Chapter XVIII
"What the hell is the matter with you," she protested loudly.
"Fredo sent me to get you. We wouldn't want you to get lost tonight, now would we?" Robbie replied sarcastically. "What the fuck were you doing anyway?" He added as he leaned over to get a better look inside. He noticed the broken glass on the floor, but before he could comment on it, Phoebe was pushing him rudely away.
"Well, you came here to accompany me, so let's go," Phoebe said as she closed the door behind her and walked away quickly.
"So now you're in a hurry?"
Phoebe slowed down somewhat, afraid that her haste was a dead giveaway. It was all she could do not to run away from him. There was something in his attitude that made her deeply uncomfortable. He was too cocky, even for Robbie. Instinctively, she flashed a glance behind her, worrying that he might still try to get into her dressing room, but she quickly stared ahead as she realized this was making her look even more conspicuous.
"It's time and if you don't move your ass, I'll tell Fredo you didn't do your job." She answered disdainfully.
"Right," Robbie uttered with not even a hint of worry to his voice.
Phoebe almost let fear overcome her even as she put on a good face for Robbie. She had to remind herself that as long as Cole brought those papers out, they would both be safe. Fredo wouldn't dare touch her now, even if he learned of her betrayal. She believed that if her old lover intended to cause her harm, it would only be after her performance. Fredo had invested too much in tonight's show. Afterward, she planned to use the crowd as protection to give him the ultimatum before anything went wrong. For a fleeting moment, she worried that it might not work, but she rejected this concern immediately. "No," Phoebe thought, "tonight, nothing will go wrong." She needed to believe it at this point, and all she could hope for was that it was the truth as she reached the stage and stepped behind the curtain. The band finished playing the piece that preceded her entrance and almost immediately, the first notes of her opening song floated toward her as the curtain began to rise.
"Break a leg," Robbie said before walking away. Coming from him, the traditional good luck sounded as if he was wishing for it to happen. However, Phoebe chose to ignore Robbie's apparent threat as she began singing and set aside all of her worries for the time being.
~~~~~~~
Cole cautiously opened the closet door and then he got out of the small enclosure gingerly, still wondering if there wasn't someone waiting to shoot him. A moment ago, when Phoebe pulled him forcefully toward his hiding place, Cole had almost felt like a coward. However, he knew it was the best thing to do. There was no point in risking alerting Fredo's men. In fact, it would be of no help to either Phoebe or him. He still hated the idea of leaving without her, but he understood that it was their best chance to walk free later.
In truth, however, and even if he was exercising caution now, when he heard Robbie's voice earlier he had almost burst out of his hiding place. There was something in the manner in which Robbie spoke to Phoebe; as if he knew something she didn't and thought it very funny. Whatever it was, Cole felt that anything which would amuse this piece of crap had to be bad for them. Yet, Robbie didn't even try to search the room and nobody else came, which partially reassured Cole that they didn't suspect his presence.
As he unlocked the door to the hallway, Cole almost forgot about caution altogether when he heard Phoebe's singing voice for the first time in years. He stood transfixed for a long moment, wondering how he could have lived all this time without the sound of her melodious voice. It was only when he heard two men's voices growing quickly louder than Phoebe's singing that Cole reacted. Hurriedly, he got out of the dressing room and headed for the other end of the hallway, not wanting to be trapped. He barely made it to a recess which gave on a connecting door, before the men in question stepped into the hallway themselves, coming from the direction of the stage. They were plunged into an animated discussion and even as he was about to try the connecting door, Cole stopped abruptly and gave a quick glance around the corner when he thought he recognized Saul and Robbie's voices. After confirming this, Cole listened in to their exchange with mounting apprehension.
"I'm telling you, if he's inside, he's not going anywhere," Robbie assured Saul with obvious irritation. "But I don't understand why we can't just shoot the asshole on sight."
"I already warned you about thinking too much, Robbie. All you need to know is that I need him alive."
"Why?" Robbie pursued in spite of the warning about his questioning Saul's methods.
"I need him just in case Fredo gets cold feet. Then we'll get rid of this Turner once and for all."
