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"You pretty much know the rest," I say. "The cops found me, took me to the hospital, questioned me, and then let me go."

Karl claps a hand against his knee as he smiles at me. It is a sickening smile.

"Congratulations, Wesson. You still have discovered nothing."

I scoff.

"I found out that Domingo wants to run the country," I say. "That sounds like a pretty big something."

Karl nods.

"That may be, but you still have no idea why, do you?" He takes a long drag of his cigarette as if letting me mull his words over in my head.

"I don't think that matters. It's still against the law. Besides, killing me won't do you any good."

"Why do you say that?"

"The police already questioned me, remember?"

Karl looks at me with disdain as he takes a drag from his cigarette; blowing the smoke in my face.

"I know you too well to believe that," he says. His gun has never wavered; still pointed at my chest. "I doubt you told the cops anything, Wesson. You want this victory; every victory to be your own. You would never share information if you thought it ensured that you would get all of the credit."

I grit my teeth as he smiles at me. He has me dead to rights.

"Now," he continues. "I believe I promised you a show."

"Wait." I have to stall him as much as I can. "Don't you want to ask me anything first?"

"No." Karl says simply. "I want to see you truly suffer before I kill you. The only way to do that, Wesson, is through those you care for."

Karl stands, his gun still focused on me to make sure I don't move. He shouts something in German that I didn't understand. A human dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans comes out of the back of the gas station, wheeling a chair across the floor. Rocky is tied to the chair. His eyes widen in horror when he sees me sitting there. I look down apologetically. Karl nods to the thug and the human steps back. Karl wheels Rocky in front of me and smiles at us both.

"I wonder just how much you care about this one," he smirks. "I bet you'll let him feel a lot of pain before you beg me to take you instead."

"Fuck you, Karl!" I growl.

"I wonder if you will be so demanding in a few moments."

Karl removes another pistol from his waist. This one has several visible modifications all of which look very unpleasant. He fires the pistol towards the left wall five times; the tip of the gun glows red with heat. It must have been firing phosphorus rounds. Realization suddenly kicks in and I start to sweat.

"Please, Karl," I plead. "Don't hurt him! He hasn't done anything!"

"Already begging, Wesson?" Karl clicks his teeth condescendingly. "Maybe you are more like a dog than you think."

He brings the red hot barrel of the gun towards Rocky, who shies away from it; whimpering. Karl points the barrel at Rocky's cheek first, but then moves it down until it is aiming at his upper arm.

"The cloth will burn as well," He says. "It will stick to your blistering flesh making it impossible to remove easily. The more times I shoot; the hotter it will get."

I see something move out of the corner or my eye and I glance in that direction. The human thug that had wheeled Rocky in was picking up a metal pipe from the ground. He noticed me looking at him and he held his finger over his mouth; winking.

"Hey, Karl!" I say.

He turns towards me; annoyed.

"What do you want, Wesson? Slowing this process down won't make it end faster."

"There's something you should know about me," I tell him as the thug lifts the pipe over his head behind the German hit man.

"I couldn't care less," Karl responds; turning back to Rocky.

"I have friends in low places."

The thug slams the metal into the back of Karl's head and the hit man lets out a pitiful, but surprised whimper as he crumples to the ground. Rocky leans back as far as he can in the chair to avoid the red hot gun barrel as the weapon sails from Karl's hand. I stand up quickly and reach under my coat for my own weapon. I have no idea who the thug is or why he decided to help me. He holds up his hands and looks as if he is about to say something, but he doubles over in pain instead.

"Who are you? Who sent you to help us?" I ask, but the thug is in too much pain to answer.

A guttural sound leaves his throat; almost like a howl. Rocky and I look on in disbelief as gray fur begins to sprout all over the human's body. Two pointed ears protrude from his skull and a long tail emerges at the base of his spine. He twitches as he transforms, claws replacing fingernails, fangs replacing teeth. His nose and mouth grow; merging as they form a canine snout. He pants from the exertion and the discomfort as the transformation ends. The clothes that seemed baggy on the human fit him perfectly as he shakily stands and I finally recognize him.

