"Bumblebee." Lorrie whispers, smiling against my lips. I ignore him and continue to plant little kisses all over his face. "Bumblebee."
"What?" I ask innocently, still beaming after five minutes of kissing him. It feels like five seconds.
"We have to get home." He chuckles, rubbing his nose gently against mine. "Rain check?"
"Okay, okay." I reply, removing my hands from his hair. He kisses me once more, savouring the moment, before gently putting me back down on the floor. I step out from in front of him and take one last look at the room, grabbing my bag off of the bed as I do so. Carefully, I put my meds back into the bag, but not before sliding a night time one into my mouth. "We need to get Morgan from the douchebag downstairs."
"Yes, we'll do that now. Where's Thea?" he asks, taking my hand and leading me back out of the dreadful room. When I don't say anything, he turns around and meets my eyes. I don't even have to say anything. Realisation floods his face, destroying the beautiful smile on his lips.
"Oh." He says quietly, putting his hand into one of his many pockets and pulling out a little black gadget. He clips the gadget onto the front of his bulletproof vest and then presses a button on the side of it, turning it on with a little beep. Instantly, a little green light begins to flicker in his ear for a few seconds before disappearing again. "I've got Gen, we're on the eighth floor. Heading down to seven to get Morgan now. Luc, where you at man?"
A radio.
"Also," he pauses, taking my hand once more and giving it a squeeze. "Thea is a dead end. She was never alive."
His words make the breath catch in my throat, making it very difficult for me to not cry. We need to get to Morgan.
"Lorrie?" I say, beginning to walk with him beside me. "Morgan."
"Gen, I need you to stay behind me at all times okay?" he says, becoming very serious, very scary, for a moment. Seeing him like this, I'm reminded of the night we met and how he scared me.
"But what if you get hurt?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I'm wearing a bulletproof vest." He says, trying not to laugh at me. "You, are not."
Well, that's a point. Giving him a nod, I let him take the lead and follow closely behind him. As we approach the elevator, he reaches down and pulls out a shot gun from his chest. Extending it out before him, he follows the gun with very delicate footwork. I can't help but feel like a baby elephant behind him. The screaming siren is still going off, splitting my head in two. Distant gun shots can also be heard, making my stomach feel queasy. This is all for Morgan and me, I realise. I don't think that I could handle the possibility of someone else being hurt... or killed.
"Gia, are all of the cameras still out?" Lorrie asks quietly, pressing the elevator button. I look up to see that none of the cameras are flashing like normal. Good old Gianni.
The doors slide open, revealing the empty carriage, and we both step inside. Silently, Lorrie presses the button for Morgan's floor and concentrates on his breathing.
"Baby..." he says quietly, not meeting my eyes. I realise what he's going to say before he even has to say it.
"You're going to kill people." I say, praying that my voice sounds as strong as he needs it to be. The image of Thea laid out naked in the middle of a field matted in her own blood, cut open, bruised, and abused, flashes through my mind. They hung her picture up like a trophy. "I understand."
He meets my eyes with a regretful look before leaning towards me and gently kissing me on the top of my head.
"Stay behind me." He says as the door slides open again.
I do exactly as I'm told and follow right behind him, out of the way of the other guard, as Lorrie starts to move silently down the corridor. The siren cancels out any noise made by our approach, giving us the advantage. Rounding a dark corner, my heart begins to beat at an unnaturally fast pace, making my knees feel weak. Stay behind Lorrie. Don't get shot. He's going to kill people. How has this become my agenda in a matter of weeks? We continue to move down the silent corridor towards another corner when Lorrie holds up one of his hands, a gesture implying that we need to stop. A little noise sounds in his ear, indicating that one of the boys is talking to him. He turns around and mouths 'stay here'. I nod and obey. He, however, turns around and soundlessly nips around the corner, keeping his gun level with his eyes.
A shot sounds and my heart stops.
Lorrie, Lorrie, Lorrie, Lorrie-
His head appears back around the corner and he gestures for me to follow with a quick flick of his head. Relief flooding my body, I smile and take my place behind him once more.
