A Bullet in the Chamber

[Matt3600]

I wrote this in parts in my war chat to entertain one of my teammates. I decided that ill post it on here. I'm going to do one every night now I guess.



A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter One: Things Fall Apart

So once upon a time, in the magical underground system known as the cartel, a pair of twins were born to its leader at the time.

The leader's name was Diablo.

He was foreign. Nobody really knew exactly where he's from, although some theories are more believable. His lover who bore his twins died in childbirth. A little piece of Diablo died that day. It went down in his mind as his most sorrowful and joyous day.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times...

A week after childbirth, the father, Diablo, needed to go stop his arch nemesis, the mafia, from ruining one of his warehouses. He had received a new shipment of sports cars. If only he had known the cargo he would lose was so much more important.

After Diablo successfully, as always, thwarted the mafia's evil plot, he returned to his estate to find his men murdered. He ran into his right-hand man.

Well, in reality, it was his right-hand woman, Fox

"It was all a trap!" Shouted Fox as she raced towards him with a bullet wound in her left arm. "They came after the twins!"

The mafia had only gotten to the estate five minutes before. But the damage was already apparent. "Where are my twins!" Yelled Diablo at Fox, whom was beginning to lose her cool for the second time in her life. " I ... I think... I don't know" she stuttered.

He raced through his own breached fortress, rushing past the injured men, glimpsing the once-was quotidian household in disarray. He had left his prized gun, El Aguila, in his bullet-proof car by mistake. A mistake which haunted him for the rest of his life.

"Gun. Now." Diablo ordered with a voice, so quiet, so... frightening, Fox got goosebumps while trying to keep up with Diablo.

Cesar from across the room tossed his 357 Magnum at Diablo from across the room. Diablo caught it without looking, without breaking his seamless stride.

Diablo glanced at how many bullets were in the gun. There was only one in the chamber.

At the staircase, Diablo ordered Mia to go search the upper floors. Fox decided to support Diablo even though she couldn't be of any real assistance with her wound.

It was a decision that Fox regretted for the rest of her life.

Diablo reached the back of his estate. There, two mafia men were each running off with one of the twins. Fox was too injured to shoot them with precision.

Even Cesar was terrified by the thought of shooting one of Diablo's kin. Diablo had to take the shot.

Diablo had to take the shot now. There was only one in the chamber.

He was going to have to choose which twin to save: which twin he would have to give up, that he may lose forever.

There was only one in the chamber...

*Bang* Went the sound of Blink's gun. The next second Mia was put in a bag and transported by others in Blink's unit to the rooftop, where their helicopter was incognito.

*Bang* Diablo shot while running- running with all his might, all his soul, at the mafia man he didn't shoot. He didn't even look at the other mafia henchman when he shot. He knew that he would hit his target.

He ran as fast as he could. His name was John. This was his first assignment for the mafia. His heart was in his throat.

Diablo ran with his heart in his throat. He wasn't catching up to the henchman. How could he compete in speed with a man half his age?

Blink reloaded her special pistol, which she had to do per shot ( the design made it extremely accurate at the cost of constant reloading). " get her in the chopper" she told her soldiers " I need to finish the job"

She tossed a new remote-controlled version of the Dragon Syndicate's timed dynamite onto the roof of the mansion.

Tagg was torn at the scene around him. He was on the roof of the car with his sniper scoped in. His conscience screamed at him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the guilt of separating a father from his newborn.

Tagg had one bullet in his sniper. His goal was too take out Diablo- permanently. Tagg was the mafia's most lethal sniper. He had never in all his years missed a shot, or his target for that matter. He had always gotten his assignment done.

*Bang*

The roof of Diablo's mansion, caved in.

Diablo staggered backward, and toppled over. He had been shot in the leg. John reached the car and they began driving away.

" My son!" Diablo howled into the night sky. It was a full moon. Tagg had missed his shot. He had not gotten his task done.

Fox ran to the scene. She shot everything from her two-barrel gun at the armored car to no avail: they were gone.

Blink's squad was long gone. They had taken a hostage as their orders had been.

