Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:42:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Claudiu I. <ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com>
Subject: Lean On Me 13

This story is a work of fiction. It contains description of sexual acts
between minors. If you find the events depicted within offensive, then, by
all means, stop reading. Places and people portrayed are entirely
fictional.

For criticism, advice and the occasional praise, feel free to contact me at
ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com


LEAN ON ME

Chapter XIII


"Pick up, damn you!" Sam yelled into the phone. He'd been calling Alexi and
Evan for the past 30 minutes, ever since his wife found him weeping on the
floor of their living room. He hadn't noticed them leaving, but he knew all
too well where they had gone.

"Sam...calm down." Dana said. "We don't know that they..."

"That what? They went after Hunter? Of course they did. Alexi's already
gone running after Hunter once and Evan's shown he'll follow."

"But they couldn't possibly know where Hunter is."

"That's one of my main concerns. Who knows what kind of shit they might get
into trying to figure it out? You heard Evan. He...takes care of things.
Ever wonder how he gets answers to questions that trouble him?"  Dana
remained silent. "Best case scenario, we have a pair of lunatic teenagers
torturing people. Worst case..." he trailed off. "Fuck, they're still not
answering!"

"But have you tried Vince again? Maybe it's just...a misunderstanding."

"A bloody misunderstanding, if Evan gets involved."

Sam was startled as his phone started ringing. He collected himself and
looked at the screen, hoping to see one of his sons' names on it. Instead,
he found himself staring at an unfamiliar number.

"Are you gonna answer the damn thing?" Dana asked, bringing him back to
reality.

"Hello?"

"Sam, this is Vince." This was peculiar. Despite their long-standing
relationship, Vince rarely addressed Sam by any other form than "sir".
Something was wrong, Sam was convinced.

"What's going on, Vince? Where's Hunter?"

"Hanson has `im. Us, I suppose. He wants to negotiate..."

"Where and when?"

"The abandoned industrial compound outside of town. One hour. Go through
the main gate, drive straight for a mile. There's an empty lot there, with
just a warehouse to the side. He said bring 4 men. Just one car. And Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you can trust them..."

The line went dead and Sam was lost in thought.


"Don't tell me he bought that shit." Eric said, as soon as Vince finished
the call.

"Why not? He trusts me completely. You have no idea how much I wanted to
end him and his whole fucking family for the last few years, but I knew I
needed support from outside if I were to succeed. He has a way about
him. His demeanor, I suppose. It's just a fucking act, but he seems so
friendly. He has a way to demand respect. Like you know he's better than
you, but he doesn't act as if he's superior. That's why his closest
lieutenants are so loyal to him."

"Ah, hence the 4 men he can trust..."

"Exactly. Take them all out at once. The man likes to meet the people who
work for him. That's why I couldn't get more than these 3." Vince said,
gesturing to 3 young men standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the
warehouse office, smoking and chatting softly among each other. "They're
the only ones I personally brought in and who are loyal to me. Everyone
in-between me and Samuels will follow once the dust settles and the
higher-ups are...well, not so high anymore." He finished with an evil grin.

Eric stood in front of the window, his hands clasped behind his back. "You
know, this isn't going to be easy." He said. "Henson did have a point.
Negotiating and getting Samuels to back out and actually place you in
charge could avoid a lot of hassle. Once this whole thing is done, we'll
both have to clean house and you know there'll be ruffled feathers. We
won't have complete and immediate control. It would be good if at least one
of us had a solid power base..."

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Vince spat angrily. "We both
agreed this is the way to go. It's too late now, anyway. Samuels knows
Henson took the boy. What, we just let him go and cut a deal with him?
Don't you think he'll see right through us? He might just go to Henson
directly and then we're both fucked. No, this ends today."

"If we go through with it, it'll just start today."

"Then so be it." Vince glanced at his watch. "I'll get my men in position.
You stay here with Hicks and wait for Henson to arrive. Once he's taken
care of, send Hicks and the other one my way. We'll need `em."

"What about the kid?"

Vince peered through the window, eyeing Hunter slumped in his chair, his
head covered by the dirty sack, alone in the empty warehouse. "He'll keep
for now. We need to make sure daddy dearest is out of the picture first.
He's still a valuable commodity until then."



