We went back to the house right away to retrieve the stuff we just put back there for Georgia. She overstepped the boundaries this time, so we take back what we just returned. She had 5 men guarding the house, so we moved in carefully. Mac leaned over a small hedge between Amber’s house and the house next door. 

A man was standing guard in the driveway so Mac called him over to ask a question. The man came and soon he was on the ground, after feeling Mac’s knife. Catalina and Kat walked slowly in front of the house on the public sidewalk. They turned and smiled at 2 more men that were standing by the front door. That was enough to bring the two men down to talk. 

They were quickly subdued by the girls. Then we all went in the front door once Bouncer removed the door for us. Two more men inside met us with guns out, but John and Miles shot first, killing both of them. All we wanted was the guns and money we had found before, all of it was still there, plus some new things had been added, mainly more money and weapons. 

The drugs we left behind for the bonfire. ”You sure that stuff will get a good hot fire going?” I asked Catalina. ”I am surprised you would ask such a thing Steve,” she said, pouting a bit. I chuckled. I should know better, Catalina never makes a mistake with explosives. Before she pressed the button Aari got a call from Rock. ”Steve,” he said, “Amber did not make it.” 

I screamed and fell to my knees crying. ”My Amber!” I yelled, “She killed my Amber!” Then I spotted those two men. ”Toss these two in that house before blowing it apart!” I yelled, “You are murderers!” ”No man, no!” said one of them, “we do not kill people, we are just guards, that is all.” ”You work for Georgia, so you are murderers like her!” I growled at them, “for that you should be killed.” 

“Hold it Steve,” said Aari, “I know how you feel, Amber was your girlfriend, but we will make Georgia pay for that. We will let these two go with a message for her.” I just put my head down and walked away. ”Deliver this message to Georgia,” said Aari, “if you do not, I will hunt you down, got that?” They both said yes and took off running to their car and drove away fast! 

We got into our vans and began to drive away while Catalina pushed the button. What a huge explosion of flames in all directions! ”Are you okay now Steve?” asked Sky quietly, “If it is any consolation, you still have me.” She looked at me and smiled. ”Guess I made a fool of myself out there,” I said, “sorry about that, it just kind of caught me by surprise.” ”I understand Steve,” she said, “you care about all of us.” ”You most of all,” I said, “I would be lost without you.” 

Meanwhile, those two men returned to Georgia with the news and the message. ”What kind of idiot are you anyway?” asked Phil, “They would have been gone and you had to go and kill that guy’s girlfriend.” ”Careful Phil,” she said, “you can be eliminated too you know.” 

“And who would run things if you did that?” he asked, “It was me that built this little organization for you and it was going great until you decided to take over and get us in trouble.” ”Phil is right,” said Robert (Georgia’s husband), “that was a stupid thing to do. What do you think that Rockwood will do now?” ”Look you two cowards,” she said, “you forget we have those 18 cops, plus our own 20 men.” 

“13 men now,” said Phil, “and he will keep at us a little at a time until we are dead.” ”Cowards!” she yelled, “We can win this!” ”I would like to know how,” said Robert. ”Look, let’s go out for dinner and talk things over,” she said, almost cheerfully. ”May as well,” said Phil, “at least we can die eating.” 

At the restaurant a slightly overweight gentleman came to their table and sat down. ”I hope you dear people will not mind my joining you on such short notice,” he said with a large smile on his face. ”Go right ahead,” said Georgia, “but do not expect a handout.” He laughed. 

“My dear woman,” he said, “I do not need a handout. But after your rather unfortunate decision today, perhaps you are the ones in need of a handout.” ”What do you mean?” asked Phil. ”Now, now,” he said, “let us all be reasonable people. I am referring to your unwise decision of killing the girlfriend of Rockwood’s lieutenant. 

He will crush you for doing that and I rather doubt you have the resources necessary to fight with him. Would that be correct, my dear Georgia?” ”We can do just fine,” she said indignantly. ”We cannot and you know it,” said Robert, “what do you have in mind?”

To Be Continued.

©2023 Steve McLeod.