Crossfire ~ {Book 2 in the Emerald of Annihilation Trilogy} #Wattys2017

Chapter 29 ~ What Hurts the Most

Start music at the *

Lily's POV. 

Mark texted me the address to where he and Jay were hiding. I pulled up in the car mom and Uncle Jack had negotiated for. I looked up at the old apartment building. It looked like it was crumbling from top to bottom. 

"Lily, are you sure your friends are here?" Mom asked, stepping out. I nodded. "This is the address Mark sent me."  Uncle Jack slammed his door shut and grabbed his rifle from the trunk. I slid the gun into my pocket and tossed mom a gun from under in the glove compartment. 

We walked into the rusted, broken down building to the floor and room where Jay and Mark were. I pulled out my gun and motioned for mom and Uncle Jack to stay out of sight. I kicked the door open and was met with the barrel of a gun right between my eyes. 

"Lily!" Mark pulled the gun away from my head. He breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at his watch and then at me. "We don't have much time until Marcus knows where we are and comes looking for us." 

"How would he know where we are?" Mom asked, scratching the back of her neck. I groaned as it hit me. "There are hidden tracking chips in the back of your necks. Both of you." Uncle Jack felt the back of his neck. 

Suddenly my phone rang. I took it out of my pocket and stared at the caller id. 

"Unknown Number"

I hit answer and held it up to my ear. "Hello, Lily." The familiar voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and a shiver creep down my spine. "Long time no see." I nearly dropped the phone.

"Y-You're supposed to be dead...." I choked out. His smooth, chuckle made my skin crawl. "That's what you thought, sweet heart. Uncle Marcus gave me a dose of the temporary serum. It was enough to heal me just in time.

I could see his 'perfect' smirk on the other end of the phone. I took a deep breath. "What do you want, Jayden?" He whistled as if pretending to think about what he wanted. "I want nothing from you." Come to the town square at 10:00 pm with The money and other things that were inside the trunk of the truck, you stole. 

I narrowed my eyes. In that truck were illegal weapons, stolen cash, and other valuable items. I couldn't just give them up. Not just like that! Before I could refuse, Jayden spoke once more. "Bring me the truck, and your friends don't die. Well, the living two anyway. One of them is still lying in my uncle's office in a pool of blood. 

My blood froze. Who had died? Was it Amber? Or Henry? Or.....Dylan...? I swallowed the large lump in my throat and set my jaw. One of my friends was dead, and someone was going to pay. "Deal." That single word sealed a deal of danger, signed a death sentence. 

I pushed my phone in my pocket and left the building to go to the truck. "Lily?" Jay called after me, but I ignored him. I slammed the door and leaned against it. Marcus had captured the remaining two of my friends. 

I turned and punched the brick wall with all my strength. I stayed there. My fist to the wall, blood oozing from newly made wounds, and my chest rising and falling in anticipation. I pulled my hand from the brick, glancing at the blood stained rock, and walking to the truck and opening the trunk. 

I stared at the duffle bags of money and the piles of different weapons. Pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, and bags of electronic items. I counted the money and went through all the weapons and other stolen spoils. 

I hopped out of the van and shut the trunk doors. I sighed and sat on the cold concrete ground, and inspected my bloody knuckle. It stung and made my whole hand throb. I huffed a groan under my breath and leaned my head back on the cold metallic surface of the truck.