by C. M. Allen
I quickly hit the button that we had installed under the table to alert everyone that it was time to rock and roll before standing up. We knew that he would no doubt confiscate our phones to inhibit us from calling for help, so we had our tech guys install the button days before that we could use to send a signal out when we were ready, before Dekes even knew the location of this meeting. Staring him straight in the eyes, I took a deep breath, hoping like hell that our plan to end this asshole played out in our favor. “I choose... you Dekes.”
At my words Dekes’ head flew backwards as he began to laugh like a fucking hyena, but then two seconds later, he was forced to swallow those chuckles right back down his God damn throat. Rollins and his men came out of their hiding spots behind the false walls we had installed and surround us on the upper level of the warehouse, their own automatic weapons pointed down at Dekes and his men, that had nowhere to hide. Rocco and his men made their appearance next and entered in through the same door as Dekes had only moments earlier, holding guns pointed at him and his men. “Hello again, Dekes,” Rocco said with a smirk as he and his men took up their spots, ready to fire when needed. “I think it’s time you and your men drop your weapons like good little boys.”
Dekes seemed to take a long moment to himself as he looked around the room, seeming to quickly take inventory of the situation he now found himself in before he finally spoke up. “Well now gentlemen, it would appear that you’ve one upped me. Gotta say I’m pretty impressed by your attempt at beating me.”
“You have been beat Dekes, and it’s time you and your men lower your weapons, or you’ll all be killed.” I warned him, feeling something in my gut about this whole thing going way too smoothly for us right now. The smirk on his face told me that he wasn’t done playing with us yet.
Putting his hands in his pocket, he simply smiled. “You heard him boys, lower your weapons.” We all watched as each one of his men began to drop their weapons on the floor, one at a time. But I couldn’t help that feeling that gnawed at the back of my mind.
Something was off here.
He was way too compliant about this. “It seems as if you have outsmarted me this time Mr. Reed... or have you?”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Dekes?!” Rocco shouted at him first.
“Oh... just that it might be in Mr. Reed's best interest that you all lower your weapons. Or someone very close and very special to him just might lose her life.” My gut instantly sank at his words. When he moved to put his hand in his pocket, one of Rocco’s men pressed the barrel of his gun to Dekes head. “Easy now, I’m just retrieving my phone,” he announced, pulling his phone free from his pocket and holding it up. Scrolling through his contacts list, under heavy watch, he hit the call button and then made his way back over to me. When the Facetime call was picked up on the other end, I was faced with a teary-eyed Harper. “Oh God, Maverick! Are you ok? They killed Chainsaw and Emma,” she barely got out before she began to cry again and the call abruptly ended.
“Seems as though I have the upper hand again now, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Reed?
At the sight of Harper, crying, my blood boiled over and the beast that simmered just below the surface demanded to be set free on this motherfucker. “Where is she?”
Tsking me, he grinned wide. “Why she’s waiting for me just outside that door,” he pointed to the front door we came in. “So close, Mr. Reed. You were so close to beating me with your little friends hiding from me. But I think we both know it’s not possible to beat a man like myself, is it Mr. Reed? I will always win.” Getting closer, he lowered his voice. “Besides, none of you were ever going to walk out of here alive today,” showing me a timer that sat at eight minutes, forty-six seconds and counting down on his phone, he started to move backwards towards the door he entered through. “Always have to have a backup plan if you ever hope to beat me, Mr. Reed. But then again, it doesn’t really matter anymore, now does it?”
Just as he turned his back on me and began to walk the rest of the way to the door, I prayed that whoever had Harper ate a bullet from one of Rocco’s sharpshooters and charged full speed ahead. “Then you’re dyin՛ today too, motherfucker!” I shouted out just as I launched myself through the air and hit him in the back, taking him down onto the hard cement surface, causing his phone to fly out of his hand and shatter. Everyone else around us broke out into a fist fight and a gun battle as I pulled Dekes up to his feet and punched him straight in the face, knocking him down again. Crawling on top of him, I drew my fist back to punch him again, when a gun was pushed into the side of my head, his sidekick Devin on the other end of it. But then a gunshot ringing out rendered Devin lifeless, and faceless I might add, on the ground just before his own gun went off at the impact, missing my head by mere inches. “Everyone out of the buildin՛ now! There’s a bomb! Get out now!” I shouted out, making sure everyone heard me and began to attempt to exit the warehouse while still fighting and shooting at one another. Redirecting my attention back to Dekes, I smiled down at him. “Looks like you’re all out of backup plans now and it’s just you and me, motherfucker. I win.”
“I’ll see you in Hell, Mr. Reed!” he shouted at me just before he reached for another gun. Punching him again, I reached out for the gun, both of us struggling over it. Overpowering him, I twisted it around so he was at the end of the barrel, but before I could get a shot off, he launched his body upwards at me, knocking me down and the gun out of my hand. We began to wrestle for the it again, each of us getting the upper hand before I was finally able to pin him down. But, then the gun was ripped away from me.
BANG!
The sound was almost deafening, being so close to my ear when it went off. It took me a few seconds after being stunned by the shot before I was able to wrap my hand around the barrel of the gun and twist it as far as I could.
