A Family Stolen
Disclaimer: I own nothing
A/N: A little time before bed, luckily enough, so I thought I'd put this out at the last minute. Enjoy
Chapter 19 (Trail of Blood and Tears)
David watched his daughters, his heart full of love for them but guilt and anger at himself. Jesse's words from before resonated within him, to no surprise. Revenge ate away at his soul for so long, turning what he thought was sheer protectiveness into hatred and a desire to see those that harmed his family suffer.
Even now he felt it. He wanted nothing more than to get out and put a bullet in Ross's head, as well as the others involved. Then there was the Chief, the last person he expected to cause his family such pain.
He'd been left alone because he hadn't moved, so his strength had been returning to him. He wasn't weak like some might think; but the mindset that would keep him from being foolish had been replaced with desperation.
"Dad?" Tori's voice filled his ears and he opened his eyes, seeing her filled with fear. "Dad, something's wrong." She was hugging the back wall and staring ahead with large eyes. He turned his head and saw Marcus entering the room.
Rage flashed through him and he tensed up. The man shot him a glare and parted his lips in a sickening grin. Unwilling to speak, he maintained his glare. Marcus yanked open the gate and entered the cell. Tori and Trina backed up into a corner, holding each other.
Marcus was focused on him, however, and had his back to the girls. The man couldn't speak, of which David had once taken pride in causing. He glared at Marcus with an angry sneer and tensed up his muscles. "What're you looking at, asshole? I dare you." His knuckles whitened as his fingernails dug into the palm of his hands.
His eyes traveled to a gun at Marcus's hip and he started to smirk as the man approached. The rage in his heart burned through him like fire in the blood. If Marcus provided a way out, he was going to get his girls out; but first he was going to take out the assholes that murdered his wife and put a bullet in Ross's skull.
"Just a little closer, Marco. Just a little closer you punk-ass bastard. I've already lost myself, I may as well do what I'm good at."
"Daddy, look out!" Tori screamed as Marcus raised his hands up. David's nostrils flared and he ducked to the left in time to avoid the man's grab. His eyes snapped over and he pushed himself up with a shout, grabbing ahold of Marcus's wrist.
Marcus gasped as David twisted his arm around his back and shoved him to the ground. "I'll teach you." Ignoring his daughters' protesting, he proceeded to bash Marcus's head into the floor. "Show you trying to hurt my family you piece of shit." He grabbed a tuft of Marcus's hair and yanked back his head, revealing a horribly bludgeoned face.
David tore the gun from the man's side and pressed it against the back of Marcus's neck. "You wanted revenge? For what? For getting caught beating my little girl? You don't deserve shit!"
"No, Daddy!" Tori reached for him, but Trina pulled her back into her chest and wrapped her arms around her head. Her body twitched as David pulled the trigger. "No! No…" He released Marcus's body and hurried to the cell door, his nostrils flaring.
"Stay here," He growled. There was no telling what lay out there, and he didn't want to endanger his children by trying to guide them to freedom. "I'll be back when I've taken care of business." It was a desperate situation, and he found it difficult to have patience for whatever Jesse was doing. "Once I take care of the bastard upstairs once and for all."
He glanced at Trina, his heart sinking into a pit of despair. His muscles were still weak, and it was hard for him to move, but at the very least he could try and be stealthy. "Tell me I can't protect my children." David pressed his side against the wall and poked his head out the doorway.
Seeing that it was clear, he slid out. His arms were straight and the gun was pointed downward. He knew Ross was on the top floor, so he just had to be careful enough to not be noticed.
As he rounded another corner, he saw two guards walking down the corridor. He recognized them as being close to Jerome, so he raised his gun-the police instinct in him flowing strong. "Freeze!" The two guards stopped in their tracks and stared at him like deer caught in headlights. "Get your hands up and get on the ground!"
His thumb pulled back the hammer. He growled viciously and narrowed his eyes. When they didn't react, he pushed the gun forward a bit. "Now! I said on the ground!" The man on the right started reaching for his handgun, so David reacted without further shot and fired two shots.
