Daniel dragged a little travelling bag down the stairs of his house, he stopped at the foot of the stairs and headed to the refrigerator. He needed a few provisions for his relocation and time was ticking. He had up to 9am to make himself scarce from Tampa, he intends to stay alive because only the living can express love and staying alive can only guarantee that. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a keg of milk and water and turned towards the foot of the stairs. He would leave his home and everything about it, he would leave his job and the numerous secrets that clouds it and most especially he would leave the love of his life. To love, you have to stay alive.
He walked to his car, opened the trunk and loaded his bag but he put the provisions in the back seat of his car. He looked around him, at vehicles parked on his street and nothing was amiss but he knew better. These men are professionals, they could be anywhere and waiting patiently to gut him to shreds. He started his car and reached into his pocket for his phone. He opened his gallery and stared at Rita, "would this be the last time he would ever see this woman that stole his heart?" He asked himself.
Daniel stepped out of his car again, he bent over in front if his car and placed his phone in front of his car tyre, stepped back into his car and throttled gently. He could hear the sound of his phone crushing from inside his car.
"Why did Don spare his life?" He asked himself. He kept his mind glued in the possibility that Don wanted to use him for sport, let him run away then hunt him after.
"But why would Don go through all those stress to hunt him when he already had him where he wanted him?" Daniel asked looking at his rare view mirror.
Another car just pulled out behind him and he became very frightened. "I knew they would be watching." He said as he stepped on the gas pedal. If he didn't stop for any reason, he would be far from Tampa by 9am.
******************
Cash ran behind Bill but fast enough to put space between them and the dockyard. He didn't have time to begin to decipher what just happened at the dockyard, but he had kept his mind wrapped around how the cops knew the shipment was going down.
He had seen his cousin and Bolt hiding behind the speed boat, as soon as he joined them he knew why Bolt had choose that position. Behind them was a covered tunnel that led into the drainage system that was linked to the city's drainage where all the waste pass through to be disposed into the sea.
They had crawled their way to the next drainage opening before making their way back to the surface.
Bill sported a car and ran into it, the car screeched to a halt just before it could hit him. Bill ran to the drivers side and pointed his gun at the driver.
"Step out of the car or i blow your brains all over the car." He threatened the driver.
The scared man quickly got out and Bolt got behind the wheel and soon the car speed off.
"Is everyone fine?" Cash asked as he began to search for his phone.
"I am fine." Bolt replied as he looked through the rare view mirror at Bill who sat alone behind. He hadn't said a word in response to Cash's question.
"I think Bill was shot" Bolt said as he stepped on the brakes.
"Don't stop!" Cash screamed at Bolt before jumping to the back seat.
"You took a bullet and you didn't say?" Cash asked as he pulled his suit and tried to apply pressure on the spot that was oozing blood. Bill clutched the right side of his abdomen, right under his right ribs. Blood dripped so fast that the whole seat had stain.
"Get us to a pharmacy, now!" Cash screamed at Bolt who swung the car to the left into a wide road that would take them to the city.
Cash continued to put pressure on Bills bullet wound as they came to a stop in front of a pharmacy twenty minutes later. Bill had passed out but he still showed a faint sign of breathing.
It was 2:27am when they stepped into the pharmacy. The sign outside had revealed that they run a 24hour services.
"Emergency!" Cash screamed as both himself and Bolt heaved Bill into the pharmacy.
A lady who appeared to be a nurse came over and pointed to a surgical section at the end of the rows of shelves that held drugs.
"What happened to him?" A female doctor asked as she helped Bill into the bed.
"He got shot." Cash said as he removed the blood soaked clothe he had used to put pressure on the bullet wound.
"We don't threat bullet wounds here, you have to take him to a hospital." The female doctor said. "If you call the cops i could help stop the bleeding... " the doctor was saying when Cash pointed a pistol to her head.
"Fix him!" Cash screamed at her and Bolt moved to block of the nurse who got scared after seeing a gun and wanted to scamper.
"Take it easy, he needs proper care he bled a lot and only a hospital can save him." The Doctor suggested calmly.
"If he dies, you both die too." Cash said with certainty in his tone.
The female doctor looked at the situation and knew it was never going to swing in her favour in anyway, she nodded her head and turned to the nurse.
"Jennie get me surgical gloves i will grab the kit. You grab the sterilizer." The Doctor told her nurse and also shared duties to Cash who dashed to get the sterilizers.
The doctor reached for Bill and began to tear off his shirt.
"You, don't stand there, put away your gun and help me clean his wounds." The doctor told Bolt who didn't object.
