III. Elimination

Ivory suddenly came to her senses and ran over towards Lily, facing the dead and bloody body. The scene disturbed Ivory, but she kept her calm composure.

Hawks had a bullet in his chest and another in his head; blood stained the entire kitchen floor. His eyes were closed as the blood stained small parts of his face and wet his hair.

"Oh my god," Lily cried, "Oh my god! Hawks!" She wheezed.

Ivory sank to her knees and began weeping. She felt like her heart was thrown out and stomped on a million times.

"Stay here," Lily said and ran out of the room.

Ivory wept and wept; her love was gone. She felt a tingling sensation on her left shoulder but didn't pay much attention. Suddenly, she felt a warm embrace hug her. She turned around to see no one.

Ivory wondered what the feeling was.

Lily ran over, "Lucky's dead, too; someone broke his neck."

Ivory saw that Lucky was bloodless, but he was lying on the pool room's floor with a dislocated neck. His eyes were half open, and he was silent. His skin was gray with a yellowish tint.

"I don't get it," Ivory got to her knees. "Who would do this?"

The two began to think, and then they looked at each other.

"Lily, we need to go! Forget our stuff. We need to get your car and leave, or we may die next."

"Good call."

The two women ran three doors down to the lounge, sensing that something was wrong. The women wondered what could have happened the two weeks they were gone. Ivory ran into the room, and the T.V. screen was broken. Lily slowly made her way as the air was different.

It seemed like the gang members had vanished.

Ivory's eyes stared at the screen as Lily slowly walked to her, a hand on her shoulder, and told Ivory that they need to move. The two ran into the garage, but Lily's car had mysteriously disappeared.

Ivory stayed behind Lily; she had never felt so scared in her life.

"Okay, either ghosts took your car, or the others think it's funny to prank us," Ivory replied, her voice echoed through the garage.

"Assholes," Lily sneered.

The two were silent, and Ivory felt her eyes sting.

Ivory had never felt so hurt and betrayed. It felt like someone took her heart and mutilated it. Ivory had never felt so melancholic. Hawks was so good to the younger girl; she was saddened that she couldn't had protected Hawks before he was brutally murdered.

"I think the members did this to Hawks and Lucky. They killed those two."

"Why?" Ivory turned to Lily with red eyes. "What is it about Hawks and Lucky that threatened them?"

Lily thought for a moment. "Not them, Blue! Blue saw Hawks as a threat because he knows you and Hawks kissed and may have feelings for each other," Lily said.

"There's no way Blue knew that."

"If Blue was watching you, he would know," Lily said. "Blue watches everybody."

"I always felt like he was watching me."

"He does, he has cameras everywhere. I bet Blue saw you two kiss each other, and he waited a few weeks to settle the problem. Blue organizes his crimes and meticulously plans them out. If Hawks is out of the picture, then that means Blue can have you. Someone wrung Lucky's neck because Lucky was a witness or was putting up a fight," Lily started to cry.

Ivory then understood; Lily and Lucky were in love as well.

"How long had you been going out with Lucky?"

"A few years," Lily said. "We kept it quiet, but Hawks caught on. I don't think Blue cared because Lucky isn't a romantic threat. Eventually, I think Harley — I think Harley killed Lucky. We must find where Harley and Blue put that car! They're antagonizing us, Ivory. They plotted and waited until we'd come back because we obviously have some involvement in their dire and diabolical scheme. Come on!"

The lights flickered until they fully turned off. The two girls were frightened but ran through the hallway into the lounge room and up the staircase, holding onto each other's hands. When the two reached the doors to the third floor, they were sealed shut. No one could enter and exit.

"No!" Ivory hollered.

"We need to find our way back down!" Lily said.

The two sped down the stairs, only to see that the exit doors were locked as well. They sweat dropped. Someone was with them.

"Ivory, listen" Lily began, "Do you remember when Harley and I had that huge fight a few months ago? The one where she left me stranded on the highway?" Ivory nodded. "It was over you."

"Elaborate, please."

"Harley told me that Blue favored you, and I was angry because I felt that I betrayed you. I encrypted your information and wiped your name off the search engines. I didn't think I was placing you in harm's way. Blue had me complete all of that before he shredded your diploma and file. I figured it was because Blue thought the police could track you if Ms. Campbell did go to the police."

"Why does he need me? Please, tell me," Ivory said. "It has to be because I'm his assistant now."

"No! It's far from being an assistant."

There was a loud bang, and the two girls jumped and held onto each other. The two backed away from the door as the lights turned on. They yelped and turned around, only to see the floor and the staircase, but no one else. The air was dense, and Ivory felt that she and Lily were being watched.

Ivory knew that something would happen. The girls attempted one last try to open the first-floor stairwell door, but it wouldn't budge. Lily then made a face, turned around, and slowly made her way down the stairs and into the hallway.

"Lily," Ivory began, "Lily, where are you going?"

"I'm waiting for Harley to pop up so I can knock her out. I know she's here; she and Red are Blue's most trusted. The three of them are doing this; I will jump and attack my sister!"

"Have you lost your mind? Harley's too strong, you know that. Please, Lily, let's get out of here and forget about them."

"Ivory," Lily narrowed her eyes, "they're here. They're looking for us. Once you're in a gang, it's difficult to leave and live what most would call a normal life. This stuff happens every full moon. It's not that serious."

"I'm aware of that, but assaulting your sister won't change anything," Ivory tried talking sense into the taller girl. "Where has fighting Blue and his favorites gotten us? It got Viper and Swindle H tortured and killed, Roxie was murdered, and cremated; Hawks got beat up for defending me, and now our lovers are dead! Where will it get us, Lily?" Ivory said. "Please, don't fight your sister because she'll always choose the gang over you. That's how it works."

"Are you scared of Harley?" Lily asked.

"A little," Ivory said. "Do you see how much bigger she is? She uses her body and height to her advantage."

"My sister won't severely injure me, Ivory."

"She left you with bruises and cuts that one time."

"I'm aware; we fight sometimes, that's normal."

Ivory didn't think abusing another human being was normal, but the gang life was that way. It was normal to Lily, but not to Ivory. Ivory had never been physically hit until she started working for Blue.

"I understand that Lily, but she'll hurt you if Blue instructs her too."

"I'm the same height as my sister, Ivory. I stand a chance."

"Oh, is that what you think?" Ivory heard a voice from behind her.

Suddenly, the lights shut off.

Ivory didn't think twice and swiftly moved over, edging near the corner.

Ivory's eyes widened as Lily stopped dead in her tracks, slowly turning her head. The doors to the staircases were now open. Ivory went running down the stairs to join Lily, but she yelped as an arm wrapped around her neck. The person pulled her back up the stairs as she screamed and fought.

The lights dimly lit, and the attacker could be seen.