Evan drove through the main gate and immediately took one of the small
alleys snaking through the large abandoned industrial complex. It had house
all types of companies and workers through the years. It started as a small
mining operation in the mid-1800's. When that was closed up, clothing
manufacturers settled in. Later during the 20th century, heavy metallurgy.
Now, it was all abandoned, except for the warehouses that were occasionally
used for...less that legal activities. The police knew that they were used
as storage for stolen goods at the very least -- drug and arms shipments
were actually more common -- but the informants and tight connections
that Henson had built within every tier of law-enforcement meant that there
was little fear of discovery. Unless it was an election year, in which case
a token capture was made, along with a few insignificant arrests, to keep
Joe Public happy. It proved that their taxes were well used and assured a
new term for the elected officials deep within Henson's pockets. He was
more than happy to make such a small sacrifice once in a while. The lost
revenue was more than covered by the fact that he didn't constantly have to
look over his shoulder. It helped Myke Henson sleep well at night.

Of course, Henson's sleeping habits didn't normally worry Evan too
much. Still, he was his father and what Radnick had said worried him. If
the man had been truthful -- and Evan had enough experience to know when
he was being lied to -- then his father was also in danger. Eric and
someone in Samuels' organization had big plans for that day. Evan's mind
was a whirlwind. He had no love for his father, but whether he wanted to
admit it or not, the man had ingrained a sense of loyalty to his family
into him. And his family consisted of just the two of them. Evan glanced at
Alexi, sitting next to him, staring intently out the front window, biting
his lower lip, either in concentration or in fear. `Maybe it isn't just the
two of us anymore.' Evan thought.

No, the feelings he had towards his father had nothing in common with
anything a normal father-son relationship would present. Still, he owed him
his life. As screwed up as it had become, it was still his life. At least
recently. He had exerted his independence and his father let him go, if
reluctantly. Had Henson not taken him in when he was younger, would Evan be
in jail? Would he even be alive? He certainly wouldn't be next to Alexi. If
nothing else, his messed up life could now be summed up in one word --
Alexi. He owed his father for that, at the very least. He would fight for
him. He would save him. But first he would keep his promise to the boy he
loved and save Hunter.

Finally, the truck pulled to a stop behind a dumpster, next to a
dilapidated 4-storey building. The cold, dirty grey concrete and broken
widows made for a sorry sight, but it was good cover. 500 yards away,
across an empty plot, where a building had been demolished decades ago,
stood their target. The warehouse wasn't large, but it was ominous, with
its blacked-out windows and rusty metal walls. The front door rolled aside
and a black SUV drove out. With the entrance temporarily open, the two boys
strained their eyes to peer inside, but could not discern anything through
the darkness hidden between those walls, especially at that distance. Alexi
suddenly realized that the open entrance resembled the maw of a very large,
very dangerous creature. He gulped loudly, as someone inside the building
rolled the door shut.

Evan didn't turn his head to look at Alexi, but he decided the tension was
too thick. He was never one for levity before such situations. He liked to
concentrate, be focused on his task. But he knew that Alexi was close to
falling apart. "So, four gay guys walk into a bar..." he started.

Alexi turned to face Evan, but the young man was still facing straight
ahead. Alexi blinked rapidly a few times and shook his head in
puzzlement. "Are...are you insane?" he asked.

Finally, Evan met his eyes. "Nope. Just thought I should lighten the mood."

"With a gay joke?"

"Well, if the shoe fits..."

"You ARE insane!"

"Oh, come on, you'll like it. It's marvelously nasty."

Alexi sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Evan ignored his comment and plowed ahead. "So, four gay guys walk into a
bar and there's only just one four-legged stool left. How do they sit?"

"They turn it upside down." Alexi answered, groaning and rolling his eyes.

"Oh..." Evan replied lamely.

"It's an old joke, dude."

"Fine. Then you're responsible for the humor in this relationship from now
on."

"Deal. But what do you bring to the table?" Alexi asked, raising an eyebrow
and smiling in what he hoped was an alluring manner.

