As Zander opened the door to leave, Rachel walked in. “Hey, Tough Guy.”
“Hey. Norman said we had some new people? How’d that go? Did Tom take care of it?”
“I did. It went pretty good.”
“Tell me about ‘em. How’d they seem to you?”
Rachel walked over and sat in the chair beside the bed. “They’re good people. The dad, Robert, he’s just scared and wants to find somewhere safe, and Billie, she’s just? Cool.”
John raised his brow. “Cool how?”
“I don’t know, she’s just cool.”
“How many people they kill?”
“Robert’s really messed up, not in a bad way but in like a sad way. He said none but Billie said he used to be a badass- Oh, actually he did tell me about one guy he shot.”
John sighed and patted a spot beside him on the bed.
Getting up, Rachel sat beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“We’re gonna kill them... We’re gonna kill Hershel for what he did to Carl and Kesler. We’re gonna kill Morgan for what he did to Logan, and we’ll kill anyone else who gets in our way.”
“I just want it all to stop.”
“It will. I’m not lettin’ him get away with what he did to Carl-” John choked up. “I’ll figure somethin’ out, and they won’t get away with what they did to us.”
“I miss him so much,” she said as tears ran down her face.
“Yeah... Me too...”
Shortly after, Rachel backed out of the room to give John some peace and quiet before he left the hospital.
“So that’s John!” Billie said, making Rachel jump.
“Holy shit- Don’t do that!”
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What do you want, Billie?”
“There’s literally nobody else here our age.”
“So?”
“Wanna hang out?” she asked, grabbing Rachel’s hands.
“You followed me to a hospital-”
“I was gonna follow you back to your place.” Billie smirked. Putting her arms around her, she pulled her close.
Rachel raised her brows and stared at her. “What are you doing?”
“Whatever you're doing,” she said with a kiss. “I couldn’t help but overhear you and the leader talking in there... So how ‘bout it? Wanna have some fun before the Acquainted guy gets here?”
About an hour later, John left the hospital and ran into Norman.
“John, we got a problem,” he said, walking up to him with a burlap sack.
“What now?”
“I found one of your boys out back.” Opening the sack, Norman showed him the severed head of Benji. “Morgan don’t fuck around. He’ll skin you alive and have you deboned just for breathin’ the same air as him.”
John scratched his beard and turned away. “Go bury it. Please.”
“Inside or out?”
“In. A regular sized hole in case we find his body.”
“Sorry.” Norman put his hand on John’s shoulder as he tossed the sack over his. “We’ll win. It won’t be easy, but we will.”
Back at John’s home, Rachel and Billie were watching romance comedies on the couch.
“Oh my god, they don’t even know how to do it right,” Billie said, swinging around and sitting on top of Rachel.
“Can’t we just hang out?” Rachel asked as Billie started kissing her.
“Do you not like this?”
“Yeah but-”
“But nothing. If you like it, let's do it! I haven’t ever had the chance to do something like this before, if you wanna kiss and do stuff then let’s kiss and do stuff.”
“Not right here in the living room,” she said, looking behind Billie at a photo of her and Carl.
Outside John’s home.
“Excuse me?” a man asked, running to John, with sweat dripping from his red face.
John glanced at him. “You must be the new guy.”
“I don’t know where my daughter is!”
“Billie?”
“Billie, she’s taller than the leader girl, pale, long black hair, she’s wearing a white shirt, jeans. Have you seen her?”
“Sorry, I haven’t. But she’ll be fine in here, don’t worry about it.”
“There’s no chance a feral could get in here, could they?”
“No. But look around, if you can’t find her after an hour you find me and I'll look for her.”
“Okay, thank you,” Robert said as he ran away.
I’m gettin' too old for this shit. Walking into the house, John could hear the squeaking of Rachel’s mattress and moaning noises coming from the bedroom. At least someone’s havin’ fun.
Walking out from the kitchen, Kesler handed John a coffee. “Cold and black.”
John smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Red.”
“So I guess Rachel found something to help her cope...”
“Didn’t Billie just get here? That was awful fast.”
