First Bartone and then Karazna hit the ground, one shot between the eyes. Bartone's blood splattered over Kelly's face and clothes. Sabrina and Jill both dove toward Kelly pushing her to the ground with the first shot. Sabrina automatically moved to protect Kelly from any further shots while Jill positioned herself to return fire if necessary. Nicholas raised his hands, "Ladies, everyone is okay. Sabrina grabbed her radio, "Who the hell fired that shot?" The air waves crackled with static but no one responded. Sabrina tried again, "Who fired those shots? Answer me damn it!"
Kris' voice came over the radio, "Bri the shots came from the roof of the warehouse behind you. Whoever it was is a damn good shot. I didn't have an angle on Bartone or Karazna without hitting Kelly. Is everyone okay?"
"Thanks Kris. We are okay. Go ahead and signal the paramedics and the FBI to come in."
Sabrina turned to Nicholas pointing toward the warehouse, "Were your men stationed on that roof? Kris says that is where the shot came from."
Nicholas shrugged his shoulders and beckoned for the radio, Sabrina handed it to him, "Bravo team 2 report."
The radio crackled and then a deep voice came on, "Bravo team 2 here, neutralized 2 armed men."
Sabrina took a measured look at Nicholas wondering what he was hiding, "Why did they shot to kill?"
"Because dead men tell no tales, they don't come after you when they are released from prison. This way Kelly is safe! You are all safe." Nicholas finished emphatically.
"Maybe, but what about this Mancini boss. What if he comes after us next? They were our only lead to him."
Nicholas considered this for a moment, surprised Kelly had not revealed his cover identity to the other angels, "He won't come after you. He is the business man. These men were in it for personal reasons and that is what got them killed."
"How do you know that?"
"Sabrina, I have been chasing men like this all over Europe. Personal vendettas, while powerful are always a man's downfall. It makes them sloppy and single minded to where they don't care about the consequences. Mancini is not that kind of man."
Sabrina looked at Nicholas; deep in thought as the first responders came rushing in to check on them.
Kelly stumbled to her feet shrugging off Jill's helping hands vaguely hearing Sabrina and Nicholas talking in the background. Her eyes were glued on Doyle, who was getting in the car and getting ready to flee. Kelly noticed a motorcycle leaning against the work shed. She stumbled to the bike, jumped on and started it up, vaguely aware of Sabrina and Jill's shouts in the background. She was going to catch Doyle. Kelly revved the engine to life and took off like a shot down the road, bouncing on the uneven rocks each bounce sent excruciating pain up her back, but she was determined to ignore it, she wanted Doyle. Kelly weaved in and around the shipment containers, always keeping Doyle's lights in front of her. Finally she had gotten next to the car and went to pull her gun and realized somewhere in the struggle it had fallen out. Doyle noticed Kelly beside him and started swerving his car to run her into one of the metal containers; she skillfully avoided the car and headed toward the loading docks. Doyle spun the car around and started after her. Kelly finally saw what she wanted – a ramp onto the loading dock. Now hopefully Doyle could not see the danger. Kelly moved closer to the ramp, knocking over boxes on the loading dock to obscure Doyle's vision, at just the last minute Kelly popped a wheelie to go through the small opening on the dock, skidding to a stop on the other side. Doyle realized too late that he could not follow Kelly because the opening was too small and he could not stop in time, crashing into the metal barricade. Doyle stumbled from the car, pulling out his rifle. Kelly was already on top of him as she placed a round house kick to knock the gun out of his hand. Doyle was still a little dazed but he was a big man and charged at Kelly, she jumped to her left and avoided most the force, pushing him into the wall. She quickly turned and brought an elbow down on his neck, taking Doyle to the ground, then a swift kick to his side. She stood over him bouncing around like a boxer waiting for him to get up, inflicting pain felt good and she wasn't finished yet. Doyle finally managed to push himself up, "Ok, enough." Kelly looked down at Doyle not ready to accept victory, "What do you mean enough? Who shot Carl, Doyle? Tell me!" Kelly landed another kick to Doyle's solar plexus knocking the wind out of him. In her fury she had not realized or cared that she had made it impossible for him to answer. Then she noticed his rifle down the ramp, she walked over and picked it up, pointing it at Doyle. "Who killed my husband? This is your last chance. Tell me! Did you do it! Did you!" Kelly was screaming at him and Doyle cowered away from the hate he saw in her eyes. Doyle started to push himself away from her, half crawling half dragging himself, shaking his head, "Now calm down. You don't want to do this." Kelly's darkened eyes bore into his very soul and seemed to find the answer she needed, "You did it! Didn't you Doyle? You sat in that room, pointed your rifle at him and pulled the trigger. This is all your fault." Doyle put up a hand as if to warn Kelly away shaking his head, "Now wait a minute. Just calm down. I was just following Mr. Bartone's orders." Kelly aimed the rifle at Doyle's head; well I'm just following orders too, remember that line about an eye for an eye Doyle. You took a life now I am going to take your life."
