‘You know who our targets are,’ she told them.
Men in black suits were rolling over dead bodies or pulling up limp heads to check faces.
‘I want confirmation that all five Captains have been killed. Bring me the head of Andre King!’
‘You heard the woman,’ yelled Travis.
His men were spreading throughout the house. Random gunshots echoed through the silence, as wounded opponents were put out of their misery, or the ones that couldn’t escape were found cowering in closets or bathrooms. The mission had been a success. The Murdock Empire had removed one of the troublesome twelve families from the equation. Soon this city would be theirs for the taking.
***
Half-naked dancers ran out into the cold night air. The attacking forces were allowing them to leave freely. Women of the night were not the reason they were here for. Anne wrapped the briefcase up in her long overcoat and tucked it underneath her arm. She ran out through the front door of the mansion, lost in the crowd of naked women. The cold air stung her bare skin. Panties were the only clothing she was wearing. A few of the men with guns glanced her way. For a brief moment she thought she had been caught out, but they were only interested in one thing. Her tits captured their full attention. She acted frightened and continued to run towards the front gate, but internally she allowed herself a brief smile. The plan had been a complete success. Travis would be pleased. The information in this briefcase was going to allow their secret little crew to grow stronger within the shadows of this dark and dangerous city.
***
Helicopters circled beneath the black clouds. Cameras were broadcasting live pictures from the siege at North City airport. News crews were gathered at the outer perimeter. This was a worldwide event. The images were being bounced off satellites to all the cities that remained in this world. News reporters delivered their hourly updates, as the ever change events were sent directly to people’s homes. It was a global buzz.
‘What is happening?’ asked Liam.
The car was speeding by the row of news vans on the side of the road.
The driver did not reply.
‘I’m frightened,’ said Jillian.
She interlinked her fingers with that of her husband’s.
Liam pulled his hand away from her and hugged his briefcase full of money to his chest.
Jillian could hear her mother’s voice within her mind.
‘He won’t protect you. Never trust him. Do what needs to be done to survive.’
The driver beeped his horn, as they approached a small crowd of camera operators who were trying to get a decent shot of the airport. Men in black suits attempted to wave the car to slow down, but that was never going to happen. The driver stepped on the clutch, put it into fifth, and sped forward. The men in black jumped to the side. The cameramen rushed out the way. A barricade bounced off the bonnet. The car struck the wire fence, bounced across a grassy patch, skidded onto the runway and turned off towards terminal one of the airport. Gunshots filled the air. One blew out the back window, but they were already travelling at such speed that by the time anyone realised what was happening they were already arriving at the entrance to terminal one.
***
Marcus Riggs sat within the darkness of his hotel bedroom. It was the honeymoon suite. He had more floor space than he knew what to do with. A small glass of whisky sat in his right hand, as he rested it on the arm of his comfortable armchair. The ice had melted long ago. Narrow eyes glared at his wife, Nicky. She was sitting on their double bed with her back to him. A tourniquet was tied around her arm, as a shaky hand pushed the tip of a needle into her skin. The woman sickened him. He had long since forgotten how he fell in love with her. Did he ever love her? Or did he marry her because it is what is father wanted? It was good for business. Her father was a wealthy man and the marriage led to extended contracts and cheaper negotiations.
Someone tapped in gently on the shoulder.
He could smell her before he looked up.
The scent of her perfume was intoxicating.
He greeted Melissa with a smile.
His step-sister was stood beside him. She was only half a year younger than Marcus and was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Piercing emerald green eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness every single time she looked at him. He loved the way she brushed her fiery red hair back behind her ears. It was just about shoulder length. Melissa was wearing a black short-sleeved blouse and a tight black skirt, which went down beyond her knees. All her delicious curves were on display. The top few buttons of her blouse had been left open, which showed off plenty of cleavage, but at this moment in time, as she leaned over him, he could see her lacy white bra and her tempting tits. He knew it was wrong to have such feelings. She was his step-sister. They were linked through blood. They both shared the same father, but he couldn’t help it. He loved her.