"Corridor on seventh, clear." He says to the boys, through the radio. We then continue to move forwards down the empty corridor in silence and I try to prepare myself for what I'm about to see. The guard's lifeless body is crumpled up against the wall, facing down towards the carpet. His gun lays a few yards in front of him, knocked off of him from the impact of the shot. The navy carpet surrounding him is turning black, obvious even in the darkness. Lorrie pays no attention to him, instead, he presses up against Morgan's door and listens. I try to control my breathing and avoid looking at the dead man. Soon, I'll be back home. Soon, this will all be a bad memory. Soon, this will all be different. Lorrie quietly enters the room, holding his gun level again. Seeing him like this, in predator mode, makes me slightly light headed. I don't know whether to be intimidated by his savagery or attracted to his protectiveness and dedication to the ones that he loves. When he disappears inside, I wait patiently for the pair of them to reappear. My eyes drift back to the shotgun laying limp on the floor in front me. Before I know what I'm even doing, I automatically lean over and pick up the gun, surprising myself with how heavy it is. The cold metal bites at my hands, giving me an urge to drop it altogether. But I don't. I don't because it fits my hand right, it feels right, and if it comes down to it, I may have to use it.
"Not happening." Lorrie's dark tone makes my insides freeze, turning everything from the top of my head to the tips of my toes to ice. I turn my head, hands still gripping the gun, and meet his eyes. Morgan is stood behind him, still looking glum, but almost rejuvenated by the sight of Lorrie. The colour has returned to her cheeks, making her look more alive, regardless of her sad eyes.
"We might need it." I say, giving him a pleading look. "Morgan and I aren't protected. What if something goes wrong? What if-"
"You have me. Nobody is going to harm the pair of you. If anything, you'll end up harming yourself with that, or one of the boys. It's not happening Gen, drop the gun."
I look down at the gun in confusion. Why can't I drop it? A murky feeling in my stomach tells me to keep a tight grip on it.
"We don't have time for this." He says, taking a step towards me.
"Lorenzo Marchesi." I say coldly, stopping him in his tracks. "I am my own woman and if I need to protect myself then I don't want to rely on somebody else. Morgan and I aren't pathetic damsels. I'll only use it if I need to and as soon as we're safe, I'll hand it back over to you. Now don't you dare undermine me, I've been through a lot in the past week and right now, I'm not the girl you want to be messing with. We are running out of time, now show me how to use to damn gun so we can get the hell on with this."
For the slightest moment, I see something change in his eyes. Pride? Could it be? But before I know it, it's gone and his eyes have returned to their normal intensity. He steps forwards, sighs, and reluctantly shows me how to use the gun.
"Don't make me regret this." He says quietly, giving me a desperate look that tears my soul in two. I nod and lean forwards, planting a kiss onto his cheek. Then, taking Morgan's hand in mine, I take our position behind Lorrie and stuff the gun in the back of my jeans.
We follow Lorrie silently as he discusses with the team what's going on, where to meet and what's happening in other places of the base. Just before we reach the elevator again, the doors ding open and Lorrie steadily holds his gun level with his eyes. I squeeze against Morgan, ready for the shot to ring out...but it doesn't come. Lorrie relaxes slightly so Morgan and I peep around his large body to see who has stepped out.
"Lucan!" I gush, unable to contain my relief and excitement at seeing him again. He steps forwards into the corridor, looking identical to Lorrie in his dark gear, holding a sharp, heavy-looking crossbow. You should see him with a crossbow. Not so approachable then. Side stepping Lorrie, I make my way towards him, ignoring the memory from weeks ago. At the sight of us, he lowers the crossbow, gives Lorrie a nod, and steps forwards to pull me into his broad body.
"Hello you." Lucan says, burying his head into my hair. "Enjoyed your little holiday?"
I pull back and give him a gentle whack on the chest, glad that he's safe. His warm eyes move from me, to Lorrie, and finally make contact with Morgan's. I instantly see the shame and regret that shadow her face. It's visibly obvious that she's trying not to cower back behind Lorrie. However, Lucan does not hesitate. In under a second, he is moving towards her with determination, making my heart stop in my chest. She takes a step back behind Lorrie, but Lucan ignores her fear. Instead, he reaches forwards and wraps his strong arms around her body, squeezing her close to him. She stiffens, overcome with surprise at his warmth, and then relaxes into him and squeezes him back with a force to match his own. Lorrie and I make eye contact and he gives me a cheeky wink, showing me that everything is going to be okay.
"Okay, let's find the others." Lorrie says, breaking the pair of them apart. As he does, Lucan spies the gun in the back of my waist band and looks at Lorrie with a mixture of worry and confusion.
"She scares me." Lorrie replies with a shrug, stepping forwards to press the elevator button. The doors open again and we all step inside, ready to get back to business. Just as the doors shut behind us, the alarm stops ringing through the building, creating an eerie silence.
