Hard Fucking Death Core

BONUS CHAPTER 3

"Get down on your knees with your hands up!"

Everything seems to get frozen around us for a second: I hold my breath and look at Olivia scared, waiting for her reaction, but she's still staring at Madison, dazzled, and doesn't realize that the officer is yelling at her. Actually, everything happens very fast despite my brain seems to process it in slow motion. People that were still in the restaurant scream scared and the police helps them to run out, the hotel staff go to hide in the kitchen or behind the counters, the kidnapper seems to notice that something goes wrong and looks around, frowning angrily. Madison seems to be paralyzed holding the plate full of chocolate cakes and Zu and Ruby are the first ones to react.

"Get down, damn it!" The drummer growls grabbing Lzzy's arm and pulling hard so she kneels down behind the pizza counter before pushing Taylor, who drops her plate, startled, and it shatters against the floor. The loud noise seems to snap Ruby back to reality and she grabs my wrist and Mads' arm, pulling our bodies towards the Hardcores because they've found a safe refuge, I almost bump into the glass of the display case that protects the food when I step on a cake and my sneakers slip on the cream but I manage to sit down next to Zu.

"Madison!" Olivia cries anxiously, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and the bass player throws her plate at her, mini cakes fly everywhere and they end up squashed on the kidnapper's face and jacket but a strawberry coated in cream lands on Ruby's dark hair before she manages to kneel down next to me followed by Mads who flops down on Taylor's lap and on top of my thigh too. We all bunch together behind the counter, hugging each other while the police scream louder.

"Put the gun down!"

"Madison!"

"You're fucking nuts!" The blonde bass player shouts out to be heard over the chaos and Lzzy pinches her arm furiously while Zu hugs her tight. "Ouch! What the hell are you doing?"

"Are you dumb or something? Do not tell that to the crazy pussy that's holding a weapon... she's going to get angrier and..." Suddenly, a single shot almost deafens us all and I cover my ears with my hands while pieces of pizza fall over our heads. "I told you!"

"Drop the gun, now!" A new shot echoes across the room and brick dust falls from the ceiling while the police yell, Taylor cries, Madison and Lzzy fight and Ruby shakes her head and growls that she needs a joint. "Catch her, damn it!"

"You never get bored, don't you?" I ask exasperatedly and Zu shakes her head, giggling nervously. "Mads, get off my lap, you weight a ton."

"You didn't say that to me last night," the pretty blonde growls but she twists till she manages to sit down on the floor. "Smile, bitches, someone is taking pics."

"What? Shit..." Ruby heaves a sigh wearily watching the waiters sticking their phones through the kitchen door while the police struggle to handcuff Olivia, they finally took her gun and threw her to the floor but she's kicking and crying Madison's name nonstop. "They're also recording videos... Say hello..." The Hardcores wave their hands and the hotel staff waves back kindly.

"This is surreal," I tilt my head back, leaning it on the small wall behind me. "I bet it's everywhere now and will be trending topic on Twitter, I'll have to write an official statement to explain what happened here before the tabloids blow things out of proportion... Why do you always make me work so hard?"

"I'll give you a raise, baby girl," Ruby whispers next to me, kissing my cheek.

"You have a strawberry on your hair..."

"You can all get up, we've managed to arrest that woman and will lock her up in a cell immediately." The police officer smiles kindly and I realize no one is crying anymore and everything seems quieter. Taylor sticks her head over the counter cautiously and nods, Zu helps Lzzy to get up and Ruby takes my phone to be able to look at her reflection in order to get rid of the piece of fruit and cream stuck to her hair.