Lights Out

*Joseph*

Jackson fell through the door, bleeding from his chest. Jay jumped up, unsteady, and fell in front of him. “Jackson? Where is he? Are you okay? Brother look at me.” He was pleading, I know feeling the guilt of his brother laying there bleeding. “He is coming.” Jackson said, spitting out blood as he spoke. I yelled for a medic, who came running with a bag. The guards in front of the women shut the doors, quieting the yells of Sandra. I knew she would be mad, but I had to keep them from seeing her. Jackson squealed as the medic pulled the shirt from his bloody skin. The bullet had torn through his shoulder and collar bone, and he was bleeding badly. The medic looked up at me and shook his head. This meant he didn’t know if he could save him or not. I know if he did, the man would enter the family fully. He risked himself to keep that man away from this house. He risked his life for my Sandra. I know why he did it. I know who he did it for. “Take him to my room. Keep him fucking breathing.” I yelled, and Jay helped the man carry Jackson towards the stairs. “Hang in there Jackson.” I said as they passed me, he weakly held up a thumbs up.

I looked to Zeus, “we have to find him now.” I ordered. Zeus grabbed his gun and three security men and headed for the front door. Moments later, the lights went out. I went to a switch and nothing. Noticing the digital clock on the wall was off as well. It was an Amazon Alexa clock, which reminded me it ran by electric. “That son of a bitch,” I yelled before telling Zeus not to open the door but to lock it. He cut the power so it would be dark inside. He was trying to sneak in and take my woman away. All I could do was imagine ripping his head off his shoulders. That man would die today. I will burn him alive and remind the world why they call me Smoke. I hadn’t felt that dark in a while but something about a risk to Sandra brought out my darkest demons. I wanted him to be in pain. I wanted to see him beg for his life. I looked over at Zeus who had blinded me with a flashlight. When he started passing them out, I stood there resisting the urge to run right to her. If I do and if he is watching me, he will know exactly where to go. “Are you kidding me?” Henry said when he came into view. He was looking at Zeus. “What is the problem?” I was a bit annoyed as this wasn’t the time for his drama. Henry pointed at the flashlights. “Have you never heard of spotlighting? You are literally showing him where to shoot.” His voice sounded annoyed but made sense, so I ordered the others to turn off their lights. Henry and Zeus have been tensed since the stabbing. I understood why, but now isn’t the time for that kind of attitude. I heard my phone go off and assumed I had a message from Sandra. I pulled out my phone to find a message from Tommasso.

*If you let me leave this place, I will leave the queen with her head. *

The message infuriated me. How dare he threaten what’s mine. Has he lost his mind? I would never let anything hurt her. I look over towards the wall with our large vintage mirror. The day my mother picked it out, she told me she wanted a mirror big enough to fit my ego into it. I laughed of course, thinking she was making a joke, but she just looked at me. “Oh, dear son, you have been in charge so long. There will come a day when you look at that reflection in that mirror and you will have an epiphany or come to a greater understanding of yourself, and you will remember this day. Damn, was she right. I watched myself in the mirror giving orders on how to protect everyone. Sending someone up to check on Jay and Jackson. I listened as the men gave me reports. Nobody had seen him throughout the house. Jay came down with the others. He looked defeated in a way I never knew he could when he walked up to me. “How is Jackson?” I asked him before reaching out to put a hand on his large shoulder. Jay shook his head slowly to say no. “Did he die” I asked terrified of the answer. “It doesn’t look good for him, boss. It’s my fault.” He put his head in his hands. “Jay, I need you to stop. I need you to be the head of security right now. We need to find this man. Hunt him down and kill him.” Like a flash, his entire body language changed. He stood up, tall and strong, and started shouting orders at the other men in the room. That was the Jay we needed; he could break down later.
As Jay walked around shouting orders, I was continuing to resist the urge to go check on Sandra. I couldn’t show him where she was if he was watching. I couldn’t breathe being so far from her side. Jay came over to me and stared. “This is not the Smoke we need right now boss.” he said under his breath waking me up from my nightmares. I started to pace down the hallways waiting for a report that someone had found him. My phone vibrated in my pocket.

*I am getting closer; your clown men are not going to find me. *

I called for Zeus and allowed him to read the message. He laughed, which confused me. “Message him back, mock him.” I looked at him and smiled knowing what he was saying. We knew he was close by if he knew the guards were looking for him.

*Why don’t you come and face me like a man instead of threatening the woman. *

in seconds he replied.

*I can, but wouldn’t it be better for you to hear her screams.*

I read the message and my heart started pounding. Suddenly I heard a crash in the room they were in, and I raced for the door. It wouldn’t open, he had put something in front of it. How the hell did he get in there? “Listen, if you come out of there and leave those women alone, I will let you leave here with your life.” I screamed out, without thinking. All the men looked at me like I was crazy. No one wanted him to leave, knowing what he had done to Jackson, and knowing he would spread the location of this sacred safe house. I couldn’t let him hurt her; I couldn’t lose Sandra. Jay and another man kicked the door, it moved, but didn’t open. They were all slamming into It, to open it. I heard Sandra screaming inside, she was saying things that didn’t make sense. “Don’t move. I am okay. Do not come out. Just stay where you are, please.” I couldn’t figure out why she was yelling that. Why didn’t she want me to come in?

Henry ran up behind me with my gun. I placed the cold metal in my hand. I pulled the hammer back and pointed it towards the door. I heard a smack, and my heart sank to my toes. “I will blow your head off Tommasso. Don’t take that as a threat mother fucker, that’s a promise.” Another smack. “Please no, don’t touch me.” Sandra yelled and the idea of what he was doing behind the door was making me violently ill. The men were still trying to but the door down. “Tommasso, come out and face me like a man.” I yelled through the door. “Right and tight this one is, I now see why my cousin wanted her so badly.” I couldn’t hear Sandra anymore. I stood closely to the door, “Sunshine, darling, I will kill him, I promise.” My words echoed through the hall. Suddenly, there is yelp from Tommasso and a rustling around the door. Everyone backs up instinctively before Jay and Seven start pushing on the door to open it. “Sunshine?” I yell as we push through. I see her laying on the bed, covering her face. I see her body in the light of the moon shining through the window. Her shirt is torn, and there are welts on her arms. I don’t see the other three women, immediately fearing what happened to them. I see red. “Where the fuck is he?” I feel the barrel of a gun press against my back. “There you are!” I laugh darkly.