Cole's stomach sank at this. They were on to him. Much more than this, he could infer from their conversation that they were also on to Phoebe. Had they found those guys he hid in the dumpster? That risk had been a potent one since he left them there, but he had hoped they wouldn't find them so soon. He looked around his hiding place nervously, feeling trapped already. What good would he be to Phoebe if he got caught now? To stifle the panic he felt swelling in him, Cole again reminded himself that he had managed to get into this place in spite of their security measures. Apparently, they didn't want him dead just yet, which would serve his purpose. Making sure those papers would be safely out of Fredo's or Saul's reach had to be his main goal at this point. However, even as he was thinking this, their next words quashed this newly acquired optimism.
"Rest assured, I won't let this Turner get out; let alone those papers."
"I want Turner to stay here, but don't worry about the stuff the bitch stole. Even if she already found another way to get it to someone on the outside, it won't matter. I'm sure she believes she can blackmail Fredo with them, but she's sorely mistaken. They were phoney," Saul announced triumphantly. "Let the feds have a go at it; we'll have the last laugh. I set the trap myself even though it took everything to convince Fredo to go along. Now, he has to see that I was right about her. She took the bait and I've got both her and Turner on a hook. All we have to do is reel them in. I'm sure she's planning to talk to Fredo in public, believing he won't touch her."
Cole cursed himself inwardly for not grabbing a gun from the guards he knocked out. Right then, he felt like shooting these two badly. However, after a moment of reflection, he saw that even if he had a gun, facing them now would only cause more harm than good. That said, it still didn't tell him what the best course of action was. In the background to their conversation, he could hear Phoebe singing, but now rather than giving him the good feelings of earlier, it only deepened his anxiety. As soon as her performance was over, she would try to talk to Fredo, as Saul surmised and Cole now knew where this would lead.
At this moment, Cole realized that the two gangsters were on the move again when he heard a door opening. He gave them another quick glance, wondering if they were going into the dressing room. Instead, they left through another door, no doubt leading to the Pharaoh's main floor. Just before the door closed behind them, Cole heard another comment about how Saul was upset that Robbie allowed someone to escape. It was easy to assume that he was referring to someone else, but by now, Cole couldn't care less. He had to decide his next move and fast.
~~~~~
"How the hell can I trust you with Turner when you couldn't even get Marco," Saul said as they headed toward the alcove. Both of them completely ignored the show, and in spite of the harsh tone of voice, as he spoke, Saul surveyed the crowd and mostly, searched for his own men. He was miffed at Robbie, but he also had other things on his mind. Tonight, he had doubled the number of bodyguards around Fredo. The old gangster found it strange since Saul assured him he'd killed Ricardo. That was when they had words about Lara. Saul was recalling their confrontation and barely acknowledged Robbie's reply.
"I'm gonna get him, don't worry about it." However, Robbie's following words grabbed Saul's full attention. "I still don't get why we need to get rid of Marco." Saul shot a murderous glance toward Robbie and this time, the young man actually recoiled. "Hey, I meant nothing by that…" he tried uneasily.
"How many times do I have to tell you I don't owe you any explanations, Robbie? Do what you're told if you want to get ahead in this business. If you don't…"
Saul allowed the threat to hang in the air, and Robbie didn't need it to be spelled out. He was starting to feel very uncomfortable with his position within this gang.
When they got near the alcove, they both saw that Fredo was watching Lara intensely, and Saul wondered what was going through his mind. In Saul's opinion, the old man had truly become weak. He feared that Fredo might find a way to absolve Lara, and Saul couldn't let that happen. He signalled for Robbie to stay back as he entered the alcove by himself. His boss paid him no attention whatsoever until Saul coughed insistently. Even then, Fredo only nodded in acknowledgement of the lieutenant's presence as he waited until the end of the song before deigning an annoyed glance toward Saul. "What is it now," Fredo asked impatiently.
Saul glanced about, as if he wanted to make sure that no one was in the vicinity, and then he bent closer to Fredo. "I know you're pissed at me, but I'm only looking out for you."
"Right," Fredo shot angrily.
"No really…You ought to have known she wasn't trustworthy, Fredo."
"It's left to be proven," Fredo replied obstinately.
At this, an almost pained expression covered Saul's features. "I hate what it's doing to you; but there's worse and I fear that you won't like what I have to say."
"What the fuck is it now?"
"Fredo… the men are losing confidence in you. They think your weakness for that girl could mean that you're getting weak, period."
"How dare you," Fredo exclaimed with outrage.
"Listen to me," Saul insisted, unabated. "You're gonna have to make a gesture, something that will show them your balls are still in the right place."
