Jacob listened silently through the phone and cut the call, after a few minutes. He swore under his breath," Damn it!", as his face plunged.

Jackson: What's wrong?

Jacob: The tires of the police vehicles are punctured. 

Jackson: What? 

Jacob: At this stage, I am sure, this is a trap. They knew, how we will be moving. So, they made sure, the journey remains rough. At least that we are late. 

Jackson: Thompsons. This is a police vehicle as well.

Jacob: Yeah! 

Jackson: What if...

Jacob: (interrupting Jackson) Just...drive!

A long silence remained, for a brief period.

Jackson(taking a deep breath): Let me, call my men.

Jacob glared at Jackson and did not say anything.

Jackson: I know. I know. We are illegals and many things, as you call. But, in this situation, my men can show better efficiency than yours. 

Jacob(bending his neck looking at Jackson): Hoooow can you judge efficiency?

Jackson: Sigh! They will need time to start. My men won't.

He turned towards Jacob, who seems to be simplifying his decision. Jackson pulled out his phone, dialed "Jereff" and put the call on the speaker.

Jacob: Wait... who are you calling?

Jackson did not reply.

"Hello!"

Jackson: There is an emergency. Reach the address, I will be sending. The officer's...

Jereff: Ah! Now you are helping the police. Great going, Jack. I would like to see your ass in trouble after you are trapped in the game. 

Jacob gives out a small fake laugh, listening to his words and turned his head towards the window.

Jackson: Jeff, A pregnant lady has been held, hostage. We have 10 minutes to reach the place. We are two and they are...well at least more than we are... They will... kill her if we fail to reach on time. 

.........

Jackson: Jeff?

Jereff: We will be there. 

Jacob listened to the conversation and turned his face towards Jackson who still had his cellphone in his palm, with the call still active.  Jacob studied his face, as he sensed Jackson taking a deep breath. As if a breath of relief. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, the car stopped near the bungalow and both rushed inside. They ran inside the open door, and started scanning through the house, but couldn't find anything in near sight. 

"What a pleasure?"

Jacob followed the voice and slowly went up to the stairs. His body tensed up, as he found Cleo, seated on a chair, helpless, eyes dry yet red, which explains that she had been crying. He kept his eyes on hers, as she kept looking at him, with widened eyes, perplexed at his present. He calmly turned up his eyes to find men surrounding her, pointing their guns to her head. He took a few steps towards Cleo and kneeled near her and cupped her face. 

Cleo:(in a low voice) They are going to kill us.

Jacob: They can't. I won't let them. 

Cleo: Just save our child. That's the only thing, I am asking for, right now. Please!

Jacob: I am not leaving you, guys. I.....I am sorry. I let you into this situation.

Cleo: No, Don't be. (takes a deep breath, gulping in the sadness) I am proud of you, however, you are. I accept everything that comes with this job.  I just want both of you, to be safe. 

Jacob: They will pay for what they have done. I won't let anything go wrong. 

"Time's up!"

A hoarse voice echoes through the silence, breaking their attention.

"Back off, Thompsons!" 

Jacob looks into her eyes, who nods her head, trying hard to keep herself composed. She kept her arms gripped across her belly. 

"Okay! Just look above her head."

Jacob looks up, to find a gun pointing right from the stairs towards Cleo's head and the color of his face fades away.

"Back off. within a count down of 5, if you don't want that gun to fire." 

Jacob stood up and took steps backward. 

"Stand, where you were initially."

Jacob looks at Jackson and walks up and stands near him. 

"There you go. Let's start the game, shall we?"

Jacob: What kind of an insane are you, to put the life of an unborn baby, at stake?"

"Ha Ha Ha. How does that matter? He is going to be just the mini version of you, anyway."

Jacob: Show yourself. I want to see your rotten face. 

"Fine! Wish granted."

A man dressed in black, from top to bottom, having his face covered with a mask, slowly walks down the stairs. Jacob kept his eyes on him. 

Jacob: What...

"Uh Uh Uh! First. Guns on the floor." 

Jacob unwillingly takes out his gun, places it on the floor, and pushes it forward. Jacob complied but Jackson did not. 

"And you? Mr. Claros."

Jacob turns towards Jackson with questioning eyes.

Jacob(whispers): What are you doing? 

Jackson(whispers): Shh!

Jacob: If anything happens to my family, you will be my first kill. 

Jackson: Accepted. 

"The rule applies to you, as well, Claros."

Jacob(whispers): Just fucking do it.

Jackson: Before I do that. I just want to know, what do you want? 