Evan bent down towards him, placed his right hand on the seat's head rest
and stretched his left arm behind Alexi. He fumbled inside the glove box
and pulled out a gun. "Oh, I have certain talents..."




Christian knocked gently on the door to Henson's office. An immediate "Come
in" sounded through the thick doors. The young man took a few seconds to
compose himself. He had his best suit on that day. He was still far from an
Armani, but the dark, perfectly-tailored suit fit him nicely and gave him a
lot of much-needed confidence, as well as an air of authority. If Eric kept
his word, he would soon have enough authority to merit that suit, as well
as many more like it. It may not have been his mother's dream, but he was
certainly aiming for the stars. His parents wanted him to be in pre-law
when he was 20, but a car accident when he was still a sophomore in
high-school ended that dream. Still, he certainly was on an accelerated
career path. At his young age, he could be one of the boss' right-hand men.

He dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a piece of tissue. The NEXT
boss, that is. He liked Myke Henson well enough, he supposed. Well, maybe
"like" is too strong a word. Not many people working for him truly liked
the man, but he commanded respect and not a small amount of fear. That
alone made Christian feel weak in the knees. He couldn't believe he was
actually doing it. Actually going through with the crazy plan. When Eric
first told him about it, he thought the man was joking. Then he started
worrying about his mental state. After all, he reasoned, being essentially
in exile, looking after the boss' lunatic son might drive anyone
insane. When he saw Eric was actually serious, he considered going straight
to Henson with the information. Surely he would be handsomely rewarded, he
thought. He already had a decent enough job. He was rarely in the streets,
but mostly in the house, close by Henson. The old man seemed to have taken
a liking to him. That thought also made Christian uncomfortable. Betrayal
was bad enough, but Henson really wasn't that bad. If he didn't like him
already, he was on the road to doing so. Maybe Henson had plans for
him. Evan, his son, didn't seem all that interested in taking over the
family business. Maybe Henson had a bright future in store for him.

But Christian quickly shook that thought off. If that were true, surely
Henson wouldn't have kept him in the dark. No, the more likely reason was
that Henson himself was physically attracted to him. Christian immediately
latched onto that thought as reassurance for his actions. He hated fags,
and the thought of an old man perving on him was enough to make him sick.

And on top of it all, the simple fact was that Eric confided in
him. Trusted him enough to bring him into the operation. People like Eric,
old-timers, people who knew what they were doing, rarely trusted someone so
young. That made Christian feel special. On the one hand, the boss was a
creep who probably wanted to molest him. On the other, Eric, if he took
over, had already placed a lot of trust in Christian. He told him the plan
and gave him a big role to play in it. Certainly, that meant that he would
have a position of high importance in the organization when things
settled. Yes, in the end, Christian was sure that he had made the right
decision. He adjusted his tie and nodded to himself, then entered the
study.

"What is it, Christian? I'm quite busy. We have a shipment coming in
tomorrow. Things will be a bit crazy." Yes, that was one of the reasons
Eric picked that moment to move. Most people will be too busy with their
pre-assigned roles during that time to pay attention to what was supposed
to be a silent coup.

"Sir, Eric has the boy."

"What?" Henson jumped to his feet and moved from behind his massive
desk. "Why did he move without telling me?"

"I have no idea, sir. But he has him. He thought you would be pleased."

"Did he now?" Henson rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't normally like
surprises..." He looked Christian up and down, appraising him. "But, I
suppose a little initiative is to be encouraged, as long as it produces
results." Henson walked past Christian and out the door. "Harris!" he
hollered.

A tall, thin, balding man, with half-glasses resting on his crooked nose
materialized within a few seconds from upstairs. "Sir?"

"I have to be somewhere. Where the hell are Hicks and Radnick?"

"I believe Eric required their assistance."

"Hmm...Well, get Jamison and Rodriquez..." Christian tensed. This was not
good. Henson needed to be alone.

"Sir, both Radnick and Hicks are awaiting at the warehouse, with Eric. I
thought I would drive you." Christian cut in.

