Chapter 32 Sacrifice

"You know what your problem is? You people don't know when to give up and run." Jackson said. "Now here's what you're gonna do. Michelle, you're gonna walk this way, slowly, hands where I can see them. The rest of you, get on your knees if you don't want to be shot." Michelle took a deep breath.

"Do it. Don't be afraid. Get close and wait for the right moment to strike." Paige said in her ear. Michelle gave her an imperceptible nod and started to walk forward, her eyes darting from Jackson to the car in which Brook was.

"That's it, nice and slow and no one gets hurt - yet," Jackson said silkily. Michelle stopped three feet in front of him.

"What do you want?" she asked him in a low voice.

"Oh, I have what I want. You and Havens are my greatest prizes of war. After all, why shouldn't the children pay for the sins of their fathers?" Michelle's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What does that have to do with me? Ripley Havens is the one who destroyed the Inferno Ghosts." Jackson blinked as though genuinely surprised.

"You really have no idea? Now I feel bad." He said with a smirk. He began to circle her like a hawk.

"Havens and Patterson. The two cursed names my father chanted with every breath he could take since he survived." Jackson's features hardened. "And I believe you made a mistake. The Inferno Ghosts are very much alive as you can see. No one can destroy them. Even if you do try, we will rise from the ashes, a new generation more powerful and intimidating than the first."

"You talk too much," Michelle said, glaring at him.

"Why not talk? We have all the time in the world. And when I finish talking, your friends won't be alive. So it really is in your best interest for me to keep talking."

"You're sick." She flared in a rage. Her fists were clenched tight and she badly wanted to smack that smug smirk off his face.

"Now, now. Do not judge and you will not be judged." Jackson said with a silky laugh. "If you want to know your role in all this, you will behave." Michelle bit her tongue and let him continue.

"Why do you think I was after you all these weeks? Because you were 'the one who got away'? Ha. Hilarious. True, I have never lost a prey while hunting it in the desert before. But when I found your ID card in your car..." he laughed, the eerie sound sending chills up Michelle's spine.

"I had no idea you were so close. All this time I could have taken you without all this trouble... Havens was harder to get. Until he gave himself up, of course, to save his precious crew. Or should I say, his precious girlfriend. Until then, in that damn Bugatti of his, he was a real thorn in my flesh."

"Good to know." Michelle gloated. "But I still don't see what this has to do with me."

"Dear Michelle, haven't you figured it out yet? If I knew you existed before that night in the desert – you would have been dead a long time ago."

"Why? I don't even know you! I have nothing to do with you!" Michelle said.

"Hmm... It appears Morgan has been keeping secrets from you – from all of you." Jackson said, glancing shrewdly at the crew. "Or perhaps he hasn't figured it out yet."

"You know what your problem is Jackson? You don't know when to stop talking." A familiar voice came from behind the crew. Soriano stood there holding a gun with no less than twenty men. They easily outnumbered the Ghosts.

"Ah, Morgan. Nice of you to drop by. I didn't appreciate you stealing my Koenigsegg you know. I believe payback is in order." Jackson said.

"Shut up Jackson. That's the one thing your father did better than you. He knew when to hold his tongue." Soriano said calmly. Jackson's face twisted in rage at the mention of his father.

"Get them!" Jackson shouted to his men, his calm façade gone in an instant.

"Now!" Paige shouted. Quick as lightning, Michelle swung her leg in a high kick and her boot grazed against Jackson's face leaving a deep gash. She spun again with all her strength and swept her leg around Jackson's feet knocking him to the ground. He groaned and sat up.

"Not bad. But not enough." He said, wiping the blood off his face. He dragged her to the ground and caught her wrists so she couldn't fight back.

"What are you going to do now?" Jackson asked with a sneer, his snarling face an inch from hers. Michelle slammed her head against his in a head butt without thinking. His neck crunched back but he didn't let go of her hands. She raised her knee to his stomach in a hard blow before bringing her foot down hard into his thigh. Her heel dug into his flesh through his pants and he yelled in pain, releasing her wrists.

"Ah! Why you little –" Jackson began but couldn't finish. Quick as lightning, Michelle punched his face with all her might. She heard a crack as her knuckles contacted his nose and knew she had broken it.

"Argh, my nose! You'll pay for that!" Jackson said, clutching his nose which was dripping blood all over the grass. Michelle gave him a kick to the stomach sending him sprawling on the ground.

"I have you right where I want you," she said. She got down on her knees and put her hand in his left coat pocket. She pulled out the detonator and stepped away from him.

"Come back here!" Jackson shouted. Michelle hurried to the car, opened the door, and gasped when she saw Brook. He was beaten up and bruised all over and his arms and chest showed several gashes. She shook his shoulders gently.

"Brook, please wake up! It's Michelle!" She said. He groaned weakly and his eyes fluttered. She felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and pull her away from the car.

"No!" she shouted. Out of nowhere, Payton came and kicked Jackson down from behind.

"Go! I'll get Brook!" he shouted to Michelle. She hesitated, watching Jackson. He was already getting to his feet. She lunged forward and kicked him as hard as she could. She heard him grunt in pain and stepped back to see if Payton had enough time to get Brook out. He was already carrying him up the field.

"We got what we came for," Michelle said to Jackson. He stared up at her with bloodshot eyes.

"You'll never get away from me," he growled. Michelle took out the detonator and pressed the button. The car behind him went off in a loud explosion, the flames spreading in billows of thick heat. Michelle covered her eyes to shield them from the brightness. She threw the detonator at Jackson's feet and turned away.

"Never turn your back on your enemy, Michelle," Jackson growled from the ground, pulling out a gun from his breast pocket. He aimed it at Michelle. She had just turned around to see what he meant when she heard a cry – from the voice she loved.

