The Previous Day

The prison bus was en route to Los Angeles, where twelve of the country’s most notorious rapists and murderers would be taken to a new, high security prison, where they would never see the light of day again. They were locked down tightly and had no chance of escaping the well guarded prison bus on their own.

As fate would have it, someone was planning just that.

It was late at night as the bus was traveling through one of the back roads in an effort to save time. As it traveled along, a large tree fell into the path of the armored bus. The bus swerved, nearly crashing as it pulled off to the side of the road.

“What the fuck was that?” one of the guards asked as he looked at his partner.

“That tree just came out of fucking nowhere,” the other man said as he got out of the bus to look at it. “We can’t drive around it. We’ll have to find a way to move it.”

As he was about to head back into the bus, something grabbed his arm and pulled him out of view.

“Oh, shit,” the guard as he picked up the radio. “We need help! We’re out on route – hello?”

There was nothing but static as a large hand punched through the glass, grabbing the guard around the neck, snapping it before he could even try to struggle. In the back, the twelve prisoners were enjoying the show as the bus door opened and a large figure stepped in.

“Who here wants to get the fuck out of here and have a party?”

“Who the hell are you?” one of the men asked from behind the metal cage he was locked behind. The man smiled with golden teeth that said ‘Fuck’ on the top and ‘You’ on the bottom.

“I’m motherfuckin’ Barracuda.”

SAINTS AND SINNERS

Part IV

By Tobias Christopher

Howard Saint’s men were patrolling the grounds when they saw a bizarre sight heading towards them. It was a group of scantily clad women. “Are those… hookers?” asked one of the men.

“Maybe the boss is rewarding us for all of our hard work,” said the other man with a smirk. His reward came as a bullet ripped through his eye socket. As he fell backward, the other men quickly pulled out their guns. “Oh, shit, we’re under attack!”

A hail of gunfire started as Howard Saint quickly ran to the window, where he saw men engaging in battle with an army of armed hookers. “What the fuck am I watching?”

“Looks like we might finally have a spot of good luck,” Chip said as he looked at his computer. “Every officer in the area’s been called to the scene of a jailbreak. A dozen escaped convicts on a prison bus en route to Los Angeles managed to get loose. Every cop in a hundred mile radius is after them.”

“Not exactly good news, but it’ll buy us some time,” Frank said, not liking the fact that a dozen rapists and murderers are on the loose. “With the guards distracted, we can sneak in. Let’s move. Don’t do anything until I say, that includes firing on Howard Saint. Let me call the shots while we’re in there if you want to stay alive.”

“Howard, what’s going on?” Livia asked as she ran into the room.

“We’re under attack,” Saint told her. “The boys are safe but I want you in the panic room until this is all over.”

“What about you?” Livia asked as she looked at her husband.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll come get you when this is all over with,” Saint told her. “Now go. I love you, baby.”

“What about the boys?” asked Livia as she headed for the door.

“They’re in a safe house, they won’t be anywhere near this,” Saint promised, unaware that John was downstairs, picking out a gun from his father’s collection. Morgan had snuck in through a window upstairs, just as he was hearing the sounds of gunfire. He started to panic and went to find his family.

Livia walked downstairs and headed for the same room that John had just been in, narrowly missing him. Livia grabbed a gun and loaded it. No one went after her family and lived.

“Twelve of the nation’s most notorious serial killers and rapists escaped from custody earlier this afternoon,” Griffen told his young partner as they were driving toward Saint’s mansion. “Every police officer in the tri-state area is on route to try to find them, meaning that Howard Saint is without police protection.”

“I thought you said this guy is bad news,” Barrie told him.

“He is and having no police there means that there might be an even bigger bloodbath without anyone there to calm the situation down,” Griffen told him. “I just hope that we’re not too late.”

The car pulled up to the mansion just in time to see the shootout between Pimpin’ Longstocking’s hookers and Saint’s men. “That’s something you don’t see every day,” Barrie told him. “How do we get past that?”

“We’ll find a way,” Griffin told him. As they were looking for a way in, Barrie looked at the barrage of hookers that were in the gunfight and could have sworn he saw her.

“It can’t be,” Barrie said as Griffin grabbed his arm.

“Stop staring at that, those girls aren’t something you should be thinking about,” Griffen told him.