‘I have just received some news from the airport,’ she said.
‘Oh?’ he raised a tied eyebrow.
‘A car had broken through the fence and drove to the airport. We believe it was the missing member of JR’s gang.’
‘That is fine. It is better to have them all in one place.’
‘So we can eliminate them all together?’
He smiled a reply.
***
Fear filled Chelsea’s heart. Cassie’s health was in quick decline. The young girl, nearly fourteen years of age, was in a delirious state. Her bed sheets were drenched with sweat. Chelsea applied a cold compress to her forehead, but she doubted it would do any good. Her daughter was burning up. She had the Hot Death. It was the plague of the twenty-first century. Tens of millions had died worldwide since the initial outbreak. For the majority, it was fatal, but for others it was nothing more than a severe flu, and for a rare few they weren’t affected in the slightest. Chelsea had been one of the lucky ones.
‘It’s okay, baby. Your treatment starts this week. You just have to hold on.’
Cassie mumbled, arched her back and groaned.
Her eyes were open, but nobody was home.
Chelsea readied the sick bucket. It was hard to tell when Cassie would throw up. She had to watch her twenty-four seven. There would be times when Cassie would come back to reality and have a few hours of normalness, but most of the time she was kicking, crying, moaning and groaning. The main advice from the hospital was to make the young girl sleep on her side so that she wouldn’t choke on her vomit, but it was hard to maintain this when she kicked and fought so much. Chelsea had to be on watch every minute of the day.
Chelsea glanced at her watch.
‘Shit...’
She had to be at work in thirty minutes, but what could she do?
Cassie could not be left alone, but if Chelsea skipped work, she would lose her job.
If she lost her job, then she wouldn’t be able to afford the treatment.
She had no choice.
She had to go to work.
‘It’s going to be okay, baby,’ said Chelsea, wiping away the tears. ‘You will be fine.’
***
Children huddled together to the side of the airport waiting area. They were frightened by the tall man with the curly beard. Jillian didn’t blame them. The man had beady little eyes that harboured dark and disgusting thoughts. The bearded terrorist had met them at the entrance. He was escorting Liam, Jillian and the armed Driver through the airport. For the most part, the airport was entirely abandoned. All the doors had been barricaded with trolleys and heavy bags. All the blinds had been closed on the windows, except for those windows in the massive foyer, as the whole entrance was made of glass. The terrorists had retreated into the departure waiting area. The hostages sat in the dark waiting room. The children were on one side of the room while severely beaten men, and half-naked women sat on the other side of the room. There had to be at least eight children and two dozen adults in the departure area. Two armed guards sat in the centre of the room. One of the t
errorist guards had to be no older than eighteen or nineteen years of age. She was a young woman with a shaved head. The other was a young man that looked like he hadn’t even reached puberty yet.
The bearded terrorist led them up a narrow corridor and stopped outside an office door.
He knocked.
‘I’m scared, Liam,’ said Jillian.
Liam wore a mask of terror upon his face, as he hugged his briefcase full of money.
‘What?’ a voice asked from within the room.
‘The VIP guests have arrived,’ said the bearded terrorists.
‘Good. Bring them in.’
***
A dull ache throbbed in his lower back. River let out a deep sigh, as tired eyes creaked open. It had been a broken and uncomfortable sleep. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer. He had spent the last month sleeping on the couch. If things didn’t change, he would have to move out. What else could he do? Ariel refused to talk to him. Things had slowly deteriorated over time. Ariel’s depression was pushing them further and further apart. He had tried everything, but she blamed him for all her life’s problems. Ariel had become addicted to anti-depressants and pain killers. Her depression had turned to anger, which meant she could no longer work at the store. Ariel was now a stay at home mum. River had hoped that this free time would remove the stresses and pressure of life. He just wanted her back. He wanted the woman he fell in love with back, but she is so jealous. Every day she accuses him of cheating on her with one of the girls from work. It is ridiculous. He would never look at another woman.
