I felt so bad leaving the last chapter with that bombshell. So, I decided to get this next one out to make up for it!
Fair warning, the last half of this chapter was rather difficult for me to write, and I omitted several topics and lines that I felt took it too far. If you've done any kind of full play of the game, there is several conversations between Packie and Niko when drunk that allude to some traumatic events in the McReary past. You can search on youtube and find many videos of their hangouts with every single conversation they have. Drug addiction, alcoholism, and abuse are serious issues and I tried to not go too far off the deep end.
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"Boss?! Rosen?!" Ron covered his mouth with his hands and darted his eyes to Niko who was sporting a shocked expression.
"Ron- don't-" Niko saw the color drain from the detective's face and knew he was seconds away from running out of the hospital and finding a way to get to City Hall.
"I have to go…" Ron headed toward the ICU door before Niko grabbed his upper arm, "You did the same for Kate and Roman!"
"They will kill you if you go out there. Stop!" Niko tried to get him to see reason. Francis had just been shot at by a sniper and he wasn't sure if that was the entirety of the situation or if more people were being gunned down. The news station resumed broadcasting from the station and the news anchor began his report on the events.
"Let me go Niko." Ron grabbed Niko's wrist and tried to remove himself from his iron grip.
"All of you out in the hall. Now! I am needing to change her into a gown and get her started on medication." Doctor Ashley raised her voice and pointed to the closed, metal door.
"Boss, Ron, come on. We can discuss this outside the room. Kate needs tending to." Georgi gently pressed on their backs and encouraged them to leave the room. He could feel his phone vibrating like crazy in his pocket and he needed to figure out what was happening. The last time they had this much communication, Lenny had been shot.
"Boss?" Ron's eyebrows drew down not understanding why this man was calling Niko boss. He took the hint and started to walk to the door.
"Ron, I think we need to explain some things to you." Niko sighed heavily and looked over his shoulder toward Kate as he moved out into the bustling hallway. She was panting and whimpering, and he felt his heart twist painfully. Out in the hall, nurses ran to load up on equipment and prepare for an influx of new patients.
"Like why someone tried to kill the Deputy Commissioner on live tv!" Ron shook off the hands on him and scrubbed over his face. He kept replaying the blood he had seen flying off of his partner. He wanted to throw up, scream, punch something. He should have been there doing his job!
Georgi moved to the side of the hallway and sank down into an empty chair, eyes glued to his phone. The SOS messages, alerts, warnings… Text after text lowered his shoulders. It was a full on attack.
"This kill squad is going to start taking shots at everyone close to me. The man that injured you and your men? He was sent here to gain information about me and give it to these assassins. I should have seen the signs better. But he saw how we worked together and tried to kill us. He scouted out Kate to figure out who she was dating or close to. Bernie was with her when he found her. He knew all of her brothers and what to use against them. When he cornered Kate in her bedroom, he got to see just how protective I am of her, and Gordon came to my defense. That is too many coincidences to not be all connected. Packie went off on him and probably sealed our fates." Niko paced back and forth as everything became clear to him. People had to swerve to avoid running into him.
"Luis and Bernie subdued him at the club… Brought him to me. He must have told the hitmen everything before he was captured. He had most of the day to hide and get plans into action. Kenny somehow knew he was a spy, but not exactly what his motives were. Georgi, we need to-" Niko turned to find where Georgi had disappeared to and get him working on securing everyone close to him.
The ghastly sight of him made Niko pause.
"Pakhan…" Georgi trailed his fingers over the edges of his phone trying to gain strength to tell him the news.
"No. No. Don't you tell me we failed." Niko moved closer to him in order to not have his voice carry down the hall. Ron joined him at his side hoping he wasn't about to hear bad news. Worse than what they had seen on the tv.
"Avia is being transported to City Hall Hospital. She has sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Anton is missing. His men said he went after the sniper. There was an entire team there at the announcement to take out Francis. The home of the McReary's was shot up and Aleksei said they blew up the vans. Gerry is being rushed to Schottler Trauma Center. He was hit by a shotgun; it does not look good. The doc was killed as he was next to Gerry when he was shot. Packie has given the title to Gordon…" Georgi took a deep breath not daring to look up from the tiled floor of the hallway.
"Kenny?" Niko felt his legs shake with how his world was crashing down around him.
"Being moved to the compound by Aleksei's crew." Georgi flinched when Niko's hand landed on his shoulder, "Boss. I am so sorry-"
"Bernie? Where is Bernie?" Niko lowered down to see his expression. He needed the truth. If his friend had been killed, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with himself.
"Vanya found him on the pier where you suggested he might be. He was stabbed in the back, bullet wound in his collarbone, shoulder area, and was soaking wet. We are not sure why he was wet, but they are bringing him here to be taken care of. They said it looked like someone had rendered aid but fled when the team got close." Georgi shifted his eyes to Niko waiting for the reprimand for their failures. Kenny would be rolling heads if this had been under his orders. Niko had told them what to do and they were late, disorganized, and taken by complete surprise.
"I need to get Roman and Mallorie into Kate's room. They are the only ones left on the list." Niko stood quickly and meet Ron's eyes, "Can I trust you to stay here and guard Kate?" He wasn't sure if once he rushed down to the ER that Ron wouldn't take off to the hospital where Avia and Francis were.
Ron untucked his service pistol from the waistband of his hospital sweats and pulled back on the slide to ensure a round was seated, "Go. I will watch over her."
