Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 93284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
He dropped to his knees and spread them as far apart as he could. His hands stayed behind his head. I walked up behind him and withdrew his gun from his holster, placing it into the small of my back in the waist band of my jeans. My own gun I kept in my hand and patted him down with the other. I was just pulling out his thirty eight from his ankle holster when I his head fell forward and he twisted and tried to take out my knee.
I twisted out of his way in time for his elbow to just brush my knee. His body fell off balance and fell face first, catching himself on his hands. His hand fisted, and then the next thing I felt were granules of dirt being thrown into my face. I got my arm up in time to deflect the sand from one eye, but not the other.
My eyes started to water, but I watched intently to see his next move. I was spoiling for a fight, and I just needed a legitimate reason to give to the police for killing him. He charged up from the floor and barreled into my legs, taking me down onto the ground with him. I let him take me down, because the cameras that were recording us needed to see him make the first move.
He got in one punch before I took over. I let out all of my aggression by punching him over and over in the face. By the time James pried me off of him, he was barely recognizable. His face was a bloody mess, and I relished in the fact that he may have a crushed cheek bone and eye socket on his left side. Max walked up to him and kicked him in the ribs, and then bent down to get what information he could out of him.
“Got him, Cap.” James said to me.
I shook off his hold, and moved further away from him, standing next to the door. I could hear the sirens and crunch of tires pulling up outside on the gravel, and I wanted to make sure I was far away from him when the cops finally made it inside.
Once the cops were in it became a flurry of activity. The other men who were outside were loaded up into the cruisers with guards standing sentry watching over them.
Malcolm was given medical treatment by the paramedics, and then loaded up onto a stretcher. I watched him cautiously, because I felt he was really laying it on thick with the paramedics. I hadn’t hurt him so badly that he couldn’t walk, and knew that he was up to something.
Just as I was about to inform the young cop that he should cuff him to the gurney Malcolm reacted with a flurry and had the cop’s gun in no time flat. He pulled the smaller of the paramedics in front of him, and had the gun pointed at her temple. Everyone around him backed off to give him some room when he demanded it.
I had my .45 out and pointed at his head, just like everyone else was doing. Unfortunately I didn’t have a shot. Malcolm pulled the young woman in front of him just right, and put his back to the open bay doors of the ambulance.
“Let her go.” I demanded of Malcolm.
“You are not ruining this for me. I go out my way.” Malcolm replied.
One of the younger cops started to make a move to Malcolm’s right, and instead of Malcolm taking his gun and pointing it at the cop, he turned the gun and pointed it straight at me, smiled and fired. I heard another gun discharge at almost the same instant, but it was too late for me.
In the seconds before the gun fired, I locked my eyes with Malcolm, but didn’t see him. There were over fifteen people in the open area in front of the warehouse, but I didn’t see them. I was seeing Cheyenne’s eyes. I was seeing two fat chubby little girls with golden ringlets surrounding their smiling faces. I was seeing Cheyenne walking down the aisle. I knew I wasn’t going to make it, and I prayed harder than I ever have prayed before.
I felt the bullet slam into my neck, and it threw me off of my feet. I landed on the ground, but didn’t feel the impact. I tried to raise my hands to my throat, but my arms wouldn’t cooperate. Warm blood was running down the sides of my neck and into the hair at my nape. I closed my eyes, and opened them again to see Max standing above me. He was saying something to me, but my mind didn’t comprehend. I watched as there was a flurry of activity around me, but slowly I lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I was so tired.
JAMES
11:47 P.M.
Jack, Gabe, Max and I were standing at the end of the hall nearest the operating room door when Cheyenne came running in. I turned and watched her come. My heart hurt for her. Ember and Elliott were at her side making sure she didn’t fall, but she only had eyes for me. Her face was tear stained, and she was shaking like a leaf. I opened my arms when she got close and she hit me with such force that I had to take a step back. I wrapped my arms around her and held her rocking slowly.
“How is he?” she said into my chest.
“He lost a lot of blood, honey.” I said to her. ”He was shot in the upper chest, through his clavicle. It nicked an artery, but we got to him quick-“
Cheyenne suddenly lost her footing and would have fallen to the floor but I was able to catch her. I looked down, but her eyes were rolling back into her head.
“Cheyenne!” I screamed.
She was taken from me and laid down on the floor; nurses were all running to us, asking what was going on. A doctor that was at the nurse’s station came and dropped down to his knees, a gurney being pushed by another nurse following slowly behind. They loaded her onto the gurney and I watched as a second person that I dearly loved was taken away from me.