Chapter 17

(Chapter song ‘Aerials’ by System Of A Down)

JESSE As I step out of the room I hear Mutt yell, “GET DOWN!!”

I look out the window and see the business ends of shotguns.

The guns fire as we all hit the deck. I grab Penelope and lay on her as she screams.

Bullets fly over our heads as glass shatters and wood splinters. Bullets ricochet all over the place as the firing continues.

Papers and fabric from the curtains are tore up around the room. Holes the size of our own damn heads are made in the rickety walls. I hear Harley screaming. I look and he’s holding his gut as his white shirt turns red.

Penelope's crying and holding her head.

Dakota’s crawling to the guns. He tosses me, Mutt and Bill a revolver. He grabs the belts and tosses them to each of us.

“Stay down.” I say to Penelope as I roll into my belt and do it up. I check the wheel and slam it shut.

I look at her. “Get in that room and under the bed. Right now.”

Her tear covered face looks at me. She’s trembling something fierce.

“I’ll be fine. Go." I say as calm as I can.

She does as she’s told and I focus on killing these bastards that scared her.

I crawl across the floor. The gunfire is quiet as they reload. The click of guns from outside made that clear.

I walk to the wall and peer out the hole.

Of course. Artemis.

Standing outside with fifteen men is the beloved Sheriff. Should of known that eagle was him. Why the hell am I so sloppy all of sudden?

“Who is it?”

“JESSE FERGUSON! YOU GOT EXACTLY THREE SECONDS TO COME OUT, SURRENDER YOUR WEAPONS AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP WHERE I CAN SEE ‘EM.”

I turn to Dakota. “It’s the sheriff.”

“Ya kinda got that. How did he know?” Dakota narrows his eyes.

“He may or may not have followed me.”

“Jesse!” He grits.

“Look. It’s not important right now.” I clench. “What do we do?”

“You’re the leader. You tell us.”

“I’m bleeding bad, man.” Harley whines.

“Mutt. Take care of that.” I order.

“Right.” He stands and pulls Harley into the other room.

“We ain’t going anywhere with Harley shot up.” Dakota says on his belly.

“TWO SECONDS!”

I look out the hole. “HOLD ON! WE’RE THINKIN’!”

“AINT GOT TIME FOR THINKIN', SON. COME OUT!”

I look to Dakota and Bill. I turn to my room. I nod slowly.

“JUST ME! NO ONE ELSE!” I yell.

“What are ya doing?” Dakota growls “Savin’ yer hide.” I scowl and wave him off.

“I'M COMING OUT!” I prepare to get out.

“No, Jesse are ya nuts! They’ll hang ya!” Dakota grabs my arm.

“Art wants me. Not Ghost. This is personal. Now, while he’s taking me down, you take Penelope and the boys and go out the back. Get on the horses and run. I’ll find a way out.” I say quietly.

“No. Forget it. I wont let you.” He holds my arm firm.

I cock my gun and place it under his chin. “I need you to keep Sweet Pea safe. You’re the only one who can do that. You listen to what I damn well tell ya and take my girl to safety right now.”

His head is pushed up and his eyes look into mine as I jut my chin out at him. “You watch yourself.” He says.

“I will. I’ve been in plenty of tight spots. Tell Penelope…” I look down and shake my head. I can't say it. “Tell her I’ll see her later.”

He nods again.

I walk to the door and release my hammer. “Don’t move until they drop me.” I say to the door.

I raise my gun into the air above my shoulder, letting it hang off my finger. I slowly open the door. With my head down, I step out to the sound of fifteen guns aiming my way. I walk up to the step and slowly lift the brim of my hat.

My eyes meet Artemis'. “Ya want me. Ya got me.” I tick my head as I speak low and dark.

He steps forward. “Drop yer weapon.” He orders.

“No! Jesse! No…please!!...Nooo! Jesse, please!”

Her cries hit my heart. I have to do this. She needs to be safe.

“Ya let them go. It’s me ya want.” I stare down the men waiting for orders.

“Come down, nice and easy.” He says. He pushes the brim of his hat up and watches me.

The sound of horses running off in the distance fill my ears and I blow a breath knowing my girl will be far from this.

“Drop the gun.”

I drop the gun to the ground.

“Nice and slow.” Artemis puts his hand on his gun.

I slowly step down the steps with my hands up. Once I’m on the ground, he gets up close. He studies my face. “You’re in for a world of hurt, boy.” He growls quietly.

I sweat as I try to think of way out without getting my ass shot.

