Chapter Five-

Mathilda ran across the lawn towards the fence, beginning to climb the metal loops immidiately, trying not to scream as her skin was gashed by the barbwire at the top of the fence. Mathilda had to beat a car speeding with a foot of lead to a location three blocks away. It wouldn't be easy, but she knew that she had to or else it would mean the end for Hallie and Toad.

Mathilda ran down the hill, her leg singing with pain, and nearly fell to her side. She pulled the coat closer to her body. It was chilly outside. Nearly fifty degrees, in fact. She knew that she had to be chilly if she wanted to save Hallie and Toad, so she threw her coat to the ground and continued to run. Maybe some homeless person would find it. They would be greatful. They would be happy for it. Mathilda didn't care right then. All she cared about was getting to the hotel in time.

The man, Gerald Hoffmayer, waited by the door impatiently for the taxi to appear. "Thank fucking God!" he cried, raising his hands to the air. He needed to go and find that little girl. They said that they had sent someone, but he didn't know who, and whether or not they were reliable and all of that shit. He told the taxi driver to take him to the hotel--"Nearest one near here," he said. That was his best guess, he had no idea where in the hell these kids were staying.

"Where's that?" said the dumbfounded taxi driver.

"Pick one," said Gerald. "I've gots me an appointment to make. And I gots to be there on time."

Hallie lay in bed, flipping from channel to channel. Nothing was on. Maybe it was because it was nearly three in the morning and the fact that Mathilda had been gone for three hours almost made her very antsy. Hallie couldn't tell. Toad lay beside her on the bed, snoring loudly. He certainly had no problem sleeping...

Johnson and Hike ran up the stairs. They had gotten the room number from the hotel clerk. Said that they were their parents. Parents of the people staying in the room. Of the little girl Mathilda. No, they were NOT gay, they had to tell her several times. When O'Hara gave them the assignment, they never imagined that it would be this hard. Johnson especially. He wasn't used to this shit. Questions. Running up lots of stairs. He was used to just getting the gun and shooting them. It wouldn't be a problem. It really wouldn't. They were just kids, with every mob in New York looking for them, wanting to know where the hell Craig and all that fucking money went.

Johnson finally breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the second floor. "Damn that was a lot of work."

"Whatever, pussy."

"I am not a pussy."

"'Kay, whatever's you say."

"Shut-up, Hike."

"You shut-up, mother---"

"Do you need help?" came a voice from behind the two. They slowly turned around.

Mathilda ran across the grass towards the hotel. She was breathing heavily. She reached the sidewalk and began to run towards the staircase that led up to the entrance. "Hallie! Toad!" she cried as she ran exhausted up the steps. She nearly passed out in the rotating doors. She fell to the floor before the elevators. She knew that there wasn't enough time to make it up the elevators, but she had to. She simply didn't have enough energy to make it up the stairs. So she quickly pressed the up button.

Gerald Hoffmayer turned from the front desk. "Second floor," he said to himself. He turned and began to run up the stairs.

"Did I ask for your help?" cried Hike, pulling out his gun and aiming it at the elderly woman on the staircase.

"N-n-no," stuttered the old woman. "P-p-please don't hurt me, sir. I'm sorry."

"Sorry ain't good enough you old bitch." He shot her square in the forehead and watched her tumble down the staircase.

"Did you have to do that you stupid mother fucker?" cried Johnson. He slapped his partner upside the head. "Stupid ass."

Mathilda watched as the doors to the elevator opened. No one was on. Good. She quickly climbed in, breathless, and pressed SECOND FLOOR. She was losing a lot of blood, and fast. The barb wire had cut her badly. Mathilda pulled several guns out of her coat and began to load them. Hallie still had her dagger, right? Oh God, she hoped so.

Gerald screamed like a girl as the old woman's bloody body slammed against him. He nearly fell himself as he tried to shove the body to the side. What the hell was this? Someone fucking holding up the fucking hotel or fucking something? Damn if this town wasn't screwed up.

Hallie ran her hand through Toad's hair. He looked so sweet, asleep as he was. She smiled and kissed his forehead, just as the door burst open and Johnson and Hike leapt into the room. "There you are, you little mother fuckers. D'you know what the fuck we've had to put up with tryin' to get the fuck up here? Huh? Well, y'ur 'bout to find out, you stupid bitches." Johnson raised his gun into the air and aimed it at Hallie and Toad.

Two gunshots.

BAM. BAM.

And Johnson and Hike fell to the ground, dead.

Mathilda stood over their dead bodies, looking down at them. "Tsk, tsk. You boys need to learn." She ran over to Hallie and Toad. "C'mon, guys." She grabbed their arms and ran from the room, Toad to her left, Hallie to her right.

Gerald reached the top of the stairs, breathless. "Damn, this has been a hard, long night."

That was when he saw the three children running from the hotel room. He gasped. "What the fuck?" He began to run after them. "Hey! You kids! Stop!" But they didn't. Gerald ran after them, raising his gun into the air, and began to fire. "Die you mother fuckers!" He screamed as he fired several times.

Mathilda turned, the other two children still running, and raised her own gun into the air. "You don't mess with me, bitch!" she cried as she fired, shooting him in the chest, then in the head, then chest again. She turned and continued to run with Hallie and Toad. Hopefully, this was it. Hopefully, it was all over.

Hike and Johnson's dead bodies lay in the hotel room, in a large pool of blood. At his side, Hike's phone rang. BRIIIINNNGGG! BRRRIIIINNNNG! Of course, Hike didn't answer.

VOICE MAILBOX: "This is Hike Hennetarie's voice mailbox. Please leave a message after the beep. BEEEEPP!"

There came a woman's voice. "Hi, Hike. This is the Boss. Callin' to see if you got it done. If you didn't, it'll be your balls."

Beep.