"Drop it, hands up!" I slid it on the ground and put my hands on my head, flipping on my ear piece.
"Liam? What's going on?" She said in my ear. I didn't respond.
"Liam?"
"Do you really think I would go anywhere alone? That's cute. Who are you? Why are you following me?"
"I'm the one who is going to kill you, and your father!"
"I know that voice... Strip him!" They tore off my sun glasses and wig. My blonde hair was now messy and visible. They patted me down and pulled knives from my legs.
"Liam Merlin. I thought they had you?"
"Guess they don't care enough to keep you posted."
Nova was listening in, she stayed quiet.
"I think it's time you say goodbye."
"To the Windy City? Alright. Goodbye, Chicago. Fuck you, Rossi."
He grunted.
"Kill him."
"But boss, aren't we supposed to take him to-."
"I SAID KILL HIM! NOW!"
A gun went off, hitting one of the men in the back of the shoulder from the street. The convenience of the destruction allowed me to grab his gun and drop.
I shot another's leg and tumbled. He slammed down, still shooting at me. I ducked. Toni open fired.
"Get me out of here!" He threw his gun down when it was empty. My gun was out.
They blocked to get Toni out and faced their guns at me. Their main goal was to remove him safely.
"We know you're out here now, you and your sister better be prepared! You hear me!" He threatened, darting down the street.
Nova helped me up.
"Thanks." I grunted off the ground and got up.
She remembered the phrase "Windy City." It's the same phrase my father would use if he was on the phone and held at gunpoint. If it was an emergency, that's what you'd say.
Quickly, we ran in the direction Toni had went. But he seemed to magically disappear. We searched up and down the entire streets, he had disappeared into thin air.
"Shit." She removed her red wig and wig cap.
In disappointment, we got a ride downtown, towards our home. We stopped when we could walk the distance.
Nova, still in heels, stammered down the sidewalk.
Our large home was more isolated from others, which was hard to come by in the big city. The height of the house towered the width.
"Don't your feet hurt?" We approached the sidewalk in front of our house. Downstairs light was on.
"Well, sometimes. I-."
"GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" Screaming, father ran down the front steps. We confusingly looked at him, but obeyed.
BANG!
The pressure of the explosion flung us onto our backs. Debris from our house flew everywhere. The flames swallowed our home.
My arm pushed into the sidewalk, Nova and father appeared to be okay.
"Dad!" She leapt over to him, he was closer to the house than we were.
I needed to get into the house before the stairs caved in. Running, I dove into the house. My name echoed behind me. I blocked them out, no matter how strong their attempts to stopping me was, I had to make it inside.
I crawled up the steps into the burning entry way and turned left. The fire covered our furniture and supplies.
The heavy smoke clogged my nostrils and lungs. Hacking, I reached the small alcove under the first few steps.
My eyes began to water as the smoke infected them. I felt dizzy and overheated.
I peaked in the alcove. Resting inside was the majestic lion head painting I admired.
I fast my reached in for it.
Creek..
CRASH!
The stairs collapsed right above me. It started with the first steps, then worked upward. The flames gnawed on the wood like hungry, rabid, termites.
A large piece of lit wood crashed on top the painting. The remains of the stairs piled on after. The canvas sparked more flames.
My heart dropped. I tried to dig it out, burning my hand in the process.
The hacking was continuous.
I dug and maneuvered around the wood as best I could. I dug around enough to watch the final piece of the lion turn to ash.
It was gone.
The last piece I had of her was gone.
"Liam! We have to go! The place is going to collapse!" Yelled Frank.
The next thing I knew I had brought myself outside. We were running. I felt empty and numb.
"I called the fire department, an anon call. We're going to have to check into a motel tonight."
"And then what?"
"I don't know."
The motel's vacancy light flickered. It was small, and a little dirty looking.
He paid in cash for our rooms. He gave him the cash and he gave us our keys.
"Go wash up. I'll be back."
"Be careful. Don't turn yourself in." Nova stopped.
"No, not yet." He left.
I took vacancy in room six, Nova in seven, father in eight. There were only a few beater vehicles in the parking lot.
The room was cleaner than expected. The sheets were white and cool, the window opened out to the starless night sky.
I iced my second degree burned hand. Sitting alone, the emptiness and anger took over. I chucked the lamp against the wall. Along with a few pillows, which did nothing. I showered and finally tore the fake mustache off. The only clothes I had were the blue and white suit I wore as a disguise.
I kept the towel around my waist. The evening had already entailed too much exposure. I sat there on the edge of my bed, reflecting. The last piece I could ever have of Minga had went down in flames. As a whole, we had nothing. All of our weapons, cash, and drugs were all gone.
I couldn't suppress the anger, the disappointment in myself. I had never felt depressed as I did then. That was the worst moment of my life. I blew my cover. They knew Will wasn't me, and who knows how bad that'll screw him over.
I remembered the purple pill I had carried with me earlier today. I slipped it out of my pocket of my disguise clothes.
There was something that could help me through the pain. It was small, but could make a big impact.
I tore open the sealed bag and popped it in my mouth.
The bright sun woke me up the next morning, along with the loud Chicago traffic. I was cold, Still half asleep, I rolled over and reached for a cover. I felt something of unusual texture instead. Hair.
Flickering my eyes open, I saw a naked woman in bed next to me. I jumped up startled. I was naked too.
Her hair was blonde and curly, her body smoothly sun kissed. I had no idea who she was.
My head pounded. I searched for answers. The last thing I could reminder was talking the pill.
Flashes came back. Flashes of drinking and smoking. Flashes of me throwing up on my shoes. Where did I even meet this girl?
Î hated myself even more than I did the previous night. I was such a fucking idiot. In all my grief, I slept with a random girl. What would Minga say?
I covered myself with a towel tied around me.
Not knowing how to go about waking her up, I poked her shoulder. I did it again until she woke up. She glanced at her surroundings and sprang up. She was as startled as I was. She concealed herself with a bed sheet.
"Who are you? What happened?"
"Co se děje? Kdo jsi?!"
"Oh, shit. You don't speak English. Fuck, okay. Inglés?"
She looked at me with utter confusion.
"Okay, well I'm sorry whoever you are, but you need to leave." I handed her the women's shoes on my side of the bed. Her dress was on the bathroom floor.
"Pil hodně žlutá muže!"
"I don't know what you're saying, okay? You see the door?" I pointed.
"Leave. Please. Get out. Put on clothes and leave."
"Nemůžeš mě odstranit! Ne! Ne!" She yelled bitterly as I shuffled into the hallway and closed the door.
Before when I said taking the flash was the worst moment of my life? I was wrong. This one definitely was.