" What!" The exclamation rang through the phone's loud speaker. The reaction was very strong and expected. From the other end of the line, they could hear the screech of a chair being pushed back , then followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. " How could you let her run off like that and lose her! She's not feeling well and with all of that strong emotions, she could have fainted.....but she could still outrun all three of you there!"
" I'm sorry Mom, she caught Michael off guard. And I wasn't paying attention then." Philip apologized in guilt and frustration as he rushed and searched through nearby possible places Stella could have gone to ." We were chasing her when a bus blocked us. Then she was gone ."
" Goodness! Send me the location, I'll be there." Millicent Baron's anxious and slightly irritated voice was accompanied by the clicking of heels on a smooth and hard surface. Then the line went dead.
" She's coming?" Chris's voice sounded behind him.
" Yeah." Philip replied while looking behind him at Chris for a brief moment, then stoped beside a noodle fast food joint by the street. They were completely in another neighborhood then. Pulling out his cellphone, he began sending his mother their location.
" Don't you think it will get dangerous when too many people get involved in this?" Chris questioned worriedly as his eyes darted around.
" Trust me, " Philip replied as he put his phone's screen off and pushed it back into his pant's side pocket. " even if we consciously try to keep people out, it won't happen."
Chris sighed while rubbing his face firmly from the button up and whispered;
" Damn, how can we lose a sick girl like this? This is a first." He chuckled half-heartedly.
" There'll be a lot with Stella now in the picture. Get used to." Philip informed calmly, looking around constantly.
" So....what are we waiting for?" Chris asked with an audible sigh as he glanced through the fast food joint which had a couple of people sitting around engrossed in their meals. " Aunt?"
" Maybe. But if we an old couple in matching green outfits come from there..." Philip replied and pointed to in the opposite direction. " we go that way by the sweets shop. If a line up of four black Rovers with a dark-green Hammer car leading appear, we immediately go back in the direction we came from.
" How sure are you?" Chris asked with slight skepticism in his voice and eyes as he looked closely and curiously at him.
" As sure as my messy dream fr last night." Philip replied calmly as his eyes looked in all directions.
Chris broke into an amused short laugh, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight. " For real? Okay, let's see how accurate it can get."
" Mmmhhh...." Philip merely replied, not looking at him.
A long moment of silence passed between the two whilst things went on normally as usual in the poor neighborhood around them. As impatient as Chris was, he was immediately put off and was just about to voice his doubts when his searching eyes spotted a procession of a dark green Hammer car leading four shinny Black Rovers towards them - catching a lot of attention in the the poor neighborhood and leaving Chris' eyes wide and mouth agap in shock.
" What the actual heck...." The words left Chris' mouth in a whisper, unconsciously.
" Come on, let's go!" Philip's urgent voice snapped Chris out of his shock and he turned quickly to see Philip looking serous and tensed. Then he remembered Philip's words to him.
" Oh....yeah." He said quickly and began following Philip who was walking very quickly back the way they came, while typing on his phone with a deep frown on his face. Afterwards, he made a phone call - waiting barely patiently for the call to connect. All the while his steps not faltering and slowing down. When the call connected, he spoke quickly;
" Michael.....hurry. Let's meet at the woods." Then the call was over. Not looking at Chris he instructed with a calm seriousness; "Run."
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Anxious with his heart beating so fast as though it may burst up and out of his mouth any moment, Michael half walked and ran through the neighborhood, ignoring the curious stares and glances he was receiving as he rushed towards his just given destination from Philip. A while earlier, Raymond had text him Leo and Leona's location and it seemed to be around the location Philip had given him. Which just shows they were quiet close to finding Stella.
His anxiety and guilt were already eating up his insides from losing Stella while she wasn't feeling well. Now with Philip's urgent brief instructions, he felt certain of the increasing unsettling feeling he was having of Stella being in danger.
Having had enough experience with Philip in similar situations, he knew better than to take his instructions lightly even if Stella was in great health condition.
Pushing and forcing his way through people and cars, he finally sighted the woods close by and a familiar red car. He realized Richmond and Raymond had arrived with Brian Lewis. Looking away, he continued to his destination while looking around fervently. Then a younger and familiar pair of male and female voices reached him from the street across from him near the light growth of woods;
" Let's all go, they're coming!" The female's voice full of panic and urgency said.
" No," The familiar male's voice objected tensely in determination. " Leona, you two must send away right now before they catch up again. I don't think we will be so lucky again."