"Good Christ, Wolf. What the hell was that?" I ask.

"Sorry for not warning you guys," Wolf says. "I had to use a prototype inoculation. Kurbin gave some to my dad. This was the last of it. It only works for about an hour, but it makes you look completely human."

He moves over to Rocky and begins untying him from the chair. I holster my pistol once more.

"Well I'm glad you showed up when you did."

"Me too!" Rocky says as he hugs The Wolf tightly.

The Wolf returns the hug and looks up at me. There is a look of disgust on his face.

"Wesson, my father is nuts."

"Yeah I kind of figured that out. He's on a major power trip. Do you know why he's acting like this?"

The Wolf shakes his head.

"I don't, but you need to stop him, Nate."

"I was planning on it."

"You're not going to kill him are you?"

I stop in the process of lighting a cigarette I have taken from my pocket and stare at him.

"That was the idea. Will you hate me for killing your own father?" I ask.

"Not at all," he says, looking towards Rocky who smiles. There is a tinge of sadness in his voice, though. "My father will never let me be who I want to be."

"And what happens after he's dead and one of your dutiful brothers attempts to carry on the legacy? What happens when they discover that you had a hand in your old man's death by freeing me here tonight?"

"Rocky and I will leave town if we have to," he says. "Maybe we'll head out to California."

I nod and light my cig.

"Well I just want you to be aware of what killing your father means for this city. I might be starting a war here."

"This city can burn in hell for all I care," Rocky says.

I sigh.

"I'll take care of Anthony Domingo," I say; taking a drag. "You two don't have to worry about that, but I'm trying to get you to see what kinds of consequences there will be from this. The balance of power in the mob will be annihilated. Brothers will kill brothers in an attempt to rise to the top of the heap until there is only one left standing. Whether you want a piece of your father's empire or not, Wolf, your brothers will be coming for you."

"Then I'll fight them off," he says. "I won't let any of them near me or Rocky until I'm the only one left in my family if that's what it takes."

"It just might take that kind of conviction, Wolf."

There is silence in the room for a moment. The Wolf looks down at the ground. I can tell he's lost in thought. Karl suddenly stirs, but I kick him in the head quickly to stop him.

"Nate," the Wolf says. "Have you seen Ace and Garth? They vanished from my club after I got back from visiting my father."

I sigh again.

"I had to kill them."

Rocky looks at me in horror.

"They were trying to kill me. It was self defense, I swear," I say as I take another drag. "I didn't want to do it, believe me."

The Wolf hangs his head.

"They were loyal guys; just loyal to the wrong person. You were right about them, then," he says.

"Are you going to kill him?" Rocky asks, pointing to Karl on the floor.

"No," I reply. "He doesn't need to die. Once Domingo is dead, he will be forced to follow the new leader..."

My voice trails off as I suddenly notice Karl's still smoldering cigarette butt on the floor, feet from his head. My ears twitch as I pick up the faint sound of hissing coming from behind me.

"We need to leave. Right now!"

All three of us ran for the exit at once. The hissing seems to pound in my ears as if it is the only thing I can hear. The door flies open as The Wolf and Rocky charge out into the snowy and bitter cold night. I follow suit just in time as the gas fumes ignite; setting the station ablaze. We cross the street and watch it burn.

"I guess someone didn't want him alive," The Wolf says as he looks up into the pitch black heavens.

I don't believe in fate, but that burning gas station was pretty close for a coincidence. I shrug my shoulders as the wind kicks up around us and I tug my coat closed. Rocky shivers. The Wolf removes his jacket and wraps the ferret inside to keep him warmer at least.

"Wolf," I say. "I need some weapons if I'm going to assault your father's domicile."

The wolf grins.

"I know just the guy. Follow me; I have a car parked near here."

