It Never Seems
Very action-packed chapter. Thank you to everyone who continues to read this story. I greatly appreciate you guys!
CAli
Ch. 15 - The Attack
"We got a problem," the man said. "Our whipping boy is starting to grow a backbone."
Silence filled the other end. The man knew to stay silent until he was addressed. Dante called it meditation when he was silent and if interrupted, he had an explosive outburst right on the tip of his tongue, ready to lash out. Over the years, he watch this happened to punks who needed shaping. His boss was the perfect drill sergeant if he chose the productive route to channel his anger. It was a good thing his boss chose the dark path in life. He wouldn't have a job if Dante chose to be good.
He waited.
He tried not to show his impatience as the silence grew. He breathed normal as best as he could without a sigh escaping his mouth as he kept his eyes on Nathan Scott and his partner tried to get a better view of the backstage area. It was becoming uncomfortably noticeable that Haley James Scott was a thorn that was becoming a threat. It was in everyone's best interest that she'd be eliminated.
He clucked his tongue against the back of his teeth at the thought. He wanted the honors in seeing Nathan crumble to the ground as he watched his bitch murdered. There was always something about the dude he never liked. It was nothing personal, per se, but the past four years he saw his boss take extreme pleasure in breaking down Nathan. He took extreme pleasure in hating his guts. Therefore, the energy was transferred. His boss hated him with every fiber of his being, so he hated him too. He took extreme pleasure in screwing Nathan Scott up and beating the shit out of him on his boss's order. Funny how influence worked.
"He watched her sing?" Dante's gravel voice rumbled in his ear.
It was loud, so he pressed the phone harder against his ear. His eyes scanned his area out of instinct and his eyes locked on Nathan's back. He licked his lips and felt his other hand unconsciously clench. He popped one knuckle then the next. He hoped after his affirmation his boss would give the go-ahead in beating Nathan down and killing his wife. Maybe he'd have a little fun with the wife before he ended her life. Her body was just his type.
"Yes. He's still here in the crowd, first couple of rows in fact. Boss, they almost had a close encounter."
"Fucking piece of shit. He's spiraling out."
"All she had to do was look up and she would've saw him. It was close, boss."
"No shit, dumbass. I fucking know all this. I don't need no goddamn reminder, you fucking dumb rock imbecile. Are you trying to tell me shit I don't know about? I fucking know all this, so shut your piece of shit mouth."
He closed his eyes, silently cussing himself out also. He berated himself too for the silly mistake in stating the obvious and unknowingly making his boss look stupid. He knew better than that. He was the model guard for his boss's business; he should act like the one with the sense. He let his boss go off, taking the berating like the scolded child he felt like with his head down even though Dante couldn't see him. It was nature not to make eye contact whatsoever when his boss was pissed. Eye contact was defiance, and if anything, he admired his boss, not hated him.
"Of course, sir," he said after a beat of silence. "I'm sorry for stating the obvious."
"Whatever. I'm done with this bullshit. Can you gain access backstage?"
He scanned his area, trying to find his partner. His eyes swept his area twice before he softly grunted under his breath. His partner was nowhere in sight, so he started moving towards the stage, jostling the stupid teenage girls that were in his way. He ignored their huffing and puffing and whining cries of outrage and meaningless calls of what they believed were insults. He would squash all of them like puny flies if he wasn't focused on his task at hand. He needed to find his partner without bumping into Nathan, although he wished he would.
He'd have to find a way to get backstage and quickly work to get to Haley James Scott. A plan was all forming in his head as he briskly walked more towards the left where there was at least two doors. The exit signs would lead to a tunneled walkway and those always turned into another path. There was always a way. He just needed to find his partner to see if he found that way.
He walked several hundred feet before his eyes locked on his partner. His partner jerked his head towards the left, and he trailed his eyes to the general direction. He felt his lips quirk into a smirk. The proverbial gateway. He licked his lips and turned around, away from the noise. He pressed his phone harder as the noise intensified around him. He rolled his eyes as the teenage squeals surrounded him.
"Yes, sir," he said, raising his voice. "There's a way."
"I'm tired of this bitch. Kill her now."
"With pleasure, sir." He smiled wide. "I'll call when it's done."
