by Harley Tate
“One possible in the front, guarding the entrance. I couldn’t get a real good look, but he wasn’t dressed like a security guard.”
“Weapon?” Raymond asked.
“Looked like an AR.”
“Then we go in the back. Low and fast.” Raymond reached out and squeezed Danny’s shoulder. “You all right?”
Danny gulped. “I think so.”
“Good, because I need you to identify your girl.”
Danny didn’t correct him, afraid his voice would crack.
Raymond led the way to a rear door and gave it a yank. It opened without a sound, the electronic lock not engaged. He snorted. “Too cheap to hook up the whole building, I guess.” He sneaked inside with Danny tight behind him and Owen taking up the rear.
They crept down a hall with frosted glass doors and new tile flooring. As it opened into a main area, light leaked from a gap beneath a door twenty feet away.
“That must be it.” Owen eased forward, body hugging the wall. “I’ll look for the sentry.”
As he peeled off the wall, a man stepped into view. Big and broad-shouldered with a goatee and tats covering his arm, he didn’t look like a resident. Owen slinked behind him, silent on the tile. He raised his M-4 behind his head and brought it down hard on the back of the man’s skull.
One down. Owen dragged the man out of the open area and back behind the reception desk while Raymond ushered Danny forward. They crossed the main area together.
As they neared the door to the model apartment, it swung open and a man Danny didn’t recognize stepped out. Behind him, a ceiling light lit the living room like a museum scene.
Midge sat on a massive white sofa, curled into a ball. Big G was right beside her, leaning over and whispering. She shuddered and eased away, but he reached out and grabbed her by the hair. Big G yanked and Midge fell into his lap as he lifted his head.
He shouted at one of his men, “Shut the damn door! I need a little privacy here!”
Danny fought the urge to run forward as the man who’d stepped outside slammed the door shut. Midge was in there and she needed his help. He leaned back against the wall, chest heaving in anger and frustration.
Raymond hadn’t moved a muscle. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I take it that was Midge.”
Danny nodded.
“And the guy with her?”
“Big G himself.”
Raymond blew out a puff of air. “Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.”
Chapter Sixteen
MIDGE
Saturday, 5:00 am CST
The Flats of Avondale, Chicago
A couch big enough for eight people and Big G insisted on crowding right next to Midge. His thigh rubbed hers every time he leaned forward to pick up his beer and when she inched away, he inched closer.
Maybe if she pretended to be a block of ice, he’d grow bored and leave her alone. As he chugged the rest of the can, she slid further away. He tossed the empty beer across the room. “Yo, T-Bone, get me another drink.”
A sentry pushed himself off the hallway wall and sauntered into the kitchen. From Midge’s vantage point, she’d put eyes on three men plus Big G. One was outside on patrol, one was in the bedroom, and T-Bone was bending over and pulling a beer from the fridge.
All sported guns and bad attitudes. She glanced at the pistol resting on Big G’s thigh. The black barrel pointed straight at her heart.
She swallowed and checked the clock on the wall. Just past five in the morning. Midge’s eyelids drooped, her head ached, and if she didn’t sleep for at least an hour or two soon, she would begin to lose her grip on reality. Big G’s thigh brushed hers again and she blinked to wake herself up.
What about Danny and Jessica? Midge had caught a glimpse of the two men who chased him down the street. They outweighed him by fifty pounds a piece and were built for speed. He might have had DuBois’s gun, but did he even know how to use it? Midge had to assume the worst. Danny was dead and Big G’s thugs would come back to the apartment soon to rest. She had to get out of there before then. If she didn’t…
Sunlight would stream through the windows soon, bringing a new day and the threat of more than just Big G. If a nuclear bomb detonated downtown, was she far enough away? Could she survive the heat and force of the blast in this apartment building?
When Big G’s men dragged Midge into the building, she didn’t see any evidence of a basement. The floor-to-ceiling apartment windows didn’t give her much confidence. It was too exposed and too close to downtown. She would never survive.
