Well, uh...got no excuses really. I haven't gotten around to writing lately, but have no fear! I've put something together for you. Sorry if it's a bit rough, and if there's spelling errors, blame my spellcheck, which doesnt seem to be working.

I really hope it's not that bad, and makes sense. Again, apologies for the massive wait.

Thanks to magnificent7, sammygirl1963 and lilithxfic for reviewing chapter 8.

and when your done - feel free to press the little purplke button and leave me some feedback!

Nikki xx

Chapter 9

The day passed quicker than Dean hoped it would. He spent the majority of the time on his bed, pondering over the looming challenge. After eating a meagre dinner, he strolled slowly back to his cell, pausing in the doorway, dismayed, when he saw his street clothes neatly folded on his bed. This was it. He quickly changed, savouring the feeling of being in his normal ripped jeans, scuffed boots, old t-shirt and jacket that he wore most days. He glanced up, startled, as BJ appeared at his door. It took him a moment to realise that BJ was dressed in street clothes.

'I guess we're going out together...' said Dean, giving a wry smile.

'Yeah,' sighed BJ. 'This won't be fun. But since it's your first time, it should be a fairly easy job.'

'You ready?' asked a guard, entering the cell.

Both boys took a deep breath.

'Yeah, we're ready,' BJ said coldly.

'After you,' said the guard.

Dean led, walking out of the cell and up the narrow stairs to ground level. Another guard stood at the hatch's entrance, and he gripped Dean's arm as he ascended the stairs. Marching quickly, both boys were lead out to the waiting black van, where Rennie stood, a gleam in his eyes.

'You better make me proud boy,' Rennie hissed to Dean. 'I paid good money for you, and I've got high expectations.'

'Do I look like Batman to you?' scoffed Dean, climbing into the van, BJ on his heels.

The windows were blackened, so they didn't know where they were going. The trip to their destination was quiet, the tension so tight you could cut it with a knife.

'What's our assignment?' queried BJ.

'Robbery. A man has recently come across a priceless amulet in Egypt, and brought it home a couple of days ago. All I want is for you to retreive it for me.'

'What about the man?' BJ continued, his face blank.

'Do what you like. If you need to kill him, kill him. If there's family, you can kill them too. Or, you can find your way around it, and be in and out without anyone noticing. Just get me my amulet!'

BJ nodded affirmative as the van slowly pulled up.

'Now remember – don't screw with me,' snarled Rennie. 'I've already lost two of my collection this week, and I don't intend on losing any more. Got it? Now go. The address is 213 Wyndam Street, which is a couple of blocks from here. We'll be watching...so don't screw up!' He handed them both small handguns, and indicated for them to leave.

The van door was opened, and BJ and Dean jumped out, heading at a fast pace into the fresh night, away from Rennie. Once they were around a corner, Dean visably relaxed.

'I can't stand him,' he muttered bitterly.

'I know Dean,' replied BJ. 'So, what's the plan?'

'What do you normally do?'

'Well, these jobs usually need to be done so fast that we kinda just barge in and do what we gotta do,' shrugged BJ.

'That can be plan B,' said Dean nervously. 'I say we check out the joint, see what points of entry there are, and go from there.'

They continued walking at a good pace, and BJ noticed Dean looking around at the surrounding streets cautiously, his face intense and in thought.

'Dean – don't even consider it. You can't hide. There's no escape, and if you try anything, we're both dead.'

'But it can't be impossible! Nothing's impossible.'

'Well, this is. Let's just get this over with.'

They arrived at Wyndam Street, and walked casually past their target, noticing the uncut grass and rundown look the house had.

'Sure doesn't look like the kind of house I'd be living in if i owned a priceless object,' BJ murmured to Dean.

'Maybe it's like that so people won't think of robbing it,' was Dean's reply. 'It's still a pretty big house though. Who knows what it could look like inside.'

'So what are we doing?'

'I say side window, if any are open. If not, we'll have to sneak through the back, and see if anyone's around.'

They backtracked to the house, walking cautiously through the over-grown grass, keeping their eyes peeled for movement. They made it safely to the side of the house, peering in windows, but unable to see anything past the closed curtains. All windows were firmly locked as well.

'Let's try the back then,' sighed Dean. Moving around to the back door, he gently turned the handle, not surprised when it didn't budge.

'Desperate times equal desperate measures,' he said sadly to BJ, pulling out his gun. 'Stand back, and get ready to cover me.'

Taking a deep breath, Dean stepped up to the door, and in one swift kick, broke one of the wooden panels on the door. He quickly reached in, unlocking the door and letting himself in, gun poised. He listened carefully, hearing a door slam in the darkened house.

'He's hiding,' whispered Dean to BJ. 'Keep an eye out when opening doors; he could jump you.'

'I know Dean – I've done this before, remember?'

They carefully crept their way through the house, noticing that Dean had been right – the house was fully furnished, and even in the dark, they could tell it was sophisticated. After looking in each room, it became clear that the person and the amulet were hiding.

'There's only one place left,' commented BJ. 'The basement.'

They both stared uneasily at the basement door, mentally going over the best way to approach their problem.

'Well,' said Dean, shrugging. 'I say we kick the bastard in.'

'Sounds good to me,' said BJ, covering Dean with his gun.

For the second time that night, Dean mustered all his strength, kicking the door as hard as possible. It flung open, and Dean surged through, gun aimed, making his way down the rickety stairs. BJ was close behind.
'Freeze!' cried Dean, his eyes falling on their prey. The man froze, his eyes fixated to the gun, his phone pressed to his ear.

'Hang up,' ordered Dean.