"Good."
July 10, 2009 - The Northwest
Dante sighed long and hard as he ended the phone conversation. A sadness filled him but quickly bubbled over into anger. Everything was falling apart and his favorite whipping boy was now an expendable. He had to get rid of him and that bitch of his wife. He mused over the young boy. Would the son be kept for grooming purposes? Another cash cow for the future? Or should he kill any trace of Nathan Scott and be done with this chapter? Decisions, decisions.
He decided to be undecided about the boy for now. He wasn't the main focus of this clusterfuck. He put it in the back of his mind he would have to decide about the boy, but at the moment his concern was Nathan and his singer wife, Haley. The boy would be decided soon, but now his mind would occupy his slave and his cunt wife who ruined everything.
He growled low under his breath. He had so much fun torturing the punk. He saw every day how he pushed the bitch further and further into defeat and depression and self-hatred. He absolutely destroyed Nathan Scott. He reduced the privilege white boy into a goddamn slave and he loved every punch, kick, and stomp he ever delivered to him. There was something powerful in stripping strength from someone else.
Nathan thought he could get away from the situation he put himself in. He thought his ass was saved. He thought he could have the glitzy future he was promised by both having the family of his dreams and living his career dream as a professional athlete. Dante gave him one of those dreams, but he made sure he was living his nightmare at the same time. No one could have their food and eat it too. His cake would be filled with rotten batter. He made sure of it. Nathan Scott couldn't have it both ways.
It simply wasn't fair. It wasn't like Dante's morals extended from fairness or anything. Nothing was fair in life, and he loved to exploit that. He wasn't teaching life lessons or anything, but he sure as hell loved to dangle the unfairness of things and how he had to power to control it all. Nathan was no different. He showed him countless times how things weren't fair, and he loved it that way. He loved showing he was more powerful.
He had tons of fun toying with Nathan and bringing him closer and closer to his mental breakdown. He wondered after every beatdown if this was the last and his slave finally had the guts to kill himself. When there was no alert in the suicide of the star basketball player Keith Lee, Dante's grin grew huge and evil. He would have more fun with his slave in the mental and physical torture. Four years he had his fun. Four years of appeasing the extreme violence that begged to be unleashed onto the kid. Four years of breaking him down just because he could. Plus, he tried to get him killed in that car crash after screwing him over on a high school bet. Fucking clown.
Dante gritted his teeth as his car accident lingered back into the forefront of his memories. He always grew extremely irrational and explosive every time he thought about it. How could a fucking high school senior have the balls to double-cross him, let alone almost get him killed? The worst mistake Nathan ever made was not suffocating him in the aftermath. He should've made sure he died. To say he came back with a vengeance would be an understatement. Dante never forgot and he never forgave. His grudges would be pure torture on anyone who dared crossed him. Look at Nathan. And Dante wouldn't stop until Nathan ended it himself. Look how patient he was in setting up his revenge and look how patient he was in continuing his revenge by controlling everything about this motherfucking bitch.
And now, this was how it was all going to end? Two murders when he wasn't nowhere near done with his whipping boy? It shouldn't end this way, even though this was the only logical way to clean everything up and protect his business. But his fun wasn't supposed to end this way. It was supposed to be a vicious cycle where Nathan never had the guts to end it himself. Dante would continue to have his way in breaking him down just a little bit more and taunt him with that evil smirk that he was in control and would always be. There was nothing Nathan could do to end this, and they both knew it and that's why Dante enjoyed the beatings so much. His fun would never end. Now, it was, and he fucking hated it.
"Fuck!" He screamed and jumped up in a fit of rage. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
He pounded his fist against his wooden desk until he exerted himself. He was breathing heavy but the anger still boiled inside of him. With a feral cry, he lifted his desk and flipped it over. It was solid oak at least weighed three hundred pounds, which he dead lifted easily. The crash echoed loud, but it never deterred him as he kicked his left foot over and over again on the material. Lunge after lunge as he cursed Nathan to the seventh ring of hell and back. He included the wife too, who really, was to blame for all of this, but his hatred for Nathan was more. He trashed his office until the rage inside of him simmered.
