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Chapter Fifteen

-- Mike --

"What do you think old man? Do you think she's dying? It sure sounds like it to me."

I could hear Brooke gasping, no rasping, for breath.

"How can you think of killing an innocent little girl?" I asked. I kept my eyes on Aaron, fighting the urge to look at Brooke. I needed to stay alert. On guard. Diverting my attention would give him the opportunity to rush at me with the bloody knife he held in his hands.

"What's another life?" he said breezily. The blatant disregard ate at me. It was these types of hardened criminals I hated the most.

"You can't run forever."

"Maybe I don't want to. Maybe I want to cause just enough destruction to leave my mark. A lasting legacy."

He had done that already. There was no way this family was ever going to forget this. But I wasn't going to tell him that. It wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"if you stop now, you'll have a chance."

He snorted. "I didn't stand a fucking chance the moment I broke out of prison. And you remember how I got there, right? You put me in there."

That day was crystal clear in my mind. I could see the beach, the sun reflecting off of the ocean waves. Nick and Angel had thought they were going to save the day.

They were all so young. And foolish.

Aaron knelt back down and roughly pushed his hand along the side of Brooke's face. A low moan filled the room. I swore I saw a smile of satisfaction.

I took the opportunity. My hand groped along the wall and I grabbed a loose stone. Testing the weight of it in my hand I did a quick calculation and chucked it. It landed on the far side of the room making it sound like someone was trying to get the door open to the basement from inside the house.

"What the fuck?"

Aaron's head shot up. It caught him off guard. He stood and walked over to investigate. I knew that he would see if I tried to kneel for my gun.

But that's why I always carried a spare. I yanked the gun from the holster strapped to my back and trained it on Aaron.

"ON THE GROUND!"

He swirled around.

"WHAT THE--"

His gaze went to the gun on the ground and then back to the one in my hand. Even through the dimness I could see the curl of his lip. He let out a scream.

"NEVER!"

His head lowered and he charged me.

I didn't bat an eye. I pulled the trigger.

The sound magnified ten-fold. It was a direct shot, right to the head.

A kill shot.

As if in slow motion, the body stopped and collapsed to the ground.

I hadn't made him suffer. Oh, how I had wanted to make him suffer. But Brooke needed medical attention immediately.

The most important thing was that I had got my man.

--------------------------------

-- Nick --

"Where's Mike?"

"Have you seen Mike?"

I seemed to be stuck on repeat. I started in town and slowly but surely everyone scouring the buildings was sending me farther away from the hustle and bustle of center city. Clubs and restaurants disappeared and made way for actual residential houses and neighborhoods.

"Have you seen Mike?" I asked for the thousandth time. An agent looked at me.

"You're Nick, right? Mike said you were supposed to stay--"

"I don't care. I don't listen."

The agent smirked. "So I've heard. He's around here. He came down with this unit."

So I was close. That eased my mind. I didn't trust anyone but Mike.

If anyone could find Brooke it would be---

"I NEED ALL AGENTS OVER HERE!"

Mike was standing in the middle of the street screaming on his walkie, but I think everyone in range heard him without it.

"Suspect has been taken down. We need an ambulance."

"MIKE!"

"Nick, what the hell are you doing?"

I ran towards him.

"Brooke she's--"

"Alive. In the basement."

I followed him around the back of the building. Mike seemed tense, but calm. His hand held his gun with a death grip.

One of the wooden doors was lying on the ground. Mike ripped the other one off and he took off down the concrete stairs. I followed.

The odor that assailed my senses was vile. It was a combination of vomit and...I couldn't place the smell.

And then suddenly I could.

Blood. Spilling out on the concrete.

Blood.

"I had to take him down I--"

Mike started to explain, but I didn't care. I spotted the small mass on the filthy mattress and I knew it was Brooke.

"I wouldn't move her I--"

My feet propelled me forward. I knelt down next to the mattress. I quickly undid the ropes binding her small hands and feet. Her breathing scared me. I had never heard something so gravely coming out of someone so small. I placed a hand on her head.

It was so hot my fingertips burned.

"Brooke," I whispered. "Brooke, it's daddy. You're safe. I'm taking you home."

I feared that she had slipped into some type of coma. To play witness to whatever had gone on down here and to not scream...

Ever so slowly her eyes cracked open. Her blonde lashes were caked with matted crust. I could just barely see the eyes that looked so much like my own.

"Daddy," she whispered. For it was just a whisper.

And then there was nothing.