The Robin Hood Gang 2: Service from Spain

Alis

"I will go get them." Bree says. She is hopeless.

"Why is this a big deal?" I ask.

"Someone is out to kill Reg." Riley says.

"Riley, there are something like seven of us. What is one person going to do?" I say.

"They could be strong enough..." Riley hesitates a little.

"Riley, please, you have me. No one is getting past me wihtout the fight of their lives."

"I wouldn't want..."

"Can the 'I wouldn't want you to get hurt'. I haven't lost a fight in three years."

"Some people are stronger than you think." Reg said. I hiss.

"Unlikely. I have met my match many times, and won." I say.

"But what if they are above you?" Riley asks. I don't like that idea, someone above me. It just doesn't sound right. Isn't my fighting skill unmatched by anyone? Even Reg couldn't...

Or was there someone out there, someone much stronger then me?

Ace

I sighed, scratching lightly at my head in thought. I had to agree; with as many of us as there were, as long as we kept eyes out for each other, there was no way any of us could get taken out. I mean...well, that was part of the reason I joined the gang in the first place. And the person hunting me hadn't found me yet.

"But what if they are above you?" Riley asked Alis, and I snapped out of my thought.

I grinned. "Oh, they probably are. Much more experience, most likely. But that doesn't mean that we can't put ourselves above them. Especially now that we've got a sort of warning, we could potentially do this. We could tighten security measures around the place," I said. "Also, a big part of defeating someone is getting the upper hand. So if he does come after Reg, and we've got surveillance, we'll be able to head him off no matter where he is."

I could rig cameras and set up alarms. I could do much harder and more lethal things than that, given the right equipment.

Then I put my head in my hand, realizing that was probably the most I'd said to them at one time, and it probably made me sound like a major geek. It was then that I understood why people like me were notorious for never finding a love life.

Reg Carter

I groaned, "Besides this isn't about their strength or them trying to kill me."

"What on Earth is it about then?" Alis inquired.

"It's about what they've done. And it's about me getting revenge," I snarled.

"Revenge for what?" She asked.

I ignored the question and just walked up to my room alone, I figured Riley would tell them why, but all the same I didn't need to hear it all over again. It was happening in my mind, constantly...

Riley

I watched Alis and Reg get pissed off at each other. Eventually, Reg goes upstairs.

"What's up with him?" Alis asks.

"Basically, through a series of events, his sister, mother and father are all dead. He killed his uncle last year in revenge, but there is still more people left involved and Reg won't stop until every last person responsible is dead. End of story." I add a tone of finality to my voice.

"And who does he want dead? I mean, who is he glad is dead?" Maitea asked.

"His sister and parents he regrets. His uncle, not so much. I owe you no more explanation." I say.

"Don't ask Reg about it." Suzie adds.

"Why not?" Alis asks defiantly.

"Because you'll be sorry if you try." Suzie said, remembering when she had tried.

"I'm worried about him." Bree said, then goes upstairs.

Bree

"Reg, what's wrong?" I ask, walking slowly into the room.

"Go away Bree." He says. He has a picture in his hands.

"Reg, whatever the problem is, I can help you. Please, tell me what is wrong."

"No."

"Seriously Reg? Are you trying to hurt me, because you're getting close! I want to help! I know I can." I sit infront of him and look right into his eyes. Then I look at the picture. It is of a young girl. His little sister, I assume.

"You can't dwell on the past Reg. It only comes back to hurt you."

"Watch me."

Thats it! I storm out of the room. I brush past Riley, and get into my hot pink porshe. I have a full tank of gas and I am don't stop until I cross the mexican border. I martch right into the warehouse where RIley's old gang, the Foxes, have there base.

"Breighton Evans?" Jack asks when I enter. He is the leader of the Foxes.

"Soon to be Breighton Carter." I say.

"That's too bad. But something is wrong, if you came all the way down here. Why don't you tell Jack what happened." He comes over to me.

"I swear, if you try anything, I kill you." I say, pointing a gun at his head. He takes a step back. I grin.