When he was all done, he was breathing heavy through his nose and mouth. He paced like a caged animal because it still wasn't enough. He was very, very close in flying to Los Angeles himself to gather Nathan then torture him to death.
A scenario played out in his mind. Instead of killing the wife right then and there, he would order his men to kidnap her and the son. He would personally get Nathan himself and bring him back here where he would tie him up and make him watch as he raped his wife in front of him and beat the boy until he was near death. He would take turns beating Nathan and the son, making them all watch. And in between all the beatings, he would have his way with the wife. He would let his boys have a little fun too. They would all fuck her senseless while Nathan watched.
He would kill the son and wife first, then finish off with Nathan. But he would only do it until Nathan begged for it all to stop. And even then, he would still continue raping the wife and beating the son hours after Nathan asked for it all to stop. He would only kill Nathan until an insane amount of time had passed when he wanted it all to end.
If only, though. It was all too hasty and last minute, and Dante preferred these type of things carefully planned and carried out methodical to the tee. He took one last deep breath and craned his neck to the left until he felt the bones in his right side crack in a down series. The pops felt good and calmed him just a smidge. He opened his eyes and pulled out his cell phone. If anyone knew how to pull off crazy last minute stunts, it would be this guy.
Dante pressed the speed dial number and waited for the line to pick up. When the line clicked, he closed his eyes and took a breath. He licked his lips as he spoke even.
"Your son went over the edge," he said, low and calm. "He saw his wife perform live. She'll be dead in the next few hours. You better do something about your son before I do."
July 10th, 2009 - The West Coast
The goon sighed and sniffed once out of habit. He was tense but not because he was nervous. The tension stacked inside of him because he was about to commit a murder. He reveled in the enjoyment of all this. Finally, some violence. Dante would be so proud. He craned his neck to the right and felt the bones crack. He sighed in relief as he made his way to the exit door. He nodded once to his partner; the silent communication signaled he was ready for the distraction. His partner nodded back and went to start a scuffle with an audience member, gay slurs and all.
As the melee happened, he snuck out the exit door and started walking in the same direction as the security guards who were called as backup. He was ushered out of the way and allowed himself to be jostled a little bit before he scurried off to the side. He grinned to himself as the group of men screeched their way to the main area and disappeared through the door. He adjusted himself and cleared his throat. He took his knife out of his hidden pocket and took off the device that stopped metal detection when they went through security. He slipped the padding off and admired the glint the knife gave when it hit the light. He loved illegal, black market stuff. He licked his lips and transferred the jackknife to his right pants pocket. Easier access that way.
Now, to find the little bitch. He started walking the opposite direction and made sure to keep his head down just in case there was security cameras. More men ran past him, all with headsets on, frantically talking into their mics. He made sure not to make eye contact and kept walking. They were fully distracted and he smirked to himself. So far so good. He kept walking and trained his ear to pick up any chatter. As he walked, he put a fake earpiece in his left ear. He kept walking in the direction the men were running from and then finally, he heard his jackpot.
"What's going on?" A female's confused voice echoed down the hall.
His grin got extremely feral. God, he loved the acoustics of this place. He followed the woman's concerned voice and saw her by herself. She was talking to herself as she held a water bottle in one hand and peered over the corner. She looked like she was recovering a rush and her skin looked flush. She was panting a little bit and subconsciously licked her lips. He mused she would've been a good fuck and she looked desirable at the moment but that wasn't the objective. He wasn't to rape her and his dick would just have to calm down. Such a damn shame and he consciously shook his head to clear any distractions. She was to be dead and that's all he should focus on at the moment. He tilted his head and licked his lips. Sometimes it was too easy.
"Miss James?" He said, approaching her in a professional, authoritative manner.
She knitted her eyebrows and slightly frowned when she heard her name. He smoothed the front of suit and relaxed his posture to show concern. She relaxed when she got a good look at him. She softly chuckled to herself, as if she felt stupid for the shot of fear that went through her. He controlled his face, stopping the grin from forming and schooled his look to look stoic.
"Hi," she breathed out. "What's going on?"
"Producers sent me to make sure you get to your dressing room okay," he responded, his voice softening. "A fight broke out with some audience members at the main stage."
