by Jordan Ford
We’ve got the advantage of a small hill, and the truck picks up momentum quickly. I glance behind me. Riley’s still crouched against the wall, chatting with the attendant. I look into the store. The attendant’s scratching his head and looking at the wall of cigarettes behind the counter.
“Good work, Ry,” I whisper and push a little harder.
As soon as we’re out of sight, Kade jumps into the truck and starts it up. I jump in the other door and hope like hell Riley is just behind me.
A few seconds later he’s jumping into the truck and slamming the door closed.
“Let’s go!” he shouts.
Kade takes off down the road, the old truck grumbling at the speed. Leaning forward, he looks past me to Riley and restarts our prior conversation. “So are the Candellas like a crime family too?”
“I don’t know much about them.” Riley shrugs, unlocking his screen and going back into search mode.
“If we’re speculating that they’re taking things into their own hands, then we can assume they are.”
I rake my fingers through my hair. “So how’s that helping us? It still doesn’t tell us where she is.”
“Well, think about the crime movies we’ve seen. If you were them, what would you do with Chris?” Kade stares into the darkness while we all go quiet.
Neither of them have the courage to say it, so eventually I croak out what we’re all thinking. “I’d kill her and hide the body.”
“Where?” Riley whispers.
And then his phone starts ringing.
Staring at the number with a wrinkled frown, he cautiously answers it. “Hello?”
“Riley!”
My heart lurches into my throat as I hear the muffled sound of Chris’s voice. Snatching the phone out of Riley’s hand, I set it to speaker. “Chris, it’s me. Are you okay?”
She whimpers and pulls in a shaky breath. “They’re trying to kill me.”
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know. Some dock. There’s a cargo ship and containers. It’s not a huge place. There’s this old warehouse and I’m hiding in the office.” Her voice is rushed, panicky.
I look to Riley for answers. His face is bunched with concentration as he obviously runs through the geography of the area. “I need my phone.” He snatches it back, keeping Chris on speaker while he pulls up a map.
“Can you see any signs or names around you?” he asks.
“Um…” She sniffs and pulls in another shaky breath. “Wait.”
I hold my breath and think I hear the shuffling of papers, and then Chris’s punchy voice is back.
“There’s a bill for Dynamis Shipping Yard on the desk.”
Riley punches in the name while I assure Chris that we’re coming for her. “We’ll find you. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know, I just—” Her words are cut off by the sound of a gunshot. Her gut-wrenching scream blinds me and then the line goes dead.
“Chris?” I shout at the phone.
Riley grips the hardware and gives me a pained look before whispering, “Keep heading north, Kade. Turn left at the first intersection.”
Kade nods, his jaw locking as he pushes his foot to the floor.
Leaning forward, I hold my head and start begging. “Drive like the fucking wind, man. Please.”
#37:
A Life For A Life
Christiana
I crash behind the desk, cowering as another bullet hits the glass behind me. It punctures a hole through the window, cracks instantly forming. If the person shoots again, I’m going to be covered in shards. Crawling across to the wall, I scramble into the darkest corner and hunt for an escape. The framed picture above me smashes as another bullet fires inside. I scream and cover my head. Glass rains down around me, nicking my bare arms and catching in my hair.
“Shit,” I whimper and scramble to the opposite edge of the room.
The door bangs open, a pane of glass wobbling and shattering at my feet. I pull my legs away, pressing my back against the wall as Robbie’s sister steps into the room. Her heels crunch over glass. She walks in and spots me on the ground. Swiveling to face me, her upper lip curls with disgust as she aims the gun at my head.
“A life for a life,” she mutters.
I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the blackness.
Robbie’s twitching foot flashes through my mind. A dark look from the devil as he crouches over him. Then it’s all wiped away by Trey’s sweet smile, the touch of his fingers on my face, the way he tastes on my lips.
“Chris,” he whispers.
If it’s the last sound in my head before I die, I don’t mind so much. He’s overtaken my heart; it makes sense that he’s filling my head when I take my final breath.
A squeal of tires makes my eyes pop open.
I’m looking straight down the barrel of a gun.
And then a shot is fired.
I think it’s hers.
I flinch, expecting pain…darkness…light. Whatever’s supposed to happen after death.
But instead the gun falls away and her body drops to the ground. Her head lolls to the side, staring straight at me with a chilling, lifeless gaze.
Blood oozes from a wound in her forehead.
I cover my mouth with my hand, my entire body convulsing. I can’t take my eyes off her inert face.
“Christiana?”
I freeze.
“Christiana!”
Dad?
He rushes into the room, his face white with fear as he scans the chaos. His eyes connect with mine and his shoulders sag with relief.
I take his outstretched hand and he helps me off the floor, cradling me against his broad chest and cupping the back of my head. “It’s okay now, bambina. You’re safe.”
I want to cry, to curl into a ball and nestle in his embrace until I wake up from this nightmare.
But I can’t quite do it.
Because I’m still in the middle of this storm and I know things about this man trying to comfort me, things I probably always suspected but never wanted to admit.