T-Bone strode up, icy cold beer in his hand. He held it out to Big G. “It’s the last one.”
Big G snatched the can with a scowl. “Then you better go out and get some more!” He waved at the man with the beer, sloshing foam over the lip. “Now!”
T-Bone frowned and opened his mouth, presumably to complain, but he shut it before saying a word and turned toward the door. “I’ll take JoJo with me.”
“Whatever. Just make sure you get the good stuff and not some fancy shit.”
Midge watched T-Bone yank the door open and step into the hall. Thanks to the light overhead, she couldn’t see more than a foot into the open space, but she knew that was the only way out. Somehow, she had to find a way.
As she leaned forward for a better look, Big G leaned in. “Now that we’re alone, how about you and I get a little better acquainted?”
Midge shuddered and eased away, but Big G was too fast. He slammed his beer on the table and reached out, grabbing her by the hair. Midge fell into his lap as he lifted his head and shouted, “Shut the damn door! I need a little privacy here!”
The door slammed shut and after a moment, Big G released his grip on her hair. His hand ran down her head and over her back. “Now, where were we?”
Coming up with ways to kill you with my bare hands. Your neck’s too thick, so that option’s out.
“You want some of my beer? Looks like you need to loosen up.” Big G waggled the can in front of her face.
Midge glowered, but didn’t say a word.
He chuckled. “I get it. You’re still hurt that I took your boy.” He took a sip and pointed the can at her. “Don’t worry, in a few days, you’ll be thanking me. I know how to treat the ladies.”
“You say that to all the girls you kidnap or just me?”
Midge braced for a slap, but Big G just leaned back and laughed. “Oh, you are a feisty bitch, aren’t ya? Breakin’ you in sure will be nice.” He wiped at his lip with his thumb. “How ’bout we get started right now?”
As she shied away, the door to the apartment slammed open, hitting the wall so hard the couch shook. Big G rose up, but a burst of three gunshots drove him back. The ceiling light above their heads shattered, glass falling all around them. Midge dove for the floor as the lights in the kitchen and hall flicked off, plunging the apartment into darkness.
Bits of glass dug into her knees, but she knew she only had one chance. Midge crawled along the edge of the sofa until she felt the edge with her right hand. As she turned, a hand wrapped around her ankle and yanked.
Her arms slipped out from under her and her face hit the rug. She twisted around, her hair tangling with the broken glass, and kicked out with her free leg. Her boot hit something solid and Big G grunted in pain. She kicked again as she scrabbled for a grip along the sofa. Her hand found a metal leg and she grabbed it, holding on with all her strength as she landed blow after blow of her heel on his shoulders and face.
It wasn’t enough. He outweighed her by a hundred pounds and all the force of her frame was no match for Big G’s sheer size. Her kicks probably felt like a pebble bouncing off his shoulder, not a boulder or a block of cement.
More shots rang out as he dug his fingers into her thigh, dragging his weight over her body inch by inch. He didn’t care about the bullets or whoever was attacking his crib. He wanted her.
Midge ran her free hand over the carpet searching for something, anything, to use. Her fi
ngers tripped over a shard of the ceiling light and Midge wrapped her hand around it. The glass dug into her palm as she tightened her grip.
Big G slithered up her body, his head level with her waist. With a shout, she rose up, abs doing the heavy lifting, and curled over his body. She slammed the makeshift blade into the middle of his back. Big G screamed. Midge pulled the shard out and stabbed him again.
The damn monster didn’t stop. He clawed at her arm, rearing up with every thrust of her weapon.
“Die, damnit. Just die already!” She cursed and wailed, punches and kicks growing weaker with every pass. Blood coated her hand, a mix of hers and Big G’s and she fought the urge to collapse. Ringing in her ears eclipsed the sound of gunfire and turned the shouts all around her into static.
A fist flew out of the dark and collided with her temple. The world spun and Midge fell back to the floor as the apartment lights flared back to life.