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"We checked your blood work and noticed some of your numbers were elevated. The doctor wants to get you started on IV fluids and rerun the tests in an hour to make sure everything is okay with mother and the baby." A nurse stood at Mallorie's bedside and smiled between her patient and who she assumed was the husband and father of the baby.
"Okay, will they be moving me into a room?" Mallorie adjusted on the bed and took Roman's hand when he rubbed her arm soothingly.
"I will go check to see if we have a room open. I know it's super loud and a rather anxiety driven atmosphere here in the triage space. Give me a couple of minutes to order the IV fluids and look for a quieter place. If you start to feel panic, stress, or anything that might elevate your heartrate, press the call button. Okay?" The nurse glanced at the vitals monitor and wrote down the numbers on her small pad of paper.
"If she won't, I will." Roman linked their fingers together and squeezed her hand. Niko and the police officer had scared her and got her worked up once more. He had still not heard back from his cousin on why they were running around the hospital armed. But he knew if it had anything to do with Kate, Niko was going to tear apart the building to find her.
"I'll be back shortly." The nurse smiled at the level of care the man was giving her patient. It was always uplifting to see love on display while working in the emergency wing. With one more glance at the vitals she backed away and pulled the curtain closed to give them some privacy. She passed by a couple of other sick patients, making sure to check in to see if they needed anything, before reaching the nurses station.
"Nurse! Nurse! Come quickly! There is blood everywhere!" A frantic woman with a foreign accent ran up to her and grabbed her arm, tugging on it to get her moving.
"What's going on?" The nurse turned and let the woman start to guide her to where the blood was.
"They just fell! And blood is coming out of their mouth and ears!" She kept urgently pulling on the nurses arm and leading her to the hall with the private ER rooms.
"Okay! Okay, calm down. Show me." The nurse hurried her pace and briskly joined the woman's side. She was pulled into one of the rooms where the privacy curtain was drawn back, blocking the bed and equipment.
"He's right over there. Hurry!" The woman let go of her arm and pushed her in front of her, forcing her behind the curtain. As soon as they were out of view, she grabbed the nurses neck and head and snapped it to the side. The sickening crack echoed in the room. The nurse went limp in her hold, and she dragged the body over to the bed, hauling her up to the surface, "I'm going to need your clothes, shoes, and your badge."
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"Did they say how many of them were tagged?" Niko walked quickly down the hall to the same nurse's stairwell he had taken with Avia. It was an extremely short route, and he was starting to dread that there could be someone else out there about to strike.
"The second was at the McReary's home. The third is who went after Kate. Robert was not marked, but the man at the pier with Bernie was listed as one. I do not know if that means the sniper is four or if they have a different number. Anton is not answering his phone. So he is either still hunting or is dead." Georgi dislodged the magazine from Avia's pistol and checked the count. It was full and he'd have sixteen and one in the chamber. Not that he would need that many to kill someone.
"Get someone to help Anton." Niko shoved open the double doors and counted the beds before reaching Roman and Mallorie, "Cousin, has anyone come by and tried to give Mallorie medicine or a shot?"
Georgi stood behind Niko and out of Mallorie's line of sight. He was not going to be responsible for giving her another panic attack. She was carrying precious cargo and he would be more careful and watchful when it came to interacting with his boss' family. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Vanya to head to City Hall once Bernie was in surgery. With Bernie at the hospital where they were at, he felt comfortable sending his men out. He looked up as a nurse approached the group.
"Oh wow, big group of visitors, are you ready for some more medication now?" The woman side stepped Niko and approached Mallorie's bed carrying a bag of fluids, and a capped syringe.
"Déjà vu. Who knew there would be two nurses with the name Tina. Your double has been super helpful to me." Mallorie lifted the bed up more to get into a seated position. With all the blood work she had been doing since becoming pregnant, she knew the drill, and held her arm out for the nurse to find a vein and get the IV hooked up.
"I know right? But there can only be one Tina, and that's going to be me." The nurse dryly laughed at her lame joke, placed the bag down on the metal side table and removed the cap from the syringe, tapping it with her middle finger to check for flow, "Now the doc wanted you to get this shot first before I start the fluids-"
Georgi yanked the curtain back and took hold of the woman's arm that held the syringe. The woman switched hands and went to stab the needle into Mallorie's leg. He shoved her toward the monitor and went to get the needle before she kicked him squarely in the chest. He stumbled back into the opposite row of hospital beds.
Niko didn't hesitate to go after the nurse, knowing Georgi wouldn't attack someone unless there was cause, and roughly grabbed her arm with the syringe, "What's in this?" He yanked her around and locked her arm behind her, twisting the wrist in a painful angle to keep himself from being stabbed.
"Go ask your dying whore." She stomped down on Niko's foot, elbowed him repeatedly, and freed herself from his hold. She spun the syringe in her hand and charged him. If she couldn't take out her original target, then she would go for the ultimate one.
Georgi found his footing and pulled Avia's pistol, but she was too close to Niko to get in a clean shot. He moved up behind the woman slashing at Niko and ducked into her downward swing, shouldering her chest and armpit, and lifted her off the ground. He body slammed her to the floor and pinned her down with his body, taking hold of her arm that the poison was in and placed the end of the pistol to her forehead.
Niko ran over and pulled the syringe from her grasp, "You have exactly three seconds to tell me who you are, or I'm going to shove this shit into your leg and watch you writhe in pain as it slowly kills you."
