“Is Doc short for Doc Holiday or somethin’? You fancy yourself a real-life sharp-shootin’ cowboy? You think you can hit me from over there without putting a bullet into your guy as well?”
“Nope.”
“Then drop the rifle,” Sugar Bear growled.
“I will.”
“You think I’m fuckin’ around here, Doc? I said put your gun down or I’m gonna shoot this fucking—”
Sugar Bear moved the barrel of his gun slightly away from Badger as he yelled, and I unloaded. I wasn’t lying when I said I had no intention of hitting only him.
Both Sugar Bear and Badger hit the ground from the force of the rubber bullets and Dash, Alamo, and Ozzy dogpiled Sugar Bear while I went to Badger.
“You...fucking...shot me. Ow, oh...shit,” Badger said, clutching his side.
“Sorry, man, but I knew he wouldn’t be expecting me to fire. I tried my best not to hit you.”
“Try harder next time, will ya? I think you hit me twice.”
“Looks like three from my count,” I said as I gave him the once over.
The Dogs got Sugar Bear to his knees after restraining him and I pulled out the black hood from my inside cut pocket.
“You should have never fucked with our families, Sugar,” I said before placing the bag over his head and turning to Dash, Orion, Doom and Alamo. “You guys help Badger, and Ozzy and I will take Sugar Bear. Milky should be out back with the van by now.”
We exited the building, and I threw Sugar Bear into the van, before sliding the door closed and yelling, “Drive!”
Milky floored it but didn’t get far.
A loud pop caused my ears to ring and the familiar smell of gunpowder filled the air of the van. Although his hands were zip-tied behind his back, from the floor Sugar Bear had managed to pull a Deringer pistol from his boot and fire directly into the back of the driver’s seat.
Milky’s body lurched forward and he spit up blood all over the inside of the windshield. The van violently swerved as I struggled for the gun, punching wildly at Sugar Bear’s hooded head, until I’d broken two knuckles and he stopped moving entirely.
“Jesus Christ, Milky!” Doom shouted, grabbing the wheel from the passenger seat before reaching over with his left foot and hitting the brake. The van came to a stop and I yelled to Alamo.
“Watch Sugar Bear, I need to check on Milky,” I said before getting out of the van. I could hear sirens approaching from the distance and knew we had to get the hell out of here fast.
I opened the driver’s side door and could immediately see that Milky had been shot somewhere in his mid-section. His t-shirt was soaked in blood, and color was already draining from his face.
“We have to get him to the clinic right away,” I said.
“Shouldn’t we take him to the fucking hospital?” Doom asked as I examined the wound.
“It looks like the bullet went clean through his right side and missed his liver and kidney. I’ll know as soon as I get him on my table. If I can’t handle it myself, we’ll take him to County Hospital. Help me move him into the back.”
We quickly transferred Milky into the back and Doom sped off toward the compound.
* * *
Olivia
“Oh my god, what happened?” I demanded, as Doc and Rabbit walked in, half-dragging Milky who was covered in blood.
“Milky got shot,” Doc said. “You up to assist?”
“Of course, but don’t you think we should take him to Candler?” I asked, following them back to the clinic.
“Need to keep this under wraps, Liv.”
