“I need to help my brother,” Annabelle said as her face went bright red. “He’s with some of the gang members and I need to help kill them.”

Logan’s eyebrow raised, “why? Why not just leave them? We’ve got to prep… a bank job is serious… come on,” he waved his hands, ready to leave the house as he said, “like you said… we need to go to Gun and Tonics.”

She crossed her arms and stood like her feet were stuck to the floor. “No. I need to help him! We planned it and if we don’t, he cannot leave to help us. They are held up somewhere so they can help the gang with the bank job.” She continued to cross her arms and smirked at him but only for a second, “do ya understand now?”

He moved in closer and crossed his arms too, “why don’t I go and help Jim then?” He grinned.

“Then I will go to the see Clive.” They both smiled at each other, grabbed their gear and guns and once they were done getting ready, Logan opened the door for her and shut it after she walked out. The cold air went down Logan’s spine as they both was looking into each other’s eyes. Though, as the cold air past, they both turned around and went their separate ways.

Logan looked down at the paper that portrayed Jim’s location. He thought it was easy to follow as he passed the cold winds. Each step felt closer to a life he had never hoped for, yet the closer he got, the more he wanted it.

The sandy floor shielded his boots in sand. He continued until he seen an alleyway that the map shown, so he proceeded to walk down it. The warm, tight space gave him a strange comfort, yet he didn’t stay long; he needed to help Jim.

Finally, he thought, looking at the broken-down house, which made his spine tingle as the house drained his power. Insidious, he thought. He couldn’t dare himself to go closer. He wanted to run from it. He felt his death inside the house as he thought about going inside.

Though, he had accepted death long ago, so he ran towards the house and dodged the windows at the front of the house when he seen someone looking out of it. A few metal barrels were hiding him as he went around the house, heading towards the back garden. Though, once he was heading down the side of the house, an open window was presented to him and he took the opportunity without second guessing.

The room was grimy, walls was black with tiny, white patches that were spread out. The carpet had had a long life, Logan thought, as he saw the door was open. Damn, he quietly said. He scurried like a cat and hid behind the wall. He had to get to the front windows like a lion.

He peeped around the wall and knew it was safe to sneakily walk. With every step came dread. The floor will creak, he thought. Though, with every step came silence. He continued to thank God. Yet, with every step came worry. But he knew what he had to do. Kill.

He moved closer to front windows where the man was looking out. Yes, Logan thought as the man was continuing to look out the window. He moved in closer. So much for a look out, Logan quietly thought as he began to grab the man from behind, putting his hand on the dirty man’s mouth. The smell was hard to forget about; although, murder was enough.

Logan, once the man couldn’t speak, put his left arm around the man’s neck and strained like a snake. The man tried to stamp his foot, so logan slowly pulled him to the floor and the man struggled like he was fighting quicksand. Logan wrapped his legs around the guy as soon as they were both on the ground. The man was hopeless, Logan thought; though, he didn’t stop. He pulled harder on the man’s neck, until his head nearly went all the way back. The man’s lungs were empty and Logan throw the soulless body to the side.

He stood up and wondered where Jim was? He needed to be careful, death would be on the horizon for Jim if he didn’t. Yet, how was he supposed to let Jim knew that it is him killing them?

Suddenly, a noise came from another room, which sounded like two men chatting, so he decided to approach them; though, his heart pounded against his chest but it didn’t affect is determination to end the ones in front of him.

He moved closer towards the room as he realised the two men were standing in the kitchen. He could now see the two men talking as he peeked out from behind the door. One was close to him while the other one, who was missing an eye, was further away. Logan smirked as his plan felt perfect to him.

He was taking his throwing knife out as he began to run at them. He held the smallish throwing knife like a baby as he began to aim it. The one-eyed man saw him first and froze. Logan threw the smallish knife towards him. He stood, frozen as the knife continued to fly and Logan ran after the knife, hoping it would land like an arrow.

The one-eyed man, whose legs were frozen, began to move his hands towards his face. Yet, within seconds, the knife smashed straight into his throat. The man attempted to scream; although, nothing came out but blood. The one-eyed man stumbled to the floor as his friend discovered what had happened.

Logan was still running but his target was different. The man, finally, heard Logan’s loud footsteps but before the man could react in anyway, Logan jumped on his back as he used his hand, again, to put around the man’s mouth, sending both of them to the floor. Logan, once again, prayed that no one heard them. They landed next to the one-eyed man who was still choking on his own blood.

