by Jim Mohr
“Falcon, if you ever touch Cheetah again, I will kill you. One way or another, I will do it.”
My eyes flutter from exhaustion as I look up at the boy. I smile at him. “Foolish cats, always picking fights with people who are your betters…”
My world goes black.
Chapter 58
Cheetah—Devante Estate: The Buckhead District; Atlanta, Georgia
The people, the entrance doors that fly open as my telekinesis clears my path, the front door guards, the road leading to the front gate. My muscles strain as the world of man moves by at a pace only seen by a hummingbird, or a diving sawbill bird, or a cheetah.
I sense the dog, Saint Bernard, at the front gate. He is conversing with the humans there. His arm is around one guard, they are laughing… and drinking from a silver flask. I slow my approach, so I don’t startle them. As I come to a stop, the dog releases his human drinking partner, he looks at me and smiles.
“Well chaps, we’ve got our girly drinking partner!” he says.
The four humans all reply: “Hey!”
I look between the men, such pigs. “Are you Saint Bernard? Eagle needs you, Dove is hurt!” The words come in a flurry of speech.
His eyes squint as his head wags, he is drunk. “Listen, Missy, my new friends and I are enjoying some of this lovely Irish whiskey.” He holds the flask up. “Would you like to join us?”
My anger grows at this drunkard. “Come on! Dove is dying!”
His face grows somber. “And that is what we do, ma’am, we die. Why should I be burdened with this?” He staggers as the guards all reach for him. “No lads, leave me be. This little kitty here hasn’t experienced death yet. She’s a naïve one.”
“What is your problem?” I plead. “Come on! Or I’ll make you.” My hand goes to my sword. “And for your information, I have experienced death. I have killed.”
Saint Bernard looks at my sword and smiles. “You would try to kill me with that? Listen, love, you better cut my damn head off. Anything else will grow back. Just because you’ve slashed some poor damn human, that doesn’t mean you’ve experienced death. I would’ve thought that… Cheetah, is it? I would’ve thought that a cheetah would understand death a little better. Lass, I’m not talking about stabbing some poor slob. No dear, I am talking about watching a child slowly die as cancer takes her.” He sighs as his eyes close. “Have you ever watched a little girl, four or five mayhaps, tell her parents goodbye as she slips off into death?” I shake my head. “Well I have, her parents accepted her dying, so I let her go. I could’ve saved her. God knows I could have healed her. But that’s cruel, isn’t it? To make a parent live through their child’s death twice.” His eyes glisten as his speech seems to sober. “You, you’ve killed with that little sword of yours. When I heal others, I kill myself...” A teardrop falls to the ground as he sips from his silver flask. “The Wolves aren’t here, are they?” I shake my head again. “That means that the bloody Cherokee is the alpha... Oh great. When he’s not here, I am the alpha.” He holds the flask up. “And then it’s party time!”
“Are you coming, or not?” I ask, confused by this dog.
He lowers the flask. “I’ll save your pigeon, or whatever she is… God damned birds anyway.”
***
Cougar
My healing power isn’t there, the unrelenting flow of blood is timing how long I will live. My hands and feet tingle as I look up at Lion. He is healed, though he is covered in blood.
“You dare raise a hand to me!” His voice booms in my ears. “You dare strike me in my own home!” I feel his power grab me, my defensive power is not there… I am at his mercy. “You think that you should be king? Then here, here is your throne!”
My world blurs as the worst pain I have ever felt splits my back in two. My legs go numb as my brain revolts against the pain… I cannot feel my legs. I claw at the base of the white marble throne. I try to move. I cannot, I am dying.
From the back of the throne room, I hear my old friend, Cheetah yell. “COUGAR!”
***
Cheetah
As soon as Saint Bernard and I enter the sitting room, we hear Lion’s voice. Saint Bernard touches my shoulder. “Is that Lion?”
“Yes,” I say as we approach the doorway to the throne room.
“He sounds like an ass,” Saint Bernard replies.
