"Just what the hell are you doing here Emily?" James seethed at the unwelcome intrusion.
"Well I thought you might be a bit more welcoming." She said with an uneasy smile.
"Welcoming, I can't imagine where you would get that idea." He grumbled as he took a seat across the room.
"Well I dunno Phoenix perhaps the fact that I supported your ass for the time before our whole life fell out from underneath us." She spat with a grin.
Interest piqued at the mention of his nickname and rage flaring he stood.
"How dare you, I tried for months doing anything that could support us and all you ever did was sit there and beret me. If anyone supported anyone it was me to you." He growled, cold glare fixed on the woman he once adored.
"All I ever wanted was the old James to return, the one who would come home and kiss me after work, hide little presents around for me to find, just to be…feel…loved!" she growled back.
"What you failed to mention were the circumstances! Emily at the end I was at my wits end, bills and debt pile up fast when you have no way to pay them. There was not one ounce of support there, not one! I came home from countless interviews just to be judged by your disappointment. Why do you think I started drinking at Edwards?!" he roared back.
"Oh hell no you are not gonna sit here and blame your alcoholism on me. You were gone so much I half expected you and Edward were fucking each other! I saw the way he looks at you, tell me you two didn't go at it at least once." She egged on.
"Oh now you are full of shit Emily, and you know what? You never did answer my question, what the hell are you doing here and how did you get into my apartment?" he seethed.
"I came to offer you a deal from my husband actually." She purred watching the shock spread across the man's face.
"Your….husband?" he stuttered, after all the hatred from a moment ago he still found the thought hard to swallow.
"Yes, you might know him as your first victim, Bernard Diesel?" she said as a small flash of light danced across her eyes.
"Diesel? How could you, after all he has done? After what he did to that girl?" he spat feeling sick.
"Oh that was some bull made up by your side to inflame the masses! Besides he gives me everything I could ever ask for unlike you. Now will you listen to the deal or are you just dense."
James just sat in silence, Diesel's words from that first night rang through his mind. "Emily was right to get out when she did, not only did she get away from the alcoholic, she also said you were awful in bed."
He had thought it was just something the old man had said to save a little face that night, then again, how would he have known her name otherwise, god how could he have missed it?
"This night, I kept feeling as if someone was watching me, that was you wasn't it?" he asked sharply staring at the floor.
"I was asked to tale you, so yes that was me. Diesel has a message, if you call off your little rebellion we will do no harm to the people of this island, however if order continues to descend into chaos because of your little underground stunts we will be forced to take action." She relayed with an eerie calm.
"Such as…?" he questioned, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Well we did see you with such a lovely little girl earlier…it would be a shame if anything happened to her or her family….." she added examining her fingernails as she did so.
Little Alice? The thought of what had been said sent chills down his spine, and with the last bit of contained rage now flowing through his veins the monster was free and he was terrifying.
Meanwhile on the outside of the door eavesdropping
"Man those two are slightly fucked up wouldn't ya say?" Donald said raining a hand through his hair.
"Slightly? Those two take the cake!" his twin agreed.
"So we essentially have a messenger from the NWR here, who came to us or rather James with a threat." Douglas mused.
"We do need to report this to Duck and Oliver, this could get BANG ugly…" Donald started as a loud noise came from inside James' apartment.
"They are out on their own mission BANG remember?" Douglass confirmed.
"Shit sounds like the wee lad is taking care of it for us, come on!" The two started to band their way through his door.
James was completely lost in his own anger, having crossed the room at a near blinding speed and now pinning his former love up against the wall one arm closed around her throat.
"You DARE come into my home, taunt me, threaten me, then threaten an innocent, you poor stupid fool." He growled, his voice deep face contorted in rage.
"I don't know what I ever saw in a whore like you." His grip tightening with his words. BANG!
He turned around to see the twins staring at him like they would a wild animal.
"Put her down James… Don't do this… Don't be like this." Douglas slowly went towards his charge.
He looked between the two and with a deep sigh, unceremoniously dropped her to the floor, backing away to the couch, burying his head in his hands.
Emily landed with a thud, coughing to regain her breath then slowly standing looked over to the Phoenix.
"One more stunt out of you all and she will be the first to die, we have a watch on everything you do!" she yelled eyes cold.
"Get out of here you fucking whore, your words mean nothing here." Douglas said showing her the door.
"Ah, now that the banshee is gone, we need to get this to Duck and Oliver, we need to plan with them for the time being." Donald added.
