SAGE (18 page)

“We had some good times. God, you’re amazing.” 

“Don’t do this!” I heard the pain in his voice.

The tears streamed down my face.

“I love you Ramsey.”  I held in a sob.

He was silent.

“Say it back.”  I clutched the phone.

Ramsey spoke in his language.

“Sage I love you with all that I am. Please come back to me. I need you. I can’t live without you.”

His voice broke.

“Please forgive me.”  I ended the call.

I wiped the tears and grabbed the wheel.

I searched my phone.

I made the call. 

“I’m sorry I had to kill you boyfriend.”

Scott laughed. “Billy will die too” 

“Well you won’t get far on two million dollars.” 

“What!” I heard noise and gunfire in the background.

“The bags were switched.”

“You’re lying!”

“Check them.”  I told him.

There were seconds of rapid gunfire.

“I want my fucking money!” 

“I want my brother. Let’s trade.”

I listened to Scott’s instructions.

I told him Billy better still be breathing, if he wasn’t the F.B.I would be the least of his concerns.

I ended the call and hit the gas.

I sped to the meeting point.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

RAMSEY

Sage ended the call.

I leaned against the truck. 

“Ramsey will have to get you looked at.” 

Sal’s voice shook. 

“Not right now.”   I took a breath.  

Adam pulled up in his car.

I glanced at my watch.

Sage had a five minute head start.

“Do you know where she is?”

Adam stayed behind the wheel.

“No. She’ll reach out.” I told him.

“Ramsey you can’t go.”

Sal told me. “You won’t make it.”

“Shut up woman.”

Brian rummaged in a bag in the truck.

“He won’t make it there and back.” 

Sal’s voice shook.

“Ramsey can’t live without her.”

Brian jumped out the truck.

“He’ll die anyway.”

He had clean rags and duct tape.

“This patch job will be janky as fuck but it’ll do.”

Sal rushed to help.

They bandaged me up.

The pain was fucking horrible.

The tape was tight.

I know it had to be.

I felt weak but I could manage.

I got in the car with Adam.

We went in the direction she left in.

We were ten minutes behind.

I was in a bad space. 

I need you darlin. 

I can’t live without you. 

My phone chimed. 

I glanced at the text.  

I put the directions in a search as I talked.

Adam glanced over.

I showed him the area.

He told me he knew where it was.

It was a stretch of desert filled with canyons.

We should check the area closest to the road.

Scott and his men wouldn’t stray far.

I studied the map.

I told him there’s a short cut.

He the road is elevated.

I told him we would use that one.

We couldn’t beat her to the location.

We could provide cover from above if it came to that.

I felt better that we had a plan.

I refused to believe it was too late.  

Sage had a quick hand.

Scott was desperate, he had men, and he had Billy.

It wouldn’t take long for him to realize she didn’t have the money. Sage was outnumbered and out gunned.

She told me goodbye.

It ripped my heart to shreds.

This couldn’t be the end.

Not for us.

I couldn’t live without her.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

SAGE

I drove down the winding road.

Scott wanted to meet in the desert. 

He watched way too many action movies.

My head felt heavy.

I tried to focus on the road in front of me.

I sent the directions to Ramsey.

He would come but this time it wouldn’t be for me.

I wanted him to come for Billy.

He would because he loved me that much. 

I needed another lifetime with Ramsey.

I wiped my eyes.

I should have loved him harder.

In time his heart would heal. 

I saw where the road ended.

I turned right and drove into the desert.

The sand blew across the car.

I hit the windshield wipers. 

I stopped the car.

What the fuck.

The unmarked cars and trucks looked like toys.

They were mashed together.

Smoke and steam rose from the twisted metal.

There were scattered bills around the dead men.

Scott waited in front of a truck with his men

Billy was with them. 

I got out the car with the gun at my side.

I coughed and covered my eyes.

I pulled the bandana up over my nose and mouth.

I left the car and walked across the sand. 

It was five of them. 

I was outnumbered but I had to get it done. 

“Where’s my money?”  Scott yelled over the wind. 

I glanced around.

“Shouldn’t your men pick up what’s here?” 

“Sage, I know how fast you are.”

Scott grabbed Billy.

“I want my money.” 

“It’s in the truck.” 