"You did?" Henson studied the young man again, this time staring into his
eyes for a few seconds. Christian wanted to avert his gaze. He felt himself
breaking into a nervous sweat, but he knew he had to control himself, or he
would be lost. It was too late. Even if he came clean, he'd still get
mutilated at the very least for his role in the whole thing. No, he needed
to keep himself together and get through it. So he maintained eye contact,
until Henson finally muttered his consent.  "Initiative again? I suppose
you want a raise, then?"

Christian chuckled. `Oh, you have no idea!' he thought. "I wouldn't mind."
He admitted aloud.

Henson turned to Harris once more. "Nevermind. But it looks like I will be
occupied for the time being. But I expect we'll have a meeting tonight or
tomorrow at the latest. Something tells me some big changes are coming..."




Evan and Alexi circled around until they were behind the warehouse. On
account of Alexi's leg, it took them much longer that Evan would have
liked, especially when they were out in the open, even if all the windows
facing them were blacked out.

"Why didn't we come in the car, again?" Alexi asked in a whisper, once they
leaned against the side of the building.

"I told you. There's no way to drive a car close enough without being
spotted or at least heard. That alley is the only place within sensible
distance where we could safely stop. But don't worry. If everything goes
well, then we'll be walking out the front door and the truck will be
relatively close by."

"You're fairly confident."

"Well, Radnick said that Eric has maybe 3 guys. Considering his intellect,
I wouldn't be surprised if he included himself in that equation. Now, he
didn't know about the other guy, but I think he was right. He couldn't have
too many, otherwise he would have taken Samuels down by himself, from the
inside. I'm guessing he only has the backing of a few people. That SUV that
drove out had four guys in. I couldn't make out their faces, but I'm sure
there were four. I think that's all they have."

"Why?"

"Gut instinct, mainly. I think they were on their way to meeting your
dad. Or, more likely, springing a trap."

"What?!" Alexi dug into his pockets, fishing for his cell.

"No use. No signal out here. I know there's a satellite phone in the
warehouse office, but there's no other way to contact someone from out
here. Anyway, I think those 4 guys were all they had to spare. If they had
more...well, it stands to reason that they'd send them out, make sure the
job is done."

"The job?"

"Killing your foster dad, most likely." Evan said softly, trying not to
upset Alexi, but knowing that the truth was the only way to go. The stakes
were too big. Alexi needed to know what he was getting into if they were to
survive. Evan could see that Alexi was getting more agitated by the
second. He was almost drawing blood from biting on his lower lip. Evan
grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Hey, get a grip! You can't
lose it now. Hunter's in there. We get him out, then we get both our
dads. But in order to do that, we need to keep our heads, got it? This
isn't a game."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"You have to. I wouldn't normally get you involved, but I have to. We know
there's at least one more guy in the building. He closed the door. Now, if
I know Eric, he wasn't in that car. He's a coward at heart. He wouldn't
walk into a firefight, even if it's relatively risk-free, such as an ambush
on your dad. My guess is he and a bodyguard are in there. Probably
Hicks. And if I know Eric, which I do, the lazy fuck is probably up in that
office, watching TV or some such shit. I have no idea where Hunter is, but
the office is fairly small. It barely has enough room for a small table and
two chairs. There's a connecting bathroom, but I doubt they have him in
there. My guess is he's being held in the warehouse proper, with a guard,
while Eric is upstairs, waiting for his plan to come together. So, I'll
need you to get Hunter the hell out of here as soon as I take out the
guard, while I go after Eric."

"How...how can you possibly know all that?"

Evan grimaced. "I've...used this place before."

"How do you mean?"

"You saw what I did back at the house. We'd sometimes have someone here in
the warehouse, for...a talk. That's how things usually went. Eric was
upstairs, watching some damn soap, while a guard supervised my...work."
Evan closed his eyes, trying to push away the memories. Alexi grabbed his
hand and squeezed tightly.

"It's okay. After today, it'll be over. Now, lead the way."

Evan nodded and, still holding on to Alexi, moved slowly towards a small
door, secured by a large lock. Alexi looked at it and shook his head. "Now
what?" he asked glumly.

Evan merely grinned and pulled out a key. "It's my dad's warehouse,
remember?"

As the lock clicked open, Alexi's mind wandered a bit and he almost burst
out laughing. "Now who's the insane one?" Evan asked, looking at Alexi with
concern in his eyes.

