When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With?

by Krueger, Allison

  The crowd fell silent.

  “Alright. Now London. I got a prize for you!” Morgan pushed Rachel in front of him. “Aaand fuck it, take this one too!” He grabbed Billie by the hair and threw her toward London. “But first, before we watch you have your way with those two fuck things.

  “EVEYONE! Watch this!” Morgan slid the back of his pants down, revealing his ass to the crowd. “John, the former leader of Argentina... KISS. MY. ASS.”

  Getting on his knees, John’s face was directly across from Morgan’s ass.

  “Never in my entire life did I wish I had to shit any more than I do right now!”

  John sunk his teeth into Morgan’s ass, ripping out a chunk of flesh and spitting it at him.

  Morgan spun around and punched him across the face, knocking him over. “YOU TRIED TO EAT MY ASS!” He slammed his boot down on John’s head. “What in the fucking fuck is wrong with you!”

  He grabbed his ass and looked to see his fingers covered in blood. “You FUCK!” He began stomping with all his force on John’s stump.

  John screamed in pain and pulled his arm away. “STOP!”

  “I’d do it to you but I’m not fucking gay.”

  Flipping Rachel around, Morgan got down and sunk his teeth into her back, ripping out flesh and spitting it in John’s face. “That right there was some fucking Tribual type shit! You just made me do fucking Tribual shit you son of a bitch,” Morgan screamed with blood running down his mouth. “I have done, it, ALL, and you still keep pushing. I have given you, so many chances, and you still, KEEP. PUSHING!” Morgan looked around the crowd. “What am I gonna do with you? What, can I possibly do, to open your eyes, to your new world? MY. WORLD.”

  A woman stepped out from between the middle rows of buildings. “Morgan Williams.”

  Chapter 14:

  The Calm Before

  Long black hair hung down her back and covered her bare chest. She was fit, with muscular arms and six-pack abs. She wore brown leather pants, black leather boots, two shoulder holsters, and wore thick black eyeliner across her face like war paint.

  She shifted her piercing green eyes to Morgan as her men began flooding in over the Argentina wall. “I. Am Maligna. The leader, of the Malignites.”

  Spitting out blood, Morgan wiped his mouth. He glared at her as Malignites began surrounding them. “This bitch,” he muttered.

  John got up and held his stump, looking around at all the men dressed in riot gear and carrying assault rifles.

  “You,” she said, “are Harborman John.”

  He looked at her and pulled out his revolver. “I was.”

  “The Harbor. All the way up in Canada, and still one of the greatest threats to my people.”

  “What’s goin’ on here?”

  “I know what you’ve done to the Harbor. It is nothing more than a pile of rubble thanks to you. I have come, one ruler to another, to express my gratitude.

  “I had also heard from a Crimson colored bird, that you and your child Rachel Williams were largely responsible for what happened with New Colombia. That you were the one to put an end to John Carver. The man who enslaved me, all those years ago.”

  Morgan cleared his throat. “Ladies? Let’s not pretend like Morgan Fucking Williams isn’t here just because queen huge-tits has her tiny-dicked soldiers pointing guns at us.”

  She spun her head to him. “Not at US. Only at the Acquainted, Morgan Williams.

  “And while I am here with you, Harborman John, I would like to apologize for killing Liam Miller. Morgan Williams had forced my hand.”

  He slid his finger on the trigger. “That was you?”

  “This can all be explained, and when I do so, I suspect you’ll understand. Is there somewhere more private where we may speak? Perhaps somewhere devoid of the Acquainted or whores?”

  John glanced at Rachel and Billie as they sat on the ground covering themselves. “You mean them? Those are my kids.”

  “Are they not whores. Why is one them naked and the other half?”

  John nodded at Morgan. “What do you think?”

  Morgan laughed. “The other one was a happy coincidence, she was showering. Trying to anyway. No knees and one hand-”

  Maligna cleared her throat and looked to John with a raised brow. “Carl? An odd name for a girl.”

  “That’s not...” He holstered his revolver. “Come on, we’ll go back to my place and talk there.”

