22 The Ugly

Gazing at the dull, gray, ceiling I tried my best to doze back off. The shadows above me swelled and wavered twisting into abstract shapes. I had been staring at the roof so long my brain was making the shadows dance to fill the time. I breathed deeply of the chill morning air trying to sleep again. I wanted to sleep so bad. Since about three in the morning I had been watching the roof like it might tell me something.

My alarm went off telling me it was seven. I reached over and found the off button on my phone. The alarm was useless during our time in hiding because we didn't need to get up for anything. I just hadn't disabled it yet.

I had a nightmare. It woke me up somewhere around three. So much for the no nightmare streak. Vividly I saw the flash from my gun, and the guy in the SUV back in Chicago. After that it was a replay of Tony going down in the garage. I kept seeing that over and over, but that didn't scare me. It pissed me off, for sure, but it didn't scare me.

What scared me was that moment after. When I put a bullet dead center of the last guy's forehead. The moment before that when I tripled tapped one guy with excellent grouping on the last two shots. The effortless feeling of blasting the guy in the SUV. That is what really scared me.

I felt like I didn't know who I was anymore. I had the capacity to not only take a life, but to take one pretty damn efficiently. Before all this shit I hadn't even handled guns much. Every day I felt like I was becoming someone else. The fact that the kills had been self-defense each time didn't really mater.

My eyes watered as they tried to focus in on the moving shadows that didn't really exist. I blinked hard groaning to myself. My eyes stayed closed that time. The fatigue in my bones finally told my brain that debating on if I was a monster could wait. I drifted in and out for a bit. I never fell fully back to sleep sadly.

I heard Johnny get up and rummage around for a while doing whatever he was doing. He left the house out the back for a little bit then came back. I listened in closely to him shuffling the kitchen. He made himself something to eat before going back to the guest bed. I still couldn't sleep.

My phone blared to life in the next few minutes. I picked it up and checked the name. Adalwolf. I sat bolt upright suddenly not tired at all. My nerves were all juiced up at the sight of his name.

"Hello?"

"Fox, is this a bad time?"

"No, it's not. What's happening?"

"Do not panic. Whatever you do remain calm because I assure you I have the situation taken better care of then you think."

"Quit dancing around it Wolf what is it?"

"You may be compromised."

My blood froze over in my veins before adrenaline fired them back up. My legs kicked the blanket clear of the bed and I swung myself over to the night stand. I held the phone with my right and checked my .45 with my left.

"Johnny, get up we might be compromised!"

I heard scrambling from his room right after I yelled for him. Adal continued over the phone.

"I am with Nate right now in your three-oh-two. We have Jessica with us, and we are headed to you."

"You have Jessica?!"

"Yes, we do, and she is fine. Would you like to speak with her?"

"Wha... What?! Why do you have her? Is she in danger?"

I heard him sigh and shift around wherever he was.

"She was but Nate and I got her in time."

"What about our parents?"

"Both yours and Johnny's parents are in protective custody. I had my people on the force on the case."

I sat my gun aside and began throwing on pants as best I could with only one hand. Next was my socks which was even more awkward one handed.

"What did you even tell them to get them on board?"

"As far as either of your parents know the goons who went after Tony came for you. Johnny happened to be hanging out with you when they did so you both fled together. Think you can stick to that story?"

"Easy enough. How did we get compromised?"

"Remember Chicago? Of course you do. That happened because a mole tipped Ricky off. We caught the bastard, and dealt with him, but not before he leaked our files on you."

"What does that give them?"

"Your full name, your parents' names, address and things of that nature. It's not a stretch to say they might have done the same thing I did. We used your name to find your grandfather's name and his last place of residence."

I swore under my breath thinking about how stupid I was for picking my Grandpa's house as a place to lay low. I ran a hand through my hair trying to think of some way out of the problem.

"What is our next move then?"

"Wait for us. When Nate and I get there we will discuss our next move. We have to watch how we operate this far from my connections."

"About how long?"

"Give us an hour at best. Stay safe Fox, and same goes for Hound."

"You too Wolf, and keep Jessica safe."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

He hung up, and I tossed my phone across the bed as I went looking for a shirt. Johnny was at my door fully dressed with his Glock at the ready. I got him up to speed easy enough. Once he knew our parents were safe all bets were off.

"I'm so tired of this shit! I know we brought this on ourselves, but I'm tired of being scared all the damn time!"

"You and me both Hound. You got the Mossberg?"

"I do. You keeping the rifle on you?"

I nodded pulling it over my shoulder by the strap and slipping my .45 in my waistband.

"I'll watch the front and you watch the back. We need to be ready for anything."

