Life Of A Real Shooter

Chapter 1 - Wanted Dead Or Alive

"Police are on the hunt for four of America's most wanted criminals: Fergal Devitt, Riley Marshall, Chad Allegra, and Drew Hankinson. The group calls themselves "The Real Shooters". The foursome has been on the run for months, but police suspect that they are currently somewhere in the state of Washington. The four are wanted for numerous acts of violence, including burglary, theft, assault, and possibly even murder. Please contact the your local authorities if you see any of these four criminals in your area. Fergal Devitt is said to be about 5'9" in height," "What the fuck is this news anchor on about!?! I'm 5'11"!" Fergal screams, "Sure you are, buddy," Chad says, patting his back. "He is said to be about 190 pounds, has brown hair, a brown beard, and blue eyes. His most noticeable feature would be his Irish accent. He is 34 years old. His girlfriend, Riley Marshall, is said to be 5'3" in height, 110 pounds in weight, has long blonde hair, fair skin, and hazel eyes. She's 21 years of age and she has a tattoo around her left wrist," The anchor says. I put my hand on my hip, looking down at the tattoo around my wrist, "Chad Allegra, who is 36 years old, is approximately six feet tall and 241 pounds. He is bald, has a brown beard, and a tattoo on his right shoulder. His counterpart, Drew Hankinson is a 6'8", approximately 302 pound, 32 year old man. He, like Allegra, is bald and has a brown beard. Allegra has tattoos all over both arms. Again, if you have any leads on where any of these four may be, please contact authorities," The news anchor finally finished and Drew turned the TV off, slamming the remote down beside him. "Someone must have seen us.... Someone here must have reported us," Fergal said, pacing back in forth, running his hand through his hair. "We've got to get out of here, damn it!" He shouted. I walked up to him and placed a hand on his back, trying to soothe him a bit. "Ferg-" I begin but get cutoff, "No, Riley! Nothing you can say or do is going to calm me down! We can't get busted!" His accent thick as he speaks. I shudder at his tone and I step away from him, afraid. "We've got to come up with a plan," Fergal says. He and the boys begin talking as I lean against the wall. I had news for Fergal, and I wasn't sure he was going to like it.

I sigh as I watch them map out a plan. We were currently staying at a dump somewhere near the small town of Twisp, Washington. Who knows where the wind will take us next.... It's not up to me. I really have no say in anything the four of us do. I know Fergal loves me with all of his heart, but sometimes he really treats me poorly. It's probably just because of the stress he's under. Being only 21 years old, I'm new to this. I met Fergal when I was just 19 years old and ever since then, he's had me wrapped around his finger. Even when he began his life of crime with his two best friends, I held onto him, I stayed with him because of how much I love him. The boys begin shouting, but I know it's a good sign, as they're high-fiving and going crazy. They must have come up with a plan or something. Fergal smirks and walks over to me, pulling me close to him. He kisses me roughly on the lips and I kiss back, of course. "Let's hit the road, baby," he says. "Where are we going next?" I ask, feeling left out of the conversation yet again. "How does Arizona sound?" He asks, not really wanting an answer to his question. He kisses me again before opening the door, allowing the rest of us to exit the hotel room. Chad takes a wad of cash that we stole sometime in the past few weeks and walks to the front desk, slamming the cash down. "Just keep the extra cash... We're out of here," he stated. We all piled into a beaten up white van and headed off.

Drew was driving, as Fergal, Chad, and I sat in the back. Two people could sit up front, but we decided it would be harder to be noticed if only one person was up front driving. Fergal pulled me into his lap and I laid my head against his muscular chest. He kissed my forehead and held my hand, rubbing it softly with his thumb. He and Chad began talking about something, I don't really know what. None of us had any cell phones with us, we just had a ton of cash, several diamonds and jewels, clothes, and of course, weapons. I fell asleep in Fergal's lap. It was at least a twenty hour drive to our destination in Arizona. I woke up about four hours later, looking at Fergal to see that he was now sleeping. He looked so peaceful when he slept. I missed my sweet Fergal. I knew he was still there deep down, but lately he hadn't let it be seen. Lately, he had been acting as if he had an alter ego.... a demon inside of him. I missed the way Fergal and I were when we first began dating. We would talk about our future together, having kids someday, just being a happy family. We could never have that now. I began to cry, thinking about how we could never give the jig up, otherwise we'd spend the rest of our lives in prison. I'd much rather stay on the run than either be shot or imprisoned. "What's wrong with you?" Chad asks. I just shake my head, not wanting to talk about it. He just shrugs and looks away. I continue crying and I snuggle closer to Fergal. Feeling his body against mine made me feel protected. I guess a tear landed on his skin because Fergal woke up. "What happened?" He asked, yawning through his question. I shake my head again, not wanting him to yell at me when I tell him. "C'mon, babe, tell me what's going on," Fergal said, tilting my head up. "I'm just scared...." I say softly. He shushes me, "We're gonna be fine! Baby, you know the three of us are going to protect you at all times. We love you. I love you," he finishes. "I know, but Fergal.... all the things we wanted. A home, a family, happiness... We're never gonna have that," I say, breaking down again. Fergal angrily sighs. "You knew what you were getting into... You're here now. You're with us. If you wanna leave, leave... But while we stay on the run, you'll be put into prison. Riley, we can't ever have a normal life. Accept it!" He shouted. I look down, tears still flowing. "I'm sorry if that was harsh," Fergal said, reaching for my hand, "I want a perfect life with you... But I'm afraid we'll never have that. Once we get away from the cops, we can all live somewhere secluded. There might be a way out of this," he said. Chad speaks up, "Then, you may wanna start talking like you're American when we're in public. And Drew and I better shave and grow our hair out or something.... to change our appearance. And Riley, well... maybe gain some weight or something... You're so skinny," he laughs. I laugh. "So oblivious," I think to myself. "What about me?" Fergal asks, "Do I need to change my appearance?" "No!" I shout, not wanting my Fergal to change a thing about himself ever again. Fergal smiles at me and laughs. "Maybe shave or cut your hair or something," Chad suggests. Fergal looks like he's seriously considering it. "We'll figure something out," he says.

I'm so tired of running. But I know it's my only choice. If I ever want to make it to a safe place, I better stick with my boys.