"I don't like this." Mary sat on her bed and watched as Sara got ready. "I don't like this at all."
"I don't have a choice."
"Yes you do."
"He's going to go with or without me. At least this way his chances of coming back alive are greater."
"And your chances of getting killed are higher."
Sara sat on the floor and pulled on a pair of black boots. They were one of a few last minuet purchases that she had gone out and bought after Connor had left. The rest had included gloves, a scarf and a turtle neck, all in black. When Mary had seen the new purchases she had shook her head and said, "Well at least the shirt isn't white."
"Besides, you don't even like him right now."
"No, I don't like what he did."
"So you do like him."
"I didn't say that either."
Mary rolled her eyes and fell back on the bed, her red hair forming a halo around her face. "You are confusing." She yawned.
Sara stood back up. "My life is confusing and gets more so everyday." She pulled on her pea coat and gloves and wrapped the scarf around her neck, stuffing the ends inside the collar of her coat. She pulled her hair up and made another messy bun. She really needed to get it cut.
The clock on the wall read nine forty-five. Sara sighed and cracked her knuckles as the minuets seemed to crawl by. Mary had fallen asleep, her breathing steady. Sara made her way into the front room in order not to wake her when Connor arrived. She began to pace nervously.
A quick succession of raps against the door caught her attention. She opened to door. Connor stood there dressed as she was; only he carried a large black duffel bag as well.
"Come on," was all he said before turning to go back down the stairs. Sara followed close behind.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Connor knelt behind the stack of crates and unzipped the bag. He wordless loaded two guns and handed them to Sara who placed them inside her shoulder holster. The air smelled of garbage and fish. It was eleven thirty and pier 6 was just around the corner.
"Nervous?"
"Should I be?" Sara gave him a cool stare. "I have killed before."
"Aye, but this time they'll be able to shoot back."
"Perhaps, but I'm not the one who needs the backup."
Connor gave her a stern look. "We are each others backup, and don't ya forget that."
The sound of cars stopped their exchange of words. Connor held out his hand telling Sara to stay back and quiet. She crouched down; if Connor had taken the time to look he was would have seen that her eyes had a hungry glint in them. He pressed his back up against the crates and carefully peered around the corner.
There were two cars parked on the dock. One was a beat up blue Toyota Corolla, the other a black Mercedes. From the Corolla three men emerged, one from the driver's seat, two from the back; the driver drew a gun and grabbed the shorter of the two men from the back and shoved him in the direction of the Mercedes. The third man also drew a gun.
Both front doors on the Mercedes opened, Dante emerging from the passengers seat. Dante stood in front of the middle guy from the first car and struck him across the face knocking him to the ground.
Connor turned back to Sara. He leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear. "There are five of them," he whispered. "I'm going to go around to the other side and go after them from there. Ya don't come out till their attention is focused on me, alright. That way ya can surprise them from behind."
Sara nodded and pulled her guns back out. As Connor went to move behind her and out of her sight she found her hand reaching out on its own accord and grabbing his sleeve. "Be careful."
"Saints and angels," he replied, causing her to smirk. And then he was gone.
Sara took a deep breath and positioned herself down on one knee. She also peered around the corner. Dante, or at least the man she assumed to be Dante was beating the shit out of some guy while the other three looked on with guns drawn. They weren't paying any attention to their surroundings. "Morons," she thought.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Connor counted to five in his head and then came charging from around the corner. He quickly put a bullet in two of the men and then dove behind a couple of metal barrels. From the number of shots he heard being fired at him he guessed that he had hit both his targets but not caused any permanent damage. "Fuck!" He flinched as a bullet hit the barrel just behind him. He quickly got up and fired a couple more shots. This time he hit one in the shoulder, throwing him off balance and off the dock into the icy water of Boston Harbor, with a satisfying splash. He ducked back down. "Any time Sara…"
Shouts of surprise came from behind him, and the direction of the shots changed direction. Sara had finally decided to get involved. Connor took the opportunity to get back to his feet and start firing at their backs.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sara ran sideways firing, forcing the Dante and the last two men to follow her direction and taking their attention away from Connor. She emptied both clips. Now only Dante was left, crouched down behind the car. She let her guns fall down to her sides and took a step forward.
Connor came out from behind the barrels and ran up behind Dante, pressing his gun against the back of his head. "Down on yer knees ya fuck." Dante obeyed spewing out a combination of curses and begs for mercy in Italian. Connor held out the gun in his right hand to Sara who took it pressing it against Dante's head in a similar fashion. It all had to be the same.
Connor said a prayer and then they both plugged Dante in the back of the head. He fell forward; face down onto the ground. Connor rolled him over onto his back with his foot and bending over crossed his arms over his chest. While he did this Sara walked over to the remaining bodies.
"Connor, there are only four bodies all together. What happened to the fifth?"
"Don't worry, he's dead. Fell into the harbor."
Sara walked over to the edge of the dock. She scanned the surface for a floating body but saw nothing. Perhaps it had sunk already. Just to her left was a ladder that led down to the water. She turned back toward Connor and the bodies, not noticing the head that appeared over the ladder. A hand appeared and moved toward her foot.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
A chill settled over Connor and he looked at Sara just in time to see a pair of hands grabbed her ankles.
"Sara, look out!"
She gave a yell as her feet were yanked out from under her and she landed on her back on the edge of the dock and fell off into the water. There was a loud splash as the man Connor had shot into the water pulled himself back onto the dock, wet and bloody. Connor didn't even stop to think; he quickly emptied the last of his bullets into the man's chest and ran to the edge of the dock. "Sara?" He saw her floating face down. He quickly removed his coat and guns, dropping them to the ground and dove in after her.
The water was freezing but he didn't have time to think about that. In a few short strokes he was next to her and turning her face up. He wrapped one arm across her breast and under her shoulders and with his free arm swam back to the dock. In a surge of adrenaline he was able to get her up the ladder and onto the dock.
He gently lay her on the ground and unbuttoned her coat. He pressed his ear to her chest, she wasn't breathing. "Fuck." He put his fist on her chest and gave two quick pushes. He then leaned down and gave her mouth to mouth. Pulling away he pressed on her chest again. "Come on Sara, yer to stubborn to die like this." He went to give her more mouth to mouth but she coughed spitting up water. Connor gently rolled her onto her side. "Yer alright now." He rubbed her back.
Sara rolled back over and gave him a rather weak glare. "You call that dead?"
Connor slid and arm under her shoulder and the other under her knees. "We need to get ya out of these clothes."
"You'd like that wouldn't you." Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, to cold to protest much more. Because despite the fact that they were both soaked, he was still radiating heat.