We Will Rock You
Troy watched in horror as the guards continued to fire on Gabriella's car. Agents pulled at his jacket collar trying to stop him but he pushed them off. He just kept running. Troy then suddenly fell to the ground and landed on his back. There was a sharp pain in his left arm but he ignored the pain and got right back up.
Two agents fell to the ground groaning in pain and he saw a guard fall. Troy assumed he was dead. He finally reached the car and quickly opened the door. Chris was using himself as a human shield by covering his body over Gabriella's. "Gabriella!" Troy yelled over the gunfire. He reached for her.
Gabriella looked up and took Troy's hand as bullets hit the car door. Troy quickly pulled her out. They ducked behind the car with Troy's arms tightly wrapped around Gabriella's waist. "Chris!" Gabriella cried. She jumped up and Troy pulled her back down. "We can't leave him!"
"Don't worry, I'll get him! Just go and wait for us at the very last car!" Troy said.
"What about you? I'm not leaving you!" Gabriella said. Troy cupped her face in his hands.
"I'll be fine. I'm right behind you! Just remember to stay low!" Troy said and Gabriella nodded. He kissed her quickly but tenderly. Then she did was he asked and started running to the last SUV. He watched her until he couldn't see her anymore. Troy groaned as he felt another sharp pain in his left arm but he again ignored it.
Troy took a deep breath and jumped up. He rushed to the open car door and reached for Chris. "Chris!" Troy yelled. Chris grabbed his hand and quickly climbed out of the car. The two started running.
Something rolled under the car and Chris's eyes widened in fear. "Grenade!" Chris yelled and pulled Troy to the ground as the SUV blew. They began to army crawl to the next SUV. An agent was on the ground so Chris checked his pulse and shook his head. The two then ran to the last car to get Gabriella.
They found Gabriella hiding behind the car, covering her ears. Troy touched her shoulder and she jumped. She relaxed when she saw it was Troy. He helped her up. "Follow me!" Chris yelled and took off into the woods surrounding the road. Another guard fell dead and more agents fell wounded but kept shooting.
The deeper they went into the woods, the fainter the sound of gunfire became. They soon could barely hear the gunfire but they see thick black smoke. Troy's left arm laid limp while Gabriella's left arm was linked with Troy's right.
"Where are we going?" Gabriella asked but Chris kept going. Troy started to slow down, which was unusual for him because of his stamina as an athlete. Gabriella looked at him and saw a small blood stair seeping through the left sleeve of his blue jacket. "Troy? Chris, hold up!" Gabriella cried.
Chris stopped and turned around. Gabriella led Troy to a log and made him sit down. Chris ran over to them. "What's wrong?" Chris asked. Gabriella slowly took off Troy's jacket and gasped. The left sleeve of Troy's white t-shirt was blood soaked.
Troy's eyes widened as he watched Chris heated the blade of his spring loaded folding knife with a lighter. "Is this really necessary?" Troy asked nervous.
"I'm afraid so. We have to get the bullet out in order to stop the bleeding." Troy became even tenser. "Chris, give me that flask your grandfather gave you for your 21st birthday." Gabriella said.
Chris handed over the fine made flask to Gabriella. She gave it to Troy, who gladly took a long swig of vodka as he watch Chris handed the heated blade over to Gabriella. Chris then took off his belt and handed it to Troy. "Bite down on this." Chris said. Troy folded the belt and bit down.
Gabriella splashed some vodka on her hands. "Do you trust me?" Gabriella asked and Troy nodded. She poured some vodka on the bullet wound and the belt muffled his screams. Then she dug the knife into the bullet wound. Troy screamed louder but Gabriella focused on the task at hand.
A couple of minutes later, Gabriella had the blood soaked bullet in her hand. She dropped it and then poured the remaining alcohol on the wound. Chris tore up Troy's jacket into strips. Gabriella used the strip to bandage up Troy's arm. Troy groaned as she tied it tight.
"Come on, we have to move. If I know Paul, he's cleaning out my grandparents' safe and is getting ready to get the hell out of here." Chris said. Gabriella helped Troy up.
The Walker Ranch finally came into view. Chris led them to a barn. The barn was filled with equipment and an old-styled pickup truck in very good condition. "Why are we in here? Let's go up to the house and get Jesse!" Troy said.
"That would be suicide. See that old pickup?" Chris pointed to it. "Well, there's an old dirt road that leads right to the highway." Chris said.
Troy angrily grabbed the collar of Chris's shirt. "And why didn't you tell this to the feds?" Troy demanded.
"Because those fancy SUVs wouldn't last two minutes on that road. This road is rough and I mean rough." Chris said and Troy slowly released him. Chris opened his spring loaded folding knife and slashed all four tires, including the spare.
Back at the Gate
The agents and guards were still locked in a relentless gun battle. An agent then jumped into the driver's seat of one of the few remaining functional SUVs and sped toward the gate. The guards shot at the SUV. The driver kept his head down and kept going. The guards jumped out of the way as the SUV rammed into the metal gate and crashed it open.
"Let's go!" The special agent in charge cried. Agents began handcuffing the injured guards and called for backup and ambulances. While others took what vehicles were left and drove onto the grounds.