Their goal had been achieved: the cartel was in ruins. Every person who had helped questioned who they were working for that night.

There was only one in the chamber.

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Opinions anyone?
Tomorrow:

Chapter Two: Damage Control

[TonKa]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

I like fun read you did a good job and showed much creativity. Nice job Matt3600

*fav. part Diablo catching gun without looking or breaking stride haahahaha NICE

[Airmid]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Very nice job!

*Moved to Art Section*

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Thx for the support. By the way Airmid, for characters and etc. I attempt to keep it within the kings that you have already put out there ( I.e. the lieutenants and etc. ). For a new character for the story should I message you first for a name or should I pull one out of the air?

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter Two: Damage Control

"What happened?"

"Shut up! We don't answer your questions. You answer ours" said the loathsome, rustic, machismo voice. "Don't be so tough on her, she just woke up" came a smoother, suave voice from the other side of the room.

"Blade, you know it isn't YOUR job to scare the hostage" said Fang reprimanding his brother's inappropriate cruelty " I apologize for my brother's intimidating ticks. Don't worry, he's not planning to shoot you."

"Yet" added Blade with an extenuating gruffness in his tone and manner, caressing the handle of his gravity knife all the while.

Mia said nothing; anything she would and could say would simply enrage them. "What happened?" Mia thought again, this time only to herself. She had just rounded the corner of stairwell and-... that's as far as she could retrace her steps.

"What happened?"

Rushing out of the back door to Diablo, Lucas frantically asked as he and the rest of the Cartel rushed through the burning scene to find Diablo on his knees for the first time in his life.

"They... They breached the perimeter... We split up..." Diablo said in a dreamy voice too calming to be real, as if from this nightmare Diablo believed he would awaken in his bed under the full aegis of all his men. Yet this unfortunately, was not the case.

"Diablo..." Fox croaked in her most soothing voice possible considering the chaos that had just ensued them "I will-" "No!" Interjected sharply with authority, as if he had finally awaken from his protected hibernation.

He took the shot... He saw the look in Diablo's eyes. Not the eyes of his enemies. But a man willing to risk his life for his family. A father with no son. Tagg jolted out of his seat in the back of the armored car. The bump in the road had felt like recoil.

"Are you okay Tagg? You look sickly." Urgently asked John, fearing he may have been unknowingly injured. "No" Tagg replied "I couldn't be better". John believed the lie.

The blindfold was taken off. Mia saw for the first time the room she was in- it was a hotel room of a casino. VIP suite. The breath-taking view of the skyline was unequal to any Mia had ever seen before.

"I had your room package...upgraded" answered Fang in his smooth carefree style "I figured you preferred this view to the one in the basement"

"Thank you" replied Mia in a confused, unsure voice "Why?" "I felt that if you were panicking from your environment then you would be no help to us. Mia cringed.

"I'll be in later, feel free to rest at the moment" coolly said Fang while leaving the room. "One question," Mia asked " what'll happen if I walk out that door?"

"The guards will put a bullet through the back of your head." Fang replied as coolly as before.

"No!" Interjected Diablo, standing up holding his baby girl. Immediately he began tumbling over- he had a bullet in his leg.

Fox quickly helped him to his feet. The two of them limped their way over to the living room of their mansion while Diablo began giving his speech to Fox with the rest following them into the not-so-quotidian house.

"WE will fix this. WE will unite, recuperate, and find each and every one of them!" "Diablo, cool down. We will get your son back. Then we will talk about revenge." Soothed Fox.

Then they got to the living room- the remnants of the living room.

"What happened?" Fox asked, completely flabbergasted " we were outside for half an hour..."

Diablo, with his daughter in his arms, said in his strong, persuasive, valiant voice "Round up everyone. Get the causalities. Cesar get the nurse here ASAP. See if anyone's MIA."

"We need to regroup quickly people! Everyone pack." Ordered Diablo with a smirk on his face "We're going to the city"

Nurse Stacy burst through the door "I hope you know Diablo this is going to cost you 10X the normal... Where's the other twin? What happened?"

So Diablo recounted his living, growing nightmare to Stacy, whom at the end said "ok... I'll do this on the house. You can pay me back later."

