CHAPTER 65

 Carly knelt down beside Dylan's body. She touched the gunshot wound that had blood flowing out almost in a gush. Tears flooded her eyes making her sight blurry. Why would it come to this after all they had done to stay alive. No,it wasn't going to end this way and just the thought of it was depressing. She touched her face. Her eyes opened and closed in and out of consciousness. That came as a relief that she wasn't dead as she had first feared. She leaned closer to her face.

                "Dylan, don't you dare close your eyes on me. Don't you dare leave me!" Kenny joined them within seconds and knelt on the other side of her. She looked at him desperately. "Do something please." 

                 "Remove her shirt,"Kenny instructed. She quickly did as she was told but carefully not to add pain on the wound. The bullet had just missed her heart by inches. Kenny felt it with his fingers. "It's not too bad. She is gonna be okay." Carly nodded then looked at Dylan's face. She was trying to say something. Kenny folded her shirt and pressed it on the wound. Carly moved back to Dylan's face and met her forehead.

                "You are okay," she said half smiling and half sobbing.

                 "I know I am," Dylan replied in a low strained voice but at least she could hear her. "It's nothing big. Just a scratch."

               "Just a scratch? You should see the blood on you. And in case you don't remember,you fainted."

                 "I just got a little dizzy, that's all." In the distance,sirens could be heard approaching fast. Dylan tried to sit up but her facial expressions showed just how much pain she was in. 

 Carly shook her head in disbelief,"Don't be stubborn. Lie back down and wait for the ambulance. You are going to the hospital."

                "I don't have to. I can manage. Do you remember where they were keeping you. That's where Carl's kid most likely is. We need to go get her."

              "No, what you need is medical attention. You don't have to be the hero in everything. You have already done much. I'll go with Kenny and Carl,"she looked up just in time to see Taylor remove another gun and point it towards them. "Look out!" she shouted in horror. By the time Kenny turned around,a shot had already been fired. She stood up quickly thinking that Carl had been shot but when she touched him,his hand was shaking like a leaf holding a gun. How he had even gotten it,they didn't know. 

              "Man,you are good," Kenny said with a smile. He was the only one not shaken up by the whole experience. Or was he always humorous in any situation? "How did you get the gun so fast?"

              "Oh God,I killed her!" Carl said in a shaky voice instead looking over Taylor's body. "I fucking shot her." Now all eyes were on him. She hugged him closely. 

              "You did what you had to do."

 Carl nodded,"Yeah, and it feels so good. For once I am not useless. For once I have stood up for us."

  Carly felt his body go limp against her and she could tell even though he was trying to make it feel okay,in real sense he was traumatized. He would take a really long time to recover. She pulled him closer to her and held him. His weight was no match to hers but she somehow managed until he calmed down. She looked further away from them. Emily sat on the floor,her knees coiled up to her chin and arms around them defensively. Her face was pale and her face covered in tears. Everything had happened in quick succession that they hadn't realized what had happened. A gun lay at her feet and it was easy to realize what had happened. The third shot had been aimed at Kelley. Emily had taken it and now she sat beside Kelley's lifeless body behind her. She felt like everyone else had played a part except her. Now it was up to her to pick up the fallen pieces. Leaving her brother, she went on to Emily and sat down beside her. 

                 "Hey," she touched her arm. Emily flinched and she pulled her hand away. "It's going to be okay."

  Emily shook her head,"I don't think so. I am a terrible person, always have been and this is just proof enough that I'll always be."

                 "No,you are not a terrible person. I believed you are good ever since that day at Dylan's house back in senior year. I had always felt that part of you and that day, just confirmed that I was right. You are not a bad person Emily. You did it to protect us and that is something we will never forget."

   Emily finally looked at her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. 

              "I am so sorry Carly."

                "Don't be, it's all in the past and completely forgiven." She turned and looked at Dylan. "You know I think she is waiting to thank you personally. You saved her life."

                "I owed her that much. She doesn't have to thank me,"Emily replied and chuckled wearily. They sat there for several more seconds as the police siren wailed just outside in the compound. 

               "I think there are people waiting for you back home. Speaking of,where are they of all of you are here?"

              "I have no idea. Kenny was supposed to be with them but now that he is here I d-"

               "Relax,the champs are very okay. Dylan and I made arrangements before you left. You are going to see them in a few minutes. He looked at Carly. "Dylan wants to talk to you before she leaves for the hospital."

   Carly stood up,"Are you going to be okay?" she asked Emily.