Logan couldn’t help but watch the one-eyed man trying to grasp for air while blood was the only thing the man could breathe in and out. The man swallowed blood and coughed up blood again and again and again and again. Logan focused on the man in his arms as he threatened to torture him if he screamed. He released his hand once the man agreed. Logan then said, “where is Jim and the others?” The man explained that they were upstairs and Logan felt relief when he knew where Jim was. Logan put his hand back on the man’s mouth and moved his other hand towards the choking man. Once his hand was closer, Logan pulled the bloody knife out of the one-eyed man’s throat, then he choked on the blood for the last time and his eyes went black and the back of his head hit the ground. Yet, Logan couldn’t think about death for as long as the man in his arms was wriggling around.

The bloody knife reflected off the man’s hopeless eyes as the one-eyed man’s blood continued to drop off the knife which was getting closer and closer towards the wriggling man. Logan then brought the bloody knife towards the man’s pounding heart. The pointy side began to press hard against his skin and he began to scream; although, Logan muffled them by covering the frightened man’s mouth with his hand. The bloody knife pierced his skin as Logan’s hand began to get wet from the screaming man’s mouth.

Logan watched his hand push the bloody knife further into his skin, until blood started to spray towards Logan’s face. As he drove the bloody knife further in, the man’s muffled scream vibrated through his hand. His face became still but not relaxed. Though, a mediocre relief entered his soul as the man’s saddened eyes felt the tip of the knife. Logan could see the man’s life, until he shut his eyes and stopped wriggling.

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Logan was lying still as the bloody, silent man was resting upon him. The dark blood covered him from head to toe as he thought about the death that was all around him, everywhere he would go, death would follow him like stalker. But was following the path that only held death a good idea, he questioned? Yet, he doubted death would ever go away, it would scour the country for him, the caves he would hide in, the people he would fit it with, the campsites, the towns and his family, death would follow all.

He moved the innocent man and got up to the floor as a noise from upstairs scared him. He looked up to the ceiling, expecting the others to rush downstairs but no footsteps, he thought. They were now laughing and Logan smiled to himself, knowing he still had the upper hand.

The stairs were creaking as he tiptoed up them. He was clenching his teeth, hoping they were loud enough to not hear him. Though, once he reached the top, he let out a huge sigh and quickly put his hand on his mouth as he thought what an idiot he was. With his hand still on his mouth, he looked towards the room they were in and could still hear laughing. He continued to slowly walk towards the door. As Logan got closer, he looked through the gap where the door was slightly open. Looking through the gap, he seen who was making all the noise, four tough looking men sat around a table and playing poker. He thought how stress reducing playing would be but he instantly stopped that thought and planned his entry. Though, as he planned, he could not see Jim and his palms started to drip with sweat.

He grabbed the pistol with his clammy hands and he put his back to the wall. His lurid breathing was nearly as loud as their laughing but he wiped the sweat from his forehead and followed his heartbeat. BANG! Logan kicks the door open, aiming for anything that was near the table as money, cards and bottles of booze went flying in the air. The desperate men tried to pounce out of the way but Logan thought what a waste of air.

A grey-haired man scraped his nails on the table as he crawled across the table with bullets entering the side of his body. He moaned and groaned as he grabbed the other gang member, which resulted in the other one getting shot straight in the head. He stood still for a few seconds, until blood poured out of the gaping bullet hole. Logan smiled at where his bullets were landing, even if they weren’t hitting anyone, the bullets were still scaring them. Yet just as he thought, the two other guys used the table as cover and successively grabbed their weapons. Logan, with no cover to hide behind, jumped backwards out of the room and rolled behind the wall as bullets sprayed towards him.

As he put his hands over his head, the bullets quickly began to peel through the wall and he wished he could sink into the floor. The gang members taunted him, “ya done for now, cowpoke. Ya have no idea what we’ll do to ya.” Logan laughed in the face of death but did he mean it? Though, his laughing stopped when a bullet whizzed over his head. So, he needed to move away from the wall, he thought but moving an inch felt impossible.

Suddenly, the bullets stopped and Logan thought they were reloading but to Logan, it sounded like two bodies dropping to the floor. He questioned it. Did he hear a third gun firing, he asked himself? But just before he could figure it out, a soft and regretful voice spoke, “it’s me, Jim.”

