Young Writers Society

Reg Carter

Mexico.

I pull up outside a shack surrounded by nothing except sand. For miles around this land was baron and dry. The earth was orange. I sit in the car, counting down from ten and pull out a 9mm pistol. It's silenced and fully loaded. I flick off the safety and walk ever-so slowly towards the house. Step by step, getting nearer and nearer. There's a little breeze that whisps up the sand by my right foot and another that swings past a second time, rattling the door to the shack.

I stop about two feet away. I pull out the gun and fire two shots through the bottom of the door. There's a crackle and a fizz as I take the gun and aim to the right of the lock, shooting twice more. Another crackle. I then take the gun and fire two final shots straight through the centre of the door. There was a light echoing buzz as the bullet pierced through the other side of the door.

A man came around from the corner of a shack. He was frail, had a walking stick and thin rimmed spectacles perched on his nose. He looked at me approvingly and slowly mustered at what had just happened.

"There's only one poor sod in the world who knows how to do that," he said, his voice dry and strained. "Didn't think I'd see you for a long time, Carter."

I turn to him, but don't speak. There's no reason to, he was the talker.

"I remember when you were last down here, with your sister. Real shame about her. She liked my tea," he said, staggering slowly towards me, his walking stick kissing the dry sand. "I ought to get the booby traps on my door changed, you're gettin' too good with them."

I laughed.

"You haven't changed much, Carter. You never were one to change. Still got that hard boy attitude, the stern figure and that real bastard grin," he cackled. "I'd invite you in, but that wouldn't do you no good. The outside was always your favourite place."

I looked out across the desert and mused at how out of this world it was and how this frail old man could stay alive with no life within atleast 100 miles.

"You must be in some real shit to show up here, Carter," he said, "Perhaps you should enlighten me."

"Perhaps," I said, still looking out across the land.

Riley

I walk back into the mansion. Suddenly, a mutated version of Max's voice comes from behind the door.

"Get upstairs, the PK are probably coming." He says. I walk upstairs. Max is sitting at a window with a gun.

"I'll help." I say, grabbing my gun from my pocket.

"SS is mine." Max says. I grin.

"Is he the leader?" I ask. Max nods.

"Leader for leader." I say. Max shakes his head.

Maitea

"You turn him in?" Mr. Finn asks.

"I killed him." Ace replies.

"That is kind of how it works with us." I tell Mr. Finn.

"Especially when you have Alis and Sal around." Ace says.

"Who are they?" Mr. Finn asks, he raises an eyebrow.

"Lets put it this way, they- Alis especially-make the devil look like a saint." I laugh. Ace just keeps forwning. I mirror his mood.

"Do either of you have a plan?" I ask. "Becuase we could go after the PK and pray that they are just keeping them hostage."

"They wouldn't." Ace says. He looks really upset. I go and put my arms around him, because it is all I can do. I knew this would happen, now Ace was just going to get upset. ace shrugs me off. I take a step back, giving him some space.

Ace

My dad looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, they did come here to get them. They probably grabbed Gracie first, considering the half-finished message and the fact that she thought Benny would still be here. So then they got Ben, and are probably keeping them separated. But probably in the same general location. Now, if we can find their hideout--"

I snorted. "Good luck finding a specific gang in San Diego." Again, I was on the verge of tears. Suddenly, I had an idea. "Max! Maitea, maybe Max knows where their base is around here!" I whipped out my phone, and then heard a crash.

"Maybe we don't need Max," Maitea said as she went to go and retrieve something. It turned out to be one of my brother's schoolbooks. She opened it and on the front page of the math book, there was a note written in magazine-clipped letters.

We have Midori, or, "Gracie," if you will. And we had Benjamin, but he turned out to be too much of a handful. Too bad. But it's not him we wanted, anyway. We wanted Ace. Bring him, and you might get your wife back. No promises.

My breath hitched in my chest and tears burned my eyes. There was an address written in red on the inside cover of the book. "They killed Benny," I gasped, dizzy, on the verge of another blackout. "And they used his blood to write...oh, god..."

