Getting Away With You

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^*Danielle’s POV^*
“Thanks for the help.” I smiled at Freak as we reached the top of the stairs. He had helped us get rid of Collin. I just had to shake the feeling of knowing there were dozens of dead bodies stowed away in the basement of the house we had to reside in.

“Yea, we can use all of the help we can get right now. A lot of shit’s happened today.” Brian said as he closed the door.

“No problem, as long as you guys live under one of my roofs, then I will do anything I can to help. You guys are like family.” Freak smiled at Brian and I. He really was a pretty nice guy when he wasn’t being creepy or disturbing. “If you guys ever need any back up, or someone to come and help you get out of a mess, just give me a call, you know my number.” Freak said and Brian and I nodded.

“We will.” Brian answered with a smile.

“I’ll drive by a couple times a day, and keep an eye down here, send a few guys to check up on y’all every now and then when I can’t, and I swear I’m going to do everything I can to help.” Freak said seriously. He really did want to help, and that gave me some hope since we had another person on our team, and maybe more. He had a joking side, and then he also had a very serious side. I was just happy he knew when it was appropriate to be joking, and when to be serious. “I’ve been in this situation too many times to count, just keep up hope and stick together and you’ll make it out with your lives.” He patted Brian’s arm then turned to me. “You’re gonna be real safe with these guys, they know what they’re doing.” Freak smiled and ruffled my hair like I was a little kid.

“I trust them.” I said truthfully, and he grinned.

“Good. Now, I gotta get back to the house and make a few calls. I’ll drive by again tonight.” Freak sighed. “Don’t let them scare you.” He said, and with that he turned and walked over to the door, turning at us and giving a sympathetic smile once more before heading out, closing the door behind him.

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^*Matt’s POV*^
“So, you’ve got our backs?” I asked Sonny as we stood on his doorstep. We had everything we needed loaded up in Brian’s car, and Sonny had called a few people, and they were going to do a thorough search of the surrounding five miles outside of the house we were living in.

“I got you. I called them all and they’re calling more. We’ll sweep through quickly, quietly, with thermal cameras and if anyone is there we’ll shoot them with a silencer of course, and drag them off, and they’ll never see us coming. By the time they even realize something wrong we’ll already have our sights locked and loaded.” Sonny looked proud of his plan as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Thanks again for everything, man, you’re really helping us out a lot.” Jimmy said, and Sonny swatted his hand through the air.

“Don’t mention it, I’d go to any length to put an end to that fucker’s life.” I could honestly say that I had never met another person in my life that hated Chase as much as Sonny did. I was seething mad with all Chase has taken away from me, but Sonny’s rage is a whole other level of angry. Sonny lost his whole family to Chase, because he got caught up in one of Chase’s drug deals, and now, all Sonny ever thought about was his revenge. He’s become a man obsessed with the thought of Chase’s murder. Though, I’ve known him for years on end since I was a kid, and when I think of his family, his little sisters and big brother, mother, father, grandparents and others, I can see why. If I had siblings, and family that I cared about as much as he cared about his, and Chase took them all away, along with everyone else I had ever loved, I’d be pretty pissed off too.

“We’re going to take him down for good this time, Sonny, I know we are. He can’t keep going around ripping lives apart like he is.” I said sternly, a cold tone in my voice I hadn’t even known existed. Sonny nodded, his lips pursed in a smile.

“Make sure you shoot him a few hundred times for me. I’m just now getting back on my feet from everything. Don’t forget about me, okay?” He asked and I nodded.

“We won’t.”

“I’ll be there late, we can’t really do this until dark, so they can’t see us. Just hang tight until then.” He said, and the phone started to ring inside the house. “I’ll see you guys tonight.”

“Bye.” Jimmy and I said in unison and Sonny ran inside to get the phone. Jimmy and I turned and began walking to the car.

“I really hope we can stop him.” Jimmy muttered, and I looked over at him, concerned about his mental stability. He hadn’t been acting himself since we got that call.

“Are you alright?” I asked him, placing my hand on his shoulder and he nodded.

“I’m fine. Just…I feel like we’ve already lost. I’m beginning to think Brian’s right. Chase is going to kill us. Me, you, Danni, and even his own-”

“Hey! Matt!” Just as we reached the car Sonny came running out. “It’s Chase.” He said as he reached us. “He wants to talk to you.” Sonny said seriously, and I let my hand fall from Jimmy’s shoulder as I looked around for any suspicious cars. I grabbed the phone from Sonny.

“What now?” I asked, glancing all around, and I could see Sonny was ready to pull a gun from his jacket.

“Well, it’s about time I get a hold of you. Have you ever tried calling yourself? It’s very difficult to get through when you keep your cell phone-”

“What the fuck do you want, Chase?!” I screamed at him, and Jimmy just looked at me with concerned eyes. He seemed as if he already knew what Chase was going to say, but didn’t want to tell me.

“I wanted to call and tell you that you’re going to kill Danielle.” I froze at his words.

“No I’m not. I’m not going to kill her.” I said and he just chuckled. Jimmy and Sonny’s expressions changed and for a moment I thought Jimmy was going to have a nervous breakdown.

“Oh yes you will.”

“What makes you so sure?” I had nothing left he could take away from me except Danielle.

“Because, if you don’t I’m going to kill Sonny Harris, Fred ‘Freak’ Pualski, James Sullivan, and Brian Haner Jr., along with your precious Danielle Taggen.” I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know what to do. “Everyone you’ve had contact with within the last twenty four hours is going to die if you don’t kill Danni. I don’t like her, I don’t need her. She’s nothing but trouble. She could turn you in to the cops. She could turn us all in to the cops.”

