The Chosen Ones

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Shannon put Tyler up on the kitchen counter, his favorite spot. It was now around 10:00. Once again they left a crime scene in a hurry. Sooner or later they were going to leave evidence behind. This might even have been that time. Shaun made a comment when they were driving back that his apartment complex had security cameras. On top of that there was so much commotion, there had to have been some neighbors that saw something.

They were just too new at this, and with that came sloppiness. If they didn't get it together Milligan wouldn't be knocking to ask them questions, he'd be putting them in handcuffs.
"I'm sorry." Casey said to the group. "It was reckless of me to leave Tyler alone."

Matt went over and hugged her. He kissed the top of her head.
"He's okay." He told her. Matt knew the hatred Casey had for this cult and her need to avenge her family clouded her judgement.

"Yeah." Shannon replied. "Just don't let it happen again." She tried to smile, but she was visibly upset with Casey. Her disdain for her had faded somewhat, and if this was a few days ago she would have been in her face for making that mistake. Shannon really liked Casey, and was trying her best to not go off on her. As much as she had come to like her however, her foremost loyalty still lied with Matt and Tyler.

"So did we kill them all?" Shaun asked.
"I don't think so." Phil answered.
"There were eight. I know at least two were dead. Shannon you killed one and Casey got one." Matt said.
"Gab got one too." Phil said, proudly. He nodded to her but she just looked away.

"Our odds are getting better." Shannon replied.
"They're down to twenty-three." Shaun said.
Gab wasn't even in the kitchen with the rest of the group anymore. She sat in the living room on the couch, knees together, staring down at her hands.

"Gab, you okay?" Phil asked. "You didn't get hurt did you?"
She just shook her head. Gab, who never threw a punch in her life just took part in a street fight with men twice her size, and she had come out unharmed while taking a man's life.

"Speaking of getting hurt." Shaun said. He lifted the sleeve of his shirt revealing a bloody cut from the slash he took to his arm.
"That ain't shit." Phil joked.
"C'mon, I'll clean it up for you." Shannon offered as she led him to the bathroom.

Matt felt all the guilt in the world that he had to let Shaun suffer because he couldn't tell the others about Tyler yet.
"What was with that girl Jenna?" Casey asked. "Do you guys know her?"
Phil let Matt take this one.

"We know her from around town. Went to high school with her. She's okay. I wouldn't worry about her." Matt replied.
"Do you think it was odd she was there?" Casey asked.

"Maybe, but she said she was seeing a friend there. We don't have a reason to think she was lying." Matt said.
"Yeah and she did help us. Who knows what would have happened if Tyler went up to Shaun's apartment with all that going on." Phil chimed in.

They decided to talk about it more in the morning. Matt again headed out to the back porch, this time alone.
It wasn't long however before he was joined by Phil. He could tell right away he had something to say. He knew his best friend and by the looks of it he knew it wasn't good.
"C'mon man, let's hear it." Matt said with a smile. "What's on your mind?"

"Aren't you gonna offer me a beer first?"
Matt tossed him a can.
"It's Gab, Matt. She's not handling this well. I'm really worried about her." He confessed.
"I get it. It's tough on everyone. Is she okay?"

"No." Phil replied. "She's not. All she's been doing is crying and crying." He took a long swig of his beer. "I don't know what to do for her. She's upset about Bill, she's upset about us killing Daniel, now tonight she killed someone......it's too much for her."

"What do you want to do?" Matt asked.
"She just talked about it. She wants to bail." Phil admitted.
Matt looked out into the yard. There was an eerie quietness. This wasn't what he expected, but he had to be okay with it. He told them from the beginning this was his fight, not theirs.
He would never make anyone risk their life for his cause. For Tyler. That was his job, and his alone too protect him.

Phil continued talking. "We want to start a family one day, ya know? Seeing Bill die, killing these people, the police knocking at the door asking questions...." He took a deep breath. "I have to put her first. There has to be a life after this. I saw you when you lost Amy, I don't want to go through that."

"Phil, you don't have to explain anything. You're my brother. If you want to leave with her until this blows over or until we finish it, you're allowed to do that. You don't need my permission." Matt told him.

"I know. I just hate doing it. I feel like I'm bailing on everyone right when things are getting bad." Phil couldn't look Matt in the eye. "Worst of all, I feel like I'm letting you down, man."

Matt knew if not for Gabby, Phil would never leave them with everything going on. It wasn't easy for Gab either, he didn't blame her, she was scared and confused, and rightfully so.
Matt hugged him.

"Take care of her. And if by chance I don't make it through this I want you to know I wouldn't have wanted anyone else by my side all these years.......You're the best friend I ever had, man."

"We had some good times didn't we?" Phil said, as he kept his hand on Matt's shoulder. It was the kind of good-bye you would say when you knew you were never going to see the other person again.
"The best." Matt replied.

They both knew this could be their last beer on the porch. Tomorrow was no longer guaranteed. Matt and the others weren't just losing friends now, they were losing numbers too, numbers they desperately needed to win this fight. They were now down to four.