by Shelly Crane
Danny.
I sigh in relief. Danny willed him to run. It’s too much confusion for them. This truck and now their man leaving them. They glance around to each other in confusion. Another one of their men takes off running and yelling too. Jack yells at him to ‘get back here idiot’, but he doesn’t stop. He can’t.
The truck has almost come to a stop now, barely rolling about twenty five feet from us. Jack and his wife are restless. He lifts his gun and Cain or whoever is driving guns it. Tires squeal and smoke as he accelerates quickly towards us.
Merrick pulls Lily and I down to the ground behind him, throwing himself over us. I see Danny and the rest of them are down to, afraid of Jack and his happy trigger finger.
I turn my head in time to see a blaze of fire coming from the truck side and at first I’m horrified thinking that truck is on fire. But then I see Jack, his wife and the rest of the gun men running and yelling.
I heard the woman yell “devil”. I sit up and see the stopped truck just as Cain, Calvin, Simon and Ryan jump out of the now open side door. Calvin. Calvin and his fire hands saved us. He got the fire from his fingertips he always wanted after all.
My heart jumps up into my throat. Pure joy.
“You were right, Sherry. If there is trouble, you will definitely find it,” Cain says jokingly, helping me up.
I throw my arms around him for support but also for a very tight hug that I desperately need. I can’t stop the tears now and don’t want to. He hugs me too, for real this time and I’m grateful. He finally gets it. We’re family. Completely stuck with each other and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
He leans back a little but still holding me up.
“Are you ok? I see you got rid of the perfectly good crutches I got you.” He smiles but still looks concerned. Then looks around scowling. “Where is the van?”
“With my crutches...at the bottom of the river.”
He looks us all over, as Miguel and Jeff are helped up by Ryan who also came with them to find us. He takes in our wet clothes and blue lips.
“Oh no. You were in the van when it went over the bridge.” He pales, whispering, not a question but a statement. “How? How did you get out?”
“Well...it was pretty tricky,” I say through my tears and almost collapse from the relief.
I was sure we weren’t going to make it this time. I was positive that was it. How we made it out alive, I still can’t wrap my head around it. It just doesn’t add up. The odds were stacked against us so high, I couldn’t see over it.
I started to sway and Cain grabbed me up under my knees and behind my back and carried me to the van. The enemies van parked on the side of the road. The van they left with the keys inside. Convenient.
I don’t fight him as I normally might because I hate to be weak. I can’t fight anymore. Exhaustion and relief take me over and all I can do is let him carry me. He places me in the middle seat, carefully and with such ease as to not jostle my leg, which somehow is still wrapped up in that dang bandage and shelf brace.
Just amazing.
Merrick is right behind us with Lily and the rest follow. Ryan drives the van for us and Simon grabs shotgun as we are all clearly incapacitated and laid out in the back seats. Cain and Calvin follow us in his truck.
There was a few blankets in the van in the back and Jeff grabs them and spreads them around.
Warm, alive, back with my family, my head on Merrick’s shoulder and Lily’s now warm hand in mine.
Heaven.
If only Mrs. Trudy’s hot biscuits were at home waiting for us. Then I remember that they never will be again. She’s gone. I close my eyes. I’m not ready physically or mentally to deal with that yet.
I looked back and see Celeste and Danny huddled in the back corner. They always find a back corner. He’s running his hand down her muddy hair, murmuring and then he kissed her and she clung to his neck. I looked away to give them some semblance of privacy.
Jeff is checking out Miguel’s wound on his shoulder. With the amount of blood soaked through his white t-shirt, I can’t see how he’s still awake. But he is and he’s not happy.
I look up to Merrick’s face. He’s watching me. I just stare at him for who knows how long. Who cares. He’s mine. He looks just as worn out and beat as I am. Lily is asleep on our laps now.
Soundly. Safely. Ours.