Dad looked closely at it. "That's not blood, Ace. They could be playing with us. Maybe Benny's fine."

"It's blood," I cried.

"I'm a doctor, and I say there's no way that's blood. It's ink. They're messing with our heads. Let's go, guys."

I felt Maitea squeeze my hand. "Your dad's a smart guy, Ace. No question where you got it from. Benny's okay, and so is your mom."

Im gonna say its night time

James~~

I picked the lock easily and counted to three slowly through the headset. On three Sal pushed the door open and we went in, guns up. I turned right and Sal went left. We had never worked together before, but professionals always knew what to do. We popped shots in the camera's before they would know we were there, then moved through the other rooms, doing the same thing. No one was downstairs and most of the lights were turned off.

We came up to the stairs and I motioned everyone in "Safe's upstairs. Go slow, travel in pairs, guns out. If they know we're here they'll be prepared. Look before you go in a room and be safe. If you find the panic room signal over the radio, otherwise, keep communication to a minimum. Got it?"

Everyone nodded and we went upstairs. The house was large and maze like with corridors going every which way and dozens of almost identical looking rooms. Sal and I moved through the rooms quickly, but the farther we went without seeing anyone the more I could feel that something was wrong.

Maitea

"Your dad's a smart guy, Ace. No question where you got it from. Benny's okay, and so is your mom." I say. And then I add, "Okay, lets go."

"You're crazy." Mr. Finn says.

"Look, its better we just go, fully armed, shoot down the PK's, grab your brother and mom and leave." I say.

"Fully armed?" Ace questions.

"I've got some stuff in the back of my car Alis would consider a little extreme." I say with a laugh, trying to keep in good humor.

"Lets see it then." Mr. Finn mumbles. I walk them out to my car, and open the back. In there is an assortment of very dangerous, explosive, lethal weapons.

"What's this?" Mr. Finn asks, holding up a small vial.

"My personal poison, one of the worlds most lethal," I say, then add, "family recipe."

Ace

We pulled up at the address. Weirdly enough, it was a normal-looking house; the cars in the driveway weren't flashy, there were a few nicely-trimmed hedges, and toys were scattered around the front yard. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if it was all just for cover up. And then, if it wasn't, I wondered what they'd done to the family who lived there before. Lights were on and shining dully through dark curtains.

"They're so close to Tijuana," Dad said, "in case they need to hop the border, probably."

"Yikes," I murmured. "But let's hope that they didn't send us on a wild goose chase." I couldn't imagine the embarrassment we'd feel if we went to the door, armed such as we were, just to find we were given the wrong address.

Dad put a hand on my shoulder; it was shaking. I put my own hand over his as we made our way to the front door. Taking a calming breath beforehand, I knocked and waited.

A guy about my age answered and grinned. "You two stay here; I just want--" His order was cut short by a bullet to the back of the head. The three of us jumped, and as the kid dropped, I saw my mother standing there, holding a pistol. Her black hair was matted with blood, her face and uniform covered in it. Her almond eyes showed a fire I'd never seen in her before.

"Gracie," my father cried and ran toward her. She ducked behind a couch as a spray of bullets headed toward her. There were more PKs in the living room.

"Take 'em out," I said to Maitea as I entered the house and started shooting. My mother popped back up from her hiding spot and joined in.

Maitea

It was mass chaos. We were all shooting left and right. There were five PK's, including the one killed before. But they were all very clever.

I swear as a bullet hits my arm, and I drop my gun on impulse. The man saunters forward. Weaponless, I start to bend down; he points his gun at me.

"Don't move." He says. Then he collapses.

"Thanks Ace." I say. I realize all the other PK's are dead. I get up, and clutch my arm.

"I'll find Benny." Mr. Finn says.

"No, I will find him, Dad, take a look at Maitea's arm." Ace says, and leaves the room. Mr. Finn comes over to me.

"Bullet in the arm." He mumbles. Then goes on a long stream of words I can't understand. He makes the 'ands' and the 'buts' sound very formal with the way he talks. He mumbles something about a medical kit, and leads me outside.