Fox volunteered to go last- so she could check for anyone else. Within an hour Diablo was leading the Cartel off of their estate on crunches, leaving nurse Stacy and Fox.

Fang returned to the room, slipping in silently as always while Mia was reading a classic novel on her bed. "Get ready" Fang's tone had drastically changed, from his original uncaring attitude to a strict, militarism nature. "They're about to begin." "What?" Mia said suddenly looking up from her literature. Fang was gone.

Her only company was the full moon, and the pain she felt of the slight throb from her bullet wound. They had given her some medicine- but not enough.

Tagg felt like he had shot into a mirror. He had killed a man, But it wasn't Diablo.

John was deeply disturbed by what he had witnessed. Yet this was his first job. He shouldn't judge his superiors because of that one job, should he?

Amidst that chaos was the future. The future of more than anyone imagined. The war that had yet been started. The damage had been done. These were the best of times.

These were the worst of times. Everyone, even the victorious parties had had casualties- not of numbers, but of moral. There was not a person unscathed. Everyone had marks against them on their souls. Everyone had guilt.

Yet their only witness was the full moon.




Chapter Three: the Interrogation

[TonKa]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Nice you kept word. I waited till bed-time (game of thrones time)

Fav-. Uhhhh ? Mia in bed reading a book.........so I take it I'll be in chapter 3 hahahaah

Good work friend loving the story ReSpEcT!

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter Three: the Interrogation

*Knock Knock*

Mia's heart stopped. Her blood froze, her head swam with the effects adrenaline were giving her, yet she felt an almost sedative-like calmness, a solace, about her character.

Why did she feel that way?
Who was at the door?
What were they going to ask of her?

Mia didn't even know whether the cartel had even started looking for her yet.

The door opened, and what she saw, that abominable sight, almost caused her to faint from fear.

It was her worst nightmare. She was a legend. It was a favorite joke inside the cartel to tell the newbies that if you weren't careful, you'd have an 'interview' with her.

No one ever survived her interrogations. She kept a tally board, 249 Sin, all her victims, or everyone else, 0.

Mia was going to be her 250. Was.

The infamous Sin walked in with a smile as fake as the aegis Mia had initially felt toward the prison she had been entrapped in. By now it was too late. No more escape attempts. No more running.

"Long time no see, Mia" Sin smirked.

"I hoped we could go to a more... comfortable place..." Sin said, with an ever-growing sickly smile on her face.

Fox was finishing tallying everyone's name and dog tag to calculate casualties. Her head throbbed from all of the events that had occurred, not to mention the medicine that Nurse Stacy had given for the pain from her bullet wound.

Then she got to Mia's name.

"Before we begin, one question: why Mia? I trusted you!" Sin began asking, but suddenly became overwhelmed with emotion by the end to finish with composure.

"I wish I could tell you. This is the only thing I couldn't ever tell you Sin. I still can't." Mia said with tears starting to form in her eyes.

" I never meant to hurt you!" Mia exclaimed "After all these years, you still can't forgive me?"

Sin looked up with tears in her own eyes, and said in a faint, weak voice "You ruined my life Mia. I trusted you"

Fox frantically flipped through her notes. No Mia. Not in the Casualties. Not in the Active Duty. Fox was confident she had seen Mia, but when? Up the stairs... She went outside... An explosion...

She wasn't on the casualties...

Fox sat in the half destroyed loveseat, put her head in her hands, and began crying "This is all my fault"

There was only one faction that had the technology and the guts to use dynamite.

Sin had calmed herself. She was the bone-chilling, poker faced girl whom many have fallen to and many more feared.

Diablo arrived with his active members ( those not killed or hurt by the explosion and raid) downtown. Raven walked up to greet Diablo.

"What do you want this time?" Raven sighed walking side by side with Diablo (with her soldiers lining up in rank with his own, causing some tension). "Lets talk about it inside" diablo said, looking at his baby girl, and feeling extremely joyous and heart-broken. "It's time I use that favor of mine. Plus the interest"

"Tagg, what was that mission about?" John asked. Tagg's stomach lurched. His acquiescence during the situation gave him an inclination that there was a good reason behind everything.