The first bullet struck the man on the right in the chest, while the second hit the other man just above his right eye. They fell sideways and David moved between them, muttering under his breath. "I will get my girls out of here, no matter the cost." He knew it wasn't right, but he didn't care. The one thing on his mind was saving his two daughters, and the only way he was getting them out was by cutting the head of the snake off.
"David!" A familiar voice rang out from behind, causing him to tense up and partially turn his head. Stephen stood with pistol raised. His voice echoed through the halls. "I can't kill you, but I will incapacitate you. Surrender the gun."
He turned fully, raising his hands. "You caught me." He clicked his tongue and cocked his head. "What're you going to do?"
"Put the gun down, Dave."
"Gun?" He lowered his hand, chuckling darkly. "You mean this thing?" In a single instant, he fired a shot and ducked to the right. The bullet struck Stephen's right arm, forcing his hand to jerk and fire a shot on reflex. "Oops, finger slipped."
"Mother fucker!" Stephen sucked air in through his teeth and grabbed the gun with his left hand. "You asked for it." David turned and ran for the nearest hall. He wasn't as fast as usual, but any speed was better than none. "You're going to pay for Marcus!"
"You should pay for what you've done to my family, bastard!" Several gunshots rang out, each whizzing past his head. He grit his teeth as adrenaline burst through him, giving him what felt like an extra rush of speed.
He glanced back, seeing Stephen running after him. Thinking fast, he turned his arm back and fired off several shots, with only one striking Stephen in the leg. The man hollered out and stumbled to the ground, cussing violently.
Stephen still had the energy to aim, so David ducked behind a wall. His heart was pounding out several beats a minute like the drums of war. He bent his arm upwards, tensing his grip on the gun.
Closing his eyes, he steadied himself with a deep breath. "I will get to Ross, mark my words." He leaned around the corner and jumped back as Stephen pulled the trigger and fired a shot.
"Stay still, fucker!"
"Fuck you!" David poked his head out again, smirking when he saw Stephen gripping his wounded arm. The man's head was bowed and sweat was running down his face. "Hurts doesn't it?"
"Hurts?" Stephen raised his head, shouting at the top of his lungs. "What hurt was what your fucking wife did to me. All I did was cheat on your daughter, your wife took out parts of my body."
"Maybe you shouldn't have done what you did. Actions have consequences."
"So you're above the law?" Stephen growled and rose up, his body still shaking but he seemed able to ignore it. "Your actions have consequences too, you goddamned piece of shit. You should see the look in your children's eyes, they're scared of you."
He paused, his eyebrows pushing up a wrinkle and trembling as his guilt-ridden heart sank into his stomach. "I know what they must think of me, but now it doesn't matter. Now, I have to save them. Even if that means taking out each and every one of you."
Stephen yelled out and re-aimed his pistol. "Die, asshole!" David jumped back into his hiding spot, avoiding another gunshot. He raised his eyes upwards and took several deep breaths. "Come on, you can't keep ducking. Be a fucking man." Stephen limped forward, grunting and wincing with each step.
Ready to take another shot, David moved back into view and fired a shot at Stephen's left shoulder. Stephen yelled and dropped to his knees as blood gushed from the bullet wound. His gun fell to the floor, so David hurried forward and picked it up.
He moved behind Stephen and aimed the guns at his head, his eyes narrowed and his teeth were grinding together. "Do it," Stephen growled, "Go ahead and do it. Judge, Jury, and Executioner." He hesitated, his trigger finger trembling over the switch. "More like cold-blooded murderer." Stephen scoffed, bowing his head. "What must your girls think of daddy-dearest, eh? Protector? More like bloodthirsty monster."
"Shut up."
"That's all you are, all you'll ever be."
He pressed one gun forward, knocking Stephen in the back of his head. "I said shut up!" Stephen raised his head up and began laughing.