Frank and Chip had managed to sneak into the mansion while Saint’s security was occupied.

“Which way do we go?” Chip asked as he looked around. “Is Saint even still here?”

“He’s here,” Frank replied. “He’s going to use my son as a shield to protect his cowardly ass. I want you to find Benji and get him out of here.”

“But what about–”

“You promised me you’d do this, now do it,” Frank said angrily. “Get that boy out of here and take care of him. I’ll take Saint out. Killing’s…not your strong suit.”

Frank had seen the torment Chip had gone through went he’d killed that cannibal several months earlier.  He refused to let Chip’s soul be chipped away at like his had been. The two split up as Frank headed upstairs. He held his gun ready to fire as soon as he saw Howard Saint when he was winged from behind by John Saint. He ducked and rolled across the hall as more shots rang out.

“You’re not going to kill my father, I won’t let you!” John shouted.

“Fuck, he’s just a kid!” Frank said to himself as he got ready to return fire once he got a chance. The kid would have to reload soon.

Morgan heard the gunshots coming from downstairs then heard his brother’s voice. Grabbing the pocket knife he’d been given for his last birthday he rushed outside just as Chip came around the corner. The two just stood there, looking at each other. Chip, who had his gun out, let it tremble in his hand as he recognized the boy. It was his brother, just without the bloody head wound that he was used to seeing.

“No,” Chip said as he took a step back, realizing he hadn’t taken his pills in days. “It can’t be. I can’t be having those visions again, the pills–”

“Who are you?” Morgan asked. “Are you here to hurt my family?”

“I’m here to avenge my family,” Chip said, still thinking he was seeing things. “I’m here to avenge you, little brother. Just like I promised.”

“I’m not your brother,” Morgan told him. “My name is Morgan Saint. This is my house and my family lives here.”

“No,” Chip said as he started realizing that this kid wasn’t imaginary. “Morgan…Saint? Oh, fuck! That bastard didn’t kill you! He stole you and brought you here! That son of a bitch!”

“You shouldn’t swear,” Morgan told him, feeling like he knew this guy from somewhere. “My mom doesn’t like it when I swear.”

“Morgan, it’s me, Chip,” Chip said as he tried to get closer. “I’m your big brother. I know you’re too young to remember, but Howard Saint killed our parents. He tried to kill me, but I survived. I thought he killed you, too. I’ve been missing you for years, Morgan. You’re my kid brother, and when I thought you were dead I wanted revenge.”

“I don’t believe you,” Morgan told him.

“You have a birthmark,” Chip said as he thought of something. “It’s on the back of your right leg. It’s the same one I have.”

Chip raised his shirt, showing him the birthmark on his side. “Mom said that having the same birthmarks bonded us. It meant that we’d always be together and be there for each other, no matter what.”

Morgan took a deep gulp and realized Chip was right. “But-but the Saints are my family.”

As Chip got closer, Glass came around the corner and grabbed Morgan, putting a gun to his head. Before Chip could react, Glass shot him in the chest, sending him to the ground.

“NO!” Morgan shouted as he struggled but Glass held onto him.

“Stay still, you little fuck,” Glass told him. “You’re my ticket to taking over this whole operation.”

Morgan pulled out the knife and stabbed Glass in the leg as he took off running. Glass fired at him but missed the boy as he turned the corner.

Frank heard the shots stop firing as he looked around the corner. John was out of ammo as Frank took his shot, hitting John in the leg. The young Saint hit the floor as Frank kicked the gun out of his hand. He took another kick, knocking John unconscious. He headed toward Saint’s office as he heard another gun click.

“Now you die,” Livia Saint as she held the gun at his head.

BANG!

Frank expected this to be the end but instead he felt a body crumple onto his. A bloody headshot wound was instilled in the back of Livia’s head as Frank watched her body fall to the ground. He turned around and saw Glass standing there, with his gun pointed at Frank.

“What are you waiting for? Get your ass in there and kill Howard Saint,” Glass told him.

“Or I could just kill you,” Frank told him, holding his own gun toward Glass.

“You could, but you’re too curious to see if Howard Saint really does have your kid in there,” Glass told him, knowing that Benji was nowhere near the premises. “Go on, open the door and see your kid; make Howard Saint pay for ordering his kidnapping.”

