AJ's pov:

I woke to a bright yellow light tearing through my vision. I could smell the familiar hospital scents, antiseptics and blood. I was lying on a blue bed and was wrapped up from abdomen to upper chest with thick white bindings. The pain had lessened considerably.

I tried to get up and sit straight when I saw a girl with long, black hair and a tense face help me up.

She sighed and sat down, then looked straight at me with a murderous stare.

I gulped, "Hey Irene."

"Hey Irene? Hey Irene!? What the Frick is wrong with you! You know how crazy Delilah must be right now. Plus you made pretty guy sad!"

"Pretty guy? Who John?" I asked honestly curious.

"Yes, John. He was so worried about you! And do not even mention how anxious Delilah must be! My three best friends are out there battling it out with bloody mafias! And you had to get yourself injured!" She finally finished and took deep breaths. Her eyes were red from crying.

"I'm sorry Irene, I really am. But- wait did you just say three best friends?" I asked her.

"Yes! Delilah, Willow and-" She stopped on the verge of tears.

"And who?"

"Sam!" She cried into my hospital sheets.

I pet her head and tried to soothe her.

"Sam? What is he doing there?"

"He's with them. With that weird scary guy with the flared nostrils," she said being very descriptive.

"Ghost? He's with Ghost?" I asked confused.

"He was!" She cried.
"He was picked by him and put undercover for Leila, but he couldn't complete his mission because -" she stopped again.

"Because?"

"Because he started to like his life with us....and-"

This was much more suspicion then I could take with a newly operated self.

"And?"

"And because he FELL IN LOVE WITH ME!" She half cried, half wailed and dug her face into the hospital bed.
"Oh Gosh I can't believe I was so mean to him!"

"Oh Rene it's okay. It's out now right? That's all that matters-" I said just as the her pocket vibrated to the tune of "Single Ladies".

She shot me a red eyed look. "That is NOT my phone," she said.

I controlled my laughter and nodded.

She took it out and saw that there were about ten missed calls.
And 3 new messages.

"Who's phone is that?" I asked.

"I don't know, John gave it too me," she said looking at the phone.

"John? That is not John's ringtone." I grinned.

"No! I meant he gave it too me! Not that it's his. Any way he said he found it in the car he drove you here in. It was one of the-" I completed the sentence for her.

"Russians."

"Yes," she pouted.

"May I have a look at it? And where is John anyway?"

"He's gone to sign you out and talk to your surgeon," she said while passing the phone to me.
"Apparently your surgery was a minor one. But it was still lethal. If the bullet had stayed in you a bit longer or you'd bled out a bit more. It would have been critical."

I just imagined what it would have been like if Delilah and John hadn't been here.

"And me," she said.
"You said that out loud."

"Oh," I chuckled. "I apologise, and you."

Then I looked into the phone Irene gave me. Their were several missed calls from names and numbers I couldn't recognise. But the messages were all from one head. And it was from a name I knew all too well.

Igor

#
Sergei where are you? We need you here. Yelena is throwing a fit. Half your crew has fled. Come back quick.

#
Are you there Sergei? Answer!? Is everything all right!

#
Dima and I are on our way, we'll kill all those bloody bastards. Hold on boss.

I took in two steep breaths. There's not many of the takers there. Delilah doesn't know how to shoot. And John is here.

I got out of bed and limped to where my clothes were hanging. Irene looked astonished.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, dubious.

"I need to go Irene, the crew is in danger. They don't have working cells. And the Russians are coming to get back their leader. And if he's already dead. That can't be good. I need to get them out of there." I said changing my clothes, she'd turned the other way.

"You can't go AJ. You're not in the condition to leave. You're not even discharged yet! Your wounds are newly stiched." She argued as I tried to get my shirt down. She came forward and snapped it down.

"It's not like we're legally here anyway. The doc was a 'friend' of John's."

She looked annoyed.

"You're not in the condition to go into an open war."

Arms crossed she waited for my comeback.

"Irene I cannot wait. The messages were sent 10 minutes ago. They may already be there."

"What about John?" She asked.

"You tell him to speed drive till the pad once he's done."

"I-" she began to raise her voice.

"Sorry Irene I got to go," I said clutching my side.