“She would never do that.” I whispered. “Besides, you would never kill us, especially not your-”

“Danni’s already thought about calling the police, Matthew. She’s been waiting to get alone so she can dial nine one one and turn you, James and Brian in. She’s waiting. As soon as you leave her alone your life is over. I know, I’ve been in your shoes before. I know it to well.” He hadn’t been in my shoes before. He never killed anyone he cared about. I care about Danielle. I care about her a lot. That’s why I’m fighting so hard. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve let Chase kill me by now.

“No she hasn’t. I’m not going to kill her and neither are you. If you think I’m going to even let you near Danni you’re wrong.” I growled at him. I wasn’t about to put up with his lies right now.

“Oh, I’m already near Danni. I’m halfway to Florida now. Thankfully I have connections that were able to spring me early and get me on the first flight out there. I’ll see you at six.” The line went. I felt my heart drop then as I hung up.

“Matt?” Jimmy’s voice filled my ears and Sonny took the phone from me, still watching me. “Matt?” Jimmy repeated, stepping in my line of vision. “What did he say?” Jimmy asked urgently.

“He told me to kill Danielle or he would. He’s already out and on a flight out here. He said he’d be here by six.” I muttered, in disbelief of what had just transpired.

“I’ll call everyone, and see how many guys I can get down there faster. We won’t let him live another day. You guys get back and check up on things, and I’ll call you back.” Sonny turned and ran off towards the house, already dialing a number on the phone.

“We can’t let him hurt her.” I whispered to Jimmy and he nodded.

“We won’t. She’ll be okay.” He said and I nodded. “We’re all going to make it.” I took a deep breath.

“I sure as hell hope so.”

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^*Danielle’s POV^*
Matt and Jimmy walked through the front door about two hours after Freak left, and Brian and I got off of the couch and walked over to them, the look on their faces made us both worried.

“You two okay?” Brian asked and Matt shook his head.

“No, we got a call from Chase and he…” Matt seemed stuck on his words. I became even more worried by this.

“He uh…” Jimmy was having difficulty speaking as well. “He wanted Matt to kill you.” Jimmy said, looking at me, and I felt something hit me and knock the breath out of me. It was my worst nightmare that wasn’t even a nightmare at all; it was a warning.

“Oh shit.” Brian muttered, dread in his voice as he ran a hand down his face.

“But I told him I wouldn’t do it.” Matt said, looking up from the floor at me. “He’s on his way here though, and now he’s going to kill you.” Matt said sadly, and then pulled a gun from behind his back, and just as I expected him to point it at me, he held it out to me by the barrel, “I know you don’t like guns, but keep this with you.”

“Matt she doesn’t need protection against you ev-” Jimmy’s cautious sentence was cut off as Matt continued talking.

“I don’t have good control over my emotions, and Chase has put things in my mind, and made me a nervous wreck. If I try and hurt you, I want you to shoot me.” Matt said sternly, and I shook my head.

“I don’t think I can-”

“Take it. Protect yourself. I don’t want to hurt you, but I’m not in my right mind right now.” Matt said, and I reluctantly took the gun from his hands. I used to go to the shooting range with my dad all the time, so I wasn’t a stranger to guns. But a few years ago I lost a friend to a stray bullet, and I nearly blew my thumb off when someone broke into our house a couple of months ago, and those incidents have made me cautious around weapons. I did realize what Matt said, though, and I realized I needed to protect myself against him if need be, no matter how badly I didn’t want to hurt him. I tucked it into the back of my pants and pulled my shirt back down.

“You seem like you’ve handled guns before.” Brian said, with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“I used to go to the shooting range with my dad, and I’ve had a couple on incidents in my lifetime.” I said, and he nodded, taking in this new information.

“Good.” He smiled lightly, then turned back to Jimmy and Matt. “Freak came by while you two were gone, and said he be over to check up on us, so I’m going to go call him and tell him about Chase.” Brian stated, and we nodded as he walked off.

“So what-” I felt someone grab my arm roughly and in the blink of an eye I drew the gun and had it pointed directly at Brian’s now shocked face.

“Okay, I didn’t think you’d catch on.” Brian stated, staring down at me with his hands slightly raised. “You’re fast, and not fumbling, sweating and shaking like a leaf.”

“I won top of my class in a few competitions. I’m fine, trust me.” I said, and he nodded as I lowered the weapon, tucking it away where I could reach it quickly.

“Brian, you stay here and sort things out with Matt and Danni, I’ll go call Freak.” Jimmy said, and brushed past Brian and I and disappeared into the kitchen. Just as I turned back to Matt, his phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket, and pressed talk, and put the person on speaker.

“Sonny?” He answered.

“You got it. Alright, so, luckily everyone understood, and since Chase is going to be here in three hours, we’re going to start now, because it’s going to take us a good three hours to do just three miles, so we’re starting a little closer to home and moving in. You do want us to clear ‘em all out, right?” Sonny asked, his voice breaking up some with the bad cell phone service in this area.

“Yep, you have the go ahead to get rid of them all.” Matt said, and I went over and leaned into his side, wrapping my arms around his waist and he wrapped his arm around me. I felt safe a secure beside him, even if he wasn’t exactly in a normal state of mind at the moment. Matt made me feel like nothing could get to me, and I liked that about him. I liked a lot about him.

“So,” Sonny paused. “Are you ready to start a war?”