"Escort me? Why? The fight's nowhere near me."
"Precaution, ma'am. Please, come with me this way." He held out an open palm as a guiding gesture.
She nodded and started walking in front of him. He cracked his neck again as he started following her down the dark path. He wouldn't make his move just yet until it was darker but slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped his knife. He tilted his head to look how far the path went and where it was the darkest. He allowed his grin to form as he found the perfect spot to attack. Just a few more feet.
"Haley!"
He looked up and scowled as a man appeared in front of them. Fuck, fuck, fuck. His jaw locked as he recognized the half brother of Nathan Scott. The fucker was ruining everything and he had to get him separated from his target fast. His mind started scheming and he tried to grip her arm but the man was already grabbing her shoulders.
"What's going on?" Lucas asked. "Who's this?"
"Security," she answered. "Lucas, a fight broke out at the main stage and he's here to escort me back."
He kept his breathing even and kept his face calm but he could already see the suspicion spike in Lucas's body. His eyes narrowed and his cheeks contorted in confusion. He tilted his head and made eye contact with him. He gripped his knife in response. Things were about to get bad, but he showed no emotion. He nodded, trying to appease the man before him, but his cheek subconsciously ticked and it was enough for the man. He quickly grabbed his target away from him and pushed her back, getting between them, making himself a human shield. He clenched his jaw and readied his knife.
"Lucas! What the fuck?" She screamed.
"He's not security. Who the fuck are you? Did Dante send you?"
"I'm security," he said, trying one more time to appease him.
"No, you're not. I know all the security. I made it a point after Nathan told me what the fuck was going on. Who are you?"
He zeroed in on this Lucas. Well. All this was going to shit, but before he could pull out his knife and attack, he was sucker punched and the struggle started. He took one more punch before he blocked his hook and punched him back square on the jaw. He grabbed his shoulders and hauled up then slammed him down on a equipment block. He clobbered him twice before he was able to head-butt him. He staggered back a few feet and ignored the bitch's cries. His instincts took over and went straight for his knife, just in time as Lucas rushed him.
He was quicker and had the knife out and thrusted once then twice into his gut. He groaned in pain and doubled over but he wasn't finished. He gripped his shoulder and yanked, pulling him open and vulnerable. He took his knife out and jabbed twice more, making sure to puncture other areas in his gut. He let him crumble and made eye contact with his original target. He growled as he took a few steps advancing towards her. She screamed bloody murder and he heard running footsteps.
Fuck. He snarled, baring his teeth at her. He flipped his knife down and shoved deep in his pants pocket before taking off in the other direction. Her screams continued and loudly echoed as he ran towards an exit.
~~ CA CA CA ~~
"Lucas! Lucas, you gotta hold on! Lucas, open your eyes! Lucas, don't do this! Lucas!" Haley said, her voice getting higher and higher as the panic increased.
Lucas wasn't responding. His head slumped over and his eyes fluttered closed. The tears blurred her vision and she hastily wiped them away as she practically ran with the team of doctors who were yelling over her. She gasped when Lucas slumped over and immediately went to grab his shoulders to shake him awake, but she was pulled back by the nearest doctor. He grabbed her shoulder and she reacted; pivoting to shrug him off and throw a punch but he was quicker. He grabbed her wrist midair and pulled her straight to his chest.
"Listen to me," he said, sternly. She struggled against his grip. "There's nothing you can do right now."
"Let go of me!"
"Miss James, please. I know you're worried about your boyfriend-"
"I'm married, you asshole. He's my best friend and brother-in-law, and he's about die. Let go of me."
"He will if you don't let us do our job. You can't go in there." He nodded his head behind her at the swinging doors. "You're freaking out, I understand. We're going to do everything we can to save him. I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to wait patiently. He's going under emergency surgery. We're going to do everything we can. I'm sorry, you have to stay here."
She crumbled as he kept eye contact with her until she nodded. He dashed off after squeezing her shoulders. He probably thought it was comforting but Haley felt nothing. Her entire body went numb as the reality sunk in that Lucas might die; he might die because he was protecting her.
Holy fuck.