" Leo.....Leona?" Michael muttered in relief and recognition, then quickened his steps to the now silent voices. As he crossed the narrow almost empty street, Leo's urgent and panicking voice came again.
" They're here.....go! I'll keep them off for za while..... don't know how long ...but get her to safety. I'll find you all."
" Okay.....be careful. W-we'll get help." Leona's almost teary voice said, then hurried footsteps sounded away through the narrow street that ran from there to the outside of it, and back to the bustling neighborhood.
Michael was just a millisecond away from shouting out to them to stop their figures when a loud manancing voice accompanied by various heavy footsteps approaching their direction shouted;
" They're there! Catch them ? Don't let them get away again!"
" Yess boss!" A chorus of deep masculine voices echoed in reply . Accompanied by intense pursuit.
" Should we get them all .... boss? A brown shirted tall and slightly heavy man with a red band around his head stopped beside the man who gave the order and was referred to as boss and asked.
" You fool! Yes! Especially the girl on Anabel's back! She's even more valuable now than Anabel! Get me the two of them at any cost or lose your useless shitty heads!"
" Okay....boss!" The latter responded loudly and rushed after the others.
" Michael...." Raymond's voice sounded closer as he rushed over to his side - not understanding why he was still and unmoving.
However, Michael turned abruptly and signaled him to keep quiet. His intense gaze moving to Brian Lewis and Richmond who were just a few feet away, looking around confusedly.
" They're all here. But are in danger." He whispered and pointed to the direction Leona and the girl ; Anabel, with whom he strongly felt was Stella on her back had disappeared to. " They went that way. But I think Leo's there. I'll take the goons down from here. You all should follow....." He wasn't done speaking when a familiar loud whistle filled the calm environment.
" Philip!" Richmond voiced out and they all began darting in the direction. Completely ignoring the plan Michael was formulating.
Upon entering the woods, they first spotted Leo involved in an intense wood - to knife battle with two knife-armed goons who seemed kind of slightly restrained in using their knives. While his strength and basic skills were impressive, he wasn't doing too good and seemed to be at a disadvantage with the two. He was bit beaten up.
" Leo...." Brian Lewis cried in alarm and rushed forward, but Michael and Richmond stopped in his tracks.
" Wait Uncle!" Richmond spoke up. " We've got this. You and Ray should continue."
" Okay. Take care." Brian Lewis replied with a double firm nod. Then with a quick and slightly reluctant look at Leo, he began running with Raymond further into the woods where they could hear groaning and pained voices as well as intense fighting sounds.
Upon arriving, the urgency and panick they had arrived with reduced a bit as they saw the three girls seemed fine but we're faced by five of the goons holding guns to their heads eventhough the five of them looked quiet beaten up and a bit shaky. The remaining goons - about six were lying unconscious or just still on the ground with their exposed faces looking bruised pretty badly with some blood on their faces that were starting to gain additional colours.
" You come closer, and we will kill them all!" A shorter one amongst them in faded black jeans and a light brown and red checkered shirt with trails of blood in it yelled. Although his voice sounded confident, his darting eyes betrayed his fear as he spoke.
" We have no problem with you. We just want the two girls." Another said with a little more confidence than the other and pointed at Anabel who had a seemingly unconscious Stella at her back and was looking anxiously around her.
" That's not going to happen." Philip said firmly in a slightly calm voice. His gaze calculative as it swept around in all direction. His eyes noticed Michael, Richmond and Leo come towards them from a distance behind the goons with careful calculated steps. From a distance away, the sound of the sound of the Police sirens could be heard blaring and by the roadside, Millicent Baron's car came to a forceful stop at the same time a slightly old Toyota stopped a few feet behind hers.
As both cars' doors opened almost the same time , Millicent Baron's anxious face showed up along with three professional looking stern - faced men in black suits that Philip recognized and sighed a bit helplessly , seeing as she brought all her personal guards. Or, all her three guards insisted on following her.
Behind them, a familiar masked family of three, consisting of a young man and two little girls stepped out of the semi-old Toyota car and looked towards the woods hesitantly. There seemed to be an argument between them before the kids were sent back to the car.
" The Police are here, and you're at a disadvantage." Leona pointed out with a steady voice which surprised and awed the onlookers at her bravery. She seemed to be getting irritated instead of frightened. A frown appearing on her previously frightened face." You're just wasting time...."
" Keep quiet!" A going snapped at her with a glare which should have scared her scared, but it rather did the opposite.
