Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's note: Okay, the message system seems to working again - I hope I didn't jinx it now! Arghs. Anyway, I hope everyone got their review replies. Thanks to Royalty09 for her neverending patience with me and my whining and also thanks to First Noelle and emptyvoices for their humor and constant encouragement.
Chapter 37
"Okay, this is a Beretta 92. Safety on." Snap. "Safety off. Fifteen shots per magazine. This is how you change it. Got that?" Cherry showed it to her again. "Don't point that thing at me, for fuck's sake! Point it over there!"
It couldn't have been more than two or three minutes since Grey and Navy's death, but it seemed like ages to Lisa. Cherry had pretty much carried her out of the room, along the hall into a little niche that provided a good view and some protection.
"We need to find an exit. Keep your eyes open," Cherry mustered her briefly, "and don't go all action-hero's-love-interest on me now. I can't do this alone! Pull yourself together, take charge of the situation. You're that kind of girl, remember?"
Outside, they could hear a car screeching to a halt, accompanied by the distinctive khak-khak-khak of gunfire. Cherry grabbed her and ran towards the stairway, peeking around the corner to see whether they were clear to go. "You ready?"
As much as it shocked her, made her feel guilty even, Lisa was ready. Fear and determination iced her blood and she tightened her grip on the weapon as she nodded. Rapid footsteps approached; quick as lightening, Cherry leaned forward, shooting twice. Her actions induced a yelp and then something heavy tumbling down until two bodies hit the landing, twisted and broken. The other woman patted them down, bursting into a quick, terse smile when she found four more loaded Berettas plus extra ammunition. "Here!" Like a pirate's treasure, Cherry split their loot. "And now let's be quick, okay?"
Despite the last statement, they crept up the stairs with great care and a slowness that threatened to rob Lisa of her last nerve. The noise from outside indicated a skirmish … but between whom? Against all better judgment, something in Lisa dared to inject her with a sudden dose of hope, yet she strictly forbade herself to give that hope a certain name. Stop it, it's not him.
Again, Cherry peered around the corner. "This is ground floor," she whispered. "When I say go, you run to the hallway door and close it. Hug the left wall, blast everything that moves - I'll give you cover."
Lisa forced a quiet yes through clenched teeth. For a split second, her memories transported her back into her field hockey days, into those electrifying moments right before the referee would blow the whistle. Focus. You control your game. She sprinted towards her goal with outstretched arms, brandishing her pistol like a banner. Bruised ribs pounded pain into every hasty step she took. There! She slammed the door shut and glanced back at Cherry who was pushing a wooden table in her direction. "Help me with this!" Together, they blocked the entrance.
The window was on the back side of what could only be described as Forbish's mansion. A wide stretch of manicured English Lawn separated them from what seemed to be a fairly thick forest. Light-brown terracotta tiles formed a walkway that came from around both corners of the house and met in the middle, leading out into the lawn and making a circle around a fountain, which was lined by pink roses and framed by large, Roman stone pillars. It could have been a lovely garden if it weren't for the high wall - complete with floodlights and barbed wire - that obviously surrounded the property.
"If we make it into that forest ..." Cherry glanced around. "Run to the first pillar on the right. Then you give me cover, understood?"
Lisa barely found the strength to nod; as soon as her feet touched the ground outside, she flitted across the distance and crouched against the coarse stone. From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement from the left side of the house and without thinking, she raised her weapon, spewing slugs into the general direction of the dark-clad man who had tried to hurry towards her. He immediately jumped back into safety. A window on the second floor opened - yet another goon.
"Cherry!" Lisa ducked behind the pillar, out of sight for the shooter in the house. Unfortunately, this also meant that the other one was not in her sight anymore. She heard his footsteps pound through the grass until a loud bang stopped him - literally - dead in his tracks.
"Lisa! Keep that bastard up there occupied!"