  “Alright.” Maligna walked up and shook John’s hand. “I will be with you in a moment. First I must deal with Morgan Williams.”

  “Deal?”

  “I have a plan I need set in motion. Run along, Harborman John.”

  A few minutes later, back at home.

  After grabbing a shirt, Rachel helped Billie get dressed and she laid on the couch while John cleaned the wound on her back.

  “I can’t believe he actually bit you.”

  “Do you think it could kill me?”

  He tilted his head, thinking for a moment as he washed gravel from her bloody wound with a damp cloth. “What?”

  “We’re all infected, right? We all turn in the end. What if-”

  “Don’t... You’re gonna be fine.”

  Rachel clenched her teeth as John washed the dirt out. “Thank you.”

  “...I’m sorry... I try, but, Morgan... You might not care, but I do. You’re the only thing I got left and I don’t wanna lose you too.

  “I’m thinkin’ I’ll go to the prison community if this thing with Maligna doesn’t work. After I met Max and Judy, that old couple I told you about, a guy I know, Mitch, he told me about it. Base, Ricky, they were from there too. It’s Rodney’s group, the place that Billie’s talked about.”

  “It’s a good idea... and stop feeling sorry. I know you try, I saw it when you guys fought in Cascadia. Or when you almost bit his throat out... Maybe you would’ve actually killed him if I didn’t screw up your plan with the horde... You’re fighting. We can all see that.”

  “I’m always worryin’ too. About what’s gonna happen next, to you, to our people. I was scared for Kess.”

  “You’re doing a good job.”

  “Thanks,” he said, putting the cloth on the coffee table.

  “Do you think we should stitch it?”

  “It ain’t that deep and I don’t know how you’d stitch somethin’ like this... I think we’ll just bandage it.”

  The front door swung open. “Harborman John?” Maligna asked.

  “Just John, please,” he said, walking to the bathroom to grab some bandages and tape.

  After patching up Rachel’s back, John joined Maligna at the table.

  “Harbor-… John. Years ago, when the Malignites were just beginning to make a name for themselves, Morgan Williams had claimed us. He said he owned us. There was a community in New Hampshire known as The New Colombia that he had tried to deal with. This was one of the first and last times Morgan Williams attempted to make a fair deal. For half of their supplies, in exchange for some explosives, he would leave, and they would never see the Acquainted again. After trading them, Liam Miller got greedy. He wanted the supplies back, along with the Acquainted’s.”

  John smirked and let out a little laugh. “Why does that not surprise me.”

  “The Acquainted did not take kindly to Liam Miller’s lack of respect, and so Morgan Williams, using the people of the Tribual as our incentive, forced me and my people to work for him and kill Liam Miller. All under the guise of stolen Malignite claimed supplies. Morgan Williams had us do his dirty work so that he could one day work with John Carver.”

  John looked at Rachel who was poking her out from the couch.

  “Morgan Williams captured the Tribuals and a large majority of my group. What remained of the Malignites was controlled by my brother, and after I did the work for Morgan Williams, I was enslaved by John Carver, and the Tribual remained enslaved by the Acquainted.”

  John leaned back in his chair. “It’s an awful lot to
take in.”

  “As we speak, my men are taking Morgan Williams back to his Ohio base where he will be executed. As my gift to you to thank you for dealing with the Harbor, I want you to be the one who pulls the trigger.”

  John smirked and chuckled. “Like I said, it’s a lot to take in...”

  Rachel held her back and walked into the kitchen. “Hey how’d you know Carl?”

  “John Carver. I know everything he knew. I was one of the only people he seemed to speak to.

  “I know that Rachel Williams is not your real daughter and in fact you found her at ten years old on a Wisconsin highway.”

  John stared at Maligna. “What?”

  “I know about Amanda Walsh and your daughter Ellie Miller dying in a car accident. I know you were the one who beat Gordon Bernthal within an inch of his life, you expected him to die of his injuries but he found his way to the Acquainted. I know you never enjoyed being a leader and you only do it because you believe you’re the only one capable of doing it right... I know nothing you didn’t tell John Carver, and everything else you have...”