" No....you keep quiet!" Leona snaked and pointed at Stella. " My sister is getting worse because your nonsense! I may be young now, but trust me. Even if it takes twenty years , I'll get back at every single one of you delaying us today even if you end up in jail!"
" Little girl....keep out of this!" Another growled and pointed his gun directly at her.
" Leona!!" Brian Lewis and Raymond called out on alarm. But Leona didn't even look their way.
" Some people just grow while their brains remain in its infant stage." She continued, her voice dripping with irritating and sarcasm with her fierce eyes fixed on them.
" Even your leader ran away after realizing things were not going to work out."
" Keep quiet.... he's still around." A goon on the slightly chubby side with less firmness and confidence. His eyes betraying the extent of which his faith had fallen.
" Seeing that, Leona smirked and looked at Anabel who gave her a small amused smile. Looking back at the chubby goon and folding her arms, she chuckled;
" He gets to go freely and spend the first badge of the payments you all were given while you all end up spending years behind bars. Away from your families and your freedom. You can tell me to shut up but think about the thirty to forty years you would be spending in jail or your death if you try to retaliate bright now."
" Stella?..…Philip..," Millicent Baron who had just at the scene called out anxiously upon seeing the guns pointed at the girls.
" Stop right there! Two of the goons shouted and pointed their guns at her upon seeing the intimidating men following her with their guns pulled out. The chubby goon and the two others with their guns still pointed at the girls shifted their focus to the new-comers and pointed their guns at them.
Behind them, Michael, Richmond and Leona took advantage of their distraction and lurched their attacks . Successfully knocking off their guns from their hands before the goons could retaliate. Then Leo, having only felt with one goon while the rest took on two at a time, turned to his sister and Anabel who was staggering slightly, unable to stand still and firm. Stella was beginning to stir behind her.
" Leo!" Leona called happily. Moving forward , she hugged her brother tightly with a broad smile. Leo returned the gesture quickly with a grin before his gaze settled on the half- masked young man coming straight towards them and his eyes lit up in recognition.
However, before he could speak up, he saw two of the first beaten goons lying on the ground raise their guns; one in their direction and the other in Millicent Baron's direction. A pure look of horror showed o his face and he let out loud cry while pushing Leona a distance away;
" Stella!....Anabel!"
The cry resonated with a couple of shouts from Millicent Baron's guards who had caught on the exact moment Leo had and the masked man who chose to focus on gin, could see it pointed directly and specifically at Stella. As Millicent Baron's guards instinctively shielded her and fired at the goons aiming at her and Stella, the half-masked man lurched forward just as the gun of the goon with his gun pointed at Stella went off and a couple of shots fired out - straight forward in the intended direction.
Eyes wide in horror, Michael lurched forward in the moment and towards Anabel and Stella and crashed with the the masked man a hand's length to their targets. Causing them to push the girls successfully . But with the double effort, the effect was just as such - doubled!
The two girls let out a startled cry as they began falling and the loud gun shots filled the air. Millicent Baron let out a horrified scream and made to dash towards the girls but was held back by her guards.
Embracing themselves for the hard and painful impact with the ground, Anabel and Stella held eachother tightly and closely , but the expected result never arrived. They did fall
But felt warmth and softness beneath them, then a very low groan.
There would have been a moment of silence afterwards had it not been for the Police arriving then.
" Stay still! It's the Police!" Several voices shouted into the tense air.
At that, the remaining goons and Millicent Baron's guards raised their hands up in surrender. A calm air seemed to wash over everyone at the moment but then a louder groan and a whimper from the now tangled three on the ground redirected everyone's focus to the source.
" Stella!"
" Anabel... Stella!"
" Raymond.... Stella!"
The cries came at the once. It was then that almost everyone rushed forward and Michael and the masked man separated and began rising up. Looking quickly into Stella's direction, Michael breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her being raised up by Philip into his arms with her eyes fluttering open and close, her face very pale as she tried to focus on Anabel whom Leo and Leona and Leona were helping up and asking anxiously if she was okay.
" Ray....Ray!" Richmond was calling anxiously when he noticed the oozing wound on Raymond's right arm and yelled.
" I think a bullet got him." Chris observed aloud in panick and turned to look at Philip.
" It's a graze. He'll be fine if you treat the wound quickly. And hurry up and leave. Ridge is coming and Reef is around." A familiar young voice came from the young man's direction and all heads turned to him in curiosity and surprise.