“I’m here to make everyone pay for his kidnapping,” Frank said as he shot Glass, sending him sliding down the wall. Frank opened the door and headed inside. Frank saw Howard Saint sitting behind his desk, waiting.

“You know why I’m here?” Frank asked as he pointed his gun at Saint.

“I know why,” Saint told him, “but I know you don’t want to simply shoot me. You want to see me suffer. You want to beat the living shit out of me and make me pay for what I did to that kid’s family.” Frank put the gun away as Saint stood up. He came around the desk as he motioned Frank forward. “Come on, let’s settle this man to man, without guns.”

Frank came at him as Saint ducked Frank’s punch and uppercut him.

“What, you thought I couldn’t fight?” Saint smirked as he threw a punch at Frank, who caught Saint’s hand and head butted him. Saint wiped the blood away from his lip and came at him again. “Come on, Punisher, let me show you how a real man fights.”

Morgan ran into the hallway and saw John lying on the floor, not too far away from Glass. He saw his mother’s dead body and started crying as he started to shake John awake. John opened his eyes and smiled at his baby brother.

“Did he hurt you?” John asked as he touched Morgan’s face, wiping away the tears.

“No, but he killed mom,” Morgan told him as he pointed toward her body. “She’s gone.”

John hugged him tightly as the two started crying on each other’s shoulder. “We have to get out of here.”

“What about dad?” Morgan asked.

“He can handle himself,” John told him. “We have to go so I can protect you.”

“John, there’s a guy here, he says he’s my real brother,” Morgan told him. “He says that our dad kidnapped me when I was a baby. Is it true?”

“It can’t be, you’re my little brother and I won’t let anyone take you from me,” John promised him. “Now, I need you go to the bathroom and get the first aid kit so I can patch up my leg, then we’ll get out of here, okay? Can you get that for me?”

Morgan nodded his head and ran toward the bathroom. As he rushed through the hallway, he saw that Chip’s body was gone. Luckily he’d been wearing a bullet proof vest under his shirt.

Saint threw a punch at Frank, who ducked it and threw himself at Saint, knocking them both over the table. Frank punched Saint, who threw Frank off of him and rushed at him as the two were thrown back against the wall. Both were getting bloodied and bruised as they fought.

As they continued trading punches and breaking furniture, the noise could be heard from outside of the room. They eventually brought the fight to the door, knocking it down as they fell into the hallway, just as Saint looked up and saw John laying against the wall, bleeding, with Glass and Livia’s bodies laying there as well.

“You killed my wife!” Saint shouted as he pulled out his gun and held it at Frank. “You bastard!”

“Glass killed her,” John said as Saint went to his wife’s side, holding her dead body in his arms. “He tried to kill Morgan.”

They were all too busy to realize that Glass was still alive, just as Chip came in. He saw Saint and pulled out his gun, not caring who else was there.

“This ends now, Saint!” Chip shouted as Morgan dropped the first aid kit and tackled him.

“No!” Morgan shouted as they fell next to Glass, just as Saint pulled out his own gun, but found Frank’s gun pointed at his head as well.

“I’m finishing this,” Frank said as he saw Glass was picking himself up.

“Glass, what the fuck is going on?” Saint asked him. “Why did you kill my wife?”

“Oh, god, I’m dying,” Glass said as he was coughing up blood. He knew he didn’t have much time left. “I killed that bitch like I was going to kill you. But you know what? I ain’t going down without a final kick in the balls to you, Saint.”

With Glass’s last dying breath, he aimed his gun and shot Morgan through the head.

“NO!” Chip shouted as Glass fell back against the wall, dead from his wounds. He held Morgan in his arms as Saint grew angry. He knocked the gun out of Frank’s hand and tackled him to the ground, choking him.

“You’re a dead man!” Saint shouted as Chip aimed his own gun at Saint. Saint turned around as he heard the click of Chip’s gun. “Go ahead. But if you fire that gun, you won’t be any better than–”

Chip fired off every round in the chamber of his gun as Saint, still continuing to fire even though the bullet chamber was empty after six shots. The tears fell down Chip’s face as he was covered in the blood of his baby brother.

Griffen arrived and saw the carnage in the hallway. He rushed over to Frank as Barrie tended to John Saint, pulling out his cellphone to call 911.

“We’ll take over from here,” Griffen told Frank. “Get the kid and get the hell out of here.”

