Here it is. Thank you so much to all of you who have left me feedback. I'm so thankful for your kind words and it truly makes my day. You are wonderful! There are two more chapters for sure, maybe three or four. It's going fast, but I'm loving every minute. Enjoy!
OA's POV~
She's there, in front of me. She's smiling, beautiful, not a scratch on her. She reaches for me, and finally, finally, her hand reaches mine. At first I think maybe this is heaven, that we are both dead. But her hand isn't warm. It's cold and clammy. Her appearance starts to change as a slash appears across her forehead, dripping blood. The next gash appears across her neck. Now she's gasping, hands around her throat to stop the bleeding, unable to breathe. Her eyes are full of raw panic. She's dying right in front of me, but I'm frozen unable to do anything. Suddenly, her hand shoots out pointing at me and she's mouthing something, but I can't make it out. It hits me. She's saying, "It's your fault. You killed me." She says it over and over until she stops fighting for breath and the light leaves her eyes. Her body falls to the floor and I'm screaming, screaming, screaming. She can't be dead, she can't be...
Rain hits my cheek, cold drops. My clothes are soaking and I'm shivering. It takes me a moment to realize why I'm on the ground when my pounding head becomes focus. Im fighting to breathe, the nightmare so real, and my heart is nearly jumping from my chest. I sit up slowly, hand on the back of my head where I must have been struck with his gun when I hear a very faint voice calling my name. I look down to the ground when I see my ear piece which had fallen out of my ear. I pick it up and place it back in my ear.
"OA! Answer me!" Jubal is still screaming and I realize the rain must have damages the camera.
"Jubal, I'm fine, I'm okay," I sigh. Suddenly my thoughts return to why I'm here in the first place and my mind clears, forgetting my injury completely.
"Maggie." I say to him. "What about Maggie?"
"You were down about 10 minutes. We are on our way to you. We thought you were..." his voice drifts off to nothing and I realize I easily could be dead. My thoughts return Maggie. Will she be released? How will I know? Will he call?
I realize I've been crying this whole time, since before I woke up. My tears are mixed with the rain.
I hear sirens and realize the fire consuming the warehouse is still burning, the rain not enough to put out the flames. I can't be here when they arrive. There are too many questions, too much on the line. I have to get out of here.
I get to my feet too quickly, my vision becoming blurry as my head continues to ache. I begin to run, run in the direction of the entrance to take cover in the old, rundown guard station. I barely make it as the fire trucks pull in, followed closely by the police department and an ambulance. I sink down to the ground thankful for a shield from the rain, though it's still cold and the room is tiny. Jubal and Kristen will be here in about 15 minutes if they are driving as fast as I think they might. So, I sit. Again I'm just waiting. Waiting to hear something, waiting for help. Waiting to hear what will come next.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
We are driving in silence. There's nothing to say. Kristen is tracking the truck carrying the Javelins in hopes it will lead us to Maggie. We head toward the area where Kristen traces the call, about a 25 block radius. It's big, too big and we don't see anything that gives us firther clues.
The semi seems to be going back and forth in many different directions, taking many different routes. It's probably a diversion to make sure it's not being followed, but I grow more and more restless thinking about Maggie.
Dana has contacted some friends she has at a satellite FBI office outside the Zeta territory that she feels can help us when we go to get Maggie. While I wish we could prevent outsiders from being a part of this, I know we need the help and we can't trust anyone from our office. They should be here within the hour ready to go so we have some time, too much time.
BREAK~
It feels so good to get what I want. When Gorge gets back, I'll take the Javelins to the Zetas directly. The three of us, Gorge, Andy and I will be welcomed into the family with open arms, no longer wondering if we are safe, if they are really there for us. Rival gangs will back off with our Javelins to protect us. Our neighborhood will be safe again and our families will be protected. No more children getting shot through the walls of their houses or drive by shootings. We will be able to live again. The thought is incredible. I feel powerful, invincible. I want to celebrate.
I head toward the basement with an extra pep in my step. As I reach the bottom of the stairs I pause to dim the lights and pause the loud music. It's been annoying to listen to, almost uncomfortable to me upstairs, but it's all part of the plan.