"Gia?" Lorrie and Lucan say in unison. I look at Morgan, feeling uneasy. A little squeaking noise sounds in both of the boy's ear pieces and they share a look. The lights on the elevator panel go black. We aren't going anywhere.
"Well that's just great timing." Lorrie mutters, distracting himself by reloading his gun.
"Care to fill us in?" Morgan chips in from beside me.
"Somebody is onto Gia. He had to shut the alarm down and reboot the cameras. Which means that they know where we are. He should regain control any minute but right now, we need to get moving. Quickly." Lorrie says, making eye contact with all of us.
"Morgan, can you get us...?" Lucan looks heavenwards, indicating to the roof. "The team are meeting up there."
"Yes." She says after a moment's thought. "But we're going to have to take the long route or we'll get caught."
"The long route?" I ask nervously. The longer that we are in this building, the more chance we have of being shot down.
Eyeing the flashing camera across the corridor, Morgan steps closer to me and whispers quietly in my ear.
"The laundry shoot."
......
Not even twenty minutes later, the four of us are clambering around on our hands and knees in the pitch black casing of the laundry shoot. Because Morgan and I have already done this route today, the journey is much quicker and before we know it, we have passed the entrance to the unavailable floors that we used earlier. After a lot of complaining, and accidental head-banging, we reach the furthest part of the laundry shoot, where the conveyor belt meets the couple hundred meter drop at the end of the tunnel. Lorrie goes first, inspecting the deadly drop with a degree of wariness. Wordlessly, he turns around and holds out his hand to me. I shuffle forwards obediently and stop at the edge of the drop, peeping over into the cold darkness that looms before us. If we even lose balance in this position, that drop would result in a certain death.
"See the steps baby?" Lorrie asks, encouraging me to look up from the black drop and focus on the ladder to the right of us. It looks rusty and old, deteriorating with age and wear. Great. I reply with a curt nod and watch as he slowly, but effortlessly, transfers his bodyweight from the metal casing of the tunnel to the ladder running vertical to the drop. The gushing air runs up the dark tube and hits him like a vacuum, lifting his hair up from his face. Once he is confident that the ladder will take his weight, he slides down slightly so that his head is level with our feet.
"Step out onto the ladder, I've got you. You don't need to be scared-" he begins quietly.
I cut him off by swinging my body out of the tunnel, grabbing the bars in front of me and holding on for dear life. Lorrie's body appears behind me in a matter of seconds, flanking me between him and the steps. Already, I feel more secure, safer, as his broad chest presses against my back.
"I'm not scared." I whisper back to him, refusing to look down at the drop.
"Why aren't I surprised?" Lorrie chuckles behind me, giving me a peck on my ear. "That's my girl. Now slowly move up the ladder, I'm right behind you."
I do as I'm told and slowly climb the ladder, checking every step before I take it to make sure that it will support my weight. Lucan and Morgan do the same as Lorrie and I, and eventually the four of us fall into a climbing rhythm. Don't look down, don't look down. Lorrie keeps the others updated on our progress and ignores when they get slightly angry at how long we are taking.
"Gia can't hold the cameras for much longer and the boys are almost all at the roof. There are five Shelley's left, including William, and none of them can be found. Val followed them to a room but they've barricaded themselves inside." Cowards. "We need to get out of here, now." Lucan shouts up the tunnel from below us. His voice echoes right up to the top, making my head go a little fuzzy.
"How far away are we Morgan?" Lorrie asks from behind me. I hope that I'm the only one that senses the irritation in his voice, but I doubt it.
"I don't know, five minutes maybe?" She shouts back, obviously unsure. "I haven't actually been up here before, I've just seen it from the roof. You'll know when you get to the top because there's a metal shaft that should give way and release the escape hatch onto the roof."
We carry on in silence for a few more minutes, ignoring our aching muscles and sweating bodies. I'm only wearing Lorrie's sweatshirt and a pair of thin jeans, I can't even imagine how hot Lorrie and Lucan must feel in their thick cargo gear. Even the breeze that the vacuum creates fails to cool us down. But we carry on regardless, taking each step as it comes, until finally, there are no more steps left to test. My sweaty hand makes contact with the shaft and slips right off, causing me to sway dangerously away from the steps. Lorrie automatically steadies me with his body, helping me to regain my balance, before making contact with the rest of the boys.