I go stiff when he wraps his coat around my shoulders and guides me outside. A black SUV is parked on an angle near the containers. Dad’s driver is standing in front, a gun at his side.
The back door of the vehicle whips open and Mom rushes out from behind the tinted glass.
“Ana,” she sobs. Pulling me into her arms, she kisses my cheek and squeezes me to her. “We’ve been looking for you for weeks.”
“How’d you find me?” I mumble against her shoulder.
“We’ve been tracking the Candellas ever since this happened,” Dad answers. “I knew they’d come after you. They don’t care who shot their son. They’re just using it as an excuse!” he spits. “I’ve had someone on the inside, watching their every move.”
Brutus lumbers out from behind the car, giving me a hard glare before resting against Dad’s SUV.
He works for my father? Then why the hell did he let me get beat so bad?
Why did he chase me?
Dad reads my angry expression and interprets it correctly. Patting my shoulder with a gentle smile, he explains. “He couldn’t risk giving himself away. I told him to make sure you stayed alive. But we need him to remain on the inside.”
I glare at my father. He doesn’t even look sorry.
Brushing his finger over my swollen eye, he gently whispers, “Bruises heal, bambina. You will be fine. You must understand, we always have to watch them. That’s how we stay ahead.” Mom rubs my back while Dad keeps talking, his voice hard and unforgiving. “They cannot be trusted. They are crooked in business…and in life.” His voice cracks.
I pull away, looking up at Mom’s broken expression before turning to my father. “She said I had a brother. Is that true?”
Mom whimpers and covers her mouth.
“Why did you never tell me?”
“It was too painful.” Dad’s face crests with unresolved agony. “Your mother w
as distraught and could not move on until we wiped him from the house. When you were born, we decided it was best to treat you like our one and only.” He smiles and pats my shoulder, but there’s still something in his gaze that’s holding me back. “Enough talking now. We need to get you home.”
Mom gently tugs my arm, urging me to the car.
I stand my ground. “I can’t go home.”
Mom whips back to face me. “Christiana, no!” she snaps, fear dancing across her face. “Stop this craziness.” Her eyes dart to my father, then back to me. Her gaze is bright with desperation. “Please.”
I look away from her, silently begging my father—one last thread of futile hope that what I think is true actually isn’t. “This has to end. I know he’s your brother but he killed an innocent—”
“Christiana, get in the car.” Dad’s face takes on a hard edge.
In spite of my fear, I shake my head and grit out, “Robbie didn’t kill your son. He had nothing to do with any of that! He deserves justice.”
Dad steps over to me, getting in my face. His nostrils flare, his eyes ringed with rage. “He was a Candella! You let that boy touch you. Marco only did what was right.”
“Robbie was innocent! He was a good person and didn’t deserve to die. I’m not going to stand by while another killer goes free!”
“He is your uncle, not just some killer.”
I raise my chin, not backing away from my father’s venom. “He pulled the trigger on an unarmed man. He’s no different than any of them! And he can rot in jail for all I care.”
Dad’s face puffs with anger. He raises his hand.
“Lucca, no!” Mom darts between us. “Enough! She is already hurt. Please, just let me take my baby home.”
The sound of Mom’s broken whisper makes Dad fold. Stepping away, he nods and tips his head at the car.
But I’m not ready to stop fighting.
Shaking my head, I take a trembling step away from my mother while turning to my father with a heart-wrenching appeal. “Please, you can’t condone this. You have to let me testify. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Family first!” he booms, his eyes popping wide. “He is my brother.”
“He’s the devil. He killed a harmless teenager who was nothing but nice to me! Robbie was my friend!”
Dad’s dark eyes gleam, his voice softening with a husky reply that feels like a knife blade. “He was only doing what I told him to.”
I flinch, staggering away from the righteous fury in my father’s gaze. No. I didn’t want that to be true. I didn’t want to believe it!
“A life for a life,” he whispers. “I always keep my promises.”
Stumbling back, I find my footing and edge away from the SUV.
“Get in the car,” he warns.
“Never.” My black voice is unrecognizable.
Stepping forward, Dad grabs for my arm but I push him off me. “Christiana! If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”
“Please, no,” Mom begs, shaking her head as tears fill her eyes.
I can’t do it.
What makes my life more valuable than Robbie’s?
I won’t be a part of this. I can’t turn my back on what’s right.
Spinning away from my family, I wrap Dad’s coat around my trembling body and start walking.
“Get back here!” Dad roars.
I ignore him, my shoulders set, my will unbreakable.
“Bring her back,” he orders. “Use whatever force you need to.”
“Lucca, please!” Mom screams.
The sound of pounding footsteps approach from behind.
I pick up my pace and start sprinting.
#38:
Save Her!
Trey
Kade screams into the dock. I slam into Riley as we veer around the corner and rocket down the hill. The gates are already open and we bump our way through, praying like crazy that Riley found the right place on the map.
The dock is lit, revealing a rusty warehouse with smashed-up windows…and the one person we’re looking for. She’s sprinting like crazy, a winter coat flying off her shoulders as she swerves towards us. Her face is bloody and bruised, the fear in her eyes stark and unnerving.
