Blood Stained Rose

More than a family feud

More than Just a Family Feud

​Dad checks me out of the hospital with my bag slung over his shoulder. I'm not allowed to do highly strenuous activities for a week and a half so that gives us time to plan a detailed attack. Dad already plans to go to the station to get a floor plan of the old warehouse. The guys and I are going to be working on target practice, just in case. Jared, Daniel's dad, has agreed to help us. My visions continue but they seem old and unimportant and they occur a lot less. Dad recommends I write them down so I can think about them more. I take his advice and keep a journal of my visions. One vision in particular keeps recurring, the one where my mother is cowering and weeping in the corner and I advance towards her ominously laughing. Every time I have the vision I notice something new so instead of just rewriting the entire vision in my journal I note that it's the same vision and write down the new detail I have uncovered. I've noticed in the vision she isn't possessed which leads me to think that maybe she still has a chance that maybe once we capture her and get her to a professional she can be herself again. Also, I think who I am in the vision is the demon torturing her. The ominous laughter and her being so terribly afraid almost prove my theory. I take the first few days of my week and a half off just to relax so I can be more active in preparing. On Thursday day four of my ten day medical leave I head to the shooting range with the guys. Dad and Jared got the guys all .22 lr revolvers. I got a Glock 19.
​We get to the range and I feel a little shaky. Dad and Jared have accompanied us this time but the next time they won't. Right now they're giving us lessons and support. Jared instructs the boys on how to properly shoot and dad helps me personally. After he shows me the ropes I practice by myself and he just hovers around me. I start getting the hang of it and he starts giving me pointers and trying to perfect my stance so I will get a perfect shot. I worry that I won't be able to make a good shot in time. Dad says I shouldn't worry that handling a gun is in my veins but I still worry, naturally.
​The guys and I go to the shooting range on a daily bases now. After a week he decides it's time to start planning our attack. Everyone stands around in my living room and I pass out snacks and sodas to everyone. Dad has the floor plan of the warehouse and a map of the Ruidoso lain out on the coffee table. Dad kneels down by the maps and gestures for us to get closer.
​"Okay, here's the plan. We should surround the building so no one can escape. There are nine of us so we can split evenly into three teams. Shaun, Josh, and I are on one team, Jared, Brian, and Daniel are on another team and finally Alice, Aiden, and Braydon are on a team. Everyone clear on whose on their team?" We all nod and pitch in our 'yes' and dad continues.
​"So we take my truck, Jared's truck, and Alice's bug as the three vehicles. The person who owns the car is the team leader and is in charge of your team. You are also driver, no exceptions. Team one will follow this road and park directly in front of the warehouse. Team two will go down the same street the opposite way and park directly in front of the warehouse as well. Team three you will arrive later than the rest of us and you will take the street above the warehouse and park and walk down to the warehouse from there. Alice, you will keep watch and give us the signal when we're clear to go after Braydon walks in to distract Danielle. Braydon must go in alone because he's been on their side before. Alice will be the last to enter because she's the one Danielle is targeting. Alice, Braydon, Jared, and I are in charge of getting Danielle into Jared's truck. Jared's team will then make sure she is secured. Daniel, Brian, Shaun, and Josh will then arrest anybody else left. Is anyone unclear with the plan?"
​"Yes, when are we conducting this?" Aidan asks. Dad looks up from the maps.
​"Tomorrow night, son."

​I sit in the living room with everyone once again but this time we're preparing. We're all cleaning our guns, checking our ammo, and talking strategy. Dad and Jared walk through the front door with totes full of bullet-proof vests we borrowed from the station. We all gather around them and pass out each person a vest. We all wear dark clothing, our vests, and our gun holsters on our belts. I wear a black tank top, army Capri's, my vest, and my gun holster. My hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and I'm ready to go. I walk outside into my backyard and pull my gun out of its holster. I point it at the wall and then at a flower pot. I'm so anxious and nervous about it all. I hear the sliding glass door close and turn to see my dad standing there.
​"Hey," I say, softly. He walks towards me and lowers my gun.
​"You don't have to do this. Quite frankly I wish you wouldn't," Dad says.
