€=>€=> I'm the kinda G the little homies wanna be, like on my knees in the night saying prayers in the street lights. Been spending most of their life livin' in a gangsters paradise..... Coolio €=>€=>
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Oscar
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Taking the ear piece Lex hands me, I try to calm my nerves. Lex and Chris will go in, while the rest of us has orders to wait until we here 'the words'. All fine and well except for the fact that I'd rather go in with them than it be just the two of them. Our new friends from New York take the front. Standing in the gravel parking lot, pretending to be hanging out. No one from these parts have ever seen any of their faces before, they should go unnoticed so long as they mingle with the crowd. Which seems to be working so far. While I, Pauly, Seth, and Toe stay hidden in the bush at the back. Two women smoke a cigarette at the back door. Both giggling and totally oblivious that they are being watched. Lex and Chris sneak back through the woods back to the car. They will drive around the block and then head inside the den. For now, we wait. I think this is the worst part. The waiting. Carefully, I sit down beside Seth. He lights up a blunt and we pass it around. The four of us, never having imagined that we would be out here in this position right now. Sure, we always wanted to be badasses like Lex and Chris but now that the opportunity is here, we're all a bit nervous. The smoke helps. It's the first time I've smoked since Bells and I have gotten back together. I try not to think of her or anything other than our mission. But her face is there in the back of my mind.
When I close my eyes, I see her smile. We're better than we were before. Stronger than before. She and I have both changed so much but all for the better. I grin when I recall the way she ran up to me before I left. I hadn't wanted to look back at her. My heart had nearly broken seeing Mia, Mawmaw, and Jessy. I hadn't been able to bring myself to look back to see Bells like that. But she hadn't been able to hold it back either. She had ran into my arms.
I wonder what she is doing now?
When I hear Lex's voice in my ear, it snaps my attention back to reality. They pull into the gravel parking lot, neither Lex or Chris looks towards of New York gang just a few feet away. Lex and Chris are instantly surrounded by armed men. I take my spot back. My rifle ready though my hands are shaking. I hear movements behind me as the guys do the same, taking their spots and getting ready. The men pat down Lex and Chris. Taking the pistols that they always carry. Luckily, they don't find the tiny ear piece in Lex's ear. It must have gone unnoticed. There is no wires. Lex has paid a pretty price for his high tech gadgets. I hold my breath when Lex and Chris are escorted inside.
I can hear everything going on but I still wish I was in there with them. I feel helpless out here. I'd be more help in there. This is Mia's doing. I know she asked Lex to keep me safe. She always does. I'm grown but still her baby in so many ways. Though it does touch my heart, it is very annoying.
Lex and Chris go back to meet the brother. His name is Tommy Mitchell. His older brother, who is now in jail, is Rick Mitchell. They're a bit older than Lex, probably in there forties. They're both clever and absolutely violent.
On the ear piece, I hear them order Lex and Chris.
"Stay here. Tommy will be a few minutes. Pour yourselves a glass, it's on the house."
A moment passes. Then...
"Guys," Lex says. "Stay put until you hear the words."
"I don't like this, Lex," I return.
"It will be fine."
I shake my head. "You shouldn't be waiting in that room for him. Who knows what he could be up to."
"Try to stay calm."
Another moment and new voices are heard.
We listen. Waiting.
"My apologies for keeping you both waiting," Tommy's voice is clear. "Please, take a seat."
After some movements, it goes silent again. Then...
"What can I do for you? I assume you haven't come to play your hand at poker."
"Not exactly," Lex sounds less than assumed. "Several days ago, a young girl from our town was found in a ditch. Rapped, beat up pretty bad. They weren't too sure she would make it for a while."
"How unfortunate."
"Yeah. She's much better now. The cops scanned the area, not finding much. But when my guys took a look, we found these."
Lex must have showed the matched.
"So," Tommy says. "Someone who has been to my bar rapped that girl? It could be anyone."
"Could. But then the girl remembered seeing a cop and... Then it just so happened that that cop had been seen here. More than once."
"I have lot's of people come in and out of here. I'd have no way of knowing who it was," Tommy laughs.
"Maybe not but I do know you had something to do with it."
"Excuse me?" Tommy snapped. "How would you know that?"
"Besides having the text messages from Officer Jason's phone, I got confessions from Jason himself."
Is that true? Seth glances at me, wondering the same thing. I shrug, I have no clue if any of that is true.
"Jason..." Tommy sounds unsure. "You have him?"
"Got him this morning. His confession this afternoon."
"How did you get this confession?"
"We have our ways," came from Chris.
"Interesting," was all that Tommy said in return.
