Chapter 21
A/N: Sorry for being gone, guys! I've been… well, gone! Sorry!
Blood.
It was splattered on the wall.
He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
This was how he would die… He'd go to hell, for betrayal.
He heard screams, but he expected to hear laughter. He always imagined his death where everyone laughed at him. His life flashed before his eyes. Mom… Dad… Emily… and even worse, Amy…
Amy slid on her knees to him, trying to keep him from falling on his face. Her fingers pressed on his open chest wound, trying to stop the blood.
"Don't die on me…" she said, but the blood was pumping the blood was pumping through her fingers. His face was pale and sweaty, like Nellie had been when they shot her.
With all his will to stay on and strength, he reached up with a bloody hand and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Ames… Stay with Ian… He's a… a good guy…" His words were shaky, and the tears coming from her eyes were falling on his hand.
All around them, a fight broke out. Ian and Hamilton was fighting with Casper, the three putting up a very good fight, but Ian and Casper occasionally glanced in the mirror to check their hair when one had gotten out of their grasp for a second. Jonah had locked Cheyenne in a closet, and was trying to keep it closed. Dan was trying to get the gun out of Emily's shaking hands, so she didn't accidentally shoot Ian or Hamilton while aiming at Casper.
Jason gave Amy a weak smile. "Stay outta trouble Ames – at least, as much as you can with the Cahills…."
And with that, Jason Evan Wyoming gave his last breath, and collapsed into Amy's arms.
…..
Amy was shaking with grief. The paramedic's had come made it two minutes and twelve seconds after Evan/Jason had died in her arms. They had carried him out in a black body bag, and all Amy could do was watch.
Of course, she had loved him; she always had since he told her he liked her sweater.
Even though, Ian had a special place in her heart, Evan would also. He would always have a special place.
Ian and Hamilton were getting fixed up by the paramedic (Hamilton getting stitches on his leg after falling on a piece of glass) while Amy sat on the back of the one farthest away from them. Dan was talking to Emily on the other ambulance as they put a wet wash cloth on her head to help her calm down. Jonah, who was the only one uninjured, walked over to Amy.
"Amy, I'm sorry. Evan was a cool dog… He did the right thing, yo."
"Jonah… Stop talking like that. You sound stupid."
Jonah chuckled. "A'ight. I will for you, Cuz."
Amy pulled the blanket around her tighter like a cocoon. She wanted to hide in her shell. It would be so much easier than to have to face her family and keep leading them. Amy wasn't sure that she could do it.
"Amy," Jonah said, "I know that you just lost Evan – that's a really bad blow – but, we gotta keep going. For Evan, for Lester, for Alistair, Sinead – all the fallen Cahills. I'm not going to let you sit around here and mope all your life. It's hard, I understand. But once this is over, we'll get the hostages back, and all of us will go on vacation together, so none of us is separated. You need a vacation."
Amy let a weak smile pass. "I do, don't I?"
"Really, I think I see a gray hair."
"What?" Amy asked, kind of alarmed.
"I'm kidding, Amy," Jonah chuckled. He looked over at Ian's ambulance and saw him get up. "I'll give you some privacy, ok?" He squeezed her shoulders and walked off towards Hamilton, who was watching the paramedic nervously as he stitched it up. Hamilton flinched, almost kicking the paramedic in the face, but the man had good reflexes.
"Geez, Tomas," the paramedic mumbled. "I know our branch has issues, but don't kick me!"
Ian walked over. His nose had been broken in the fight, and dried blood was on his face. He limped when his walked, and every breath seemed to hurt. Amy met him half way and put his arm over her shoulders, and helped him back over to her ambulance. She pulled the blanket back around her as rain droplets pitter-pattered on the concrete and cobble-stone road.
"You ok, love?" he asked. "Wait, that's a stupid question; um…"
"I'm ok… A little shaken up, but ok…"
He started to put his arm around her, but hesitated as if he changed his mind. "May I?"
Amy nodded, sniffling back the tears, as he placed his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.
Ian hugged her. "I'm sorry, love…"
Amy rolled her eyes. "What did I say about calling you that?"
Ian smiled. "What? It's my personal nickname for you. I kind of like it. Should I start calling you Duck then? That's also a pet name in Britain."
Amy laughed a little. "I like love better."
"That's what I thought."
They sat there for a few minutes in silence, but it was a mutual silent understanding – she loved Ian, but she also loved Jason. Ian understood it. If Natalie died, he'd probably take it a lot worse.
But Natalie wasn't dead… She was still with the Vespers…
"When this is over, me and you need to go somewhere – just us," Ian Kabra whispered, his amber eyes gleaming.
"Why does everyone say I need a vacation?" Amy asked.
Ian kissed her forehead between her eyes. "Because you deserve one."
The paramedic came to the back. "Désolé les gars, mais nous devons y aller."
Both Ian and Amy stared blankly, since neither of them spoke French.
This is why I need Nellie, Amy thought.
The paramedic sighed. With a heavy French accent, he said, "We have to go, so you must get off."
Amy Cahill and Ian Kabra muttered apologies and they stood. Amy folded the blanket and gave it back to the guy. Then the guy closed the back, got in the passenger seat (on the left side), and they drove off, all three ambulances one behind the other.
All of the Cahills (and Emily) came together. They knew what was going to happen. But Hamilton smiled.
"Alright, team," he said, his tone like Eisenhower Holts. "I think everyone knows what we gotta do: we gotta save our family. And we don't need to do this for us – we do this for the dead: Hope, Arthur, Grace" – Amy and Dan shared weak smiles – "Lester, Jason/Evan, Mr. McIntyre, Erasmus, and even…." Hamilton took a deep breath. "Even that Ekat, Sinead."
He looked over at Amy. "You know where the hostages might be?"
Amy nodded. "We need to go somewhere and talk later. But right now, we all need sleep. So we should head out."
They nodded in agreement. Jonah looked over at Emily.
"You aren't going to turn on us, right?"
Emily shook her head. "No. I promise. Plus, the only way you can get in the mountain is with me."
Ian smirked. "Well, I guess we're going to go break some bloody Vespers?"
Hamilton grinned. "Why, yes, yes we are."
A/N: AND THAT'S IT! I'm not doing the fight at the end. Too much trauma! You guys know how… emotional I was at that part. *tear* Not gonna…. C-c-cry…
Well, this is goodbye! GOOOOOOODBYYYYYYYEEEE!