Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (51 page)

“There’s
only one bullet in the gun.”

“Then
shoot us both.”

“That’ll
ruin the game, but I still need to punish someone, and since Dante’s in front
of me it might as well be him.” He leaned down and bit into Dante’s shoulder,
making Dante holler in pain. Ant lifted his head, the blood on his mouth
showing he’d broken skin. “How will he sound when I do that to his cock?” His
eyes moved to Beth. “By the way, I have your delicious little brother Corey
waiting for me afterwards. I’m going to enjoy eating that boy up.”

Kara’s
eyes moved to Beth, who looked stunned, like she didn’t believe what she’d just
heard.

“What
a pity, I thought you might shout that I was a liar,” Ant said to Beth. “I wanted
to see what you would say when I told you about the cute heart-shaped birthmark
on his butt. Oh, but I don’t suppose you would know about that, but I’m sure
you know he cries very easily, pulls his beanie down over his eyes when he’s
scared—I think I find that the most adorable thing, and oh yeah, he fights like
a tiger when he doesn’t want to be fucked, or tries to convince himself he
doesn’t, because his dick always gets hard for me.”

Beth
raised the gun again, the witch that Kara knew once again showing. “Move that
gun away from Dante!” she yelled.

“Only
once you put your gun to your head and pull the trigger. And if you don’t, I’m
going stick this gun up your brother’s arse and fire away.”

“He’s
lying!” Dante yelled. “He wants Corey!”

Ant
hit the gun over Dante’s head, making him fall to the floor, then he aimed it
at Dante again. “Don’t make me change my mind, Beth, because I’d rather fuck
him raw than waste fine meat.”

Beth
shook with rage, then she put the gun to her head. Dante struggled up, but got
hit across the head again. Beth screamed, her finger already pulling the
trigger. The sound of a gunshot followed, but she didn’t fall, instead she
remained perfectly still, her face shocked, like she didn’t understand why she
was still standing, which Kara didn’t either. Kara’s gaze shot back to Ant. He
was still pointing the gun at Dante, who lay still with his eyes closed as
though he was—

Beth
screamed at the same time as Kara, both of them knowing it wasn’t their gun
that had fired the shot.

30

Sledge

Nike glared at Sledge. “Lower
the gun or I’ll shoot you faster than you can pull that trigger.”

“No!
You lower your gun!”

“Shut
the fuck up,” Nike hissed, “before you get both of us killed.”

“You’re
the one threatening me.”

“No,
I ain’t, dipshit, I’m helping you.”

“By
insulting and aiming your gun at me!”

Nike’s
face darkened. “If you raise your voice one more time, I
will
put a
bullet between your eyes, cos I ain’t goin’ down over your paranoia.”

“Then
lower the fuckin’ gun.”

“Like
hell. I heard what you said, and I ain’t a double-crossing bastard.”

“Yes,
you are; you’re after payback.”

“No
I’m not.”

“Bullshit.
You’re playing with me, making me believe you’re helping, then gettin’ Craven’s
guards.”

“Then
where are they?”

“Who?”

“Craven’s
guards. If I’d got them, wouldn’t they be here with me?”

“Um...”
Sledge frowned, glancing behind Nike.

Nike
cocked a brow. “No one there, aye? And by the way, if I wanted to shoot you I
would’ve done it while you were sleeping, would’ve broken your back lock, slipped
inside your house, gone past the room that stinks of cigarettes and booze, then
past the one that smells like pot.”

Sledge’s
eyes widened. “You’ve been in my house?”

“Maybe.”

“You’re
fuckin’ psycho.”

“Just
deciding whether I wanted
payback
or not, but it always comes down to
your brother. I don’t want Ash gettin’ hurt, which is why I never pressed
charges against you for helping Tama bash and stab me.”

“I
never stabbed you.”

“Like
I said, you held me down while he did it.”

Sledge
grimaced, not wanting to defend himself anymore, because Nike was right: he was
guilty as sin, and if it weren’t for Ash he would’ve gone to prison. And now he
also needed to give Nike credit for saving his neck. He went to lower his gun,
jolting in surprise as Nike yelled.

“Fuck
it! What’s the use?” Nike stepped back and opened his arms wide, the look on
his face defeated. “Shoot me, go on, you might as well put me outta my fuckin’
misery, cos that’s all I have now: fuckin’ misery. My wife won’t sleep with me
cos your mate fucked her head up so bad, my mother almost died from a heart
attack and my boss threatened my family’s lives when I tried to quit, cos I
couldn’t handle seeing an innocent man killed in front of me. So, now all I can
think about is slaughtering Craven and his lot, making them know that man’s
terror, then finding Tama and doin’ the same to him, but playing with him
first, making him think I’ll let him survive. But he won’t if I get near him.
I’d shoot his cock off then put the gun in his mouth and pull the trigger. So,
shoot me before I go postal on fuckin’ everybody, cos I don’t wanna be a
killer.”

