TITLE: Second Life

CHAPTER/TITLE: Chapter Twenty Five/Games

RATING: T (language and mature content)

A/N: Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Four Brothers or Death Sentence.

Chapter Twenty Five: Games

Jack was about to respond when chaos cracked through the night's silence. A gunshot rang out outside, followed closely by shattering glass. And then another gunshot. This one close. Too close.

Jack glanced down at his own hand and weapon in realization, and then at Helen in horror.

Helen's eyes were big.

Too big.

They seemed to swallow her face as they stared straight into Jack's equally wide ones. Jack's, though, were teeming with dozens of emotions. Helen's, were barely filled with any life at all.

"No," the single word pushed its way up through Jack's tightening throat and came out of Jack's mouth in near convulsions, Jack repeating the one word again and again.

He was still whispering to himself when her body began to crumple before him.

What had seemed like lifetimes to Jack, had apparently merely been fractions of that first second following the gunshot.

Helen was falling and Jack sprang back to reality, reaching out his arms to catch her. Laying her delicately on the floor, Jack frantically tried to save the dying woman. Tears burned as they broke free and fell against Helen's skin as he leaned over her. Her hand shook as she lifted it limply to his face. Jack closed his eyes at the touch he hand long forgotten.

"Remember," her voice was weak, yet her words remained strong. "I forgive you."

Jack opened his eyes at that.

"Save my family," she swallowed, their gazes connecting. "Save yourself."

The hand fell from his face and Jack watched as the woman in his arms closed her eyes for the final time.

An animalistic noise erupted inside the house, two men's cries merging into one.

Jack swallowed his scream and looked up to see Nicholas Hume still howling in a manner that was almost inhuman. There was a boy by his side that Jack assumed to be their younger son, Luke. His face was frozen in a way Jack couldn't bear to look at it. The husband pushed his son behind him and then charged, unthinking, towards the man he imagined to be his wife's murderer.

A snap cut through the air, and Nicholas Hume's midsection.

Jack looked up in horror as his gang, lead proudly by Joseph advanced on the family from all directions. It all started clicking together for Jack. The gunshot. There was no doubt it was one of his men taking out the police officer out front. Most likely Joey with the lack of silence to the kill. Any of the other gang members would know to keep quiet. Not Joe. Joseph would want to make an entrance. Right now, he was holding a gun towards a collapsing Nicholas Hume.

Luke watched as his father fell forward, his face finally pulling itself away from his mother's lifeless body. With both his parents on the floor and his brother buried, the boy lost control. He lunged at Joe with wild eyes and arms. Joseph was still watching in sick happiness as his prey lay bleeding. He didn't see Luke.

Spink did.

The bullet ripped through the child's chest and Jack nearly cried out again. He watched in muted terror as the kid reeled back in midair and then was on the floor, next to his father.

Joseph stalked forward, lifting his gun towards the gasping man's face.

A shout of protest escaped Jack's lips and before he even knew what he was doing, Jack leapt up and charged towards his little brother. He caught Joe by surprise and the collar.

"That's enough!" Jack barked. "We're leavin'! Now! All you, out!"

The gang followed their leader's orders without question as Joe stood his ground.

"What?" Joseph spat back. "You're fucking kidding me!"

Jack's strong arm came against Joseph's chest until the younger Darley was pushed all the way back against the wall.

"You don't get to talk," Jack hollered. "You get to listen, obey and shut the fuck up."

"This is shit!" Joe struggled to break free. "I woulda' killed that fucker if –"

"What the hell did I just say?" Jack pressed harder against Joe's chest. "You are my brother and you will do what the fuck you're told."

"You're not my brother," Joseph gritted quietly.

"Then I'm your leader," Jack hissed. "Either way, you're gonna listen to me. You're gonna stop actin' like some stupid kid who didn't get the fuckin' toy he wanted. Grow up. You're fuckin' pissed 'cause you didn't kill a guy? This is the brother I'm tryin' to protect? This is who I'm goin' through fuckin' hell to save? A punk kid who thinks death is some fun challenge. A game. I'm done playin'. No more games. No more nothin'. I'm done with you."

Jack let go of Joseph with enough force that Joe would have crashed to the floor had he not been against the wall.

The younger Darley proudly pulled himself together, not letting the cut to his ego show. The rest of the gang simply looked on as Joseph finally appeared outside, without Billy.

"You two break up?" Dog teased.

"What's goin' on?" Bodie spoke seriously.

"What's goin' on," Joe started slowly, "is I'm gonna go play a game."