"He explained how you wanted revenge for your brother. Since the orders came from Mayor Sutton, you decided to take it out on his kid."
Tommy laughs. "It would have been your wife had things gone to plan but you do seem to keep an annoyingly close eye on your family."
"Be glad it wasn't. Or I would have cut out each of your balls and fed them to you, before I skinned you alive myself."
"My goodness, you're mighty protective of them aren't you. Your little family."
"You have know idea. I'm pretty protective of my town too. And any young girl who falls victim to scum like you."
Tommy laughs again. "And just what do you think you're gonna do about it? Shoot me? Skin me alive?"
"Maybe both. Skin then shoot," Chris snaps.
"Well," Tommy teases. "I suppose you got me. If Jason confessed, I guess the fun is over. Only... I wonder if you'll do much skinning, since we have your son."
My brows knit together. At that exact moment. I feel something poke the side of my head.
"Did you really think I wouldn't know who is around my property?"
I hear nothing as I lower my rifle and stand. My hands up and my movements easy. Another man stands behind Seth. Seth does as I do. There is a third man. But apparently they assumed it was just Seth and I. I hear a shot. My heart jumps. I look for Seth. He is still alive. We're still alive. And then the third man falls. While I have the chance, I duck under the gun at my head. Knocking the man back, right into Pauly's knife. Toe, as big as he is, has gotten close enough to plant a knife of his own into the man who held Seth at gun point.
Through my ear piece I hear the rustling sounds of fighting. And the words...
"Stanotte muori!"
When I grab my rifle, I look down at the back door of the bar. Seth shoots first. Killing a man as he ran for a car. Then too many people are running around. If we shoot we might end up killing innocent people. So, I run. My long legs finally being a benefit to me. Seth follows. Pauly and Toe not far behind. A crying woman crashes into me. There are more people running from the bar than anything. Once inside, I find the New Yorkers giving it all they have. Their skills are incredible. One is out numbered and I do him a favor by eliminating two. The man sends me a wink of thanks and then is back at it again.
Suddenly, I have a sharp pain over the back of my head before I am tackled to the ground. I land hard on the floor with a heavy man on top of me. His fist connects with my cheek hard. He's big and strong. I'm lucky that he is knocked off balance by the people rushing by and I take the opportunity to flip him back off of me the rest of the way. I remove the knife from my boot.
The man lunges at me and lands on my blade. Despite already dying, the man is still able to hit me again. I have a cut now, over my brow. The blood runs down the side of my face as I remove the knife from his chest.
I have to find Lex and Chris. My legs feel wobbly as I find my footing. On my way deeper in, I shoot two more men. Then another fights me for my rifle. Pauly is there in the blink of the eye, slicing the man throat, and then he is gone again. Pauly's speed is almost supernatural. Something from the movies.
For a split second, I catch a glimpse of Seth and Toe. So far so good.
Though my heart drops when I finally find Tommy's room. Chris is bending over Lex. Holding pressure to his bleeding chest. Tommy Mitchell's body is unmoving. Sitting behind his desk. A gun still held in his dead hand. Lex's knife planted deep between his eyes.
I bend down next to Chris.
"Tommy pulled the gun. Lex got him but Tommy shot first."
I blink my eyes. Trying to take in what happened. Lex is struggling to breathe. His blood covers the floor and Chris. Lex's hand shakes and I take to hold on. As if holding on to his life myself.
"We have to get him out of here. Go get the car," Chris sounds so strange. Frightened? I've never heard him sound so worried. "Go! Now!"
Again my long legs prove to be useful as I push my way through the crowds. The keys are still in the car and I sling gravel as I fly around the back of the bar. Pauly and Chris try to lift him but they need more help. I bend down, as does Seth, we each take a shoulder. Toe holds open the back door of the SUV and ever so gently we get Lex inside.
"Toe, drive. Get us out of here before the cops come. Pauly call Dr. Logan."
"We need to get him to a hospital!" I snap.
"And tell them what? We were practicing shooting and he stepped in the line of fire?" Chris yells back. "Dr. Logan has been caring for all of us for years. This isn't the first time Lex has been shot and he will know what to do. Trust me."
I open my mouth to argue back but then Lex's hand reaches for mine again.
"Call Mia," Lex strangles out. "If I don't die on my own, she'll kill me herself for not calling."
On the second ring she answers.
"Mia, listen," I try to sound normal. "Lex is shot."
"Not again," she sounds worried and annoyed.
(Sorry guys. I don't know what happened. I tried to load it and it wouldn't. Hopefully this time it works. Thanks for hanging in there with me.)