"Do your worst." She glared up at the man who had threatened her.
The Russian spoken in a Balkan accent was difficult to understand, but Niko met Georgi's stare and only shrugged, "Suit yourself."
"Pakhan maybe not in front of your family?" Georgi turned to see Mallorie sitting upright on the bed hyperventilating in Roman's arms. Both of them looked scared and near tears. It was not meant to happen this way and he worried about their mental states after today.
"She was going to kill my cousin's wife and unborn child, maybe we should see how long it takes before she starts to talk." Niko spotted the plastic tubing for the IV and went to grab them, "Your lead interrogator is dead, and it has been years since I've had practice, but maybe it's time to start digging up past habits. What do you say brother? Should we take her back to the compound?"
"Pakhan, I will take her back to the compound with Vanya and get her comfortable for the time being. Someone else can help Anton." Georgi kept the pistol pressed to her forehead and leaned up off her body, "Stand up, or I will drag you out of here by your hair."
Georgi fisted his hand in the scrubs and jerked her to her feet when she sneered at him. He walked her backwards toward the double doors they had used to enter the wing of the hospital, out of sight from Mallorie and Roman. He spun the pistol around and grabbed the barrel, reared back, and struck her across the head, knocking her out cold. She crumbled at his feet.
"Niko hand me the tubing." He held his hand out to his boss, not letting his eyes off of the woman who attacked Mallorie. He felt the length drop into his outstretched hand and he went to work on binding her hands and feet. He would throw her on a spare bed to keep her out of sight and put two of his men to keep her there till it was time to leave. Black ink on her wrist caught his attention when he started to loop the lines around them.
'Strange no one in this hospital has freaked out or tried to stop us… They must be used to it by now…'
"NB?" Roman called out to his cousin and tried to not flinch when he heard a loud thump.
"Cousin, I have to apologize… Some very bad people tried to kill everyone I keep close. Kate was attacked, Gerry has been shot, Francis was nearly gunned down, Bernie is shot and should be here any minute now, and she just tried to poison Mallorie. Everyone who has ever been part of my life was in danger. I should have never come to Liberty. You would have been safer." Niko let out a slow breath and scrubbed over his face, closing his eyes.
Arms surrounded him and held him firmly. The tender, gentle hug forced his chest to tighten.
"Do not say such things Niko. Thank you. Thank you. You saved my baby's life." Mallorie worked her way under his arms and held him close, "We will get through this. We always do."
He willed his arms to return the hug and accept the comfort she was wanting to give him, "But it's true Mal. Kate's entire family- Bernie. Everyone nearly died today because I got close."
"NO! Everyone nearly died today because some assholes in this world can't stand to mind their own business and live their own lives. Did you ask them to do this? Did you force them to do this? NO! This is their fault. Not yours!" She leaned back in the hug and glared at him, "We are your family. We do not let each other struggle. Now you are going to quit thinking this way or so help me I will beat the thoughts out of you. Kate won't even mind."
He could see Georgi cover his mouth to hide the smile with her words, "Okay Mal. I will just stop all thinking at once."
She smacked his chest and groaned at him, "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that we all love you very much and will quite literally jump in front of a train for you?"
"Just a train? - Ow!" Niko rubbed over his arm when she hit him again. She had put some weight behind her fist.
Georgi took a step in her direction on impulse. He was used to always having to keep threats away from his boss and he had been unable to fight the urge. He recoiled back when she turned to send the most terrifying glare he had ever seen his way. And Kenny was able to induce nightmares with his stares.
"Oh. Don't you even. I don't care if Kate thinks you're adorable and likes having you around. If I want to hit my cousin in law because he's acting stupid, I will damn sure do as I please." Mallorie pointed at Georgi and gave her warning, "But if anyone else even looks like they want to hit Niko, you will stop them. Am I clear?"
Niko slapped a hand to his face and looked up at the ceiling wishing he could just vanish through the floor, "Mal…"
"Yes Miss." He laughed when her nostrils flared with the term. He figured she hated it as much Kate. His eyes widen as she hopped slightly and took off her tennis shoe. He easily caught the thing when she hurled it at him.
"It's supposed to hit you! Ugh!" She limped over to him now that she only had one shoe on, and grabbed it out of his hands, "Niko I want to see Kate and make sure she is okay. You said she was attacked?"
"Yes. She held her own against an assassin like the one who just made the attempt on your life before Georgi found her and killed the man." Niko locked eyes with Georgi and tried to convey he had warned him about his cousin in law. Her emotions swung from one extreme to the other and he had been on the receiving end of one of those at least once a week.
"Por Dios! Niko! How bad did she get hurt?" She used Georgi's shoulder to keep her steady and put her shoe back on. His hand lifted to hold her elbow to stabilize her.
He lifted the syringe he still held in his hand, "Bad. Georgi take this and make sure we can identify it and make an antidote correctly. Keep that bitch breathing till I have a chance to talk to her. I meant what I said. I want answers."
"NB let's go see your lovely woman and let the doctors get Mallorie the actual fluids she is supposed to get." Roman shuffled into the hall away from the bed holding Mallorie's belongings and his jacket. He was feeling skittish and wanted to be behind a closed door and less exposed.
"I will keep an eye on her and let you know when Bernie gets here. Is there anything else you need?" Georgi took the poison and capped it to make sure he wouldn't accidentally get injected with the vial substance. He had given Kate his only failsafe.
