© Jojo B 2016

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*N.E.V* The Seven Deadly Simpson Brothers

37

(Picture is Coral)

I wasn't going with them.

Blood or no blood, I was with the Simpsons and no one else.

I looked at my...family. Carlos and Diego, my half-brothers. Ario, my cousin. He looked like he felt sick, I know I did too.

"Come here," Pedro held his hand out to me. "Cupcake."

Before I could even utter a word, there were lights coming from behind us and the sound of voices and we all froze. The police. I'd forgotten they were still searching.

Eli was the first to move, running right at the Santiagos and hitting Diego in the ribs with his bat to get to Hayley, who got pushed and fell to the floor. Unable to grab Hayley fast enough, Carlos put a gun to the back of Eli's neck as he tried to pull his girlfriend to her feet. The Santiagos started running further down the alley way taking Eli with them by force.

Having no other direction to go in, we ran with the Santiagos, hoping the alley would lead us away from the police. Walter roared in anger and raced past me, going after Ario and hitting him in the back of the head so hard that Ario stumbled. Walter held onto him, pressing a weapon into his back and we kept running. I didn't know who was where in the panic and confusion of things, but I was aware that Landon was gripping my hand, making sure I didn't get left behind.

The Santiagos, knowing the area well, had already vanished down the various backstreets, leaving us behind. I was so relieved when I saw that Walter hadn't been kidding when he'd said they knew East side well. We had somehow doubled back on ourselves and were back in the area where the cars were parked, without the police tracing us.

Leaving no time to waste, we jumped into the cars and started driving at an inconspicuous pace out of East Side. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably and Landon looked back at me in concern.

"I know it's a stupid question Coral, but are you managing okay?" he asked me gently.

"I'm managing," is all I said.

Walter was in the back next to me, his arm around Ario's neck and a gun jabbing Ario's stomach. Ario was quiet, taking shallow breaths and looking out the window, trying to memorise where we were taking him.

"Here," Landon tossed an empty backpack at Walter. "Put it over his head."

Walter did so and I looked away, trying not to feel too much concern for Ario. They had probably treated Hayley the same way. Oh shit, Hayley. She had been left behind, probably in the hands of the authorities now. She was safe, hopefully being taken to the hospital. She was okay now, but this was far from over.

"They took Eli," Walter muttered in a dark voice. "I'm so close to killing this shit right now."

"Walter," Landon warned. "They have Eli, which is exactly why we can't kill him."

All the while, Ario said nothing and my feelings were going all over the place. I was meant to be angry with him, but seeing him in such a vulnerable position made me soften, I couldn't help it – it was in my nature.

When we pulled up in a dark destination, I frowned in confusion. For some silly reason, I had assumed we were driving home, not here, wherever here was. Getting out of the car I saw that we were in a large, abandoned looking plot. Weeds sprung out between the gravel everywhere and there were a couple old looking shacks too. I assumed it used to be a building site of some sort, but had long time been discarded. We must have been out of West Side because I didn't even know this area existed.

Phoenix was parked close and he and the triplets got out of his car.

My blood froze in my veins when I only counted two of the triplets.

"Where's Severn?" Landon's eyes widened when he too noticed.

Gio stared at us, "We thought he was with you."

Walter swore and punched Ario in the stomach, making him grunt and double over in pain, the bag still over his head.

"So they have Eli and Severn?" Gomez asked in a low voice.

"Maybe Severn got away," I tried. "He might even be with the police."

"Maybe," Phoenix muttered, but I could tell he didn't think so.

He started walking towards one of the shacks and we followed. Using a key, Phoenix opened the wooden door and turned on a light that was hanging in the middle of the small, dusty room.

"What is this place?" I whispered, looking at the ancient cans of paint on the wooden shelves, and rusting tools left discarded on a table in the corner.

"A front," Phoenix said and walked a couple strides to the left before bending down and pulling up the floorboards.

I watched with wide eyes as he revealed a trap door which led to underground. I felt like I was dreaming. Phoenix pulled up the door and he started doing down the steps, Landon holding my hand and helping me down into the gloom.

"This is massive," I said with wide eyes as I looked at the underground drug lab that Phoenix had constructed.