BANG!
This time when the gun went off, I felt a sharp pain in my gut. But when I looked down and saw that it was Dekes bleeding beneath me, I realized that it was the kickback from the gun going off was what had hit me in the stomach. Getting to my feet I turned back to look around inside the building and shouted, “there’s a bomb! Everyone out!?” To make sure only the dead and Dekes remained. Not hearing anyone call out for help, I pushed myself up off of Dekes and exited out the door, locking it and taking away his only way out.
Making my way around to the front of the building, where everyone else had moved to, I didn’t see Butch among them. “Where’s Butch?!”
“Shit Mav, Butch just went back in there lookin՛ for you!” Gunner yelled at me, and with no thought about my own life, I charged back inside.
CHAPTER
24
Harper
As we pulled down a dirt road, the tears started to fall once again when I thought about Chainsaw and Emma being killed. Suddenly, I saw lights that seemed to surround a warehouse building out in the middle of nowhere come into view. It was only dusk out, but the lights still seemed to shine brightly. When the SUV got closer, I could see all the motorcycles that were parked in front of it.
He’s taken me to where Maverick is!
Pulling up to the front of the warehouse, the driver cut the engine and we just sat there. Five minutes must go by before I had to know what we were here for. “What are we doing here?”
The only thing my question got me was a backhand across the face.
Gripping my cheek, I cried out in pain.
A few moments later a phone rang and then it was thrusted in front of my face. Another second went by before I saw Maverick on the other end. “Oh God, Maverick! Are you ok? They killed Chainsaw and Emma!” was all I got out before the Facetime session abruptly ended. Turning to face the window, I started crying even harder, losing all hope at the situation we were all now in and began wondering if that would be the last time I’d ever see Maverick alive.
But then suddenly a gun barrel appeared on the other side of the car window in my face, causing me to gasp out and duck.
When I made the sound, the man next to me squirmed around to try and fish his gun out of his coat, but the glass was already shattering all around me with no warning sounds. Screaming, I held my head down and prayed. After a few silent moments went by, I chanced lifting my head up to take a look around.
The door opening on the man’s side had me jerking my head in that direction, only to find one of the men I recognized as having been with Rocco when he arrived last week holding his hand out to me. “You’re safe now,” he said, reaching for me to help me over the mans bloodied body and out of the car. “Come on, let’s get you a safe distance away from here.” Pulling me along behind him, we came to the SUV that Ava, Raven and Bambi had been shoved into. It looked the same way my car did, windows shattered, after the man now gripping my hand took me out of it. Once we’d gone a few more feet, I spotted the three of them crouched down behind a set of trees with another man standing guard. Ava and I ran into each other’s arms and hugged as tears of happiness and worry mixed together. Only seconds later the sound of guns firing had us pulling apart and the two men pushing us down behind them, standing alert with their guns drawn.
A few moments went by before we watched as men began pouring out of the building and running from it, still fighting and firing at one another. Looking up at the back of the man in front of me, who was guarding Ava and the others, I noticed the gun he had holstered in the back of his pants. Not able to just sit here any longer and do nothing, I snatched the gun out of his pants and started running towards the building.
I needed to find Maverick. Needed to know that he was alive.
“Hey! Come back here! It’s not safe! Come back!” I heard one of them shout out as his footsteps pounded the ground behind me, but I kept moving straight ahead.
Hearing another set of footsteps running closer behind me, I didn’t need to look back, I knew that it was Ava. “What are we going to do?” She asked when she caught up to me as we crouched down behind the SUV I had arrived here in, the man who chased me right next to us as we all tried like hell to stay clear of any stray bullets flying our way.
“I don’t know. All I know is I need to find Maverick and make sure he’s ok.”
As soon as I said those words, Ava spotted Butch running out of the building. “Look! There’s Butch!”
We both took off again, against the man’s warnings to stay put, and ran towards Butch as the shooting started to die down and found ourselves having to step over the bodies that littered the ground around us. Some in all black clothing, others wearing cuts.
Just as we got closer to him, Butch shouted something and took off back into the building. Then we spotted Maverick running around from the back of the building and exchange words with Gunner before he too took off back inside as well. “Get back! Everyone get back!” Gunner shouted, jogging away from the building. When he spotted Ava and I, he headed straight for us, dropping all of us to the ground and covering the both of us with his large body only moments before the building exploded once and then a few moments later again, causing pieces of wood and metal to rain down on us from the sky.
After what seemed like Hell raining down on us stopped, I jumped to my feet along with Ava and Gunner and began to frantically search through the wreckage for Maverick and Butch. “Maverick!” I yelled out in panic.
Oh God, I didn’t see him make it back out of that building before it exploded! I screamed out in my head.
The smoke was so thick that it made it hard to see anything and I had to cover my mouth to stop the coughing fits from inhaling it.
No, no, no. He’s not gone. Don’t panic, he’s here somewhere. I can’t lose him too. I told myself over and over again as I searched for him in the rubble.