I enter the room and the sight I see before me is thrilling. Blood has pooled on the floor and my captive hangs limp on the chains. She hardly moves when I enter, and, for a brief moment, I wonder if she's dead. That would have been a bummer. But I see her twitch where she hangs, like she's trying, but unable, to raise her head to see me.
I walk forward and grab her chin carefully in my hand. I tilt it up so she is looking at me. Suddenly the desire is too much, overwhelming every part of me. I cradle her cheek with my hand and the other snakes behind her to grab the back of her head. I kiss her cheek, lightly, just once. Then I do it again and again. It feels so good, her against me like that, unable to move away, no strength left to fight. She's mine now. There is nothing that can take her from me. I pull her closer and turn her face slightly to give me better access. Then I kiss her fully on her mouth. For a moment she is still, but then she starts to fight. She is doing everything she can to push me away and clips my cheek with her forehead.
Anger boils inside me; I'm overcome with fury. I stand and grab the knife off the table near the door. I take the knife and stab her in the stomach. I don't really mean to, and I'm a bit surprised, but that feels better than anything else I've done so far. I stare at the knife still buried in her flesh and at my hand still holding the handle. I pull my hand away and watch her struggle for breath and the knife moves with her body.
I love this, the way it makes me feel. It's almost more than I can take and a glee-filled sob comes from my mouth. My finger slides through the trail of blood the would has created. I draw it slowly to my lips. I hear the labored breathing, her cries and sobs. This moment is perfect. With glazed eyes and a full heart, I stand, turn and exit the room.
I'm almost to the top of the stairs when I hear a loud bang come from outside. It's shooting. Someone is firing a gun. I'm momentarily stunned, not sure what to do, but then my instincts kick in and I'm moving. I call for Andy and a few other guys who are hear helping with the guns. Gorge is one of them. I'm not sure when he got back, but I'm glad he's here. They come running, already armed. I grab a rifle off the table and look out the window. There's cop cars around everywhere, large black SUVs. There are maybe 20 cops and agents outside. It looks like they were trying to get closer but my men must have seen them coming and prevented it. Then, what makes me most angry of all is the man I see standing in the middle. It's her partner, Omar. I could spit fire and immediately break the glass and stick the end of my rifle out the window.
"Come any closer and you will regret it." I shout. "Maggie can't take much more. I'd hate for her to die."
He turns to look at a woman next to him, but then turns back to me. He uses a loudspeaker to project his voice as he speaks to me.
"Jose Guerra, all of you need to immediately come out of the house, hands up, without weapons. Do this now and no one will get hurt."
He must think I'm stupid, and I let him know.
"I have a bio weapon in here that I'm not afraid to use. Maggie will be the first to die and you will all die, too."
"What happens to you in that situation?" he calls sounding sure and unwavering.
"I'll die if it means you don't get her back. I'd rather die than go to prison," I'm starting to panic a little, but don't let it show.
"Guerra, we know about the anthrax. We're all vaccinated. Nothing will happen to any of us, only you. You will die a horrible death. Is that what you want?" He's calling out to my men now. One looks to me briefly before his eyes narrow again in focus.
"Not Maggie!" I have to call his bluff. He's lying, he has to be. "FIRE!" I yell and my men begin to fire. I grab a canister off the table in the back room and momentarily look to the monitor showing her broken body in the basement. As I return to the front I see one of my men, Johnny, on the floor shot in the shoulder.
"Put on your masks," I yell. One thing they didn't consider: we have gas masks to protect us. There is still risk, and we will still carry it on our skin, but it won't kill us if we decontaminate soon. I set the canister to detonate. It begins to release its toxins as I grab Andy and two others who are close. We head out the back. There are officers, but only a handful and we are able to take them out or push them back into cover.
We get into a car parked in the back and take off, tires squealing. I don't dare look behind me, but know we are being followed. This may be the end after all, but we still have one trick up our sleeves. One trick that may be our Hail Mary, our saving grace.