We start walking through the flurries of white; the lights of meridian making each snowflake sparkle with reflected color. The city is deadly quiet in this district. Karl had taken me to the edge of the poor district and Grover and it was plainly obvious where the poor district began. The buildings are stone and wood instead of metal and glass. Most of them are also run-down to such an extent that they are falling apart. I stick close to Wolf and Rocky. God knows what kinds of creeps Karl brought with him. I breathe a sigh of relief when we arrive at The Wolf's car. It is an old Ford mustang 2200 that looks in fairly good condition. The car has a few dents in the doors, but that is the only visible damage. It was one of the first models of Ford that ran completely on electric power. The wolf climbs in behind the wheel while Rocky and I slip into the passenger seat and the back seat respectively. The interior of the car is very nice looking. The Wolf clearly cares about his car.

"Nate," The Wolf says. "I want to go with you."

"Wolf, no!" Rocky pleads. "I don't want to risk losing you!"

The Wolf smiles.

"I'll be alright, Rock. I know most of the goons in that place so I doubt they'll be as quick to fire at me as they would at Wesson."

I chuckle.

"You've got a point there. Plus it wouldn't hurt to bring someone who knows the layout of the joint."

"I can't believe you two! What if you both die in there?"

"Don't worry, Rock. We'll be fine."

"Right..." I say, not wanting to break The Wolf's confident spirit.

In all likelihood we were going to be going to our deaths in there. From all of the reports I had read, Anthony Domingo was guarded like a precious commodity. He had guards stationed everywhere in his home. Breaking in to kill him would not be easy. I look down at my Readycell as it starts to ring. I don't recognize the number. Reluctantly, I answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Nate," Taylor says over the line. "I was wondering if you could pick me up at my apartment."

"Why?"

"Well I don't like sitting here all alone. I figure it would do me some good to have some company."

"Unfortunately I'm kind of busy at the moment," I say.

"Who is it?" Rocky asks.

I shake my head dismissively.

"You really should concentrate on the things that matter, Frank."

"You mean like winning the election? I can't reach Regina or Harris on their phones at all."

I grimace as I remember what happened to those two.

"Look, maybe you should take that as a sign to start fresh in the fight against Sweeney. Or you could give up on politics altogether and try doing something you really want to do."

Taylor sighs.

"I really just want to be myself."

"So what's wrong with that?" I say. "Give it a shot, go out on the town, have fun. Just get your mind off of what happened at SEL ok?"

"Easier said than done, Nate, but I'll try."

"Good. I'll call you after this case is over for that drink."

"Alright. Hey Nate, why doesn't it affect you?" Taylor muses.

"Why doesn't what affect me?"

"You kill people all of the time," Frank says. It strikes a nerve, but he's right. "How can you not feel any guilt at all?"

I sigh as my mind flits back to the sight of Michelle battered underneath that criminal in her house.

"Frank, I've been trained in the military and as a hit man, but just because I've been trained to not feel anything about the dead doesn't mean I'm completely devoid of emotion. It's a lot of work to take your feelings out of the equation."

Germaine's bloody corpse floats to the fore in my brain and I grimace; fighting back tears.

"You're probably right." He sighs again. "I guess I'll just take your advice."

"Good. I'll see you later, Frank."

"Alright, talk to you later!" He sounds like he's smiling as he hangs up.

Rocky is staring back at me.

"What?" I say.

"Nothing," he replies. "It just sounded like someone really likes you."

I roll my eyes.

"So what if someone does? You do, don't you? We're just friends anyway."

"I bet he wants it to be more than that." Rocky nods sagely.

"Yeah and I bet you're an expert on that."

"Well Rocky is pretty good at reading people," The Wolf offers.

"So what if he wants me?" I ask. "Did both of you forget that I'm not interested?"

Rocky turns back around in his seat; smirking. I roll my eyes again. They can think whatever they want. The Wolf eventually pulls up his car in front of the entrance to the red light district. The district has its usual neon glow and the street is packed with people perusing the various wares. The Wolf leads us into the crowd.

"I thought you only dealt drugs, Wolf," I say as we walk.

"Shows how much the cops know about me, doesn't it?" He replies, grinning.

"You're proud of the fact that you provide criminals with the means to shoot innocent people?"

"I'm proud of the fact that I was given this district based on the premise that I wouldn't be able to do anything with it. Now look at it, though. In just three short years I've transformed this place into a thriving marketplace. My father hates that."