He took off. I heard him rack a shell in the kitchen before I made it to the Living Room. I pulled the tv and the table it was on off the wall and into the middle of the room. I stood against the wall in the spot it once had watching the street outside.

My Grandfather's house was situated at one end of the small town. Out the back door we had the woods, and out the front was the street that went back to town. Across that street was more woods, and that swath of woodland went for a good mile or so back to town. It was a great place if you wanted to be secluded.

Bad for us because now Ricky didn't have to hold back. He could roll up with a small army if he wanted too, and the cops wouldn't even hear it. If we called them it would take easily thirty minutes before anyone was here. Plenty of time for us to get riddled with holes.

"Should we just book it? Call Adalwolf back and tell him to meet us somewhere else?"

"We move and wave got nothing but open road for easily a mile. If they are coming for us that's a mile with no cover in a car that isn't built for ice."

That black top stood out pitch as night against the snow on either side. I was a damn good driver, but being chased on ice was just asking for me to wrap us around a tree.

"If Wolf wanted us to move he would have told us to. I trust his decision making and he shouldn't be more than an hour out. We give him an hour and ten. If he doesn't show we call him then move."

"Right, now what are we going to do about Jessica? I know we don't have much experience with fire fights, but we have a hell of a lot more than her. What do we do with her if this goes South?"

"Cross that bridge when we come to it. When we get clear of this place we can figure out a safe place to drop her."

The minutes ticked by in tense silence. Every time Johnny shifted his position I jumped a little. My nerves were frayed to hell, and I kept hoping that easy calm I felt back in Tony's shop would kick in.

The lack of sleep was creeping up however. The rifle was getting heavier and heavier in my hands as the minutes passed. Five turned into ten then thirty before anything happened. Thankfully it was the beautiful sight of my three-oh-two sliding into the drive. Right up next to the Fox Body.

I yelled something over my shoulder to Jack about Adalwolf being here. I bolted from my spot out the front door just as Adal was letting Jessica out of the back seat. I dropped my rifle somewhere between her and the front door, and then wrapped her up in a hug. I swept her right off her feet.

She squeaked and held on tight totally caught off guard by it. Her hair fluttered in the wind around her face when I spun her around. I was babbling something halfway coherent about being sorry I left and putting her in danger. I scanned over her face intently as she struggled to stay upright in my arms.

Her nose was bright red, and stained red down her upper lip. I gasped and sat her down pushing her hair back.

"Are you ok?! What happened?!"

She grabbed my hands and pulled them away shaking her hair back into place.

"I'm fine Jack I promise. I just hit my nose when I was looking for the Mustang's keys."

We stayed there for a moment quiet. Adal and Nate both passed me talking to Johnny, but I was somewhere lost in Jessica's eyes. Too far away to hear the conversation. She gave me a half hearted smile.

"This must have been hell for you..."

She shook her head tossing that cute shoulder length hair of hers. It brushed a little past her shoulders now. It had grown out a bit since I saw her in the ice cream bar back in October.

"Wasn't as bad as not knowing where the hell you've been. You had me and your parents worried sick."

I gave her the best sorry look I could with a weak smile. She shook her head again her smile replaced with one a little stronger.

"At least I know you're safe now. You and Johnny both."

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to so bad, but I faltered on it. Instead I stood up quickly and hugged her tight again. She did so too almost reluctantly.

"I never meant for it to get like this. I know I've been stupid as hell, but I never meant for it to get like this."

"Jack, I believe you. This is crazy, and the most irresponsible thing you've ever done, but I can't picture you wanting to hurt anyone. Let's go inside its cold out here."

She was right. It was damn cold. Only late November and it was pushing the coldest I had ever felt. We went inside then shut and locked the door. The door wouldn't stop a bullet, but at least it made me feel a little safer.

We all gathered around the kitchen table to talk up a game plan. Nate took the lead comfortable in the role as anything else. He spoke like he knew exactly what to do, and wasn't afraid to get it done.

"If nothing else I have no doubt we were being trailed. The way we pulled out of town like a bat out of hell they must have kept tabs on us. Any way we look at this stacks odds against us."

He pulled out a map. A general road map of the USA. It had been folded over many times in his back pocket so it took some doing to flatten it out.

"We are far from Adal's connections. This far North we are on our own. No back up can get here fast enough, and no doubt Ricky has got more people on us since its a lot easier for him to move outside of Adal's sphere of influence."

He pointed to Jessica standing next to me with a serious stare.

"Plus, we have a civilian in the crossfire. Waiting is suicide, and moving might very well be a bad idea too. I say we take the lesser of two evils. Jack, I want you driving one car, and Ill drive the other as a diversion."

"Which one should I take?"

