by Kip Nelson
Nick didn't even know if he had a place in the world anymore. His purpose had been to save people and show them there was a better way, but now his only plan was to escape. Every waking thought was put to this use. Secretly, he gathered together rocks that could be used as weapons and waited for his time to strike. He knew it would come. These men weren't organized. He was sure that soon enough they would get bored of beating up on him and John and want to find something new to entertain themselves.
“I can't last much longer,” John said. “If we're going to do this, it has to be soon.” John barely was recognizable.
Nick's head was heavy. He didn't like their chances, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his days waiting for the end. He had to do something. He and John came up with a plan where they would try to escape. If it didn't work, at least they would be out of their misery. Nick only hoped that he could get to Backdraft in time.
When the time came for the fight Nick and John both stood up at the same time. They held the rocks in their hands and swiped at the men nearest them. The surprise was enough to draw blood. Adrenaline surged through them, and it was enough to give them a little advantage. They managed to hold their own. Nick hoped they could make it through before the large group came back. Barely aware of anything that was going on, Nick punched and swiped at anyone near him, knowing that anyone was an enemy.
The men swarmed around him and John, and Nick soon felt the heavy thumps crashing against his head. Through the blitz he caught sight of John, who was on his last legs. Nick managed to push against his enemies and make his way to John. Fighting side by side, he tried to make his way to Backdraft. Bodies littered the ground, but they still were coming. Nick could hear John's wheezing breath. It couldn't last much longer.
A knife gleamed under the sun. Someone was going after Backdraft. Nick yelled at him and sprinted toward Backdraft. The man turned and raised the knife. Nick managed to dodge the first swipe, but the other caught him in the arm. He cradled his wounded flesh. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the blade shine as it came toward him. He turned to avoid the strike, even though he knew that he was too slow. When the knife hit flesh he closed his eyes, expecting to feel a flash of pain, but there was nothing. Instead, he felt a weight sag against his body. He opened his eyes to see John on the ground, the knife lodged in his chest. Blood pooled around it. He went to say something, but blood gurgled out of his mouth, silencing him. John's head lolled to the side and the life went out of his eyes.
White hot rage boiled inside Nick. He roared so loudly that his throat ached and then threw himself at John's killer. His fists soon were bloodied as he pummeled the man’s face into mush. The nose and teeth cracked under the impact of his punches until he was about ready to collapse with exhaustion.
“That's quite enough of that,” Donny said. Nick looked up to see a knife being held at Backdraft's throat. Men came up and dragged Nick away. He struggled, but it was futile. They all nursed their wounds and looked sharply at Nick.
“You killed my friend,” he said.
“And if you don't calm down, we'll kill your dog, too,” Donny said. Nick swallowed. He looked into Backdraft's eyes. It'll be okay, boy.
“We've got a bit of a problem,” Donny continued. “It doesn't seem like this little fight club is working out. We need something different. You need to run.” He wore a serpent smile. Nick looked at him in confusion.
“What?”
“Run Mr. Fireman. We're going to hunt you. And you're going to make it interesting.”
“No.”
“Run, or the dog dies,” Donny said tersely, moving the knife closer to Backdraft's throat. Nick never had felt such pure hatred before. He hadn't even known it was possible. John was dead. There still was a chance to save Backdraft, though, even if it meant leaving him. Something he had sworn never to do.
“10...” Donny began.
Nick looked around while the countdown continued. There had to be some escape. Some way to save the day. The city was burning, and every exit was blocked. The fire was taking hold, and he didn't know how to fight it. He gazed into Backdraft's eyes. Forgive me, buddy. It was the only chance for Backdraft to live. That's what Nick kept telling himself as he turned his back and ran away. It was the only way he could save Backdraft and his own life, yet it seemed so wrong.
Nick felt a warm tongue on his face. It felt familiar, and yet he knew it couldn't be so. He wondered if he had died and this was heaven. Hot breath washed over his face, which was tickled by fur. He opened his eyes and saw Backdraft. His heart leaped, and a broad smile came upon his face. He wrapped his arms around his best friend, who he didn't think he'd ever seen again. He had no idea how the dog had found him, or how he even still was alive but in the moment, he didn't care. Yet, as he became more aware of his surroundings he remembered what had happened, and the smile fell from his face. Beside him lay Cosmo, who just was pushing himself up. A little way away David was trying to pull Mikey's body to the side of the road. The men were nowhere to be seen. A shadow stood over him. He looked up to see a young girl. She looked like a teenager, although when he looked more closely he thought her to be a little older, but not by much.
“We have to do something,” David said in a weak, trembling voice. Nick pushed himself up and looked at the man. David was beating on Mikey's chest and pressing his mouth to the corpse, trying in vain to bring the man back to life. “I don't want to have to bury you,” David was calling out.
Then he seemed to give up and looked down at the ground. He clawed at it with his fingers. It would take him days to dig a hole big enough for a body like that. After a few moments David tried giving Mikey mouth-to-mouth again. Even though it was clear he was dead, David just didn't seem to accept it. It was as if a part of him thought Mikey just was going to snap back to life as though nothing had happened, like death was something that could be cured. Nick exchanged a silent glance with the girl.
