The Mike Black Saga; Payback Read Free

Manuel broke out semi-automatic weapons and began firing at him. They had Nick pinned down as they moved toward the door.
    Shy reached for the pump. "Finally a little excitement on this rock." She rose up, took aim, and fired at and dropped Manuel. Shy took cover as Sal and Julio began shooting at her. This time it was Nick that came up blasting. He hit Julio, and Julio went down.
    Shy stayed low as she moved toward the end of the bar. She stood up and fired the pump just as Sal ran out the door. Nick came out from behind the table as Shy moved toward the door. With her back turned, she didn’t see Julio get up.
    "Shy! Behind you!" Nick yelled and aimed his weapon, but it was too late. Julio had grabbed Shy and pointed his gun to her head.
    "Drop it!" Julio yelled. Shy threw away the pump. "You too, drop it!" he yelled at Nick.
    "Let her go!" Nick said, taking a step closer.
    Julio fired, barely missing Shy. "I’ll kill her!"
    Nick knew he could shoot Julio in the head before he got a shot off, but before he was able to, Sal burst through the door, firing that semi. It gave them enough time to get out the door with Shy. By the time Nick got outside, they were gone.
    As he drifted off to sleep, he acknowledged the fact that his intoxication definitely played a role Shy’s kidnapping. With his level of skill, Nick should have been able to drop all three of the bandits, semi or not. He shot Julio, but Julio was still able to get up and walk out with Shy. If he had taken the shot, would he have hit the target or Shy? Nick tossed and turned and the nightmare began again.
    "Bobby put the gun down!" Mike yelled.
    "I’ll kill you!" Bobby screamed at Nick.
    Mike put his gun to Bobby’s head. "Bobby please," he said quietly. "Take the gun out of his mouth and put it down."
    "Don’t think this is over. I’ll kill you!" Bobby shouted. "And that bitch!"
    Nick sat straight up on the bed and reached for his gun. He was sweating and breathing hard. Slowly, he began to calm down. He looked over at the bed next to him; there was a man lying down. Nick aimed his weapon at the man. With the barrel of the gun, Nick poked the man in the back. "Get up. Nice and slow," Nick said as he backed away and the man began to move.
    "Don’t you think I unloaded your gun before I laid down?"
    "Black," Nick said as Mike Black sat up on the bed.
    "Hello, Nick. Damn, it’s good to see you." Mike stood up and held out his arms. Although he was glad to see him, Mike would have preferred that it be under better circumstances than this. Mike was pretty excited when Wanda called and said that Nick was on his way to the island to see him. Now this had to happen.
    "Good to see you too, Black." The two men embraced. "How long have you been here?"
    "Not long. You still havin’ that same nightmare?"
    "Yeah." Nick nodded his head. Mike understood; memories of that night haunted him too. His two closest friends at each other’s throats. "Why didn’t you wake me up?" Nick asked.
    "I tried to wake you up, but you were dead to the world. I heard you and Cassandra had a lot to drink."
    There was an uncomfortable silence that drifted between them. "So, you know what happened?"
    "Yes," Mike said and sat down on the bed. "I talked to Wanda after you called her. She told me what happened. I went by the club and talked to the cook."
    "I’m sorry, Black," Nick said as he sat down and started to tell his story.
    "Never mind that now. Get up and let’s go. You can tell your story on the way."
    Nick stood up and got two other guns out of the suitcase. "Where we goin’?"
    "Eight Mile Rock."
    While Mike drove, Nick told Mike exactly what happen that afternoon at Black’s Paradise. Mike listened without comment until they reached a house off the main road. "Let’s go," Mike said as he got out of the car. Nick followed Mike to the door. He knocked twice and the door opened. A man with an AK47 stepped to the side to let them in.
    "He here?" Mike asked.
    "In the back," the man