"Have your updates ready for me when I call. Text me the address too." Niko let Mallorie take his arm, feeling the tremble of her hand. He couldn't be sure the level of fear she had been shoved to when they fought the assailant, but if she was like Kate, it would be behind closed doors before she freaked out fully. He felt uneasy on how she would react to the sight of Kate. They were like sisters and depending on where Mallorie's emotional pendulum was at when they entered the room- he might have to defend himself against an enraged pregnant lady.
"Of course. And boss?" Georgi headed back to where he had tied up the woman and looked over his shoulder at Niko, waiting for his full attention.
"Yes?" Niko had turned to head out of the ER with his family but paused at the tone his second had used.
"She is marked as property of Alexi Mikhailov. As in he is the only one to use her and is not tagged with a number or rank. We now have the Albanian's bargaining chip."
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"I don't care what surgeon, doctor, or specialist needs to get here- get them here now! And do not let her flatline on that table!" Francis ran alongside the stretcher as a medical team pushed Avia through the sliding doors at City Hall Hospital.
"Sir! We need you to back away and let them do their jobs." The charge nurse cut into his path and grabbed his shoulders.
"She is high ranking in the LCPD, and I can't have her dying on me." Francis had held on to the thinnest sliver of hope as the ambulance raced down the street from City Hall. The EMTs had started to cut away her uniform to get the full scope of damage and what to call ahead for at the hospital. He had to turn away when they exposed the sniper's wound. It had gone through her shoulder blade, shattered her collarbone, and exited through the top of her shoulder.
"She is in good hands Deputy Commissioner. Are you injured anywhere?" She noticed how soaked his own uniform was and she started to press her fingertips along his chest looking for open wounds or damage.
"No. I'm good. Is there a lockable office I can make some phone calls in? I need to make sure the Mayor, my boss, and the FIB agent are alive and well." Francis waved her hands off not liking the way his uniform was sticking to him. It brought back memories of being trapped in the Church basement with his sister.
"I can give you one of the doctor's personal offices. They should be making their rounds right now, so it'll give you fifteen minutes or so." She reached out and straightened out his badge, smiling softly at the name and title. Her kind eyes lifted to meet his to see if her suggestion was okay or not for him.
"That will work Miss…?" Francis returned the smile and took a deep breath. Avia was being tended to, he had once again avoided being killed, and he could take a second to focus before all hell broke loose again.
"Miss Ames, Deborah Ames. And it is a pleasure to meet you. We saw the attack in the breakroom. We've been receiving people left and right with bullet wounds. Almost out of room." She held her hand out to the side and offered to show him where the offices were located.
"Can the Lancet Hospital Center take the overflow?" He fell back into his official role and would take charge if he needed to during the crisis. He glanced around the lobby as she headed off toward a different hallway.
"They are on standby." She reached the office of one of the doctors she trusted and liked and unlocked the door, "If you need anything else you can have one of the nurses page me."
"Keep me updated on my officer's condition. She has no next of kin and I'm her direct boss." Francis moved into the office and clicked the lights on.
"I will be back with any updates as they come across our systems. I'll knock so you know it's me." With another soft smile she headed back to the main lobby to see if anyone else needed help. It was about to be an all hands on deck kind of day.
Silently Francis pulled the door shut and flicked the lock closed, "Getting too old for this shit…" With a heavy huff he plopped down on the comfy looking leather couch. He could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he couldn't even guess at how many missed phone calls and texts he had. A flatscreen on the wall caught his eye and he looked around for the remote.
'Might as well get the news on so I have some kind of information before calling the boss…'
He checked under a couple of medical files before finding it on the small oval table in front of him. The screen flickered to life and was already turned into Weazel News. What he was not expecting was to see his childhood home splashed across the screen completely riddled with bullets. Firefighters worked to extinguish outrageous flames from two vans. A covered gurney exited the front door with a couple of medical examiners he recognized from the force.
He jumped to his feet and started to struggle to breathe.
"No… Gerry! Packie!" Francis dropped the remote to the table not caring if it fell to the floor or not and rushed to the door.
He was starting to panic as he weaved between nurses, random people, and fellow officers. They gave him weird stares as he passed, but he didn't care. The exit came within sight, and he bolted out the doors in search of a police cruiser. He needed to get home. He needed to make sure his family was alive.
"Deputy? Can I help you?" A young patrol man threw his cigarette to the ground and put it out once he saw his higher chain of command rush out of the hospital.
"Can you drive? Stupid question. Can you take me somewhere quickly? It's an emergency." He hurried his steps in the direction of the police officer and took note of the badge number and name, "It's official police business Officer Lang."
"Yes boss. My cruiser is parked on the street."
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Gordon sat a couple of steps up on the staircase and watched as Gerry was loaded into the back of an ambulance. He was given the option to ride along but he had told one of Aleksei's men to go. He was waiting on a couple of the guys to come by the house to keep thieves from sneaking in and stealing anything. Crime scene tape or not, it never stopped looting before.
"Kenny is almost home. Are you sure you don't want to go with Gerry? I can stay behind." Aleksei leaned into the banister and shifted his eyes between all the bullet holes along the open front door.
"I have a female by the name of Ally coming by to talk with Packie. She will be weary of you in general. She had issues dating someone with a Russian accent. So don't freak her out. Two of our hired gunmen will be dropping in to housesit till we can figure out what to do with all the belongings. Sure, the door locks, but the windows are all broken." Gordon placed his elbows on his knees and dropped his chin into his hands.
