Chapter 4

Hi everyone :D hope you enjoyed the last chapter, I'm going to be calling Danny Archer Sr. 'Archer' and his son, Danny Archer Jr. 'Danny'. Just letting you all know to avoid confusion, haha! I just had to post this on the same day, my creativity has been good today, so I am making the most of it :p

Read and review :D *free cookies*

Stay blessed

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After confirming with the Air crew that he was Danny's Father (for some reason, they didn't believe he was) He was free to take his son home: who, by this time, looked very tired. Archer suspected he was jet lagged.

Danny walked nervously up to Archer, unsure of what to make of him. Archer decided to start the conversation, as he usually did so.

"Hey, Danny…I don't know if you know who I am, but er…I'm your Dad."

Danny yawned, as if he were prepared for this.

"I know. Mama showed me your picture lotsa times".

He had a strong American accent, as Archer had expected. It would soon be gone, if he was here long enough, he didn't take long for accents to change, especially on young children.

"Oh, okay my bru… well erm, you want to go home with me now, ja?"

Danny nodded, and Archer didn't know whether to take his hand or pick him up or let him walk beside him or…

"You don't needa pick me up, Dad. Mama jus' holds my hand," he said, and slipped his soft little palm into Archer's rough ones.

"Your hand is strange, Dad. It's really rough," he laughed. Archer didn't know why that was so funny, but he laughed as well.

"Sure is, did lots of work when i was younger, ja? Now i have strong hands."

"That's cool, Dad. I wanna be strong when I be a grown up too," he smiled.

Archer couldn't help but feel awe at the love he already felt for his son. He was so clever: he had such a sophisticated vocabulary for a 3 year old: yet, he was so innocent. So pure, and beautiful. He wasn't messed up like Archer, nor was he selfish and cynical.

This was Archer's chance to start over, to repent for the actions he had taken that were so wrong. But Maddy wasn't there, to tell him what to do, or shout at him, snap, and argue at him when he was doing things wrong. This didn't come with a guide, like all those guns and diamonds he had sold.

It was like starting life over.

Archer and Danny had walked home pretty quickly, with Danny not saying much due to his tiredness. As they approached the apartment building, Archer felt a sense of fear.

Something was wrong. In the building. Something wasn't right.

Archer had a good sense of when something wasn't right, even before seeing it: Years fighting in the border wars had created that. Probably one of the few positive things the army had created for him.

He then noticed a flicker of a light in his apartment, and the curtain had been moved slightly. Normally, this sort of thing would not faze Archer: he would just do his favourite bang bang, and that would be the end of the matter.

But he had a son now: he didn't want him to bear witness to that, or get caught in it.

There was no other way though: he would just have to tell him to stay near and stay low.

"Listen, Danny. I want you to be silent, ja?" he whispered, putting a finger on his son's lips.

Danny looked confused, weary with the confusion that had taken place lately. Archer wasn't even sure if he was aware that Maddy was dead, or that he was in South Africa. He was clever, but not that clever yet.

"Why Dad?" he whispered back.

Archer ran a hand through his hair. Think, Archer, Think! His mind screamed.

"Because we're going to play a game, ja? But you must do everything I tell you in this game. If I say get down, get down. If I say run, run. If I say leave, you leave, ja?"

Danny nodded eagerly: he was buying Archer's story of the 'game'.

"Okay, Dad. What we gon' do?"

Archer hesitated. What were they going to do? The people up there were most likely armed, and he couldn't leave Danny around as there would be people on each floor. He had a good idea of who they were: the local weapons barons from Pretoria. And he owned them some payment…

He felt around in his pocket for a gun, making sure it was fully loaded. Danny was too tired to notice this, and Archer grabbed his hand, put a finger to his lips, and said "We going to play guns and war ja? With some of my friends. But you have to stay behind Daddy at all times."

Danny nodded.

Okay, breathe Archer told himself. It'll be fine; you've done this so many times.

Archer motioned for Danny to follow him, as they made their way into the building. The door squeaked a little, and Danny's grip tightened on Archer's. The place was silent, except for a few footsteps' behind muffled doors.

BANG.

Archer turned around before Danny could blink, and shot at where the bang had come from. A man he recognised as Gregory, one of the Baron's right hand men fell down, and Archer sent another shot at him to make sure he was good and dead.

Danny appeared unworried: he was still buying the 'game' which was a good thing for Archer. He couldn't deal with answering questions on his lifestyle; it was too complicated, even to explain to someone like Maddy.

Maddy…I'm so sorry our son has got to see this.

Archer motioned for Danny to follow him up the stairs: his apartment was on the second floor, and they were making their way up to the first one.

BANG.

Archer turned diagonally to face the attacker, who automatically fell at Archer's shot back. Archer had pushed Danny to the floor; it would have gone straight through him if he had not.

"Y'alright, Danny?" he asked, picking him up.

"Yeh, Dad. Why are they not moving?" he appeared worried by this.

was trying to think of an excuse.

"They're sleeping, my bru. Don't worry."

Danny nodded, and they continued up the stairs. They were entering the pivotal zone now. Archer knew this was a life or death situation. He didn't care about himself: he just wanted Danny to be okay. Why did he have to make the wrong choices all the time?

But there wasn't time to think. Archer wouldn't t have bothered to come back, but all his money, documents, ID, and guns were up there. He couldn't escape to another city, let alone out the country without them.

He turned to face Danny. He couldn't take him up those stairs. It was too dangerous. He would have to stay here.

"Listen, Danny. I want you to lie down, very still. Don't move, ja? I don't want you to make a sound, just breathe. Lie down behind that man over there, and when Dad comes back down, you can move. But if you don't, then we lose the game, ja?"

"Okay, Dad. I no move."

Archer squeezed his hand, and he remembered squeezing Maddy's in a similar life or death situation.

Not now, Archer. Don't think of her now.

Danny was lying perfectly still, and Archer gave one last check, before heading up the stairs.

It was show time.

Dun Dun Dun :D Cliffy! Hope you all enjoyed. Please Review :D They make my day! C/C is welcome.

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