"Wait, your marrying Reg. Reg Carter... What do you see in him?" Mark asks. Mark is Jack's right hand man. I aim a bullet two inches above his head. The shot goes clean through the wall.

Reg Carter

I stare at the photo. Part of me feels sorry for hurting Bree, but most of me knows that she didn't understand. Past like mine changes a man. It scars them. It's something they'll never, ever let go. One day I had killed my parents; but one day I had watched my own sister - the girl I'd protected - die because of all of it. She was so sweet and so innocent. She never really knew what was going on; she just got caught up in it all.

I cursed and folded the pocket, putting it in my blazer pocket. Then Riles comes in.

"Seems you've pissed Bree off, Reg," she said. I looked at her warily.

"I didn't mean to, Riles, you know that."

She nods and looks at me, placing her hand under my chin and lifting it up so my eyes were level as hers. "You'll get this sorted out soon, Reg. Then you'll be free."

I smiled and then got up, leaving the room. "You're right Riles. But the sooner that is, the better. For all of us."

Maitea

Bree runs downstairs, and speeds off in ehr pink car. From the direction she is heading, I assume mexico is her destination. I martch upstairs. I really don't care how much Reg scares me. If Bree went to Mexico...

"No, don't trust me..." Riley says when I brush past her on the stairs.

"He hurt Bree. Just let me try." I say.

"Your funeral."

I walk into the room. "Look, Reg. I know this is you and Bree's problem, but you really hurt her. She is off to Mexico! She isn't cut out for that place and she is going to get hurt and..."

"Why don't you just leave now?" Reg asked.

"You know what, fine, I will go find Bree myself!" I say. I walk out and go downstairs.

"Ace, I am going to mexico, you comming?" I ask him. He nods and gets up. He is as loyal to Bree as I am.

"I will come as well." Alis said. We all knew she was fond of Mexico's policies, so I didn't argue.

We hop in her car, undoubtably the fastest of all of ours, and speed off.

Before dark we are in mexico. Alis stops infront of an old warehouse. There is heavy arguing coming from inside.

I open the door.

"We can't just let her die, Reg will kill us." Mark said.

"So, there's seven of us. What's Reg going to do. This is Mexico, this was her choice." Jack said.

We walk in, Ace goes to Bree's side, "What happened?" He asks.

"Bree made a stupid mistake. She tried to fend off six police at once." Jack said. I look at Bree. Her face is covered in cuts, and her left arm looks like its been shot.

"Alis, remind Jack what we do to people who hurt Bree." I tell her. She grins.

I take a cloth, put some water on it, and begin to clean off bree's wounds. ace tries to help as much as he can.

"Should we tell Reg?" Ace asks.

"No, he'd just get more upset. We will go back to America when Bree looks somewhat normal again." I say.

"We?" he asks.

"Well, I mean, you can go back when you want."

Suzie-

Maitea, Ace, and Alis just all got up and left. I looked to Riley on the stairs. "We going after them?"

She shook her head no and went back up the stairs. I got up and followed to where Reg sat in Bree's bedroom. It seemed like it was the old gang again... or at least half of it. I walked up to the bedroom where Reg was, feeling somewhat abnormaly brave, and sat next to him.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No," he answered bluntly. I shrugged and picked up a pencil, tapping it on a magazine, whistling a made up tune. I could peripheraly see Reg role his eyes and turn away. So I continued.

"Will you stop?" he asked irritably.

"Nope."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because you're being a butthead," answered I, simply. That time he slapped me across the face, but not hard enough to knock me unconsious or something. Just enough to make me stop.

I glared at him. "If you are too concerned about your past to care about what you have presently, then do your business and get it over with! Just don't drag Bree or Riley or anybody else with you on your emo spree!" Then I left and threw the pencil back on the bed.

Riley was standing outside, her expression unreadable. "I didn't know you could yell like that."

"It didn't feel very good. I think I might be sick," I said quietly, back to my normal childish state.

She shrugged. "He probably needed it."