"Go ahead, do it. I'm dead anyway. I'll tell ya though, your soul is just as blackened. Go ahead Dave, make me a martyr. You know you want to."
"You're nothing."
"What's that? The pot calling the kettle black?" Enraged, he flung the gun around, gripping the nozzle and swinging the butt down on Stephen's head. The man fell forward, bleeding on the ground. David's eyes widened in horror as he saw blood slowly oozing from the back of Stephen's head.
"Fuck you." Raising his eyes, he saw two more guards running for him. He lifted the guns in defense and pulled hard on the triggers, screaming aloud. The guards fell to their knees, holding their bodies in anguish. "I will get to Ross. I will put a bullet in his skull, then I'm going to take out his father."
David slipped into an elevator and took the floor up. As it started to slow to a stop on the floor above, he raised his guns half-expecting someone else. When they opened, one guard was staring back into his eyes. "Oh," the guard took a step back, his hand slowly moving towards his waist. "Shit."
"I recognize you." David's upper lip twitched and he followed the guard out, growling angrily. "You're the fucker that beat my daughter when we first got here. I thought they killed you." The man swallowed hard and let out several nervous chuckles.
"Now wait a sec."
David's eyes flashed with rage and he began pelting the man's body with bullets, screaming at the top of his lungs as the man jerked and twisted. Blood splashed in every direction, looking as though an explosion had gone off by the time he was finished.
He began panting, before extending his hand and aiming at the head of the lifeless body. When horrified eyes stared back, they paralyzed him. He thought on Stephen's words and pictured his girls looking fearful of him, trembling and unable to look him in the eyes.
"No…" He lowered the gun, tears spilling out onto his cheeks. "What have I become?" His voice trembled and he fell to his knees. "I-I'm no better than these people."
"Damn right you're not." He tensed, Danny's voice filling his ears. His chest ached and he started to turn his head, but before he could see anything, he was struck down by a blunt object. He fell to the ground, grabbing his face and rolling onto his back.
"Shit!"
"Yeah! Come on!" Danny brought his foot crashing down like a hammer into David's chest, crushing his ribs. "Come on fucker, let's see that power you've got." David began trembling and started turning onto his side, groaning as his heart burst. "I can't kill you, but I sure as hell can beat the fucking shit out of you."
Another blow came, then another, each with seemingly more power than the last. "If you were looking to save your girls, you went about it the wrong way, you little piece of shit."
He felt something in him burst, but couldn't be sure what it was. His stomach started to fill and it became incredibly difficult to breathe; but still the beating came. "You won't live much longer, congrats on that." Danny sneered and grabbed him by the back of his head. "I can guarantee we'll slaughter those two girls before you die, though. We just need to clean up your fucking mess first."
David coughed, blood drizzling from his mouth. "No. No…" He couldn't believe he'd been stopped, but he wasn't surprised. Danny leaned forward, moving his head beside David's and smirking.
"Lost that murderous fire, have you? Good." Danny thrust his head forward, making it strike the floor with a loud thud. "I almost pity you, but I find this fun…"
Surviving the beating, he let Danny drag him back to the cell a broken man. Tori screamed as his body was flung into the cell. "Next one that tries something like this is getting a bullet through their skull."
Tori rushed to the cell and grabbed the bars. "I hate you Danny!" Danny smirked at her, his eyebrows rising up as the tears poured down her face. "I wish I never met you."
"Tough talk."
"Go fuck yourself!"
Danny paused, his face sinking before he yanked open the cell door. Tori yelped and stumbled back as he made his approach. "How about I give you the same beating I just gave your father?"
Just then, Trina stepped in front of her, baring her clenched teeth and glaring at Danny with cold eyes. "Touch her and die, Danny." Tori hunched forward, throwing her hands over her head and dropping to her knees. Trina hissed, holding her glare as Danny started to chuckle. "Go ahead Chuckles, but I'm not backing down. You fuck with my sister, and I will tear you apart."
