Author's Note: This chapter (Chapter 160) of Forsaken picks up three weeks after Chapter 159. The events in between these two chapters are covered by another one of my stories: Knife Edge and you are advised to read that story before starting this chapter.
Monday morning
West Ridge
The intention was to set sail in a weeks' time, next Monday morning.
There was a lot to be done, not to mention keeping an eye on the City and the ongoing changes. Marcus was still refusing to use my yacht's proper name. That was getting on my nerves, but the stubborn old man would not budge! That kinda gave me an idea for a wedding present for Marcus and Paige; something that I could have some fun with.
Weddings!
With the wedding of Marcus and Paige coming up, people were talking about nothing else, which I was finding a tad annoying! One wedding also led to talk of other weddings; those same people had started dropping hints about Dave and myself.
Some of the hints, though, were not subtle – at all!
Marty: "So when are you cunts getting hitched?"
Megan: "Will I be a bridesmaid?"
Sam Fellowes: "You need to at least try and make an honest woman out of her, Dave!"
Cathy: "You getting married before you have kids!"
Not to mention my favourite: "That wild bitch needs you, Dave!"
Marcus could be so elegant at times!
I had hoped that the Fusion mutinous streak from a few weeks ago was gone, but no, it was still firmly out in the open and thriving, as it tried to catch me out!
..._...
On top of all the shit that was going on, Megan was going through a 'weird' phase: despite still being wounded, she had managed to find time to dye her hair. It was no longer the cute auburn colour, which went well with her gunmetal blue eyes, but black with a red streak on the right-hand side. Paige thought Megan was trying to make a point, although what the point was, I had no idea.
Chloe had thought that Megan's new hair looked cool and therefore she had then reverted her own hair back to its original blonde colour, with a purple streak on the right-hand side as before. Chloe's hair was no longer short, as it had been when we had first found her, but her hair now fell to below her shoulders.
"So?" Dave had asked.
"So, what?"
"You going back to blonde?" Dave had enquired somewhat hopefully. I knew that he loved and preferred my blonde hair.
I had considered his question for a few minutes, before responding.
"I'm staying like this for now – maybe after our cruise; we'll see."
That night
Somewhere in Chicago
We were testing the new 'regime' as I liked to call it.
Just Kick-Ass and Hit Girl. We were out on our motorcycles and patrolling the darker Chicago neighbourhoods. I was actually pleased to see that we still received one or two discrete nods from parked Cops! However, I had received three totally separate warnings before we had gone out that evening. Jack Bay, Hank Voight and Marcus had all warned me about some fresh, new Cops that had appeared in the ranks over the past two weeks. These seemed to be under the direct control of the Superintendent and were out for blood. More specifically vigilante blood!
Something else was going on, too. I had no idea if it was part of the new 'anti-vigilante' thing, or something completely different. I felt like I was being followed. It was what Dave called my 'purple-sense'. I could not put my finger on anything, but I knew that I was in some form of potential danger. I was also certain that I had spotted a black SUV, more than once – it was an older model and would not normally have stuck out; but thanks to the 'anti-vigilante' problem, my senses were heightened.
Kick-Ass said that I was being paranoid, as he had not seen the SUV once. Kick-Ass, though, did not have the training and experience that I had – I just knew that something wasn't right. This feeling plagued me all night until I was finally distracted by something else.
Something familiar.
Later that night
I received a text.
The display in my visor advised me that it was the cell, which I had provided for Petra, almost four weeks previously. The message consisted of a single word, followed by a location.
'HELP. S WOOD AND S BLUE ISLAND.'
That address was on the Lower West Side. I called Battle Guy and asked him to check into the location while Kick-Ass and I changed direction and headed south.
..._...
As we approached the cross-section, I could hear gunfire, and then as we got closer, I could see four Police SUVs with eight Police Officers shooting at something or somebody. I pulled over to the side of the road to assess the situation and called Petra.
"Where are you?"
"I'm being engaged by the Cops and I don't know why!"
"Long story, can you disengage?"
"I'll need a distraction."
"I'll distract them, you go with Kick-Ass," I advised before dropping the call.
..._...
We split up, Kick-Ass keeping to the shadows and moving to the left of the CPD, while I headed directly towards their rear. As I approached, I revved my engine loudly and span my rear wheel creating noise and smoke, which attracted the attention of two of the Officers who turned around and shot at me – I was much more of a catch than Petra!
I rode fast, continuing to produce smoke as a distraction. These Cops were not the usual sort; they all wore overt upper body armour and their SUVs seemed lightly armoured too. These had to be some of the 'new' Cops that I had been warned about by Marcus and the others. They were all armed with automatic weapons, which considering who they were hunting was not all, that unexpected.
"Hit Girl! Petra and Kick-Ass are clear!" I heard over the comms and accelerated away followed by two of the SUVs.
The other two SUVs had gone after Kick-Ass and Petra.
I flew south, along South Ashland Avenue, heading south.
Petra easily followed my every move, as we made to evade the pursuing CPD SUVs. We were nowhere near a regular Safehouse, but the nearest Safehouse would have to do for now. I turned left, following the guidance that was displayed on my visor. Battle Guy had seen where I was and had provided me with directions to Safehouse K.
The SUVs never saw my sharp turn and continued straight while we accelerated away before the CPD noticed their mistake and doubled back. They were quick; I noticed the flashing blue lights reappear in my rear view mirrors very quickly. We raced along West 34th Street and then onto South Iron Street before I swerved to the right, up an alley between two buildings and saw a steel gate close automatically behind Petra as she followed in my tracks.
Then on the left, a dozen or so yards from the end of the building, a door opened that was just wide enough to allow our two motorcycles to pass in single file. The moment we Petra passed the door closed and a heavy steel shutter dropped, covering the doorway.
"Kick-Ass, I'm bringing the Safehouse systems online..."
Lights clicked on all around us as we sat astride our motorcycles. We were in a large room with no windows and bare concrete for the floor. Above us, the ceiling appeared to be solid concrete.
"All the comforts of home!" I commented.
"We must keep some secrets, my love!" Hit Girl commented over the comms.
"Well, we'll settle in and await the all clear!" I replied dryly sitting down beside the motorcycles.
Petra sat down opposite me.
"You hurt?" I asked.
"Some bruises from the bullets – but I'll be fine."
"The CPD has some new enforcers on a mission to remove vigilantes from the City of Chicago!" I advised my fellow vigilante.
"That sucks!" Petra replied in her electronic voice. "How long we need to wait in this, err, palace!"
"An hour maybe," I replied hopefully.
The following morning – early!
Tuesday
"You took your fucking time!" I growled, three and a half hours later, as I met up with Hit Girl outside the Safehouse.
"These new Cops are not your average Cops – I'm certain they are ex-Special Forces. They are careful – too careful."
"Nice – just what we don't need!" I commented as we loaded my Diavel and Petra's Fireblade onto the back of Iron Hide.
Hit Girl was driving, with Shadow literally riding shotgun with my Remington Model 870 Express Tactical held in both hands. She actually looked kinda cool, as she stood guard!
We dropped Petra off, well to the west and she waved, as she rode off.
Safehouse F
"So, you and Petra get up to anything in the Safehouse?" Shadow asked with a grin, as she stowed her weapons in the armoury.
"You get up to anything with Mindy when you shared that bath in New York?" I replied with a wink.
The look on both girl's faces was priceless as their mouths dropped open, but not exactly friendly!