“Yeah... And look, I know we just talked about this and I know what you’re gonna say... But we should have another one.”
John stared at Kesler, listening to the noises coming from Rachel’s room. “DAD’S HOME!”
The room went quite for a moment and Billie busted out laughing.
“Kess, I just-” He teared up. “I can’t lose another kid... I lost Ellie, now Carl... To tell you the truth I’m scared to death of what might happen to Rachel when the Acquainted come back.”
“It takes nine months! Please, John? We’ll have another one and by the time it comes, we won’t be worrying about this stuff anymore! No more Acquainted, no more Carvers or Hershels... It’ll just be Argentina, and John Miller... Nine months... The Acquainted isn't gonna be around to see the next one we bring into this world!” She smiled as she hugged him. “Let's have another one. Please, John? I really want this.”
“Wh- What if we lose Zander? Richie, or Emily? What happens when it comes time to have this baby and we don’t have someone to deliver it?”
“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Please don’t make excuses. Just yes, or no. It’ll be nine months, a lot can change and I know we won’t be worrying about this by then...”
Chapter 3:
An Arm for an Arm
The next day, Hershel showed up at the gates with a megaphone. “Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey! Get the hell up, Little Dumber Boy!”
John smiled at him as he left Jamal’s. “Hershel!”
He grinned behind his shadow of stubble. “You were waitin’?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Sat up all night thinkin’ about the people we lost... Simon, Logan...”
“Good boy,” Hershel said, getting out of the way and letting their white box truck pull up to the gate.
“What’s in there? Your lion?”
“God damn, never thought about gettin' us some zoo animals! You imagine us ridin’ up on a herd of wild elephants? That shit’d be cool as hell!”
Stepping out from the truck, Morgan Williams walked up to the gate and laughed. “You’re fuckin’ kiddin’ me, right?” he asked, grabbing the gate and staring at John. “Shouldn’t this thing already be open?”
“No, it shouldn’t. And it won’t be.”
“Okay, I’m gonna pretend like you DIDN’T, just say no. IF! You, OPEN. THIS. GOD. DAMN. DOOR!”
“Yeah I don’t think so,” he said, watching Morgan’s men leave the truck and gather around him with their weapons drawn.
“Do you have any idea who the fuck you’re speaking to?”
Turning to his men, Morgan locked eyes with a tall fat man. “Leader Prick, do you want this to be you?” Pulling out his Desert Eagle, Morgan blasted the man’s face apart, dropping him to the ground.
He looked to John and laughed. “He raped one of my women so he had it comin'- and another thing, I know a lot of your people don’t deserve what’s gonna happen to them if you don’t open this fucking door.”
John
stared him dead in the eyes. “I said no. Now unless you wanna be walkin’ home- if you get what I’m sayin’- you better leave. Because I will kill you. And I will kill Hersel.”
Morgan rolled his eyes. “Alright, enough of this ‘my dick is bigger than yours’ crap.” Morgan shot at John’s feet, sending a nearby Argentinean running up to the guard post.
“When I walk in, you’re kissing my ass, thanking me for letting you, and if you don’t, the next shot goes in your chest.”
A crowd gathered as Morgan and a group of forty Acquainted entered Argentina.
Morgan walked up to John and held his face. “God DAMN am I gonna have some fun with you,” he said, pushing John to the ground. “EVERYONE! You know what to do, round ‘em up! Big ‘ol pretty circle! We’re havin’ ourselves a show!”
A few minutes later, Morgan and his men had all of Argentina gathered around in a circle, just like they did on the first day they arrived.
“Ladies and gentlemen of Argentina, I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone! But the thing is, JOHN, decided he’d threaten me, and well- I just can’t have that shit!” Morgan looked back at John and Tom who he had on their knees in the center of the circle. “So first, I’m gonna kill one of yours. Then, I’m gonna kill another one of yours. THEN, I’m gonna maim one of yours!” Morgan laughed.
“Richie! Where’s that cute little slice of pussy that belongs to me?”
An Acquainted drug Richie from the circle. “Right here, boss,” he said as he tossed her to Morgan’s feet and left.