                  "Yeah,go ahead."

   She walked back to Dylan and took her hand. Dylan opened her eyes and looked at her. They hadn't mentioned anything they have said just some minutes ago when Taylor had a gun pointed to her head. She didn't doubt anything Dylan had said but just to be sure, she decided to ask.

                   "Did you mean it, what you said to Taylor?"

                  "Yes,every word of it. I love you Lee, I never stopped loving you,not for a second." 

                   "For all those years?"

                     "Yeah,for all those years. You remain the best part of my life and I don't think that will ever change." 

    Carly smiled warmly. She never would have admitted it out loud but Dylan never stopped being a part of her. She had gotten married yeah,but that hadn't been enough. She had always known that no one else would ever fill the gap she had created when she had left her. 

                   "I didn't leave because I didn't love you anymore. I left because I didn't think I loved you enough to deserve how much you loved me. All those years away from you amounted to nothing but misery after misery. I sat down alone everyday thinking about you and how you must hate me for leaving. Gavin somehow realized it and that's when the beating started." No,this wasn't the time to get into that. "I love you Dylan. I have always loved you and now if you will have me,I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

                   "Always Carly, you will always have a place in my heart." Dylan stretched her good hand out to her. "Come here."

  Carly leaned forward and laid her head against her chest but lightly not to hurt her. She sighed loudly. "I don't remember the last time I was this happy in my life."

Dylan touched her hair, running her fingers through it.

                   "I think I do and it was right with you."

   She looked up and met her eyes. Seeing the visible twinkle and huge grin she smiled then couldn't resist the urge to kiss those lips again. She moved in and met her lips. It was slow, calculated and one deep kiss. One that seemed to share a promise between them of better days to come. Nothing had ever felt as good as that moment. Right then, she knew she wanted to remain there forever. 

                 "Sorry to interrupt but I need to tend to the patient," a voice beside them said. They pulled apart and chuckled knowingly.

                   "I'll see you after a few minutes. We still have an unfinished business."

 Dylan nodded,"I know. Just be careful."

                 "I will. And don't run away from the hospital. We will be okay."

                   "Okay, I won't."

                          ★★★

      They drove slowly up a road at the end of the town. Carly remembered it quite well because she had been observant as she was being taken to the school. She wasn't sure if it was just ignorance or maybe because Taylor and Kelley had been completely convinced that they were would succeed in their mission but the fact was,they had done her a favor by not blindfolding her. She only had to figure out which house it was once they reached the end of the long road. She was sitting in front with Kenny while Carl and two other officers sat in the back with Carl. They had been the ones who had arrived first at the scene,the ones Dylan claimed to have done a background check on earlier that day before they went in to rescue her. That meant they were trustable. So far, she hadn't heard of the whereabouts of the chief. Wherever he was,he was probably hiding or even worse,dead. Taylor had seemed just like the person capable of killing every person she knew would have turned against her and her plans. 

                "Are you sure it's this way?" Kenny asked,the first thing he had said since they embarked on the mission.

                 "Yes,I very sure. I marked and stored the landmarks in my photographic memory just in case we survived. I had promised her that I would go back for her."

                   "What if you hadn't survived?"

                     "I know it would have been an empty promise but being a little positive didn't hurt."

                       "Or maybe you really believed in Dylan." She smiled. "That woman really loves you. You know,I made fun of her for going to dinner with her ex's family but I now get why she did it. I can also tell that you gave her a reason to and that you love her as well."

                     "I met her when I had no idea what love was. She didn't either and together we figured it out. It was easy we never had to force it. Until I decided that I wasn't enough for her and left. My greatest regret in all my life. Dylan is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

                   "Man,I wish I had what you two have together. Even without any convincing or action,I can tell just how much you love each other. Just from the way you talk." He looked up ahead on the road and drove for a while. He then looked through the rear view mirror then,"Your brother is much calmer."

    She turned around and looked at him. He was seated on one side of the car silent but she could tell there was a lot in his mind. He had just shot a person,the mother of his daughter and now he was going to meet her if everything went well. What was he going to tell her? Would she accept her as his father? How would life be like as a single parent? Those were probably the questions going through his mind. What she knew was that he wouldn't be alone in this. She would help him. Her family, Dylan...they would all be there for him. She turned back to Kenny.

                     "He will be okay," she looked ahead and saw the driveway towards Taylor's house. It was unique, marked with coloured stones and different types of flowers unlike the others so,it was identifiable. "Up there," she instructed him and he obediently took the turn.