Sam thought about what people said about your entire life flashing before your eyes before you die. It sure wasn't true, all Sam could see was the past 6 months. Working here at the Montecito making friends with Nessa, Mary and even Delinda. Yet the most she thought about was Danny, the past when she pushed him away and a future that might never be. Right then and there Sam decided that her future was going to happen she would make it so, come hell or high water she was making it out of this day alive.
Danny was thinking of different ways of which he could reach Sam, but kept coming up short. Right now there wasn't a way he could see to get a few seconds he needed to cross the gap safely and disarm the guy. He just kept the guy's attention on him and off of Sam. When he looked back at Sam the terror he had seen before was gone. It was now replaced with the steely grit determination, she looked squarely at him and then glanced down at her belt. Danny followed her gaze and realized what she wanted him to do.
As he continued to talk with the perp he slowly reached one hand around to his cell phone attached to the side of his belt. He then typed in the digit code to speed dial Sam's cell and pressed send.
What happen next all seemed to take place in a time warp. Time moved at a slow pace as soon as Sam's cell went off. The guy looked down for a split second to see where the sound was coming from when he did both Danny and Sam moved in unison. Sam push herself back away from the knife and shoved her body against her attacker. As she did that Danny lunged out and grabbed the guy's hand with the knife in it and twisted it back wards out away from Sam's body. The force of Sam's body knocking into him the attacker tried to step back and catch himself but with Danny holding onto his hand his body just twisted in place and he found himself falling on his side.
As her attacker twisted and fell Sam continued to fall straight back finally hitting the carpeted floor of the pit with a thud. Getting the wind knocked out of her for the second time this day. Danny followed the guy down and was on top of him with the knife secured above his head. Plain clothed security was there a split second later and as quickly as it went down the perp was secured and cuffed.
The blackness of night was slowly giving way to the dawn sky as Luis and Jillian made their way across the land. It was slow going being that they were bare footed and the sharp pebbles and rocks pierced their feet as they walked. Luis looked back once again to see if anybody was following them, and building from which they escaped was just a dot in the distance.
"Luis, my feet are killing me." Jillian said. Luis looked at her with concern. "Why don't we just climb this last hill in front of us. That way if they do look for us we'll be out of eyesight at the very least. Then we'll rest." Luis replied back to her. Jillian gave him a half-hearted smile in return and continued onward up the hill.
Just when they were about to reach the top they heard a sound of a car rushing by. Luis jumped up his speed to double time and found that they had reached a highway. He turned back around to help Jillian up and they stood at the side of the rode. "Well this is good luck. Now if we can get somebody to stop we'll be all set." Luis spoke excitedly. Jillian smile a real smile at him this time and said "Just leave it to me." As she struck a sultry pose as a VW van came around the far bend.
The van slowed down and stopped next to them and a college kid stuck his head out the window. "Hello there sexy, need a lift?" he leered. Luis rolled his eyes as Jillian took it all in stride. "Why yes actually we do." She replied sweetly to the kid. "We're heading to Vegas. If you don't mind riding with 4 other frat boys we'll be happy to give you a lift." The driver replied.
As the they got in the van they heard an explosion in the distance. "You hear that?" one of the frat boys said aloud. Jillian and Luis just looked at each other and Luis whispered "Well I think they know we're gone." Jillian nodded her head and then spoke to one of the guys sitting in the back seat "Do you have something I could put on?"
Immediately the guys scampered around and found a huge college football jersey for Jillian to wear and gave Luis a white t-shirt to put on. As the van started on down the road Jillian asked "Have you ever stayed at the Montecito?"
Ed and Nessa managed their way down and got close to the building with a guard walking his rounds out in front. Ed slipped back behind a storage unit and waiting for Nessa to follow, once she got next to him he told her "Stay here I'm going around and see if I can't get a closer look and see how many people we're dealing with." Nessa nodded in agreement and Ed crouched down and made his move.
Ed slipped around the backside of the building and noticed another small outcropping of a tin shed. He was about to make his move towards it when the guard spoke into his walkie-talkie and made his way towards the tin shed. Ed was exposed and could only press himself up against the side of the building and pray the guard didn't look over at him.
When the guard opened the door to the shed and blinding explosion rocked Ed in place debris fall all around him as the tin shack had just evaporated into nothingness. His ears were still ringing when he heard movement in the building and shouts coming from the front. Ed moved quickly tot eh corner and surprised the person who went to check out the shed. With a quick jab to the gut the guy doubled over as he did Ed grabbed him in a headlock and rammed his head against the side of the building. Letting the guy drop to the ground unconscious.
He pulled the guy around the side of the building and out of sight from the front of the building. He then moved along the side of the building keeping his back against the side. He peered out from around the corner and came face to face with a gun barrel.
Without thinking Ed grabbed the barrel gave a twist sideways and pulled it out of the grasp of the attackers hand. As the gun skidded away from them out of reach the guy punched Ed in his side with his free hand. Ed took the hit and twisted inside the man's reach so his back was against the man's chest. Quickly he heaved him over his shoulder and landed the attacker directly in front of him face up on the ground.
Ed dropped to his knees and gave the guy a solid punch to the face. Making sure to hit him just hard enough so that he could question him. "How many are there?" Was Ed's only words to the guy. The guy looked back up at Ed but then his eyes darted somewhere else for just a moment. Then all Ed heard was a THWACK! As another attacker fell face down in the dirt beside him. Ed looked up and saw Nessa holding a shovel "I told you those blokes were going to pay." Nessa said with a smile.
Ed smiled slightly and returned his focus to his captured man. "Well I guess that answers my first question. Now, I'm only going to ask you this once and you better give me the answer I'm looking for or you won't like the out come." Ed gritted through clenched teeth. "Where's my wife?" the man's complexion went pale. "You're not going to like that answer, but it's the truth." The man started to speak. Ed slapped in the face "No jabbering just the answer." Ed told him. "The lady and guy we were watching were in the shed when it blew. I swear!" the man stammered.
It was Ed's turn to go pale. He loosen his grip on the man as a tear slowly caressed his cheek. "Are you crying?" the man said surprised. Ed replied with a lightening fast chop to the side of the head rendering the guy unconscious.
Nessa just stood frozen in place when she heard the news. Then when Ed knocked the guy out she spoke "Ed, don't kill him. It won't bring Jillian back." Ed looked up at her and slowly stood. He looked back down at the unconscious man and said "You're lucky. The only reason you are going to live through this day is because Jillian wouldn't have approved of revenge."
As Ed slowly walked towards the remains of the shed he asked Nessa "Would you mind going and getting the bag and cuffing these morons up?" Nessa looked sadly back at Ed "Sure, no problem. Then let's head back you need to be around your friends at a time like this."
Nessa moved away to tie up the loose ends and cuff the guys to bring back to the cops. Ed dropped to his knees and began to weep whispering "Sweetie, what I'm I going to do with out you?"