Reg Carter

I came out the room just as soon as Suzie had. "I didn't drag anyone into anything," I sneered, "but since it seems it was inevitable, I guess I'll do some't about it."

They both looked at me confused as I put on a jacket and grabbed my car keys, placing a 9mm pistol in my trousers; with the safety on.

"Right, you comin'?" I ask them.

"Comin' where?" Riles asks.

Suzie huffs, "After Bree of course!" Her face lights up and she runs to get her coat.

"C'mon, Riles," I say, "I need ya."

She nods and me, Suzie and Riles leave in my 4x4 racing off to Jack's place quickly. We arrive not long later, pulling up into the drive. Riles and Suzie get out first making for the warehouse, where as I wait a while, check my gun's loaded and then walk in after them, my finger warily hovering over the trigger of the gun.

As we go in, I see Ace, Maitea and Alis' faces fill with shock and there, infront of them and covered in blood was Bree.

"Hell no," I yelled, raising the gun to Jack's position and then moving it at Mark as he pulled out a gun at me. "This is gon'a get messy."

Riles too took out a pistol, aiming it at Jack. It was going to be a 4 way shoot out if it continued like this.

Riley

Everyone besides Bree, Suzie and Maitea had guns out. This wasn't going anywhere.

Maitea stands up, furious, "You know, would could all just kill evryone, but how is that going to solve the problem?"

I didn't drop my gun, no one did.

"Reg, Bree is dying and you are just standing there doing nothing Killing people won't solve all your problems, you know, thats the easy way out. Why don't you solve problems for once instead of just killing people. It doesn't do anything..it just..makes them dead." Ace said. It was a pretty impressive speech on his part.

I drop my gun. Jack sighs, and dropps his gun as well. Reg and Mark just both put them in their pockets. I run over to Bree. She is still covered in blood. I have half a mind to turn around and shoot rEg. This was his fault. All of it.

If he hadn't made her upset...

Bree still sin't coming around. Her forehead is burning.

I turn around. "Reg, this is all your fault! Why did you have to go and make Bree upset? You know her. When she looses her temper her judgment is awful. She tried to kill six trained police officers at once. I can't believe you would do this!"

Reg comes over. I feel tears start to leak down my cheeks. "I'm...I'm..." He starts.

"Just leave, Reg, you have done enough damage here." Alis says coldly.

Bree

I hear Riley, Reg and Alis talking. They are all upset. I can't remember why. All I can comprhend is the blistering pain that seems to have set my limbs on fire.

"Shouldn't we save the fighting for later?" Suzie asks. I hear Riley growl. Then heavy footsteps. A door slams.

"No, use the rubbing achlohol." Alis says. If possible, the pain doubles. Then it vanishes. I open my eyes. Riley gives me a glass of water. I try to drink it.

"Where's Reg?" I ask.

"Why do you care? He's the reason your like this." Riley says bitterly.

"It's not his fault. I choose to come here. I knew...." I try to say.

Alis cuts me off, "Did you hit your head, by any chance?"

Alis

"It's not his fault. I choose to come here. I knew...." Bree says.

I cut her off sharply. "Did you hit your head, by any chance?"

"No, I did not. Go get Reg." She says.

"Fine, but take this." I pick up a loaded gun and toss it to her.

I growl then sigh. I walk out the front door. Reg is sitting on a old sofa that looked like it would colapse any second.

"Bree wants you." I hissed.

"Why?" His voice is full of pain.

"I don't know, but I hope its to shoot you!" I say.

"But its not?"

"No, she doesn't think you've done anything wrong. Go and talk to her. But know you will have a gun pointed at the back of your head. You say anything to hurt her and I shoot you. That girl is an idiot, she still loves you!"

Reg gets up and walks inside. I lean against a wall and make sure to have my gun ready.

"Alis, leave." Bree says, "You too Riley." We both leave, but I give Reg a good, long stare.

Reg starts to speak. I listen closely, waiting for an excuse to kill him.

Bree

I look at Reg. He starts to speak.