"I will stay hidden till she goes up the stairs. Go be with your boss. He will need protection if there are others still out there. When your men arrive, I will head to the compound and await further orders." Aleksei adjusted his hold on his rifle, "The cops? They will keep Gerry's name out of the news? Smart to suggest covering him when they moved him to the ambulance."
"No clue. Maybe Francis can help keep it quiet. Thanks for staying behind." He used the railing to stand up and go join Gerry in the running ambulance.
"Of course, boss."
Gordon spotted Ally nearly running down the sidewalk in the home's direction. A couple of officers blocked her path to maintain the crime scene integrity, "You can let her through. She is here for the family." He cupped his hands to his face in order to let his voice carry.
Ally ducked under the yellow crime scene tape and sprinted over to him, throwing her arms around his neck once she got close enough, "Oh my God Gordo! You're alive!"
He returned the hug and nearly fell over when she flung herself at him. He tucked his face into her long, straight, blonde hair covering her ear, "So is Gerry and Packie. Thank you for coming." He whispered to her. Not many knew Gerry was alive after the run on the prison. So he would maintain that lie while other prying ears were present.
"Thank God. Oh, I was so worried!" She pulled away from him and cupped his face, "You sure you are okay?" Her eyes frantically searched him over for blood, bullet holes, or scratches. The house looked like it had a gatling gun unload on it and the images on the news had her crying behind the bar in Steinway. Just the sight in person forced her eyes to water.
"I'm okay. I'm okay. Packie needs you." Gordon let her check him over and felt bad for the tears he could see forming along her eyelashes.
She pulled him in for another hug and placed a kiss to his cheek, "The books are secured, and the bar is on lock down. We are here to serve." She softly spoke to him and addressed him as the new leader of the mob. With her bottom lip trembling she released him from her hug and let a couple of tears fall.
"Don't cry. Everything is going to be okay. I promise." He squeezed her shoulder and spotted the EMT flagging him down, "I have to go. But go easy on him. There is something going on and I'm not sure what to do."
She grabbed his hand lightly and held on till he walked further away from her, letting him go do whatever it was he needed to do now as the new head of the Irish Mob. Her eyes trailed over the front of the home she had at one point feared. She may have never been around the McReary's when their Pa was alive, but the stories shook her to her core.
Carefully, as to avoid the splintered wood, broken glass, and the few bricks that had fallen from their resting place, she climbed the stairs into the home. The lights were out due to the bulbs shattering when they were struck by bullets. It gave her the creeps and reminded her of the haunted house down in Funland. There was a coldness to the place, and faint howl every time the breeze picked up outside.
Her ankle boots crunched over the debris as she moved toward the staircase. It broke her heart seeing the damage and a few more tears slid down her cheeks. As best as she could she took the stairs up to the second story knowing Packie would be locked away in his room- his refuge.
Flickering, orange light danced along the bottom edge of the closed door. Ally slowly approached it and sucked in a deep breath. 'I can do this. I can do this…' She repeated it over and over before lifting her hand to knock.
"Packie? Can I come in?" She removed any and all traces of fear from her voice and put as much strength behind her words. Her hand landed on the handle to test it, and sure enough, it was locked.
"Not now. Go back to the bar where it is safe." His muted voice carried through the door and dropped her heart into her stomach. It sounded like he had been crying.
"You know I can just pick the lock…" She rested her forehead against the rough grain and lifted her hand to the border of the door and started to search for the pin he kept there for people to get inside his room if he drank too much and couldn't move. There had been plenty of nights when Gerry called her to the house to reason with his brother. Normally Kate could curb the spiral, but sometimes it needed to be someone not so close to listen and help.
"Ally not now, okay?" Now he sounded angry.
Her fingers brushed against the metal pin, and she pulled it down to her. With years of practice, she shoved the end into the doorhandle and manually released the lock. Quickly she returned the makeshift key to its hiding place and jimmied the door open a jar, "I'm going to come in now."
"I don't want you to see me like this…"
"Patty, I have seen you puking your guts out in the back alley of the bar. I have seen you bloodied, bruised, and punch drunk after a fight. I have seen you on the entire spectrum of high, low, and every state in between. And I have never shied away from it." Slowly she pushed the door open to see what kind of state he was in this time.
Empty plastic whiskey fifth bottles littered the floor of his bedroom. A suitcase was open on the bed and had a couple of articles of clothing thrown on top. The candles created spooky shadows along the walls and looked sinister in nature. Packie sat on the floor against his bed twisting the top off the next bottle of whiskey off. Her eyes landed on the glass mirror he used for snorting coke by his side, the empty plastic bag letting her know he had finished off what should have been a week's supply.
"Told you, you don't need to see me." His head thumped back against the mattress, and he did his best to focus on her form in the doorway.
"Packie…" His name came out in an urgent whisper. She shoved the empty bottles out of her way with her boot as she neared her friend.
"See?" He slurred, "Not eve-ever-every state has, her, has been seened." He shakily lifted the bottle to his lips, missing on the first try, but finding the opening anyway. He jerked the bottle up and gulped in a large shot.
"Okay that's enough of that." Ally lowered down to her knees at his side, avoiding the white powered covered mirror, and took the alcohol from him.
"Hey! Gim-give that back!" He feebly tried to snatch the whiskey from her grip but couldn't see straight enough to take possession once more.