Chapter Seventeen
MIDGE
Saturday, 5:30 am CST
The Flats of Avondale, Chicago
Midge blinked as the lights swam in her vision. This is it. Any second, Big G was going to grab his gun and shoot her in the face. She knew it. She could barely breathe, let alone fight. She’d tried her hardest and she’d lost.
Even if she died, her mom and sister had a chance. Midge held onto that last hope as she closed her eyes.
When the weight of Big G’s body lifted, she knew it was the end. A gun fired and she exhaled, lost opportunities and failures of the past day falling away as she braced for the bullet that never came.
Midge opened her eyes. Danny stood above her, shaggy hair in his face, arm outstretched, waiting. Midge’s mouth fell open as she held up her hand. Danny didn’t take it.
“You’re bleeding.” He crouched beside her and gently turned her hand over. Blood dripped onto the carpet. “You’re all cut up. You might need stitches.”
Midge couldn’t process any of his words. She sat up in a daze, unable to focus. “What happened?”
“Jessica’s husband. He saved me… and you.” Danny twisted around and Midge saw Big G’s body for the first time. A gunshot wound ruined the tattoo on his cheek and ripped his jaw apart.
Midge fell back against the sofa. “He’s dead.”
Danny nodded. “So are all of his men.”
“Are you two okay?” A large man dressed in a Chicago police uniform stared down at Midge and Danny.
“Midge, this is Raymond, Jessica’s husband.”
She managed a nod. “Thank you.”
“It’s our job.” A second cop came up beside Raymond. “The building’s clear. That was the last of them.”
Raymond motioned toward the other man. “This is my partner, Owen. If you two are able to travel, we should go.”
Danny spoke first. “Midge’s hand is torn up. She needs medical attention.”
“Not here.” Raymond glanced at the door. “My place isn’t far. We can regroup there and treat your hand.”
“Why don’t we set up here?” Owen pointed at the ad hanging on the wall. “It’s got power and a brand-new gym. The locks don’t work, but I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“We don’t know how many other men Big G has out there. He’s got to be running something illegal. If it’s drugs, his suppliers will come looking. We could be setting ourselves up for more trouble than we can handle.”
Midge agreed. “It’s not safe here.” She wanted to explain about the EMP and the bombs and what would happen next, but Raymond spoke up before she could begin.
“She’s right. Think about how easy it was to find this place. Even if we could eliminate the threat from Big G’s operation, we’d have somebody trying to take it every day until the power comes back.”
“The power isn’t ever coming back.” Midge’s words earned her a sharp look from Raymond and a surprised raise of the eyebrows from Owen. “We have bigger problems than a few criminals.”
“We’ll talk about that once we’re secure at my apartment.” Raymond pointed at her hand. “You need treatment.”
“Do you have any medical supplies?” Danny asked. “At your place?”
“A full trauma kit, yeah. I keep it in my car in case I’m a first responder.”
Danny turned to Midge. “Then we need to go to Raymond’s. I’ll grab a towel from the kitchen to slow the bleeding. Can you walk on your own?”
Midge nodded and pushed herself up to stand. She wobbled for a moment, but didn’t fall. “I’m good.” As she followed the men out of the apartment, a black bag caught her eye. It can’t be. She rushed over to the kitchen counter and almost whooped in glee. Her messenger bag.
Midge ripped it open with her good hand and looked inside. Her laptop was still inside. She laughed out loud.
“Something funny?”
“Wonderful is more like it.” She slung the bag over her head, wincing as the strap brushed a strip of rug burn on her cheek.
Danny walked around the counter, carrying a bulky towel. “Here, put this on your hand. It’s full of ice.”
Midge did as she was told, holding the towel on her palm. As they headed outside, the ice numbed the pain and she could think clearly for the first time since they saved her. “How far is it to your place?”
“About a mile.” Raymond led with his gun, sweeping the lobby as they eased toward the front door.
Midge stopped mid-stride and Danny stumbled into her. “Aren’t those—” She pointed toward a rack on the wall beside the entrance.