He rips the hat off my head and walks behind me, pushing me toward the posse horses. “Git the restraints.” He snaps.

Some men get ropes and cuffs and I hold my hands out. They slap them on and pull the single link between them. I’m dragged to the back end of a horse and they tie a rope to the cuffs and the saddle.

Artemis looks at me like he’s daring me to try.

He don’t know how much I like my hide.

I lock my eyes with him. “Ya should’ve used iron, daddy.” I growl.

My hands turn to feathers and I tear out my clothes for the second time.

“I TOLD YOU IRON!!” He yells to his boys as they scramble around the panicking horses.

My eagle screeches loud as it grows four times larger than a normal one.

The men cover their ears and scream at the devil in the air. They’ve not seen anything like me.

Artemis now has a choice. Chase me down some other time or blow his cover to the posse. Either way, I’m leaving a mess for them to clean before I vamoose.

“SHOOT HIM DOWN!” He points up to me.

I take to the air and circle around.

The scared men shoot their guns as my eagles talons grab a horses back and throw him. Four men fall like dominoes with the horses weight crushing them into the dirt.

I rise up, turn and dive. My sharp hooked beak opens and I snatch a vigilante by the waist. He garbles in pain as I crush his spine and spit him out.

Art steps up and fires on me. I fly up over the ranch house. I grab a wagon from the back, fly back and throw it at him. It smacks him in the chest and they roll across the yard. The wagon breaks apart with him in the middle of it.

I land on the roof and holler out a large eagle call. The men on the ground turn tail and run, leaving the dead behind.

Artemis pushes the pieces of wagon off him.

My eagle eyes stare him down.

“That’s it.” He snarls.

He tears out his clothes to a bald eagle and flies up to collide with me on the roof.

The two birds flap their enormous wings and we grapple in the air. We wrestle, claw and bite. The areal assault took us out to the dirt expanse.

Artemis slams his body into mine and we hit the ground. Bouncing a few times and denting the hard soil with our back.

We break apart and I shift to a moose. He does too. Our large plate like antlers slam together and our weight makes the ground shake. I shove him back, shift to a bull and gore him with a horn. He shifts to a bear and runs at me. He dodges my head and lands on my back, sinking his teeth into my hide.

I shift to a leopard and my own teeth find his thigh. My cat claws dig into his head as he rolls over me. My hisses and growls outmatched his roars.

I don’t know how long we went at it, but animal after animal. Snake, crocodile, lion, hippo…I couldn’t win. He couldn’t win. We’re both too quick. Too smart. We know our shifts and have traveled the world collecting these weapons.

I was tiring fast and my brain was slowing down. His Silverback gorilla had his arm around my neck, cutting my air. I struggled to shift, but my energy level was making it hard.

My vision started to fade as Artemis grunted in my ear pulling his arm tighter.

Loud thunder rode across the night sky. Dark clouds moved in above us and lightning cracked across them. I raise my weak eye to it.

‘I won’t kill you, son, but you will submit.’ Artemis says in mind.

‘Fuck…you…’ I say back.

The sky booms making Artemis raise his head.

“UNHAND HIM!”

The voice sent shivers through my whole damn body.

Artemis looks around.

Like someone shot the ground, a huge column of dirt exploded into the air. Something fell out of the sky.

I feel Artemis loosen, but for the first time, I’m fucking scared.

The dust and dirt fall back down and a woman rose to a stand in the cloud. She’s dressed in a white night gown and her auburn hair blows around her. She lifts her head and her eyes glow white.

Penelope?

My heart races as I try to understand what I’m looking at.

She steps a bare foot out of her crater. “Release him, Artemis. Release him or feel the rain of heaven.” She stops with a distance between us.

Artemis drops me and shifts. I shift too and cough on the ground, propping myself on my hands.

“Caliel, is it? Dagin warned me.” He snarls.

“Step away.” She raises an arm and loosely points a finger. White lights dance around her arm.

I huff breaths as my mind tries to catch up. “Penelope?” My face scrunches as I try to see her eyes through the light.

I see her quickly glance at me and back up to Artemis.

“You can’t kill me, Angel. Dagin told me the fall took your power. You just don’t have the kick you once did.” Artemis smirks.

Her voice sounded like a hundred voices all talking at once.

“I can’t kill, but I can make you wish you were dead. Leave…Jesse…Now!” The sky cracks and the lightning flashes. I swear…it can’t…There’s no such….It’s impossible…The shadows behind her in the dark…

My brows stitch up as I look at my Sweet Pea with confusion.

Wings?