"No Kelly don't do that!" Sabrina screamed as she, Jill and Nicholas tumbled out of another car and started running toward her.
"Sabrina, you and Jill and Nic get back in the car and leave me alone. This is between me and Doyle. I don't want you involved in this."
"Kelly, we are involved. We always have been, remember we are in this together."
"Bri, please. Just get in the car and drive away. I have to finish this." Kelly pleaded.
"Honey, this is not the way to finish it. Bartone and Karazna are dead, Doyle will go to prison for the rest of his life. You are safe, we are all safe, don't throw away everything you have fought for, everything you have stood for, for this piece of trash. He isn't worth it."
Jill moved a little bit closer, "Kel, you wouldn't let us do this, so why should we let you? This isn't you Kel; you don't shoot someone in cold blood."
Sabrina and Jill took Kelly's silence as a good sign, they slowly moved toward her. Kelly lowered the rifle just a little as their words sank in. Could she trust the system to protect her and her friends, could she trust that Doyle would receive justice under the legal system?
"You don't understand the system doesn't always work. This way I know it is over. It will end today." Kelly finished stubbornly raising the gun level with Doyle's head.
Nicholas had quietly been working his way around the angels and was now able to step between Kelly and Doyle. Kelly looked up stunned, "Move Nic! We agreed this is how it had to be."
"Kelly love, you can't do this. You will hate yourself."
Kelly looked up at Nicholas, "I have to do this. I owe it to Carl, to everyone who got hurt in this mess."
"The only thing you owed anyone is to find the killer and stop him and you have done that. Let me take it from here." Nicholas moved toward Kelly grabbing the tip of the rifle and pointing it upward. Sabrina and Jill held their breath hoping Kelly would let Nicholas have the rifle, but just as Nicholas tried to pull the rifle from her hands Kelly yelled, "Get down!" All eyes had been on Kelly so the others had missed the gun that Doyle pulled from his jacket and pointed at Nicholas and Kelly. Kelly pulled the gun away from Nicholas, pushing him down while she turned and fired, emptying the clip into Doyle's body.
Slowly the smoke cleared and everyone started moving at the same time. Sabrina took the gun from Kelly's hands, Jill went to find the radio to call for EMTs and Kelly bent down to check on Nicholas, there was blood on his jacket! Kelly quickly assessed the damage and turned toward Jill, "Jill, Nic has been hit get those EMTs here quick!" Jill quickly relayed their position and what they needed to the emergency operator and then ran back up to Kelly's side.
Kelly held Nicholas' head on her lap trying to keep him as comfortable and as still as possible. "You crazy galut, what were you thinking standing between us like that? You don't always have to be the hero you know."
Nicholas grinned up at Kelly, trying to ignore the pain, "And miss having a beautiful woman hold me in her arms and besides you owe me one now."
Kelly smiled down at Nicholas, "I already owe you my life several times over Nic." Nicholas winced as the pain increase, Kelly felt tears start flowing down her face, "Hang on Nic, please just hang on. We have way to much catching up to do for you to die on me now." Nicholas tried to smile, "We shall drink all night and tell all kinds of stories as soon as I heal love." Kelly saw the EMTs hurrying up the ramp and knew their time was short for now, "That's a date and don't forget I get mighty upset if I get stood up so you had better be there." Nicholas grimaced through the pain and nodded at Kelly. Sabrina pulled Kelly up and away from Nicholas so the EMTs could work. They quickly stabilized his wound and moved him to the ambulance.
Kelly watched it all with tears streaming down her face; she made no attempt to stop them. Sabrina and Jill had taken up protective positions on either side of Kelly as they watched the paramedics work. Gently Sabrina nudged Kelly toward the car sitting her down in the back seat and closing the door. Sabrina leaned her head down on top of the car for a minute, trying to comprehend the last hour; she felt the car move and opened her eyes to Jill kicking the tires. "What are you doing?"
"It's not fair! It's just not fair!" Jill said miserably. Sabrina agreed completely, she took Jill into a hug, "Yeah it sucks." "Big time."
Sabrina looked up and saw the head of the FBI headed her way along with the other Angels. Sabrina took a deep breath, gave Jill a quick kiss on the head and turned to greet them. It was going to be a long night.
