The Family Business

13

     The next morning, we arrived at Berkeley. Everyone was standing on the deck of the ship, and Blake, Jefferson and I were preparing to face off against Nicholas. They both had guns, and had given me one too. It felt strange and heavy, and I hoped I wouldn't have to use it. I tucked it into my belt and drew my denim jacket around it, concealing it. I hugged Will and Sam, and waved goodbye to the rest of the crew. Then, flanked by my brother and Captain Hook, I walked down the gangplank to begin my next adventure.
     We hailed a taxi and asked the driver to drop us off two blocks from Nicholas' house. Jefferson figured he was too stupid to move, so we were beginning our search at the house with the freezing basement room. We all sat in the back of the taxi, me in the middle, Blake to my left, and Jefferson to my right. My heart was pounding, and my hands began to shake. Blake looked over and grabbed my left hand, steadying it. I gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand. Jefferson was deep in thought, fiddling with his earring.

     After what seemed like an eternity, the cab stopped. We got out, paid the driver, and began the short walk to Nicholas' house. When we arrived, we looked up at the building, all of us dreading going in. Blake hadn't let go of my hand until now, and when he did, I felt the absence immediately. We went over the plan again, making sure we had all the details down. Since Nicholas was less likely to kill me than Blake or Jefferson, I was to go directly to the basement, where we were pretty sure he would be keeping Blake's sister. Blake and Jefferson would split up and try to neutralize Donovan. With both of them working on it, they should get it done quickly and be able to join me downstairs. Once we had rescued the girl, we would run about a block away, where Stephen would be waiting with a getaway car. Blake had decided to have Stephen drive because he had grown up in Berkeley and knew his way around. He also knew how to avoid the cops, making him a prime choice. He was supposed to be going to get the car right about now and, if all went well, would be waiting for us when we escaped.
     Blake took a deep breath and started walking confidently towards the house. Jefferson and I followed. When we reached the door, Blake reached out and turned the knob. It was unlocked. Idiot, I thought. Nicholas was stupid not to lock his front door. We stepped inside and silently closed the door behind us. Blake signaled that he was going left, and Jefferson was going right. He reached over and gave my hand one final squeeze before slipping off in search of Donovan. Jefferson hugged me.
     "You can do this," he murmured, cupping my face in his hands. I nodded, and he pulled out his gun and turned, beginning his mission. I pulled out my own gun and walked toward the door that I knew would lead to the frigid basement. I opened the door and walked silently down the steps. When I came to the door leading into the room, I saw the key still in the lock. It was unlocked. Nicholas must be in there. I took a deep breath and turned the knob. The door swung open and I immediately lifted my gun, pointing it right at Nicholas. His head swung toward me and a look of shock came across his face.
     "What are you doing here, sweetheart?" He asked. The cold made me shiver. I looked around the room and my gaze settled on the girl tied to a chair in the middle of the concrete floor. Her face was bruised and she had a cut on the left side, just below the temple. I gasped. I knew this girl.
     "Oh," Nicholas exclaimed, "Is this supposed to be a rescue?" He looked from me to the other girl and back again. I, however, kept my eyes firmly planted on her. Maddie. I had grown up with her by my side. I had laughed with her, cried with her, shared memories with her. She hadn't just been my maid; she'd been my friend. And yet, she had never mentioned having a brother, let alone a brother who was a pirate. Then again, that made sense, seeing how my parents had treated Jefferson.
     "Are you ok?" I asked her. She nodded, and I turned my attention back to Nicholas, my gun still raised. He too had pulled out a gun, and pointed it back at me. Slowly, with a malicious grin, he did the one thing he knew I wouldn't be able to stand. He turned the gun toward my friend.
     "Drop it, sweetheart" he said, his voice low and evil. I looked from him to Maddie. She was staring at me, eyes wide in fear. I couldn't let her die. I had to save her. I lowered my gun. "I said drop it," Nicholas growled. I let the gun fall from my limp hand, and heard it clatter on the floor. Nicholas turned his gun back toward me, and stepped slowly closer. He came toward me until the gun was pressed to my forehead. I didn't move. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. I swallowed, hard. Nicholas looked at me for a second before walking around me and closing the door. He came back over and began to speak. "Now, the only way I can think of that you would be down here is if you teamed up with the one-handed pirate. So what is it about you?"
     "I-I don't-"
     "See, there's something special about you, sweetheart," he said, pointing at me with his gun and then letting it fall back to his side. "People meet you, and then they change. They switch sides. Bad to good. Jefferson changed. And now Blake Archer. But not me. No. You can't change me. I am, and always will be, evil." At least he knew which side he was on. He stepped closer to me, almost touching me and I stepped back involuntarily. He grabbed the front of my shirt and pushed me backwards, slamming me into the wall, his body pressed against mine. "So where are they?" He asked in almost a whisper. "They wouldn't have sent you in here alone. Helpless little thing like you. Where are they?" I said nothing. I needed to buy them more time. "WHERE ARE THEY?" Nicholas shouted. I flinched, but remained silent. Please, I begged silently, please hurry. I couldn't do this alone. I was helpless. Nicholas' face hardened. He reached up and cupped my chin in his hand, squeezing. "I could do so many horrible things to you," he said softly. What is taking so long? I wondered, terrified out of my mind. Nicholas brushed his thumb over my lips. I shuddered, partly from the cold and partly from disgust and terror. He grinned maliciously, and let go, stepping back. Just as I was about to breath a sigh of relief, he smacked me. I used the wall to steady myself, and remained upright. He grabbed me again, leaning in.
"I will ask you one more time, sweetheart," he said calmly. "Where. Are. They?" Just then, I heard a muffled thud from upstairs. I smiled, relief flooding through my body.
"You're right," I said to Nicholas, "they would never send me in here alone. They would never make me do anything alone. Right now, they are very angry with you, and they are armed. And they are closer than you would care to know." A trace of fear flashed in Nicholas' eyes, but was quickly replaced with his characteristic hatred and lunacy.
The door flew open with a perfectly timed crash. In strode Blake and Jefferson, both with guns raised. Nicholas grabbed me and pulled me away from the wall, turning me around and wrapping his arm around my chest, and I was reminded of the time I had first met my brother. Little had I known that by going for that walk, I would begin the most terrible, most amazing adventure of my life. Once again, I was being used as a human shield. Once again, I felt the cold metal of a gun pressed to my head. Once again, I was terrified. My mind was spinning, my heart pounding. And yet, in the middle of it all, the two men who stood before me, their guns raised, stayed perfectly clear. They would fight for me. They would never leave me. I had found a family.