There was a reason. Good to different people. Not to the ones who it effected the most.

The armored car stopped: it had reached it's destination. Their boss was there to receive his 'package' ( if one could use such a devalue ing term to represent another life)

Don Enzo greeted them at the car door.

"Now you're going to give us a little information about the cartel" Sin began stating, "and if you don't, well, you know, don't you?"

Mia knew very well the penalty of not telling-death of you plus a loved one. Telling only signed your death certificate.

"There's no one that you could possibly hold over my head to get info from me" Mia retorted with ferocity. She had been re-blindfolded and tied to a chair.

"There's one way..." Sin stated in a too informal voice not to know something was wrong.

Fox felt with her sixth sense that someone else was watching her. She felt the other's gun being aimed at her head.

She knew there was only a bullet in the chamber- that's all she ever needed. Well not today.

Chapter Four: Before the Worst

[TonKa]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

There it is lol. Must have gotten lost with all the DRAMA threads haha I bet the moon has witnesses many vile acts "if the moon could speak we'd all be in trouble"

Matt keep it up buddy Your doing a great story

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter Four: Before the Worst

She turned and shot. She had been blindfolded for this test, and was given only one bullet. In two seconds she had the bullet in the gun, and then through the head of the target.

"You passed as I knew you would" Diablo said in a pleased manner. "That was the last hard test, but don't get too haughty. Good job Fox" he said as he walked out the door.

This was her second year in the Cartel and she had already risen through the ranks at a ferocious speed. Everyone was shocked, even Diablo was impressed.

Raven was in control of half the major street gangs downtown. The rest were controlled by independent individuals whom all loathed Raven for her incredulous success in her first years as a leader.

Many would have killed for her position. Many tried.

Tagg had a sniper in front of his face. No bullets in the chamber. For now.

"You see son," his father was instructing him "I use this to fight bad guys". "Cool Dad! What is it? Who do you fight?" Questioned young Tagg, eager to hear every tidbit of advice his father could give him.

His father had just come back from a military tour of a year.

He was leaving in a few weeks.

"And stay down!" Laughed John's nightmare- his constant school bully. "Why don't you go back to where you came from? New kids aren't welcomed here!"

"Leave him alone jerk!" Said a voice. He couldn't see- he had two black eyes.

"Son, this is called a rifle. I use it to hit all the bad people in the world." Replied Tagg's dad. " Have you ever hurt a good guy?" Tagg asked curiously as all little kids do. "Never. I only use Maria here against really bad people. I'd rather get shot than risk shooting an ally."

"What do you call that dad?" Asked Tagg, with the same innocence as he had always asked countless questions before. " and why did you name your rifle after Mom?" He continued.

Tagg's father chuckled . "Chivalry son. Doing the right thing, and acting with honor and manners is called chivalry." Tagg's father answered. Then he hesitated. Tagg's father hadn't ever hesitated to answer any of Tagg's questions before.

" ... I named my rifle after your mother... because it makes me think of her. It reminds me of you. It reminds me of what I'm fighting for."

"Do you love me dad?" Tagg asked his father. "Yes, of course I do son."

Tagg remembered that deep conversation with his father for the rest of his life:

It was their last.

"What do you want to do today Fox?" Sin asked casually. "Do you want to sneak into that club like we did last week?" "No, maybe something new" replied Fox " we don't want to be caught, we are still in school. It'd go on our records. "

"Can I come guys?" Asked Mia energetically. She loved hanging out with her sister and Sin. They were her best friends.

"Maybe not today Sis" replied Fox. "Why don't we go back to your house Sin?" Fox asked.

"Are you kidding? I've told you a thousand times, my house is like a prison. My parents would make us do extra chores and homework. Unless that's what you call a good time now" she answered jokingly.

"Relax Sin. It's not as if we are going to get caught. We've never have and won't. But if you don't want to do something slightly frowned upon like sneaking into a club" said Fox " Then come with me to that party everyone's talking about."

"Fine, what's the harm in that?" Shrugged Sin.