"Sorry, it's just...Dude, do you realize what's happening here?"

"I thought we were rescuing your brother."

"Yeah, but...Look at the larger picture. Which one of us is Juliet?"

"What?"

"Dude, your dad, Sam...The Montagues and the Capulets. It's friggin Romeo
and Juliet!" Both Evan and Alexi choked back their laughter. It certainly
wouldn't have been very stealth-like. Once they finally regained their
composure, Evan pulled the door open only enough for him to peer inside. He
signaled for Alexi to follow him and went in silently.

Once inside, Alexi needed a few moments for his eyes to get accustomed to
the darkness, but he finally realized they were in a long hallway,
illuminated every 10 feet or so by a pale overhead light.

"This corridor runs along the side of the building, for its entire length,
about 70 yards. There's a door here at the back, one at the front and one
to the side, leading into the warehouse itself, by the stairs leading up to
the office. My dad had the thing built. The doors were already there, but
he thought that it would be a good idea to disguise the potential escape
route at the back via this corridor, so he had it walled-up." Evan
shrugged. "I never did understand the man's logic. But it works in our
favor. It'll bring us close enough to the office stairs. If my hunch is
right, Hunter will be close by. Now, once we get there, you stay out of
sight. I'll see what's what, take the guard out silently if I can, then
signal you to come and take Hunter. Understand?" Alexi nodded. "Good. Then
you two run. I don't care if you'll look like you're in a three-legged
race, you two get the hell out of here and head for the truck as fast as
you can. You don't stop until you're inside and the engine is running. You
know how to drive, right?"

"I don't have my license, but yeah, I do."

"Okay. Once there, you wait for 5 minutes. That's it. 5 minutes, no
longer. I'll be going after Eric, so if I'm not out by then, you get the
hell out of here. You drive out the way I showed you on the map. I don't
want you to run into the car we saw drive away. Do you think you can do
that?"

"Sure." Evan had shown Alexi the secondary entrance to the complex, on the
opposite side of the main one, connecting to the main road via a dirt one,
about 5 miles long. "But I'm not going anywhere without you. Why do you
need to go after Eric anyway?"

"Firstly, because he might shoot us in the ass as we're running
away. Secondly, because I have to. It's the only way this ends. Now you
have to promise me that if I'm not out in 5 minutes, you and Hunter drive
away. I'm doing all this for you, Alexi, because I love you. I'm not
planning on doing it all in vain. I need to at least be sure you'll be
okay. That's the main objective here. If you can't promise me, we leave
right now. And if you do promise, I expect you to keep your word. No more
secrets and lies between us, got it? Your word, Alexi, please..."

Alexi struggled with his thoughts and feelings for a few seconds and
finally nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

"Say it, Alexi."

"I promise."

"Good." Evan smiled broadly. "Now, quietly, follow me."

Every step was an eternity. Alexi wondered how no one in the warehouse was
able to hear his heartbeat. It sounded like a drummer's recital to him. He
didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he felt his face heat
up. He gasped loudly and Evan scowled at him, motioning him to be
silent. They were there. The door was on their right and it was
half-open. Someone was moving on the other side. Large, exaggerated steps,
like those of a man losing his patience. Evan faced Alexi and mouthed the
word "stay". He didn't need telling twice. Evan dropped silently to the
floor and lay completely still. The movement outside stopped and Alexi
could hear the sound of a lighter. Whoever was outside was a smoker. Bad
habit. It could kill him. Evan was peering outside through the one inch
space between the floor and the door. It was enough to see the man's shoes
to realize that he had his back to the door. Now was the time. Evan sprang
to his feet and slowly pushed the door open, praying it wouldn't squeak. It
didn't and Evan moved like a cat. Alexi held his breath again. In the
perfect stillness, he thought he heard a snap. Then nothing again. It was
an eternity. Why wasn't Evan coming back? He felt his face heat up
again. This was ridiculous. Couldn't he even hold his breath for half a
minute? Unless...it had been more than that. `Oh, god, what if he's dead?
What if I'm next? What if...' Alexi slapped himself, trying to regain
control, as Evan came back in and gave him a curious look.

