by J. J. McAvoy
He didn’t seem to understand but was just proud that he was my favorite. It was true; I loved him because he was so much like me. Soon his breathing relaxed, and so did mine; before I realized it, I was falling asleep too.
LIAM
By the time I got back to our bedroom, Fedel’s body had been removed; Declan and Neal wanted to personally handle everything else. None of us had ever said it because we had never felt the need to…until now…but Fedel was as close as family. Never once had he taken a sick day. Never once had he not been there when we needed him. His loyalty was unquestionable and he’d paid the price for it with a bullet. If we were upset, I had no idea how Melody must have felt. Every last person she’d come to this house with had left in a coffin.
“Mel?” I called out when I got to our room, but the lights were off and she wasn’t back. I checked the bathroom before moving to the Dona and Wyatt’s room.
“Mel…” My voice trailed off when I saw her asleep next to Wyatt, who was curled up next to her. I would have left them, but I was selfish.
Moving over to her, I tucked my arm under her back before tilting her to me and lifting her up.
“Liam?” she said softly, her eyes opening slightly.
“Shh. I got you,” I said when her head rested on my chest.
“If …if I have a plan that would guarantee no one would ever mess with us ever again, would you forgive me for the pain it would cause?”
Melody…asking for forgiveness? I knew all of this was hurting her. She would never admit it, but her father, Emilio, Fedel…it hurt her.
“We’ll talk in the morning,” I replied, laying her down.
She shook her head. “Answer me.”
“Melody, you have always said not to ask you questions I know the answer to. Now I’m going to say the same.”
“Just this once then.” She smiled though it didn’t reflect in her eyes.
Lying beside her, I kissed her hands. “I’m obsessed with you Melody. No matter what you do, I’ll always forgive you. Even if you were to kill me, I’d forgive you.”
She didn’t reply, just closed her eyes. “Fedel…he was more than a soldier…he was like my only brother.”
“I know.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Funerals aren't for the dead. They're for the living.”
~ Gavin Extence
LIAM
It was pouring like God planned to flood the earth again, each raindrop beating down heavily on our umbrellas as we stood and walked away from the funeral home to our cars. Five black Chevy Tahoes were parked out front, each of the windows tinted so dark I could see my reflection. I said nothing. The two new men who had been promoted since Fedel’s death—Rowan, who was Irish and heavily built with blond hair and brown eyes, and Lucian, a slim man with curly brown hair and a birthmark on his cheek—now stood in his place. They had worked under Fedel from the beginning; it was like looking at dogs without their leash.
Hopefully, they last long.
“Sir, ma’am.” Lucian nodded to us, opening the car door, but Melody walked toward the kids with Rowan holding the umbrella over her. The black veil she wore covered the top portion of her face. She hugged all three of them before they got inside the car in front of us, which would take them to the airport. Declan hopped into the back with them.
“They will be fine,” I said to her when she came back after the car pulled off. She didn’t say anything; she hadn’t said anything since the night before. What was her grand plan? I had no idea. If she didn’t tell me, it meant me not knowing was crucial for it to work. It still pissed me off to no end, though.
“Follow them,” I instructed, pulling my tie down.
This silence is fucking killing me.
We took the back roads toward the airfield, the route completely covered by woods. “How long do you think it will take him—?”
“SHIT!” Rowan hollered as the kids’ car was hit head-on by another Tahoe. He swerved the car to left, the tires locking and rubber burning against the road.
“DOWN!” I yelled as men poured out from the car, rifles ready as they shot not only at us but at the kids. Bullets hit metal, sparking off the bulletproof glass.
Melody reached under the seat, pulling out a gun just as I did. She glanced up at me and I could only wink. For the first time in twenty-four hours, she truly smiled at me, shaking her head.
“After you, wife.”
“With pleasure.” She reached behind and opened the car door, as did I, the rain soaking us both when we stepped out. I could feel every drop beat against my face, drenching my suit and even my socks. The only thing between them and us were our doors. It wasn’t just Mel and me; all of our men in the cars behind us stepped out, marching up the line and shooting.
“Move back!” one of them yelled, trying to make it to their car, but Melody shot the tires out.
“FUCK THIS! TAKE THIS BITCH!” another yelled, but instead of aiming at her, they shot at the kids’ car, now on its side in a ditch next to a tree.
“Kill them all!” I shouted, watching as one by one they fell like flies.
“STOP!” Melody yelled once the last one fell to his knees and crawled behind his Tahoe, blood pouring from his leg onto the street only to be washed away by the rain.
“You’re outnumbered!” Melody yelled at him.
“DIE! FUCK YOU!” He poked his gun around to shoot but she shot at his thumb. His screams meant nothing to her as she walked toward him; taking off her hat, the rain dripped off her chin.
“Back her up,” I told Lucian before rushing toward the children, smoke now coming out of the engine of the car. “Declan?”
“Ugh…” he groaned, kicking open the door. His legs hung out as he pulled up his shirt as if he were Superman, exposing his bulletproof vest where three rounds were embedded. “Next time you guys play fucking decoy car, I vote to not be in it.”