They began leaving. With Mia unbeknownst to them, stealthily in pursuit.

Raven arrived at Diablo's estate. If she didn't look the way she did his guards would've shot her before she got to the door.

But she looked so ill and injured they figured she was too weak to even make it there.

"I don't want you joining." Stated Fox. "You have your whole life ahead of you." "But what's life without family?" Asked Mia.

Mia had a point, yet Fox wholeheartedly disagreed.

Fox and Sin arrived at the party. It was at the most popular kid's house. It was a mansion. His parents had gone on a vacation.

Fang took down John's oppressor with one smooth combo. Blade knocked out his three 'bodyguards' or friends who wanted to look tough.

"Who are you?" John asked wondering if they were indeed his guardian angels.

"We are your new friends" Replied Fang in an upbeat voice. "Everyone calls me Fang. They call my brother Blade."

"Where are you taking me?" Blink asked her fiancأ©e "Trust me Blink, when have I ever led you wrong?" He asked rhetorically.

"Well," Blink began "The most recent thing was that road trip we took last week on that mission" He guffawed in his lovable manner. She loved his laugh.

They had met in the Black Shadows. Jonathan and Blink first started going out after their first mission together. That was many moons ago.

They arrived at a beautiful beach. It was far outside city limits. He had packed a romantic dinner for them to enjoy away from distractions.

"Here we are" Jonathan said said proudly "Didn't even get lost" he said smugly. "It's beautiful" Blink said in amazement at the stunning scene as the sun went down over the water.

"You can even see the moon" said Jonathan.

It was a full moon.



Chapter Five: Peace Treaties

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter Five: Peace Treaties

"So what happened?" Raven inquired acting with a friendly casualness, yet with underlying sincerity. "My condolences" Raven added. She had just heard about the not-so-smooth childbirth.

"Where's the other?" Asked Raven. Diablo winced as though he had just been shot again. The memories came back, and emotions flooded him, filling him with a feeling of complete helplessness.

Her malacophonous voice slightly assuaged Diablo's worries. "Just start from the beginning"

Then he told his heart wrenching tears. Afterwards, the only person in the room who wasn't tearing up was Diablo. He had cried all his tears.

All he cared about was getting his little boy back.

"Tell the truth. If you don't ... " Sin didn't want to say it. She loathed this interrogation. She had betrayed her. Was it fair to do the same thing that she suffered? Was it fair to force someone into a cruel reality where their only true ally is themselves?

Sin still couldn't trust her own instinct.

"Don't make me... Please Mia. I'm asking you here." Sin begged "Just throw me a bone. Tell me about one warehouse. Then this whole thing will be over. I don't want to bring Fox into this."

"Was that a threat, or a sincere statement?" Mia questioned herself. "No matter how much you've changed Sin, I know you can't shoot your best friend. She knows you better than you know yourself." Mia replied confidently.

"Why do you think I'm asking you!" Sin screamed at Mia. " I'd rather shoot myself than hurt either of you!" Sin was still upset by Mia's bluntness "Don't you see? If it wasn't me interrogating you, it'd be Blade? Or would you have preferred the Dragon Lord? "

She would've preferred Fang but she kept this to herself.

"I think Fox can handle herself." said Mia.

"Are you going to shoot?" asked Fox. "This isn't your first assassination I presume."

Fox's calmness completely stunned Blink. She was expecting her to freak out. She had been trained to kill enraged and scared targets (besides the other less confrontational methods).

Nowhere was she trained to terminate civilized and composed targets. Yet this slight pause from uncertainty was all the time Fox needed.

"What do you need?" Asked Raven "A place to stay, some more men, " She softly put her hand on his " or just a helping hand?"

"I need help getting my son back." Diablo asked "I'm asking for... an alliance"

For years the mafia and the cartel had been fighting for the upper hand. No one remembers when it started or why it started.

It didn't matter anyways, there were never any winners: just a death toll.

The other two major groups ( the street gangs and the dragon syndicate ) had for most of the time a big enough problem over power control. Yet now they had stable leaders for the first time.