River sat up and stretched out his back.
Ariel was sitting at the kitchen island.
The beautiful red head was wearing her low cut silk nightgown.
He had never seen such a beautiful woman. She glared at him.
River walked over to the kitchen island and kissed Alisha on the head. His little daughter was sitting in her highchair, as Ariel fed her with a tiny plastic spoon. Alisha’s red hair was starting to grow. She looked every bit as beautiful as her mother. The little girl looked up and smiled at him. She then returned to her food. River smiled at Ariel. She didn’t smile back. He walked away. It was time to jump in the shower and get ready for work.
***
Kerry stuffed her scarf down the front of her thick coat. She always felt the cold on her chest. A wholly hat was pulled onto her head and covered her ears. Beautiful brown eyes glanced out the open front door. Samantha was sitting on the steps, waiting. She was wrapped up in many layers of clothes and ready for the day ahead. Kerry looked beyond her daughter. Malcolm’s old car was parked up outside. She still used it. She had to. She couldn’t afford a new one.
Guilt stabbed at her heart.
Malcolm had been so good to her.
He had loved her so much.
She had cheated on him when he had gone out of town. She didn’t mean to. Travis had returned to North City. He was her childhood sweetheart. She always had a soft spot for him. Travis was Samantha’s biological father. Kerry always believed her, and Travis would end up together. She didn’t know that Malcolm was going to die. She didn’t know that she would never get to see him again. Kerry felt so dirty and disgusting after hearing about Malcolm’s death. She was then stuck with Travis.
She had been a fool.
Travis had returned to old habits.
He never came home.
If he did come home, he smelt of perfume.
He was a serial womaniser.
He hasn’t even stayed the night at home in two months. Malcolm would never have done that. The man thought she was the centre of the universe. He would have done anything for her. If he were still alive, he would support her, help her and love her. What would her life be like if he was still around?
‘Why do I always make the wrong choices?’ she asked the world.
‘You say something?’ replied her daughter.
‘I am just being silly,’ said Kerry. ‘Let’s get you to school.’
***
Anne stepped out of the shower and wrapped a thick blue towel around her body. The taste of blood was finally gone. It had required several swigs of mouthwash, but it was gone. Warmth surrounded her. The central heating made the house feel like the inside of an oven. These day’s people didn’t bother with turning on the heating due to the high energy prices, but that wasn’t an issue anymore. Anne had more money than she knew what to do with. She pulled her fluffy white dressing gown off the back of the door and slipped it on. It was so comfy that it felt like she was getting a cuddle.
The bathroom led out onto the landing.
She could hear the C.D player blaring out music from downstairs.
Her sister would be down there, listening and playing.
A smile split Anne’s lips.
Things were starting to improve in their life.
Travis was a hero in her eyes.
She had gone from being nothing to being a gangster that no one knew about. Travis was on the inside of the Murdock Empire. He knew every single bit of business that the twelve families did. He would tip her off, and Anne would make her move. The two of them were stealing drugs, money, weapons and cars. They made good profits, and the best thing was that they were getting away with it. The twelve families were at each other’s throats. Nobody was looking for someone else. They were happy to blame their rivals for the thefts. Life was good. It was only going to get better.
***
The guard at the gate stepped into his little hut and pressed a button. The gates that blocked the road began to open. These were not ordinary gates. They looked like something that belonged on a castle. They were thick. They were so thick that even a rocket-propelled grenade might not be able to take them down. He put his car into first gear and carefully pulled forward. A difficult winding road led through a sort of no man's land. A mine field awaited anyone brave enough to step off the road. Severed heads were rotting upon spikes. Snipers watched from watch towers, as bright lights were shone down upon his car. It took a moment, but Travis got to the second checkpoint, which was nothing more than spikes designed to pop tires and a barbwire fence that could be pulled to one side. He drove into the main grounds of Jasmine’s new palace. The Queen of North City was really embracing her self-proclaimed title. She was turning the five-story office block into a fortress. This was the centre of her operation. All around the compound were military trucks, motorbikes and two tanks she had managed to get her hands on. Jasmine was assembling an army. Soon she was going to make her move. North City would be hers.
