Safe Haven

28. Fire

Haven

Maybe the priest was right.
Maybe I was destined for hell. Though in my experiences living felt like hell. 

The heat was real like they said. I was burning. I could hear the screaming around me. My body felt too heavy to move. Vaguely, I felt my body being lifted but that hurt too. I tried to fight the pain but it was too much.

Then I heard the devil himself whisper to me: "Don't think you can die and escape me. We're only just getting started."

Hazard

We struck sometime after 1am. The darkness of the complex was quickly erased the minute the first bomb went off. Once the gates were down we took off for inside. Dante, Riggs, Punchy, and Hog were to clear the upstairs where they most likely were being held. "Hog, Punchy, take the right hallway. Dante and Riggs you go left. I'll search the front." Quickly we separated. By this time staff was fleeing the building, wanting no part of the war. The first room I came to was empty. As was the second. Finally at the Third room I could hear someone being told to hush. Crying. Fuck I knew that cry. I had no choice but to kick the door in and shoot. There was no way to tell who was inside or how many but one thing was for sure, Cade was.

Haven

The voices woke me up. Arguing. At first I thought it was Melody and Cade but the voice certainly didn't belong to them. "You can't leave me here! I handed them to you! They'll kill me if they find me!" "Not my problem. Now move." "But I thought you wanted me? You said I....how can you still want her? Look at her!" Nicki. I was almost sure of it. The gun shot forced my eyes open. Sure enough laid there on the floor was Nicki, of course she had an added hole in her chest. I almost regret no being able to shoot her myself. "Get up. We're leaving."  Vega. Before I could even move I felt the needles being ripped from my arms...needles I didn't know were even there. When I moved to talk, my voice wouldn't work. Nothing seemed to work like it should.

Before I could make another attempt the door burst open. Punchy moved toward me but was immediately stopped by Vegas bullet. He went down. Now I was screaming. Hog came through next, hands up in surrender. "You need to hurry. They'll be moving this way quick. Go now." In my confusion I stopped screaming and looked at his face. When Vega scooped me up in his arms I realized They knew each other.

Exiting through the other door of the bedroom I realized I would have to fight if I wanted to live. Though that was nearly impossible. With the last amount of adrenaline I had in me I swung my hands up towards his face and plunged my fingers in Vega's eyes....just like Wag once taught me. I hadn't prepared myself for the fall though.

Hazard

Two men, thankfully both far enough away from Cade to get off a clean shot before they could respond. Within 30 seconds it was over and Cade flung himself into my arms, tears down his face. "It's ok I got ya buddy. I got ya." Fuck. I felt the hot tears in my eyes too. "Cade do you know where Haven is?"  His face grew more frantic as he shook his head no. "We're going to find her ok?" At the moment I could hear the faint sound of a gun shot close by. "Let's get you out of here ok?" With Cade in my arms I ran down the hall until I saw Dante and Riggs rushing my way. "This hall is clear." "Riggs take Cade and get him out of here. Don't stop until you've reached the compound." Riggs took a reluctant Cade and rushed down the stairs. "Prez third door is open look!" I could see a body laid on the ground. Make that two bodies. "Looks like we found Nicki. Fuck! Punchy." Quickly we flipped Punchy. "He's got a pulse ...fucking lucky bastard. Got to get him out of here." Some of the other guys were rushing the building now. "Get him out of here. I've got to find Haven. They can't be far."

I rushed through the next open door, gun drawn and found a small staircase. At the bottom another door let out to the pool area. Two men laid knocked out or dead. Most likely from the impact of the first bomb. Where the hell were they? It was then I saw the boat and the docks.

I could see Vega carried a lifeless Haven towards the small speedboat and the sight almost knocked me over. Adrenaline and pure rage pushed me faster. "VEGA! Put her down!" Slowly Vega turned around, dropping Haven and pressing the barrel of his gun to her head. "I will kill her before I give her to you. Worthless Puta is half dead now." "Then leave her be. Why torture her? What has she done to you?" "SHE MADE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL!Her and her damn sister! I made her pay,m and she's still paying. Now it's time to finish the other. Nobody plays me." Haven!!"

Haven

"Haven!!"

Hazard. I could feel the metal pressed to my head. When Vega had dropped me I woke back up. Though everything was still very weak. I knew this was it. He would shoot me in the head because that's exactly how I'd always thought my life would end. With Vega killing me. "Say goodbye." I couldn't. I stared at the water beneath the dock and tried to imagine the life I would have had before fate decided to be a bitch. A life where I wouldn't have had Cade or Melody or Hazard.

"Any last words El Presidente?" Vega taunted. "I love you Angel Fish," I heard Hazard yell. "You hear me?"

Angel Fish? When has he ever called me that? I stared down into the water still not able to look at him. If I looked I'd lose it and that's the last thing I wanted him to remember. His last words and he calls me a fish? Fish.....

Understand dawned on me. Ok Hazard let's hope you're a good swimmer.

Hazard
When Haven flung herself into the water I took my shot. I knew I had to act quick. There was no way in her condition that she could bring herself back up.

Three bullets hit Vega. Two in the chest and one in the forehead as he went down tumbling behind Haven into the water. Fuck. I sprinted across the rest of the dock and dove in. Praying as I went. It was dark but I wasn't coming up without her....I had promised.