"I could also call Robbie in here and have you shot. How would that be for a gesture," Fredo growled.
"Then they'd think you wanted to shut me up to protect the girl."
"Are you making a move for my place," Fredo asked in a suddenly suspicious voice.
"Of course not," Saul protested as if the thought never crossed his mind. "I simply want the business to go smoothly and for that, the men need to trust that you can make hard choices."
"Exactly what are you suggesting," Fredo questioned while he glared at Saul.
This one didn't answer and instead he slowly pulled a gun from his holster and offered it to Fredo.
~~~~~~
Cole went to every possible exit and got more discouraged by the moment. Robbie had not been joking. He was convinced that they were even watching rats' holes. For every possible point of escape, at least four men stood guard, all heavily armed. In a way, Cole thought it was somewhat flattering, but it certainly didn't help his cause in the least. He'd hoped that if he could find a crack in their security, he would only have to grab Phoebe before she went to Fredo and drag her out of there if necessary. Now he realized that this was too risky. Maybe he could have made it out on his own, but not with Phoebe. He already understood that they had no intention of letting her leave this place alive. Seeing that escaping was out of the question, Cole resolved to try calling for help. Cautiously, he went back toward Phoebe's dressing room and as soon as he was in, he picked up the phone he'd seen earlier, only to find out that the line was dead. Cole stared at the phone dejectedly. Could it be that they purposefully cut the phone lines on top of guarding all the entrances?
Things were going from bad to worse, and time was running out. Again he went back to the hallway and hesitated at length while listening to Phoebe. At this point, Cole had to admit that it might be impossible to save the both of them. Therefore, he began considering an alternate solution.
~~~~~
Phoebe's performance was almost over and she began worrying anew. Where was Cole? Had he succeeded in getting out of the club? What would be Fredo's reaction to her ultimatum? She had to concentrate to keep the tremor from her voice as all those questions only served to heighten her anxiety. Up until this point, she had not wanted to dwell on the risks, but now, she would have to face a very different music. After managing to get through the last song, she bowed to the crowd under a thunder of applause, interspersed with whistling and shouting of enthusiastic approval. Was this it, Phoebe wondered again? Had she just accomplished her goal and found love again, only to see her life end horribly? Fear threatened to overwhelm her, but it was nothing compared to the sheer panic she felt at hearing the music.
It was expected that she would sing an encore as it was the tradition of the stage. However, this piece wasn't part of her act. She almost blew it as she was tempted to whirl on herself to confirm what she already knew. Instead, Phoebe brought back the microphone to her lips slowly and she stepped backward, making her way toward the piano as she began singing the song that she wrote for Cole. The audience had fallen suddenly silent, as if mesmerized; but by then, Phoebe paid them very little attention. Staying at a distance that would insure that the pianist would remain at the edge of her spotlight, Phoebe turned toward him and the rest of the band. The other musicians were staring at the piano with obvious confusion, and even more so at Phoebe, as she bent over the instrument in a pretense of seduction. When she met Cole's eyes, she recognized a deep sadness in them and her heart sank.
Only moments before, Cole's intent of catching Phoebe on her way off the stage had met another major hurdle. When he got closer, he saw that there were two more guards on each side of the stage and it was obvious that they wouldn't let anyone near Phoebe after she was done. Again he considered going after them, but scratched that idea right away, fearing that Phoebe might get hurt in the process. Then, Cole almost rushed to Fredo to give himself up right then and there, hoping that he might convince the old gangster to spare Phoebe's life. However, he knew that this might not be enough to convince Fredo of Phoebe's innocence.
In a split second decision, Cole thought of another way to get to her, as he noticed that if the guards were keeping a close watch on Phoebe, they weren't paying any attention to the musicians. Phoebe's pianist stood only about ten feet from Cole and in semi-darkness. Just then, Phoebe's song ended and Cole used the loud approval of the crowd to cover his move. He caught the pianist by surprise as this one was already preparing for the song they planned for the encore. In less than two seconds, the man was lying unconscious behind the piano and Cole had grabbed his tuxedo, hurriedly putting it on before he sat at the piano with trepidation.