"What about Ace?" I ask. I begin to feel the loss of blood weakening me. One second i am standing up, and the next I am on the ground, fainted from the lack of blood.

Ace

My mother and I ascended the staircase together, covering each other's backs. She took out a small flashlight after I told her not to flip any of the switches, and she guided me down the hallway and to a locked door at the end.

"Let's get this open," I said and she handed me a hair pin. "Ma," I groaned. That technique was so old, so outdated, but I tried it anyway and managed to spring the lock. The door creaked loudly as I pushed it open.

"How come there's no one guarding it?" Ma asked me as we stepped in. I just shrugged. Good luck, I supposed.

Everything in the room was covered in blood; my heart pounded and leaped in my chest as scenarios played out in my head. I found his backpack flung carelessly onto the bed so that books had slipped out of it. I noticed that the bed was knocked crooked and the desk was overturned; there had been quite a struggle.

Suddenly, Ma stifled a scream. My head snapped toward her. She stood with the closet open, peering in where my brother lay crumpled and dead on the floor. Ma's frantic breaths pierced the stillness before turning into sobs.

"Go downstairs," I told her. She protested silently. "GO!" I yelled, and she finally turned to leave.

I couldn't watch my family fall apart. I was always the weakest one, and there was no way I'd be able to hold my parents together after this. I couldn't go back home. I couldn't go back to the gang. Falling to my knees, I let myself cry bitterly for a bit before reaching over to Benny. Thinking better of it, I snapped my arms back to my body and reached for my gun, putting the barrel up to my own head.

"If you do that," I heard, "it's the end of us, too."

Ignoring Ma, I pulled the trigger just to hear the "click!" of the bullets jamming in the chamber. "No!" I screamed, throwing the gun with all my might at the wall, and then rounded on the woman. "You told me before that I could let go if I wanted. I want to NOW!"

She came to me, folding her arms around me as I cried and screamed obscenities. "Ace, you were in so much more pain back then than you are now, and you chose to fight it. Why not now?"

I shook my head, wishing the gun hadn't jammed, as I fell limply into my mother's arms.

When I calmed down, we carried Benny out of the house.

Bree

The sky begins to darken, none of Max's lovely PKs show up.

"I'm calling it a night." I tell them. Riley shrugs and follows me.

"We have been sitting here for hours Max, it's not worth it." Riley continues.

"Fine." He says, and stands up. Suddenly, we hear a gun shot outside.

"Calling it a night." Max quotes me.

"Now they show up." Riley says angrily.

"Don't shoot until I say." Max says. Riley wacks him in the back of the head.

"Remember who leads this." She tells him.

"SS is mine." He hisses into the darkness.

I think some variation would be cool, expect the unexpected....

Sal

"It's to quiet." I say to the darkness.

Suddenly there is movement along the ground. I can just make out what looks like a six foot giant stick.

A moving stick...

Wait, what idiot kept a python in a house. Well, I guess we knew why the house was deserted. I shoot into the darkness. There is a loud hiss. Huh, funny, it kind of sounded like Alis. I almost laugh at the thought. Then something sharp piecrces my ancle. I scream in pain, and look down to see the snake.

Suddenly, the air fills with the sound of a bullet being shot, and the snake goes limp. I pull its teeth from my ancle.

"Is that a snake?" James voice asks.

Eve

We all moved into the house on James's signal. Inside, it was dark. James and Sal took care of the cameras, then motioned us upstairs.

"Safe's upstairs. Go slow, travel in pairs, guns out. If they know we're here they'll be prepared. Look before you go in a room and be safe. If you find the panic room signal over the radio, otherwise, keep communication to a minimum. Got it?" James said.

We all just nod. I was a little worried about someone hearing us if I did say something.

A few minutes after we all get upstairs, I hear a scream. Looking over, I see Sal, along with something long attached to her ankle.

"Is that a snake?" James asked.

"Oh crud." I said. I ran over to Sal. "You all right?" I asked her.

"Yes." She said. I knew she was just being tough though.

"Let me see that." I reached for her ankle, but she hit me and pulled it away.

