Together Until We Die...

Chapter 14

Patrick Sharp peered around the corner. Adam and Andrew joined him. Ahead of them, at a circular poker table sat a group of four henchmen, including Zac Rinaldo. The three men were huge, like goon huge and they all wore matching gray mobster fedoras. They were laughing and playing with cards. A single light dangled down from the ceiling. The dim swath of light bathed the scene in a mafia style setting.

"We need to figure out how to distract those men!" Andrew hissed.

"But how can we take them all on and leave Kaner and Tazer alone? If the noise alerts Pronger, what do we do then? Someone has to go and rescue them," Adam spoke. "We can't let them die!"

They ducked back out of sight completely and turned to one another. It was understood, that they would have to break apart. Two would distract the men down here, while one went to find and rescue the kids.

Patrick nodded. "I'll go," the Chicago prankster volunteered. He was serious.

Adam and Andrew stared at him. The model man dipped his head.

"Be careful Sharpy!" Adam hissed, genuinely caring. "I can't get a replacement friend like you that easy!"

"I'll be fine, Bur. Don't be a drama queen!"

So it was agreed upon that Patrick Sharp was going to go off and find the two kids and conduct the rescue. And when the other two were finished up down here, they would aid him out, if necessary.

With that settled, they peered back around the corner. Rinaldo was gone. He'd vanished from the scene. Adam and Andrew shared a look and walked out of hiding. They darted forward and attacked the laughing henchmen.

Andrew swung his fist at one of the men. Adam charged another one that stood up, ramming his head into the goon's stomach. The ex-Blackhawk then scooped the man up and threw him into the back wall, in the shadows. The third man helped his friend out, joining the Adam fight. Andrew landed some hard blows on his man, who did the same.

All in all, these goons weren't hockey players and they were just extras, made to look tough and distract a rescue mission. But they didn't count on the third member of the Rescue Crew.

Meanwhile, Patrick slunk off, to a door at the side. He raced up the stairs to the next floor. He found himself at the end of a vast room, where the entire level was bare. The walls were barely painted, as the whole building was obviously torn down and abandoned. The walls were cracked and holed and some of the ceiling and floor crumbled. It reminded him of a road struck by an earthquake.

At the far end, flames licked under a door. Fire! That alerted him. He darted to the door, avoiding the holes and cracks in the floor. and flung it open. Scorching heat greeted him, warming his face instantly. He backed up at first, lifting his arm up, instinctively to shield his face, but he slowly grew accustomed to the temperature.