Aces Kill Kings

Chapter Sixteen: Run for Help

Sprinting from the mansion was one thing, keeping tabs on Diego and watching for Ryan was another. There were too many variables that I did not know the answers to at that moment. I did not know which way Diego ran. I did not know if Ryan was going to race after us. I did not know anything other than that I needed to escape with Diego at my side. I ran, rushing across the rooftops, looking for any tinge of black or red against the quickly graying sky. The scent of rain churned in the sky as the footfalls started to reach my ears. Below me another set of houses was a level or two shorter then the one I was on. I ran to the side and found Diego, sprinting along the edges making the jumps easily and gracefully. Thank god he's here with me. Maybe we can get away with this unscathed.

Then the red caught my eye. Not hunting me, but Diego. Ryan was several yards behind, but still staying tight to Diego's trail. I was too high to get his attention without Ryan catching on so I just kept moving with them. When we came to the point where we had to veer to the left to get to the mansion I dove, knocking Diego off the roof and onto the ground with me. The landing knocked the air out of us but this kept us quiet as Ryan ran above us. I covered Diego's mouth as he gasped for breath but then had to shove him into the alleyway, hiding him as Ryan climbed down toward where we were. Ryan moved closer, scanning slowly, waiting for a fuck up, even the slightest sound he would hear. He was an Ace on the hunt, ready to kill and even more ready to find his prey. There was a bottle not far from me, a last resort probably. I shifted my weight, now down on one knee, stretching fingers barely skimming the neck of the bottle. It was a soft sound as the bottle barely turned, one that I probably would have ignored, but Ryan didn't. He turned harshly toward the sound, searching for the culprit. Diego went to step forward, ready to challenge Ryan for my escape. I shook my head. He stopped, staring at me with those large doe eyes that hurt my soul. "Run," I mouthed. He shook his head but I glared as I picked up the bottle quickly, turning and throwing it as hard as possible at the wall opposite of Diego. Ryan rushed for the broken bottle, giving Diego enough time to sprint down the alley without Ryan noticing. Ryan turned back toward me, making me pull further into the alley I was in. I knew he was tracking where the bottle came from, he would see the entrance and know this was the hiding spot. I could hear the footsteps, the sound of his pistol being slid out of its holster. I took long deep breaths waiting for the right time to turn to grab for the gun. The click of the slide going back, the footsteps stopping, gravel crunching, he was so close.

The gun was the first thing I saw as he turned toward the corner, my hands found the barrel and jerked hard as he pulled the trigger, firing into the ground. The air left my lungs in relief as I was able to force the gun out of his hands. However I was met with a hard kick to the stomach that made me bend double. Ryan tried to grab my hands but I slipped out of his grasp and shoved him back into the wall. There was a knife in his hand as he pushed off the wall, slashing at my face and chest, trying for any bit of skin he could get. Annoyingly he snagged me a few times on the arms as I blocked his other hand trying to land a punch at my face. The blood started to run down my arms, making them slick a blessing really. He was unable to get a grip to drag me anywhere by my arms.

"Just fucking go down you fucker!" Ryan growled.

"Not until I know he's had enough time to reach the mansion." I smirked in his face as he lunged again. He was able to grab my shirt and slung me into the wall, back first. The searing pain shocked through my body as the scars were pulled too tense and made impact with the wall. I tried not to show how bad the pain was but it was difficult when there was no anticipation of the pain. Other voices rose over the rooftops, forcing me back to my feet.

"Where are they?" A voice more familiar than I wanted it to be. Warrick called out again, "Ryan?"

"Down here. You're fucking done now." Again he lunged but I was able to escape his grip but still nicked by that fucking knife. When I stepped back trying to get further into the alley, maybe trying to find a fire ladder or something to use to keep some separation I heard the landing behind me, I knew better to turn my back on Ryan though. I knew it was Warrick. I knew they were going to try to double team me. I knew they were going to slowly push forward and give me no escape route.