"Good question, I would say. Do you see, the gunmen at the corners of your house, Thompsons? Don't worry, they are dormant for now. But, if anything goes wrong, the guns fire. And, you know by now, who pays for it. Just like you made our men pay. Do you remember that ambush?"

Jacob: They deserved it. And, you won't even dare to harm her in any way.

"I won't if you comply."

Jacob: What do you want?

"You to surrender."

Jacob: Ha Ha. You think it is that simple.

" No, it's not.  Either you surrender, or I would love to see you try to stop the flying bullets, all at once. Just remember, the aim, is the same. Any bullet from any direction hits her head. "

Jacob: You are not getting away with this. 

Jackson: Wait! Wait! Wait! That's it? You want this douche near me, dead.

Jacob turned towards Jackson, amazed by his question. 

Jackson: I can do your job. 

"... How can I trust you?" 

Jackson turned towards Jacob, with a smirk.

Jackson: Well, for starters, we have the same enemy. 

"How can I trust you?." 

Jacob: I should have never trusted you.

Jackson:(whispers) Glad you didn't. (addressing the masked man, keeping his eyes on Jacob) I never deviate from my commitments.

Jacob sensed the gesture, as his expression normalized. Jackson pulled out his gun and pointed it towards Jacob. 

Jacob: What are you trying to do?

Jackson: But, before I do that...(he puts down his gun, as Jacob stood frozen in his place. He turns towards the masked man) I need you to do something for me. The gun fires only when you let all your guns down. 

"Not happening."

Jackson: Then I would like to see you try, doing it without me. (laughs) That's not going to be an easy task. 

(in whispers)

Jacob: Claros, this is not, what we accepted to. 

Jackson: I know.

Jacob: What the hell are you doing?

Jackson: Cleaning up the mess you created.

Jacob: You mean concluding the situation by killing me?

Jackson: Noo. The mess you have created, by letting your emotions guide your action and shoving away the gun, without a second thought. 

Jacob: You want me to get second thoughts, when my wife is at the custody, of this insane men?

Jackson: If I were you, I would have done, either way. 

Jacob: Easy to say. 

Jackson: Do you trust me?

Jacob: No

Jackson: Good. Do you see the man, standing closest to her? All you need to do is shoot him, right through his temple. I take the man standing at the straight angle from me. 

Jacob: How do I do that?

Jackson: Like this.

Even, before Jacob could make out the situation, Jackson used the barrel of his gun, to hit on Jacob's face, hard, making him fall to the ground, making him groan in pain. Within, a moment, Jacob's eyes fell on the gun, lying on the floor and it is completely in the reach of his hand. He did not give a second thought, as he held the gun, swung his hand and fired the gun, making the man standing, near Cleo, collapse in his blood bath. Jackson did not waste his time, as he aimed his gun towards the men, at the stairs and shot them all, in a go. Jacob stood up, in his place, and shot the masked man, making him collapse in his place. Within a few minutes, the place filled with busy gunshots and smokes. After, an hour of a gunfight, almost all the gunmen were finally taken over, by them, as the place filled with dead people falling at distances. Jacob ran up to Cleo and pulled her into a tight embrace, making her fall weak to her tears. Jackson took a deep breath as he watched them, in their moment, while Jacob delicately caressed through her hairs and she cried in her embrace. Suddenly, Cleo jolted in his place.

Cleo(shouted): JAKE!!

*BANG! BANG!*

Jackson, held up his defenses, as he aimed his gun. Jacob turned back at once, to find a man pointing a gun at him, but he collapsed on the floor unblocking the view of the tall presence of Jereff, with a gun in his right hand, letting out shallow smokes. He stood their calmly. Jacob frowned at him, unable to recognize the person standing near him. 

Jereff: That's all I was called for?

Jackson: No. But, we got it covered.

Jereff: This...this was a child's play.

Jacob(crossed his arms across his chest, as he spoke in an aggressive tone): You call it a child's play?

Jereff: It was.

Jacob: The person standing behind me is my wife, and one small deviation could have cost me her life. 

Jackson: Chill. We faced worse. 

Jereff stood there gently smiling. 

Jacob: Why didn't I see you coming in?

Jereff: You didn't? Well because maybe we did not take the door. 

Jacob: What?

Jackson: The door was wide open. 

Jereff shrugged. 

Jackson held his chin: Wait! Ain't we forgetting something? Where is Madeline?

Jacob turned towards Cleo: Where is she? Did...did they take her away?

Cleo: No...No, they didn't. 

Jacob asked, as his voice quivered, after witnessing the pity in her eyes: Cleo? What happened to her?