There were rows upon rows of tables with lamps hanging above them. I pictured people wearing overalls and cutting the product that the Simpsons received from their supplier, into smaller batches.

"This is where all the shit takes place," Landon said.

Behind us, I whipped my head round when I heard the sound of someone falling down the stairs and widened my eyes when I saw Ario groaning on the floor, the bag now fallen off his face. Walter had shoved him and he wasn't stopping there.

"Stupid splinter," Walter was growling as he stomped on Ario's body.

Ario tried to shield himself as best as he could, but Walter knelt down and wrapped his hands around Ario's neck, choking him. The boys weren't doing anything, they only watched silently and I felt that if I didn't act, Walter might go too far and I didn't want anyone dead.

"Stop," I rushed at Walter and clung onto the back of his hoodie, trying to hold him back. "Walter please, stop."

Walter kicked Ario in the stomach one more time before he took several steps back and turned away from him, trying to calm down. Ario was bleeding and I didn't like the way he was breathing. It was so weak and laboured.

"Are you done now?" Phoenix asked Walter.

Walter nodded, swallowing down his anger.

"First of all, nobody touch anything," Phoenix addressed all of us. "If the police do happen take us in, we can't have any traces of the product ourselves."

We nodded, taking care to stay away from the tables, chairs and even the walls.

"So," Gomez said, looking at us. "Are we just gonna pretend we didn't just hear all that stuff about Coral...and her dad...and the rest of the damn Santiagos?"

I felt their eyes on me and I dropped my gaze. I still couldn't believe it myself.

"So that's your cousin," Gio stated, looking down at Ario who had his blue eyes closed.

"I guess so," I answered.

My father was Ario's uncle, making Ario, Miguel, Manuel and Paulo my cousins.

"But you don't look Hispanic," Gomez commented.

"My mum was blonde with blue eyes and my...dad has brown hair and brown eyes. I have both blonde hair and brown eyes," I mumbled, not sure if that even answered the question.

"And she's slightly tanned," Landon was looking at me closely. "Just a little bit."

His words took me all the way back to when Diego...my...brother, had tried to molest me in town one afternoon and how he's said I was looking tanned for this time of year. Thinking back about it now, made me feel sicker than I had felt previously. I told myself that he didn't know, neither of us knew.

Phoenix walked over to Ario who cracked an eye open as he approached and looked up at him. Crouching down, he half lifted Ario up by the front of his jacket.

"Call Carlos and give me your phone," Phoenix demanded.

Ario remained unresponsive and I was hoping for his sake that he would cooperate. I didn't doubt that Phoenix would lose his cool and beat the crap out of him, like Walter had just done.

"Are you deaf?" Phoenix tightened his fist in Ario's jacket.

Ario looked at him blankly and then he shifted his gaze to me. He must have seen the concern in my eyes because he fished his phone out of his pocket and gave it to Phoenix.

"Call him," Phoenix pushed it back into his hand.

"I can't with you holding me like that," Ario muttered.

Phoenix shoved him against the wall so that Ario was in a sitting position and the he called Carlos.

"Speaker. Now," Phoenix demanded.

Ario did as told and Carlos picked up on the third ring.

"Hola, Ario?" Carlos' voice was husky and low.

"Si," Ario answered and then started speaking in Spanish, saying things he didn't want us to hear.

"English," Phoenix growled, getting out a small knife and jabbing it in and yanking it quickly out of Ario's arm.

"Ahh," Ario cried out, squeezing his eyes shut and Carlos' tone changed immediately.

"Phoenix," Carlos snarled through the phone. "Every cut, bruise, stab you give to my boy...I'll give to the both of yours."

"So they do have Severn," Giovanni's shoulders sank.

"We are prepared to trade Ario for Eli and Severn," Phoenix said to Carlos.

"Since when did one equal two?" Carlos replied in a dull tone.

"Since I said so," Phoenix frowned.

There was some shuffling on the other end and then the voice of my father came through. I gripped Walter's hand, trembling even though I was nowhere near him.

"We'll take Ario and Coral for Eli and Severn," Pedro said.

"Coral isn't going anywhere," Phoenix said, making me feel a little warmer inside.

"Then you only get one brother," Pedro said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Simple."