"I bet he does. He wanted to punish you, not give you the means to become successful."

The Wolf sneered.

"Yeah, punish me for trying to be myself. What kind of father does that?"

"The kind of father that isn't proud of who he son is."

The wolf doesn't respond. Instead he continues walking. I can't tell if he is angry at me or not. I don't really care either way. Through the crowded streets we walk with The Wolf leading the way. The buildings soaring high around us create a maze of the district and after several minutes I am completely unsure of where we are. I wonder if that is The Wolf's intention as we continue walking. No cars drive through here, only foot traffic surrounds us. I glance behind me to make sure Rocky is still following, but it appears he knows the way as well. I wonder just how much Rocky knows about The Wolf's operations. We stop suddenly in front of a non-descript building. It looks no different from the other buildings in this district. The Wolf knocks three times on the door and a metal panel at eye level slides open.

"Oh hey, boss. What's up?" Says a gruff voice coming from the hatch.

"I'm here to pick up some merchandise."

"Sure thing, Wolf." The voice pauses. "Who's the gumshoe?"

"He's a friend. He won't do anything to endanger our operation here."

"You sure, boss?"

I lift my broken arm, wincing at the pain.

"Do I look like I want to start a fight?" I ask.

The Wolf cracks a smile.

"Er... no, sir." The metal plate slides shut and I can hear several locks clicking behind the door. Before long, the door opens and a fat walrus is grinning on the other side as he ushers us in. The room is dark and I can't help but think that this would be the perfect time for an ambush. Those thoughts are pushed out of my head, though as the lights begin to flicker on slowly. We are standing in the middle of a small armory. All types of guns line the walls, modified and not. I balk at the sheer amount of firepower that The Wolf has in this small space. It makes sense now, how the district was able to arm themselves so well. Rocky is staring at the store as much as I am. He moves over to the left hand wall where a brace-less chain gun hangs. Boxes of ammunition line the floor against the wall. I pick up a modified version of my pistol and my gun droops in disappointment under my arm. I put down the modified gun and pat my baby reassuringly. Nothing could be a better pistol than the one I already had. I didn't want a gun that might explode in my hand whenever I tried to use it. Moving around the room, I examine each gun that I come to. The Wolf is standing by the entrance; arms folded over his chest. He is grinning like a kid who just read a whole page to his parents. It is a grin of pride.

"See anything you like?" The walrus asks.

"Don't rush him, Ken," The Wolf chides. "He's a professional."

"Oh really? Well maybe he'd like to take a look at our special stock."

"I don't need anything fancy," I say. "Something that gets the job done without too much hassle is perfect. I hate bells and whistles."

Ken seems to frown.

"That's a shame. We just got a new model of pistol in. It's sort of a novelty item, though. It plays music whenever you use it."

I could tell he was being sarcastic, but I grimace anyway.

"That's a bit tacky, don't you think? I'm trying to kill someone here, not make them laugh."

Rocky laughs, shaking his head. I pick up a shotgun.

"What are the odds that I could use this one handed without dislocating my shoulder?" I ask.

"Well reloading it would be difficult, but that isn't the combat model, so the kick isn't too bad." Ken advises.

I nod and pick up a box of shells. The Wolf takes two uzis and several boxes of ammo.

"Ready?" I ask.

"For now," he says. "Ken, put these on my tab."

"You're the boss, you can have them. I get more every day." The walrus grins.

I stare at him while he is distracted, trying to embed his face in my memory. I wasn't going to let this operation continue if I survived Domingo's mansion. I didn't care if Rocky and The Wolf were in love. I had a feeling that The Wolf would try to snatch up as much of his father's business as he could when good old dad was dead. I guess you could call me cautious. We left the building with our new weapons and made our way back to The Wolf's car. The walk back took less time. I figured The Wolf had taken a roundabout way in order to get me lost on purpose. I committed the shorter route to memory as well. Once back in the car, I began loading my new shotgun. The Wolf turns to look at me as he speaks.