I pass the threshold into the throne room and I hear Lion yell. “You think that you should be king? Then here, here is your throne!” Cougar’s body flies at an incredible speed, even by my standards, toward the white marble throne. His back strikes the corner of the armrest. The crack of the collision has obviously broken vertebrae. My Cougar, my poor friend…
“COUGAR!” I yell and I sprint toward him, sword in hand.
The people move in slow motion and in seconds I am over my love, only his blood covered hands move. It is Lion’s blood. I turn to face Lion and assume a fighting stance. Tears are raining from my eyes. I feel an anger beyond anything I have ever felt before.
“You!” I yell.
Lion saunters closer, smiling sadistically. “Put down your sword, Cheetah, or I’ll kill you when I’m done ending his miserable life.”
“Come and get me, you bastard! I’ll cut you in half!” I am on my toes, ready to pounce. I feel a pressure grab my torso. I cannot move. Lion has me. My sword stands in my hand, unmoving and harmless. His power envelopes me.
“Really? You’ll cut me in half?” he says as he stands face-to-face with me. “I tire of underlings disrespecting me. It’s time everyone here comes to know that I am God on earth now. I am power, I am Lion!” He pulls back and open hand slaps me across the cheek. I cannot defend myself, I am his prey.
***
Owl
Knight shifts as I kneel to Doves bloody, mangled body. She still lives, though barely. Everyone around her has expended their powers to heal her, the damage is too severe. It is difficult for me to breathe. My heartbreak and sorrow are oppressive as I watch the empath die.
I hear Lion yell, then Cheetah, then commotion at the throne. It doesn’t matter, poor Dove is dying. The scent of alcohol wafts past me and I look up. A brown-eyed, light brown-haired man, with a medium build, stands over me. He takes a sip from a silver flask.
“This is Dove, yes?” he states. His English accent is thick and unrefined.
“Yes, she is my friend.” I bow my head and touch one of her legs, her broken femur is protruding from the flesh. A blood-soaked tourniquet is above the fracture.
The man kneels as he touches Dove. He looks at Knight. “Why is your spirit crushed? She is still alive. What’s with the bird?” He nods toward Knight.
“He’s an owl! His name is Knight.” I shake my head in confusion. “Who are you?”
“Lass, I am Trevor Blythe. My animal though is the Saint Bernard; the most feared rescue dog in the civilized world.” He smiles and he looks down at Dove. “Dove, if you can hear me, this is going to hurt like holy hell.”
The air grows warm as Saint Bernard releases his power. Doves flesh moves, bones sink into wounded flesh like submarines going down. The flesh closes over the bone. Through the healing Dove doesn’t make a sound. My heart burns as the dog’s power radiates out. It is a love like I have never felt before.
Saint Bernard removes his hand and rocks back on his rear, he sighs deeply and nods. “I have never met Dove before. She’s a kindred spirit.” He grabs his flask. “Speaking of spirits,” he takes a swig and offers it to me. I grab the flask and take a sip, it burns my throat and I smile at the dog.
“I’m really not a whiskey gal,” I say.
He nods as he stands, looking at the throne. “I have healed hundreds of people. I have healed children with terminal illnesses. I have brought people back from the brink as their loved ones refuse to let them go.” He turns and looks at me, his eyes are fu
ll of tears, his lips quiver with emotion. “I have never felt good about my power until now.” He blinks as the liquid spills from his eyes. “We all must use our powers to benefit humanity. This empath has touched me in a way that I have never felt before.”
Suddenly the air seems to change. A power has awakened that I have never felt before. A red and white woman stands in front of me, the red is her own blood. Her sapphire blue eyes burn with a fierceness that I’ve never felt before. I am terrified, and Dove is angry…
***
Dove
I feel every evil thing done by everyone in this room. I can see Lion, holding Cheetah as she is standing, frozen over Cougar. Cougar is injured. My skin tingles as the darkness of my hatred becomes more apparent. A path opens before me leading to Lion. Psychokinetics all drop to one knee and bow to me.