I opened the door out when Irene stopped it with her leg.

"Irene-" I huffed, but she held her car keys infront of me. Dangling with a silver donut.

"Thanks-" I was about to say again when she cut me off as she opened the door for me.

"I'm driving," she said and stalked out. Just to wait a few steps ahead to look at me staring at her with confused awe.

"You coming?" She asked.
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John's pov:

I thanked Mia once again before rushing back to the unused hospital room where AJ lay. Mia was an old girlfriend. We'd ended on good terms. Since she was still in love with me.

She was also a head surgeon at this hospital and she'd often cover up for me.
She'd told the nurses and fellow doctors AJ was a police man. I'd laughed at that.

After getting the discharge papers and medicines, I'd wanted to leave AJ and Irene here. While I'd go back and help the crew.

But as I opened the door to the hospital room where I'd left those two, I found it empty.

Everything and everyone was gone, except the phone I'd found in a rush inside that old Navy car I'd jacked to get AJ to the hospital.

Underneath it was a tissue paper. And written in the tissue paper, in what I'd assumed to be Irene's cursive was, 'AJ and I-back to the pad-more Russians-come quick-sorry-sad face-'

"Shit," I cursed and grabbed the phone as I ran out the room to the parking.
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Delilah's pov:

It all happened so quickly, one minute I thought I was safe. That it would all be over soon. The next, Ghost was spitting out profanities and threats. A few later a bullet was racing in my direction and I was so stunned I couldn't move. Willow, who was standing right next to me pushed me down right in time for the bullet to ram into the leg of the jet. Causing no harm to anyone.

She was on top of me breathing heavily and harshly. She held my face and screamed.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, thankyou," I said back. Stunned and grateful.

She hugged me tight and picked me up to stand.

Apparently as Ghost had let his bullet fly so did G. G's however landed right in the crip of Ghost's arms. He was already limping. Now he was clutching his arm as well. Red color seeping through his fingers.

He'd tried to use his gun again. But all the bullets were used. He was armless and injured. A little cat surrounded by coyotes.

"See Ghost, this is where you end up. Always." Jake said.

Ghost was mad and hurt and angry.
He was growling like a cornerd animal.

But no one shot at him. No one wanted to kill him.
We'd decided he deserved more than death. He deserved to rot in prison. Knowing that the takers had won. The Takers were right about him. That the Takers had taken everything from him.

Everybody came together. We thought it was finally over. Sam found a phone from somewhere and had called someone. I'd wondered who? Maybe Irene. Willow had gone to him and had hugged him, then slapped him, then kicked him. Then kissed him on the cheek. He'd smiled in the most Sam way possible.

Ghost was tied up to a box. G and Jake were on either side of him. Lily was standing with Jesse, head on his shoulder. Murmuring words I couldn't hear.

But I was lost in thoughts of AJ. I wondered how he was? Whether he was fine. Critical? Or not. John? How was he doing? Did they know we were alright? Irene..? She must be confused and worried.

I'd tried to get the phone from Sam. But it was already dead. And for some reason, we were all waiting as if someone was going to come to us.

G realised we should move. Atleast some of us. Some had to stay back. And take care of the little cat.

I wanted to go to the hospital, wherever AJ was.

As we were getting up and ready to leave we heard gunshots. Again. Loud, piercing and clear.

They made my heart drop a billion miles.
There was a jeep rushing towards us. And in it were about 5 Russians. Two of which were painfully familiar. Igor and Dima.
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"Oh shit! Sam what are they doing here? I thought you'd warned them!" Willow yelled her eyes fixed on the Jeep.

"I did. But these guys-they must have come for Sergei! Their boss!" He screamed back.

Shit Sergei was still lying passed out behind the jet. Ugh weakling! I thought.

"He's behind the jet! Passed out! Should we peace offer?" I asked.

"Peace offer angry Russians with big guns their passed out mafia leader. Delilah are you hit in the head?" Willow said.

I sighed, "Well why are we standing here like bait! Grab guns and run!"

And we did. Just as fires broke out again. I hid behind the same wooden box AJ had crept next too. My head had started to scream with agony. My hands were aching and I knew I was bleeding from several places. This day just didn't seem to end.