Kade slams on the brakes. The truck screeches to a halt just as Chris hits the hood.
“Help me!” she yells as her hands slap onto the metal.
Then she sees me.
Her face crests with relief, her body trembling as she trips around the car. Riley’s out the door in a second, making way for me to reach her when the bullets start flying.
“Shit!” Kade hits the seat, covering his head while the windshield smashes into a million pieces.
“Chris!” I crunch over the glass and slip out the door, leaping over Riley to reach her.
Riley grabs my arm and yanks me back. “You crazy?”
A bullet pings off the door we’re hiding behind.
“Let me go!” I growl, shaking him off me. “I’ve gotta get her!”
I’m not letting fear stop me this time. I’m not hiding from bullets so Chris can die in a different way to my mother.
I go to move but another bullet warns me away, this time followed by a wailing woman. “Stop shooting! Don’t kill her!”
I glance through the glass and spot a lady running across the space. She looks middle-aged, with long brown hair and mascara running down her pale cheeks.
“Ana!” she cries.
Ducking down, I spot Chris’s feet and ease around the door to reach her.
“Chris,” I whisper, holding out my hand. “Come on.”
She looks up at me, her eyes bright with fear. “I don’t want them to hurt you.”
“I’m not leaving without you.” I shake my head, flicking my fingers for her to take my hand.
A barrel-chested man runs past the crying woman and stops next to the towering guy aiming a gun at us.
The woman stops between them, slapping the gun wielder and cursing in a language I don’t understand. “He told you to catch her, not kill her!”
The big guy takes a step back, but doesn’t lower his gun.
Scrutinizing me with an angry glare, he then looks to Chris, his finger twitching on the trigger.
“Lower your gun!” the woman screams.
“Stop this,” the other man snaps. He’s looking at Chris, his cheeks quivering like he’s only just controlling his rage. “Come with me now and it will all go away. No one has to get hurt.”
Snatching my hand, Chris lets me help her up and then steps away from me. She rests her trembling fingers against the hood. Goose bumps are rippling over her bare arms. She’s shivering. From cold or fear, I’m not sure. I just need to get her out of here…someplace warm and safe.
“Chris, let’s go.”
She glances at me then back at the distressed woman. Black tears are still running down the lady’s face, her body jerking with quiet sobs.
The rumbling engine seems to cough as we all stand there in tense silence.
I check on Riley. He’s slipped back into the truck, his expression unreadable as he stares at the guy who’s obviously the boss.
Kade is gripping the wheel, ready to bolt.
“I’m not going with you, Dad.” Chris finally shakes her head.
My stomach shoots into my throat. Dad? Is she freaking kidding?
Her father looks like he’s running out of patience. His voice is a very controlled calm, the kind that gives you chills. “Do the right thing.”
Chris raises her chin. “I am.”
The man’s face crumples with pain as he pulls a gun from the back of his pants and aims it at Chris.
“No, Lucca!” the woman screams. “Don’t do this! She’s your daughter! Don’t kill another that you love!”
Mr. Sorrentino’s expression distorts, his face bunches with regret before turning ugly with rage. “I won’t let her. My brother will not go to jail over a Candella! I couldn’t tolerate it then, and I wo
n’t do it now!”
Shoving the woman aside, he ignores her cry as she tumbles to the ground.
“Mom!” Chris yells as the man takes another step closer to killing his daughter.
I can’t let it happen.
I dive forward, ready to tackle Chris to the ground, but the towering guy who was shooting bullets before raises his gun again.
We’re both in the line of fire now but I’m not stopping. All I can think about is protecting Chris.
She gasps, her eyes rounding as she does exactly what I’m trying to do—put my life on the line to save her.
I thought I was playing the hero but it turns out I’m catching one instead.
A gunshot rings out.
I grab Chris just as her body jerks and flops against my chest.
The first thing I feel is warm liquid oozing into my shirt.
“No, no, no. Please, no.” I pull Chris tighter against me.
Another gunshot. My head jerks up in time to see Mr. Sorrentino kill the man who shot Chris. The towering guy drops to the concrete, his head lolling to the side. Chris’s father lowers his gun, his chest heaving, his skin pale when he turns to gape at his daughter.
The woman is screaming. “You killed her! You killed my baby!”
“I just killed the man who shot her!” he growls.
“You’re responsible!” Her body convulses with sobs as she pounds the man’s back. He ignores her rage, standing still while she pummels his back and screams hysterically.
The distant sound of sirens carries through the air behind us. It’s so faint, I have to strain to confirm what I’m hearing.
Mr. Sorrentino snaps out of his stupor and roughly grabs his wife. She wrestles against him as he tugs her towards the SUV. “We must go. It’s too late. It’s too late.”
“No,” the woman sobs. The SUV screeches to a halt beside them. The woman starts struggling that much harder and I look up in time to catch her eye. I don’t know if she can read my mind or what, but something in my expression must give her hope because she goes still and mouths, “Save her.”
