Fire in the Firehouse 13

Segueing into part 13...

Out off nowhere there were two gunshots. "PA-POW...PA-POW..." Dead silence. All three men spilled out of the two trucks as fast as they could muster. All three feared the worst. Hearing two guns go off was not good. The odds were stacked against Mitch. Cole ran over to the other two and put his arms around Colby who was struggling to stay on his feet. His emotions had taken control. Drake turned his friend's head into his shoulder to muffle the screams and gasping for air. They knew it best to leave, but what if Mitch made it away? 

Colby was worse off this time than he'd been the day of the incident where Mitch wound up in the hospital. He couldn't go through this again he kept telling himself. Drake and his lover were powerless. They knew no more than Colby. Cole knew he had to go now. He beat himself over not going when the thought first dawned on him. He called back, "I might die doing so, but I ain't leaving that man out there if he's..."

Drake cried out, "NO! COLE, COME BACK!" Too late, he was off and wasn't turning back now. He owed it to Mitch.

Cole was off in a flash, his eyes thankfully were well adjusted to the surrounding light of the full moon as it hung heavily in the sky allowing the man the best access visually he could hope for. The air was still warm and it surrounded him. He was slightly aware of the night air and was grateful for it. But it was also causing him to sweat some with his rapid movements as he ducked and dove beneath tree branches. Occasionally missing one here or there. Since all four men had shorts on because of the weather, and Cole was amongst the trees and brush, some parts of his exposed skin was getting scratched and scraped.

Cole had little time the way he saw it, to worry about minuscule things like scratches and scrapes. It was true that he barely knew Mitch, but being that he was dating Mitch's lover's best friend, and he being Drake he owed it to him. Drake had stayed back with Colby to comfort him.

Colby's mind raced. He was even more bothered by things due to the fact he'd not received a sign from Mitch he'd made it out. Colby's mind over flowed with thoughts and emotions. There were so many at once he couldn't keep track of them. They came and went so fast. He tried to think positive but there were no signs from the man he loved.

The minutes passed and felt like a life time. Colby sobbed uncontrollably. The one thought he held to: unlike Joe, Drake was comfortably familiar. He was able to release his pent up emotions that much more. Drake was uncertain what to say and responded kindly by holding his friend as tight as he could. 

Drake wondered what was taking Cole so long. He then thought to himself, odd those two bastards haven't emerged, then again neither has Mitch. Is this good news or bad? He began getting lost in his thoughts. He tried to not show any signs of weakness for Colby's sake.

Cole looked everywhere. If he could just get something. A body, some blood, some noise. Anything other than silence. He whispered, "Mitch, ya there man? Hey, Mitch, you all right?" Nothing. He pushed forward and continued looking as his heart pounded in fear, not knowing what he might discover. As he moved ahead he saw something most curious. He stared hard and tried to wrap his head around what he saw. Could it be? Impossible. Right?

Up ahead he saw Mitch crouched down. He couldn't fathom why he lay as such. He tried to see if there was any signs of life. He stared as hard as he could, wishing a bit that it were closer to daylight. 

As Cole bore down on Mitch he saw the other moving. More rapidly now. It seemed as though the acknowledgment of another gave Mitch permission to break down. It confirmed he was alive. Cole couldn't deduce what was happening. He moved closer of a better view. 

Mitch rolled over, tears running down his face. The night air was still, adding to the drama. It were as though the air around responded to what had happened. There was a faint smell of gun powder in the air, but it was dissipating. 

Cole leaned down, "Hey man. Its Cole. You all right man? What happened?" Mitch gathered himself, got up, threw his arms around Cole. All things that had happened back home were forgotten, be it for now, or all together. All of that stuff, it mattered little. Mitch needed comfort and Cole was beginning to see why.

Part of Cole wanted to ask the other what had happened, but he could sense an overwhelming need to give the other compassionate affection. He needed solace right now. The what-happened could wait a bit. Cole assumed the lead and directed the way back out. 

As they got closer to Drake and Colby, they could hear the wheat-colored haired man sobbing. Mitch's insides ached for his lover's comfort. He then began sensing his emotions and knew they must push forward. It gave him renewed strength and vigor.

Colby was too consumed in what he believed to be grief and wasn't alert to sounds other than that of himself. Drake had been crying a bit, too but not so much he couldn't hear rustling in the trees and through the brush on the ground. The dead needles and branches cracked and snapped under the weight of the two men walking over them. It was those sounds that got Drake's attention.

Drake looked over in time to see his and his best friend's lovers both emerge from the heavy trees. Drake couldn't hold back any longer. "Colby, look! There they are!" Colby instantly broke free and practically flew into Mitch's arms. His haste almost knocked the other over. Mitch was happy and relieved to see him.

Colby began sobbing almost hysterically now. But the more Mitch held him, the more at ease he became. Feeling each other's hearts beat from one chest to another gave comfort. Colby was trying to gather his words to grill Mitch, but they wouldn't come. Though the darker haired man of the couple figured this out and gave a few more moments and then began addressing the obvious.

"Well, I guess the three of you are wondering what happened," he began. "Well, its like this: the two sons of bitches had me cornered, I could almost literally smell my death. I closed my eyes and drew from myself deeper than I ever had. I thought long and hard and knew I had to focus and be swift about it. I managed to dig deep inside both men at once. Hell, I can't even explain it. But it seemed as though I was inside both their minds at once. I found their fears and capitalized on that. I used my Empathy on them both at once and I caused them to fire on one another simultaneously. The two gun shots were them shooting each other. And when Cole found me I was deep in thought, crying because I took two lives with my powers. Its not easy to deal with knowing you've helped end two lives. But I've come to terms with it. I know, based on what I felt that they had no remorse about killing me and then going after the three of you. It pains me deeply it came to this, but there was no other out."

The other three men drew on his every word. They felt a sense of loss for the two men that had died. But they all felt that in life we all choose our paths. And apparently greed and money was theirs. It mattered little now. They knew they had to get going.

Drake, being more in control since he'd not really been pushed to his limits as much as the others offered a suggestion. "I think it wise we get the hell outta here. Who knows when someone might venture by. I feel bad we have to leave their bodies like that. God knows what will happen, but we can't exactly explain any of this to the cops." They all realized he was right. But Cole had an idea.

When they got back to the two trucks, Cole reached in and grabbed his cell phone. "I have an idea," he explained. He took his phone out, dialed *67 which blocks caller ID, and the proceeded to dial 911. "Hello? Yes, I'm out here by the lake, about three miles off Highway 50. And there're two abandoned cars with headlights still on. In fact, one has run into a tree." The dispatcher continued taking all the necessary info. Cole, for obvious reasons, declined to be notified further stating he was just calling in the situation.

Mitch turned to him and smiled. "Thanks man. That means a lot. It was hard dealing with that. That makes me feel better knowing chances are high they'll find them now. If nature gets to them first, so be it. At least we've tried." That said, they got in the two trucks. Cole driving Mitch's and Drake in Colby's. They headed back home.

In his sports car, a brand new Corvette, Nick flew around the turns heading towards the casinos in Tahoe. He played out so much in his mind. He knew it to be detrimental that he worked out his plan to leave Marie. He couldn't go on living like this. If she didn't try something herself, it'd only be a matter of time before the stress killed him.