​"You need my help," I say, firmly.
​"No we don't. If we really needed to I could call my unit. Which, honestly, that's what I should be doing because she's now considered a mass murderer but I don't want her locked away so we're handling it ourselves."
​"I'm going and that's final." I push past him and head inside. I cross the room and stand by Aiden.
​"Are you okay? You look pale," Aiden says. He takes me into his arms and I bury my face in his chest.
​"I don't know if I can kill someone even if I really needed to," I admit into his chest.
​"Me either. But we have to, to protect each other. I will fight for you until the very end. I love you, Alice." I cry into his chest and he hugs me closer to him.
​"I love you, too, Aiden."
​"Okay, everybody listen up!" Jared says, standing on our coffee table. "We're heading out in five. Get your gear and anything you need. Remember the plan and let's pray for the best. I hope it doesn't come to this but don't let your guard down if one of us goes down. Stick with the plan no matter what happens." What an awful pep talk. I grab my keys off the side table and head to my car with Braydon and Aiden close behind me. The ride is quiet and I have a death grip on my steering wheel. Aiden puts his hand over one of my white knuckles.
​"Please relax, Alice. You're not going to be able to focus if you keep yourself worried and uptight about it." I park the car and pull out my gun.
​"Are you guys ready?" I ask taking a deep breath. They both nod and get out of the car. I get out to and Braydon stands in front of me. He takes me into his arms and kisses me gently.
​"Whatever happens in there, just know I love you."
​"I love you, too." Braydon takes the lead and Aiden and I follow close behind. We all have our guns out and ready. We come in the back way and Aiden joins the rest of the group behind Jared's truck. Braydon and I find a taller tree that looks easy enough to climb. I find a place to support my foot and Braydon boosts me up the tree.
​"Okay, you ready?" Braydon asks. I take the walky-talky out of my back pocket.
​"Are we ready?" I ask into the walky-talky.
​"Yes, send him in," Dad's voice is transmitted through the small gadget. I nod down at Braydon. He hands me the binoculars and emerges from the cover of the trees. He walks right up to the front door and nods at the two men standing guard at the front doors. I had totally forgotten about them, it's amazing they didn't see us. Of course, we were under the cover of brush and trees. I focus the binoculars on the top room window where I can see my mom lounging. I watch as the door opens and Braydon walks in. My mom's face lights up and she gets off the bed. Her eyes are black and I just about fall out of the tree when the first thing she does is kiss Braydon. I roll my eyes and press the Speak button on the walky-talky.
​"Braydon's in. She's pretty distracted. Are we ready?" I ask waiting for a response I check on Braydon again. Mom has her arms locked around his neck kissing him. He waves his arms giving a horrifyingly obvious signal but even then she doesn't notice.
​"Yes, we're sending team one in. Stay put, Alice." Jared says. I watch the two men go down. Dad or Jared has obviously taken them out. We all have silencers on our weapons so people nearby can't hear all the gun shots. I watch as dad, Josh, and Shaun all cross the yard and head for the front door. They all three stand with their backs to the door with their guns ready. I grab my walky-talky.
​"Wait! We could lose a whole team! There are only three of them, get the rest of everybody out there!" I say.
​"No, Alice. We could lose everybody then." Jared says, calmly.
​"Well I don't want to lose anybody! Send more or I'm going in."
​"Easy Alice," Aiden comes on the radio. I let out a frustrated sigh. I stand my ground and watch as Jared sends Aiden and Josh.
​"Thank you." I say. Dad kicks open the door and leads his team inside, it begins. I hear men grunting and hard thuds all the way back here. Jared leads the rest of everybody inside. I hop down off the tree and land with a soft thud. I drop my walky-talky and binoculars and run inside. Men are down everywhere and there is a lot more this time since the last time. She must have recruited a lot more. A man aims his gun at me from upstairs which is less than twenty feet away. I raise my gun up and aim at his head. If he pulls the trigger before I do, it's over. Internally I hesitate to pull the trigger but something inside me takes over and I pull the trigger. The bullet spins in midair and hits the guy in between his eyes, a kill shot.