Sledge
gaped at Nike.

“What
are you waiting for?” Nike said. “You hate me, don’t you?”

“Not
anymore.”

“If
you don’t kill me, then I’ll kill Tama, so do it.”

Sledge
lowered the gun. “I can’t.”

“Why
the fuck not? You held me down so Tama could stab me.”

“I
didn’t mean for him to go that far, just wanted payback.”

“For
what?”

“You
bashed me.”

“Cos
you fuckin’ helped attack my sister!”

“I
didn’t mean to, I thought Tama wuz just playing with the girl.”

“He
stabbed her!”

“Look,
I’m sorry, man, but when he did that I wuzn’t there, I promise I wuzn’t,
otherwise I would’ve stopped him. Tama wuz on his own, no one helped him hurt
your sister.”

Nike
lowered his arms. “She said you tried to bash down the door to get at her.”

“Tama
ordered me to, but I didn’t think he’d hurt her.”

Nike
looked at him in disbelief. “Are you thick?”

“Yes,”
Sledge said, and meaning it, because he was stupid in every possible way. He’d
done so many things without thinking, without knowing why he was doing it or
how it would be seen through other people’s eyes. “I’m the dumbest shit there
is. I’m sorry for everything that Tama did to your family, for what I did to
you. I can’t... fuck, Tama’s like a brother, I don’t wanna think he lied to
me.”

“Tama’s
nuthin’ like your brothers. Ash is pure honour, and although Dante can be a
shit, he also fronts up. He gave me a gun when I told him what Tama did to my
wife. He believed me, he saw that I wuz telling the truth.”

“Leila
cried rape,” Sledge said, “I thought your woman did the same.”

“Leila’s
a liar. That woman’s
nuthin’
like Jess.”

And
for the first time Sledge believed him. He knew deep down what Tama had done.
His mate wasn’t who he wanted him to be, that cool guy who was fun to be
around, who made him feel important. Instead, Tama was someone who did whatever
the hell he wanted, regardless of who it hurt. “I believe you,” Sledge finally
said, wishing he didn’t, but needing to own up to it. “But I don’t understand
why you’re helping me.”

“I
told ja yesterday I wuzn’t helping you. I’m helping Dante and the others, so
you better start trusting me, cos if you doubt me in front of Craven and his
lot I won’t be asking you to lower your gun, I’ll be shooting you.”

Sledge
nodded. “I understand.”

“Good,
now do everything I tell you, don’t question me, just act. I asked Mack where
Corey wuz, making out that a client wanted him—”

“What
do you mean a client wants him?”

“Didn’t
you see the fuck party up there?”

Sledge
nodded, feeling bile rise at the memory of the fat cowboy abusing the redhead.

Nike
continued, “Anyway, Mack told me Corey wuz being held by Ant in the cottage. He
said that Dante wuz also there.”

“Then
let’s go.”

Nike
put a hand out to stop Sledge. “You take the rear. Keep an eye on what’s behind
us.”

“Sure,
okay, let’s just go.”

Nike
took off, Sledge following, both of them sprinting past the swimming pool.
Sledge glanced back at the mansion, relieved to see that no one had spotted
them. The only people visible were on the second floor, but they were facing
away, their attentions no doubt on whatever was on display.

They
headed towards a row of trees, Nike making Sledge wait as he slipped through
them, scoping the area first. He reappeared a few heartbeats later, indicating
for Sledge to follow. They sprinted up a cobble-stoned path that led to a white
cottage, Sledge aware that the curtains were open.

Nike
stopped in front of the door, indicating for Sledge to move to the left of it.
“Ant, you in there?” he said, knocking. “I’ve got a client who wants to speak
to you.”

“Nike!
Help me!”

At
Corey’s voice, Sledge shoved Nike aside and barged into the cottage, slamming
the door against the wall. “Where are you, Corey?” he yelled, sizing up the
room. There were a couple of couches in the way, plus three doors, all of which
were shut.

“In
here, Sledge!”

Sledge
went for the door that Corey’s voice was coming from, finding it locked. He
took a step back and kicked at it. He kicked again, the bloody thing still holding
strong.

Nike
pushed him out of the way, and shot at the lock, the silencer muffling the
sound. He then entered the room, stepping aside for Sledge to go to Corey, who
was sitting on a large bed, dressed in a Wera High School uniform. Sledge
grabbed him, hugging him tightly, so fucking grateful to see him. Corey started
crying, making Sledge pull back. “Are you hurt?”

Corey
shook his head, his eyes bloodshot. “Ant’s gonna kill Beth and rape Dante, and
some man ordered Ant to kill me.”