"Michelle! No!" In less than a second, a body came upon her dragging her down to the ground just as an ear-splitting shot rang out. The next moment she found herself pinned to the ground, Brook on top of her, his cut face inches from hers. But it was the shadow that crossed his eyes that made her panic. She felt something warm and wet soak into her blouse. She put her hand on Brook's waist but withdrew it immediately when she felt something wet. It was his blood. Brook had been shot.

"Get them away! Now!" Soriano's voice came but it was so distant Michelle felt like she was dreaming. Someone lifted Brook away from her before she felt herself being picked up. Dazed and unable to process what was happening, she felt herself being led away to a car – Paige's car.

"Michelle! Michelle! Get a grip!" she heard Paige's voice. Paige was shaking her shoulders violently trying to snap her out of her daze. She suddenly breathed out heavily and looked at her hands. They were slick with blood – Brook's blood.

"Brook! Where's Brook?!" she shrieked.

"Payton's got him! We have to go!" Paige shouted. Michelle pushed passed her towards Payton and Brook stumbling to the Dodge Viper.

"Brook!" She shouted. She gaped in horror as she saw Brook bleeding heavily – a large red pool of blood staining his shirt near his waist. Her head reeled at the sight.

"Go! I'll drive him!" Payton yelled. One of the Inferno Ghosts came up behind him and punched him, knocking him away from Brook. Brook slumped onto the car, clutching his waist.

"Paige! Help him! I've got Brook!" Michelle shouted. She shielded Brook and supported him on her shoulders as she led him to her car. Another one of the Ghosts came towards them but Jett appeared and knocked him out with a punch.

"Go, we'll cover for you!" he said. Michelle opened the car door and lowered Brook gently onto the seat, strapping him in. She shut it and came around to the driver's seat. She started the car and shot it out onto the road within seconds.

"Hold on Brook, please," Michelle said, staring straight ahead with tear-brimmed eyes. She sped up to a hundred and fifty in no time.

"Michelle... are you... hurt..." Brook labored to talk.

"Shh, I'm fine. Save your breath." She said. Her heart sank when she heard his breathing come out ragged.

"Hold on Brook, we're almost there!" she said clutching the steering wheel tight. She watched the speedometer tick past a hundred and seventy and was grateful the roads were empty.

"Michelle..." Brook called in barely a whisper.

"Please don't talk! I want you to save your energy!" Michelle said, trying to keep her own voice from sounding panicked.

"Michelle! Head for the south road! Don't go to the city!" Jett's voice came through the radio. Michelle glanced in her rear-view mirror. Jet and some of the others were following her – which meant that they got away from the Ghosts.

"I can't! Brook needs to get to a hospital immediately! I'm heading for Flamingo road. I know there's a hospital there." Michelle said.

"Don't do that Michelle! The ghosts are still after us! If they find us in a hospital, it'll be over!" Jett said.

"I can't risk it! Brook needs medical help NOW!" Michelle yelled back.

"Michelle please, we can treat him ourselves. Please listen to me!" Jett pleaded. Michelle swallowed, her eyes filling up with tears. Fear for Brook threatened to overwhelm her and she fought her feelings to stay focused. She had to make a decision, one that involved Brook's life and she had to do it fast.

"Michelle... it's okay." Brook whispered weakly. She glanced at him, her tears spilling out, and gave a cry of frustration.

"No, it's not!" Michelle shouted and veered left. Jett tried to follow her but she avoided him.

"Michelle, listen to me!" Jett tried again to reason with her. She turned off the radio and stared ahead at the road.

"I'm not going to risk your life, Brook. I can do this." She said half to herself. Jett and the others knew she was heading for Flamingo road so she had to take another road to avoid being stopped – even if it meant ditching the crew.

"This thing has to have a GPS..." Michelle muttered, fiddling with the buttons of her car. a tiny screen came on and she navigated to the GPS option. She searched for a hospital not too far, but not too close either. That way she could avoid the Ghosts and get Brook to safety quicker. She found one within eighteen miles and selected it.

"Hold on Brook. I'm not gonna lose you." She said fiercely. She sped up dangerously fast to a hundred and ninety mph.

"Michelle..." Brook croaked. Michelle didn't dare look at him in case she wavered and gave in to her panic. His shallow breathing was worrying enough to hear.

"Just a little more!" she said with determination. She checked her rear-view mirror again and saw the others in the distance. They were still following her. She knew if they caught up with her they might stop her. She cut all the lights driving in utter darkness.

"Where did she go?" Paige asked the others on the radio as she drove. "It's dark as pitch out there! I swear her car was there a minute ago!"

"She's driving blind – that's not good!" Jett said.

"She said Flamingo road, right? We can cut her off there!" Reece said.

"Unless... what if she's feinting?" Payton asked.

"She doesn't know any other hospitals near here!" Paige said. "Michelle wouldn't try to –"

"Guys! We have our own problems!" Reece said. A bunch of black cars tailed behind them at high speed.

"Ghosts. Dammit, I thought we lost them!" Soriano shouted. "Lead them away from the highways! We can't let them find Michelle's car!" Payton cut his lights.

"Payton! What are you doing?!" Paige asked.

"Looks like only one of us is going after Michelle," Payton said and turned off the radio.

Cromwell Hospital was situated a little outside town. It was fairly large and relatively new with more than one building to encompass its operations. Michelle drove into the underground parking lot afraid that the Ghosts might recognize her car if she parked outside. She got out of the car and ran for help in the ER saying a man had been shot. The nurses brought out a stretcher and carried Brook out of the car. They took him to the ICU and asked Michelle to wait outside. She leaned against the glass, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"Please don't leave me, Brook." She whispered.