Chapter 11:

I sat inside the small room the two men locked me in. At first I was scared because they took my phone away and told Louis I was going to bleed out but after a while I got used to the idea of darkness and being alone. It's not like I would be in here forever, it was either I was going to die or Louis would come to rescue me, or, the slim chance of me surviving, I could always shoot my way out. There are perks to wearing UGG's, one of them being I can easily hide a weapon in them. I reached down into the fluffy black fur of the UGG boot and pulled out a pistol that I carried inside. I checked the ammo and flipped the clip back into the gun. I stood up slowly in the dark closet room and moved my hands toward the wall to see how much room I actually had to move around. The room was a square that was about five feet by five feet. The door in front of me led out into the room where the computer was located that I, in fact, broke. I peeked outside the panels and saw the two men hustling to fix the computer that could never be fixed. I put a bullet into the monitor, the monitor broke, the only thing they can do now is get a new monitor for the computer but they were too stupid to understand simple logic like that. I cocked the gun back and stared out the panels once more. This was my chance to escape… I had to take it, I had to get out of here. I have been looking like the weak link for too long. I had to prove myself to Tyler, I had to show him that I could shoot someone, that I could kill someone without feeling remorse or guilt. I kicked open the door and raised the gun to eye level of the two men. They turned fast, pulling their guns. They underestimated my power, my will, my ability to shoot them.

I pulled the trigger twice, aiming at both of their heads. The two bullets drove into both of their skulls faster than I could blink. The second they dropped I dropped the gun and backed away from the two bodies. I had just killed two men without even thinking anything of it. I just killed two men who possibly had families waiting for them, unlike me. I ran off down the corridor of the barn and opened the two large doors to the snowy outdoors. I ran over to the Brio and tried to open the doors but they locked. Under my breath I cursed and backed away from the car and stared into the window where my jacket laid. Again I cursed and turned toward the road. It went down a large steep hill and dropped off into a valley where the road continued in a path of twists and turns. I walked to the hill and stared down it, there was no way I would be able to walk down the road without falling and killing myself in the process. I went over to the side of the road and started to walk through the snow. I stepped carefully, making sure I would not slip and fall. When I was halfway down the hill I began to feel woozy from the cold. Unlike down in the city two hundred miles away from here, the temperatures up here were brutal to the point of a person dying if they didn't get indoors. I ignored the cold air that passed through my whole body and continued to walk down the steep hill. In the distance I saw two pair of headlights but I couldn't tell what kind of car they were until they began to get closer. When I realized it was Louis and Davis I started screaming for them as I flailed my arms in the air. The headlights got closer and the two cars slammed on their brakes in front of me, their backs fishtailing to the side. Louis stepped from the car and ran to me, picking me up in a giant hug. Davis was right behind Louis, mimicking his moves.

"Where the hell were you Ray, you had us worried." Davis said. I shook my head and held onto both of them. Louis picked me up and held me in his arms before he set me in the passenger seat in his car. Davis got back into his car and drove off down the icy road. Louis followed him close behind, both of their bright lights on as they maneuvered. Louis pulled a blanket from the back seat and handed it to me. When I grabbed it I pulled it around myself and wrapped myself in the soft fabric like a burrito.

"Ray tell me what happened." Louis kept his eyes on the road but his mind was somewhere else, I could tell. There was hesitation in his voice as he spoke, as if he didn't want to know what happened. I looked away and sighed. I would have to tell him anyway, and right now would be the prime time to tell him because he wouldn't be able to hit me for being so stupid.

"Tyler told me to leave on that do it or die mission so I left yesterday morning at like three. I got there and two men had a little fort going where they had profiles going on all of us, including the other two gangs. I looked on the computer they had up and found all of us, as well as other things that confused me. They came back and caught me, locked me up and took my…" I paused, my wounds. I uncurled myself from the blanket and took my shirt off to show a black camisole underneath. My hands went into slow motion as I put them over the two gunshot wounds right under my rib cage. I lifted the camisole and saw a large bandage that was wrapped around my lower torso. I put my hands on the bandage and my camisole dropped over my fingers. My mind went three different directions, why would they try to help me? I shook my head and put my shirt back on, ignoring the bandage from that moment forward.

"I got the chance to use my back up gun and shot my way out. Both of them are dead." I lowered my head and looked at my hands that lay in my lap. Louis looked over at me for a brief moment before returning his large green eyes to the road.

"You shot your way out of that barn? Were there any other people there? I mean, besides you and the men?"

I shook my head and wrapped the blanket back around me. When Louis saw that I was still extremely cold he cranked up the heat to max and smiled over at me. I thanked him with a nod and stared out the window.

"What did it feel like to shoot someone? Or in your case, two people?" He asked, not changing the subject.

"I don't know, it was kind of horrible. As soon as they dropped I felt this weight fall onto me like a piano fell from the sky and hit me in the shoulders. But after they landed that weight went away and everything went back to normal. Though I also feel horrible about what I did, I mean… I killed two people. Those men might have had families Louis, I killed two men who could have had wives and children." I looked down, a tear forming in my eye. Louis shook his head and pulled my face to meet his. He had slowed down the car to a stop on the side of the road.

"You cannot think of it that way. You must think of what you did as a good thing. You saved your own life by taking theirs. You don't know what their personal lives could have been like. For all you know, they could be murders who everyone hates and have no family. Ray you must look at this as a good thing, you could have died and I would have never been able to see you again." When he said that I thought about the body in the closet when I was hiding, I still wonder if that was someone they had killed or an old skeleton in the closet. More tears built up in my eyes as I stared at Louis. His face went to grief as he put his arms around my shoulders and hugged me.

