Jaz snuck a peek and sure enough a gun was now pressed against Ryan’s temple, his body used as a shield. Shit. They had figured out they were here for him, or at least they hoped so.
It was then that Ian and Tilly stood, guns aimed. Jaz did the same and now had the time to really assess the situation. Ryan hung from the chains, his eyes looked like overripe plums and his body even more so. His pants were torn, his feet were red with blood. She couldn’t fathom what he’d endured, it took all her energy not to rush to him. The smell of blood, his blood, that stained the concrete near his feet, turned her stomach. There was a table against the wall to the side, on it was a collection of knives, ones that looked like they’d just cut up hundreds of fish, yet there was no fish in this warehouse, not today.
Ian and Tilly stepped closer.
‘Stay where you are, or I’ll pop him right now.’
‘There is nowhere for you to go,’ said Ian.
Jamison glanced towards the corridor where Vin Diesel man lay. Was he still alive? Was Jamison waiting for more men?
‘Those shots will have caught someone’s attention. It’s only a matter of time,’ said Tilly.
Jamison’s man, the one with hands like a rugby player, kept his gun on Ryan’s temple while he unhitched his hands from the chain. Then, carrying him like a sack of potatoes against his chest, he shuffled towards the front door and possible safety. Jamison crouched behind them both, a double shield as such.
All three of them stepped a bit closer so they could keep their guns trained. Backing towards the corridor. Jaz glanced behind them, it could be a trap, but Vin was still lying where he fell, blood pooling out from underneath his body.
‘I’ll check the rooms,’ said Tilly, and disappeared to do a sweep.
It was more important that Jaz’s gun aimed at Rugby’s hands as he kept shuffling back towards the door. Where was Tay? All had gone silent. Was he okay?
She felt a wave of panic, what if he wasn’t?
‘Put your guns down,’ came another voice. One Jaz knew.
She turned to see Salvatore walking towards them from the corridor, Tilly in front with his hands up and Sal’s gun resting at the back of Tilly’s skull.
Jaz felt her mouth drop along with her gun. What the hell?
She’d been so wrong. The disappointment stabbed at her, like a million knives that Sal had just imbedded in her back. How had her gut got this wrong? She should have known you couldn’t change a person overnight. Shit didn’t happen like that in real life.
‘Great timing,’ said Jamison with a big smirk on his smug face.
Jaz just wanted to kick him where it would hurt like hell.
Jaz and Ian watched as Sal led Tilly towards Jamison, using his body as a shield also. Jaz watched his every move, the way he held his gun, and then she caught his eyes.
Sal recognised her but he didn’t flinch; his eyes did take in the gun in her hands and she saw something weird flash across his eyes momentarily. It seemed like disappointment or something similar. But she was too pissed at him to figure it out. He told her he’d never killed anyone. He’d lied to her, but what did she expect. That being his daughter would be enough to change his spots? She felt like such a fool and her face burnt with the shame.
‘Everyone okay?’ asked Sal when he reached Jamison’s side.
Now that they had the upper hand, Rugby guy was more relaxed, even smug like his boss.
‘Yes, thanks to you.’ Jamison nodded. He was impressed with Salvatore.
Jaz wanted to scream and stomp her foot, but only because she couldn’t kill them both without risking Ryan and Tilly. Goddamn was she pissed.
‘We don’t need this one now, he will only slow us down,’ said Jamison as his gun moved back to Ryan’s head.
‘Noooo,’ Jaz screamed. She could see it all happening in slow motion.
Not her Ryan!
A shot was fired.
A body slumped to the ground.
Jaz felt like throwing up.
But Ryan was still standing.
More shots were fired.
Another body dropped.
What had just happened?
Jamison was on the floor with a bullet in his head, smack bang in the middle. But how?
She looked across and Salvatore had his gun still aimed at Jamison, not Tilly.
Ian stepped forward, his gun had been on Rugby’s hands and Jaz knew then that he’d shot him. Which meant that Sal must have killed Jamison.