"We're here. Open the shaft." He says breathlessly. I turn slightly so that I'm half facing him and see that he is sweating unmercifully in his thick gear, turning slightly pale. I swivel around completely and lean back against the steps so that I'm facing him. Morgan and Lucan eventually reach us and start to breathe heavily as the heat starts to get to them too. Using my sweater sleeve, I dab at Lorrie's beautiful face and wipe away the sweat from his collar and forehead. Before he can say anything, a painful screech tears our attention away from the blistering heat as the shaft begins to turn from the outside. A sigh of relief escapes Lorrie as the hatch is pulled off of the tunnel to reveal the glimmering stars of the Arizona sky. But all too soon, it's gone again.
"Ciao Genevieve." Fran's familiar face comes into view, obstructing the stars. "Glad you decided to join us."
"Fran!" I say, choking up at the sight of his loving face. "Oh my days, you have no idea how much I've missed you."
He grins and reaches down to pull me up out of the tunnel, onto the vast space of the roof. All at once, I'm overcome by everything. The cooler breeze that eats away at my skin, the stationary helicopter that takes up most of the gravel floor space, the numerous black-coated bodies that quickly make their way towards me. Fran gently pushes me forwards so that he can help the rest of the group out of the tunnel, so I refocus on the bodies running over to me.
"Gen!" Esidore's huge body reaches me first, bringing tears to my eyes as he grabs hold of me and lifts me off of the floor, into his arms. He spins me around twice at a nerve-wrecking speed before holding me out in front of him, grinning like a crazy person, and pulling me back into his arms.
"Essie," I chuckle, trying, and failing, to control my tears. "You're going to crush me."
"I really don't care." He replies. "A crushed Gen is better than no Gen."
"Damn right." Valentino says from behind us, stepping forwards and joining the hug.
"You were always going to get crushed by something in the end." Pierro agrees, jogging up and throwing himself into the pile with a smile. "At least it's Essie and not the helicopter."
"I don't know what the boss will say about that." Caesar gracefully jumps out of the helicopter and comes over to join. "But it's good to see you girl. It hasn't been the same without you."
"Gianni says 'Boo, no more pigeon fighting' whatever that means." Valentino says from inside of our group hug, making me chuckle. The overwhelming feeling of love continues to make me cry, leaving me feeling ridiculous given that I'm in the middle of four huge beefcakes, trained in elite military combat. I'm in the safest place that I could be. But I continue to cry, because for the first time in what feels like weeks, I'm finally home.
"Okay break it up!" Fran's voice booms over the group of us, all meshed together. Immediately, the boys break into line beside me and stand straighter before the original Rose Street boy. "A) We are still in Shelley territory so let's get this bird up." Caesar curtly nods before bursting into action and running off around to the other side of the helicopter where another older-looking man is stood. "B) Can I have a perimeter check around the edge of the building for snipers, missiles and vehicles?" Valentino then steps forwards, nods, and makes his way out of the group. "C) The Shelley's are still in that building, or around it, so board up the door onto the roof and lock the escape hatch." This time, it's Esidore's turn to nod, pick up a large axe-looking thing, and leave us. "And finally, D) let me see our girl. Pierro, make room on the bird for the new arrivals."
"Yes Sir." Pierro says, giving my shoulder a squeeze before disappearing off in the direction of the helicopter.
As soon as he's gone, Fran's Rose Street fascade drops and he opens his huge arms up for me to walk into. I gladly do, wrapping my arms around his neck and letting him swing me back and forth. I spot Lorrie sat at the helicopter watching the whole scene. His eyes seem to glow emerald against the dark night, sparkling as he watches his Dad embrace me. A heartfelt smile transforms his face, cutting through all of the intense edges of his features and making them beam with tenderness. Gracefully pushing himself off of the machine, he jogs over, unable to miss out on the reunion.
"Bella ragazza." Fran repeats over and over again, not letting go of me. "Beautiful girl."
When Lorrie reaches us, Fran finally releases me and pulls his son into an equally as intense hug, squashing Lorrie's tall frame up against his. Fran's eyes fill with pride, making my chest warm.
"Smart boy. My brave son." Fran says, giving him a clap on the back before releasing him also. Lorrie immediately gravitates towards me, snaking one arm around my waist.
"Time to go Papa." Lorrie says, giving me a squeeze. "Let's not hang around here."
"Agreed, get on the bird." Fran replies, doing one final check of the roof top.
"But what about Shelley?" I ask, glancing around as the team quickly make their way back towards the helicopter.