He motioned for two men to go with me. 

“I’m not giving up my gun.” I told him.

“I’ll shoot your brother in the head.”

Scott rested the gun on Billy’s neck. 

“Don’t try me.”

The men walked up to me.

I turned around.

I had to make a move before we hit the car.

If I didn’t they would know there was no money. 

I heard the sound.

The unmarked cars sped towards us.

“Hurry up! “ Scott yelled.

The men moved forward.

It was the space I needed. 

I grabbed one of them shot the other.

I turned quick.

A bullet hit me in the side.

We stumbled.

The gunfire rang out.

I shot the men with Scott.

Scott shot Billy.

I fell to the ground hard.

The man I had broke my hold.

I shot him twice.

I tried to shield myself from Scott’s gunfire.

A bullet hit me in the shoulder.

I shifted and let off two rounds.

Billy scrambled away. 

I pushed the dead man off me.

I fired and jumped to my feet.

I heard the noise behind me.

The wind became a whirlwind of dust and dollar bills.

The gray clouds shifted and blotted out the sun.

A storm was coming.

My eyes darted to the ridge.

Billy was on the move.

My side hurt.

I put my hand over the gunshot wound.

The blood seeped through my fingers.

I was tired. So damn tired.

“Lower your weapon!”

“Put the gun down!”

I ignored the FBI agents and kept my gun on Scott.  

His gun was on me and his men lay dead at his feet.

I couldn’t let Scott live.

Billy wouldn’t stand a chance.

I could feel the bullet in my shoulder.

It was lodged against my collar bone.

It didn’t hurt as much but my aim would be off.

The agents shouted at us.

I heard the fear in their voice. 

They were right to be afraid.

I was quicker than them.

It didn’t matter because this is how it ends.

Scott should want to shoot it out.

I counted on him to be emotional.

In that second I knew it was time. 

I winked at Scott.

I saw the anger in his eyes and he flinched.

I shot him dead.

The agents shot me from behind.

I collapsed on the ground.

I turned my head.

Billy made it to the top.

Ramsey pulled him over the ridge.

I would’ve smiled if I could.

The pain was insane.

I deserved to die but it was worth it.

I rested my head to find comfort in the bloody dirt.

The dust turned the color of wet red clay.

I thought it was beautiful

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

RAMSEY

We found the road.

We drove in silence.

Adam asked if I was good.

The pain was bad but I wasn’t worried about it. 

I glanced out the window.

A storm was coming.

The wind howled. 

I saw the canyons on my left.

We were almost there.

I heard the sound of gunfire.

We sped down the road towards the black smoke.

We pulled to the side of the road.

I jumped out the car and rushed to the ridge.

I covered my eyes and braced myself against wind.

The sand made it hard to see.

I could make out the wreckage.

I saw the dead bodies.

There was movement on the ridge.

Billy was on his way up.

Where is she?

I heard the faint sound of voices.

I saw her with Scott.

Their guns were drawn

I heard gunfire.

They both fell. 

I saw the agents with the guns.

I stared at Sage.

C’mon Sweetheart please move. 

“Ramsey!”  Billy yelled

I ignored him.

I stared at her body.

C’mon. Please. I need you. 

I heard Billy yell again.

I glanced down.

He was a few feet below me.

He held out his hand.

I looked at Sage.

I wasn’t ready to accept it.

I heard the sirens.

“Ramsey!” 

She wouldn’t want me to leave him.

I grabbed Billy. 

I pulled him over the ridge. 

The sirens were closer.

“We gotta go.”  

Adam helped Billy up. 

I looked at Sage one last time.

I turned and went to the car.

I got in and leaned back in the seat.

I closed my eyes.

The drive back was quiet.

We met up with Brian and Sal at a hotel.

We got out of the car. 

Brian helped Billy out of the backseat.

“Where’s Sage?” Sal asked us. 

Adam shook his head. 

She burst into tears.  

I walked past them. 

I went inside.

The nurse waited.

Brian started on the duct tape.  

He peeled it off of me. 

The nurse asked if I wanted something for pain.

I didn’t respond.

Brian gave me a bottle of whiskey.

I drank some, wiped my eyes, drank some more.

I gave the bottle to him.

He took it and poured liquor on the bullet wounds.