Jackie looked over and saw Michael beginning to stand. She hastily kicked ABCs’ gun toward Michael, then turned back to face The Alphabet King. A cry from Elena tore her attention away from him. “Mommy!”
Clay, the light in his eyes waning, had already turned his focus to the man in camo holding Elena inside the SUV. The guard had managed to slide further into the backseat with her, but the injured man they had shoved in there from the other side impeded his progress. At the same time, Jackie and Clay lunged in for Elena as the man inside the SUV lifted his handgun. In the moment it took for him to raise the weapon and aim, Clay, with glints of white light still showing from the seams of his eyes, paused and saw what was about to happen. Jackie was going to leap headfirst into gunfire to save Elena.
Clay saw that no one in the driver’s seat of the SUV, so without thought, he pushed into Jackie with his left shoulder. The gun roared and a bullet whizzed between the ears of Jackie and Clay. The gunman lowered his aim to find center of mass and fired again. The quick second round caught Clay in the left arm, sending him spinning to the left as he pushed Jackie stumbling to the side. They fell to the ground and heard the gun rip off two more rounds into the empty air behind them. Clay landed in exhaustion, partially pinning Jackie to the ground. The dimming white light in his eyes left him completely as he passed out.
Michael had made it to all fours but couldn’t stand. He reached for the gun Jackie had kicked to him but couldn’t hold himself up and reach at the same time.
ABCs, holding his throat and ribs, took the opportunity to stumble around to the driver’s side of his SUV. He yanked open the door, which bounced back on the stops and cracked him in the head. He cursed and pulled himself into the driver seat, his ribs making him wince in pain. He pulled the shifter down but, in his daze, only moved it into neutral. The SUV rolled forward slowly with the engine revving, the passenger rear door still open.
Elena wriggled partially from the man’s grip and reached out through the open door. “Moooomy!?!” she howled as ABCs pulled the shifter into drive. The rear tires found grip and spewed out grit and smoke on Clay and Jackie as it sped off.
Jackie finally pushed Clay’s unconscious form to the side and lifted herself up. But it was too late. She stumbled after the retreating SUV, screaming in horror as she watched her little girl’s hand disappear back into the door as it sped off around the corner and out of sight.
“Elena! No! Oh my God!” Jackie screamed. “My little girl, somebody help!” She ran over to Michael’s SUV, pulling on the door handles, only to find they had been locked. She pounded on the windows. Sean looked up. “Open the doors, we have to go after them,” she screamed, pointing in the direction ABCs had driven.
Sean yelled from inside the SUV. “No. I’m not leaving my brother lying on the pavement.” Then he turned away from her, pulled the keys from the ignition, and pocketed them as he got out.
“No, no, no!” Jackie sobbed, her vision hazed over. She fell to her knees racked with hysteric cries. “Oh my God.” Her pleas echoed off the surrounding buildings, casting an otherworldly sensation of despair down upon the fallen members of her makeshift family. “Oh my God, Eleeeennnnaaaa!” Over and over again, she screamed.
𓂓
Officer Hines arrived first at the scene. It was his siren everyone had heard. The first thing he noticed—the hysterical woman yelling at no one. He recognized her as the same woman from this morning. His eyes fell to Officer Street on his knees, face bloodied. Sean kneeling beside him. “Looks like you finally got a beatin’, didn’t ya, boy,” Hines uttered to himself as he grinned and opened the door.
Before he got out of his cruiser, Hines grabbed his radio and reported, “Officer down, Officer down,” along with the location. Despite the fact that the ER was on the other side of the building, he also requested paramedics. Dispatch informed him that they were several minutes out. Hiney knew how to cover his ass, so he got out and walked over to Michael. “There’s no ambulance here at the moment, let’s get you over to the ER.”
“Mgshng a gjirtjjh,” Michael gurgled through bloody phlegm. Sean had his hand on him, not knowing what to do.
“Say again,” Hiney squawked, looking slightly amused.
Sean looked up at him in hatred.
Michael spat out a wad of mucus. “Shun duva bglitch.”
Hines stiffened.
“Your siren,” Michael said to the pavement.
“What about it?” Hines said, squaring his stance.
He turned his head partially to Sean. “Help me up.”
Sean knew better than to object. He grabbed Michael under the shoulder and by the elbow, helping him stand.
Michael spat. “Your siren, asshole, why did you blare your siren?”
Hines hunched slightly, not answering.
“Should have been a silent approach. You were warning them!” Michael yelled, cringing at the pain in his shoulder. “And the phone call earlier. You were trying to find out where I would be, weren’t you?!”
Officer Hines’ head dropped.
“Weren’t you?!” Michael yelled again despite the pain.
Hiney flinched at the sound of Michael’s resounding voice. He remained silent, eyes on the ground. In his haste to serve ABCs, Officer Hines now realized he’d revealed himself.
“Sean, grab my Glock.”
Sean kneeled and picked up his brother’s gun.
Officer Hines raised his hands in front of his chest and stepped back. “Hey, man...”
Michael took his weapon, secured it back in his holster, then took a step toward Hiney, pointing a bloody hand at him. “I’ll deal with you when this is done. In the meantime, wait for the paramedics to see if that unconscious suspect over there can be saved. And bag that gun behind me.” Michael pointed to the handgun ABCs had dropped after Jackie punched him in the gut. “It belonged to a suspect.” With Sean’s help, he turned and walked away.
Officer Hines stumbled back and sideways, unsure how to respond. Another squad car pulled up behind his. Two more could be seen across the parking lot combing the perimeter.
After ABCs’ SUV had pulled away, Martha had made her way over to Clay. He’d regained consciousness and managed to sit up with Martha supporting his back and head from behind.
Jackie’s inconsolable rage faded. She finally collapsed to her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach, sobbing.
A few people filtered out of the hospital as Michael and Sean headed over. “Get in the Suburban,” Michael said.
Martha looked up in shock. “Everyone needs medical care.”
“If Clay can’t go, I understand. But if we don’t get in that SUV right now and go after Elena, we may never see her again.”
Hearing her daughter’s name, Jackie got up on one knee, her head hanging in defeat. The sobbing had stopped. “What did you say?” she muttered.
“Do you want to save Elena?” Michael shouted, a little too loud.