"Whichever one you feel comfortable with. Since you are clearly the better driver of the two of us you should take Jessica and get clear."

"I'll take the fox body then. Is anyone else going with me?"

"You can handle yourself in a firefight can't you?"

I paused for a moment thinking on the question. I had done it before, and each time I dealt with it well in my opinion. Better than your average person I assumed.

"I think I can. I've held my own twice before."

"Then I'd rather you went alone. I expect a fire fight on my end, and I'd like what power I can get. Once you hit the road go South out of town, and don't stop till you hit the interstate. After that keep driving till you get word from us, and if you don't get word in a whole day assume we are dead. If that happens head for Adal's house."

I nodded. Johnny and Adal agreed on the terms. We had a set plan now. I fired up the fox body getting it warmed up and did the same for the three-oh-two. Both cars idled in the drive while we gathered ammo and the food we had left in the house.

Before we could get out tires screeched across the road outside. Nate snapped to the wall in the front room peeking out the window. About the same time a bullet smashed through shattering the glass.

"We got targets!"

He yelled as he returned fire a bit blindly.

I dove to the ground with Jessica. Johnny snatched the shotgun off the kitchen table and dove under the window blind firing back. Adal covered myself and Jessica as I moved her behind the counter in the kitchen.

She was panicked and shaking, but holding it together rather well.

"What are we going to do now Wolf!?"

I had to yell over the chaos at him. Adal glanced over his shoulder to me flashing a fierce smile.

"The three of us will cover you! Take Jessica out the back door, and get to the car!"

Off the table I grabbed my colt and my grandfather's 308. I yelled across the house to Johnny and peeked from behind the counter to slide his Glock across the floor to him. He scooped it up and returned fire again with the Mossberg.

"We got you Fox!"

He said with a wink and a smile. That carefree attitude of his seemed like a way to cope with the horrific scene around us. What ever worked for him. I slipped the 308 strap over my shoulder and my small backpack over the other.

"Jessica, stick close and stay behind me. Got it?"

She nodded quickly wide eyed like a deer in headlights. I tried to make it seem like I knew what I was doing for her sake. I took her hand with my right and leveled my gun in front of me with my left. We kept low going out the back, and thankfully the back yard was clear.

We made our way around the back to the left side of the house, and I caught sight of two men making a bee line for the back. Too far off for me to trust my shot with the Colt.

"Get down Jess!"

She dove for the ground and I slipped the rifle off my shoulder effortlessly. I found the sweet spot for it and placed the crosshair right on the first one's head.

I didn't even hear the shot. My ears had gone deaf to the harsh white noise of the guns. My eye locked right on the head as blood sprayed like a mist out of the other side. When he dropped his friend spotted me. My shaking hands worked the bolt action as quick as I could without taking my eye off the target.

He leveled some kind of rifle at me. From where I was and in all the panic I couldn't tell what it was. I pulled the trigger again sending a bullet in the front of his neck and out the back. The man stumbled to the snow-covered ground, and slipped in it trying to scramble back to his feet.

Instinct drove me to put another shot in the top of his shoulder. He went still after that. I tried not to let the sick feeling in my stomach creep up. A horrible feeling of fear and sickness wrapped around my stomach as tight as a vice.

I worked the bolt action again sending the spent shell spiraling off the side. I shouldered the gun and grabbed Jessica's hand again pulling her along with me. I bolted holding the Colt out ready for a reaction shot.

She slipped and stumbled but managed to keep up somehow. We came to the front at full speed only stopping when we slammed into the side of the fox body. I opened the door and told her to climb over to the passenger side.

Along with the others in the house I laid down what covering fire I could with eight rounds. I emptied the clip and dove in. Two SUVs blocked the entrance and a few bodies laid splayed out across the lawn. I gunned it dropping into first gear and ripping up the drive.

I cut the wheel hard to the left just as a flurry of bullets skipped up the side of the fox body. I smashed right through the faded picket fence and took out the mail box along the way. Once I caught traction on the road I was gone. A few shots rang out behind, and one shattered out the back window but Jessica and I made it out in one piece.

Once behind the wheel I was in my element. I had nothing but open, two lane, forest road for a good while to put distance between myself and the guys at the house. The road was slick with a few spots of ice, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

"You ok Jessica? You take any hits?"

"Uh... No... No, I think I'm fine. I just smashed my knee a good one getting over the center console."

"How bad? Think you can still walk?"

"Yeah I can walk."

She was breathing erratically. Random gasps for air interrupted words as she held on to the door with one hand, and her seat with the other.

"Just breath Jess. We are clear. I've got us now."

"I know..."