“Our bikes!” Danny rushed over and pulled his bike off the rack. “Guess Big G wasn’t as dumb as he looked. We can be at your place in no time.” Danny smiled at Raymond, but Midge wasn’t convinced.
“There’s only two and I don’t think I can steer with my hand.”
Owen spoke up. “I can walk.”
“You sure?” Raymond asked.
Owen nodded. “Yeah, I can scout for any more of Big G’s men and meet you at your place.” He nodded at Midge. “You think you can ride on the handlebars?”
Midge stared at the bikes. She hadn’t done that since she’d been a kid tagging along with her sister and her friends. “Probably.”
Raymond pulled her bike out and adjusted the seat before climbing on. “Give it a try.”
Midge clambered onto the handlebars and hooked her feet behind the posts sticking out on either side of the wheel. “It’ll work.”
“You sure?” Danny stared at the setup, brow tucked in concern.
Midge nodded. “It’s only a mile.”
Owen held the door while Raymond and Danny pedaled through the lobby and out to the sidewalk. Midge wobbled a bit, but didn’t fall. The ride to Raymond and Jessica’s place flew by, and before Midge even had a chance to think about what they would do next, Raymond pulled into a parking lot and stopped.
“This is it. We can carry the bikes upstairs. It’s only one flight.”
Danny and Raymond carried the bikes while Midge opened the doors and within minutes, they were crowding into Raymond’s living room with Jessica rushing out to meet them.
She wrapped her husband in a hug. “Thank goodness you found them.” As she pressed her cheek against his chest she smiled at Midge and Danny. “Are you all right?”
They both nodded.
Jessica pulled away from her husband. She’d showered and changed since Midge saw her last. Wearing gym clothes and no makeup, she looked younger than before and Midge wondered how far apart they were in age for the first time. Jessica closed the distance between them and curled her lips in a pained smile. “I’m so sorry I left you on the street.”
Midge shook her head. “Don’t apologize. You did the right thing. You have a baby to think about.”
Jessica glanced behind her toward the hall where the bedrooms must have been. “I know, but if Raymond hadn’t been home…If I hadn’t convinced him to find you…”
“It’s okay.” Danny stepped forward. “We’re alive and t
hat’s all that matters.”
While they talked, Raymond slipped past them and out the front door. Jessica asked about Big G and what had happened after he let her go. Midge finished explaining about the cuts on her hand and how she got them when the front door opened again.
Raymond came in carrying a black tactical backpack with a MED tape affixed to the front. Owen followed him inside and shut the door.
“I’ve got the med kit.” Raymond hoisted the bag higher in the air. “Will the kitchen table work?”
Danny nodded and Jessica led them through the cozy living room, around a play mat and big foam blocks for Caden, and into a tidy kitchen. A wood table filled the breakfast nook and Midge, Danny, and Owen crowded around it.
Jessica made herself busy heating water on the gas stove for tea and asking Raymond to pull out everything perishable in the fridge.
“We might as well eat it all before it goes bad, right?” Jessica tried to lighten the mood, but when she took one look at the dish towel soaked in Midge’s blood, she fell silent.
Midge held out her hand and Danny poured disinfectant all over her palm. She stomped a foot on the ground to combat the sting. He blotted her palm to clear the blood and leaned closer to inspect the wounds. “They aren’t as deep as I thought, but they need something to hold them together and give them a chance to clot. You won’t be able to use this hand for a while.”
Midge held up her undamaged left hand. “Lucky for me I’m a lefty.”
Danny grinned and pulled out a pack of butterfly bandages and gauze and set to work, easing the cuts together and smearing them with antibiotic ointment before using the bandages to keep them closed. When he’d finished, he placed a sterile nonstick pad on her palm and wrapped her whole hand in gauze before securing it with more closures. “There. Without stitches, that’s the best I can do.”
Midge nodded and stared at the bandage. Escaping Chicago one-handed wouldn’t be easy.
Jessica set a platter down piled high with lunch meat and veggies and containers of yogurt. “Everybody dig in. You’ve got to be starving.”