“There's nothing we can do. Mikey's dead,” Nick said.
David stopped. He hung his head and then turned it slowly toward Nick. Raw emotion was etched on his face. Nick had seen it many times from people who had lost someone close to them. He knew how it felt, too. That white-hot rage burning and boiling inside. The need to lash out.
“You did this. Those men were after you, and now Mikey is dead because of it. I knew we never should have taken you in. I will make you pay for this,” he said, and stormed off. He didn't even seem to be aware of the girl's presence. Nick called after him.
“We have to make a plan. I made a promise to Mikey to keep you safe!” But David didn't listen. He stormed off in the direction of the city.
Nick offered a sad smile to the girl. He had no idea who she was, but he owed her everything. It felt good to have Backdraft by his side again, and yet another person had died because of those men. He went over to Mikey's body and wished that things could have been different. Then, he bent down and took Mikey's hunting knife, along with his crossbow and arrows, supply of blankets, and other survival gear. Before he got back up he used one of the blankets to cover Mikey’s body.
“I'm sorry, friend,” Nick said quietly, “I wish I could save everyone.” The guilt swam through him, and yet Nick had a feeling that John and Mikey wouldn't be the last two people to die.
Nick pushed himself up, walked over and introduced himself. Despite being worn and beaten, he was handsome. He had piercing blue eyes and broad shoulders. He looked strong and kind and everything that Tanya pictured a hero should be. She ducked her head away for fear that he would see her blush. The man by his side, who also was pushing himself up, was balding and tanned. He looked strong, too, but he had beady eyes.
“Thanks for getting my dog back for me,” he said.
Backdraft was delighted, too. His tail was wagging. Tanya hated herself for thinking it, but she was a little sad that they had found Nick so quickly. She'd become used to the idea that Backdraft would be her companion.
“It's okay. I'm T
anya,” she said.
“This is Cosmo. I really don't know how you did it. It's a miracle. I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you, Tanya. I just...I never thought I'd see him again. I thought for sure they'd killed him.”
“No, they just had him tied up,” she said. “It was dark and most of them were passed out. I managed to get him free.”
“Seems like they're more slack than when they held me prisoner. You alright?” Nick said, turning to Cosmo. Nick helped Cosmo up. Tanya looked on with curiosity.
“Yeah, just about,” Cosmo said, checking himself for wounds. “I guess we're free to go back to the woods,” he said, looking in the direction where the other man had run away. Tanya noticed Cosmo scowl.
“That depends. How's the city doing?” Nick asked.
“Not great,” Tanya answered, shrugging.
“Everyone is out for themselves. Most people are living on the streets because they're trying to find food. I've tried my hardest to stay away from people like them, but it's difficult. I was on my way out of the city. I don't like it, but I'm hoping that eventually people will let go of what they think is important in the world and start banding together. It's just taking a little longer than I thought it would...” she said in a small voice, hoping Nick wouldn't think she was stupid.
“Ha, well, at least you know what's what. David was deluded and thought people would be coming to rescue everyone! He actually thought the government had it under control. He's going to have a shock when he gets to the city,” Cosmo said. “I'm glad he's gone. I finally can say how stupid he is. What a fool. Shame Mikey died and not him. At least Mikey had a sensible head on his shoulders.”
Tanya watched Nick. His expression seemed to flicker when Mikey was mentioned. Tanya was starting to piece together the dynamics between these four men. They clearly hadn't been that close, otherwise they wouldn't be speaking about each other like this.
“Take it you don't want to stay in the city either?” he said, turning to her.
“No...no, I don't. But I...I mean, I don't have to go with you...if you two want to go on your own,” she stammered. Nick placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You saved my dog and brought him back to me. I owe you everything,” he said, smiling a warm smile that made her insides churn like butter.
“Actually, I think he would have made his way back to you with or without me,” she said, and they both laughed. They decided to venture toward the woods. Tanya looked back at the city one last time, glad finally to be free of it, even though she still had a desperate thought that her father would find her.
The clouds in the sky darkened and swarmed together. Backdraft grew agitated. Nick looked up and increased his pace. “Looks like a storm,” he said.
It wasn't long before the heavens opened up, and a deluge poured out. Rain slashed down and made the ground muddy underfoot. The rain was so hard that it nipped against Tanya's skin. She stayed as close to Nick as possible. It was so dark she almost lost sight of him, but then lightning flashed through the sky, illuminating the way.
“We need to get to safety. We're in the worst possible place,” he said.
The light shone on his face and Tanya could see the worry etched upon it. They splashed onward as thunder rumbled through the air. The rain pattered against the tree leaves. Nick was moving as quickly as possible. At one point he grabbed Tanya’s wrist and dragged her forward as he saw something in the distance. Soon enough Tanya saw it, too. A barn loomed before them, and they made their way inside. Nick closed the door behind them. Dim light shone through a window near the ceiling and the rain echoed all around them.
