening his hold on me as well.
"I'll try." I whispered as sleep started to claim me.
"That's all I ask."
"You know I love you right?" my sleep addled brain asked without my permission.
"I know. I love you to." Dom said, just as sleep claimd me.
A/N I know the Corvette is not classic american muscle it's a sports car, but it is my dream car so I had to include it. lol. Plus i have no idea if valerian root could make a tranquilizer, but I do know it works as a sedative. Oh, and feel free to point out any grammar errors or typos, I will go back and fix it if you point it out for me.