"They had their own mission tonight did they not?" James asked, a realization hitting him.
"Yes, they were to take out one of the first on the board of trustees tonight in order to loosen up some of the shares to buy." Donald nodded.
"One more stunt….first to die." The thoughts swirled in a panic.
'We've got to stop them, they kill one of them they kill Alice." James was already on his feet.
"Hold on laddie, you've no way of knowing if they were bluffing or not and you are in no shape for another run!" Donald called to him.
"I don't want to take that chance and as of right now my wellbeing isn't important. Call Thomas, get to Rheneas' home, do what ever you have to do, I've got to try and stop this or I'll never forgive myself." With that James stormed out.
Finally the hills are without eyes
They are tired of painting a dead man`s face red
With their own blood
They used to love having so much to lose
Blink your eyes just once and see everything in ruins
As he was running he couldn't help but have Emily racing through his mind. Dark thoughts about a punishment raced through his mind as he ran. His injuries screaming at him he bit his lip. "DAMN that bitch, DAMN her to hell." His mind shouted trying to build up adrenalin to block out his bodies protest.
Did you ever hear what I told you
Did you ever read what I wrote you
Did you ever listen to what we played
Did you ever let in what the world said
Did we get this far just to feel your hate
Did we play to become only pawns in the game
How blind can you be, don`t you see
You chose the long road but we`ll be waiting
Bye bye beautiful
He had taken to running through the streets, a very dangerous move on his part knowing what could happen but at the moment he didn't care. He had to get to Montague and Oliver before they unknowingly signed a little girl's death warrant.
Jacob`s ghost for the girl in white
Blindfold for the blind
Dead siblings walking the dying earth
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive?
James came to a skidding stop at the corner of an alley way, perched on top of the building were his two bosses, sniper rifle and silencer at the ready to catch the shareholder as he left his house for work. He started to ascend the stairs, slower than he would like cursing his hip as he went. He had to get there before they pulled the trigger, he had to.
Did you ever hear what I told you
Did you ever read what I wrote you
Did you ever listen to what we played
Did you ever let in what the world said
Did we get this far just to feel your hate
Did we play to become only pawns in the game
How blind can you be, don`t you see
You chose the long road but we`ll be waiting
Bye bye beautiful
Time seemed to stand still as James reached the top.
Oliver standing guard put a hand out to stop the young man. "Just what do you think you're doing up here?" he growled.
"Look if you do this a little girl will die, I need to talk to Montague!" he growled trying to push his way through.
"What are you on about? Just calm down!" Oliver reasoned not understanding the severity of the situation.
"Look I don't have time for this! It's urgent call off the mission BANG now…." The small pop of the gun rang through his ears, then the sharp sound of a womans cries filled his ears, he was too late...no.
It`s not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I`ll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red-hot blade of your words
How blind can you be, don`t you see
That the gambler lost all he does not have
Montague came forward with a confused look on his face. "James what are you doing here?"
"Never mind, I haven't got the time! I've got to get to Alice." He said taking off back down the stairs.
The two exchanged doubtful looks as they contacted the twins who quickly relayed the situation. Oliver, feeling a bit numb and Montague sitting down, his head in his hands.
James pounded the pavement, he would save her, he had to. As he got closer to the valley he could see a dark cloud of smoke billowing. Cresting the hill he saw what he most feared, the house was in flames. As he got closer he saw Thomas, Gordon, and the Twins had made it. They were currently trying to lure some of the NWR guards away long enough to get to the building. He could hear her frightened cries, she didn't have time for this!
James gathering his last bit of energy rushed at the building, the yells of concern drowned out by the wind, he decked the guard who tried to block him and charged into the building. The flames licking at his skin as he did so earning a growl of pain. Shaking it off he made his way to the backroom, picking up Alice who instinctively cuddle close to his chest. With her in hand he slowly made his way out, the combination of the smoke and exhaustion starting to make his head spin. NO! Not here, Not now.
Did you ever hear what I told you
Did you ever read what I wrote you
Did you ever listen to what we played
Did you ever let in what the world said
Did we get this far just to feel your hate
Did we play to become only pawns in the game
How blind can you be, don`t you see
You chose the long road but we`ll be waiting
Bye bye beautiful
James emerged from the building and with cover from the others made his way up the hill to Rheneas with Alice. Just short of handing her over to her father, he collapsed. Her face the last thing he saw before the world went black.