From inside the barn, they could hear shouting. "Sounds like the feds finally made it inside…which means Paul is going to rush getting out of here." Chris said.
Gabriella checked Troy's pulse. He was pale and sweaty. She felt his forehead with the back of her hand. "My God, you're burning up. Chris, we need to get him to a hospital." Gabriella said. Just then the barn door banged opened and someone entered in a hurry.
Paul Curtis wore blue jeans, a dark red button down shirt, and a black leather jacket. Paul tossed a black duffel back into the bed of the truck. They were surprised to see Jesse in a carrier when the FBI told them they expected to find Jesse sleeping in a box. He put the carrier into its car seat and made sure Jesse was secure.
"It's going to be a bumpy ride, kid." Paul said. He closed the door and then he noticed the slashed tires. "What?" He checked the spare. "This can't be happening!" Paul took a handgun out of the shoulder holster he was wearing and began looking around the barn.
The three of them slowly moved from their hiding spot to another. Chris then put his finger to his lips and stood. Gabriella grabbed his arm but he shook her off. "Paul." Chris said.
Paul turned around. "Chris?" Paul put the gun back in its holster. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the air base hosing down your plane or something?" Paul said and snickered.
Chris smiled. "It's nice to see you still have your sense of humor." Chris's smile faded and was replaced with a serious expression. "But when I hear my little women attacks his ex-fiancee again and kidnaps her baby… I come running." Paul's smile faded. "You really screwed up this time, Paul. Even Dad won't be able to get you out of this." Chris said.
"That's what you think. You've always been jealous that Dad loves me more than you." Paul said.
Chris took a few steps toward his little brother and Paul backed up. "You haven't changed. You're still a spoiled brat, who seems only to bring pain and terror to anyone or anything you set your eyes on." Chris said.
"Well, now I'm going to be a father. What do you think of that?" Paul asked, cocksure.
"You're not his father! You stole him from his father and mother. Paulie…give him back. You know he belongs with his real family." Chris said sympathetically.
"You can't tell me what to do! I am my own man now!" Paul shouted.
"Not to me, you're not. You'll always be that six-year-old boy begging me for one more piggy-back ride. You were so innocent then. For once, do what I ask. Please." Chris said. Paul looked like he was thinking. Gabriella prayed that he would listen to Chris.
Then Paul pulled the handgun out of his holster. "No." Paul said and pointed the gun at Chris.
Gabriella could no longer sit there and do nothing. "Paul, don't!" Gabriella cried. Paul looked at her hiding place and smiled.
"Now, this keeps getting better and better. Show yourself." Paul laughed. Gabriella stood with her hands up. "Now if you're here, then lover boy is here. Come out or you can say goodbye to the lovely Gabriella." Paul said.
Troy heard the click of the hammer of the gun. "Alright!" Troy cried. It took most of the strength he had left in order to stand. He raised his right hand in the air and his left arm hung limp.
"Well, well, well." Paul took a step toward them. "This really has been a pleasure but I'm going to need a hostage." Paul then grabbed Gabriella. Both Troy and Chris started to lunge for him but Paul raised his gun to Gabriella's head. "…or should I say hostages." Paul said.
Paul smelled Gabriella's hair and smirked. "We used to have some good times, Gabriella. Remember, the first time we made love? My family's beach house. The sun was setting and a bottle of wine. You were fantastic." Paul said and Troy glared at him. Paul was moving them to the truck to get Jesse while using Gabriella as a human shield.
"You're taking anyone, Paul." Chris said sternly and the clicking of the hammer of another gun could be heard. Both Troy and Paul looked at Chris, who was now pointing a gun at. Paul.
Something rolled under the car and Chris's eyes widened in fear. "Grenade!" Chris yelled and pulled Troy to the ground as the SUV blew. They began to army crawl to the next SUV. An agent was on the ground so Chris checked his pulse and shook his head.
And there lying beside the dead agent was his issued Sig Sauer P226. Chris picked it up, ejected the magazine and saw it was half full. He put the magazine back in the gun and hit the gun in the back of his belt. "Come on, let's go get Gabi." Troy said.
The two of them ran to the last car to get Gabriella.
Everyone was frozen in place as Paul and Chris remained in a standoff. "Would you really kill your own brother?" Paul asked.
Chris's face was expressionless and then he lowered his gun. "What are you doing? Shoot him!" Troy cried.
"I can't…" Paul smirked. Then a gunshot filled the barn. Paul fell down and clutched his right leg. "But he can." Chris said. Special Agent Larson was holding a smoking gun.
Gabriella kicked the gun away from Paul as he laid groaning on the floor. Troy was feeling dizzy so he leaned against the truck. Gabriella took a crying Jesse out of the truck and began to soothe him, tears filling her eyes. "Mommy's here. Mommy's here." Gabriella whispered to her son in Spanish. She walked over to a pale Troy.
Troy smiled when he saw the two of the people he loved most in the world were safe. He caressed Jesse's cheek which calmed him as he recognized both of his parents.
Everyone was too busy to see Paul pull a revolver out of his ankle holster. He aimed it. Then the sounds of three gunshots filled the barn.