She collapsed to her knees as they gave out. Her sobs were loud and uncontrollable and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Her vision was completely watered down so she closed her eyes as her sobs turned into agonizing screams. How could this have happened? Was she about to lose her best friend? And fuck, she was mad at him about Nathan. She hadn't told him she loved him in the last couple of days. Things were still awkward between them and this was probably the end. Lucas would die without her apologizing and her telling him she loved him despite their problems at the moment. She wanted it all taken back and a do over.
In an angry moment of vain, she wished she never met Nathan Scott because he was the catalyst of all this. Lucas said his name before he confronted the man who tried to attack her. Whatever Nathan was involved in, he got Lucas stabbed because of it. She cursed his name over and over again in her mind as she cried.
"Miss, you need to stand," a woman's voice called out. Her voice was low and soothing.
Haley opened her eyes and saw a blurry blurb of purple scrubs. "I can't," she sputtered as the tears kept streaking down.
"The tile floor is gonna kill your knees, sweetie. Here, take my hands. I got you, sweetheart."
She did what she was told and reached out her hands. The smoothness of this lady's hands put a little calm to her shaking body. She felt herself being hauled up and she immediately collapsed in the woman's arms. Without a word, the lady held her, stroking her back and cooing in her ear. She felt being guided to a seat, where she quickly crumbled into. The lady's arms were instantly back, wrapping her in a tight cocoon. It was the same way she used to do to Jamie to calm him down after he took a tumble and scraped his knees. She felt comforted, although the sobs wouldn't stop.
"It's gonna be okay," the woman whispered over and over. "You poor thing, it's gonna be okay."
"He might die protecting me," she sobbed back. It was the only thing she could process at the moment.
"Excuse me, Miss James?" A man called out, his voice gentle.
She didn't have the energy to lift her head up to acknowledge him. She hoped ignoring him for crying would do the trick but she heard the lady comforting her sigh. Apparently, he stood rooted in front of them. Before she could identify herself, the lady beat her to the punch.
"I believe she's a little busy crying her eyes out to talk, detective," the lady said. "Maybe you could get her a bottle of water to calm her down."
"Of course, ma'am. Would you also like a Valium or something, Miss James? Help get your nerves under control?"
Pills. They sounded wonderful at the moment. She nodded her head against the lady's shoulder, telling both of them yes. She needed to get ahold of herself so she could sic the cops on Nathan. This needed to end now and she wanted some kind of vengeance for Lucas. He was literally fighting for his life right now and she'd be damned if all of it was for nothing. Whoever did this was going to get caught and she would do everything in her power to make it happen. The anger was starting to take over and she welcomed it. If she could just stop crying then she could put Nathan and whoever else that was involved in jail for what they did to Lucas.
"Go to the nurse's station and tell them Nurse Packer needs a Xanax for Miss James here," the lady said, her voice quiet and gentle.
She continued to cry.
~ CA CA CA~
There was yelling then everyone around him started shoving and screaming. Things got more chaotic when security came rushing in from all sides trying to break up the crowd. Nathan frowned and tried to keep his footing as the fighting grew massive and he was almost swept in from all the swinging arms and legs. He had to do some shoving himself.
He was confused as more security was dispatched and the crowd grew massive. The screams around him made it hard to concentrate and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw people rushing the judges, the host, and the performer off the stage. It was a huge melee, and he got sucked in as screams pierced his eardrums. He struggled to keep his footing as people started to run in his direction as one yell echoed out. Someone yelled knife and things started to get crazier. His heart seemed like it was trying to pound its way out of his chest. His blood rushing made everything white noise.
Something bad was happening.
"What the fuck is happening?" He asked himself.
The violence started to increase as a man bumped into him and out of anger (possibly fear too), he threw a punch. Nathan easily ducked and shoved him away. Now was not the time get involved in this riot. Quickly, he pivoted away and tried to make his way out of the crowd and follow the ones who were running away. He panted as he pushed his way through and as he fought his way out, he made eye contact with one of Dante's goons, and he paled. The man bared his teeth and started going after him, shoving everyone and stabbing whoever got in his way.
