Page 22 of A 4th Full of Rage

“Phoe, get everyone down to the bunker. They are closing the doors in one minute,” Liz ordered. I glanced at the women alongside me. Each had murder in their eyes.

“Ain’t happening, Liz. Shut them now. We’re going after the girls and defending the Hall,” I said as the ladies surrounding me nodded.

“Damn it, Phoe, this isn’t a game!” Liz screamed.

“I’m well aware! You tell me where they are!” I yelled back.

“Heading straight for you, Phoe, as if they know where you are, we’ve got multiple hits on cameras and sensors now. At least thirty are coming at you. Guards moving to intercept, use of deadly force has been authorised,” Liz said, resigned.

“Let’s get my sister,” Serenity demanded, popping up.

“Why ain’t you in the bunker?”

“Be real, Mom,” Serenity chided, and I gazed into her eyes. I recognised that look. I’d seen it before. The girl I knew was gone, and in her place was her street persona. A small grin lit my face as I thought of what ‘Street Serenity’, as Carmine and Tye called her, had done to a serial killer who’d kidnapped her. I could only imagine what she’d do if her sister was in danger.

“Willow and Casey together, Artemis and Sin, Lindsey and Carly, Marsha with Ali-kat and Autumn and I. Serenity… fuck where she go? Shit. Spread out and find a clear route to Eddie and Davy. Do not risk your own life! I’ll not explain why you were hurt,” I ordered firmly.

“Got it, boss,” Artemis said, and I saw her eyes. Artemis was in killing mode. Good, we needed her.

“Grab your Bluetooth pieces. Ladies, we’ll communicate through them,” I demanded. The girls pulled their ear loops from their pockets and fixed them. Then everyone nodded, and, pulling out weapons, we snuck off.

Willow

Shit, this was one hell of a 4th of July party. I could already hear shots being fired. These guys weren’t being stealthy. No doubt this was the Venomous Fangs, and I bet they had the brothers pinned down somewhere as well. I didn’t see the point in calling this in. This was one we’d take care of as family. I might be FBI, but I knew my duty to Rage. Casey turned right as I turned left, heading towards the baseball diamond. Phoe had split herself and Lindsey up so one of their teams would reach the girls.

Meanwhile, Artemis, Sin, Marsha, Carly, me, and Casey would hunt these assholes. A movement made me duck, and Casey followed suit.

“FBI, come out with your hands up,” I called. Casey covered my back. There was a rustling, and I guessed the fuckers would ignore me. But my duty was done. I waited patiently, and then he gave me a target. I saw a leg appear from behind a tree. The idiot must have flexed. That was all it took. I fired, and he yelled and fell down. I aimed at his body lying there and fired again. Straight through his back, and I knew it was a heart shot.

Casey motioned there was another, and I nodded. We made a noise with our hands as if we were retreating, and the cocky asshole stuck his head out. Casey took him down with one bullet. We crept over and checked they were dead before moving on. Two down. Fuck knows how many were left.

“Willow, I got you three more in front. Go low; they’re not being careful,” Liz said.

“Okay,” I murmured.

Casey ducked behind a bush as I hid behind a tree. The great thing about Reading Hall was all the hiding places it afforded us. The problem was it did similarly for the enemy.

I saw the first guy striding like he owned the damn place. Hadn’t he heard the gunshots? Did he think that was his brother’s shooting? Asshole. I lined up and took two chest shots. That will teach him to be a cocky fucker. Casey took another down as he appeared from around a tree, and we both shot the third, who looked dumbfounded when we both stood up and fired. Sorry dickhead, weren’t women meant to defend themselves?

With a nod, Casey and I moved out. Shit, I didn’t say anything as Casey stopped and re-shot all five in the head. No harm in being certain they weren’t going to get back up. Silently, we pressed forward.

Artemis

I’d have preferred to be partnered with one of the more bloodthirsty bitches I called sisters, but knowing what Sin was capable of, I wasn’t prepared to argue. Sin wasn’t trained like some of us, but she’d fight until her dying breath. And I knew she could shoot, I’d taught her. I moved quietly in front of Sin, keeping her back. Sin was my backup, not my partner. I wasn’t worried about protecting her. As I said, she could look after herself, but I was concerned Sin wasn’t as stealthy as me.

Although Sin was making me appear a liar at the moment. We crept from tree to tree, aiming for the ice rink where four men had been spotted. Sin was doing a damn good job of watching where she placed her feet. I saw movement and motioned for Sin to drop down. The sheer noise these assholes were creating was ridiculous. Motioning for Sin to stay low and cover me, I got to work.

I moved silently until I was behind them and crept up on the first. My hand covered his mouth as my knife slit his throat. He collapsed heavily, but his brothers didn’t notice because of the noise they were making. I saw a flash of colour and hoped the idiots in front of me hadn’t. The sun had filtered through the trees and lit up Sin’s spot. Praying they’d not seen her, I crept forward and took the second down. He landed with a thump, which alerted the other two. They spun around, and their gazes widened.

“It’s the redhead. Grab her. Fury wants to break her and use her as his assassin,” the first said.

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t you know you can’t break what’s already broken?” I asked.

“Look, woman, you got the jump on two of us. You can’t take us now we’re alert,” the second asshole said, coming towards me.

I frowned, puzzled. Weren’t they aware of my reputation?