Logan ran inside the room as his beating heart started to sound normal again. “Thank you, Jim. Ya really helped me there.” Jim nodded and went back to looking at his old life. Logan couldn’t help but get angry at him. “Don’t feel sorry for them! You cannot build a new life without tearing the old one down. We have a chance here, Jim, a chance at living the rich life, without taking orders from anyone, and you will save your sister from the shit that breeds in theses streets.” Jim looked away from his old friends and put his eyes back on Logan. “Are you ready for this new chapter?”

Jim didn’t answer but sighed. He was walking out the room, until he stopped and was looking down at the bloody floor. “I had memories with these men,” he turned his head and looked at Logan. “I will not be looked down on for feeling something for theses men’s deaths. But don’t doubt my drive and loyalty.” He turned his whole body around and faced him, Jim’s voice was much softer, “I will always follow my sister, do ya here me?”

Logan walked closer towards him and put his hand on Jim’s shoulder. He looked nervous as Logan began to speak. “I never doubted if you were a snake, I said don’t feel guilty. It’s not worth it.” He walked out the room as Jim stared at one of the men.

“Where are you going?” Jim asked Logan.

He replied, “Out of this shithole, ya plonker.”

“Right…”

They both slowly walked out of the house. Logan seen a barrel of water and decided to dunk his head in it. The cold water sent chills down his spine. As he was pulling his head out of the water and wiping his hands on his face, the blood from the men came straight off. Their faces appeared when he shut his eyes. Though, it had been easy for him to forget about murder and death, so he opened his eyes and directed Jim to follow him.

Logan was walking into the Gun and Tonics store first when he saw Annabelle talking to two massive guys who was standing behind the counter. He was worrying; however, they did look chill, he thought. As she turned around and looked at him, Jim slightly pushed him and walked towards her. Annabelle looked relieved as he hugged her. She embraced him. Logan unexpectedly clenched his fists as a tornado of jealousy swirled in his chest.

He decided to walk closer and his hands began to stop sweating as she looked him in the eyes and stopped hugging Jim. She faintly said, “thank you so much for helping Jim, you don’t know how much time this has saved us.”

Logan cheeks turned red and he put his head to the ground. “Well… it wasn’t all me. Jim practically saved my life.”

Annabelle smiled at Jim as he said, “if only I could help you like that, right?” Logan looked at him with his eyebrows raised.

She pointed to him as her voice was soft and cautious, “don’t be silly, Jim. You help me all the time.” After Annabelle spoke, she played it off with a nervous laughter. Logan thought he really was a true coward. King of the cowards.

“What about this fire power then?” Logan asked. Annabelle looked at him and then looked at the two massive guys who were staring at empty space and looked back at him. “You don’t mean… they are the firepower?”

She laughed and said, “no, we have firepower and it’s in a wagon outside.” Logan scrunched his face, “and don’t worry, the wagon has a cover over it, but there is something… something that may not please you, even if they are strong….”

Logan crossed his arms and continued to scrunch his face as he interrupted her, “wait… you mean them… them there,” he pointed to the two massive men, “they are working for us?” He walked closer towards her and whispered, “you cannot be serious?”

She smirked and said, “I am and they are working with us. They are Clive’s cousins and my friends. So that means Clive is working with us too.” Logan crossed his arms and scrunched his face tighter. “If I can trust them, so can you. And if you don’t like it, ya know where the door is, right?”

He turned around and stared at the wall. Annabelle walked back to the two cousins as a door from behind the counter creaked open. Logan turned away from the wall to see Clive. He thought how sneaky Clive looked, Logan couldn’t pin it down; the man just looked up to no good, even if it was his store.

Clive shut the door and began to speak to Annabelle, “so, have you set everything up for the job then?”

She was nodding her head as she spoke, “yes, everything, and your cousins were big help… well they are huge I suppose.” The two cousins laughed as they took her comments as compliments. One of them was bald and the other had long, greasy hair that reached to his shoulders. Logan dreaded what they smelled like.

“Yes, they are strong and helpful too,” Clive said while smiling. “But don’t ask them anything smart, especially if they are walking because they will trip over their own feet.” Logan watched them all laugh, even the two cousins but he couldn’t help but think how perfect it was going, a tingle went down his spine as he dreaded what was to come.

They were all going over the plan while the two cousins stared into empty space. Finally, Logan thought as they were all done refining the plan, so Logan passionately said, “are we sure… we are ready?”