As he struck the first notes of the song Phoebe obviously titled "Music to my Soul" all those years ago, Cole thought that if nothing else, he would get to hear her sing it for him one last time. At this point, he understood that short of a miracle, it was all he could hope for. Thus, the music reflected both his sorrow and his exaltation. While Phoebe made her way toward him, Cole also worried that someone else might have noticed the change in the program besides the musicians, but if that was the case, they must all have adhered to "the Show must go on" tradition because no one tried to stop him. It was probably in no small part due to Phoebe's quick wits. Now, however, as she stared at him with a mix of anger and fear, Cole could almost taste all he was gonna miss. Why did it have to happen now? For years, he had cared little what would become of him. He was living his life by the seat of his pants; never worrying about tomorrows. In this instant, he regretted bitterly all this lost time and he knew that Phoebe did as well. When the instrumental part of the song arrived, Phoebe quickly turned off her microphone and she whispered, "What's going on Cole?"
He only hesitated a second before he replied firmly, "You've got to deliver me to Fredo and you have to do it right after this song is over, Phoebe. The papers are fakes," Cole added quickly when he anticipated her protestations. The look of consternation on her face told him she understood the gravity of the situation.
Nevertheless, that didn't keep Phoebe from protesting against Cole's suggestion. "How do you know for sure? And besides, even if it's true, Fredo will never believe I had nothing to do with it…"
Cole looked toward the guards but these didn't seem alerted yet. "He will if you tell him I threatened your cousin to make you steal those papers for me."
"No…"
"Sing Phoebe," Cole urged intensely. Phoebe shot a glance behind her, half-expecting Fredo's men to be on the stage aiming at them. With a supreme effort, she managed to continue the song, although nearly forgetting to turn the microphone back on, but as she returned her hesitant gaze toward Cole, this one feared that she wouldn't do what he asked.
Worried that his words could be heard, he simply mouthed his plea to Phoebe, while staring back at her intensely. "Please Phoebe. I beg you. Don't die for me."
Phoebe opened wide eyes and it told him she understood, but at the same time, she nodded in the negative. "Please," Cole whispered insistently. "Live for me…"
Cole couldn't tell if she made out the last part, but she did react. Slowly, Phoebe turned her back to him and walked toward the center of the stage. As she sang the last words of the song, she turned to him one more time before accepting the renewed applauds. Cole still couldn't tell what her intentions were. Whatever she decided, their fate was sealed and he simply waited as there was nothing more he could do.
~~~~~
"What was that," Fredo said to no one in particular, as the song ended, leaving him oddly stirred. He'd heard Lara singing soulful songs before, but he didn't recall her being so emotional. He could almost feel the intensity she put in every word. Plus he was certain he never heard this particular song before. This only added to his indecision as he nervously clutched the gun Saul gave him earlier and that he kept in his lap ever since. Was this emotional display related to Saul's accusations? Was she truly betraying him? Those questions were haunting him but never as much as the uncertainty that gripped his insides. How could he do this? And yet, if she was the traitor Saul believed her to be, how could he not?
~~~~~
Phoebe bowed to the crowd one last time, and for a moment, it looked to Cole as if she was going to do what he asked as she was apparently heading for two of the guards on the left side of the stage. Then she suddenly took a beeline toward him and before he could protest, Phoebe grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bench imperatively. He tried to shake her grasp, but Phoebe tightened her hold on his hand and she stared at him intensely. "We're getting out together or not at all." She said decisively and Cole knew nothing he could say would change her mind. This caused him a deep joy at the same time as an even greater sorrow. Their chances were nowhere near better in his opinion and that in spite of the look of determination on her face. "How?"
"Follow me," Phoebe urged as she headed back toward the center of the stage. There she didn't stop until she stood at the very edge and Cole understood what he was supposed to do. He quickly closed the distance between them, all the while expecting to be shot. When it didn't happen, he pursued his move, jumping off the stage and then helping Phoebe down to the main floor. The audience went wild with screams and even louder applause as many of them stood up, beckoning the singer to come to them. Phoebe gave another quick but intense gaze to Cole and then, she muttered something that Cole wasn't certain he understood correctly. "Can you be jealous?" Then she headed for the nearest table, where a particularly rowdy group of men was already lifting glasses in her direction, and calling to her loudly.
