Saving Jay

[Jay Carpenter]

Axel Miller

Trust me.

Honestly, if the custody chick signed her name in blood, it wouldn’t ease the chasm digging presently into his chest. In route, the conversation focused on plans and strategy, but Axel stared out the window. Land rolled by, brown and endless. The ghost of a memory filled the seat at his side. Once upon a time he would die for Carp or any of them. They’d give his life for his. Unspoken oaths walked them through ravines brimming with death. They emerged unscathed, or so they were told. Many fared worse, and what reward awaited them stateside? Carp’s discharge and Axel’s divorce. A vault filled his bank account, but the keys were held hostage. All the money in the world couldn’t buy a way out of bondage. The cartel needed his skills. Jessika needed his cock.

Brown, endless expanse converged into something. A small town where nobody and nothing could hide. Houses filled with people impossibly ignorant but approving of the shit going down right under their noses. For the greater good, they told themselves at night. Lies were something Axel understood.

He came alive on those quaint streets. Everything in him tensed with excitement. A rush that coiled every muscle tight. He saw everything as it rolled around them. The spaces between houses they could run. The trees to use as cover. The open spaces sure to be carnage zones. The obstacles forcing their paths. He burst from the car in one smooth motion, weapon ready to wield against any standing against them.

The smell of smoke on the wind. The heat of a scorched landscape. The weather was soon to turn hot. That meant sunshine would blind the eyes of the untrained. The building itself was impenetrable without the bombs and grenades of his typical carriage. They would be forced through windows and doors. A shit plan. Fuck he needed more fire power. Three to protect, he quickly pivoted, checking their status, “Stay behind me where ever we go,” he ordered.

With that, his feet dug into the dirt and the group advanced. The fence was the first obstacle, one he planned to round. He could scale it easily, even in a suit, but the women would be unable. A moment later, the fence was breeched and his eyes widened with surprise. Natalie cut through the barbs heedless of their clawing at her clothes and hair. He followed quickly after, “Can you do that to the wall?” he asked, pointing at the building. If they could avoid doors, their chances at survival increased dramatically.