Pearce Hudson: #1 My Italian Devil

13.Bloodshed

I watched Crawford cross the street and make his way to the house. The house was grand with a winding porch and arched doorway. The door opened up and Smith stood at the doorway in a suit that looked too expensive to buy on a cops salary even the house.
The two men stepped into the house and the door closed. I hopped out of the car and crossed the street noticing and elderly women, Smith's neighbour watering her plants.
"Good morning Ma'am," I approached her.
"Morning dear," she replied.
"How long have you lived in this house?"
"Oh I'd say about fifteen years. I'm getting old dear."
"How well do you know your neighbour ma'am?"
"Oh Kevin he's a sweet boy. You know he used to a policeman."
"Did you notice anything suspicious about him?"
"Suspicious? No...Nothing I know of."
"Thank you have a good day."
I watched her walk into her house before I crossed Smith's lawn and opened the gate to his backyard.
The skidding sound of tires stopped me from going any further. A car door opened follows by the pounding of boots on pavement.
I crept up to the side of the house to hear the front door smash into a million splinters follows by a crashing sound. I raced to the door, gun in my hand. I mounted the steps of the front door as two gunshots echoed the house.
"FBI drop your weapon!" I shouted at the burly bald man standing in front of me.
He didn't move.
"Drop your weapon, Now!"
He whipped around ready to pull the trigger but I was faster, my fingers pulled the trigger. The gun vibrated in my hand as a bullet shot out of the barrel and hit the man in the chest. Blood splattered everywhere and he fell to the ground with a thud. I kicked the gun away and reached and checked for a pulse.
A few feet away was Smith in a pool of blood, dead.
"Crawford!" I shouted. "Crawford!"
He was lying on his back in the living room, glass shards and wood splinters lay around him.
"Crawford," I said checking for pulse. It was weak but definitely there.
I checked him for injuries, there was an enormous shard of glass stuck in back, his skull was splattered with blood.
Car doors slammed outside, angry voices shouted at each other. I put one of Crawford's arms around my neck and I put an arm around his waist as I hoisted him up. He groaned in pain.
"Come on Will we have to go."

He winced in pain.

"I know it hurts but come on," I half dragged and half carried him up the stairs as voice entered the foyer. I picked up my pace and led Will to the master bedroom. I placed him on the bed and blocked the door with the sofa in the room. It wouldn't hold for long but it gave me enough time to treat Will's injuries. I raced to the bathroom, searching for the first aid kit. Will collapsed onto the bed soaking the bed sheets with blood.

"Hey, hey stay with me," I said pulling his shirt of to see where the bleeding was coming from. "Okay Will, the glass missed all major arteries, so I can take it out."

"Just leave me and go."

"Bite down on this," I stuffed a gauze in his mouth. "On three. One-"

I pulled the glass out and Will screamed through the material.

"You said on three."

"I lied," the wound sprayed blood all over my clothes as I desperately packed it with gauze. Will leaned forward losing consciousness. "Hey stay awake," I tapped his face gently.
Footfalls thundered in the hallway. I quickly bandaged him up as the door began to pound. I had eleven bullets in my chamber and a man bleeding to death, the odds were not in my favor.

A blast exploded at the door, wood splinters exploded everywhere. A shotgun.

"Pearce the door," Crawford pointed to a door that I had assumed was the closet.
I wrapped my arms around Will and opened the door, it led to the study. The master bedroom door was being broken down one shotgun bullet at a time.

I propped Crawford behind the mahogany desk. I took his gun from the holster and placed it in his hand.
"If I'm not back in five minutes," I said.
"Where are your going?"
I placed a hand on on the door knob and drew in a deep breath. I opened the door firing my weapon. Two bodies dropped and bullets propelled at me. I ducked, swerved and lunged in order to miss the bullets. My ribs ached with pain as I hit the floor. I shot my gun and another body dropped. 1,2,3,4,5,6 I counted off my bullets. Two more were still alive. I fired my weapon and the bullet hit his shoulder, I fired again missing. 7. 8. 9, the bullet penetrated his skull and he too fell. I shot the once more hoping it would hit him but it didn't. 10. One more bullet left.
The man attacked me, throwing me against the wall. I pushed him off using my legs but he bounced back on his feet. He punched at me and I blocked, the gun skittered from my hands. I wrapped my legs around his waist and swung him around. Both of us hit the floor, I whipped around to land a blow but I staring at a gun barrel.
A bang sounded through the hallway and the man fell on top of me. I sighed in relief. Crawford was at the door of the study leaning against the frame, gun in his hand.
"Come on let's go," I pushed of the man and grabbed Will by the waist. We were at the doorway when another man stepped through the door, it was Jack Bloom.
A shot rang out and hit Jack in the arm.
"Will!" I shouted grabbing the gun."He's with us."
"Pearce," Will gasped I held him up tighter.
"Jack are you alright," I asked.
"I'll live," Jack winced. "What are you doing here?"
"Following up a lead. You?"
"I don't have time to explain now. Go. I'll tell you tonight."
"Jack, the neighbour. I talked to her. If she goes to the cops..."
"I'll take care of it."
"Be careful Jack."
We hurried across the lawn leaving Jack inside. I opened the car door and gingerly placed Will inside. He lost a lot blood and I didn't how long he had. I dialed Jones's number as I pulled away from the curb. As I turned the steering wheel I noticed how red my hands were with Will's blood.
"Hey Hudson."
"Smith is dead. Crawford is injured. What do we do?"
"What happened?"
"A man walked in after Crawford went into the house with Smith. The man shot Smith and attacked Crawford. I shot him. Five more pulled up after. I think they're all dead. They were all Dante's men."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know one of them."