“Stop your bitching and move.” I pulled him aside and saw the kids behind him. They weren’t ours, but orphans, all of whom were holding on tightly to each other and trying their best not to scream, though the girl was crying.
“Did we do okay?” the eldest, who was supposed to be Ethan, asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“Yes, you did…so I’m going to keep my promise. Now get out, this thing is going to blow,” I told them as Declan helped me get them one by one.
He told them to head to the other car before looking over to Mel, who stood above a broken man leaning against the car tire. “Is she all right?”
“She will be,” I replied, moving to her. We knew Emilio wouldn’t wait. The moment he’d sent Fedel’s body, he was calling for battle. The best chance for that was to get to the kids. I had sent them out while they were still sleeping. No one knew where they were except my mother and Neal. Cora and Mina had taken the rest of the kids and gone elsewhere. The only ones left in Chicago were Melody, Declan, and me. This was going to come to an end one way or another. If Emilio thought to be the mayor and to have a few families on his side meant he’d won, he was dead fucking wrong.
“I’m not going to ask you again. Where is he?” She stepped into the wound on his leg, grinding her heel into his skin.
He grinned. “He was right…he’s always right…one step ahead. He…knew this was too easy.”
“SHE ASKED YOU A QUESTION!” I snapped at him.
“And I’ll ask one too.” He laughed before biting down on his on lip. “What’s the weather like in Boston?”
“Liam.” Melody’s eyes widened, our hearts dropping into our stomachs…I was already dialing.
RING.
RING.
RING.
COME ON!
“Liam?—”
“NEAL GET MY KIDS OUT OF THERE NOW!”
“Wh—”
BOOM!
Just like that, the line went dead and I froze as Melody grabbed the phone from my hands. “Neal? Neal?”
I grabbed Lucian by the throat, pulling him to m
e. “Get me a jet now!”
NEAL
I shifted the groceries in my arms as I searched for the key to the townhouse.
“Uncle Neal, can we get burgers?” Wyatt asked beside me, adjusting the cap and wig on his head.
“No, we will be eating in for a while,” I muttered. Where is this damn key?
“Uncle Neal—”
“Wyatt.” I sighed, pausing. “Go help Nana get the things out of the car, all right? And stop messing with your hat.”
“But it’s itchy.”
“Go,” I ordered. He grumbled, crossing his arms and stomping his light-up shoes as he went. Shaking my head, I focused on the keys as my phone rang. The only person who had the number was not calling until it was over…
I answered. “Liam?—”
“NEAL GET MY KIDS OUT OF THERE NOW!”
“Wh—” I heard the door click and before I could do more than take a step away—
BOOM!
I felt myself fly back into one of the parked cars on the side of the street. My whole body felt like it was on fire…it might have actually been.
“UNCLE NEAL!” Ethan screamed.
“NEAL!” My mother hollered and I rolled over in time to see the black shoes of the men as they grabbed Ethan, Wyatt, and Dona, all of them struggling in their arms.
“LET THEM GO!” My mother reached for them, but one of the men slapped her so hard she fell to the sidewalk.
Move! Come on move! FUCK! MOVE NEAL! GET THE FUCK UP! I mentally screamed at myself as I saw them being stuffed into the trunk of the car. The best I could do was bring my wrist to my mouth. With my tongue, I pushed the crown of my watch, forcing the case tube in and signaling the light on for backup.
“Neal!” My mother ran to me.
“I’m…okay…” I felt fine, but I knew that was bad. “This…this…isn’t Chicago…the Irish run…Boston. They…won’t…get…”
“Stop talking! I know, you idiot! We need to get you to the hospital!” she replied, blood all over her hands.
Is she hurt? I wanted to ask but keeping my eyes open took far more strength than it should have. The last thing I saw was men coming up behind her; I wanted to tell her to run but she just kept her eyes on me, sobbing.
Liam is gonna be pissed.
WYATT
“LET ME GO!” Dona bit one of them and he slapped her in the face, causing her to fall beside us.
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” I tried kicking them, only to get hit. They pushed all of our heads down before slamming the hood over us; everything went dark.
“LET US OUT! LET US OUT!” I kicked and kicked.
“Stop!” Ethan yelled at me. I couldn’t see him but I could feel his hair.
“No! We need to go—”
“If you keep yelling we won’t be able to breathe,” he said, rolling onto his back.
“Ouch, my hair.” Dona winced.
“Sorry.” He lifted up for her to pull away. “You okay?”
“Aren’t you scared?” she whispered, her breath right at my ear.
“No.”
“Liar,” I muttered. He was always doing that, trying to pretend he was always so strong.
“Why do you always fight me?”
“Ouch!” We both yelled when her hands smacked us.
“Mommy said I can hit you if you fight.”
“No, she didn’t,” Ethan replied.
“Yeah, Mommy said so.” I wished she hadn’t.
We didn’t talk.
“We need to get out of here.” Ethan put his hands up above us.
“How?” Dona did the same.
He felt around and finally said, “I know how.”
“I think I know how. Mommy made me do this.” I just needed to remember.
“What do you mean?” Ethan questioned.
“Shh.” I closed my eyes, trying to think.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE
“Mommy?” I yawned as I woke up; everything was dark. Where am I? I felt her carry me.