“Ahh, little Richie! You look so beautiful!”
“Go to hell,” she cried.
Morgan helped her up. “You abandoned your Acquainted brothers and sisters for a looong fucking time! Far longer than I’m comfortable with to be honest with you. And for what it’s worth, I am VERY sorry, that it has had to come to this.”
He rammed his hands in Richie's mouth and pulled with all his force.
She screamed her heart out as her cheeks tore open and blood rained from her mouth.
He pulled harder and harder, pushing on her face with his other hand.
The crowd were screaming and crying, Tom was a sobbing mess, and John’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head.
Morgan ripped the jaw from her face and chucked it. He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. “How’d that feel, Richie?”
She wailed. Her tongue flopped around as blood painted her neck and chest.
Grabbing her by the back of the head, Morgan slammed her face into the ground and stomped the back of her skull in.
Morgan looked around the crowd and laughed. “Now how’s THAT for sending a message?”
Everyone was screaming and crying, some had vomited, and one man was passed out.
Morgan stared John dead in the eyes. “Pretty cool, right?” He grabbed his crotch and laughed. “But fuck if I’m not as soft as her brains, the show must go on!”
He looked around the crowd and pointed to Drew. “Someone bring Burger King up here.”
Walking around the circle, Davey grabbed Drew by the back of his stained white muscle shirt.
“Hey, fuck off!” Drew yelled.
Davey kneed him in the waist and drug him to Morgan. “Here you are, Boss.”
Morgan laughed, staring at Drew as Davey left the circle. “Any last words, sugar tits?”
Drew, on his hands and knees, looked around the circle. He grabbed his chest as tears began forming in his eyes.
“Fudge Packer, I’m taking to you and it’s rude as fuck to ignore someone.”
Drew stood up, shaking as he stared at Morgan. “Uh, I... Um...” He gulped.
Morgan laughed. “You, uh, what?”
“I-”
Morgan drove his thumbs into Drew’s eyes, pushing until Drew dropped to his knees.
He screamed as blood gushed down his face, pouring off his head and Morgan pushed back.
“It’s not hard yet, but we’re getting there,” Morgan said with a laugh as he kneed Drew in the throat.
Drew cried as he held his face, and Tom had broken down.
Morgan pulled a knife off his belt and shrugged. “It’s be a shame to leave you like this.”
Crouching down, he slit Drew’s throat and stood back up.
He rubbed his crotch as he looked to John. A smile grew on his face. “Fuck it, I know I said only two die, but to be fair, Richie was one of mine, NOT ARGENTINAS!” Grinning, Morgan licked his teeth. “Davey! Bring me my bat.”
Running into the circle, Davey held out Morgan’s bat. It was painted black, and the end was full of nails, some new, some covered in rust.
“This here,” he said, taking the bat from Davey. “Is CANCER!"
Davey laughed, staring at John as he left the crowd.
“Cancer is one of the things no man has a chance of running from, second to Morgan Fucking Williams.” He held the bat close to his face and took a big whiff.
Morgan grinned as he walked up to John and Tom. “And it smells like your guts,” he said, thrusting the bat at him.
John shook his head, watching as Morgan held the bat in Tom’s face. “M- Morgan, no. Please. Not him. Please. You made your point.”
“Have I?... ‘Cause I don’t think I have.”
Morgan crouched down. He held his bat on his shoulder and rubbed Tom’s face. “What do you think, Town Crier? Have I proved myself today?”
“Yes,” he cried. “You made your point, we’re Acquainted with you!”
Getting up, Morgan laughed and stuck the bat in Tom’s face. “See this?”
He nodded.
“This is the thing that-”
Jumping to his feet, John tackled Morgan and punched him across the face.
Morgan swung his fist into the side of John’s neck and shoved him off. “Oh you just hit the jackpot of fucks.”
Getting up, John pulled out his revolver and aimed it at Morgan. All the Acquainted had their weapons pointed at John and his family, and Morgan was laughing from his spot on the ground.
Morgan got up and took John’s revolver. “Back on your knees.”
