The FORGOTTEN Edge

Chapter 14

It was dark when they moved out, headed towards the house. Nadia had thought long and hard about telling Boss, finding a way to stop Sir, but in the end she didn't know how to do either. She couldn't go ahead with it or she'd be betraying Boss, she'd lose her future. But if Sir caught her now, she was as good as dead. River seemed like he was in a similar position, or maybe he had picked a side. Sir rode in the car, silent. He seemed to have thought this plan out well, talking about every detail but there was one he hadn't taken into consideration and that was Nadia.

They stopped a distance from the estate and travelled by foot. It was odd to see Sir a part of their team. He actually seemed out of place. Sir had to keep him mind on the job but he couldn't help but have it wonder. He hadn't seen his brother for years. He had imagined killing him for years and now here was his chance. As they moved closer he got a better view of the estate. It looked like he remembered, it was easy for him to remember his time here as a child. They tracked up to the house, Nadia growing more and more confused with each step. She had given her loyalty to both Sir and Boss but really she just wanted out of this. She wanted to live free, to make her own choices.  

They crossed into the trees and made their way to the house. They were not expecting an assassination. Nadia wondered if she would be amongst those killed, she looked at her team and couldn't imagine them gone. She had sworn their safety, she swore to watch their backs and their job was to kill Boss. Men stood at their door, keeping watch, looking for a threat. Before she could say anything, Sir pulled up his gun with a silencer and she watched their bodies hit the ground and roll down the stairs. They rushed towards the door, stepping over the guards, and stopped. Sir pushed to the front of the group and placed his hands on the door, his hands looked like they were shaking but it was hard to see in the dark. Sir pushed hard on the door for it to open. Nadia's heart was pounding hard. 

"I'm home," Sir breathed, his voice rough like gravel.

They moved through the house, it was dark with only the moonlight to see, making their way towards Bosses office. Nadia knew exactly where she was going but chose to stay behind Sir as to not look too eager. She was surprised they did not run into any guards or any of Bosses men inside. Nadia was full of hesitation, she was torn.

Suddenly the lights flicked on and gunshots erupt. Nadia, in shock, hit the floor, and moved behind the banister. She sat there for a moment with her gun held tightly, her palms sweaty and adrenaline making her heart beat in her ears. River was hit in the arm and flopped onto the ground, rolling under a table for some sort of barrier. She crawled across the ground and grabbed his arm. She could feel how tense he was. This was not part of the plan. They were a good team, Nadia thought, she wasn't going to let him die. She made eye contact and he nodded. Together they followed Sir. Sir climbed the stairs, shooting down below towards the foyer as he went. They weren't sure where to find Boss but surely he couldn't be far as they had surprised them. 

They made it to the top of the steps and moved down the hall, they were close to Bosses office now. Normally Nadia would look at the photos and paintings on the wall as she went but they were moving too fast for her to look. A group of men came down the hall towards them, shooting wildly, forcing Sir, River and Nadia to turn and run back the way they had come. Nadia stopped at the top of the stairs beside River. "...River?" One of Bosses' men who were shooting at Sirs team called in surprise. All the men nearby, pulled back their guns and looked at River. "What is the meaning of this? You're a rat?" He asked. River shook his head, "N-No,"
"Aren't you our brother?" They asked.
River looked at them, his eyes traveling to his team fighting below and then to Nadia. He was just as torn as Nadia was. He had been doing this longer than Nadia, he had family with both Sir and Boss.

"About time," a voice said from behind them, it sounded lazy and bored. They turned to see Boss. Sir and Boss looked at each other for a long time. Neither of them, shooting nor speaking, just looking. Sir and Boss looked tense. They looked to be having a conversation without words. Both of them were thinking so hard that a frown passed over their faces. Sir wanted to see, to memorise his brother's face before he killed him. Boss was calculating his options. They were only a few feet from each other. Neither had expected to come this close. Face to face. 

Nadia was waiting, along with the others. Everyone was just standing and watching the pair. She was confused at their actions until Sir ripped his gun from his waist, then it made sense. Nadia was quick. She hadn't thought through all her options but she knew what she needed to do. She leapt in front of Boss and held her own gun at Sir. Sir was astonished. "What is this?" He asked. Boss smiled, she was on his side, until Nadia pulled a second gun from behind her back and pointed it towards Boss. Boss looked at her, confused. "Nadia?" Boss asked. Nadia shook her head, she wasn't sure what her next step was but everyone was watching. Her team was relying on her.

The two men didn't move. She had a lot to keep an eye on. She forced them to stand side by side, her guns trained on them. "Drop your weapons, now!" She said. Surprisingly neither objected. She saw River in the corner of her eye and said, "River. We're a team, right?" 
He came to stand beside her, "yes." He said clearly. The rest of her team came to stand beside her as well. They were united. "How cute," Sir said, "do you and this little team really think you make a difference?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But this… is over," she replied. The men looked at each other, both confused. "This has gone on for generations. Do you even know why you're fighting anymore?"
"Because-" Sir started but Nadia wasn't letting him speak. "Because of your parents?" She asked. Neither had a good explanation. They both just stayed quiet until she spoke, "No. Because without fuelling your lives with hate and resentment what do you have to get you up in the morning without it?" She sighed, "you are both powerful and strong leaders. Imagine what you would be like together, as a team, as brothers," she went on, hoping they were listening.
"Yeah, except. He's not my brother," Sir said, before a flash of silver metal landed a bullet in her chest. She fell back. Her body hitting the carpet. She was stunned, as the two attacked each other. She was getting cold and a numb feeling was growing. With the gun in her hand, she shot twice before everything went dark.