"Where can Rocky stay that will keep him safe?" he asks.

"The Grover district police station," I answer. "It's the station that I work out of. Chief Burke is a decent guy and none of Domingo's goons would dare try to break in there."

The Wolf frowned.

"I don't exactly feel comfortable driving to a police station."

"Well we can either drive there or have Rocky take the transport system where he could get ambushed by your father's men. They know he's someone I care about. He's just as much of a target as I am."

The Wolf nodded, still frowning as he started the car and drove towards Grover Street. It was a low blow using The Wolf's emotions to get my way, but the Station was one place where only I could reach Rocky. If The Wolf decided to change sides on me, I would still have that ace at least. We drove in silence. My mind wandered back to Michelle's condition. I wondered if she was alright. I wondered if she was awake. Maybe she was thinking of me. I told myself to stop being so self centered. She was probably thinking about Robert's death. I have to see her before I run off to possibly die. At least she can know I was the one who brought her to the hospital. I am relieved to see lights still on in the Police Station when we pull up. Rocky opens the door and then turns back to look at us.

"Neither of you are coming in with me?"

"I can't, babe," The Wolf says. "I don't want to risk getting brought in for questioning."

"Likewise," I tell them. "Burke no doubt wants to talk to me as well and I don't exactly have much time to chat."

The Wolf leans in and kisses Rocky on the lips. I look up at the building; my wet nose smearing the glass of the window. I scratch the back of my furry neck as they say goodbye. It is a very awkward silence. They finally break the kiss and Rocky turns to me.

"Bye Nate. Please come back in one piece. I'd hate to lose two fathers."

I blush a little. Rocky has never called me his father before. It feels strange. We watch as the ferret bounds up the stairs to the police station and goes inside.

"Wolf, I would like to make one more stop before we head to your father's mansion."

"Where at?"

"The Riverside Emergency Care hospital. A friend is there because of me. I'd like to visit her."

The Wolf nods and smiles slightly.

"Someone you care about a lot?"

"I did once. She thinks I've changed since then, though."

"Maybe you have, so what?"

"It wasn't a change for the better."

The Wolf just nods. At least he has some respect. I finish loading the shotgun and gently lay it on the seat next to me. The city never changes. We pass by another crowd of protesters. It seems that this crowd is against the same thing as the one I saw earlier that night. War is something that it seemed this country could never get out of. Korea had lasted for fifty years already and it didn't look anywhere near stopping. At least war keeps the world population in check somewhat. I wonder why it doesn't affect me as much. Maybe Taylor and Michelle are right. War changes people. I imagine Rocky's father would seem callous and cold to even me after having fought for so long if he was still alive. Fighting for so long makes you kind of forget what you're fighting for. Why was I going to kill Domingo? Germaine's death is one reason. The fact that Domingo wants to control the entire country is another. If I don't stop him now, he'll just find another candidate to manipulate until he gets what he wants. And in four years, his strength will only grow. No, Domingo had to go and if The Wolf tried to step up and take the empire in the process, then he would have to go as well. Rocky would hate me, but I don't really have a choice if The Wolf decides to play dirty. A coup against his father is one thing that I couldn't let happen. One person should never possess that much power. A little voice tugs at my train of thought; slowing it down.

"Who am I to judge?" It says.

I'm not the angel of death. What right do I have to choose when someone has too much power? Someone has to do it, though. No one in this city will stand up for what they believe in. Taylor is a prime example of that. The poor guy is so afraid that his true self will be rejected that he refuses to show it to anyone. I bet he could be happy if he just didn't care what other people thought of him. Likewise, I had to stop the Domingos. Otherwise no one else would, and the country would be run by a gangster; either a cool and calculating gangster who values strategy or a headstrong, younger gangster who is reckless and foolish. No matter which one wins, the country would be in trouble. I'm no patriot, but I do have my values and any leader that puts their own needs before themselves is a terrible leader. That's why I hate politics. A leader is always going to think about themselves before the citizens. Self preservation is hardwired into our instincts. My whiskers twitch impatiently. It was no use arguing with myself. It was getting me nowhere. My decision was made with the death of Germaine. The Domingos will pay; and whether or not that includes The Wolf is his choice. We pull up in front of the hospital and I put the shotgun under the back seat to keep it hidden. I leave the car; walking briskly towards the doors. The Wolf follows, locking his car behind us. The hospital doors slide open as we approach and I march inside. The interior is immaculately white and it smells of disinfectant. There is a reception desk in front of us with a young human nurse behind it. She is blond with a white uniform on. She is filing her nails as I walk up to the desk.