“Where
are Dante and Beth now?” Sledge asked, his panic rising again.

“I
think they said at the gun range,” Corey sobbed. “Don’t let them kill my
sister.”

Sledge
slipped his arms under Corey and picked him up. “I’ll get her back.” He passed
Corey over to Nike. “Take him to the car, don’t wait; just get him out along
with Juliet.”

“He’s
too fuckin’ heavy,” Nike said, the guy five inches shorter than
Sledge—five-foot-ten at the most. But the guy sure as hell knew how to fight
like he was ten-feet tall.

Sledge
took Corey back off Nike. Corey instantly buried his face into Sledge’s neck,
making his heart melt. “He weighs practically nuthin’,” he said, annoyed with
Nike, knowing he couldn’t carry Corey to the car and get Dante and Beth out at
the same time.

“I’m
not on steroids like you,” Nike snapped.

“I
ain’t on steroids,” Sledge said, heading for the door. “You go to the gun range
and look for Dante and Beth while I get Corey to the car, then I’ll come back
and help you.”

Nike
pushed past him. “I don’t need your help.”

Sledge
followed him outside and along the path, clearing the circle of trees. He
stopped at the sight of people in suits, tuxes and ball dresses running from
the gun range, the sight scaring him, making him think the worst had happened,
that Dante and Beth were dead, because many of the people were in tears, one
women even screaming. Nike sprinted across the stretch. Sledge took off after
him, running slower with Corey in his arms.

Nike
grabbed the nearest person, asking, “What’s happened?”

The
woman turned to him, tears cutting a path of black mascara down her cheeks. “He
killed him,” she sobbed.

“Killed
who?”

She
started crying louder, then turned and ran. Nike glanced back at Sledge, the
look on his face telling him who he thought it was:
Dante.

31

Beth

Screaming blared from the
loudspeakers, panic reigning within the building—and within Beth’s heart too.
Shock gripped her so hard it felt like she wasn’t breathing, caught somewhere
between life and death, suspended from reality, watching her surroundings as though
it was a TV programme, disconnected, not part of her reality; but unlike the
actors snuffed out on the small screen, Dante wasn’t going to get up and get
paid, his blood real. And he wasn’t going to smile at her ever again, lose his
temper or push her onto the bed, and he wasn’t going to roll his eyes when she
told him off or make crude jokes to embarrass her, because he was gone—
forever.

Kara
bashed against the window that separated them from Dante, crying, swearing,
hitting out, her verbal assault a mixture of Croatian and English, forming a
new language, one of anguish. On the other side of the glass, Ant stared at
Kara, his expression stunned, like he didn’t understand why she was going
crazy, or why everyone else was going crazy, running out of the building like
their life depended upon it. Then his gaze moved past Kara, his eyes widening
in response to whatever he saw. Beth turned her head. She blinked, trying to
take in why Saul was pointing a gun at Craven’s head, and shouting at the guard
behind Craven to lower his weapon.

Craven
hollered: “Shoot him, Rex!”

More
yelling followed, then a gun went off. The guard’s head snapped back, the man
collapsing to the floor.

Craven
raised his hands. “Lower the gun, Saul.”

“No,
shoot him!” Ant screamed from the other room, capturing Saul’s attention.

In
the split second that Saul was distracted, Craven rushed him, but a bullet cut
him short as Nike burst through the door, firing more than once. Craven’s head
and body jerked as each bullet hit him, then he collapsed, his body lifeless.
Saul spun around, holding up his hands, yelling: “I’m a cop!” his words
confusing Beth even more, making her think that this was all a dream, because
he couldn’t be one, he couldn’t be.

Ignoring
Saul, Nike went for the door that led to her and Kara. When it didn’t open, he
shot at it, then kicked it open. He charged through, his eyes going to the
window where Ant was.

Saul
followed him inside, shouting, “Drop the gun, Ant!”

Ant
raised it, pointing the gun at the door as he backed up towards the other exit.
“I don’t take orders from you!”

“Duck,
Kara!” Nike yelled. Kara turned, looking like she didn’t understand, then she
flung herself to the floor as Nike fired at the window, the glass taking the
impact, obviously bullet proof. He aimed his weapon at the door, shooting out
the lock.

Ant
turned and ran for the exit, disappearing through it. Both Saul and Nike rushed
the door, Nike bursting through first. He jumped over Dante’s body and ran
after Ant, disappearing out the exit. Beth finally snapped out of her shock and
followed the others. Saul dropped to his knees, feeling Dante’s neck as both
Beth and Kara clustered around Dante, both of them crying out in joy at Saul’s
words: “He’s alive.”

Kara
fell onto Dante’s chest, hugging him like she was scared Saul would change his
mind.

Beth
wanted to do the same, but fear still gripped her, Dante’s stillness making her
yell at Saul: “He needs an ambulance!”