Fox rolled to her left, out of the scorched love seat and into the smoldering ashes. Blink had been too caught up in her own thoughts to react in time. She quickly aimed her gun back at Fox.

Fox was holding her own double-barrel gun.

"Tagg, go be our ambassador to the Dragon Syndicate. John, give them this" Don Enzo said, turning away walking with an unnaturally good-natured smile plastered on his face.

A guard forced a suitcase into Johns arms.

"Lets begin by getting surveillance" stated Raven " Pain, go and survey the Dragon Syndicate, Charmaine, find some intel on the Mafia."

Pain replied with a sharp yes and bolted out the door in a march-like stride. Charmaine left in a smooth, fluid, almost careless fashion. She knew she could get anything she wanted with a wave of her hand.

She would soon come to a rude awakening.

Sin began tearing up. She did what she had to do with all uncomplying hostages.

"Fang.... Take her out." She said walking out the door. She couldn't stand to watch her get killed.

When Fang walked in Mia had never felt more scared for her life. Fang quickly said in an almost inaudible quiet voice "Hold your breath when I say three"

Fang took out his glinting pocket knife and sliced a vein open in his arm. He needed to make it look like Mia's blood.

He then quickly in an orderly fashion stopped his blood flow after spraying Mia's clothes and the ground around them with his blood (which she was more confused about than anything).

He then untied Mia's legs. He left her arms tied to the chair.

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" said Fox "Truce? I could always shoot you if you want"

"I don't make treaties with my enemy." Replied Blink vehemently.

"Think of me as a... Partner in straightening things out. Why am I your enemy?" Fox asked

"Fine, on the count of three put your gun down" said Blink "only if you will" answered Fox

Fox said in a crisp, clear voice " on the count of one, two, "

"Three!" Grunted Fang as he pushed Mia into the hole opening up to the ocean from the basement room.

Fang walked out. He said in a grim voice "it's done" and went outside for air. Sin went up to her room and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Fang walked outside casually, then immediately made a dash to the back gate.

Pain almost had the shot...

Mia fell into the hole, holding her breath, watching the light grow dimmer, fainter as she held her breath, as she held on for dear life.






Chapter Six: Bloody Chivalry

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Chapter Six: Bloody Chivalry

Tagg couldn't shake a feeling of guilt. A never-ending anguish of the conscience: a turmoil of the soul and loyalty to his crew.

Tagg's knightly personality mixed with his dead-on sharp shooting skills created a modern-day Robin Hood figure. He once broke into a bank, so he could help feed a starving family.

He heard the shot. He saw the helplessness, the hope disappearing. He felt the recoil of that fateful shot.

It was two days now until his father had to leave. It was one in the morning. Tagg heard footsteps in the hallway. His parents were still sleeping.

They wouldn't be for much longer.

Fang was desperately attempting to open the back gate. He couldn't seem to open the lock. He finally got the door open.

Pain had an aim on Fang's head. He had done this shot a million times. He calmed his nerves. He lowered his heart beat and held his breath. He began counting in his head "One... Two..."

"Three!"

Both Fox and Blink dropped their guns. Both felt an unbearable wave of fear being lifted off of their shoulders. They were each un-armed.

They still didn't trust each other.

"Now I'll ask again, why am I your enemy?" questioned Fox with an urgency in her voice. She needed to find Diablo.

She needed to find Mia

Mia's chair landed on the bottom of the ocean. It was only eight meters, but the pressure was hurting her head. As the chair landed a few irreplaceable air bubbles escaped from her mouth.

She was running out of air. She was running out of time. She was running out of hope.

He felt the recoil. Fang felt the shot. Pain had accidentally missed his target, and had hit him in the arm. Fang saw the glint of Pain's M21 EBR and decided his best option was to flee.

"My boss gave me the task to get you." Blink replied "He has his reasons for these things" Blink said. "He has a reason for everything."

"But what is his reason this time?" Asked Fox. She needed to know the full story. "First they take Diablo's newborn son and then the syndicate takes Mia-"

"Wait, a BABY?" Blink said in a stunned, horrified tone

Pain cussed. The pain in his right hand had acted up again. He checked his midnight blue watch. He gulped down two pills.