"Excuse me," I say. "I'm looking for a patient that was brought in here earlier tonight. Her name is Michelle Clark."

The nurse looks up at me and clicks a few keys on the Readydesk terminal in front of her.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Ms. Clark is only to be visited by family at this time."

"Oh, that's fine. Could you at least tell me if her condition has gotten better since she arrived?"

"As far as I'm aware, she has been moved out of intensive care and into the observation wing."

"Thank you."

I turn back to The Wolf who has a confused expression on his face.

"Was that all you came here to find out?" He asks.

"Not exactly," I say in a low tone as we walk away from the desk; taking note of the map that places the Observation Wing on the fifth floor. "But now we know where she is."

"What-?" I lift my good hand to interrupt him.

I watch the nurse as she goes back to filing her nails and slip into a nearby stairwell when I am sure she isn't aware of us. The Wolf follows without saying anything.

"You're more crazy than I initially gave you credit for, Wesson."

"Says the drug and arms dealer," I reply.

The Wolf laughs. I doubt he knows how serious I am. The staircase is just as white as the lobby of the hospital and smells of latex paint. I wrinkle my nose at the scent. The Wolf's tail curls because of it and he holds his nose to block it out. We climb the stairs until we reach the Observation Wing on the fifth floor. The hallway that greets us as we exit the stairwell is painted white as well; what a surprise. A green line painted onto the floor runs down the center of the hallway. At least the wings are color coded. I begin looking into each room for Michelle. It only takes me four attempts. Her room is sparsely furnished and she is sitting up in bed; watching the holovision. I slowly walk into the room and she turns at the sound. The Wolf waits outside, near the closed door.

"Nate? What the hell are you doing here!?"

"I came to see how you're doing."

She looks a mess. Her face and neck are badly bruised and she has a cast on her left leg. Bandages are wrapped around her hands that are splotched red. There is also a bandage wrapped around her head.

"This is all your fault, you know," she says. "If I hadn't been looking after your friend, they wouldn't have done this."

I shake my head.

"Yes they would have. But you're right, it is my fault. It's my fault because I know you; because I loved you."

"...loved?"

"That's right. I loved you when we were engaged, before I went off to war."

"But you don't anymore," she says; looking away.

I lower my head.

"I'm still wrestling with that."

She begins to cry.

"Robert's dead, Nate. They shot him."

"I know." I put an arm around her and embrace her gently as she sobs into my coat.

The Wolf stands by the door; awkwardly keeping watch outside the room. Michelle's tears stop after a few moments and she pushes me away.

"Get out."

"What? But I just-"

She holds up the call button; threatening to push it.

"You've ruined everything, Nate. Get out. I hope you're satisfied."

I say nothing else; nodding as I turn away from her and fling the door open. I push The Wolf into the hallway and slam the door behind us.

"What the hell was that about?" The Wolf asks.

"She was protecting Rocky. Her fiancé died when they took him from her house. I got there just in time to save her life. They were going to get married in two days."

"Holy shit... I'm sorry, Nate."

I wave my hand dismissively at him.

"It doesn't matter anymore. She and I won't ever be what we want."

The Wolf and I leave the hospital. I climb into the passenger seat of his car this time. He once again sits behind the wheel. We sit in silence for a moment before he turns the car on.

"Are you ready?" He asks.

"I've done all I can up to this point," I say. "There's only one thing left to do."

