Diabolus: The Lost Phoenix

Chapter Twenty Three

KAI WOODS

Our next stop had to be predictable, I mean, none of people like Daryl wants to get unwanted attention. They want to hide so no one could find them, only people they have business with, but he's about to get an unpleasant surprise.

It's an old building, made of masonry, all of the places where windows are supposed to be, now are hiding from the world with wooden boards on it, which seem to be rotting already. The broken fence around it reminds me of life that probably existed here, but left the place a very long time ago. The garbage around the lawn, if we could call that a place that has about one feet long grass surrounding it, shows that this place was welcoming the local drug addicts for many years.

Until, probably, criminals kicked them out.

My mind tries to give the house a beautiful history of its owners, who abandoned it and left it all alone like a ghost, sentencing for long years without any people bringing it back to life. It probably was a farmstead, with all those fields surrounding it and giving a beautiful view that you could enjoy at any time, but unfortunately, it's about to become a witness of a bloody deal.

"Is this really the place, Avery?"

"I'm sure of it, I definitely saw that lawn in my vision."

We all stop a few feet away from the house, getting ready for the things that are going to happen; that are not going to be nice. It's going to be nasty. And someone might get hurt, once again.

But that's the way we chose to live our life, and there's no way out of it anymore.

"Avery... I really want you to stay out of this."

Brent's words, so soft and quiet, make me quietly chuckle, so no one could notice. I remember telling the same thing to Beverly; yet she never did what I asked her to do. And after a lot of those conversations, asking her to stay out of things that are dangerous, I realized that women need to feel like they can take care of themselves, even if they can't.

They need to feel strong, brave, because the only thing every person is afraid of is to be weak.

"There's no way I'm staying out of this, Brent. We are all here because of me, and I won't be hiding somewhere else while you risk your lives for me."

I hear him sigh but he doesn't bother to argue; after all, neighter he would win, nor we have time for this.

"Surround the house. We have to sneak in before Daryl notices any of us, maybe we'll hear something that will be useful."

"Get your weapons ready, I don't think we're getting the script without a fight."

I glance at Beverly, who stands next to me as confident as she ever was. I can't stop adoring the way she changed, the way she finds the part of her that knows how to lead the group, just like I do. She gets stronger with every day, she learns how to become a leader and chooses to fight, rather than stay away from the danger.

And God, with every day I fall in love with her even more.

"I can't wait to spill that motherfucker's brains out."

Aaron's face is lighted up with a creepy smile, showing how much he actually missed action. And not wasting another moment, we start walking.

Hiding behind the trees. Separating and surrounding the house.

I feel my blood starting to boil as I touch my knife, holding a gun in my other hand. And reality is, that I need those fights from time to time. I need the adrenaline. I need blood. I don't care if it makes me look like a beast; that's who I am. And my people accept me the way I am.