"Get away!" She yelled at me. "I can handle myself." Even though I knew how to deal with her injury, I knew she wasn't going to let me do anything to it. At least not then.

She got up and started limping away. I stayed close to her, but I hoped she didn't realize it.

"Do you think we should just let her go?" I asked James.

"Just wait until this is over. Riles will make her let you deal with it. I couldn't see it completely, but it looked pretty bad." He told me.

I was worried, but then I went back on task. Before I left to go check a room, I shot the snake once more, just to be safe. Then I proceeded to the door to a room. I opened it a crack, and saw a figure in the darkness. Whoever was in there was turned around so they didn't see me. The safe was in there, so I motioned for James, getting my gun ready.

Maitea

Ace comes out, carrying a little boy I take to be dead. I see tears start to leak down Mr. Finn's face. ace and his mother both look like they have done their share of crying. I never knew the boy, but he looked so innocent, I could help but want to cry. The tougher side of me kept the tears from welling up, though. Ace puts the boy down.

I decide to try and comfort Ace.

What do you say to someone who's little brother has just been murdered?

"Ace, I'm sorry." Is all I manage. He doesn't move, just keeps staring at the little boy. He doesn't acknowledge I am even there. I go back inside the house and find a pad of paper, along with a pencil.

Ace,

I can't tell you how sorry I am. If you want to come back to the gang, that is where I will be. I feel out of place here, and I need to tell the others what happened. If you don't want to come back to the gang, but still want me with you, just give me a call. I would be happy with anything, as long as it makes you happy. If you never want to see me again, I understand that too. I wish there was something I could do to help.

I love you,
Maitea

I put the note on the ground beside me and look at Ace one last time. His eyes don't move to where I stand. I sigh, then get into my car and leave.

Ace

"You just going to let her go?" Ma asked as I stared forward, fuming. She picked up the note and handed it to me. I skimmed over it before crumpling it and throwing it to the ground. "Ace, don't be mad at her. What has she done to you?"

"I'm not mad at her, Ma. I love her," I said cooly before turning toward my dad's car. "Are we going, or do you want to get someone else killed next?"

"I have to call the police," Dad said.

"Then I have to call Maitea," I returned.

"Why?"

"The police are hunting him, Paul," Ma said, her voice cracking and heavy with grief. "All of his gang. Probably why the girl left in such a hurry." She bent down, giving in to her motherly instinct to try and clean Benny up as much as possible. "Ace, you can go. We'll cover up for you."

I nodded and got out my phone, dialing. "Maitea?" I asked. "Can you come back and get me?"

"Sure thing," she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

I said goodbye to my parents and kissed my brother's forehead just as Maitea pulled up. Getting in the car, I apologized. "I'm sorry for being an ass. I love you." Reaching over, I pulled her toward me and gave her a kiss.

Reg Carter

Conversation hadn't particularly been much, but in the elderly man's prescence, it was vital that he did all the talking. He had a good spot for being a good friend in bad situations, but he also had more authority than the Pope with the gang underworlds.

"What do you want to know?" I said, my voice flat amongst the dryness of my surroundings.

"Just enough," he replied. His voice was soft and very in control.

"Okay. I'll tell you what my problem is, if you tell me what actually happened the day my sister died."

"It doesn't work like that, Carter," he said, his gaze turned at an angle away from me.

I paused momentarily before continuing, "Know anything about the Paradise Killers?"

"Ha," he groaned, "You've gotten in trouble with them, eh? I know my fair share, as does any man, but you've got some real shit on your hands."

"That bad?" I asked. It was unusual for the old blighter to think that of anyone.

"That bad, Carter," he said, bluntly.

I turned to him and my eyes fell onto his as sand whisped up around us. His eyebrow raised in curiousity and I looked just for a moment.

"Join the Fishers," I said. "You're a handy piece of work."

"And you're a cheeky bastard. You know I don't take sides."

I spat into the ground and then looked at him again. "Is that what you said when that Ghost guy was aft'a my sis?"

He remained silent and then simply staggered forwards, opening the 4x4's door and got in the car. He sat there for a minute, pulled the door shut and then rolled down the window.

"This is a one-off," he said.