Chapter 8
Not Out Of The Woods Yet

Mikey & Dakota

No sooner had Dakota hung up than a boot slammed into his back, sending him facefirst into the dirt.

"So, the big bad Redskin's not so tough without the brass behind him."

Dakota shook his head and got to his feet. As soon as he turned to face his attacker, the man's fist plowed into the half Indian's cheek, sending him to the ground on his ass. The raven-haired cop rubbed his chin and glared at the portly man standing over him. "You're the guard. What the fuck are you doing..." Dakota didn't get a chance to finish his question before the man kneed him in the chin.

"You and that fuckin' fairy boy cost me my job and a place on the force. You fuckin' f*****." The ex-guard sneered and picked up a piece of pipe from the wreckage and swung it at the fallen cop. 

Dakota crab-walked backward along the ground, trying his best to avoid being hit. He had to keep the guy busy and away from his Mikey until Tony got there. The brunet grunted and hollered in pain as the pipe connected with his knee. Luckily, it didn't break the bone.

"Because of you two and the Goddamned Commissioner, I was sitting in the damn cell overnight with lowlife scum. That's after I got fired and bitched at by my ex-boss. So, once I was out, I got some dynamite and came here to settle the score with you freaks." The man growled and swung the pipe again, hitting Dakota's head.

"You..." Dakota's statement was interrupted by his scream of agony as he saw stars and came close to passing out.

"Once I'm done with your f***** ass, I'm fuckin' the little bastard while you watch, Geronimo."

"Over my dead body," Dakota growled. He pushed past the pain and kicked the pipe out of the man's hand. However, he couldn't stop the heavier assailant from pinning him and wrapping his greasy, meaty hands around his throat.

Mikey's eyes fluttered open. He softly moaned and quickly realized he'd been knocked to the ground from the blast. He shook his head and suddenly heard the sound of struggling. Mikey did a quick body scan and forced himself to fight through the searing pain he felt. The brunet turned his head and almost gave himself away when he saw Dakota fighting for his life as the guard from last night tried strangling him. A fire burned in Mikey's eyes, and adrenaline coursed through his body, giving him the strength to launch an attack. He carefully got to his feet and slightly wobbled his way to the men. While walking, Mikey unsheathed his knife and made sure he had a good grip on it.

"You're so fuckin' weak and pathetic, you Red-skinned, f***** bastard."

The previously employed guard spit in Dakota's mouth as he held the cop in place. Then he pressed even harder on the brunet's windpipe, causing his effort to get free to weaken. "That's it, just let yourself..." The man shrieked and fell to the side, clutching his arm where a knife slashed the skin. He gasped and coughed when the slasher's arm wrapped around his neck like an anaconda. His eyes widened as he felt the cold, sharp steel edge touch his throat.

"Give me one reason not to end your useless, pathetic existence."  Mikey's low, grave tone held such rage that the man quaked and shivered.

"Mikey, don't...he's not worth it, angel boy."

Mikey's eyes flashed, and the fire doused as tears fell down his cheeks. The realization of what he was willing to do hit him like a ton of bricks. He gazed at the pitiful man in his grip that peed his pants. The men's noses wrinkled as the smell of fresh shit floated into their nostrils.

Mikey threw the knife, and the captured attacker yelped as the blade stuck in a tree and vibrated. He pushed the disgusting body off of him, got up, and wrapped his arms around Dakota. They looked up as the ambulance and Tony arrived.

"Dakota, Mikey!!!" The Commissioner hollered as he jumped out of the car the second he parked it. The older man wasted no time getting to the young men, wrapping them in his arms.

"I want them arrested, Commissioner. They..."

Tony glared at the idiotic, offensively-scented man. "Shut the hell up. I've been watching the live feed from the remaining cameras. You're just damn lucky my son has a conscience, or you'd be in hell right now." He paused. "Patch him up, and get him to the precinct."

"Papa Tony... I…"

"Shh! It's okay, Mikey. I'm more than proud of you, as are the rest of the collective parents. We all watched you save Dakota from being killed."

Dakota limped toward the two men, rubbing his neck. "Mikey, I owe you my life." He softly rasped as he hugged both men before groaning and cringing.

Mikey smiled and gasped as he swayed and passed out. Thankfully, Tony and Dakota were there to keep him from falling.

"Guys, get these two to the hospital. If at all possible, do not let them be separated." Tony started putting his guys to work, then he took a breath and called the family.

The Hospital

The blended Carter/Knight family wasted no time getting to the hospital once word got around about all the events. Sean came rushing in through the hospital doors and was met with hugs and kisses. His eyes widened when he saw Will amongst the family. However, he smiled and accepted the redhead's hug and kiss on the cheek.

"How was your day, bro?" Lance asked.

"Umm, you and Will were kidnapped, and that's after being in an accident." Sean shook his head and chuckled. "Only you could go through all that and everything else and be the one to ask me how my day was." He paused. "How's Mikey and Dakota?"

"No word yet, Sean," Will said as he wiped his eyes. He looked at Sean. "I'm really sorry for the other night and how I spoke to you."

"I get it, Will. I know how fucked up Janice is. I'm just sorry you had to endure so much torture." Sean smiled and hugged the redhead. He smirked and tickled Will's side.

Will jumped and squirmed as he boyishly giggled and blushed. His toes curled inside his socks and shoes. "I'm sooo freakin' ticklish."