  “Everything?”

  “Everything.”

  Rachel looked at John and then to Maligna. “Did Carver ever say anything about me?”

  “What specifically?”

  “What did he think of me?”

  “He loved you. You reminded him a lot of his child, Dakota Carver, whom he kept locked in a wall. He believed you would be the one to take his empire after John Miller left New Colombia.”

  “Wow...”

  “Now Harbor- John. We will leave for Morgan Williams’ Ohio base shortly, we will allow them time to set everything up and have Morgan Williams ready for us. Until then. We celebrate.”

  “I don’t drink.”

  “We celebrate.”

  Rachel stared as Maligna reached over and grabbed John’s hand.

  “Uh, no. Thank you,” he said pulling his hand away. “I’m- I... No.”

  Maligna nodded. “We will drink.”

  “I don’t-”

  “We will drink.”

  Chapter 15:

  The Storm

  Later that night, The Ohio Base

  On the balcony overlooking the factory floor, Morgan screamed, “When I break free, I swear to fuck I’m gonna fuck all your skulls with my fists!”

  The workers, still chained to the floor, looked up at Morgan. Malignites filled the room and the base seemed to be emptied of Acquainted.

  “I had a man skinned alive! I burn people to death! What I’m gonna do to you malig-fucks is gonna be so much fucking worse compared to any of the shit I’ve done before!”

  John and his group entered the base to see armed Malignites spread around.

  “Up those metal stairs,” Maligna told him. “There you will get Morgan Williams.”

  “You’re not comin’?”

  “No, today I free my friend, Peter Solomon, the leader of the Tribuals. Today, you kill Morgan Williams, leader of the Acquainted.”

  John nodded and took Maligna’s hand. “Thank you. The Malignites were just what we needed, and when this is all done, we’d love to work with you. To be partners.”

  “And thank you, John Miller,” she said, releasing his hand. “You have helped save many lives,” she said before taking off down a hallway.

  “Rachel, I want you to stay by the doors, I didn’t even want you comin’ here and if somethin’ happens you run!”

  “I’ll take her with me,” Janey said, hugging John. “Go do what you came here to do. I’m gonna go find Patrick.”

  “Janey?” he asked as she and Rachel started to walk away. “Try not to. Unless you have to.”

  She nodded. “Hopefully I won’t have to.”

  On the balcony.

  “Fucking fuck! You just fucking wait! I’m gonna have all of you disease ridden malig-tards turned inside out and buried in molten iron!”

  “Morgan,” John said, walking out from around the corner.

  Morgan was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, held at gunpoint by a Malignite. He laughed. “Well fuck me.”

  “Who is it on their knees with a gun to their head, Morgan? I thought it was gonna be me?”

  He smiled. “How the tables have turned.”

  “Before I kill you, I want you to think-”

  “I want you to think.”

  “Listen to me! Your people are the reason my brother’s dead. They’re the reason New Colombia’s gone, they’re the reason my son’s dead, why Trinity’s dead. You killed Logan, Tom, Drew, Wallace, Jamal... Your people killed Robert, Billie’s dad. Kesler...”

  Morgan laughed. “Quite the list, huh? And those are only the people you know!”

  “Zander, Richie, you took Norman. You cut off my arm, my ear, you beat me, Rachel, you forced us to have sex... Oh yeah, I’ve thought about it, Morgan... Any last words before I beat you to death with the one arm you didn’t chop off?”

  Slowly, a smile came to his face. “After I kill you, I’m gonna force Rachel to kill Billie. I don’t know when, or how, but I’m gonna do it. And I promise you that.

  “And I’m not gonna kill you fast. It’s gonna be slow, and painful, and it’s gonna fucking suck ass.”

  “Big talk for a man on his knees,” John said, grabbing his belt and nodding at him.

  Morgan laughed as the Malignite behind him held out a Desert Eagle. “Here you are, Harborman John. Morgan Williams’ personal.”

  Taking it, he pressed the pistol against Morgan’s forehead. “Last chance. Any last words?”

  “Just on question... Did Maligna tell you about Liam Miller?”