***
Tinfoil was wrapped around the cheese and ham sandwich and then placed in the briefcase. He sighed in defeat. Ariel always made the best lunch. He didn’t know what she did that was different, but the sandwich she made always tasted that little bit better. A quick mental checklist took place. He had his sandwich, flask of coffee, banana, some biscuits, papers and the standard issue revolver, which came as part of the job. River locked the briefcase and turned his attention to Ariel and Alisha. The gorgeous redhead was doing her best not to make eye contact with him.
‘Goodbye, Princess.’
He kissed the baby on the brow.
Every single fibre in his body wanted to kiss Ariel.
It felt as natural as breathing.
He loved her.
He would always love her.
‘Bye, Ariel.’
‘Okay...’ she replied.
***
Chelsea pushed the pram up to the front door and knocked loudly. Her first concern was the baby. She was wrapped up nice and tight in her fluffy coat, blankets and hot water bottle. Chelsea never wanted her beautiful daughter out in the chilly air for too long. The door to the house opened to reveal a young blonde girl. She had to have been fifteen or sixteen years of age. She was still a child herself. Chelsea looked beyond the girl into the interior of the house. She could see a living room at the far end of the hallway. Children were playing with toys in a room
painted with bright colours. Hand drawn pictures were hanging on the walls. Chelsea returned her attention to the young girl. This was Nicola’s babysitter. Chelsea hated the thought of leaving her daughter with this young woman, but what choice did she have? She had to go to work, and Jo was the only babysitter that she could afford.
‘I have her bottles, nappies, wipes and powder in the bag,’ said Chelsea.
Jo stepped out of the house and took the bag.
‘I will be back after work.’
‘Okay, Chelsea,’ said Jo, with a smile. She raised the prams front wheels to get it over the step into the house. ‘Bye, Bye, Mummy.’ Jo said this bit in a childish voice towards the baby. And that was it. Chelsea had to swallow that horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and walk away. It felt wrong to the core for her not to be near her baby. It made her feel sick, but she had to do it. She had to go to work. She had to pay for Cassie’s medical bills. She had too.
***
The car pulled up to the school entrance. This couldn’t be considered parking. Every single inch of curb had been taken up by other parents doing the school run. Kerry was holding up traffic. It was a quick stop, jump out and in through the front gates.
‘Do you have everything...?’
The car door was slammed shut.
The Latin beauty looked out at Samantha, as she rushed towards her friends. Samantha didn’t even look back. Sadness stabbed at Kerry’s heart. What was happening to her little girl? Samantha had changed ever since Travis returned. Samantha ran over to her friends. They were also thirteen years old. A tall boy with dyed black hair was smoking a cigarette. One of the other young girls had a tattoo on her neck. Was this the crowd she was mixing with?
The sound of a horn brought Kerry back to reality.
With a heavy heart, she pulled forward and rejoined the slow moving traffic.
***
Jasmine looked out through the window of her throne room. The gothic refinery covered the skyline. Flames scorched the black clouds that covered this dark world. It looked like something that belonged in hell. Against the darkness, the gothic structure didn’t look human. She turned her eyes towards the Riggs Hotel. It stood as a beacon of light in the darkness. White searchlights reflected off the clouds. They had been clever. They had wanted to show their power by making their hotel so bright that no matter where you were in North City you would always be able to see it. Closer to home was the train station. It looked clean and new. The redevelopment was complete. Trains were coming and going every half an hour. They were as regular as clockwork. A smile split her lips, as yet another train left the station. It was heading for South City. It had a shipment of twenty sports cars that would be auctioned at a high price. The money would go to fund her Empire.
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