"This feeling will go away Ray, I promise. When we get back you can talk to Tyler about this little adventure."

"I don't want to talk to him." I said through the tears. Louis nodded and started driving again.

"Go to sleep Ray, I'll wake you when we get back." I nodded and put my head back on the headrest and stared out the window. The moving trees and scarce houses made me drift off to sleep.

I felt myself get shaken awake. The hands were gentle like a little girls hands. My eyes opened and I saw Louis smiling at me.

"I told you I'd wake you up when we get back." He whispered. I smiled back and stood, holding my lower torso. Louis took my hand and helped me up. I smiled and walked inside away from him. I opened the door and saw everyone in the large living room, all twenty of them. There were others in the gang besides Tyler, Katrina, Louis, Davis and I, they just never showed themselves and when they did they just snooped around. I saw Tyler as he turned his head toward me. A smile crossed across his face and he walked over to me through the crowd. His hands landed on my shoulders as he smiled at me. This smile was not like it used to be, it was more controlled now, like he was under some kind of control other than his own. I worried about his own self being.

"Congratulations Ray, you passed my fist test." Tyler pulled me into a hug but I backed away quickly.

"Test? That was a test? I could have gotten killed Tyler!" I pushed him away and crossed my arms. Tyler shook his head and tried to get closer but I frowned. "Don't come any closer Tyler."

"You don't understand Rachel. This was a test because I was worried about your use in this gang. You cannot even pick up a gun and shoot someone who tried to kill you, let alone hurt them. You are weak Rachel and I wanted to make sure that if you were put in danger you could defend yourself." Tyler tried to reason with me but all that was coming from his mouth was excuses and lies.

"Not everyone can be heartless like you. I'll admit it, I wish I would have never killed those men because I don't know what their personal lives were like. You put me in a situation I might have been able to come out of. What if I did die? What would you do, tell Louis and Davis to suck up their grief and find a new friend? You truly are heartless Tyler."

"It wasn't my choice to bring you here Rachel, If I could have, I would hav e never brought you because personally, I don't want you here anymore." Tyler crossed his arms. I laughed to myself and shook my head.

"See Tyler, it was your choice to bring me here. You could have let me live my life but you didn't. You had to come to me and literally force me into a life I was not ready to live in. And for that Tyler, I will forever hate you." I turned and walked away back outside where Louis and Davis stood by their cars talking about new rims. I listened to them talk for a while before the realized I was standing there. Davis turned first, but when he saw the straight line of a mouth he sighed.

"How did it go?"

"Absolutely wonderful, Tyler hates me, he wants me gone, all because I stood up against him." I shook my head and stared at the black ground under me. Louis sighed and turned toward Davis who shook his head back at Louis. I lifted my own head and turned back toward the door where Katrina stood.

"You came back?"

"Yeah, I did come back, though I know for a fact you wouldn't."

"You don't know that," She responded putting her hands on her hips. I laughed a little and turned toward her.

"Really, then bring me that dog from Jose's warehouse. If you bring him here maybe I'll believe you about that whole survival thing."

"Fine, I will!" With that Katrina grabbed a pair of keys and ran off toward the garage where the cars were. A minute later she had the Volkswagon Beetle driving on the main road. I laughed to myself and looked over at the two guys.

"Are you sure that was the best idea?" Louis asked. I nodded and stared off at the road where dozens of cars passed aimlessly.

"Yeah, if she comes back I'll have a new dog. If she doesn't come back, well, I'll know someone else can deal with her." I looked back toward Davis then at the road again.

"Tyler isn't going to be happy…"

"What won't I be happy about?" Tyler walked out with his black trench coat on.

"Katrina went off on her own little scavenger hunt." I said, turning my whole body toward him. Tyler blinked and walked up to me until he was less than five feet from touching me. I could tell there was anger in his eyes, puffs of smoke came from his ears. I could tell he knew I put her up to it and he knew I didn't regret a thing. I stared at him, not blinking, but waiting for him to do something. His eyes watched mine, our eye sight now leaving each other's line of sight. Then he blew ten gaskets. His hand went around my neck and he squeezed. I coughed and grabbed a hold of his hand and tried to pull. The air that was supposed to go through my throat was caught and I couldn't breathe. Louis moved toward Tyler but stopped when two other guys came outside with their arms crossed.

"Tyler let her go." Davis shouted, moving next to Louis.

"Why should I let her go? She sent Katrina on a death mission." His gaze went back to mine. I was able to get words in, even though they were surrounded by coughs.

"You… sent… me on… a death... mission…" I was able to get out. Tyler growled at me and squeezed my neck harder.

"You're too bias Tyler, you need to stop." Louis tried to ease the stress but failed.

"I'm not bias, I am doing the best for this gang when I say you need to leave Rachel." Tyler threw me down on the ground and let go of my neck. I breathed hard and sat up while holding my neck. Louis knelt down and helped me up while Davis figured out his battle plan.

"Go, I'll meet up with you somewhere. Go to a hotel or something and I'll call you in the morning." Louis whispered into my ear. I stood up and stared at Tyler before turning around and pushing through Davis and Louis. I grabbed a pair of keys from the basket and went to the garage. I clicked the unlock button and an Audi R8's lights lit up. I climbed into the driver's side and shut the door. I turned the car on and drove out of the garage and onto the main road. I sped up quickly and went through red lights until I was out of Los Angeles. I looked at my phone on the passenger side, the screen was lit up, Davis was calling. I pressed the deny button and slammed my foot on the accelerator when I was out on a country road. Tyler wanted me gone, most of the people inside the gang wanted me gone. If they wanted me to disappear, I would become a ghost.