"Alice, go! We got it down here!" Josh yells. I nod and run upstairs. Danielle is on top of Braydon on the bed. Lovely, I think.
"Game over, Danielle." I say my gun pointed at her forehead. She gets off of Braydon and walks towards me. Her eyes, completely black, are only inches from my own.
"That's what you think," Her voice unrecognizable. She smiles and then her face becomes tortured. She falls to the ground and when she looks up at me I can see my mother's beautiful sky blue eyes again. She looks at me and then at the gun and scoots back into the corner.
"Alice? Is that you?" I don't buy it. This thing is evil and it is going to do whatever it can to trick me. "Alice, look behind you!" I turn around to see Braydon with his gun pointed at my head and his eyes black. I kick him where the sun doesn't shine and take his gun.
"I'm sorry, Braydon." When I turn around my mother's eyes are black. "Seriously, can you give a girl a break?"
​"You can't win, Alice." The thing speaks again. The door bursts open and Jared and dad seize my mom. They take her downstairs as she struggles. I hear her growling and screeching until she's out of the building. I kneel down next to Braydon who is moaning on the floor.
​"I'm sorry, Braydon."
​"Not your fault. I was trying to fight it but she won." I help him up and let him lean on me down the stairs.
​"I'm fine go help the guys get the rest of them," I nod and leave Braydon there. I take my gun out of its holster and find Aiden.
​"Hey, glad you're okay." Aiden says. Aiden nods his head towards a door down the hall. I nod and follow him we open the door and it's clear so we step inside. I see a shadow move out of the corner of my eye.
​"Surrender and we won't kill you." Aiden announce. I move towards the shadow I had just seen and Aiden heads towards the balcony. I turn the corner to find another door. I open it quickly and look inside. The man is shaking and throws his gun across the room.
​"I surrender, please don't kill me." He pleads. I nod and handcuff him with a pair dad had supplied me with. I instruct the man to stay put or else I will kill him. I'm bluffing because I really don't want to kill him and he's handcuffed anyway so what harm can he possibly do? I come out onto the balcony with Aiden. It's long and narrow and every room has access to this balcony. All they really have to do is open one of the doors and shoot us. I follow close behind Aiden. It seems pretty quiet so I'm assuming that everyone's dead or already gone. I watch as one man scurries off into the woods dropping his gun as he goes.
​"Aiden I think we're done. Let's go." I say. Aiden shakes his head and leans up against the wall. He looks to see if it's clear and then leads me down it. We walk a couple of feet, cautiously and three men open one of the doors and start shooting. I take Aiden's hand and run back to the wall we were just leaning against. We make it back to the wall and I take cover. I lean up against the wall and shoot from there. I take one of the guys in the knee and he fall to the ground. One of their bullets grazes my arm. I lean over and get another in between his eyes, another kill shot. The last one I shoot him in the hand and then in the leg.
​"I got them, Aiden!" I say. I look at him and then gasp. He slumps on the wall and his breathing is irregular. He has his hand over his thigh and he looks like he's in so much pain. I move his hand to see a crimson red stain on his jeans. "Aiden, you've been shot!" I scramble to pick him up and get him help. "Help somebody help me!"
​"Alice...don't." He whispers.
​"We have to get you help, Aiden! I'm not letting you die." I say. He shakes his head and pulls on my hand. I kneel down beside him and take him into my arms like he used to do to me. I smooth over his hair and whisper comforting things. It's only a matter of time before he dies in my arms.
​"Aiden, thank you for being a big brother to me. I love you so much. I don't want to have to let you go." Aiden smiles and kisses my hand.
​"Love you, Alice." He whispers. His voice is faint and cracks. I watch as the light leaves his eyes and he takes his last breath. His body goes limp in my arms and fresh warm tears run down my face and drip onto his lifeless body. I clutch him until Braydon and Shaun come and pull me away. Braydon picks me up and pulls me inside and I double over and throw up. Tears constantly stream down my face. Shaun and Braydon get me in the car and I stare out the window. Dark clouds hang over head and rain pours down. The water streams down the window reflecting my tears.