"Jack? Is there something you haven't told me?"
"What do you mean, Claire?"
"Jack, those guys are afraid of you and greeted you with honor and respect?"
"Yes, if I knew who they were, I would have greeted them as well."
Claire looked Jack in the eyes, "You really don't know who they are you?"
"No, now are you going to tell me who they are?"
"They are friends of Marcus and myself. We asked for their help tracking the people who did this to Marcus."
Claire stretched out her arm and took Jack's hand, "let's take a walk, Jack." Jack followed her to the balcony of the hospital; stars filled the sky like pale corn into freshly turned ground.
It was the promise of life in the darkness, a sense of warmth springing from the cold. It was a vastness to bring humbleness and an unlimited space to bring gratitude for the coziness of two people under the night sky.
No matter how many years passed, Jack and Claire knew eachother for as long as they could remember; it was beautiful. Each night sky was a new gift, giving a new break to each day passing by.
She moved closer and touched his hand, the emotion in her eyes was fathomed deep, yet they carried the warmth and life of the sunlight surfacing on the ocean. They had a thousand hues of blue and a slight touch of hazel radiating in softly swooping arcs.
She smiles, "Jack, what I wanted to say earlier is that we have become closer. I learned new things about you. Would you consider," Jack's phone rang, and he answered the phone while Claire stood there.
"Yes, it's me speaking. Are you sure? That's the license plate? Yes, I will be there right away."
"Jack, why are you leaving?"
"No time to explain. Please keep an eye on Marcus and Nicole,"
"The doctors are here to care of that. I am coming with you."
"Okay, did you bring your own car?"
"Yes, I came here with my own car." she took her Jacket off the ledge.
"Jack, where are we going?"
"I think my sister might be in danger."
"Give me the keys."
"It's a BMW M5 60mhs in 0 to 3 seconds. Have you driven one before?"
"Just pass me the keys, please, Claire."
"Okay, it's fine." She handed him the car keys. They climbed in.
"Fasten your seatbelt, Claire."
Before she could answer, Jack took off.
Claire looked at the flag on the car that fluttered violently in the wind. It was cute on the city streets, but here on the highway, it moves so quickly and noisily that Claire wonders if it might break away from the pole.
She watches the cheap plastic bending and the material beat as if it were trying to take flight. It stays that way, a battle between pole and flag until the car slows for the off-ramp.
Jack switched his attention to the changing lanes to the far right-hand side, so this would be the first time she felt incredible speed and control over the car. It felt as if her insides turned upside down; as the speed increased, Jack changed to the fifth gear as he accelerated, pressing down on the pedal.
"Jack, slow down. You are going to get killed." Claire stressed.
As the car swerved into the lane, Jack took a sharp turn by trapping the break. Claire held onto her seat. Minutes later, they arrived at the scene, where Claire's head was still spinning. She took a deep breath; there was an ambulance and cops. Jack jumped out of the car.
He saw his sister sitting on the pavement with an ice pack on her head. Claire caught up, "what happened, Angela?"
She shook her head, "those assholes came after me."
"Who came after you?"
"Those assholes I told you about, but I am fine."
Three bodies were lying on the road; they had been shot. Jack sat beside her and took her hand, "except for that bruise on your head, are you okay?"
Angela looked up, "who's by Nicole?"
"She is fine. She is in a hospital with doctors and security."
"Are you kidding me? I said we aren't supposed to leave them on their own."
"Why not?" Claire said.
"They are out to kill her. How do you think I have ended up in this mess?"
"It's fine. I will get someone over there right now?" Claire stood up and walked aside, on her phone, "I need you to not let them out of your sight."
"I have sent those friends of Marcus over."
"Marcus friends?" Said Angela, "Are they able to protect Nicole?"
"Yes, they are," Claire answered as she looked over at Jack.
"So what happened here?"
"I was driving back to the hospital after dropping Max off, it was dark, and something told me to look to my right side at the traffic light. That's when three men ran up to the door, I pushed in the pedal, and a truck from the left struck me.
The car swerved to the other end of the road. With the car on its roof, I saw the three men walking up to the car. I had my pistols on me and shot two to their ankle; as they fell to the ground, I shot them in the head.
I crawled out, and as I got out, the man stood with his butcher knife, hitting the gun out of my hand, saying, 'where is your friend?' At first, I was confused about which friend, but then it occurred its the same man from the gas station. As he took a swing, I dodged it and kept thinking about how many more would come after me if I didn't give her up. I then pulled out the other pistol from the back and shot him."
Jack felt anger boiling in him as he clenched his fist, "first Nicole, now you."
"There's nothing you can do, Jack. There are too many; not even Claire's weird friends could help us."
Jack stood up, "now, what do you suggest we do?"
Angela looked at Jack, "we have no choice but to go to the place mom had us build because of such emergencies. We must lay low and keep Nicole there for her safety and mine."
"Why dont you just go to the cops?"
"Because Claire, most cops are on their payroll."
"Can I go with you guys? I mean, they have seen me with Jack."
"What about Marcus?" Said Angela.
"They are related, so they will probably go after him as well," said Jack.
"So he comes with us?" Claire said.
"Who is us?"
"Me, you, and Jack?"
"I don't know." Said Angela, "it might be too crowded."
"It won't. You won't even know I am there. Besides, they will kill my family if I go back home."
"Okay, but what about your family? They will ask questions."
"Let me worry about that." Angela stood up.
"You can't leave, Mam." Said a suspicious-looking officer; he looked sketchy.
"Is she being detained?" Claire said.
"Yes, she is. She will be going down to the station with me."
The officer was about to take Claire by the arm, then Jack grabbed him by his arm, squeezing it. The officer looked up, and his phone rang from an unknown number, "let my arm go. I will have you bloody arrested for grabbing me like that."
Two officers approached when noticing the commotion, "You should answer that." Said Jack, "Who are you to tell me who to answer and who not to answer?" The officer pulled away his arm, and the two cops placed their hands on Jack's shoulder.
"Hello? If you are telemarketing, I am not interested."
"Hello, Gregory." Said a deep voice.
"Who is this, and why are you calling me by my first name?"
"Mr. Gregory, how is the family? How is that three-bedroom house you are living in?"
Officer Gregory looked back, worried. Angela and Claire noticed he was shaking.
He walked abit further away from them, "listen, you asshole! Fuck with me all you want, but leave my family out of this. Do you know who I am?"
"Officer Gregory Stoltz, you are living off an annual wage of one hundred and twenty thousand. You have two siblings, Stacy, thirty-three, and Raymond, thirty-five. Your father passed away last year, and you have two kids and a beautiful blonde wife wearing a red nightgown right now."
"You asshole." Gregory looked at his phone, "who are you?"
"That gentleman and his sister, you will let them go their way and clear all evidence if you want to see your family tomorrow."
"That's impossible. I can't just."
The call hung up, "hello?"
Officer Gregory didn't want to bring more suspicion as his colleagues looked at him. He walked over to Jack and looked as if he had seen a ghost.
"They free to go." Claire frowned. Angela was confused, but with everything happening, she took them by the arms, "let's go," she said, "we can go."