"How about we go back to my place, and I make you something to eat? Do you know when the last time you ate was?" She couldn't find where he put the cap and decided to place it up on his nightstand out of the way. She turned back to him and brushed her fingers across his forehead removing some of the sweat that had collected there.
"Don't touch me!" He jerked away from her so fast he tumbled over to his side.
"Patrick. It's me… Ally. I'm not here to hurt you." She hovered her hand over his side waiting for him to come to so she could help him sit up. His attitude and demeaner was starting to scare her.
"People say that all the time. It always hurt." He whispered to no one in particular.
"What are you talking about? I have never once hurt you. Let me help you sit up." She leaned over his body to try and see if his eyes were open or if he was fading fast. If he passed out on her she would have to call for medical help.
"N-No you couldn't possibly hurt me. I- I can't be hurt anymore." His voice was low, and she nearly climbed over him to be able to hear what he was saying.
With hesitation, she placed her hand to his shoulder and let her hand rub across his shoulder blades, "Let me take you out of here."
Her hair fell forward and blocked his view of his spinning room. His tired mind wasn't sure what it was, and he reached out to rub a section between his fingers. The silky texture felt good against his skin, and he followed the length up to her face. Deep, chocolate colored eyes met his and a tear fell from her eyes and landed on his cheek.
"I'm not worth your tears."
"You don't get to decide what I think is worthwhile. Come with me." Her voice wavered horribly when his hand cupped her cheek. She placed her own over his, wishing she could stop crying, "I am here for you Packie. Let me take you out of here."
"Leave me here…" He thumbed one of her tears and tried to drop his hand away from her soft skin. It was making him want to change his mind.
"You know I can't do that." She pulled away from him and stood up. Maybe if she started packing some of his clothes it would keep her from breaking down. Her heart was still sore over his rejection of her after a one night stand. They had drank themselves into oblivion at Derrick's welcome home party and woke up in her bed. He hadn't uttered one word as he picked up his clothes, dressed, and left her apartment. It had taken weeks before he could look her in the eye.
"You can. I left you there."
His voice raked over her back, and she slammed the shirt she had picked up into the waiting suitcase, "Well some of us have a heart and are loyal to this family no matter how shitty things get." She roughly tucked her hair behind her ears and forced herself to ignore the anger. With a huff she went back to picking up random pairs of jeans and long sleeved shirts to pack away.
"I have n-no heart Al. It died a, a long time ago." Packie rolled to his back and turned his head to try and find another bottle of whiskey to open.
"No. It's just not beating because you poison it with anger, drugs, alcohol, and violence." She continued to fold clothes and fill the suitcase. She would get him a day or two worth of stuff together, get him to her apartment, and have her neighbor run an IV line. He was going to detox and withdraw in the worst way. She closed the lid and zipped up the sides.
"You don't get it."
"Then help me understand, Packie! Damnit! I have waited you out for so long. I have watched you for years keep up this ridiculous charade of positivity and cockiness. But I know it's just a front." Ally refused to look at him as she hauled his loaded suitcase to the hallway.
"Packie?! Gerry?!" A voice called out from the first floor and paused her trek back into Packie's room. It sounded familiar to her, and she flipped through her memories before the name and face popped up.
"Frankie! Up here! I need help!" Ally called out, relief at having at least someone else to help her drag Packie out of the house. She was dreading the stairs.
Francis took the steps two at the time. The destruction of the home had his heart in his throat. He had forced his way past two of Gerry's goons and frantically called out for his brothers. The fact that whoever it was that called his name was upstairs didn't quiet the storm in his mind. Thoughts of dead bodies being hidden till the news chopper got bored and left wouldn't leave him be.
A young, pretty looking blonde haired female stood in the doorway of Packie's room. She looked like she had been crying and he stopped in his tracks.
"I um. I'm a bartender at Steinway Beer Garden. Gordon asked me to come help with Packie… I know we haven't been introduced yet. - but I am so thankful you are here Deputy Commissioner." Ally wiped at her face and brushed her hair over her shoulder. She knew how Gerry felt about Francis. The rules he had given her about talking to him or even serving him a drink had been ingrained to her soul.
"What's wrong with him? Is he shot? Injured?" He closed the distance between them and tried to enter in the room. He needed to lay his eyes on his family. He still had no word on Gerry and did not appreciate the cold shoulder from the men outside the home. In the past he wouldn't have even bothered to come see if everyone was alright. But now? Now that the charred bridge was still standing?
Ally placed a hand to his chest, "He is…" She bit her lip and felt another tear fall, "He's not okay. Don't take anything he says personally. He isn't all there."
"Then you shouldn't take his harshness personally at this time. My brother has a way of shoving anyone and everyone away. It's how he deals with his trauma." Francis went to move inside but was once more held back by her.
"Trauma?" She fisted her hand in his uniform and winced at the wet feel.
"That's for him to tell you, not me." He removed her hand from his shirt and skirted around her smaller frame to enter the familiar room of his brother. Memories wanted to surface but he forced them down. He frowned at the number of empty bottles and lost count when he got over thirteen. The slumped over form of Packie made his heart skip a beat.
"Packie? Can you tell me what's going on?" Francis shoved the trash to the side and knelt down to where he could make eye contact. Depending on how dilated or unfocused his pupils were he'd have a better idea of what level of out of it he was. 'Always high or drunk brother…'
"You called Francis?" Packie called out in the direction of his bedroom door, anger lacing his voice.