She was still gasping for air. As we rounded a softly banking bend two SUVs passed us. Both screeched to a halt as soon as we passed. In the rear view I could see them whip around to chase.

I swore to myself then reached over to take her hand. She grabbed on with bone crushing strength. I had to bite my lip not to yelp at the sudden pain.

"We got tails Jessica. This is going to get a little sketchy. You trust my driving right?"

She looked to me. Her pupils threatened to swallow up the pretty brown color in her eyes. She nodded quickly squeezing my hand even harder.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Enough to trust your life on it?"

"Yes."

No hesitation. That made me smile a little. I took my hand back and rested it on the shifter.

"Put your seatbelt on, and hold tight."

She fumbled to click the belt into place just as I gave the car an aggressive downshift before a curve. The car gripped up and held on. All the g-force pulled on us to the left gripping at us like a beast trying to rip us out of the car.

The SUVs behind couldn't keep up in the turn. When it went straight I hammered down. The motor roared as if it was brand new. Thanks to Adal's repairs the car was in top shape. After another curve I saw ahead two black SUVs blocking the road.

Without thinking too much about how crazy it was I cut the wheel to the right and plowed right into the snowy ground. The ground on both sides of the road was a little sloped so to keep from sliding into the trees I had to steer back up the slope.

The back wheels broke loose and the car went a little sideways as we flew right passed the SUVs meant to be a blockade. With a little finesse and some counter steering I managed to toss the back end back up onto the road.

In the rear view I saw both SUVs tailing us try the same thing only to collide with the blockade. I smirked to myself and drove out third and fourth gear before I hit another banking turn.

On the other side of it I saw an old black Charger sitting right off the road. As soon as I flew by it the car kicked into gear and chased after. I groaned and tried to get a good look in the rear view.

"What is it?"

Jessica asked picking up on my unease.

"That car on our tail. It's a charger I'd say 06. No way Ricky would send one without a V8 after me so it's probably got three forty to three fifty horse power. Ive got two thirty-five."

The dodge was gaining a bit. I down shifted and tried my best to leave it, but it didn't plan on letting me get far. Ahead another banking turn started, and from my own memory I knew that eventually we would hit some more twisty roads.

"I am damn near a thousand pounds lighter, and I'm smaller. I know the fox body can corner better. It's just a matter of if that's enough to get us away."

She closed her eyes tight and held onto the door like her life depended on it. I took the turn harder then I felt comfortable and the back end tried to kick out. I kept the car under control for the most part and put a bit more distance on the charger.

In the straights he was gaining a bit. I tried to hold on for a few softer turns, but without the twists he would catch us. Thankfully we hit them. I saw the first turn coming up quick. Jessica must have opened her eyes to catch it and started screaming.

The closer we got the louder she got. Once I ripped the hand break and apexed the turn she was at the top of her lungs. After the turn she gasped in air, and I thought for a second she might have just passed out. Until the next turn came up and she started again.

I slid right through the turn and down shifted on the other side of it. My tires broke loose trying to get up and go but I managed. Ice was becoming more frequent as the twisted little race went on.

The charger stayed on as best it could, but in the turns, I was beating him. A civilian car came up quick as I was using their lane. I cut the wheel hard and fish tailed a little coming back into my lane. I over corrected throwing the tail the other way, and used the momentum to fuel my next turn.

That really put good distance between me and the charger. Behind me I heard bullets ring out. Whoever was driving got tired of losing apparently. The next part was a straight leading up to another turn that went right into a bridge over a river.

I smashed the gas and rowed through the gears trying to keep my lead, but the charger still had me on the straights. It gained on me. Not a hell of a lot, but It made up a bit of distance. Gun shots cracked out from behind and bullets skipped up the back of the fox body.

A few more came, and then one more round before the turn. I grabbed the e-break ready to rip it for the turn just as the next volley of bullets came. They clattered against the car and one flew past us shattering my windshield.

I moved my arm ready to pull the handbrake when suddenly a searing pain ripped through my arm. Out of instinct I let go of the break recoiling from the pain just as another blossom of fire erupted in my shoulder.

When I realized that I had been shot a certain kind of shock set in. I didn't have to deal with that for long, because without the e-break I understeered the turn, and smashed into the railing on the bridge.

I watched as the sky became the ground and the ground became the sky. Once, twice, three times before a sudden impact. The whole car jolted to a stop as it smashed into the icy river under the bridge. My head bounced off the steering wheel with the force of the crash blacking me out.

I remember bits and pieces of struggling with my seat belt before getting it off. Water rushed into the interior due to the windows being blown out. I checked to see where Jess was, but her seat was empty by the time I got my belt off. I faded back and forth between consciousness and a blackout. I pulled myself free of the car from my shattered window before it all went black.