He was still staring uncertainly until her purpose became clearer as she leaned against one of them in a suggestive manner and flashed another insistent glare toward Cole. This one looked around and he spotted a few of Fredo's men, or so he assumed from their stance. They were already converging towards them and he knew there was no more time to lose. When he looked back at Phoebe and the group of men she had gone to, he knew that it wouldn't be too hard to act jealous, particularly when he saw one of them grabbing her buttocks vulgarly. Indeed the anger on his face wasn't faked at all as he walked quickly towards them and pulled Phoebe away rudely out of the man's grasp. "Leave her alone," Cole almost shouted in the man's face. The result was expected and didn't disappoint. The other man swung a fist at Cole who dodged it before nailing him in the stomach. As their companion folded in two, the others around the table rushed at Cole, who threw one of them on the nearest table just before another one tackled him to the ground. Others immediately came to try separating the fighters, but ended up party to the melee. Using the distraction, Phoebe rushed to the first table and grabbed the lit candle that stood in the middle of it. Without hesitation, she ran toward the curtain, certain that no one would notice this as the fight was expanding to the first few rows. For a moment she feared that the guards who had been watching her from off stage would stop her as one of them noticed her move. Fortunately, before he could reach her, one of the combatants was thrown against him forcefully and he fell to the floor where he obviously hit his head hard because he didn't move afterward. Phoebe took a deep breath, consciously urging herself to move again. She then positioned the candle just underneath the curtain and as this one ignited, she hurriedly went back toward Cole.
She was nearly caught in the fight as well, but thankfully, Cole had already managed to get away and he grabbed her just as someone was about to fall on her. That one ended up hitting the wooden stage with a scream of rage and pain, but by then, Phoebe had already stopped paying attention to the fight. "Follow me," she said imperatively. Just as she said it, a loud scream of panic was heard, and echoed louder and louder by many among the crowd.
"Fire!" For the space of an instant, there was uncertainty among the fighters and the rest of the audience, but that was immediately followed by a panicked exodus toward the front of the Club. Fredo's men were caught in the middle of the terrorized audience and that gave Phoebe and Cole some time. "There is no where to go, Phoebe," Cole protested as he still followed her toward a small door that laid too close to Fredo's alcove for comfort. "All the exits are guarded. I've already checked."
"Trust me," Phoebe simply uttered, as she accelerated. She grabbed another candle from one of the now abandoned tables and rushed through the small doorway. Just before Cole followed her in, he gave one last glance behind him and saw Saul aiming at them. Without hesitation, he closed the door behind him just in time as a bullet came crashing into it. Phoebe was already running away and he hurried behind her, but she suddenly fell out of sight. "Phoebe," Cole called anxiously while giving nervous glances behind him.
"Here," she answered, as she reappeared in front of him. Without giving him a chance to utter another word, she grabbed his arm and led him through a door that Cole had not believed was there. She closed it quickly behind them, and only then stopped and gasped for breath.
"Where are we," Cole questioned in the quasi-total darkness. The candle only provided a vague illumination.
"It's a secret corridor that leads directly to the alley behind the club. I don't think Fredo or his men know about it. I got it from a performer who used to work here before Fredo bought the place. I sneaked out many times through it…"
Cole almost reproached her not to having told him about this earlier but in the end, he was grateful she didn't. Otherwise, she would be facing death by then while he was waiting outside for someone who would never come. However, he knew that they weren't out of danger. There was a chance that the panic would provide cover for them, but Fredo might still try to find them. "Let's go then," he urged in turn.
Phoebe didn't argue with him as they headed down the corridor. When they came to the end of it, Cole almost let out a sigh of relief that was stopped when the door to the outside crashed opened and Robbie came in with his gun trained on them and a cruel smirk on his face. Some of the light from the street that ran behind the club provided illumination after Phoebe dropped the candle from the shock. Robbie didn't even seem to notice the crashing sound, as he began sarcastically, "Where the hell do you think you're going? Fredo's gonna want to have words with you. Oh Lara," he added, looking directly at Phoebe, "as if that wasn't enough you tried to steal from him; now you set his pride and joy on fire. I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes, doll."
"Leave her out of this," Cole tried as he came to position himself between Phoebe and Robbie. "I'm the one you want. I forced her to do it," he tried even if he knew there was very little chance Robbie would buy it. On the other hand, this gave him some time that he used to survey the part of the alley he could see behind the thug. No one else seemed to be around and that told Cole that they might still stand a chance.
