The Wicked End

Frank scrambled out into the packed corridor, people jostled and stared at the wild eyed man who was intent on getting past them. He knew her, despite the different hair, the few extra lines. It had been Angel and he wanted to wring the bitches neck. Already he had lost sight of her but the corridor didn’t branch off until near the front door, she had to be there.
“Angel !!”
More and more people were looking at him, the crowd almost parting as if sensing his anger and increasing desperation. Frank could hear the footsteps behind him and knew it would be agents and at least some of his men following him, both to help and see if he had finally lost his fucking mind. For a moment he thought he had lost her until he caught sight of the auburn hair and the black jacket. He ploughed on, a woman screaming as she was shoved face first into the door. Angel turned at the sound and for a moment they locked eyes.
The time melted away. He saw the bitterness and rage in her eyes but was reminded of her smile, her laugh and the touch of fingers against skin. There had never been love between them but there had been mutual respect and more than a little admiration. She saw his anger, the powerful man that had grown from the boy but was also reminded of lazy afternoons in his arms and a time when they had been allies against the world.
It was all past.
The betrayal had destroyed everything of that world which had been hers to control and her reappearance had destroyed his peace. This was now a fight to the death and they both knew it. The distance between them was no more than fifty feet but it was thronged with people and a rippling sense of confusion. The seconds stretched before she flashed him a cheeky smile and the moment was broken. He saw the gun in her hand, his reactions slowed a little by his surprise and hers by the realization that she could end it so quickly. The weapon was aimed at his head and the trigger pulled before the eye contact broke.
Frank felt a hand grab his collar and swing him to the left, his vision temporarily clouded by the explosion of blood and brain caused by the bullet hitting the person Mikey had unceremoniously thrown in front of him. Time sped up as the tight space exploded in screams. Mikey was fixed on only one thing and for the first time Angel realised that she was now in more than a little trouble. She fired again, causing the crowd of people to surge back toward the two men that were trying to get to her and then made it to the door and the street.
Mikey stepped over the fallen body, a glance over his shoulder enough to see that Frank was unharmed and already had a gun in his hand. There were feds closing in fast and he wanted Angel before those fucker got in the way. Frank nodded and watched a Mikey used his height and strength to elbow his way into the crowd. Gerard was nowhere in sight, he guessed he must have headed straight for his brother and Frank was grateful. He didn’t like seeing Gerard and guns in the same space.
Frank split off, the building had two revolving doors that lead to the street which were now jammed with people trying to get out and security guards trying to get in. He pocketed the gun, aware that he was likely to be stopped and started to calm his mind and formulate a plan.
“Shaw, Casey, Martinez, outside and find that woman.”
Immediately the feds started to crowd him, the distraction allowing Mikey and his boys to slip outside and into the street. He trusted the younger Way to bring the bitch to him alive and unharmed if he could and that would mean coming inbetween the target and the police and agents that were just as eager to shut this case down. Claire’s wellbeing depended on Mikey managing it first.
Mikey himself was focused. It had all become unreal since the phonecall to say his James was gone. He had walked, talked, eaten and slept but it had been completely disassociated with his reality. There was nothing left in him, everything was burned away and he was hollow, the empty shell filled with nothing but a desire to torture and kill the person responsible. The fact that he needed the torture part to get Claire back was just a coincidence. He didn’t care what it took him, he was going to get to Angel.
Outside there was more confusion, the populace still cowering and unsure after the gunshots within, Angel was already halfway into the crowd again and quickly searching for the van that had been left nearby with more of Matt’s boys and probably the man himself. All of them would be pissed at her, it had gone just as badly as they had all predicted but she had seen the rage and known that she had got to him. For Angel, that was a victory.
“What the fuck ?”
“Move, fucking move or we’re going to die.”
Matt ducked as her words were punctuated by the sounds of gunfire. Mikey and three of his men had spotted them, causing Johnny to give the nod to their own guys. The entire plaza erupted, civilians and police officers alike caught by surprise as a full scale gun ware broke out. Frank never went anywhere without a contingent of his men and Matt hadn’t been as blasé as Angel about the possible outcome. People started to fall, crossfire of bullets and flying metal from cars was lethal and no judge of loyalty or innocence.
“Mikey, fucking alive !”
Frank ducked down, still trying to pick her out from the crowd as he counted the police and feds up against his own men. This could go badly for him and for her, Angel in police hands was no good to him. He waved his men forward and then pulled one of his bodyguards down to his level.
“Buy Mikey some time. Take some boys to the side and keep the feds occupied.”
The man nodded and peeled away, Frank risking a peek over the car bonnet that he was taking cover behind. Mikey was a good way ahead and making progress towards where he could see a tall, heavy set man and three others returning fire from over a van hood. Angel was nowhere in sight now and Frank growled in frustration.
There was a loud explosion as a police car went up, several people caught up in the flames and general chaos. More and more gunfire filled the air, it was getting impossible to see from the smoke and chaos, time slowly ticking out toward the inevitable flight of one or other of the parties. Angel kickstarted the van from below the drivers seat, and banged on the screen, Matt and his boys getting in. Johnny was pinned on the other side and waved at them to go before firing another volley over Mikey’s head to keep him pinned down. Angel floored it, taking out one of the other cop cars and barrelling into three more parked cars before hitting the street.
Mikey realised what was happening and threw one of his own guys into the path of the stream of bullets, four of them hitting the man who grunted in surprise before expiring in a mist of blood and bone. Mikey didn’t pause, managing to duck another burst and reach Johnny as he tried to reload. There was a frantic struggle between the two men before the taller man managed to obtain the advantage and savagely slammed Johnny’s head into the roof of the car. He went down and Mikey simply picked him up and threw him at two of his remaining men.
“Get this back to the compound. Quietly and for fuck’s sake, alive. We’re gonna use this little shit to find out where the boss’s wife is and where that fucking bitch is hiding.”
The men nodded and disappeared into the smoke as Mikey silently made his way back to where Frank was already walking towards their car with Gerard. They would leave now while the feds were still counting bodies and the police were busy with civilians. It was time to disappear and go into lockdown. The legitimate law had had the chance to deal with it and failed. Now Frank would do things his way.
“Talk to me Mikes.”
“She got away but we got one of her boys. Not one of the street shits either. Kind of firepower he was packing says he’s gonna lead us straight to her.”
Frank’s expression was grim, there was nothing to stop him using every talent he had learned from Angel to lead him to her and this was the chance he had been waiting for.
“Is he alive ?”
There was no shift in the poker face until a beautific smile broke across his features. Even Gerard stepped away a little in recognition of the sheer and complete madness that lurked within.
“Until we decide otherwise or I have Angel’s head.”

Notes