Chapter 11 The two cars pulled into a deserted parking lot and their passengers exited.  "So, where is she?", Jeff demanded. "There’s an empty warehouse a block up on the left.  She’s there….They didn’t plan it well…There’s a small window beside a door on the back side.  You can get to her from there.", Merle explained as he pointed up the street. Jeff, Matt, Tommy, Adrian and Jason walked towards the warehouse, but not before sending Merle back for the police.  When they reached the warehouse, they quietly walked to the back and found the door Merle had told them about.  Jeff and Tommy peered into the window.  Kari was brought to by someone grabbing a handful of her hair forcing her face towards the ceiling. "Just kill me and get it over with.", Kari mumbled. "Gladly.", the woman said with sheer satisfaction on her face. Kari prepared herself to die as she watched the woman raise the gun and place it roughly at her temple.  "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Tommy yelled as he busted the door in.  BANG!!! The gun went off.  But Kari was still alive.  She looked over to see Tommy lying unconscious on the hard ground, blood pouring from his lifeless body.  She then heard the gun as it was cocked again and placed to her head.  Kari closed her eyes and said a little prayer. "Put the gun down, Kristin.", Jeff said almost calmly as he walked through the door. Tears fell silently down Kari’s face when she saw him.  Jeff looked at his wife as if to tell her that everything would be okay although the sight of her bound to the chair broke his heart.  He remained calm.  "Jeff?  How did you find us?", Kristin asked, "It doesn’t matter.  You can’t save her." "Kristin, please.  Just let her go.  I’ll do whatever you want.", Jeff pleaded as he walked towards her. "You’re lying!", Kristin yelled as she pressed the gun firmly to Kari’s head, "Don’t come any closer or her brains will be on the floor." Jeff thought for a split second, "Kristin, if you kill her, you’ll go to jail.  How can we be together if you’re in jail?" "What?", Kristin said shocked at Jeff’s question, "Together?" "Of course.  I don’t love her, Kristin.  I thought I did, but I only realized what a mistake I made.  You are the one I really love.  Just let her go and we’ll leave.  I’ll leave with you tonight.", Jeff told his ex-girlfriend.  "Really?", Kristin said melting into Jeff’s every word.   It was then that Jeff made the mistake.  He looked at his wife almost giving her a signal to let her know what he was doing.  But before Kristin could put the gun back to Kari’s head, she was grabbed from behind. Matt grabbed the gun from Kristin’s hand and put it to HER head, "I got her Jeff!"   Jeff started to rush for Kari but suddenly felt the coldness of metal against the back of his neck and heard the click of a cocking gun. "Not so fast, Hardy.", the male voice demanded. "No way.", Matt said as he saw the man holding his brother at gun point. "Let her go.", the man told Matt. "Let him go first.", Matt insisted.  "Why would you do this to your own daughter?", Jeff asked as he finally recognized the deep voice. "Because she ruined my life.  If I hadn’t been stuck with her, I could have made something of myself.", Mr. Knight hissed. "But you weren’t stuck with her.  You LEFT her.  You deserted her when she needed you most.", Matt hissed back. "What do you know?", Kari’s father shouted. "I know that she loved you, and you left her.  She doesn’t deserve this.", Matt said more calmly. It was a hopeless situation.  If Matt let Kristin go, Jeff would probably still be shot.  Neither Matt nor Jeff knew what to do except stall for time.  Then out of no where, Mr. Knight was jolted away from Jeff by a hard kick to the head.  The gun flew out of his hand and across the floor stopping at Jason’s feet.  He picked up the gun and pointed it at Kari’s father.  Jeff rushed to his half conscious wife and unfastened the ropes that bound her as she cried and sirens grew closer in the background.  Kari fell into Jeff’s arms - exhausted, relieved and bawling her eyes out.  "Are you okay?", Jeff asked looking Kari in the eyes.   "I am now.", she said kissing her husband and then hugging him tightly.  Hours later   Kari was released from the hospital after the doctors deemed that both she and the baby were fine - a little shaken up, but fine - and ordering her to go home and rest.  Tommy was released with only a flesh wound to the head.  The police questioned them all for a few hours and then escorted the group to the airport.  The brothers, the wife, the best friend and the ex-husband waited for their flight and Adrian kept them company. "That was some mean kick, Adrian.", Jason told him.  "I guess all those years playing the Highlander finally paid off.", Adrian chuckled as did the others. "I just want to thank you all for saving my life.", Kari stated.  They all smiled. "I never thought I’d want to see you all in the same place.  But I can honestly say that I’m glad you were all there.", she said. "All of us?", Tommy asked.   "All of you.", Kari said with a smile as she winked at him.   Tommy smiled back.  She had finally forgiven him.   Jeff pulled her into a hug, "I thought I was gonna lose you….both of you."  "Both of us?", Kari asked.  "Yeah…..you and junior.", he said smiling lovingly as he rubbed her belly.  "What if it’s a juniorette?", Kari asked. "It doesn’t matter.  As long as it’s healthy.", Jeff said before kissing his wife, "I love you." "I love you, too.", Kari told him. Matt pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed his father’s number, "Dad.  We’re coming home.  Yes, All of us."                                                       THE END                            Last Chapter ..*.. Chapter Index ..*.. Home