'Please don't hurt -'

'HANG UP!'

The phone snapped shut immediately, and clattered to the floor.

'BJ, search him.'

BJ moved forward, beginning to pat the man down while Dean covered him with the gun. His gaze remained steady, his aim perfectly still in the air.

'I got it!' cried BJ, pulling the amulet from the man's pocket.

'Good!' said Dean. 'Lets scram-'

The sound of screeching tires and a siren alerted their ears.

'Oh shit,' yelled BJ. 'It's the cops!'

'Go BJ, get upstairs,' ordered Dean. BJ handed Dean the amulet, before bounding up the stairs.

"P-p-please don't kill me,' begged the man. 'Please.'

"It's your lucky day,' muttered Dean, backing up the stairs quickly. He slammed the basement door shut, jamming a chair beneath the handle.

'What's the situation BJ?' asked Dean, looking out the front window.

'It's not bad, but not good. There's two of em, but god knows how many more are on their way.'

'I say we get outta here before we find out!' exclaimed Dean.

Guns still at the ready, the boys hurridly exited the house, sprinting across the backyard to the fence. A lone police officer appeared in the backyard, his cries of 'freeze' ignored.

Dean and BJ clambered over the fence, sprinting down the back alleyway, the cop hot on their heels and calling for backup. The cop knew he wouldn't catch them, so he slowed down, shooting repeatedly at the two teens.

'Get behind the dumpster!' called out Dean, diving for cover. They crouched behind the metal bin, Dean occasionally firing back at the cop.

'BJ – go. Go find Rennie. I'll cover you, and I'll be right behind you.'

'What? No Dean, we go together.'

'BJ! You need to go NOW while there's only one cop here! Anymore get here, and we're as good as dead. We don't know how many more they've called as backup.'

BJ glanced at Dean, concerned, but nodded his head.

'Ok. Good luck.'

Their eyes connected briefly, before BJ took off at full speed for the other end of the alley, Dean continuing to fire at the cop. He glanced around the bin, seeing that the cop had paused to reload his weapon, and a cry reached his ears. He turned quickly, to see BJ running back towards him.

'Look out Dean! There's another co-'

Bang. Dean's eyes widened, a strangled cry erupting from his mouth as BJ jerked and skidded to the ground. Another cop stood at the end of the alley, his gun smoking, his face blank.

'NOOOO!' screamed Dean, running into the open toward BJ.

'FREEZE!' came the command.

But Dean wasn't listening. He had to get to BJ. More gunshot was fired, but each miraculously passed Dean as he stumbled to the ground beside his cell mate.

'Oh god, BJ, oh god,' he sobbed, turning his only friend over.

BJ looked up at him, his eyes soft. The bullet had hit him in the back of the neck, and shot clean through, and as he lay in front of Dean, dying, his sobs were choked as blood flooded his throat and mouth.

'I'm so sorry, this is all my fault,' whispered Dean, cradling BJ.

'Not...your fault,' BJ managed.

'FREEZE! WE DO NOT WANT TO SHOOT!' commanded one of the officers. 'If you move away, we can get help for your friend!'

'Dean,' choked BJ. 'Get...out of...there. Away...from Rennie. Get. Out.'

'Rennie won't get me; the cops are here,' said Dean, worry etched on his face.

'He'll...get...you back. Guaran...teed.'

Dean looked up, noticing the two cops had creeped closer on either side of him. Glancing at BJ, he got to his feet, looking between each cop.

'Put the gun down son,' he was ordered, 'and get to your knees with your hands on your head.'

Dean didn't hesitate, clicking the safety onto his gun and tossing it near the dumpster.

"So uh...just the two of you tonight?' he asked thoughtfully.

'At this moment, yes, but backups on the way. Get on your knees!'

Dean sighed, getting tenderly to his knees, his hands laced together on his head. The cops approached cautiously, wrenching his arms behind him and cuffing them firmly together. But as he was dragged to his feet, one cop jerked and sagged to the ground, unmoving, a pool of blood forming around his torso. Dean hadn't even heard the gunshot, but he knew it was Rennie's men, and that they probably had silencers on their weapons. The other cop tensed instantly, his grip ferocious on Dean's arm, his other hand rested on his gun.

'If I were you, I'd leave,' said Dean seriously. 'You don't wanna mess with these guys. They will kill you.'

The cop looked at Dean nervously, then to his dead partner on the ground. He gulped, backing up slowly, dragging Dean with him. Sirens sounded in the far distance, and the cop relaxed slightly.

'No – they won't. My backup is here. Everything will be fine. Absolutly fine.'

Another shot was fired, and Dean thought he heard the muffled 'ping' of a gun going off. The cop crumpled to the ground, blood trickling from the wound the was directly over his heart. Dean licked his dry lips, focusing his attention back to BJ, who was still struggling with life, drifting slowly towards unconsciousness, and death. At that moment, Rennie's van screeched into the ally, the van door shooting open.

'Hey buddy, it's gunna be alright,' soothed Dean. 'Rennie's here; they'll fix you.'

BJ's eyes widened with terror.

'N...N...N...O,' he choked. 'Don't...let him..take me...'

Dean felt himself seized and dragged toward the van.

'Rennie! Get BJ! He's still alive! Quick get him before more cops arrived!'

Rennie stepped calmly from the van, his fingers fondling his gun softly. His goons continued to drag Dean to the vehicle, while Rennie stood over BJ. His face blank, he pointed his gun, and clicked off the safety.

'RENNIE! NO!' cried out Dean. 'He can be saved! Son of a bitch – SAVE HIM!'

The gun fired.