Blood ties

Part 3: face to face

As Ryan cracked open his eyes. The sunlight blinded him. With music playing in the background he sat up and rubbed his eyes. A sharp pain struck his head on the left. He stumbled to his feet before walking to the bathroom. When he looked in the mirror his eyes were bloodshot and his hair was messy.

After using the bathroom he walked back into the main room and sat down after pushing empty bottles off the seat.
"Man what the fuck happened last night?" He groaned while rubbing his eyes.
"You got fucked up that's what." Nicole shouts while storming in.
She slams her laptop down on the table and sits on the floor next to him.
"Can you keep it down please? I'm hungover to shit and I cant even walk properly." He begs.

Nicole shows no emotion as she looks up at him. When she goes back to working on her laptop Phil wakes up and follows the same routine Ryan did.
"How many of you were the?" Nicole asks.
Ryan placed his head in his hands and groaned again.
"Last I counted was four. I think Phil's the last one though."
She pays no attention to him and goes back to her work on the laptop.

After a few hours Ryans hangover improves.

"You're one lucky bastard you know that." Max laughs at him.
Ryan goes up to the dartboard and takes his darts out.
"Well it's not my fault that you're just wank at the game now is it?"
Max had lost the last two sets. Ryan's mind was still exhilarated from yesterdays heist.
"Tell me Ryan. How did you even get away?" Max asks while throwing his darts.
Ryan places his darts down and picks up his drink.
"We kind of just shot at the police cars till they pissed off really."
Max laughs and has a drink.

Nicole comes down the stairs into the basement.
"Hey sis you wont believe what ry-"
"Just shut the fuck up will you." Nicole cuts him off.
Both Ryan and max look at her with concern.
"Mums gone. She was taken while Ryan over there was passed out drunk."
Suddenly Nicole's phones starts buzzing. The caller id shows it's a private number. She answers the phone and a male voice comes over the speaker.
"Put the cop on will you darling?"
Nicole places the phone on the table.

"Now I noticed you robbed a bank we planned to Ryan. Well you took something off us so I thought to do the same. It's only fair." The voice spoke.
Ryan's fists clenched turning his knuckles white. Max throws his drink at the wall.
"Where is she?" Ryan Said through gritted teeth.
"The other bar I own. The one that's not burned down." He spoke through his gravelly tone before hanging up.

Max's face was red with rage.
"I'm gonna do him the fucking prick. He's way out of line." He shouts at the phone.
Ryan walked towards the armoury and geared up.
"Max you can stand there and chat all your shit. But if you're that dedicated you'll come with me and actually get her back." Ryan's voice ran cold.
Max looked down at the floor before deciding to go with Ryan.

Nicole stood there behind her laptop for a minute before looking up.
"Going to suppose I'm driving again?"
Max and Ryan look up at her. Nicole stares back before walking towards the stairs.
"We're really going to get her are we?" Max asks quietly.
"No shit Max. Take these."
He passes Max a small smg and a pistol before heading out.

As Nicole drives as fast as she could, Ryan and max talk about how they're going to get into the bar. They both agree on different entrances. Max goes through a side door and Ryan through the front.
"We're nearly there by the way." Nicole shouts over.
Ryan chambers a round in his pistol.
"Good luck max." He says coldly before the car comes to a stop.
Ryan jumps out and takes position at the front door. Max gives the signal he's in position.

Ryan kicks in the door and Is greeted by a hail of bullets. He runs to cover as he takes out some of the men. Ryan waits for a break as they reload before shooting again. The break comes and Ryan jumps out of cover with his smg. A loud buzz is heard as he sprays the remaining gang members. The blood pours onto the floor as Ryan runs through.

He enters the next room and is greeted the same. Loud gunfire fills the room as bullets shatter glass all around Ryan.
"Fucking get him already. It's only one guy." One of the members shouts.
Ryan pops out of cover and shoots them in the chest. He runs over cover and behind a bar. He can hear max shooting in the other room. Some members get distracted by this and Ryan shoots them in the back of their head.