"Umm...I didn't realize you were into S&M..."

"Stuff it! God, I was so worried! What took you so long? I was going nuts!"

"It's been less than a minute. Come on, there's no sign of Eric." Evan
moved back out and Alexi followed him. He stopped in his tracks and looked
at the body at his feet.

"Didn't you kill this guy already?"

"What? Oh, no, this is Hicks. Yeah, he and Radnick did look remarkably
alike. Thick neck as well, the bastard."

Alexi's eyes quickly shifted to the chair placed less than six feet
away. And, more exactly, the figure sitting in the chair. Hunter was
motionless and Alexi feared the worst for a second, but then he saw the boy
stirring and let out the breath he had been holding...again.

"No sign of Eric." Evan whispered. "Like I suspected. He's probably
upstairs." They moved quietly to Hunter. He didn't want to take any chances
by surprising Hunter into making noise, so he placed his hand over the
boy's mouth, the rough fabric of the sack between them. Hunter jumped. Or,
at least, he tried, his restraints holding him in place. "Relax, Hunter,
it's me, Evan."

"Me too." Alexi murmured.

"I'm gonna let go. Don't make a sound, okay?" Hunter nodded and Evan pulled
back his hand, then took off the sack. Hunter blinked rapidly and squinted
until he could focus on the two boys in front of him.

"How?" he croaked.

"It doesn't matter. You and Alexi need to go. Fast. Alexi knows what to
do." Evan supplied, as he worked the knots to release Hunter from the
chair. Finally succeeding, he stopped for a minute to look at Hunter. He
placed his hands on the boy's tear-streaked face and then rubbed his thumbs
affectionately over his cheeks. "It's good to see you, little brother." He
smiled softly and was rewarded with a weak grin from Hunter. He let go of
him and turned to Alexi and kissed him swiftly. "Now go!"

Evan turned his back to the two retreating forms and moved towards the
stairs. Now was the time to deal with Eric.




Christian pulled in next to the warehouse. He let the engine run for a
while. He was distracted by movement in the mirror. He thought he saw two
boys running awkwardly behind a building. He shook his head and focused on
the task at hand. He turned his head to Henson. He didn't know what to
do. Quick and easy, he thought, but he wanted to say something. He opened
his mouth, then closed it.

"I had big plans for you, Christian." Henson said sadly.

Christian pulled his gun quickly.




As soon as they turned the corner and were out of the direct line of sight
from the warehouse, Hunter and Alexi collapsed to the ground, Alexi
clutching his leg in pain. It had taken all he had to hobble across those
500 yards at a pace which resembled a slow run. The boys tried to catch
their breath when a shot echoed behind them. They risked a peek towards the
warehouse. There was a car parked there now. They thought they had heard
one approaching as they ran, but dared not look. A man got out of the car
and moved towards the warehouse. Hunter had seen enough. He got to his feet
and, grabbing Alexi by the shirt, pulled him up as well. "Get into the
car. NOW!" he barked.




Evan moved ever so slowly up the stairs, trying not to make a sound. When
he reached the top of the stairs, he remained crouched for a second, trying
to listen in. No sound came from behind the closed door. He straightened
himself up and peered inside. No one. Cautiously, he turned the door knob
and stepped inside. He pulled out the gun he had hidden in his jeans
waist. He took in his surroundings. The table was occupied with a small
black & white TV, a lamp, the satellite phone and a dirty plate and
cutlery. There was a file cabinet and an empty coat rack. The only other
piece of furniture, an uncomfortable looking plastic chair, sat unoccupied.

The sound of a toilet flushing came from behind the door opposite him. It
was the bathroom where Evan had often thrown up and cleaned the blood off
himself after entire nights of "talking" to someone. The door swung open
and Eric froze in his tracks, their eyes meeting.

"How very...Pulp Fiction of us." Eric said, his face neutral.

"Oh, I think a gun isn't personal enough for this." Evan replied. "I've
wanted to do this for a long time. Man to man, right? Let's see what the
fag can do, shall we?" he placed his gun on the table next to him. A shot
rang from outside and Evan was distracted for just a fraction of a
second. It was enough. Eric moved as fast as a cat and he pulled his gun.