I didn't want to go into a crossfire. I can't contribute, I'd just be a liability.

I kept peaking through cracks in the wood. Three Russians were down. And Igor was missing. Dima had a fire in him, an angry red fire. I'd never seen before. He'd always seemed more gentle then the others. But today, he was ruthless.

His silver scar sitting on his neck, twisted and gnarly. His carribbean eyes losing there cool.

I heard sirens. Police? Were we really this screwed. The pad was far away from the city. At first while driving here I thought we were going to a full blown airport. But we ended up at a deserted, out of service helipad. Far far away from the city. Surrounded by trees, thicker than I'd seen. There were a few hospitals and stores on the way. But nothing much else.

Then where did the police come from?

The siren had stopped. But I heard a new voice. One that I'd never heard before.

I heard Sam scream, "Officer Jack look out!"

Then it was silent again.

I slowly turned around too see Sergei and Igor limping there way to the Jeep. The other three Russians were dead. Dima was still shooting at Lily and Jesse. I couldn't see Willow. G was cross shooting. Sam was helping someone who I assumed to be officer Jack.

But Ghost was out of my sight.

"LEAVE!" Bellowed Lily.
"This is not your fight. Take your men and scram."

A few moments later she had Dima at gunpoint. He was disarmed. Behind him G was standing with a gun to his head.

"My men are dead." He said back.

"That is your fault," Lily said.

"Dima, Seamus is alive. Pick him and let's go, Sergei is not responding." Igor told Dima. He was already in the Jeep. With Sergei unconscious stacked behind.

Dima growled and picked up his Russian comorade before setting off for the Jeep himself.
-
-
"Leila look out!" I heard Sam scream just in time for me to step aside. Ghost had a wooden stick out and he was ready to slice me up.

G rammed into Ghost again making him fall to the ground, the wooden stick fell far away. To far for Ghost to lunge for it.

"He's like a persistent leech," G said.

"Who is that?" I asked Sam.

"Oh him? He's inspector-" but the inspector spoke instead.

"Jack." He said, head looking up a bit. "Sam called me. I'm here to take that guy in, Ghost."

"Don't you want to arrest us?" Lily asked confused.

"Well I'd love too but I'm under oath," he said back.

"Oath?" I asked.

"He's being dramatic." Sam said.
"He owes me....big time. So I called him to clear the mess. He's low on his Job anyways. Getting such a big hit would help him a lot."

"How will you conceal the fact that we were here?" G asked.

"Well, since Ghost's alive it makes the job a little harder-" but before he could finish Ghost had somehow removed a gun from somewhere and aimed it at G. He was standing a few paces away from me.

Everyone went quiet. There was no way anyone could distract or fool Ghost now. He just wanted revenge and he was determined as hell.

I cocked my gun too and aimed it at Ghost. Directly to his head. He didn't move.

"You won't shoot me O'dair," he said through gritted teeth.
"You're just like your brother."

"You don't want to try me Ghost," I said back.

"Even if you manage to shoot G then what? There's only one bullet left in that thing we all know it," I said.
"You're going to lose either way."

"At least I get something out of it."

"Ghost it doesn't have to be this way. I-I've moved forward from what happened with James. You should too. Go Ghost. You don't have to end up dying here." I warned him.

"Ha, and you're going to kill me?" He spat.
"I think I'll take my chances."

"Ghost-" What happened next was a blur.

Ghost must have gotten annoyed or irritated. So he aimed the gun at me instead and was about to fire. I saw his hand ready to click and let go. I wasn't ready to kill him. But this was it. I'd either live or die.

Instead before I could do anything, hands wrapped and slithered around mine. Familiar scents of mints and Vanilla mixed with hospital antiseptics and blood rushed around me. His hand held mine, the same one with which I held the gun, and I saw as we both pressed the trigger. It was fast and slow at the same time. As if the speeds of the world had gotten confused and mixed up.

His fingers upon mine pressed the trigger way before Ghost could. My aim was perfect, the bullet ran and collapsed into Ghost. Taking all the life away from him. Forever.
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Thankyou guys once again for all the reads and votes. I love y'all. Just a few chapters left! Let's make it one hell of a ride, now shall we?
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