"Bree, I'm so sorry." He puts his head in his hands.

"Why are you sorry? This is my fault. I am the one who made a stupid choice. I guess I have to live with the consequenses." I say.

He takes one of my pale hands in his, "I shouldn't 'ave said those things to ya."

"I am the one who overreacted. I guess it runs in the family." I retort. Reg pulls my hand to his lips.

"Your wrong, you know this 's my fault." He says.

"NO, Reg, it's not! Just because I did something stupid..." I start to cough. My head hurts, and my wounds double in pain any time I try to talk. I lay back down.

"I swear, when I get my 'ands on Jack..." Reg begins.

I force myself to speak, "Jack saved my life. He killed off all the officers that were about to finish me off. He convinced the others not to just leave me there."

"He was worried about 'is own bloody neck, you know. He knows I would 'ave killed him if you had died."

"Don't, please. I owe him my life." I look at Reg a second. His eyes are full of grief. "I love you." I say.

"'ow can you, still?"

Alis

I listen to each word carefully. I want to shoot the guy through his head. But I won't, because it would upset Bree.

How could se be so forgiving? She made it sound like he did nothing. But I wasn't an idiot. I could hear the pain behind her voice, the amount of effort it took to form those words.

"ow can you, still?" Reg asks.

"Because, she hit her head, or something, Reg." I say, stepping from behind the pillar. He brushes his hands over her head.

"Be nice..." Bree starts.

"Don't touch her!" I yell at Reg, pulling his hand off her forehead.

"Bloody hell, leave us alone!" Reg exclaims.

"No, she is so weak, but you wouldn't notice, would you? Its allways about your past, isn't it Reg. Why don't you wake up to today. You are about as responsible for this as if you had shot her yourself!" I yell.

"She's been shot at?" Reg asked warily.

"Twice, one in her arm and one in her leg!" I can't believe he didn't notice. His face was... Well, let's just say I have seen similar expressions on people faces when they were told they had two days to live. I storm out of the room.

Ace

I couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the damage done to his fiancée. I lowered my throbbing head into one hand, and the other still held my pistol--not exactly at the ready, but just in case.

Alis stormed back from her spot behind the pillar, and I looked up to see the fire in her eyes and the angry redness of her face. "Hey Alis. Thank you."

"For what?" she asked, a bit more harshly than she probably should have; although, given the circumstance, I couldn't blame her one bit for snapping.

"If you hadn't been there, he probably would have taken much longer to notice. Time is key, and hopefully, you've just saved her life." I forced myself to smile, and it might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw her relax the tiniest bit.

I'd already helped with the first aid: don't try to get the bullets out. Find something to add pressure to the wounds. It would at least slow the bleeding until she could get more proper medical treatment, so I was calm in that respect.

But Reg was wasting time standing there with all the color drained from his face, gawking. I couldn't see him perfectly clearly, but I was sure I'd seen that expression before--on my parents' faces, the day we found out that my body was fighting a war against itself. Fortunately, I'd beat it, but it was something I'd never forget. It wasn't because of the pain, or the sinking feeling of thinking you're going to die before you make it to your teens. It was because of the looks on everyone's faces--

--because they love you.

"He really does love her," I whispered. "He just doesn't have a great way of showing it sometimes."

Reg Carter

I looked at Bree and Alis pushed me out of the way. Riley was still angry with me and I couldn't see why. Of all the people here, she was always the one who'd understood me. Well, not anymore. Clearly it was the wrong time for me to be around. I walked away and sat down on a nearby sofa. Jack was there, peering over at Riles. I look to him.

"James left her you know," I said.

"Really?" Jack jumps in, excited.

"Yes," I reply bluntly.

I look over to where its all happening and know I'm better out of the way. Perhaps even better off out of the gang. These people didn't know the importance of it all anymore; they'd resorted to blaming each other and falling apart. It was a disaster, I missed the days when Riley took charge. The days when I was trusted.

Maitea called over to me, "Oh classic one, Reg! Leavin' us to do all the work!"