"Bad move, kid." Eric growled, as Evan stared down the barrel of a gun. He
didn't see it. He only felt the piercing pain as he dropped to one knee. He
stared at Eric again, disbelieving. How could he have been so stupid? `Just
shoot and kill, you fucking moron! Stupid macho bravado! Always gets
someone killed!' But at least Alexi was safe. He knew that.

"I'm going to find that little boyfriend of yours and skin him alive, you
cocksucker." Eric laughed as the sound of footsteps came up the
stairs. "Christian, move your ass to the front gate. Vince needs you." Eric
continued, then he refocused on Evan. He squeezed the trigger once more and
pain erupted through Evan's body.

Darkness was crowding in around him. He didn't want to let go, but it was
too hard to keep fighting through the pain. There were more shots. He heard
them, but he didn't feel anymore. The darkness was coming and he was ready
to embrace it.




Hunter ended up driving. He tore down the dirt road, as Alexi sobbed in the
seat next to him. They both knew what it meant. But they couldn't go
back. They had promised. They might even have time to stop Sam. Now was not
the time to grieve. Now was the time to survive. Foot planted firmly on the
gas, Hunter said a silent prayer for Evan, as he swerved onto the main
road. He kept cursing for several minutes, until, at the edge of town, he
managed to get a signal on Alexi's phone. He dialed the number and waited,
silently praying. "Mom!" he shouted when Dana finally picked up.




 The black Escalade rolled through the main entrance slowly. Sam was in the
back seat, sandwiched between two of his most trusted men, who were peering
nervously out the windows. The car kept moving until it reached the remains
of a building. Thunder suddenly erupted all around them. Bullets started
piercing the car and the men surrounding him barely had time to react. He
felt a sharp sting in his arm, but he ignored it. He had one thing to
do. He had lost everything, but he would save his wife. Blood trickled down
his chest. He numbly pressed the buttons on his satellite phone.




"Sam!" Dana shouted into the phone. "Sam, are you okay?" She knew it was a
stupid question as soon as she spoke it. She could hear the gunshots
through the phone. Silent tears were running down her face.

"Dana..."Sam groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Our
boys..."

"Sam! Hunter and Alexi are okay. They're on their way home!"

"What?"

"Evan, Sam. Evan, he..."

"Dana, get out. Take the kids and run. It's Vince..."

The loudest shot rang then and Sam was quiet. A shiver ran through Dana and
she knew he was gone. "Oh, Sam..." she moaned, as she dropped the phone.
She permitted herself a few minutes of crying, until she heard Evan's truck
come to a screeching halt in the driveway. Hunter came running in and met
his mother's eyes. No words were exchanged. It wasn't necessary.


As the car moved ever forward through the darkness and rain, Dana remained
silent, trying to contain the pain and hide the tears. She needed to be
strong for her boys. She glanced in the rearview mirror, where two silent
forms sat huddled together.

Alexi had finally stopped crying. Through the past weeks, he had cried over
and over. With Sam, with Dana, with Hunter and with Evan. Now he cried for
all of them. For all he had gained and then lost. For all that had been
stolen from him. Finally, he was dry and exhausted. The pain numbed him and
he remained quiet. For 10 hours, as Dana drove ever forward, he cried,
slept, cried and then remained silent. He had no more tears to shed, but
neither did he have words. Nothing appropriate for the sorrow he felt. He
was broken and he only wanted the end to come.

Hunter pulled him closer and kissed him on the top of his head, then
whispered softly into his ears. "I don't have the words to express it,
Alexi, but I feel your pain. We've both lost so much. But we have each
other. I have a brother. And for what it's worth, you have me and I won't
let go. We have each other to lean on when the pain is too great." They
rested their heads together and closed their eyes as they moved ever
forward into rain and darkness.


				  THE END

_______________________________________________________


I wish to thank all my readers, for taking the time to read my little
story. And for all of you who wrote with feedback, thank you very
much. Your words of encouragement have meant a lot and I hope you'll
continue reading my stories, which may or may not include a sequel to this
in the near future.  Thank you once again.