Nathan hesitated. He was caught in a moment of indecision. Should he make his way also to the goon and fight or should he leave as the thought caught up to him that they were possibly after Haley and his son? It all made sense, and there was only one of them in the main stage. There was no doubt in his mind he started this fight as a distraction for the other to sneak backstage. He panicked and the fear exploded inside of him. Haley was in trouble and he had to stop the attack.
He bolted towards the exit, throwing people down in his frenzy haste to get his wife. At one point, he even shoved one man towards the goon and they both fell, grunting. It was enough of a tactic to put distance between them as he made his way to the exit door. He used the outpour of people to his advantage as he ran away from the group. He stopped a few hundred feet away from the crowd running away and bent down to catch his breath. He shouldn't rest, but his adrenaline was starting to wane and he needed to calm down so his rush wouldn't cause him to do something stupid. He just needed to find Lucas to make sure Haley was okay. Or Haley. At this point, hiding in the shadows was just plain stupid when she was in danger.
He mentally yelled at himself to keep moving. He had to find Haley. His mind raced of all the scenarios if the other goon got to his wife. He told himself not to stop until he saw her for himself. He ignored the ache in his chest and his burning muscles as he took off in a mad dash. He had to find his family.
"Sir, you can't be back here!" Someone yelled and blocked his path.
Nathan ignored him and tried to shove him away, but he grabbed his biceps and held tight. He struggled to break his grip and they grappled until Nathan overpowered him and shoved him against the wall. He hooked his arms under his and broke his grip.
"I have to find Haley James," Nathan grunted as he moved away.
The man reached out for him again. "Who are you?"
"I need to make sure she's okay."
"Sir, she's not here. You can't go back there, it's a crime scene."
He froze. "What?" He turned back to the man and stalked towards him.
"There was an attack backstage. Her brother-in-law was stabbed. Sir, you can't be back here."
"Lucas?" His mouth suddenly felt dry and he fought the vomit from spilling over. He shook his head. "Where are they?"
The man frowned. "Again, sir, who are you?"
"Goddamn it, I'm her husband!" Nathan roared. The man stared at him in disbelief. "Please, it's important, which hospital are they in? My wife is in danger. You have to tell me. Please."
Nathan towered over the man in his panic. He belatedly realized how terrifying and intimidating he looked, but he couldn't calm down to ease this man's discomfort. He needed the information now. The man visibly gulped and started to nod his head.
~CA CA CA~
Nathan ditched the building before the cops could get to him. He didn't have time for questions or explanations on what was going on. It was too complicated, and his priority was to get to the hospital, not talk to the cops. Once he got the information from the producer, he took off in a mad dash, squirming away from the guy's grip as he took off. He completely ignored his protests, only shouting he had to get there.
He didn't stop running until he made it out of the building. Outside was chaotic, filled with sirens, cops, firefighters, and crowds of people wondering what was going on at the studio. Flashes from high-powered cameras slightly blinded him as he winced from all the sudden light exposure. TV cameras and reporters from news stations and paparazzi swarmed the place. His breathing was hard as he scanned his area, trying to push the crowds away from him. He needed a taxi to the hospital, so he pushed and weaved his way through.
"Excuse me," he kept saying over and over again until he made it to the curb.
By a miracle, there was an idle taxi just a few hundred feet away from him. He lightly jogged towards it, yelling at the cabbie who just stood by his driver door looking into the crowd. The area was loud, so it wasn't until Nathan was practically a foot away from the guy before he noticed him. He tried to keep his voice calm, but he knew there was desperation and a frenzy to his tone. He had to repeat the hospital twice before the man nodded and motioned for him to get in the cab. With speed, he was already in the back seat, his face practically against the divider as he told the cabbie he would give him an extra $50 if he could get there in less than ten minutes. The man wanted the money first, and Nathan silently thanked God that he took an extra $100 in cash with him just in case. He shoved his hand in his pocket and threw out a fifty-dollar bill to the cabbie's face.
"Now fucking go!" He exclaimed.
The cabbie muttered he was rude, but he ignored his crabby mood. He looked out the window as the cab peeled out and started driving towards the hospital. Nathan watched as the scenery passed by him in a blur and he wished the ride would go faster. Sweat poured down his face and he only wiped once with his shirt before racking his fingers through his hair. His leg uncontrollably bounced in nervous energy, getting to the point it was shaking the floor mat. But he couldn't put his foot down to control it. He reveled in his hyperactive mind and energy that his body transferred. A bunch of horrible scenarios went through his head. His brother might have died protecting his wife, and it wouldn't be enough. Haley was still vulnerable. Jamie was still vulnerable.