Sal was staring at Jamison on the ground with an expression of disbelief. It really was his first kill. She could tell by the rigidness of his body and the slight shake of his gun hand.
‘Thank you,’ said Jaz as she walked to his side. She reached out and put her hand on top of his gun and gently lowered it. His eyes found hers, and he nodded.
‘You better go before the DEA turns up,’ she said.
Sal nodded again and headed for the door.
‘What just happened?’ said Ian as he watched Sal leave.
‘That was Salvatore De Luca, have I missed something?’ said Tilly. He rubbed his forehead in confusion.
‘I’ll fill you both in later,’ she said. There were more important things on her mind. Like holding Ryan.
‘Jaz. Is that really you?’ Ryan’s words were like hot fudge during an Antarctic winter.
Jaz caressed his face gently, she wanted to hug him tightly but she didn’t want to hurt him anymore than he already was. ‘Yeah, it’s me.’
Ryan’s chest expanded as he breathed. ‘I knew you were here even before you spoke. I could smell you,’ his lips curled into a smile, ‘and besides, who else would risk coming here to save me.’
Jaz laughed and his smile grew wider. ‘You know me too well, Ryan. Come on, let’s get you home.’
Jaz and Tilly put Ryan’s arms around their shoulders and helped walk him to the door. Ian was going to stay behind to talk to the DEA.
‘Oh my God, Ryan look at you,’ said Anna, who was just inside the door. She had a strip of her shirt in her hands.
‘I would Anna, if I could see,’ said Ryan.
He was in good spirits. He wasn’t the only one. Jaz couldn’t keep the smile off her face, even with her friend out of the car she wasn’t supposed to leave.
‘Anna, what the heck are you doing in here?’ she tried to say gruffly, but it didn’t work. She was just too damn pleased to be holding Ryan.
‘She was saving me,’ said Tay.
Jaz followed the sound of his voice to the floor. He was holding his waist, blood seeping past his hand. Anna knelt down and pressed her shirt strip to his wound.
‘There, that should help. It’s not too deep,’ she said, before kissing Tay’s forehead.
Jaz’s eyebrow shot up at this open display of affection.
‘Do tell?’
Tay smiled. ‘I was fighting with him,’ Tay gestured to a body on the other side of the door, he was lying face down, arms at funny angles. Further up was Bud, face down. Jaz had to look away.
Tay continued, ‘We’d run out of bullets, didn’t have time to reload so we went fist to fist, only he had a knife. I was doing alright until he cut me. I lost it for a moment.’
Jaz could understand that. Tay’s first major fight, and a knife one at that.
‘I was off balance and unprepared. I knew I was gonna get cut again and just before he went to strike he fell down like a tonne of bricks. Anna smacked him across the head with a tyre leaver.’
‘You did what?’ said Jaz, in awe.
‘Did I hear that right?’ said Cody as he staggered towards them, his hand was pressed against his bullet wound in his shoulder and he wore a grimace. ‘A tyre lever?’
Ryan and Tilly chuckled.
‘That is gold,’ said Ryan. ‘Anna has a knack for knocking people out with unconventional things.’
They were all thinking about the frying pan incident and all started to laugh.
‘We might make a field agent out of you yet, Anna,’ said Tilly with a smirk.
‘No,’ said Tay. ‘Not this one.’ He reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her lips. ‘This one is too special.’
Anna traced her thumb across his lips, it was so sensual and heartfelt. A tear rolled down Anna’s check and Jaz felt her own eyes water.
Somehow this crazy mob of friends had survived. Jaz couldn’t be happier.
‘Well, this is all lovely, but I’m bleeding,’ said Cody. ‘Where’s my love?’
Tilly reached over and kissed Cody’s cheek. ‘Feel better?’ he asked.
‘Not really.’ Cody shook his head, his lips giving away his amusement.
‘What say we head back to the gym and get everyone cleaned up?’ said Jaz. ‘I think Pax has some aged Scotch hidden in the kitchen for these kind of moments.’
Ryan squeezed her shoulder. ‘You are speaking my language. Let’s go home.’