Phoenix cut the call and almost crushed Ario's phone in his hand as he gripped it angrily. He looked at us, wanting our input.

"Say we trade Ario for Severn," Landon suggested to Phoenix. "Eli will find a way to get out."

"He's sly like that," Gomez nodded in agreement.

"What if he doesn't?" Gio frowned.

"Then we fight," Walter said.

Phoenix nodded, thinking it through.

"Call back," he said to Ario, shoving his phone in his hand again.

Ario had to use his left arm to take the phone as his right one was still bleeding from Phoenix's cut.

"Who is it?" Phoenix asked as soon as the call was picked up.

"Carlos."

"We'll take Severn for Ario," Phoenix said.

There was a small pause, "You're going to leave your other brother Eli?"

I could tell Phoenix wasn't happy, but he wasn't going to give me up to achieve that.

"Yes," he snapped. "Where are we meeting?"

Carlos gave him a location and Phoenix nodded.

"No weapons," Phoenix said. "A quick swap and that's it."

"What?" Gomez hissed quietly.

Walter gave Phoenix an incredulous look and even Landon frowned at him in confusion.

"Are you serious?" Carlos muttered.

"I'm serious," Phoenix replied. "If we're gonna fight, it's gonna be fist on flesh."

"Why?"

"I don't want any more of my boys getting badly hurt," Phoenix said, making Gio and Gomez share a dubious look.

"Wait," Carlos demanded and then the other side went quiet.

Whilst Carlos went to discuss things with the gang, Phoenix covered the receiver and turned to us.

"I'm confident the police are still looking around for us and if they do catch any of us with weapons, that's four years max for a knife – let alone a gun," Phoenix explained to us.

The boys nodded in realisation.

"That's a big gamble," Landon said. "They might decide to bring their weapons and cut us to pieces."

"I'd rather have a couple more scars than a couple more years in prison," Phoenix said. "And trust me, you would too."

No one could argue with that.

"Phoenix," Carlos' voice was back on the call.

Before Phoenix could say anything, Ario started speaking fast in Spanish, most likely explaining everything that Phoenix had just said about the risk of carrying weapons at the moment.

"Little shit," Phoenix growled and grabbed Ario's hand, running the edge of his blade along his knuckles.

Ario cried out sharply and then clutched his wounded hand to his chest, sobbing tearlessly. Carlos and now Diego too were yelling down the line and then all of a sudden we could hear Eli's voice too.

"Let them hear you," Diego was snarling and then Eli shouted in pain, making my stomach lurch.

Whatever Diego was doing, he didn't stop and Eli kept shouting, making Phoenix and the boys grit their teeth in fury.

"Stop it!" Walter took the phone from Phoenix and roared down the line. "If you don't stop it right now, Ario is dead."

He cut the line with Eli still howling in pain in the background. Walter's hands were shaking so hard when he threw Ario's phone which smashed into pieces on the concrete ground.

"That's it. Let's go," Gomez was already heading for the stairs, determined to get his brothers back

Landon put the bag back over Ario's head and we left the drug lab just as hidden as we'd found it.

***

    Driving to the new destination, I kept stealing glances at Ario who was shaking and shuddering as he held his bleeding arm to his chest with his injured hand. The bag over his head was making it harder for him to draw air also.

I sighed quietly and looked out the window. Ario would be fine. He'd been shot before and survived, this was no big deal I told myself. I'm sure Phoenix knew how to give a lethal cut and he wouldn't have been silly enough to do that if the Santiagos had both Eli and Severn. I chose to spend the rest of the journey trying to tell myself I could face seeing that man again. I wasn't ten anymore, I was stronger now.

Stepping out into the cold again, my stomach started to turn as I wondered what condition we would find the boys in. We walked in silence, none of us carrying a single weapon and feeling slightly vulnerable. Hopefully the Santiagos had stayed true to their word.

We met in another secluded back alley in East Side and on arrival I saw that they had tied both the Simpson's hands behind their backs with the same duck tape they'd used to secure Hayley.

Eli looked wrecked. He had gashes on both sides of his slender face and a swollen, busted lip. There were blood stains on his jumper, most likely from fresh wounds the Santiagos had inflicted on him, but even in his weakened condition, he stood as close to Severn as Diego would let him, trying to support Severn as he swayed. Severn too had been beaten and he looked like he was about to keel over, either from pain or fatigue. Probably both. Paulo kept him straight, steadying his shoulders each time Severn tipped to one side.