The tears poured down my face, clouding my sight in fear as I frantically searched for him, not finding him. “Maverick! Maverick where are you!?”
“Thank God! There’s Butch and Roman, They’ll know where Maverick is!” Ava shouted at me just before taking off and running into Roman’s arms.
When Gunner and I caught up to her, I approached Butch first. “Where’s Maverick?”
“He’s not out here?” he asked, looking around worried.
“No! We saw him run inside the building after you did!” I sobbed, my heart falling.
“I told Maverick that you went back inside to look for him when he came out askin՛ where you were. He ran back in there after you, man.” Gunner said, looking like he sent Maverick into the gas chamber. “Fuck!” he shouted, wiping a hand down his face.
“This is so fucked up!” Butch shouted, yanking on his hair as the despair I knew he felt rolled off of him as he took off in search for his best friend, my heart.
As the moments passed, I looked around and saw that everyone was wearing the same somber look on their faces, and then it happened.... reality punched a hole straight through the center of my heart, knocking my feet right out from under me as I fell hard onto my knees and cried out, “NOOOO! God, no! Maverick! Maverick! You have to be alive!... you have to... I can’t go through this... again.” I sobbed uncontrollably, unable to move from my hunched over position.
Kneeling down, Ava wrapped me up in her arms. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. I wish I could do anything to make him be here and take this pain away from you.”
She held me as I cried my heart out for the only man I knew I would ever truly love. Then suddenly it was like a burst of energy hit me and I pushed myself free of her hold. “No! He’s not dead! I would know it if he was! I would feel it! In here!” I shouted out through tears as I pounded on my chest.
Hugging me tightly again, I could hear my best friend crying for me. “I can’t... I can’t... do this again, Ava. I can’t. I won’t make it this time. Not without him... not without Maverick.” I got out just before breaking down in hysterical tears once again.
I can’t live without you Maverick. I won’t.
Pushing me back to look at my face, she gripped me by my shoulders. “Now you listen to me Harper Lancaster, I will not have you talking like that. Maverick would have wanted you to go on. He would never forgive you if you gave up on yourself. I will never forgive you if you give up on yourself. I love you, Harper. You’re my best friend, my sister. Please don’t say things like that. Please.” She whimpered.
“Hey! Over here!” I suddenly heard someone shout out.
Snapping my head up, I wiped the tears away from my cheeks and quickly got to my feet.
Butch took off running to the other side of the building and Ava and I followed.
“It’s Maverick! He’s alive!” I heard shouted.
“Oh my God! Thank you, God! Thank you!” I yelled, running faster.
When I finally caught up to where Butch stood over Maverick, that was when I heard the sound of sirens approaching. “He looks like he’s in bad shape.” Butch said, leaning down to look at him as I slid to a stop and dropped down onto the ground at Maverick’s side, thankful to whoever was watching over him today.
“Maverick? Maverick sweetie? I’m here baby. I’m here.” I assured him, gently brushing his hair, that was matted to his bloodied and bruised face, away as I looked him over, and that was when I saw the hand that was holding a bloodied shirt or something over a wound on his lower stomach. “What is it? What happened to him?”
“He was trapped under a fuckin՛ refrigerator. Probably the only way he made it through that shit alive. But one of the racks was twisted and sharp inside, so I’m guessin՛ that’s what sliced him open. He was losin՛ a lot of blood from the deep gash in his side.” The guy I recognized as Sid holding the shirt on him said.
Seeing blue and red lights circle around us, I looked up just in time to see two officers charging straight for us and Butch up on his feet to meet them halfway. I watched as he shook hands with one of the officers as the other talked into his CB radio attached at his shoulder.
Turning my attention back to Maverick, I just sat there watching over him. It felt as if we’re in s
ome sort of tunnel and it was just the two of us. None of the chaos I knew that was going on around us penetrated the bubble we were in, that was until I found myself being plucked off of the ground by Butch. “No!”
“They need to fix him up, Harper. He’s goin՛ to be just fine. You’ll see. He’s a fighter.” He tried to reassure me as I lost it again and began to cry in his arms.
“You promise me that he’s going to be ok Butch. You have to promise me.” I begged in a frantic voice.
Kissing the top of my head, he hugged me tightly as we watched the paramedics work on Maverick. “I can promise you that man is goin՛ to fight like hell to stay here with you, ok? There’s no way he’s goin՛ anywhere without a fight.”
When they loaded Maverick onto a gurney, I pushed out of Butch’s hold. “I want to ride with him.” I told the younger of the two paramedics, who looked to the cop Butch seemed to know. When the cop nodded back at him, the paramedic told me to follow him.
After Maverick was safely loaded into the ambulance, I hugged Ava quickly before getting in and sitting next to him. When the doors closed behind us it only took seconds before the sirens were screaming out in the night and the van was racing down the road. As we rode along, I kept a firm grip on Maverick’s hand and prayed to anyone that would listen to me, to please let me keep him here where he belonged.
With me.
We needed more time together.
Pulling up to the emergency entrance, I only had a few seconds to tell him that I loved him and wouldn’t leave here without him before he was ripped away from me and was shown to a waiting room.