Easier said than done. Lisa carefully aligned herself so she could target Forbish's henchman in the house without becoming too much of a target herself. Gulping for breath, she started firing, feeling the cold metal twitch in her sweaty palm until a hallow click announced her magazine to be empty. It seemed as if she had hit everything but her opponent, yet she had won nonetheless – Cherry was at her side and unharmed, squinting as she squeezed the trigger.
"Ha, gotcha! Okay, Lisa, over to the next one, go! Go!"
In this fashion, they sped from pillar to pillar, battling enemies at every turn. Even though her aim improved somewhat, Lisa's bullets provided little more than a diversion while Cherry's, on the other hand, continued to hit their marks with fatal accuracy. At the last pillar the other woman pulled her close.
"Do you hear that? Almost sounds like … hmm." Cherry's tone was pensive. From far away, the distant echo of thunder rumbled through the air. "Okay, two hundred yards to the forest and nothing to hide behind. We gotta be fast."
They almost made it, too.
About twenty yards away from the trees, Cherry suddenly yelled a warning and jerked up her pistol. Hot lead whistled by. Lisa's shocked gasp turned into a scream when she saw the other woman go down, still issuing rounds into the woods. A loud cry, followed by the sound of branches cracking under weight, proclaimed their attacker's obliteration. Lisa flew to Cherry's side, horrified at the bloody mess which, a mere ten seconds ago, had been a healthy leg. She tried to help her up, nearly wailing with frustration as she watched her partner's eyes dim with pain. "CHERRY!"
"You gotta run, girl."
"Hold on to me, just hold on to me, okay?"
"That's sweet." Cherry attempted a smile. "It really is, but you have to go."
"Not without you, I'm not!"
With a shaky hand, Cherry pointed at the house which spat out more and more of Forbish's well-dressed dogs, all armed to the teeth. "Too many," she panted.
The thunder grew louder and Lisa gazed up at the blue sky, wrinkling her face in confusion. What the hell? Yet anything she had intended to say got stuck in her throat at the sight of the battered car swerving around the corner in a wide drift, ripping tire tracks into the green grass. It came right at them.
"Lisa, if you don't start scrambling off now, I'll shoot you myself." Cherry's voice held no warmth anymore; the blond bartender had disappeared completely, had stepped aside for Jackson Rippner's business associate.
"Forget it, you -"
"I'll count to five. One … two …" Only the tiniest flicker in her mantis stare told a different story, the tale of someone who meant well. Why? Lisa might never find out.
The car had passed the fountain and was now drawing near with alarming speed, honking incessantly. In a few moments, they would get run over.
"GO!"
Lisa darted into the forest, deeply ashamed of herself. I didn't even thank her. A violent gust of wind shook the trees; finally, she recognized the origin of the deafening noise she had mistaken for thunder. Helicopters! Lisa turned and cast a long, desperate look at the spot where she had left her partner. Even though it had stopped, the car was still honking, the open passenger door obscuring whoever was hiding behind. Lisa could see Cherry being dragged towards it and for a split second, they locked eyes. Cherry mouthed something, but Lisa couldn't catch the meaning. She's probably telling me to flee. It made her heart ache and her stomach churn. At the very least, I owe you this much. Slowly, carefully, Lisa raised the gun in her hand, aiming at the brownish mop of hair she could make out through the leaves. While the helicopters landed on the lawn and all hell broke loose around her, Lisa herself was calm, focused. Her fingers no longer trembled as she secured them around the heavy weapon, trigger cool against her skin.
The bullet hit the passenger side window, yet didn't pierce the glass. Helplessly, Lisa had to watch the mop of hair duck down and Cherry being yanked into the car.
I'm good for nothing.
She died for nothing.
Wait.
Cherry had sent her off so she would stand a chance, so she would live. To give up now was to throw away a present that had cost a life. Tears streaming down her face, Lisa wanted nothing more than to prove herself worthy of such present. She made her way deeper into the darkness of the woodwork, where the car couldn't follow her.