"She didn't call me. I came as soon as I found out the house had been shot up. Where is our other brother Gerry? Is he…?" Francis frowned at how large his pupils were and the way he couldn't seem to look at one thing for more than a split second. His skin was on fire when he placed his hand over Packie's shoulder.
"Why do you care? For all I know you had Derrick killed. We all knew you held no love for him. Why the fuck did you call him up that morning? I called you to warn you the previous night, not for you to confront him about the journalist. I handled the situation! And if Gerry hadn't been thrown in the slammer, he would have Derrick so scared to even turn the tv on to the news channels!" Packie's voice cleared of all stumbling and held a hard edge to it.
"I-" Francis recoiled at the accusation and sat back on his legs.
"You did, didn't you?!" Packie grabbed at the comforter of his bed and tried to get into a sitting position, "I know Derrick asked Niko to kill you, but you called Niko and probably forced him to pull the trigger in Derrick's direction!" He sat up and had everything spin and go out of focus for a second and he sucked in air to keep from vomiting on himself.
"Packie… Stop. You are so high and drunk right now. Let's get you out of here and showered. When you are sober, we can talk." Francis caught him when he crashed forward, "Ma'am? I need your help."
Ally rushed into the room, tears streaming down her face and a disbelief in her heart. How could Packie accuse his own flesh and blood of killing Derrick? Let alone say Niko was the one to pull the trigger. She looked to the oldest brother in the family for direction and fought the urge to ask him what Packie had.
"I um… I can take him back to my place. He will need to sweat and sleep this off." Francis mumbled the words and prayed the female at his side wouldn't try and pry into the subject that Packie had thrown into his face.
"I can help you get him settled. I have been taught how to set up an IV for fluids. I don't like doing it. Fear of needles and all. But he needs help Mr. McReary." She lifted Packie's arm that was closest to her and mirrored Francis' hold, waiting for him to indicate to stand up.
"I'd appreciate that. And please don't call me mister. Makes me feel like a dinosaur." Francis nodded his head and together they lifted the passed out youngest brother of the McReary family.
"I am sorry…" She shuffled her feet under the dead weight and adjusted her hold. The tears just kept coming and she swallowed back a sob that bubbled in her throat. 'What if he did have Derrick killed? What if… Niko you couldn't have… I know you can't be capable of that darkness.'
"It's okay. So besides probably working for Gerald, how do you fit in to all this?" Francis would get her mind working and off of the sadness that permeated off her lithe frame.
"Gerald said to uh… I'm not supposed to discuss-"
"Look. I really don't give a shit what they do. I'm about to be Police Commissioner and will be able to protect them to the best of my ability. They will have the same arrangements Kenny's men do. Niko is in love with my little sister and he and I have talked and have an agreement to look the other way when it comes to business. Now I'm not here to fish for info. I am just trying to get to know if you are actually here for my brother or just another nameless face in the sea of people that come and go within the Irish Mob." Francis wanted to take affront to her words but couldn't knock her loyalty.
"I fell for your brother the second he sat in front of me at the bar and asked for the bottle of whiskey saying a glass would be too much of a waste of my talent." She sobbed at the end of her confession, "But he has turned me down so many times and…"
"I am no saint. But we McReary men aren't exactly the best at relationships and love. Maybe when he sobers up you two should talk about whatever has you this upset. He didn't do anything… You know? Crossed the line? Because if he did, I'm dropping him right here and leaving him." He paused at the top of the stairs and tried to make eye contact around the limp form of his brother between them.
"No. Never! He just- Let's just say he doesn't have the best morning bedside manner." She grew warm in the face and refused to look at Francis. 'Why am I even bothering airing our problems out to the FREAKING deputy commissioner of police? Oh my God kill me now…'
"You will have to forgive him. We didn't have the best father figure growing up and definitely not the best example of what a happy marriage or relationship should look like." Francis sighed heavily and nodded to the stairs to get them moving out of the house. He would ask one of the patrol men for their car and take them over to his apartment in Suffolk.
"I never met the man. But the stories are scary as hell." She used the wall to brace herself as they took the first step down on the staircase.
"You're one of the lucky ones then. He was the devil personified. I left the house the second I could apply for emancipation. I joined the LCPD to try and stop men like him from hurting those around him…" Francis felt comfortable telling her some of his past. 'Probably why she is a bartender. They are basically therapists in disguise.'
"That bad? I bet it was hard on them when you left." She struggled under Packie's weight and bolstered herself under his body to shift the weight to hold him better.
"No. Gerry was thrilled to have me gone. Derrick had already picked up his bad habits and didn't even realize I wasn't around. Kate cried of course. But I just couldn't do it anymore. Ma fretted and begged me to stay. I broke her heart, but I could not live under the roof of that sick man. I wish I had taken them all with me. Left him to rot here in these walls. His own self-made prison." He took more of the weight on to give her a break and not overexert herself.
"You sound nothing like what Gerry told us…" She dared a glance at the man she had been told was a traitor and to not be trusted. Gerry had made it clear that he was to be shunned, banned, voided from their burrow and lives. And here he was with compassion, hurt, and anger in his voice telling her he had wished he had saved his siblings. Taken on the responsibility that his parents should have burdened and handled better.