  “She said you forced her to do that to him... That you threatened them and the Tribual.”

  A big toothy grin spread across Morgan’s face. “And did it maybe cross your mind that that’s exactly what’s happening right now?”

  John quickly pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty.

  “Shittin’ your pants yet?” Slipping his hands out of his loose ties, Morgan stood up. “Because you’re about to. Fuck yes you are.”

  John pulled out his revolver and Morgan smacked it out of his hand.

  Morgan swung his fist into John’s face. “You should NOT, have fucking done THAT!”

  John swung his fist at him, making Morgan jump back and kicked him between the legs.

  “This was your last chance, and you fucking fucked it.” Morgan punched him in the jaw and kneed him in the stomach.

  Running in from around the corner, Davey pushed the Malignite over the railing, sending him falling to his death. “Boss! The Malignites are freeing the Tribuals!”

  “WHAT?”

  “I told you we can’t trust them!”

  “Jesus Christ, Jesus fucking fuck, FUCK.” Grabbing his walkie, Morgan radioed his men. “KILL THE MALIGNITES! ALL OF THEM! DO IT RIGHT FUCKING NOW AND DO NOT LET THEM FREE DUTCH!”

  Morgan looked down and watched as his men stormed inside and opened fire on the Malignites.

  Davey looked down at the chaos. “What do you want me to do, Boss?”

  “Put down all the Malignites and Tribuals we still have in chains! They’re not escaping!”

  John pulled himself up with the railing and grabbed his revolver. “Yours was empty- Mine isn’t!”

  As Morgan charged at him, John pulled the trigger and blew a hole through his left bicep.

  “SON OF A BITCH,” he yelled, falling on top of John and headbutting him.

  Morgan wrapped his hands around John’s throat. “You’re being locked up and you’re gonna rot,” he shouted, slamming his fist into John’s face. “And when you die and come back, you’re going on the fence for all to see! Then- I'm killing your kid!”

  Morgan got up and pulled John to his feet. “You actually thought you won!” Morgan smiled, as he held John’s mouth open. “I hope you like it,” he said, spitting in his mouth. “Tubercu-fuckin’-losis.”

  “You’re dying?” John mumbled as M
organ head butted him and slammed him face first into the railing.

  Running from around the corner, Rachel aimed her revolver at him. “MORGAN!”

  “Rachel, run!”

  Morgan slammed his fist into John’s stomach and shoved him down. He grinned and grabbed his crotch, looking back at Rachel. “Damn, that’s got me all excited and shit. Don’t go pointing that thing if you’re not gonna do someth-”

  Rachel shot Morgan in the chest, dropping him to the floor.

  She stormed over to Morgan and pulled out her knife. “Wars, huh?”

  Morgan held his wound, and yelled through his teeth, “You are so gonna regret doing that!”

  Morgan punched her in the knee, and as she fell, he caught her by the throat and began choking her.

  Morgan looked to John who was pulling himself up with the railing. “WATCH, JOHNNY!”

  “Watch, Johnny!” Rachel slashed her knife across Morgan’s throat.

  Morgan’s eyes widened. Releasing Rachel, he grabbed his throat.

  “Rachel, go,” John cried as Morgan pulled himself away.

  “Come on!” She put his arm around her.

  “No,” he said, grabbing his revolver and pushing on her. “If somebody catches you- Rachel, please, go! I’ll be back- I'll be okay,” he said, spitting blood on Morgan’s legs.

  Running over to them, Janey grabbed Rachel. “John, we gotta go!”

  “GET OUTTA HERE! NOW!”

  Downstairs.

  Maligna smiled. “Peat.”

  The closet was dark. Dutch, who was chained to the wall, had long brown hair and a bushy beard. His face was pale and his eyes were sunken. His dark blue button-up shirt was open, and his black slacks were soiled.

  He lifted his head and looked at her with his bloodshot eyes. “Jennifer?”

  “As we speak, our men fight for your freedom. Our people will live again.”

  “I’m surprised Shane isn’t here, I bet you he and Morgan would have some good one on one fights,” he said with a laugh.