Rusty's eyes opened in shock. He snatched the paper and scoweled at the young man. He really could not afford a lawyer, so he just accepted it. He wanted to lash out, but did not want to lose his job. "Fine. Whatever." No, he had a better plan. He had someone who could do his dirty work for him. He snickered, as Kevin walked out teh door, arranging for his strongest men to grab Kevin at once.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Amanda said, "I don't have it. Maybe we can look in the phone book?"
Justin answered, "Good idea." THe two of them rushed to the safe, where Amanda showed the phone book that was hidden out of view. It was hidden so that no robber would steal it in case of an emergency. It was near the register, but hidden safely. She told the girl working it was an emergency. Justin wrote down the number and thanked her. He walked out the store and was about to dial Pam's number, when she saw two thugs rush towards Kevin. He shouted, "Look out!"

Kevin felt an arm rap around his neck so he went into a roll pulling the man down with him, when he finished the roll Kevin was on top of the man. He punched man in the face several times them was grabbed by the other man and drug into an ally way once he had been sucsesfuly drug in there he found himself looking down the barrel of a revolver.

Miley and Justin stared at each other, mouths open wide. It happened way too fast for either of them to move.
The whole time, Justin was torn between helping his sister and someone well trained in the Army. He could not leave Miley behind and risk one of those thugs coming after her, yet he wanted to protect Kevin. He had his pocket knife ready in his pocket. He called the cops and gave them a full description of everything. They told him to meet at the station. He turned to the other girls, "Will you be okay or do you want to come with me?"

The man said "put your hands up were I can see em or I will shoot!" The other thug came running in with a busted up face "Check him" the man with the gun ordered before he was hit in the head with a snowball and Nate took off down the street "Get the boy!" the man with the gun yelled. Kevin grabbed the man with the gun and westeled him to the ground. the man exscaped and back agaist a wall and aimed his gun at Kevin who rolled behind a garbage can and shot the man four times. He heard another gun shot somewere "No! Nate!"

Justin was trying to find out what the girls wanted to do, when he a gun shot. He ran outside to find Nate sprawled on the floor, arm bleeding. He took out his pocketknife and cut his shirt. Then, wrapped it around Nate's arm. He looked around him. He noticed one of the thugs tried to get away, so he rushed towards teh thug, grabbed it, holding the knife to his throat. "Stay out before the police comes, or this is going in your throat. Tell me where Kevin is." Blodd started to trickle the thugs throat.

Kevin ran up "I'm right here" he tossed his gun to Justin keep that guy here. He knelt beside Nate, "Its just a flesh wound" he picked up Nate and carried him into the police office.

The thug jeered, "You're going down if it does. Some Christian youth pastor you are. You know they really make headlines these days"
Justin gritted his teeth. "Shut up."
The man said, "Why don't you let me go in there?"
Justin held the knife closer. "Not until after my friends say what really happened." The man tried to move quickly, but forgot about the knife that was pressed against his throat. Justin felt blood hit his hand. Startled, he pulled the knife away and watched in horror as the thug collasped to the ground. "Oh no!" he felt sweat trickle down his face. He felt for a pulse, there was none. Tears started to form his eyes. What did he just do? He bolted for the police officer, feeling sick to his stomach. He opened the door, his face pale. "The other thug is dead." He managed to say the words, breathlessly "I killed him."

The police officer just stared at Justin "You did what?" he said. The cheif walked "What! Get out there sargeant!" the young officer ran out of the building. The cheif knelt beside Nate and checked his pulse "He's still got a pulse, the bullet passed through his skin around his shoulder. but he's bleeding bad lets get him to the hospital"

Justin swallowed. He ran a hand through his hair, which was gelled in spikes. How was he going to explain this? He had been arrested for drugs before and for beating people. But he never actually phyiscally killed anyone in cold blood. A shiver ran down his spine. There was that baby he forced June to kill when he was pregnant with their baby, but he never actually saw it die. Of course, it was still murder.. Who would be there to look after Miley and Peter now? What about Maralyn? He felt he had completely forgotten her the whole day. "The thug who shot Nate is dead. I killed him." He closed his eyes, ready to be handcuffed, led to the prison's barber and put in prisoner's clothes. Oh well, his hair was super short already. It didn't matter if they wanted to cut it shorter. It just wasn't important. He took a life and needed to be in jail.

"Look son you won't get arrested or anything till we have an formal investigation, as for now get in the squad car” he said to Justin.

Justin felf relief he would not be arrested. Still, the word was "yet." Even though he wanted to ride with Nate, he decided it would be in his best intrest to get in the car. He sat in the car, trying to convince himself that a military-like cut would not look that bad on him. Of course, he was worried about more than just his hair. He texted Miley, telling her everything. Then, he texted Ryan, asking him to go be with the girls. "Sir, I hope you don't mind but I let my sister and one of my youth know what happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Miley gasped at the text message. "What do you mean you killed someone?!" She turned to her friends, "We have to meet justin at the hospital. The thugs shot Nate, Kevin is okay and Justin.." She could not let the word out. She got that he was protecting Nate and Kevin, but still?? She texted Ryan, to tell him what was happening. Justin had been arrested numerous times drug and alchol related. Why would the police believe him? Poor justin! He must be shook up right now. Handling it better than Peter would, definately. But still.

The officer slid Nate into the back seat of his car, he motioned to Kevin "Get in with him" Kevin slid into the car. Then the cop said to Justin "As we are driving you are going to tell me what happened"

Justin got out of the car, looking at Nate. "Hang in there." He blinked back tears and patted the boy's shoulder. He had to be strong, but what if his strength was telling him to cry? He walked over to the other police car, and shuddered. The night was so cold. As he sat down, he closed the door of the cop car, not liking the familiar feeling. Only it felt different than before he had become a Christian. Before, all he cared about was going to jail. Now, he actually felt sorry for somebody beisdes himself. Another family was going to have to hear their son or brother died..at the hands of a youth minister of all things. If things get too ugly he was going to resign.

"Well well justin" said the old cheif "Just like old times eh? so tell me why did you kill him" he added.

Justin felt a chill through his body. His past was coming to haunt him, the way it ahad been haunting his cousin. He always wanted to encourage Peter to move past his mistakes and learn from them. Now, he felt like a hypocrite. flashbacks of his former self kept shooiting into his head. "It was an accident."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Milely sunk next to the clothes, buried her face in her hands and started to cry. "No, Justin." Amanda put an arm around her friend. "Is Ryan comign to pick you up?"