Saul
removed his phone and placed it to his ear, barking into it a few seconds later:
“Matty, I need an ambo asap. Three dead, two unconscious with head injuries,
needing evac at the back of Craven’s property in the grey building.”

Gun
shots outside made Beth jolt, then shouting followed, Corey’s scream ripping
right through her. She jumped up and rushed for the door, bursting outside
without any thought for her own safety, her mind still muddled, her body doing
all the work. Before her was a scene that froze her all over again. Sledge was
lying on the ground with Ant dragging a screaming Corey away, his gun held to
her brother’s head.

“Back
off or I’ll shoot him!” Ant yelled at Nike.

Keeping
his gun raised, Nike stopped to check Sledge’s pulse.

Ant
yelled at Corey: “Stop struggling!”

Corey
continued to fight him as he screamed out Sledge’s name. Ant secured his arm
more firmly around Corey’s waist and lifted him off the ground, Beth’s brother
so small in comparison to the muscular man. Ant resumed walking backwards, the
fence several metres away looking like his escape route.

Nike
stepped over Sledge, following Ant like he was stalking prey, the man barely
blinking. Corey hit out with an elbow, making Ant drop him. Ant lunged for
Corey as Nike fired off a shot, missing him.

Ant
grabbed Corey by the neck and pointed the gun at his head, shouting at Nike:
“Back off or I’ll shoot him.”

“Then
shoot!” Nike yelled.

“No!”
Beth screamed.

Nike
glanced her way, Ant’s gun firing in that moment of distraction. Nike yelled
out, his left arm flinging back, but instead of dropping to the ground he refocused
on Ant and fired off a shot. Beth screamed at him to stop. This time he ignored
her, his face a concentration of pain and determination as he darted behind a
tree. Blood was coming from his arm, but he still held up the gun, his eyes
trained on Ant as the man carried a screaming Corey through the gate, the two
disappearing from sight.

“Help
Sledge!” Nike yelled at Beth, then took off, sprinting after them.

Beth
ran over to Sledge, and dropped to her knees. She held up her hands, not
knowing what to do. Sledge was bleeding from his head, his breathing barely
noticeable. With a shaky hand, she felt his pulse, exhaling in relief when she
found one. He started coughing, like he was choking, his body jerking in
response.

Saul
ran over and dropped to the ground next to them. He lifted Sledge’s head onto
his lap and placed a hand to the bullet entry. “Get my phone out of my pocket
and press redial for Matty,” he said, angling his hip for her so she could get
it.

She
slipped the phone out and hit redial.

“Tell
him another man down,” Saul said. “Head shot, needs ambo asap, perp gone out
back way.”

When
the phone answered, she reeled off the info, watching as two cops rounded the
corner of the house. They ran past the pool, one of them yelling into his
radio: “All clear for ambo!”

Two
pairs of ambulance officers emerged from around the side of the mansion
carrying stretchers.

“Man
down in the grey building, head injury,” Saul yelled. “Perp left through rear
gate with a hostage. The chauffeur’s in pursuit of them. He’s on our side.”

Two
ambulance officers headed for the gun range, following behind one of the
policemen, while the other two headed for Saul, their cop sprinting for the
gate.

The
man and woman placed the stretcher on the ground, then carefully transferred
Sledge onto it, Saul keeping pressure on the bullet wound. They lifted the
stretcher and headed across the property, both Beth and Saul following them.
She stopped a few metres away from the pool, and looked back at the gate, not
wanting to leave without Corey. She took off for it, ignoring Saul’s yell of
“No, Beth!” her mind too focused on getting her little brother back.

She
bolted through the gate, stopping on the footpath to get her bearings. There
was no sign of Corey, Ant or Nike, just the policeman telling people to go back
inside their houses, many curious gazes also peering through windows.

Beth
screamed out: “Corey!”

The
cop ran over to her. “Miss, go back inside and get some clothes on.”

Barely
registering her nudity, she screamed out her brother’s name one more time, then
yanked her arm free from the cop. Feeling helpless, she collapsed to her knees.
Saul exited the gate and went to her, putting his arms around Beth to lift her
up.

She
jerked free. “Don’t touch me!”

He
stepped back, his eyes flicking to the blue-uniformed cop as though he expected
her to scream at him more, to yell out what he’d done to her.

“Get
my brother!” she yelled instead.

He
nodded at her, then turned to the uniformed cop. “Which way?”

“I
don’t know,” the man said.

A
gunshot fired in the distance, answering the question. Saul took off, sprinting
down the road, leaving Beth staring after him.

The
uniformed cop took a hold of her arms, forcefully lifting her to her feet. Screaming
at him, she jerked free, then ran for the gate, her mind returning to Dante.
More gun shots went off in the distance, her brother’s life now in someone
else’s hands.