Lance and Sean chuckled and hugged the lanky college man. "You'll fit right in with us. If you need it, we've got an extra room." Lance offered.

"Thanks, bro. I appreciate it." Will sighed and laid his head on Lance's shoulder while Sean held his hand.

"Will, where's your dad?" Adam asked as he came and sat with the trio.

"He had to go back to Barefoot. Dad's helping keep the press and looters at bay while they sift through the chaos and figure out who was behind everything."

Jai and Tony walked up to the four young men huddled together. The Commissioner had just arrived to be with his family. "Babe, they've found something in the recorded footage."

Adam stood up and gave the duo his undivided attention.

"Surprisingly, Janice wasn't behind the vandalism at Barefoot or the bombing at Mikey's." Tony's statement was met with gasps and looks of confusion. The entire blended clan gathered around him.

"If she wasn't, then who was?" Lance asked.

"The vandalism at Barefoot was caused by a trio of guys who got kicked out last night. They came back and trashed the place." Tony paused.

"And, Mikey's house?" Bryan asked as he held Max's arm.

"That was caused by the security guard that took Mikey into custody last night. He blamed Mikey and Kota for his incompetence and job loss."

"So, what was the bitch responsible for?"  Pam's question earned the family matriarch a round of shaking heads, giggles, and chuckles.

"Janice paid for the boys to be in the accident and to be kidnapped. She did send someone after Mikey, but he chickened out when he saw the altercation between our son and the guard." Tony then filled everyone in on Mikey's saving Dakota.

"Damn, and last night, I really thought he was a wimp. I'm glad I never got on his bad side." Will's statement was met was hearty laughter and a good dose of tickling from the younger men of the family.

"Are you all here for Dakota and Mikey?"

The family turned and faced the doctor, holding their breath.

"Yes, we are, doctor," Pam answered for the clan.

"Dakota's gonna be fine but sore for a while. He received some bruised bones and lacerations but will be completely healed in due time. I'm keeping him here for observation, and he can go home tomorrow. I'd like him to be on light duty for a few weeks to get over the pain."

"What about Mikey?" Lance asked through his soft sobs. The young man shivered and cuddled harder against his older brothers, Adam and Jai.

"Mikey's going to recover as well. He's a lucky and resilient young man. However, I'm concerned about his weight. Mikey's close to being anorexic. Has he been having any balance issues or loss of energy?"

"Yes, to both." Adam and Jai answered in unison.

"I'd like to run some tests, but I don't think he's eating enough to sustain his active lifestyle. Mikey's also got some blood pressure issues. It's too high for my comfort. I'd like to monitor that for a few months to see if it's situational or needs to be regulated with medication."

"Is that everything, doctor?" Max asked.

"As of right now, yes. I'm hoping to have both Dakota and Mikey in a room very shortly, then you can go see them. Under normal circumstances, I'd limit the amount of family in at one time. However, I don't feel the need to take that route."

"Thank you," Tony said as he shook the man's hand.

"My pleasure, those are two special and bonded young men you've got there. I'm sure you're all very proud of them both."

"You got that right," Adam said with the entire gathered clan nodding their heads.

Once they were allowed to see their fallen loved ones, the family breathed a collective sigh of relief. Each person took time to physically show the bedridden men their love and affection. One by one, everyone trickled out, heading for their respective homes. All except for Lance, he wasn't leaving his two brothers.

A guard was posted outside the hospital room. Lance kept his knife in its sheath under the leg of his jeans. That night a nurse approached the quiet ward. He discreetly pulled a gun with a silencer from his pocket, and when he was close enough, the nurse shot the guard in the back of his neck, killing him instantly. The shooter watched the dead man slump in a puddle of blood in the chair.

Quietly, the man opened the hospital room door and stepped inside. He raised the gun and shot a bullet into each bed. All kinds of bells and whistles were going off. The gunman turned to shoot Lance and was met with the brunet's knife slashing the wrist of the hand holding the gun, followed by the pissed-off young man's fist plowing into his nose, breaking it. Security guards, doctors, and nurses burst into the room. The nurses and doctors went to work extracting the bullets from Mikey's and Dakota's bodies. The guards started sorting out the details from Lance, who immediately called his parents, then Max and Bryan. Once more, the hospital was filled with the blended family.

"I swear, we need to have them give us a group rate," Jai said as he ducked his husband's attempt to swat the back of his head.

"I just got off the phone with the guys at the precinct. They were able to get a confession from the shooter." Tony informed the gathered family members. "He was an insurance policy of sorts, the ex-guard who blew up Mikey's house, had his brother come back here and shoot him and Kota."

"Goddamnit, how many more fucking psychos are gonna target our boys?" Pam screamed.

"Carter/Knight family, I presume?” Everyone turned and faced the doctor.

"Are our boys okay?" Bryan asked with tears streaming down his cheeks. He and the other three parents stood behind their three sons with their hands on the younger men's shoulders.

"They're gonna make a full recovery. We were able to get the bullets extracted. As I said earlier, they're lucky guys. The gun wasn't a high-powered caliber. Also, the shooter was a poor shot and hit their legs."

"Thanks, Doc. You don't know how happy and grateful we are to you for taking care of them. Jai said as the family shared an emotional group hug.

To be continued...