valentine | the old guard

xvi. last stand

Joe and I hug Nicky one last time before he moves to stand beside Booker. The four of us are currently positioned up on the roof of the penthouse, checking that the ropes are securely tied to their chosen hooks.

"Are you sure that you both have to do this?" Nicky asks nervously. "I'm worried enough about just one of you jumping down."

"I'll keep him safe," I say softly, placing a gentle kiss to Nicky's forehead. I turn to Booker. "Are you sure that you two won't kill each other?" 

I'm only half joking on that one.

Nicky smiles his familiar, boyish grin. "I make no promises."

"We really need to go now," Joe interrupts, a sad look in his eyes as he glances down at his watch. I know that two floors below at the front door, Andy will be doing the same thing.

Booker nods then leads Nicky away, back down the staircase to the inside of the building. Once we're alone, I turn to Joe and take his hand. 

"The ropes are secure?" I ask softly, looking out over the edge of the building. Cars drive past below, blissfully unaware of the chaos to come, made tiny by the distance. 

"I double checked them myself," he replies with a proud smile. "You don't trust me?"

I let out a quiet chuckle. "Only with my life."

We both walk to the edge of the roof then look at each other one last time. I secure my gun in my right hand and Joe casts one final glance down to his watch. 

"Now!"

I jump back away from the edge at the same time as my partner. For a moment, I am freely falling down towards the street miles below. Then, with a firm yank at the belt around my waist, I am flying towards the glass window of the penthouse. 

Joe and I start firing in unison, breaking the glass to lessen the impact when we hit it. A few soldiers are stationed on the inside of the room, foolishly watching the door. It surprises them when we swing through, hitting the hardwood floor inside with a thud and shooting at them on entry. 

"Shit!" one of the men yells out. The brief distraction gives Joe and I enough time to run to the side, holding each other's hands tightly, and duck under a nearby counter. 

As the gunfire turns towards us, an explosion is denotated on the opposite wall, drawing them away from us. All of them except the tall, shouty leader. The one who killed Nicky and stabbed me in the chest. I recognize him from when Andy and I were captured at Copley's - a connection that I hadn't made before. 

As they turn, Joe and I dart out from opposite ends of the counter. 

"Go! Go to the others!" Joe yells before charging at the man. 

I get up to my feet just in time to see Andy and Nile moving through the front door. When I turn back, Joe is pummeling the man I left him with, the sound of his fists punching furiously cutting above the gunfire around us.  

Nile starts to clear a path towards me through the men and I help her from the other side; amassing a total of three headshots within mere minutes of each other. I join them near the door, pulling the two of them into a quick hug. The three of us stand there in the open space as the gunfire stops, all catching our breath and checking each other over. 

Joe's voice catches our attention and, when I look over, I see him standing with his back to us, holding the leader of Merrick's men up by the collar of his shirt. "You shot Nicky. And you stabbed Valentine." He pauses to stare into the man's eyes. "You shouldn't have done that."