He just nods. “Let’s go get our ol’lady back and teach those motherfucking Irish who the Night Skulls are.”
Crows flew over our heads as we approached the abandoned warehouse outside Austin where Larvin kept Jo, as if they smelled the upcoming bloodshed and piling corpses.
Guns ready, I spotted a different kind of crows scattered around the old building and the bare farm in front of it. All dressed in black and military boots, covered in masks, machineguns in their hands.
Fort and Furore gave us the sign to advance. We revved up the engines and darted through the field, ready for the blazing war. Hook and Texas fired up their guns first, testing the enemy. Bullets flew over our heads, but I stormed in. All I needed was a distraction of any sort so I could barge in and save Jo. Larvin’s men were too many, though, and were loaded with an arsenal of guns.
A blood-curdling scream ripped through the gunshots. It came from the warehouse. It must be Jo’s. Without a second thought, I jumped with my bike and crashed the door. Furore and Molar shouted at me to wait, but I didn’t fucking care. Her screams were getting louder and louder. At least, she was still alive.
“You don’t know what you're walking into. You’re no use to her fucking dead!” someone yelled, but it was no use. No one could stop me from getting her. I couldn’t take another second with her screams piercing my heart. I didn’t give a shit about my life. I was as good as dead without her.
Aiming my gun around as I fell off my bike, I spotted more of Larvin’s men but no Jo. With a roar, I opened fire on them, bullets and blood flying around me, until I was out of ammo.
The guns pointing at my head didn’t even register as I launched at the men left standing at once. I toppled down three of them and yanked a machinegun of theirs. Then I rolled and sprayed whatever was in front of me with bullets right and left until the men were all down. I needed to find Jo. I ran toward the source of screaming, but it was just a phone playing a video of hers being tortured by that fucker. “Son of a bitch! Where the fuck is she?!”
Furore and Molar dashed in, calling out for me and Jo, gunfire blasting outside.
I ran to them. “She’s not here! It’s just a recording. She’s not here!”
Fort followed inside and found one of the men that wasn’t dead yet. He smashed his jaw with one punch. “Where are you keeping her?”
I tore down the place with Furore as Molar and Fort broke the man’s bones into speaking. Where the fuck was that piece of shit Larvin and where was he keeping my Jo?
“Listen.” Furore put a finger over his mouth and walked slowly to the back. “Do you hear this?”
It sounded like a muffled scream. “Jo!” The sound intensified, and as I traced it, it came from underneath.
Furore and I tore down through the broken wood, rotten hay and smashed gear until I found a secret opening. Swiftly, I pulled the rusty metal handle shaped like a horseshoe and jumped in blind.
A limp body curled up on the wooden floor in the dark, but I’d recognize those eyes in a pitch black room. “Jo!” Bullets blasted again above me. My vision was blurry as I collapsed on to my knees in front of her, pulled the knife from my boot and cut the ties of the gag around her mouth and then the rope on her wrists and ankles.
Slow shallow breaths escaped her lips. My shaking, covered in blood hands pulled her body into mine. “I’m here. You’re safe. I’m here. I’m sorry.”
Her face paled, and she looked like she was about to pass out. “No, no, no. Stay with me.” My whole life was slipping through my fingers. This couldn’t be fucking happening. I patted her cheeks. “I can’t lose you, Jo. You promised me forever. You can’t leave me.”
A sob escaped me as I stroked her sticky blood soaked hair. The world around me faded out for a second. I nuzzled into her hair, tears running down my face. “Stay with me!”
Life breathed in me again when she reached a quivering hand out, and I noticed the dried blood on them from her wounds. “I know, baby. It’s okay. You’ll be fine. I’ll get you to a hospital soon. Just stay awake, please.”
But she touched between her legs and showed me her palm. It glistened with crimson as her sobs burned me.
“No.” I choked on a gasp. Then I shook my head in denial. This couldn’t be real. “No. please, no. No, Jo, our baby is fine. You’ll be fine. Just stay with me until I get you out of here. You and the baby will be fine.”
“I…I’m…sorry,” she whispered, her voice faint.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’re going to live, and we’ll raise our baby together. It’s okay. I’m here.” I carried her in my arms and forced my knees to stand.
Gunshots rang through my ears again, followed by growls and rattles of death. Using my body as a shield, I spun and covered her body as much possible as I ran. I would do anything to protect her. She could live without me, but I could never live without her.
“Get her fucking out of here, Rex!”
I looked up. Blood was splattered everywhere. Then a part of the floor above me collapsed with two men killing each other. Furore and one of Larvin’s soldiers. Jo rasped something I couldn’t make out. I was torn between staying to help my dad and getting her out safely.
“I said get her out of here!” My father yelled as he fought for his life.
“Laius, no,” she whispered a little louder this time for me to hear.
“I’m sorry, little faerie. You have to live. You’re the only one who deserves to live.” I kicked the wooden planks of the wall until there was a big enough hole to get us out.
