“Stop shooting you idiots!” Nick cried in rage and pain. “You shot me you moron!”

Elaine sat up to see a wounded Nick clutching his thigh, his face contorted in pain. That was when she remembered Tommy and she swung her head searching for him. He was sitting a few feet away from Sonny and Nick wrestling in the snow. A mingled look of horror and concern played across his face. Nick’s henchmen stopped shooting and ran toward the scuffle. They stood awkwardly by shouting at each other trying to figure out how to break it up without getting bitten.

Elaine saw her opportunity. Jumping up from the ground she quickly ran to the still seated Tommy and grabbed his arm, dragging him to a standing position.

“We have to run Tommy!” she shouted to him. He nodded numbly and they began to slip across the snowy ground toward the large dumpsters that stood approximately 100 feet away. Elaine’s breath came out in puffs in front of her as she tried to run in the snow, dragging Tommy along behind her. Getting away was slow in the snow and with a small child in tow. She was about half way to the dumpsters when she heard a sickening thud and a pained yelp and whimper. She felt herself slip as she was dragged to the ground by Tommy who had tried to stop and look around.

“Sonny!” Tommy cried, tears forming in his eyes. He pushed himself up and began to run back in the direction of the fight and the now injured dog lying on the ground.

“No Tommy! Come back!” Elaine called sliding in her tracks as she attempted to stop Tommy. She finally was able to gather her footing by digging her toes in the snow and launching herself forward trying to catch the small boy. She watched in terror as she saw Nick yell from the ground and point in their direction. The men around him looked up and began pointing their guns in their direction.

“Tommy stop!” she screamed as a loud sound filled her ears as shots rang out. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. Elaine felt the air rush around her and she heard different shouts from everywhere. Then the unthinkable happened. As the shots rang out she saw Tommy slip and fall in the slippery snow.

“Nooo!” she screamed running with everything in her toward the small figure now lying still in the snow. She slipped and slid on her knees as she came up to his body that was faced down. She quickly reached over and turned over Tommy’s small body. She chocked back a sob as she saw blood trickle from Tommy’s lips, his mouth curled and his eyes open wide in shock. Tears blurred Elaine’s vision. She tried to feel around Tommy’s tiny frame for the bullet wound. She had to stop the bleeding but she couldn’t find where he was hit. She began to sob loudly and shake in shock and rage. She furiously wiped away at her tears and grabbed Tommy’s face in frustration. Her heart ached as she blinked back the tears trying to focus on his innocent face. This was all her fault.

To Be Continued…