John looked at Rachel and Kesler and back to Morgan.
“Get the fuck down before I put you down.”
John nodded as he silently went back beside Tom and got on his knees.
Morgan stared John dead in the eyes. “You, you little dick prick, are gonna sit there, and for their sake you’re not gonna budge, because my men will kill your family. Be smart about this.”
Morgan grabbed his bat and walked in front of Tom. “Now, where was I?” He swung the bat into the side of Tom’s face. The nails tore deep gashes and ripped one of his eyes out.
Tom let out a loud blood curtailing cry, and his wife and daughter screamed from the crowd.
Morgan drove the bat into his face, busting Tom’s nose in.
“STOP! YOU’VE PROVED YOUR POINT,” John yelled.
Morgan threw the bat into Tom’s back, knocking him on his stomach.
Tom lifted his head and looked to Fiona and Callie. He cried as blood poured from his face.
Morgan looked at Tom’s crying family and laughed. “Cute kid, she sure doesn’t have her daddy’s looks... So what do you say, Tommy? Did I prove my point?”
Tom puked and nodded. “Yes,” he screamed, spitting up blood.
Crouching, Morgan stared at Tom. “Fucking fuck that’s nasty,” he said, pulling Tom’s dangling eye from his face, making him scream louder.
Tossing the eye, he patted Tom on the back and stood. “For the record, if your dear old friend didn’t jump on me, you’d still be alive.” Morgan slammed his bat into the back of Tom’s head, caving the back of his skull open.
John shook from anger as blood splattered on his face.
Morgan turned to John’s family and waved at his men. “Stand down.”
As the men backed away, John tackled Morgan again.
“You dirty fuck!” Morgan punched John across the face and threw him
off. “You fucking asshole! My back was turned you fucking prick!” Morgan jumped up to his feet and booted John in the stomach. “How’d you feel if I killed you too and left Gordon in charge? HUH? SPEAK!”
John pulled Carver’s knife from his belt and sunk it into Morgan’s shin.
Dropping to a knee, Morgan let out a brief scream before yanking the blade out. “DAVEY! MYERS! HOLD THIS BASTARD DOWN!”
Two large Acquainted rushed in and pinned John on the ground.
“What you just did, John. That is what a BITCH does. A bitch pulls that sneaky bullshit on the big bad wolf. And every time that bitch gets eaten... by the BIG. BAD. WOLF...
“Your family won’t die... Yet.” Leaving the circle, Morgan grabbed Rachel by her hair and drug her to John.
He looked at her and smirked, letting out a brief laugh. “Kinda wish you were a boy but I guess girl’ll have to do.”
Shoving her down beside John, Morgan grabbed the legs of her pants and began pulling.
“NO,” John screamed, shaking back and forth, trying to break free from the men.
Getting them off, Morgan whipped them at John.
He shook the pants off his face and stared at Morgan.
“Do you wanna see just how FUCKED. UP. I can be?” He grinned and spoke softly, “‘Cause you're about to.”
John did his best to hold back tears, scared for Rachel’s life. “Morgan, please. I promise, I believe you, you made your point loud and clear!”
Morgan bit his lip and laughed. “You keep saying that, but I keep not believing your dirty ass.” He looked to Rachel with a big toothy grin. “Let’s see what we’re working with.”
Reaching down, he ripped off Rachel’s boxers and slid the machete off his belt.
“She’s not a boy,” he said, spitting on her crotch. “So I can’t have you cut her dick off. She’s also an innie which complicates things.” He looked at John and smirked, “For her anyway.” Morgan laughed. “Just?” He shrugged. “Stick the thing inside her, twist it around a bit and we’ll see when I let you stop.”
“PLEASE,” John cried, staring at the shimmering machete in Morgan’s gloved hand.
“DO IT!” Morgan shoved Davey and Myers away and grabbed John by the neck. Pulling him to Rachel, he threw him between her legs. “TAKE THE WEAPON AND FUCK HER BABY MAKER UP! And if you dare try to use that thing on me, all of your people, that includes your kid, are going to die.”
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 3