Oh, fuck. His eyes widened at the thought of his son. They would kill Jamie first so they could see the anguish, shock, and pain in Haley's eyes before they killed her. Dante would revel in the idea. His mouth suddenly went dry and he tried to wet it, but it was no use. His mouth was dry as a desert. He leaned forward again.
"How long until we get there?" He asked, panic rising in his voice.
"Soon," the cabbie said, gruffly.
"I need an actual time estimate!"
"Calm the fuck down. It's a block away."
Nathan lifted his eyes up as the cabbie nodded ahead. His breathing picked up and he itched to just run the block now since traffic slowed. He was antsy to get to his wife. He had no idea what he was going to say to her or even how to explain the situation, but he could jump that hurdle when the time came, which should be very soon. He just needed to see for himself she and Jamie were okay. Then he would do whatever he needed to protect her, their son, and his brother. His leg started bouncing twice as fast.
His plan crumbled the moment the cab turned right and started speeding down the block and half to the hospital entrance. As the car approached, Nathan squinted, and his stomach dropped. He was seeing a ghost from his past, and he was fast approaching Haley, who hadn't noticed him with her head down. But Nathan noticed the gun in his father's hand, and he freaked out. He pushed the door open without a second thought, scrambling to get out.
"Call the cops," he yelled at the cabbie. "Call them now!"
"What the fuck, man?" The cabbie yelled after him.
"Call them," he screamed back as he ran as fast as he could. "He's got a gun!"
He sprinted like his life was on the line. He panted as he forced his muscles to tighten and go faster. He wanted to yell a warning, but he was too afraid Haley would be frozen in fear and Dan would take his shot. Alarm bells rang through his mind as Haley did look up and noticed Dan in front of her. She was frozen, and Nathan prayed over and over nothing bad would happen. He grunted as air pushed back against him as he sprinted harder towards them. He ran faster, pushing himself, then he heard his son's voice. This was his worst nightmare shaping up to be a reality.
"Mama?" Jamie asked, his voice low and meek.
It was all a chain reaction. Nathan watched in horror as both Haley and Dan reacted to Jamie appearing to her right and behind her. Dan immediately aimed the gun at his son and Haley's eyes widened as she quickly jumped in front of Jamie, blocking the trajectory and screaming no. In his mind, he screamed no also. Then he tackled Dan, making sure to slap the hand that held the gun.
"Get down, Haley!" He screamed the same time a shot rang out.
He heard her scream, but he knew it wasn't because either of them were shot. A glass shattering to his far left told him the bullet was wild. He got there just in time, but he couldn't rejoice in relief.
His father struggled below him and was able to wriggle on his back, where he got his bearings and sucker punched Nathan right in his jaw and swung again, this time to his eye on the opposite side of his face. The combo punches were enough to whiplash his head back, and gave his father the space he needed to roll them over. Dan punched him several more times before he was able to block one and throw a punch back. He quickly grabbed Dan's throat and squeezed, choking him as he threw punch after punch to get the advantage back. His eyes widened in surprise as his father growled and fisted his shirt before lifting him up in a dead weight curl. His air felt sacred as he sharply inhaled when his back slammed down on the ground. Dan back away from him, but Nathan refused to let him run away. He quickly kicked at his legs and he tripped. He sat up and got to his feet as fast as he could to tackle his father down again, but he was already up and they were grappling. Dan got ahold of his throat and start choking but Nathan refused to let him go.
Then everything stopped suddenly as a shot rang out. Nathan's eyes widened in shock as he stared at his father's eyes. His father's eyes widened too, but was quickly dulling out. His grip loosened as he watched him cough then slump down to his knees. He let him go and backed away as Dan dropped down then forward, lifeless.
"Oh, God," Haley gasped, dropping the gun.
End Ch. 15.
Cliffhanger! Sort of. Thank you again for the support. Review if you'd like.
CAli