Soon Jennie returned with the items and began to assist her Boss, but her eyes kept moving from the patient to the gun strapped in the waist of the one who blocked her from escaping
******************
Don got off the phone and handed the device back to Rahim.
"Do you think its coming together."Don asked.
Rahim didn't understand what Don was saying, he sat with Don at the park where they had walked to. Its past 2am and the street still had people working around. Some had a job to resume to and others just got off. Cars hooted around as they drove by and the city was generally alive.
"Don, you speak in parables and i am loosing track of whats going on." Rahim said with concern as he still hoped to get an inkling of what was going on with Don.
It wouldn't be easy for any man who just found out his daughter was murdered. A daughter he hasn't seen in years, a daughter who was mega rich but lived poorly because of an unforgiveness that spread like a virus from mother to daughter.
"First, i lost my only child, then twice my illegal transaction was boycotted." Don looked at Rahim. "That looks like God saying, 'enough, son!' Don said smiling.
"Maybe you need some rest, let me take you home." Rahim suggested.
"Yeah, get the car." Don said smiling.
"No way, i cant leave you here by yourself." Rahim retorted.
"Well, i am tired of walking." Don said still smiling at Rahim.
Rahim got his phone out and punched in a few numbers and a few minutes later the Toyota Prado pulled up beside them where they sat.
Rahim opened the door for Don and made his way around to the drivers side. He got in and drove away with one thing on his mind, Don wants to die!
*****************
Jason sat quietly on the passengers seat of Sera's car as she drove him to his house. The captain had asked them to take a day off to rest out the whole luxury of stress accumulated in just one day. The pains in his arm was wearing off and all he wanted was a warm bath and a long sleep. He looked to his side, at Sera who was obviously tired. Her looks depicted one with fatigue but she was a tough woman. He reminisced on her composure the entire time, she was one with a thick skin to withstand rough times.
"There is nothing in your files about Karate and stuff." Jason said making a face.
"Wait, you were looking at me the whole time?" Sera asked surprised.
"Your file mentioned that you have an excellent combat skill and came second in your class shooting test, in the academy." Jason continued.
"No wonder you got shot, i cant have you loosing concentration and jeopardizing your safety because of me." Sera said ignoring Jason's comment's.
"Now i feel safer knowing i have a Jet Li beside me at all times." They both laughed.
"Not at all times, i wont be there when a bullet hit you when you are distracted in combat." She said with seriousness.
"You said 'jeopardizing my life and not jeopardizing the mission,' so which is more important to you, me?" Jason asked with a smile on his face.
"Don't push it Jay." She froze realizing what just happen. She had called him Jay.
"Don't be shy Sera." Jason said as he broke out laughing. Sera punched him and Jason faked pain.
"Am sorry I didn't know it was the side that hurts." Sera apologised with all seriousness.
"Thanks, but i only faked it." Jason said as he dodged to avoid more hits from Sera.
The car came to a stop in front of a bungalow on Costa Mon street. Sera turned of the engine and turned to face Jason who didn't act like he had gotten to his stop.
"We are here, big guy." Sera announced.
"Yeah i know i was wondering if you would like to come in for a drink?" Jason asked.
"Its almost 3am, who drinks at this hour?" Sera asked looking into his eyes.
Jason just sat there returning her stare and she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her and their lips touched in an amazing kiss. Time stopped moving, the soft wind that blew earlier through the BMW window seemed scarce and the only thing that didn't stop was the two lips sucking on each other. Sera released her grip and they both stared at each other.
"Don't go."Jason said
"You know i cant stay. I will see you around Jay." Sera said seating up.
Jason got off the car and walked to his house he opened the door with his key and stepped in. He heard the car engine start and the sound of Sera driving away. He walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, and grabbed a bottle of beer, he opened it and sipped from the bottle as he made his way to the room. His mind was wrapped around the soft lips he just had in his mouth and it surprised him that it was quite unusual. He would have remembered Steve on a normal day because the silence in his house drove him to reminisce of his moments with his partner and friend.
A few minutes had passed when he heard a knock on the door and he waited trying to listen, he wanted to be sure he had heard right. Who would be knocking on his door at this time, he thought.
He was sure Cash sooner or later would be after him, Cash was capable of hunting him after he had disrupted his business at the dockyard. Jason grabbed his gun and tip toed to the door, he grabbed the door knob quietly with his left hand, while he held his gun in his right hand.
The knock came again, this time louder. He was sure it was an assailant, so he turned the door knob quickly as he pulled the door open and pointed the gun at the lady in front if him. It was Sera.