"The Shelley's can't get out of the building, my dear. All exits have been barricaded so wherever they're hiding, they're going to have to wait until the morning to take them all apart." Fran says, ignoring the smirking boys in the helicopter. Confusion begins to nip at the corners of my mind.
"And then what?" I ask, climbing up into the body. The room in the helicopter is limited to say the least. Everybody is sat on duffel bags, unloaded weapons, blankets and what looks like large plastic sheets. Morgan is sat on Lucan's knee, holding his duffel bag for him, slowly flickering in and out of sleep. I smile at her, glad that she's safe finally. Glad that this is all over for her. The boys all squish up against each other, even more so when Lorrie jumps into the space, throwing his gear down into the little gap between the door and Lucan. Then, he holds out his hand to me and nods at my mid-section. I open my mouth to question him but then it clicks in my brain, so I find myself reaching back and sliding the cold body of the shotgun from the waistline of my jeans and placing it in his hand.
"Trust me Gen, they won't make it until morning." Valentino says from the opposite end of the helicopter, giving Lorrie a wink. Lorrie smirks in his usual arrogant way, carefully takes his seat on top of his gear, and then pulls me down onto his lap so that there is space for Fran, who jumps in last. Before I can ask what Valentino means by that, Caesar and the older guy in the front start the helicopter, deafening us all in the back. The other boys don't seem to acknowledge the clamping pressure of the wings above us, but Morgan and I can't help but scrunch up our faces. A warm hand comes around my neck and gently pulls my head back to his chest, where he wraps his long arms around the sides of my face to muffle the overwhelming noise. I breathe in his familiar scent, savouring every second that I have wrapped up in him before we are broken apart again. For the first time in a week, or possibly more, it feels as though it is just Lorrie and me.
We leave the ground in silence because everybody is either tired, stressed, or a mixture of both. But before we are even a good ten meters away from the gravel, Valentino holds his hand up, displaying four fingers for us all to see. Fran meets Valentino's eyes and gives him a curt nod. Esidore's eyes seem to brighten and the energy between the boys picks up. Slowly, everyone shuffles to the sides of the helicopter, so that they can all see out of the windows. I follow ever so slightly so that I can see what's going on a little better, much to Lorrie's amusement behind me.
"You ready Gia? For Morgan." Valentino shouts over the racket of the helicopter's wings, receiving a shout from the boys in return. One of his fingers goes down. "For Gen." He shouts, giving me a small nod. They boys shout again as a second of Valentino's fingers drops. "For Enzo." He lifts out a small panel from his duffel bag with lots of complicated buttons on. He drops his third finger, leaving only one left standing. The boys shout once more. He then pauses and takes a deep breath. "For Thea."
And then the ground explodes.
The boys cheer and clap each other on the back as I sit in awe, looking out at the hotel, a few hundred meters away from us. On every floor of the rectangular building, red and orange flashes eat at the deteriorating brickwork, creating an unearthly noise that shakes the ground like an earthquake. At the same time, Morgan and I cover our mouths with our hands, watching as the explosions grow, climbing the building from the floor up. Flames begin to devour the inside, reaching out of the windows into the darkness. The screaming cries of the steelwork from the structure silences the helicopter's noise. The shattering of the windows rings out into the silent night, splintering the desert with shards of glittering glass. Still in shock, I turn my head away from the scene and look over to Lorrie, who is still sat behind me. He meets my eyes, calming the uncontrollable feelings that break free in my body; surprise, shock, fear, awe, joy, confusion, guilt, amazement, and relief. Relief that I no longer need to fear. Relief that this is all over. Relief that I'm on my way home. Relief that I get to see my family again. Relief that Morgan is safe. Relief that all of the boys are unharmed. Relief that everything is going to be okay.
Sinking further back into Lorrie, I watch with pride as the boys continue to celebrate with each other. Essie hugs Morgan and Lucan, squeezing them so hard that they both go slightly pale. Pierro throws his arm over a smiling Valentino and looks out at the scene that begins to fade into the distance. Caesar and the guy in the front clap hands and quietly laugh, looking as though they've just conquered the world. Fran shuffles closer to Lorrie and me, placing his hand gently on Lorrie's leg before shutting his eyes and leaning back into the bags. Finally, Lorrie kisses my forehead, just before we watch the hotel release one final agonising groan and crumble from the sky down, collapsing in on itself, to join the never-ending dust of the desert floor.
Never more have I believed that scary things really can be beautiful.