I turn to the healer. “Heal the wounded cat.” The dog does not respond, and I don’t care. I have dealings with the self-proclaimed Lord and King. I address all those kneeling. “I am nothing more than an empath. Do not bow to me!”
My empathy has become like a cat of nine tails whip. It is a weapon. Lion’s back is to me. I raise my right arm, my blood drips from the once white sweater I wear. My sweater is now red with my own blood. I am no longer uniformed, I have changed.
I see a white whip of power lash out at Lion. It strikes him without causing physical harm. He releases Cheetah and staggers as he turns to face me. I can see he fears me, as he should.
“Lion, you have caused me to hate!” The air cracks at the sound of my voice and I cry. “You! You have tried to kill me!” Another white whip extends, lashing him across the face. He drops to his knees and wails.
“Please, no! Please, Dove, forgive me!” He begs. My power is breaking his spirit. It is shaming his sin, crushing his soul.
“Lion, you are not the Lord. You are not God. You are evil!” Another whip of white strikes him. He drops to the floor. He is face down on the tile in front of his throne. “Look at me when I am talking to you!” I yell. He staggers and stands. His breath is heavy with pain. “You made me hate!” I close my eyes as I release my power in a wave. Every person is struck, every sin is exposed, every pain revealed. I can remove them, I can cure them. I take one wound from every soul, except I will leave Lions, I will leave Falcons, and I will leave Hyena untouched. I also leave Cougar’s pain. He instigated this as much as Lion did, though I still love him. Cougar draws strength from his pain. He will need it.
Lion again falls to the ground sobbing. The only sound in the throne room is the sound of Psychokinetics everywhere crying. Their deeds are brought to the surface of their thoughts. Things they have forgotten, things they regret still, are all brought to the surface.
Cheetah’s soft voice is the first that is heard. “Someone help Cougar, he is hurt.” With all of this that has transpired, she cares first and foremost for Cougar. Even her own evil deeds do not hide her love for Cougar. I love that young girl.
***
Cougar
Voices are growing distant as a strange warmth covers me like a blanket. It is accepting, non-threatening, peaceful. A touch, is it love?
A voice echoes in my head so conflicted with this state. “This is going to hurt like something else.” The voice says. More warmth…
My legs feel as if they have been lit on fire, my back cracks in a pain worse than the breaking. I concentrate on the pain in my head, to divert my attention from my back and legs. I scream and twist, I can feel my legs!
The pain stops, the cool tile comforts me. The throne is still pressing into my back, but it does not hurt. I lift my head. A light brown-haired man is kneeling over me.
“You were kicking his ass, huh? Nice!” His accent is comforting as he offers me his hand as he stands. I grab his hand and he lifts me. “I say, you are healed, my son!” he yells, in a manner as the twentieth-century tele-evangelists used to do.
“Where is Lion?” I ask.
The man pats my back. “Down, Kitty. The empath put him in his place.”
“Dove? Is she alright?”
“Yes, sir. I healed her myself, I did,” he says as he fakes an Irish accent. “I’d best introduce myself before you sense my canine attachment and start blasting at me. I am Saint Bernard.”
I look at the man and nod. “Thank you for healing me, I am Mountain Lion.”
Cheetah walks next to me and places her hand on my shoulder. She is crying. “Thank you, Saint Bernard.”
I look for Dove. She is at the base of the three stairs leading to the throne. Her hair is matted with blood, her white sweater looks as if she were the victim of a knife-wielding sociopath. “Are you okay?” I ask her.
She blinks and nods. “Yes, Saint Bernard saved me.”
Saint Bernard sips from a silver flask and offers it to me. “It’s almost empty, one-shot left, and it’s mostly backwash. It’s yours…”
I take the flask and finish it. The whiskey burns my throat as I look at the flask. An engraving of a large Saint Bernard is on one side. A name is engraved on the other side: “Samuel Blythe.” I hand the flask back.