"Yeah well… Things change. I stayed in touch with Kate here and there. She'd come by the station for lunch once a month when I made detective. Then Captain. When I got the promotion to Deputy, she actually got me a gift. I was so proud to have her come by and meet the guys and be part of my life. Ma enjoyed the limelight of the more upscale events. She was always my plus one. Then when Natalya dropped into our lives, I had a chance to right some wrongs. And I jumped at the chance. But the past is hard to shake, you know?" They reached the bottom step and he offered silently to hold him to give her a break.
She shifted out from under Packie's arm and help Francis get a better hold on him, "It breaks my heart how much your family has fallen and fought. Kate is friendly and kind. You are fighting past demons and missteps, Gerry is doing his best to provide for all of us, and Packie is drowning. I did not think my life would lead me here, but it has. It is a strange world we live in." She shook out her arms and rolled her neck, getting ready to help carry Packie out the house and to whatever vehicle she assumed Francis had waiting.
"When you sister falls in love with Kenny's replacement, your brother aligns himself and the Irish Mob with him, and your own job title somewhat requires you to be in the inner circle- you quit trying to make sense of things and just start looking for the happy moments between it all. It is what it is. For better or worse." Francis looped Packie's arms over his shoulders and hauled him up his body to get a more comfortable grip.
"I do not mean to startle or intrude- I have word from Niko. He has asked that you return to your hospital room for a meeting." Aleksei stayed out of sight of the female and spoke to Francis. He had received word from the boss, and he would pass along the message.
"You one of Niko's or Kenny's?" Francis looked over his shoulder toward the voice that had spoken out. He was thankful he was holding Packie because he nearly jumped out of his skin when the man talked.
"I am, Deputy Commissioner. Georgi speaks highly of you. Pakhan has asked all of our officers to join in. I believe war is upon us." He took a couple of steps forward to be within view, not wanting to alarm the high-ranking person with LCPD that he was instructed to protect and be on the lookout for should he ever cross paths with him.
"Tell Niko I'll be there once I get my brother settled down. Any word on Avia?" He took a shot in the dark hoping that maybe this man knew more information and would be willing to share. He had still not checked in with his own boss and knew the reprimand was waiting for him.
"You are in the loop I see. Avia is still in surgery. So is Gerry. Bernie just arrived at the hospital and was wheeled to surgery. Kate has responded positively to the antidote of the poison that was injected into her. Mallorie avoided the hit against her. We are taking the female that attacked her to the compound as well as the sniper that shot at you. We will get answers and pass along what we find out." Aleksei placed a fist to his chest as a show of acknowledgement and respect.
"Woah what the actual fuck happened?!" Francis turned around with his brother in his arms to openly stare at the man who had given him an overload of information. Last time he checked Kate was wide awake and in Niko's arms. 'Just what the fuck is going on now?!'
"Do you have safe transportation? Is he in need of medical attention? We have a van and can take you wherever you need to go. You are under my protection now." He ignored the staring and question. They needed to get moving soon so the Irish Mob could take ownership of the house and the cops could do their job.
"I uhhhh… Sure. Can you take us to my apartment? I need to get Packie set up and on the right track. Then you can take me to the meeting?" He snapped out of it and figured he was just going to have to get used to his new role he had stepped in to.
"Of course. Follow me. I parked down the street and can get there from the backyard. There is a set of stairs a few doors down to get back to the street." Aleksei waved him toward the back of the home and lifted his rifle to be ready should someone try to ambush them.
"You can still come with me, or you can head home. Choice is yours. But this is where one part of your life changes and a new one begins. There is no turning back once you get in bed with the Petrovic Bratva." Francis looked over to the young female that had come to his brother's aid. He would give her the out and see just how loyal she was to his family.
"As I have sworn dying loyalty to Gerry and the family we have all made in Dukes, I will come along. I will not abandon Patty in his time of need. My own thoughts and emotions do not matter when it comes to the livelihood of our organization. I am to do what I have been asked to do by my boss and will see it through so long as I am alive. Gordon asked me to help in his time of need." She lifted her chin and said the words proudly. She was in this to the end.
"Gordo took over? Wow…" Francis snorted and took off after the Russian that was going to give them safe passage to his apartment. It felt weird seeing the criminal world so up close and personal. He was usually on the other side of the coin- now that coin spun so fast it blurred into one image and there was no distinction between good and bad.
'Just shades of fucking gray…'
"Packie named him his successor. His word is law." She trailed behind Francis and did her best to keep the man with the rifle out of her line of sight. His accent and way of talking shook her to her bones and she desperately wanted to grab the back of Francis' bloodied uniform shirt. It was going to be hard to keep the fear at bay depending on how long she was going to be around him.
"Then long live the king." Francis rolled his eyes and waited for Aleksei to sweep the backyard with his rifle before exiting to the back porch. He had seen the pooled blood in the dining room and tried to ignore the thoughts that wanted to rise with the sight of it. Gerry was in surgery. He was going to get the help he needed and before he knew it, he'd be sitting in his brother's hospital room and conversating.
"Coast is clear. Move out." Aleksei looked along the rooftops and fence lines for movement and enemies. Things had gone quiet on their phone network, but that didn't mean there wasn't present danger lurking around every corner.
With bated breath, jumpy nerves, and a sense of doom in their hearts, they headed for the Russian's transportation and away from the wounded home of the McReary family.
aaaaaa
Packie is on to them. And that's all I'm going to say about that!
Now I do believe it is time for Niko to respond and take his chair at the head of the table.