Chapter Seventeen
"Please tell me that you don*t expect us to go in there," Joey stated seriously as he looked up at the severely dilapidated apartment building.
"I don*t expect you to do anything you don*t want to," was JC*s solemn reply. "But I*m going in. Alexa*s in there. I know she is."
"And how exactly do you know this?" Lonnie asked, staring at the building skeptically. He wasn*t even sure that he wanted to go inside, and he had grown up in the projects of Chicago. "If this Tyrell really is one of the biggest dealers in town, he wouldn*t be living in a place like this."
"I just*" JC looked at Justin for help. He found none. "I just have this feeling."
"Hold up!" Lance interrupted, tossing both of his hands in the air. "You want me to risk my life on a damn feeling? I don*t think so, Jace. You*ve definitely lost your mind."
"We don*t have time for this," Justin said suddenly, opening the door and stepping outside of the van. That overwhelming feeling of dread had begun to wash over him again. "We have to get inside. Stay in the van if you want. I don*t care."
JC jumped out of the van just a few seconds later and so, although slightly more reluctantly, did Chris. Dre wasn*t far behind them.
"I guess that means I*m staying with the two of you," Lonnie said to Joey and Lance. He wasn*t all that upset by the outcome.
~*~
Alexa was awake. She had been awake. For nearly twenty minutes she*d been listening to the terrible things Tyrell was saying and doing to her best friend. It was tearing her apart inside. What he did to her was one thing. But doing it to Alona. To one of the only people who had ever truly loved her. It wasn*t right. Alexa couldn*t handle it. She almost longed for him to hurt her, just so he would stop hurting Alona. What was worse was knowing that after tonight, after everything that had happened, the hurt for Alona would never be able to stop. Tyrell would leave her with emotional scars that would last a lifetime. Maybe even physical scars. Alexa knew. She had them herself.
Awake as she was, Alexa saw JC, Justin, Chris and Dre enter the apartment. Her first reaction was to curse silently under her breath. She wanted them here. Wanted them to save her. And Alona. But she knew, somewhere deep down inside her, that the outcome of this night wasn*t going to be good. A happy ending wasn*t in sight. She could just feel it.
~*~
JC saw Tyrell and Alona on the bed before he caught a glimpse of Alexa tied up and bloody on the floor. His stomach turned and then leapt to his throat. He was going to kill this man if it was the last thing he did. But in his hesitation to react, Chris already had. His older friend was already charging at the bed, screaming things that JC had never imagined would come out of his mouth. Sadly, the obscenities Chris was spouting off were his downfall. Tyrell turned around just in time to bring his right fist crashing down on Chris* eye and cheekbone. The first punch was followed quickly by a second, this time connecting with Chris* nose. JC had never heard such a gut-wrenching sound. Bone shattering. It was horrific. But still, he couldn*t move. Not when Dre ran to Chris* rescue. Not when Justin moved towards Alexa. Not even when Jalen and two other very large Hispanic men entered the apartment behind him. He just stood. Frozen. And more terrified than he had ever thought possible.
He watched in shock and disillusion as Jalen and one of his friends grabbed Justin from behind, tossing Alexa back to the floor that Justin had just pulled her up from. He couldn*t understand why no one was going after him. Tyrell and the other man that had walked in with Jalen were now fighting Dre and Chris. Alona lay completely still on the bed and JC couldn*t bring himself to think the worst. Maybe they were too late to save her. Not that he was doing much saving of any kind at that moment. He wasn*t doing much of anything. He even found it difficult to breathe. And still, he wondered again, why was no one coming after him? Was he really that unobtrusive? He felt like he was invisible.
Looking away from Alona*s too-still form, his eyes caught Alexa*s. She smiled at him sadly and looked away. What happened next seemed all to occur in slow motion. Painfully slow motion. Tyrell spun around, landed a direct punch that sent Dre sprawling onto the floor and grabbed a gun that, until that moment, JC hadn*t realized was lying on the dresser. As the first shot rang out JC did the only thing he could think of. He lunged towards Alexa. Several more shots were fired but JC paid no attention. If he was gonna die, he was gonna do it protecting the woman he loved.
Somewhere off in the distance he heard Lance. When Lance had showed up he wasn*t sure. Joey*s voice came next, followed quickly by Lonnie. It seemed like everyone was shouting but he couldn*t make out any of what they were saying. And he couldn*t explain the intense fire in his right shoulder. Or why Alexa was lying so still and silent underneath him. The last thing he remembered was someone grabbing him and pulling him up from the floor.
That*s when he blacked out.