by Richard Dusk
"What the hell, Kaiden?" Pace fought with Kaiden's firm grip.
Kaiden shot into the open space until he emptied most of his magazine. When he retreated to the door, he placed the pistol on Pace's neck and shot the bullet piercing his spine and throat. Pace's arms stopped fighting with Kaiden as his body lost control over muscles, and he immediately fell to the ground. The puddle of blood quickly spread from under his body. Throwing the gun away, Kaiden ran to the doors and disappeared in the tunnel leading away. Vince shot several more rounds at his back but in vain.
"Check them. They must live," Vince moved crouched, carefully watching the door for possible Kaiden's return. Lex grabbed Jillian by the shoulder and shook her.
"It's okay," Jillian heavily breathed. "It hurts like hell, but I'm okay. He hit just my vest," she said while her eyes traveled to Vince crouched over Garrett's inert body. Her throat instantly tightened, and her heart began to hammer.
"Garrett?" she climbed to him on all fours.
Despite her shot arm, she barely felt the pain and found the strength to grab him by shoulder and thigh to turn him over. A mark of fresh blood left on the ground, flowing from his chest and temple.
"No, no, no," she spoke in haste with a quavering voice. "Don't you dare to die, Garrett. Wake up," she shook with him in the hope that he'll open his eyes. "You can't. Not you. Not now. Wake up. Wake up, Garrett," she cried, but Garrett didn't hear her words. His mind was resting and deaf to this world.
"You promised it will be all right in the end. You've promised to me. Save him, Vince, please. Save him. Somebody, please... Do something. Anything," she trembled uncontrollably. Lex grabbed her by arms and pulled her aside. She hugged her firmly and let her cry and sob on her shoulder. "Please… He saved me so many times. Why can't I save him?" she whispered while swaying from side to side.
The wind blew few snowflakes on Garrett's face. They fell slowly as if they were the last ones that ever will be. His skin melted them, and the droplets ran down his face. Same as the tears on Jillian's cheeks. His mind wandered through his life - his childhood summers with grazed knees and drying skin of swimming in the lake, steaming hot cocoa made by his mother every winter with ginger cookies, the friends he found and lost in life. He cried silently in his head as he watched this movie and missed every single piece of it. The good, the bad - all of it made him the man he became. But none of this changed him as much as these beautiful eyes, which he fell in love with forever a long time ago. She was there every time and every day, standing with him side by side no matter what times came. She was the one who gave him more than one piece to finish the mosaic of a good life.
'Well, well, well,' said the voice in his head. 'After all, you did what you've promised. You threatened to destroy me, and you succeeded. You are dying, so am I. We were bonded to be on this Earth together and leave it the same. Till death do us part, right? That is what you people say to ensure your bonds. A fantastic way to mock love. You must realize that true love lives forever, and she's waiting for you somewhere. In this life, in the next one and all that will follow. You've found her once and did what you had to. Yes, I see the same movie. I see those green eyes you love, and I know she is a remarkable woman. But I'll never forgive anything you've done. You were a father and a husband. I waded through your memories, and I know you were a good man, but you let it all fall apart. Your family relied on you more than you've ever relied on them. Now they're all gone, and you're lying here alone on this dirty, cold rock while the life is leaving your body. We've lived side by side for too long, but unfortunately, there are just a few seconds left for us now. If you could look on your left, you would see a girl that just lost a friend who cared. She understood what you've meant to her. The bond that arose between you is unique and noteworthy. You did save her life, but did you save it for better days? That's the piece of knowledge I do not possess yet. Other paths are waiting for you now, and I want you to know this - you'll wake to the worse world than you're leaving.'
END OF BOOK ONE