"Severn first," Phoenix called over to the Santiagos as he held Ario in front of him. "Untie his hands."

Paulo had to unwind the tape from Severn's wrists the long way, confirming that that they weren't carrying any weapons. Whilst they watched Paulo free Severn's hands, Eli ripped himself out of Diego's grip and started running to our side.

"Send over Coral," Pedro commanded furiously, stopping Diego from running after him.

"She's not part of the deal," Phoenix said, trying not to smirk.

Now Eli was with us, all we needed to do was trade Ario for Severn. That was until Pedro shattered that illusion of mine.

"Send her over, now!" Pedro yelled, grabbing Severn and tightening his hands around his neck.

My muscles locked, not wanting to be even an inch closer to that man, but not wanting Severn hurt at all.

"He's going to kill him," I said, balling my shaking hands into fists.

"Coral," Walter held my arm. "You don't need to listen to him. He's not going to kill Severn."

"He can't breathe Walter," I said in a panic, glancing back at Severn who was struggling. "I don't care what it takes, I have to help him."

Walter shook his head, knowing what I was saying.

"I'll try to bluff it," I said quietly. "When I get close enough for them to let go of him, I'll run."

Walter didn't buy it and I knew it was going to be unlikely, but Severn was really being strangled and I had to do something fast. I didn't want anyone dead, especially if I knew I could have prevented it. I started walking towards the Santiagos before Walter had time to say anything and he grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Trust me Walter," I said, looking back at him and the other Simpson brothers.

They all looked wary.

"Please Walter," I gave him a desperate look.

Walter let go.

I made my way towards the Santiagos, towards my father's sickening smile. He let go of Severn's throat, making him cough as he fought to breathe again.

"Start walking Severn," I called out to him.

That's when Pedro decided to hold Severn back. Realising with dread that I'd been caught out, the Simpsons raced to grab me before the Santiagos could and both sides started to fight. It was fist on flesh, like Phoenix had wanted, and I was caught in the middle of it. At some point, I felt myself being seized by no one else but my father.

Immediately my legs crumpled beneath me and I felt myself fall to the ground.

"Get up," he shook me. "You've grown, my cupcake."

Shutting my eyes tight, I thrashed around, starting to cry. My worst nightmares were coming to life and I couldn't handle it. I needed Walter. I needed him now.

I opened my eyes when I heard Pedro grunt. It had been Carlos who'd pushed him off me. Pedro fixed Carlos with a mad look of disbelief and I before he could react, there was shouting.

"Hands in the air!"

I scrambled to my feet and felt Walter engulfing me in a tight embrace, pulling me far away from Pedro as possible.

"I'm sorry," he said to me again and again. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him putting his hands on you."

"Hands in the air, now!"

"It's okay," I whispered, raising my hands in the air.

We were surrounded. The police had backed us up against the wall with their guns and torches aimed at us. Thank God Phoenix had been right. They had no reason to shoot because we weren't carrying anything threatening.

Both gangs had separated ourselves and I noticed that Severn was still on the other side. Risking a look in Pedro's direction, I saw him glaring at Walter and me. He had missed his chance to do whatever he had wanted with me and he knew he wouldn't be getting another opportunity again. The degree of his anger frightened me, even though he wasn't near me anymore.

Severn stumbled towards us when Pedro got out his gun. We both looked at him at the same time and I watched in horror, knowing what he was about to do.

"Stand down!" an officer ordered but the look in his eyes showed that Pedro was about to do no such thing.

A single gunshot rang out.

Severn fell forwards.

Time seemed to run double the speed then, and I stood stunned as the police opened fire at Pedro Santiago. Each shot echoed painfully loud and his body was jerked violently as he was riddled with lead. My father seemed to be looking at me as he fell to his knees, thick blood spilling from his mouth. Then his eyes went blank and he tipped forwards and landed on the pavement, dead.

"Send down the paramedics," an officer was saying but I felt like someone was rapidly turning down the volume.

Everything went dark and it was peaceful, at last.

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Damn, what did you think?

J

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