"To my father's mansion, then." He starts the car and pulls out of the hospital parking lot. It seems that everyone's life I touch gets ruined. I hope that doesn't happen to Rocky. Maybe it already has, though. I wonder what Rocky's life would have been like if I wasn't his surrogate father. Would he still be in school? Would he be in college right now instead of hiding at a police station from men who wanted to kill him? I shake my head. It didn't matter now. What was done was done and we have to live with the consequences. The past can't be changed, so what's the point of dwelling on it? If I survive this assault I swear I'm selling all of my antique furniture.

"Nate," The Wolf says, breaking my train of thought. "I think we're being followed."

"How do you figure?" I ask.

"This guy has been at the same following distance for five minutes. He pulled out of the parking lot at the same time as us too."

I turn in my seat, but the headlights make it impossible to see who is driving the car. My question is answered suddenly as a bullet spider-webs the rear window of The Wolf's mustang; clipping my ear as it narrowly misses me. I duck behind the seat reflexively as The Wolf does the same behind the wheel.

"Mother fuckers!" He shrieks. "What the hell do they think they are doing to my car!?"

I reach into the back seat as I hear more gunfire erupt from the other vehicle; grabbing the shotgun. My ear bleeds onto the upholstery.

"Hang on, I'm going to try and lose them." The Wolf says as he turns sharply to the left.

I keep an eye looking back at the following car. They are still hot behind us. More bullets rip through the rear window; shattering it completely.

"God damn it!" The Wolf says; turning the car to the right this time.

"This isn't working," I say. "Get onto a two lane road."

"Why? They'll have a clear shot if we do that!"

"So will I and I won't miss."

The Wolf nods reluctantly and pulls onto one of the main causeways of Meridian City.

"Stay in the left lane, roll down the rear window on my side, and then brake hard."

"But-" The Wolf starts to protest.

"Just fucking do it!" More gunfire perforates the rear of the mustang.

We are lucky that there are barely any other cars on the causeway at this time of night. The window behind me rolls down and I cock the shotgun. The Wolf slams his foot on the brakes and; just as I had hoped, the car behind us swerves into the right lane; crawling up on the mustang. Rapid fire bullets puncture the back right hand corner of the mustang as the follower moves forward. I point my shotgun out of the back window and line up a shot.

"Brake some more!" I say.

The Wolf obeys, slowing down enough so that I can see into the windshield of the other car. The driver looks ahead just in time for the shotgun to go off in his face. I get a glimpse of the passenger trying to grab the steering wheel from the dead man, butt he car swerves sharply away from us and crashes through the guardrail on the right side of the causeway. I turn back around and look ahead once more as The Wolf rolls up the window.

"Well that was... exciting." The Wolf says sarcastically.

"I'm sorry about your car."

"Don't be. It's their fault."

We both jump and duck as more gunfire shatters the windows on my side of the car. I return fire with my shotgun, not bothering to aim.

"How many of these assholes are there!?" The Wolf shouts.

"Enough to be annoying."

"Fuck this!" He exclaims, veering sharp right and slamming his car into the front left side of the car firing at us. I point my shotgun out of my window and fire one more time. The other car slows down and The Wolf straightens the mustang in front of the follower. We pull off of the causeway; still followed by the other car. The Wolf doesn't bother slowing down at the bottom of the ramp; tires squealing as we narrowly miss hitting the side of one of the buildings. The car jumps suddenly as the follower rams us from behind. I fire another shot out of the rear window, but the car keeps coming.

"Nate!" The wolf hollers. "They're trying to make us crash!"

I look ahead as The Wolf dives out of the car. That son of a bitch is ditching me! A street light pole is fast approaching and I jump into the back seat just before impact. My momentum continues backwards, though slamming me into the windshield of the other car. The impact blurs my vision and fills my head with fog. I try to roll off of the hood of the car to get away, but I just fall onto the pavement. My sense of balance is fucked. I can feel warm liquid running down my head and over my muzzle. Several dark shapes get out of the other car and approach me. I try to fend them off with the shotgun, but it is suddenly too heavy. I lay on the ground in a daze. I can vaguely hear them talking, but I can't understand them. I know they're laughing. Two of the dark shapes bend towards me and I swing wildly with my fists. A boot connects with my skull and I fall into blackness.