We get out of the car and investigate, Gator and I head to the back while the other 3 get in through the front.
There was a lightbulb on the door so Gator opened it and caught the lightbulb.
"Nice." I whisper.
We walk in and Gator picks up Nadine's family photo. I put a hand on his shoulder and we walk around the house. We hear a scream and walk towards the sound. Nadine suddenly jumps out and sets off a booby trap.
"Hey! No, no, no, no, wait!" Gator starts to say, but it's too late. One of the crew is hit with a hammer in the face.
Nadine runs out the front door while Gator sends another one of our gang after her. He grabs the body and closes the front door. I stay frozen. He turns around and Nadine come out of the shadows, swinging a bat with nails at him.
"Get down!" I say to him and he ducks.
Nadine's bat lands and gets stuck in the wall.
Gator takes off his mask and says "Jesus Nadine."
"Shame on you, Gator." She responds back, pushing him.
"Nadine-" I start to say.
"And you, Birdie." She says.
"There's a baby in this house!" She says.
"Yeah I saw her, she's like nine." He says.
"Now get your ass in that car and let's go." He tells her.
I hate seeing this side of Gator. He's acting like his dad.
I try and plan out how to help Nadine but nothing is coming to me right now.
"I'm not going back." Nadine says.
Another one of the gang steps out of the hall, walking next to Gator.
"Now, Nadine, we both know you're coming back, like it or not." He says, poking her.
Nadine grabs his arm and pushes him into the other crew member.
She runs into the hall and down the stairs.
"She's in the basement, go get the husband." Gator tells the man.
"Gator." I start to say.
"Not now." He says.
He grabs the man by his shirt. "Focus." He says. "The kid gets you bonus points."
"Shit." I think. I have to save Nadine and her family.
Gator grabs the bat and I follow him.
He opens the oven and takes out whatever is smoking.
He picks up the bat again and hits the smoke detector.
"Where are you mama? it's time to go home." He says.
"Your husband, it's Wayne, right? He's a nice guy- a little soft, maybe. Is that it? He soft? You don't come out of there, we're gonna find out." He says.
He busts through the door and walks down the stairs.
I follow him quietly and sneak into the shadows. I think he's forgotten about me, or at least I hope.
"Nadine!" He whistles.
I sneak back up the stairs and then up another flight of stairs where I know the rest of the gang is. They don't see me. They're about to open the attic. If Wayne and the kid are up there, I have to help them.
I prepare for a fight.
They open the door, guns raised and the first guy is hit with the ladder.
I hear Gator running up the stairs. Dot puts a blanket over the other woman's head and sends her down the stairs, hitting Gator.
"Nadine, wait. I'm gonna help you." I whisper, before Gator comes up.
She looks at me.
"Prove it." She says, nodding at the man trapped under the ladder.
I grab the toilet lid and smash him over the head. He lays there, knocked out.
"Nadine?" Gator aks, coming up the stairs.
"I'm coming for you, Nadine!" Gator yells.
Nadine shoots at Gator.
"Jesus." He says, getting down.
"Go." I say, looking at her.
They run into the bedroom and I block Gator from the door for a minute, giving them enough time to lock the door.
"Nadine!" He yells, angrily.
"Nadine." He says, pounding on the door.
We see a light under the door and suddenly everything feels warmer.
"Gator, Gator we need to go." I say.
He continues trying to hit the door open with the bat.
"Nadine?" He asks.
He manages to get in enough to see the fire, but Nadine is gone.
"Gator! Your dad hired me to help you, not the other way around." I yell. "Let's go! Now!" I say.
He grabs the man from under the ladder and we head down the stairs.
"Grab the stiff, we're done." He mutters to the man.
We walk out of the house and back to the van as the fire department pulls up.
Jesus Christ. we're silent in the van, Gator is breathing heavy, clearly angry. More scared though. He knows what'll happen when he gets home.
I'm scared too. I've never really seen this side of him before. Maybe if I'd been there he wouldn't be like this.
We get back to the ranch and I head upstairs while Gator waits for his dad.
"Well, where is she?" He asks.
Gator looks down. "I'm sorry dad." He says.
I go up the stairs so I don't see whats next but I can hear it pretty well.
He's gonna have a black eye in the morning, that's for sure. I feel terrible. His dad is so horrible and he's just poisoning Gator. And there's nothing I can do about it.
He comes back upstairs, tears flowing.
He wipes his eyes when he sees me.
"Gator, I-" I start to say.
"It's fine. Just go to bed." He says, sniffling.
I change and get under the covers. For a guy with Navy blue sheets, his bed is actually really comfy. I'm so tired and his bed is incredibly cozy but I want to wait for him.
He walks in, in his usual boxers and shorts and lays down, facing the opposite direction again, he's still crying a little.
I know he doesn't want to talk about it but I still want to be there for him.
I wrap my arm around him and cuddle him.
He freezes up at first but he holds on to my arm, pulling me a little closer. There's so much we're saying without words.
We fall asleep like that.