"Oh isn't that sweet," Robbie mocked cruelly. "The hero to the rescue! She must really be doing it for you. Not to worry though, I'll make sure I get a taste of her before drilling holes in her lovely curves."
Blind rage mixed in with Cole's resolve at those words and he suddenly made a move toward Robbie, startling the gangster. The surprise was enough to prevent him from shooting at Cole, but Robbie quickly regained his balance, swinging the gun toward Cole and hitting his temple hard. Cole felt as if his head would split in two, but with his fear for Phoebe to galvanize him, he managed to remain conscious as he hit Robbie in the stomach and the face repeatedly. Robbie fell back into the alley and he dropped the gun. However, as Cole tried to go for the weapon, Robbie picked it back up and turned it against Cole. The gun shot echoed noisily in the alley. Cole felt as if he'd been hit by a truck. He fell to his knees before even realizing it while he brought his hand toward his chest and an incredulous expression spread over his face.
Phoebe screamed hysterically behind him, and then she went after Robbie herself, filled with all the rage she had lived with throughout her adult life. She didn't know how she found the strength, or if it was because Robbie never expected a woman to come after him, but she managed to throw him back to the ground and to grab the gun from his hand. However, when she tried to shoot at Robbie, the gun didn't go off. Robbie had time to form a mocking grin before Phoebe decided to use the weapon otherwise. Without warning, she hit him across the mouth so hard that blood spurted out. Encouraged by the result and Robbie's scream of pain, she hit him again and again until he stopped moving.
Phoebe's heart pounded in her chest while she stared at the gangster, afraid that he would come at her again. Then she suddenly remembered that Cole might be dying and she forgot all about Robbie, dropping the gun in the process.
Cole was still kneeling and his breathing was shallow. He vacillated as she watched and she ran back to him in a panic. "Cole, get up! We've got to get you to a doctor." In saying so, she encircled his chest with one arm, while taking his hand with the other. Cole looked up with glazed eyes and Phoebe feared that it might already be too late. "Please, Cole. You wanted me to live for you. Now it's your turn and you've better do it. I won't stand here and watch you die."
Cole took a few painful breaths, and then he used Phoebe's support to stand on shaky legs. They managed to walk about fifteen feet before an intense wave of dizziness did Cole in and he fell to the ground before Phoebe could prevent it. She tried to get him back up but by then, Cole was slipping in and out of consciousness and wasn't really helping. After many unsuccessful tries, Phoebe understood that she couldn't get him out of there on her own. Cole's chest was bleeding profusely in spite of the pressure she tried applying to the wound.
When she feared he was already gone, Cole managed to reopen his eyes, but even as she tried to urge him to get back up, he whispered, "no Phoebe, I'm done for…get away while you can…" At great efforts, he stayed conscious this time, but he felt an intense cold spreading inside of him. He knew he was bleeding to death and so did Phoebe from her expression.
Like a torrent, her tears came at last… In her eyes, he could now read all he had wished to see. For the first time in a long, long time, he so wanted to live, but it was much too late. "Go, Phoebe, don't let them kill you too…" Cole tried again, before he was interrupted by a painful cough. A few drops of blood escaped his lips and Phoebe wiped them with trembling fingers.
"No…" Phoebe uttered while her sobbing swelled to the point of shaking her all over. "I won't let you die…"
"It's too late for me, Phoebe. Please…go before they find you…"
Phoebe bent toward him and her soft lips pressed lightly against his. On hers were the salty taste of her tears; those tears she didn't shed until this very moment. He knew they were expressing infinite love and regrets. He knew because he felt the same.
"I can't," Phoebe said then, "I love you…"
Even as Cole took a measure of comfort in those words he had so hoped to hear, a much too familiar voice alerted both of them. "So, Saul was right…" Fredo uttered bitterly. "You did betray me Lara…After all I've done for you! I'm gonna regret you…"
Phoebe didn't even bother to look back in spite of the fright Cole could read in her eyes. "Phoebe!" He desperately made one last attempt at getting up, but to no avail.
When Cole fell back, Phoebe gazed at him with all the love she hadn't been able to express until now and he stopped struggling, as he also saw that she had accepted her fate. It was over for both of them; he understood this painfully as he heard the gun being cocked and knew there was no point in fighting anymore. She smiled sadly through her tears, and Cole whispered, "I love you, Phoebe…"
Then another loud gunshot exploded in the alley behind the Pharaoh Club.