“It's still not the safest place in the world, but at least it's better than being out in the open. Hopefully, we'll be lucky, and the storm will pass us by. We'd better try seeing if there's anything here to keep us warm.”
The three of them searched for a comfortable place to sit. Nick pulled out some blankets from Mikey's bag and made a silent thank you for still being able to help them, even though he had died. Tanya didn't realize for a while that her teeth were chattering. She stayed close to the others as they settled down and listened to the storm. Nick seemed nice and kind. She wasn't sure about Cosmo yet, but at least she was out of the city and farther away from her father.
Chapter Thirteen
David couldn't believe it. He staggered along the path. He ran his hands over his face. Everything was like a bad dream. He pinched and slapped himself, urging himself to wake up. Mikey couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. He wasn't supposed to die. David should have made that shot. That fight. It all had happened so quickly. He'd been trying to load his bow to shoot again when the others ran forward. Mikey only joined in because that fool Nick and his friend had wanted to use their fists. David had tried being smart about it, but it was too late. Once he'd realized what happened there was no chance for him to make a difference.
He winced as he thought about that moment when Mikey's face almost had been torn off. Death had been instantaneous, but it still didn't feel real. David never really had known anyone to die. His grandparents all had died when he was little, and he hadn't really known them that well anyway. Mikey was his best friend. The guy he could count on through anything else. He doubted he would have been able to make it through these dark times without him and now he was gone, all thanks to Nick. Even thinking that name made him want to spit. It was poison.
If Nick hadn't come into their camp, he and Mikey still would have been there, enjoying their little adventure. Instead they had been forced to go to the city. Sure, Nick wanted to go back into the woods, but that was a stupid idea. The city was safer. It was only dangerous because Nick had been chased by those men. What had he done anyway? He said the men were bad, but David knew for sure that Nick must have done something to antagonize them. He was that kind of man. He must have fought them or tried to preach to them or something. Maybe he caused one of their friends to die as well.
“What am I going to do?” he said, almost expecting Mikey to answer.
Silence hung around him. He looked back. The figures were growing ever smaller. He had half a mind to go back there and kill Nick there and then, to curl his hands around Nick's neck and squeeze until the life went out of him. But Nick had Cosmo. That fool had been seduced by Nick's charm. David was the only one immune to it. He was the only one who could see Nick for what he really was. The man was pure evil, sweeping up others into his own plight without even a word of caution. Mikey was one of the friendliest men who had ever lived. He'd never had any enemies, and now he was dead. Well, David had an enemy now, and he wasn't going to rest until he'd made Nick pay for Mikey's death. It wasn't fair that such a good man should be a victim of Nick. David as a victim, too. He'd lost his best friend.
David walked forward not even realizing where he was going or what he was doing. All he knew was that he had to get to the city. Once he was there he could make a stand and then begin the hunt for Nick. He gripped his crossbow and bolts tightly. One of them had Nick's name on it. He would hunt Nick down and then put a bolt in his skull, but before the man died, David would make sure he knew who had killed him. Nick thought he was so superior, but he soon would see that, in the end, he wasn't anything special.
He'd tell the police as well. When he got back to the city he would go to whoever was in charge and tell them all about Nick and all the bad things he had done. David was sure somebody was in charge. Nick thought he knew everything, but he didn't. It had been long enough now that someone would have re-established some order and David would have justice. There must have been a police officer or someone who had taken control of the city. The army, or the National Guard. The state police. Someone somewhere had to know what was going on. Hell, maybe he could even get involved. He was the bank manager after all, a respectable member of society. He'd love to see Nick's face when that man was brought back to the city in chains and forced to see David sitting on the committee that was going to send him to prison. Cosmo should go as we
ll. That man was just as complicit in Mikey's death as Nick was. David had tried approaching Cosmo and getting him to see the truth, but for some reason he defended Nick.
It was the same as ever, though. David remembered in high school that it was always people such as Nick who got the attention. Everything came easy for them. Grades, sports, girls. Not like David. They never had to work hard like David. That was one of the reasons Mikey had been having such a hard time with life. He loved Mikey, but where David had put his head down and studied, Mikey had been friendly and always had something to do in the evenings. But a lot of people didn't realize that high school was only the beginning. David had applied himself and made something of himself. He was a bank manager, and that meant something. Nick was nothing. But still, somehow people believed him.
His face twisted in a scowl as he thought about Nick, and then remembered the girl that had been there at the end. He had no idea where she had come from. She was a pretty young thing from what he saw. Probably too young to be safe, although Nick probably liked that. He was probably the type of guy who got older, but the girls around him stayed the same age. No respect or decorum at all. And yet he got away with that. That girl probably would swoon over him, just like all the others, and she'd never give David the time of day. Stupid women. They never knew what was really good for them. He was a decent, nice guy. Maybe now that the world had ended, he actually would manage to get through to them and they'd see he was just a genuine man. Even thinking about Nick just made his blood boil. Why was it always men like him who could get away with anything and never have to suffer any consequences for his actions? He was the one who should have died, not Mikey. Those men were after Nick, and Nick was the one who should have been killed.