“No!” Chip shouted as he held Morgan in his arms. “I’m not leaving him!”

“Chip, we have to go,” Frank told him. “Griffen will take good care of him. We have to find Benji and get out of here.”

Frank walked over to John. “I’m only asking you this once. Where’s the other kid?”

“What other kid?” John asked, crying as Barrie tried to patch up his leg. The ambulance siren was heard in the distance. “Morgan was the only kid here. Dad said that we were supposed to get another little brother, but he said the deal fell through and someone else got him.”

Frank looked at the young man angrily. “Come on, Chip, let’s go. Griffen, I’ll meet up with you later tonight. Make sure the kid’s brother gets a decent burial. I’ll pay for it, just send me the bill.”

Frank had to literally sling Chip over his shoulder to carry him out, since Chip was refusing to leave Morgan’s body behind.

As they were driving away, Frank looked over at Chip, who remained pale and unmoving. It had been forty five minutes since they started driving, with neither of them saying a word.

“I’m sorry about your brother,” Frank finally told him.

“I’m a fucking idiot,” Chip whispered as he looked out the window. “My little brother was alive this whole time, and I never even knew it. And now he’s–”

Frank’s cell phone rang as Frank picked it up. “Griffen, now’s not a good….What? What do you mean he’s… I’ll get him cleaned up and have them there in an hour.”

Frank looked over at Chip as he hung up.

“What was that?” Chip asked as Frank just kept driving.

“You’ve got someplace to be,” Frank said as he headed back to the motel. “But first, clean yourself up.”

Morgan Saint, having taken a bullet to the head, had managed to barely survive. Just as his older brother had twelve years earlier. Now it was Morgan’s turn to remain comatose as he lay in a hospital bed. Chip had cleaned up and been taken to the hospital to see for himself. The doctors said there was little hope for Morgan to recover, but the same had been said about Chip several years earlier.

As Chip looked through the window into the intensive care unit, he watched his little brother laying in the hospital bed, who was now on life support. Chip could see the metal plate in his head, in the exact same spot where Chip’s was.

“What a pussy,” Ghost Morgan said as he stood next to Chip, looking through the window. His bloody head wound was worse than ever as he bled onto the floor. “He couldn’t even take a simple bullet to the head.”

“Why are you still here?” Chip asked the ghost standing next to him without even looking over. “Shouldn’t you be gone now that he’s in there?”

“Don’t ask me how your fucked up brain works,” Ghost Morgan told him. “So, what do you know? You killed the guy who killed your family. What’s next?”

“I don’t know,” Chip told him as he watched his little brother laying in the bed, fighting for his life. “Now that I know that Morgan’s alive…I don’t know if I can leave him again.”

It was then that John Saint, his leg in a cast, was wheeled past Chip into the room, where he was placed next to Morgan. John took the boy’s hand, holding it and hoping that Morgan would realize that he was there.

“Who the hell is that asshole?” Ghost Morgan asked as he looked up at Chip.

Frank met up with Griffin in the park after dropping Chip off at the hospital.

“The hookers cleaned up the crime scene pretty well,” Griffin told Frank. “There’s no trace of them even having been there. Saint’s kid was so traumatized that he can’t even remember that you or Chip were even there. As far as anyone’s concerned, this was just one big plan by Quentin Glass to take out Saint and take over his empire. Even setting you up for the pool boy’s murder can be tracked back to him.”

“Great, I guess that’s it, then,” Frank told him. “Except for one thing.”

“Benji,” Griffen told him. “I can have every man searching for him.”

“No, I’m going to find him,” Frank said bitterly. “Even if I have to kill every piece of shit in the country to do it.”

Epilogue

Benji was chained to a radiator as he struggled to get out of the restraints. He didn’t know where he was, but he was doing his best not to be scared. He knew his family was dead and that no one would be coming for him. He had to get out of this on his own.

He heard someone coming as he realized that he wasn’t getting out of there today, but Benji would find a way to escape, it was just a matter of how.

“You’ve been a good little bastard, so here’s some food,” his captor said as he tossed some snack cakes at the boy. “Eat up, I need you to be alive when your daddy shows up.”

“My dad is dead,” Benji told him angrily.

“Naw, little bastard, he ain’t dead,” Barracuda smiled. “He’s coming for you and I’m arranging a family reunion. It’s going to be a bloody good time.”