Sitting up, my head hit the roof. What? What is this?
“Mommy!” I banged on it. “Mommy!”
Where am I? Am I in a box? “MOMMY!”
My hands started to shake and my eyes felt like they were zooming in close. “MOMMY! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!”
“Wyatt.” I heard her voice.
“Mommy, help me, I can’t see.” I reached up above me, feeling the top again. She was right over me.
“Wyatt, you are in the trunk of a car.”
“WHY!” I screamed and it sounded like she was laughing at me.
“Because you asked me to help you get stronger, remember?”
I frowned. Not like this.
“I know you hate the dark, Wyatt, and I know you hate being alone.”
“I’m fine.” I crossed my arms.
“So I should just leave you then?”
“NO!”
Again she laughed.
“Mommy, I want to come out now.”
“Then come out.”
I pushed and pushed but it didn’t work. “Mommy, I can’t.”
“I’ll teach you how.”
“Mommy, I’m scared!” I couldn’t see.
“I know, but we have to do the things that scare us to become strong, okay?” I couldn’t stop shaking. “Wyatt?”
“Okay,” I said softly.
“Good, now move around. Do you feel anything?”
I did so and felt something hard and heavy. “Yeah.”
“Now roll over to your side.”
“Okay.” I did.
“Now feel the side; do you feel anything like panels?”
“What are panels?”
“Like curtains or…something covering something else.”
I felt along the wall but found nothing but carpet. “No.”
“Roll over on the other side and try again.”
I did. Wiping the sweat from my face, I felt again. “I think I got it.”
“Good, pull on it as hard as you can.”
When I did, light came in really bright, and I could see outside, but it was red and blurry.
“I did it.”
“Now use the heavy thing to break the red thing.”
When I did, the first person I saw was Uncle Fedel.
“Hey, kiddo.” He smiled.
“Good job. Now you have light. Less scary right?”
“I’m hot. Mommy, can I come out now?” I asked.
“Soon, sweetheart. Now look around; do you see another panel…I mean thing covering the floor?”
I looked and saw it. “Yeah.”
“Lift it up and you will see a cable like the one Daddy uses for his video games.”
“The old games?”
“Yes, Wyatt, the old games.” She laughed again. I liked when she laughed.
“I see it, Mommy. It’s yellow.”
“Okay, pull the cable.”
I did and heard a click.
“Now push, slowly.” When the roof came up, I sat up. Mommy was right there smiling down at me.
“You were amazing, Wyatt!” She hugged me. “Tomorrow we will try with other cars.”
“I don’t like this Mommy!” I started to cry and I felt even more bad because my pants were wet.
“I know.” She hugged me. “I don’t like it either, but you are safe when you are strong. We will work on everything, one by one. I’ll be there the whole time.”
“Wyatt!” Ethan yelled at me and I jumped.
“You said not to yell,” I reminded him.
“Sorry,” he said again. “I got worried. You weren’t saying anything; I thought you were hurt.”
I frowned. “I’m fine.”
“Okay, so what is your idea?” he asked me.
I felt the walls of the car to find panels but I couldn’t. “I need to be where you are Ethan.”
“What?”
“I need to switch, come on!”
“Okay. Okay, okay. Wyatt, sit up as far as you can. Dona, slide
under him, and Wyatt, roll over us.”
“Ugh.” I rolled over Dona, who groaned, and then Ethan until I was in his place. I felt the walls again. I hoped it was like the first car; the other cars Mommy had put me in were hard.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Ethan asked when I pulled.
Just like the first car, I saw the red glow.
“I need something heavy, like a screwdriver or something,” I told him.
“I have a knife.” He put it in my hand.
“Why do you have a knife?”
“Why don’t you? Rule 103: always have a knife. Don’t you know all the rules?”
I didn’t say anything.
“No one knows all the rules, Ethan, not even you,” Dona said, and I felt better using the knife to hit the red thing.
“What can you see—”
“AH!” Dona screamed. We all screamed when the car hit the brakes hard before hitting something. My back hit Ethan and the knife cut my hand.
“We stopped,” Ethan said, and I flinched hearing the gunshots. “Can you get it open?”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip, trying to not cry, pulled up the carpet, and then tugged the yellow cable. “Push up,” I said, pushing with one hand.
“Wyatt, you’re a fucking genius!” Ethan hugged me, lifting the hood only a little bit so he could see. “We need to run.”
“To where?” Dona asked.
“Doesn’t matter, just jump out and run.”
“Okay.” It was getting hard to breathe in there.
“One…” He counted, lifting the top more; the gunshots got louder. “Two…three!”
We pushed the hood up and the sun was right above us.
We saw men coming out of cars with guns.
“RUN!” Ethan jumped out, helping Dona. I hugged my hand to my chest and ran.
“What the fuck are you doing, go after them! FUCK!” someone yelled, but Ethan kept saying not to look back and to run and so that’s what we did, pushing people away from us and running past shops and stores. Everything was happening so fast. I was so tired but I didn’t stop running…until Dona tripped once we turned the corner into an alley. It smelled like poop and pee everywhere.