Pain grabbed his gear and began leaving. He wasn't going to stay in case someone came looking for him.

But no one ever would tonight.

Fang raced through the brush and reached the ocean. He saw the skylight of the city Mia had witnessed only a few hours ago.

Fang took off his shirt and glasses, with the moonlight of the almost-full moon casting a countless number of twinkles on the surface of the water. Fang took off his shoes and dived in.

Tagg slowly saw the door to his room turning. He feared the worst: the boogie man.

If only that were the case.

Two men with large rifles stormed the room to find a petrified Tagg hiding under his covers. The man with the scar on his face picked him up by the neck of his shirt.

Tagg screamed at the top of his lungs " the boogie man!" To which his mother, Maria, came running in to come assuage his night-terrors.

This time she couldn't do anything.

"What baby? The report said a high-value target.." Blink said in a complexed manner.

"The high-value target IS Diablo's son." Said Fox. "Where is he?" Asked Fox with some hope. "Do you swear on your sister it was a baby?" Questioned Blink.

"I swear on Mia." Fox answered calmly.

Mia couldn't hold her breath any longer. She began seeing white- then an intense darkness as she felt the slight light of the moon go out.

Mia felt the grasp of an ethereal angel pulling her up to heaven.

The pain of Fang's arm from the gun shot was unbearable. Most men would've fainted. He wasn't most men.

Fang reached the surface of the ocean and hauled Mia still tied to the chair to the coast of the opposite bank. He then untied Mia's hands and began giving cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

"Help! Rick, get up!" Yelped Maria at the horrendous sight of the two thugs holding her boy. The two men madrasah run for the backyard holding a bawling Tagg.

Rick arrived in the backyard opposite of where the two thugs were holding Tagg. They had presumed there would be a gate there. There wasn't.

"Let my son go" Rick said with his most casual tone while holding his rifle, Maria. "What are you going to do? Said the mongrel not holding Tagg. "There's two of us and one of you"

Rick lifted his arm slightly and hip fired. He took out the guard who had sassed him. "Let go of my son." Rick reiterated.

"I don't know where he is" Blink said. "All I know is that he's in the hand of the Mafia."

Blink picked up her pistol and threw a smoke grenade on the ground. She disappeared. Fox began heading for Raven's headquarters.

She still didn't know where Mia was.

Fang kept giving Mia CPR. Then she coughed. He got her pulse. He began carrying her towards the city.

"You should've never intervened with our drug trade!" Shouted the scar-faced man. "We only want your life. But-" He said dropping his rifle and taking out his knife. "Your legacy should suffice."

"Wait!" Rick said in a commanding, masculine voice "if you spare my son you can take mine."

He handed Maria his rifle. He said looking into her eyes for the last time "I will always love you Maria." Maria was sobbing uncontrollably.

Rick turned around and stood in the center of the lawn. "I will always love you too son. Remember, do the right thing."

The thug threw the knife into the fence post. He picked up his sniper. The thug was still holding Tagg in his left hand.

Fang laid Mia down on the couch next to the fireplace in his condo and threw a blanket over her. He put on a clean pair of clothes. He still had a long night ahead of him.

He heard the shot. He saw the helplessness, the hope disappearing. He felt the recoil of that fateful shot.

He saw his father die in front of him.

The murderer walked away, dropping Tagg. He couldn't look at either Maria or Tagg. Tagg woke up from his third nightmare, or memory, since the mission at Diablo's.

Mia awoke in the warm couch. Was she alive? Or was this heaven...?





Chapter Seven: The Change-of-Plans

[Airmid]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Thanks for writing these fantastic stories! They make my lunch breaks awesome!

[TonKa]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

Matt brother you should get into writing books, you have a great skill at adding personality to your writing ability which only a few have. My fav. authors are James Patterson and Dan Brown (and of course JK Rowling) Your going to be one of them very soon my friend Cheers and Thanks

[Matt3600]

Re: A Bullet in the Chamber

How about it Airmid? Hire me for a book? Lol. Btw tonka If I ever go against you during our night empire battles you can read while I'm writing it