Ryan started coming forward first, making me step back, glancing back I saw the only chance I had at escape. Scaling the wall above Warrick to get back on the roof and sprinting. Ryan saw my eye movement and smiled, "Try it." I took the challenge as a bluff, surely it was him thinking he could outrun me. So I did try it. I ran toward Warrick and kicked off the wall, clawing and kicking my way up the wall and finally back onto the roof. I took a deep breath as I sat for a moment, trying to get my barings to run when I was met with those damn blue eyes and that fucking Smith and Wesson 629 44. Magnum.

"Fuck you." I growled at Kiera. I stood and kept my eyes on her, she was now the target with the most dangerous weapon even if she wasn't an Ace she could shoot me from anywhere and take me down.

"You wish." I saw the sparkle in her eyes at the challenge but Ryan and Warrick climbed up behind me and closed the gap, taking my wrists in their grip and cuffing them behind my back, the blood still making it difficult. "The request was to have them alive."

"Bleeding is alive." Ryan chuckled as he tried to drag me toward their mansion again. I planted my feet and dug in deep, refusing to move an inch. He pressed the blade to my throat and I saw how fed up he was, "Walk or die."

"Can't kill me. Requested alive or do you have short term memory problems?" I wouldn't pass up a chance to piss Ryan off, no matter what trouble it would bring later.

"Just get out of the way." Kiera stepped forward, holstering the pistol and taking hold of cuffs and pushing me forward. I wouldn't fight Kiera, even though I was supposed to I wouldn't. I simply walked for her, letting her lead me back to the damn nest of hearts waiting for whatever hell was going to happen to me when they realized exactly what I was. With any luck I would be killed quickly when they find out I am an Ace. But it was never so simple. So I really had no idea what would happen when I arrived back, especially after just murdering a Heart and being caught in the act.

We reached the mansion and the other hearts were waiting outside, anticipating the return from the hunt. Warrick joined the line quickly but when Ryan tried to take hold of me again I jerked and growled slightly. Kiera waved him off and kept leading me forward. With a little pressure guiding me down Kiera put me on my knees before Ryker and Marilynn.

"So this is the one that murdered Ramsay? Not exactly what I was expecting." Marilynn stepped forward, grabbing my hair and pulling my head up, forced to meet her blue eyes. Eyes dangerously similar to her daughter's. Her medium length dirty blonde hair hung loose framing her aging face while the corners of her mouth were pulled tight. Ryker stepped up next, looking his daughter up and down before turning his attention to me.

"Well it's been a while since we've had a Spade to play with. Why don't you take him away Ryan. Integrate him a bit?"

"She won't let me." Ryan glared at Kiera who kept her facial expressions guarded, more guarded then I had seen before.

"Take him, Ryan." When Ryan grabbed hold of me to guide me in I threw my weight back against him, knocking his grip off. Others lunged but Kiera was still the closest. Damn her anyway. When her hands met my shoulders and slid down to the cuffs again I let her lead me. Annoyed, I couldn't bring myself to risk hurting her. She slowly took me back through the mansion into the basement I escaped last time. At the end of one of the halls I saw the room Diego and I had been locked in and thankfully they weren't going for that method again. Instead she took me to a room similar to Harold's punishment room. The cuffs came off quick but the chains came on faster. Even with the blood running down my arms I could not slip out of the cuffs. So I waited for Kiera to finish binding me. The heavy cuffs held tight as she stepped back, pressing a button that pulled the chains tight, stretching my arms out wide, pulling the muscles of my chest and back taunt. I swallowed a groan as the scars on my back felt so tense, almost ready to split back open if I flexed wrong.

"It's what needs to be done." Kiera said half to herself. She turned to leave, a soft sound left my throat, a noise that was between pain and attention seeking. She turned back, meeting my eyes. "I can't..." She looked at me, taking in the blood running down my arms, soaking my shirt, the look of desperation on my face. Slowly she walked forward, leaning in close. "There are cameras in here. I'm sorry about this. I won't let them kill you." Her hand gripped my throat as she pulled me close, the smile on her lips not meeting the sadness in her eyes. She let go and walked out, shutting the heavy steel door behind her.

Fear started to sink in as I stood there, bound and at their mercy, mercy I knew I would not receive. Kiera and Warrick would be my only escape from this place. That was if I could survive whatever was going to come in the coming hours.