"Really?" Danny tapped his chin and tilted his head. "I'm surprised, I thought the spirit had been sucked out of you."
"I'm not afraid of you. You can't do a damn thing to me." Trina inhaled deep, her mouth twisting into a grimace. "At least you wouldn't. I know where I stand…That bastard's made the intentions clear that no one's to do a damn thing to me. So you think I won't tear into you if you lay a finger on my sister, then you have another thing coming."
She lurched forward and Danny took a step back, throwing his hands up. "Fine, you win, I'll leave her be. For now. Maybe we'll have to kill you first."
"Good luck with that."
As Danny left, Tori ran to her father and wrapped her arms around him. Trina walked over, turning her gaze sideways. "Trina?" Tori curled her hair behind her ear and David glanced up at her. "Trina, what was that about? What did you mean by that?" Trina shook her head and let out a disgusted scoff.
"That bastard has his own plans for me." She crossed her arms and shut her eyes. After a few seconds, her body began to quiver. "He despises his father but isn't in a position to act against him, but he keeps prolonging things. He…He wants to force me to be with him." She gagged and tears ran along the side of her face.
Tori furrowed her brow and started to rise. David coughed up more blood, unable to react with anything beyond numbness. "He wants to what?"
"Don't make me say it twice, Tori. Please."
"It won't happen," David replied. His voice was weak and it was difficult to speak. The girls looked at him and he gazed back, knowing full well he wasn't going to make it. "I…Trust Gary. I trust whatever Jesse and Sinjin are doing. I-I believe they'll save you girls."
"Dad."
"No, let me finish." The knelt beside him, holding his hands. His eyes filled with tears and he looked from one to the other. "I love you. I always have. I know…" He coughed up more blood and gasped for air. Trina moved her hand to his chest, starting to say he didn't have to speak. "No, listen. I know I've done things I'm not proud of. The things I've done, they're not right, and I must look like a monster to you…I'm sorry. This-this whole thing is my fault. I never meant to put you girls in this situation, I never meant to hurt you; and neither did you mother."
"Please." Tori coughed and leaned forward, her tears falling onto her father's cheeks. He shut his eyes and tried to breathe in, but it was too painful. "Please Daddy."
"No matter what happens, you look out for each other. Do you understand me?" Trina shut her eyes and bowed her head. Tori dropped her forehead to his chest, sobbing weakly. "If people treat you wrong, don't react in the ways your mother and I have. Don't take revenge out on people, don't be that way…do the right thing."
"Daddy, it'll be okay. You'll make it."
"I'll try and hold on as long as I can." He started wheezing and looked at Trina with frantic eyes. "Trina, look after your sister, but don't get vengeful. Don't make those mistakes. Don't let hatred get the better of you…"
"We love you," Trina whispered, "And I promise you I won't let a damn thing happen to Tori."
He placed a hand over hers. "Please. You have to be there for her. Protect her, but don't get violent. Like you just did with Danny, don't do it. Don't do anything to jeopardize yourself or her. Remember that."
She fell silent, nodding slowly. "I'll do my best." It was all she could do, even now she couldn't promise anything for a future that seemed uncertain. The only thing they were holding onto for hope was that those working towards saving them could work fast; or faster now. "You need medical attention, Dad."
"It won't come. They don't care; and I don't deserve to live." The girls tensed up and David coughed twice. "God I don't; but you do. The both of you. I have a lot of respect for Gary, so stay with him. He'll take care of you…"
"Dad, don't talk like this."
"This is real. I-I don't expect you to forgive me for the things I've done, I just want you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of the both of you…" Trina choked back her tears and moved a hand to Tori's back. "I love you both. Always and forever, and no matter what, your mom and I will always be with you…"
So to put it simply, yes David is officially dying. What are your thoughts on this chapter? Did David redeem himself a bit to his girls? Also, however brief, there's Trina's revelation. There can't be much more time left, but let's hope the good guys will come in.