I looked at her and said, utterly calmly, "No, Maitea, it's merely that I know you're better there than I am, and thus me being over here is for Bree's benefit. For your benefit, I have little concern."

She could tell I was hurt. They all could. I could see the guilt stained in Riley's eyes. If I had to, I'd leave. My past was always more important to me; and if some ignorant minded people couldn't cope with that, then I'd only be in their way...

Riley

I went up to what was my old bedroom. I pull the paper off a section of the wall, thankfully, the things are still there.

It would be all junk to anybod: some old newspapers, a broken gun, some pictures. I pick up the oldest one. Its me and Bree. She is eight, I am three. Those were the days long before any of this mess ever happened. Before I lead a gang.

But was I even leading now, or just sitting and wringing my hands. I had sofened up, and it bothered me a lot.

The gun was from the time Jack had saved me, after he decided I was worth saving.

The nespaper was the biggest heist we ever did in mexico, robing the national bank.

I finally understand what Reg is going through. It had taken me a year to move on after I left Mexico. Reg, well, he still hadn't moved on. I remebered what it was like. The constant pain, allways wanting to just forget, not being able too.

I martch downstairs. The others are gingerly tending to Bree.

"Maitea, Ace, go get a doctor. I don't care where they are from, just get a real doctor! Alis, I need you to go see if you can get me some of this." I toss her a worn out picture with a descrition. It is the antidote to a poisoned bullet.

"Reg, I need you to..." I start to say.

Bree cuts me off, "Let Reg stay."

"I can't do that Bree. Reg, go get Marcello. He is useful in times like these. your the only one I know won't get pissed, or at least won't attack him, when he makes a few of his lovely comments." I say. I know Reg wouldn't dare attack Marcello, unless Marcello shot at him, but that wouldn't happen.

I go over to Bree. With a weak hand she pushes me away. Most of the other's just stand there.

"Well, what are you waiting for, GO!" I say. They leave.

Bree

Oh, I get it. It was a trap. Riley sent Reg off to go get kiled so she could have him out of the way. This was like Gero all over again. I break into tears. Riley leans over me.

"What's the matter, Bree?" She asks.

"Why are you trying to kill Reg?" I say.

"I am not! He is the only person Marcello is too afraid to fight. Marcello won't provoke Reg."

"Oh," I say, "You really understand him, don't you?"

"To an extent. We both have had a very hurtful past."

"So have I."

"No, Bree. I don't think you can understand. There are things that change a person." She says. She realates a story to me.

It was a cold day, december, I think. Anyway, it was cold and snowing. We all loaded our guns. It was my first year in a gang. I was disposable, a pawn to Jack. There were many like me. I was close to a few above me, Reg included, but also someone named Felix.

Me and Felix were like sister and brother. We were so close, he taught me everything I needed to know, he kept me alive. He also gave me my first gun. He taught me how to shoot, how to fight. He taught me to be brave.

We stepped into the old house. The owner was wealthy, the guards of the house were tough. They were brutes, evil, if you will. It was only Me and Felix, Jack hadn't suspected any guards would be there.

Felix stayed behind, he told me to run. I did, scared as I was. I returned later to go find him, see if he escaped. Jack told me not too, I didn't know why.

I find Felix. He is covered in blood. His eyes have been ripped out of their sockets, his arms were pulled off his body. His legs are broken in several places. ALl probably while he was still alive. I almost faint.

Things like that will change you. They have made me resistant to emotions and feelings. They weather you, turn you into stone. Eventually, I went to America, and softened up a little, but not much.

"I have changed, Bree. I imagine that would have been a certain heaven to Reg. His past was much worse than mine. He hasn't recovered. He killed his parents, then watched his siter die because of it. Cut him a little slack, he has had a rough life, as have I."

I take it all in for a minute. Thinking. riley was right, Reg had a rough past. I decide to aplogize for over reacting when he came back. I wanted to tell him I understood, I knew now why he was the way he was. I plan what I will say.