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Chapter 18

John and Bruce arrived at the address. At 756A Tuner Street. John didn't even wait for the car to stop before jumping out. He ran to the front door of the building and heard a banging noise. Someone was pounding on it. He heard their voices and for a split second he thought it was a dream.

"Natalie… Natalie... Connor!" he shouted thru the door to them.

"Mommy… I think I hear... D--" Connor went to say but Natalie had already heard him.

"JOHN!' Natalie screamed relief flooding her body. That feeling was short lived however when she heard another voice coming from behind her.

"Sheryl! Why did you do that!" Travis yelled as he came to them where they stood by the door.

Connor and Natalie both stopped screaming. Connor looked at Travis becoming more and more with each moment that passed. Travis grabbed Natalie's hair and yanked her head back pulling a pained cry from her. Even with his brutal grip on her hair she continued to try to talk him down as she had before.

"Travis... You were... you were..." Natalie was stuttering. She hadn't a clue what to say to him at this moment to bring him back into a pleasant mood. How did she explain that she hit him over the head with a vase? He asked herself. She knew she needed to stall till John could get in this fortress of a print shop.

John heard her scream his name and relief passed thru his body only to be replaced by even more fear as he heard another loud voice. A man's voice harsh and hostile and John started to panic. He wasn't sure what to do. Bruce ran up and John motioned for him to not say a word as John tried to hear what was going on.

John listened as she tried to talk to Travis and explain something. He looked at the lock on the door. He knew he could shoot it off but... but he couldn't take the chance of doing so it he knew his family was away from the door. He couldn't chance one of them getting hit with the bullet.

John motioned for Bruce to go around to the back of the building to see if there was another way in. John continued to stand close to the door listening, praying that they would be fine.

"Sheryl… You Bitch!" He said and Natalie couldn't give him an explanation for her actions. He tightened his grip on her hair and started pulling her back towards the apartment that he held her in.

Connor was holding on to his Mom as the mad man pulled her and was hurting her. He started to yell at him and kick him as he saw what he was doing to her.

"No Connor… No" She told him hoping. Praying Travis didn't get mad at Connor for trying to defend her.

John heard them go away from the door, heard what Travis had said to Natalie and that was enough for him. He knew they weren't near the door anymore and he shot the lock three times. It fell off and onto the floor. He entered the building with out hesitation, not waiting for Bruce.

John followed the sounds of their voices and knew he was close behind them. He heard them stop and Travis started talking nasty again. Talking like a crazy person. John stood a few feet away behind a few boxes that were stacked up and he watched as Travis took out a key and started to open a door to something. Probably the place he had her stashed this whole week. He saw Travis still had his hands on her and that his son was clinging on to Natalie sides. JOhn knew he couldn't take a shot. It was to close for him. He could miss and hit one of them so he waited and he watched.

"Travis... Travis… I'm sorry... I'm sorry… You're boy Travis… You're boy… Look at him... He's scared... You're scaring him! You're scaring him like your father scared you!" She screamed and suddenly Travis let go of the hold he had on her. Travis looked into her eyes as he saw she and the boy try to move away from him.

"I don't want him to be scared of me… Not like I was scared of my father," he said, still was too close to Natalie and Connor for John to get a good shot off.

"I know you don't but you have to stop scaring him. Please?" She asked and he smiled weakly at her. Travis nodded yes, " Good… Now open the door and we can all go inside for some ice cream," She said trying, if only for a few minutes, to regain his trust.

"Strawberry?" he asked and she gave him a knowing nod. Natalie saw him turn his back to her for a second took Connor by the arm and started to pull him with her and they started to walk away from Travis.

As soon as John saw Natalie and Connor move away from Travis he came out from behind the boxes his gun aimed at Travis's back. He looked over at Natalie who didn't seem to be surprised to see him.

The fact was Natalie knew he was right there. She heard gunshots and she felt his presence and knew he was close. Natalie locked eyes with her John briefly still holding a shaken up Connor to her side. John's eyes had so much to say. He had so much he wanted to tell her but now wasn't the time. Especially since Travis Johnson just turned around and saw John with a gun. Travis also noticed Natalie, whom he still thought was Sheryl, had moved away from him.

"Put your hands up Johnson" John told him and Travis whipped around to look in Johns direction.

"Sheryl you bitch. Bringing your lover here, to our home!" Travis screamed at Natalie and before anyone could move he pulled out his own gun and aimed it in Connor's direction.

Natalie lurched forward a step then froze, freaking out at the sight of this mad man aiming a gun at her little boy.

"I'm not Sheryl... My Name is Natalie Mcbain and that's my son you're scaring with that gun." Natalie told him calmly in a level tone. Never rising in intensity although she fought the panic inside. " Now please... put the gun down before you hurt him... he's just a child" Natalie again said calm and gently as her eye's filled with more fear than she ever thought possible

John swore as Natalie stepped into his line of fire. He glanced at Connor who was now frozen in fear. The boy was a good distance away and there was the possibility that Johnson might miss if he were to fire but the odds weren't in that favor. He willed Natalie to move for one tense moment and then he saw Travis tighten his finger on the trigger. With out thinking he leapt forward just as the sharp report of the gun was heard.

Natalie also saw that Travis was going to shoot and, thinking only of protecting her son, ran at Travis putting her body between Travis and Connor. She heard the gun go off, saw the flash from the muzzle of the gun, and felt something wiz past her shoulder and screamed, thinking Connor would be hit.

The next moments were utter chaos as Natalie hit the ground and rolled. Connor was screaming in fear and Travis crumpled to the ground, at neat little hole in his forehead right between his eyes. Natalie got up and looked around, numb almost. Hearing Connors screams she, took one look at Travis, seeing that he wasn't a threat any longer, then whirled around and ran for Connor.

John groaned and sat up. His shoulder burned and he realized he had been shot. Before he could do anything else he heard "Daddy!" and suddenly Connors arms were around him hugging him tightly. A second later Natalie also joined them on the floor, hugging both John and Connor.

Bruce stepped out of the doorway from where he had been standing. He saw the McBain's clinging to each other and felt relief. When he had taken the shot that killed Travis Johnson he had been afraid that the little boy would be injured. He holstered his gun and called for an ambulance then strode over to the hugging family.