He targeted his scope, took a deep breath and watched as his brother stepped through the warehouse door.
It had been all too easy to track the group into another warehouse two towns over. While he wanted to believed they hadn't been spotted, his military instincts told him the enemy wasn't as stupid as Nathanial and their father wanted to believe.
"Your brother will secure their release." Changachook said as he knelt beside Uncas on the cement.
"I'd like to believe that, father. But we don't know what these men really want. They could kill them all."
Changachook said nothing but Uncas could feel the anxiety growing in his father.
He leaned forward, ensuring anyone who stepped out the front door would have to pass through his vision.
The first 10 minutes were spent in agonizing silence, Uncas checking and rechecking his scope, his father switching between examining his son and watching the door.
It was when Uncas made a sound that Changachook's head shot toward the door, seeing Alice being forced out a side door by several men. Two led the way toward a van while one held her arm tightly and the final two men drew up the rear.
Uncas yanked his scope off his weapon and quickly dissembled it to be portable again.
"Where are you-" Chingachook barely had time to ask his youngest son. "We need to wait for your brother, they could be in danger."
Uncas swung the weapon over his shoulder, kept his eyes trained on the men leading Alice away but answered his father tightly. "Nathaniel can take care of himself and Cora, Alice is the one in danger."
Changachook would have argued, would have forced some sense into his son but he was left with only his fleeing back, a reminder of the impulsivity of a man in love.
He knew getting in front of them would be the only way to stop them, to draw them out of their vehicles and protect her from the gun fire. He flinched as his borrowed motorcycle swerved past other motorists, as he sped through stop signs and ignored all traffic lights. He knew where they were heading. They would try and take her over the bonder, try to take her into Mexico were it would be impossible to find her.
He glanced in his rearview mirror, spotting the unmarked van several cars behind.
Slamming on his breaks, Uncas swerved his bike to face oncoming traffic. Several cars quickly moved to avoid him, continuing around his obstruction while others slammed to a halt.
It was only when Uncas pulled his weapon from his case and aimed it at the approaching vehicle that it slid to a halt.
He took his first shot at the driver who jumped from the vehicle, weapon pointed at him. The man crumpled to the ground as the man on the passenger side dismounted and Uncas fired his second shot without so much as taking the time to blink.
When the back seat doors opened, Uncas steadied his breathing and narrowed his eyes as he recognized Alice being held against the leader.
"Let us pass and we won't kill her." The man shouted, pressing a gun to her head.
Uncas knew he could take him. He'd made tighter shots in the Military; he'd saved innocents using that shot before. He leaned against his weapon and studied Alice through his scope. Fear was written across her face, her eyes searching for what his movements would be.
Uncas lowered the gun, raised his hand in the air and took a step forward.
The other man slowly moved Alice to the hold of a man behind him, moving forward to match Uncas's steps.
When he was at arm's length, Uncas's lunged for him, securing a hit on the man's jaw.
Within seconds they were at each other, landing blows, attempting to knock away any blows and blocking against the more vicious attacks. Uncas kept his mind trained on his attacker, ignoring the way Alice struggled against her captor. It was only when he felt a sharp pain spread across his chest did he realize that the man who take taken Alice, the man who had held a gun to her head had a knife in one hand.
In the moment of his sudden confusion, the leader suddenly pressed against Uncas, driving the knife into his abdomen. He groaned as he dropped to his knees and fell against the pavement. His vision caught onto Alice as tears streamed down her face and she stared at him in terror. She yanked herself free from the man holding her arm and ran to him. Falling to her knees before him she pressed her hand to his wound, pleading to him, begging him to stay alive as his vision faded.
Uncas wanted to gather her in his arms, wanted to tell her to run, to save herself. But words failed him, he could only manage to stare at her, at those eyes that had once captured him so thoroughly.
His eyes fell shut and his body gave way, dropping completely to the ground. He wondered, briefly, if she would forgive his failure.
He heard a single shot that sounded so very far away. Then darkness consumed him and he neither felt nor heard anything.