He continues to move up the room, clearing more of them out with every bullet. His eyes dart to a grenade found on one of the bodies. When he approaches the next door he peaks into the room to see if anyone's in there. Once he's cleared the room for max or his mum he pulls the pin and throws it in. Screams echo through the door before an explosion rings out through the building.

Ryan kicks the door down. The walls are painted black with soot and the floor is cover in blood. Ryan walks into the middle of the room before someone runs out of cover shooting Ryan in the left shoulder.
He falls to the ground in pain as another two people surround him. One of them pulls a pistol and aims it at Ryan's head.
"Don't. The boss wants to see him." One of the masked men say.
Everyone looks down once more before pistol whipping Ryan. Leaving him unconscious.

The light in the dimly lit room flickers on and off quickly. The concrete walls were stained with blood. As Ryan comes too he sees a man crouching infront of him. His hands chained to a pipe.
"Come on son wake up already." The man says softly.
Ryan's eyes begin to clear up as he sees the boss of the gang staring him in the eyes.
"There we go. Finally." He says joyfully.
Ryan struggles agains the chains for a second before giving in.
"Where is she?" Ryan asks through his teeth.
The boss sits Infront of him.

"I'm sure we should start with formalities first. My names David. I run this gang that you're so clearly after. Problem is I'm also after your gang too. I am going to own your operation eventually."
He steps to the side revealing he has Ryan's mum in the same situation he's in.
"I swear to god if you do anything to her I'll fucking kill you." Ryan shouts at him.
David looks at him coldly. His eyes don't even have a shine in them.
"You stole something from me Ryan. In the fire that destroyed my club the was something in there."
Ryan rolls his eyes.
"Look I'm sorry I destroyed your club. But that doesn't give you any right to hurt her."
David walks over to a box.
"My brother was in there. My little baby brother. And you took him from me. So I think it's fair I take something from you."
David's cold voice chills Ryan's body. David walks towards Ryan's mum and begins to kick her in the side.
"You fucking prick. I'll fucking kill you." Ryan screams

David keeps beating Ryan's mum. The skin on his hand splits open and blood pours out. He begins punching her. Amid Ryan's cries for him to stop. He only beats her harder and harder.
"I think that's enough now." He says in a monotone voice.
He throws her to the ground. She's gagging on her own blood.
"Goodbye Ryan."
David walks out of the door and disappears from Ryan's vision.

After struggling for minutes the chain comes loose and Ryan collapses onto the floor. His eyes fill with tears as he crawls over to his mum. He places his gear back on and calls Nicole over the radio. Ryan picks his mum up and walks past all the bodies towards the front door. Nicole and max greet him as max helps her into the back seat. Ryan sits in the passenger seat and takes Max's pistol.

As Nicole drives cars chase them down. Ryan shoots at them as his hearing goes muffled. Everything echoing.
"Ryan. Ryan!" Max shouts.
Suddenly he snaps back and takes the two cars out.
"Nicole you got to drive faster." Max shouts over.
Nicole steps on the peddle, practically putting it to the floor. The car shoots off down the highway.

Eventually they get to the front of the home. Max helps Ryan take her out.
"Ryan. I don't think she's going to make it." Max says quietly.
Ryan puts her on the ground and kneels next to her. Tears pour down Ryan's face as he frantically shakes her body.
"Come on mum wake up. This isn't funny. We can't lose you too." He cries out tearfully.
Nicole starts crying on Max's shoulder as Ryan cries over her body. She had passed in Ryan's arms.

Later that night Ryan's sat alone in his room, the cold steel of his gun in his hand. Max walks in and sits next to him.
"I heard you're heading back home soon" Max's voice was horace from crying.
Ryan just nods and looks down. Max places one hand on Ryan's shoulder.
"Look. I get shits tough and don't blame you for going. It's not you anymore. I'll always welcome you back if you ever come back."
Max stands up and leaves Ryan alone in his room. Ryan places the gun on his drawer and looks out at the skyline.