“That was my pa’s name. He was killed a while back,” Saint Bernard says.
“I’m sorry. My dad was killed a while back also,” I reply. “Thank you for the drink.”
I see Lion sobbing in a fetal position. I pull my pistol out as I approach him. It is time to end this bastards’ life.
Dove shouts, “No!”
I glance at her as I put it to Lion’s head. “If you ever hurt a friend of mine again, you fuck, I will blow your fucking brains out. Do you understand me?” I say to Lion. He nods. “Say it out loud, so everyone can hear you.”
“I understand, Cougar.” He drops his head and continues simpering.
I look at Cheetah. “We’re done here, Lieutenant.”
Chapter 59
Cheetah—On a Transport Jet Leaving Atlanta Base
Our exit from the Devante estate is peaceful and uneventful. The mental and physical toll taken on all of us can be seen on our faces or our blood-soaked clothing; in the case of Dove, and to a lesser extent Cougar. I have promised him I would accompany him back to Wisconsin Illinois base, for no other reason than wanting to spend time with him, alone. He sits, eyes closed, head back, breathing deeply. He is not sleeping. I desire nothing more than to climb onto his lap and to kiss him deeply, to touch him.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask.
His eyes slowly open as a small smile comes to his face. “Carrie,” he replies. “I’m thinking about scheduling our marriage.”
My heart drops as everything that I want dissolves into the dark recesses of my mind. “Oh, so you two are serious?”
“Of course. Dena, she’s pregnant.” I look down as my heart breaks. A single tear lands on the transport floor between my feet. “What’s wrong? What is it?” he asks.
I look at him, my head snaps faster than I intended. “You don’t know? You really don’t know?” I ask, as more tears fall.
Cougar closes his eyes again, as his head goes back against the hull of the transport. “Cheetah, I am a creature of three worlds. The war, the humans, and now the Psychokinetics. You exist for me in the first and the third world. Carrie exists in the first and second. I value your friendship, your skills, and your power. You are my friend, I love you as a friend.”
My head lowers again as what feels like the final break to my heart occurs. “Okay Cougar, I do not want to hurt you. I love you, but more than just a friend. I will give you and Carrie your space. I will fight with everything that I have to defend you, and I would die to save Carrie. I do this to save you the pain. Thank you for being honest with me.”
He sighs a deep sigh, I cannot look at him. “Cheetah, I’m done with these damn Psychokinetics. I’ve had it with their jockeying for power, or their standing. I’m going to focus o
n the war, on winning it.”
I look up at him, his eyes are still closed and his head is still back. “What are you going to do, sir?” The shift to military protocol is seamless for me now, now that he cannot be my lover.
“I need to hit a Resistance base. My team needs a target.” He looks at me, a small degree of regret seems to flicker in his eyes. “You knew about them already though, didn’t you?”
“Them?”
“My team. You knew about them already. I didn’t reveal anything that you didn’t already know.”
“Yes, sir.” I answer. “I’m working on the O2 evaluation for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. It’ll need air support to pull it off. Air will need an assault team on the ground to take out the antiaircraft, and the bay doors.”
Cougar’s eyes flash for an instant as he smiles. “If I ever advance to senior command, I want you with me. It doesn’t matter to me who is the higher rank.”
“Cougar, you’ll advance faster. You are Combat Arms, I’m Intelligence. I’m not even seventeen yet. The Alliance will slow my advancement, you’ll advance at will.”
He nods as his gaze becomes distant. “Then I want you in my Intel department.”
The PA clicks as the navigator speaks. “Lieutenants, we are on our descent into Wisconsin Illinois base. Secure yourselves.” The PA clicks off.
***
Cougar
It does not feel awkward when Carrie runs into my arms as Dena stands next to me. I cannot see Dena as a lover. I never will. Carrie is my love, my life, my better half, by far.
Carrie looks at me as she pulls back from our embrace. “Whose blood is on you, not yours?”