I can’t help myself but to stare. I don’t really want to know what I look like but Merrick’s black hair is all disheveled. There’s a shadow of scruffiness from not shaving for a couple days. Circles of gray under his eyes from lack of sleeping and too much worrying. His gray t-shirt is torn and bloody in a couple spots. His eyelids are heavy and dark...and there’s a smile a mile long on his face. Just for me.
He couldn’t be more gorgeous.
He cups my cheek with his palm and brings my face slowly up to his, his other arm around me for warmth. His lips barely graze mine at first. Then he kisses me for real, wrapping his hand around the nape of my neck and in my hair.
Already I’m breathless. For a split second I’m embarrassed that we aren’t alone, but it doesn’t last long. We’re alive. I wrap my arm around his neck as best I can with Lily on our laps.
The electricity is definitely turned on. My lips are tingling and the more he kisses me the more I wish we were in our closet. The irony makes me giggle a little under my breath. I actually want and can’t wait to get back to our closet. Who would have ever thought.
He pulls back, resting his forehead on mine, our lips barely apart and we are practically sharing breath.
Something funny, Mrs. Finch?
I can hear his laughter in my mind and I laugh again.
“Irony,” I whisper. “How in the world we keep surviving, I’ll never know. I’m sorry you got stuck with someone so utterly attracted to trouble. I’ll try to tone it down from now on.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll always be together, that’s why we’ll always survive. Besides, it certainly makes life exciting,” he whispers smiling.
“Sounds like a plan to me, Finch.”
“A good one.”
“I love you.”
“I love you. Now kiss me wife, before I can’t contain myself anymore.”
“Yes, sir.” I salute and comply, laughing.
We finish our ride home that way. Lips and tongues locked, breathless and tingling. Grateful kisses. Lily slept the entire way. As for the rest of them, I don’t know. My entire focus was elsewhere.
We pull into the store and back behind, pulling under the shed with our newly acquired van. We’d have to hide this for sure, probably paint it as well if we intend to use it.
I’m carried in by Merrick and Danny carries Lily, while Ryan and Jeff help Miguel. Calvin is so happy, bouncing around on his toes and skipping as he circles around us.
The second we open the hatch door there is an explosion, a huge blow of sighs and yells and excited screeches. Everyone was waiting for us. I am patted and touched and squeezed as we receive our welcome and try to move past so the rest can come down.
Merrick sets me on the couch and kneels in front of me, in between my knees but I see Marissa, waiting back away from everyone else, by the kitchen entrance and it grabs my attention. The second Jeff comes down she lights up and fidgets, wringing her hands and swaying her weight on her feet. Almost like she wants to run to him but is afraid that he may not want her to.
As soon as he sees her, he pushes a few bystanders aside as he runs to her, picking her up in his arms and kissing her. She wraps her arms around his neck, crying and smiling at the same time. He kisses her so forcefully and long that I feel like I should blush and look away.
Then he releases her. Not really, just puts her feet down to the ground and grabs her face in between his big dark hands that make her eggshell color look extra bright and white. He looks at her thoughtfully for a moment then his eyes move around the room now, to survey how much damage he’s just done. He sees Merrick and
I watching, maybe a few others but most are caught up in their own reunions.
He takes her hand and walks over to where we are.
“I know. I know,” Jeff says to Merrick, putting his hands up in surrender, still holding her hand in his.
Marissa bends down to me, telling me she’s glad we’re ok. Merrick and Jeff do the manly Keeper hug thing. They look at each other for a few moments. I know they are talking silently so I look back to Marissa.
“I’m so happy for you,” I say, and I mean it, grabbing her other hand. “You could have told me.”
“We...we just weren’t sure how everyone would feel so... I mean, Jeff practically hated me when we first met. I just didn’t want to cause him any more problems,” Marissa said sheepishly.
“Hey. I know how it is. If you remember, Merrick and I are the original freak shows,” I say laughing and trying to wipe dried mud from my arm and hands.
“Yes, I remember. I wanted to tell you and Merrick but, Jeff thought...you’d be angry. Because he gave you guys so much flack about it before.”
“I knew. I saw you guys before once. I just tried not to make a big deal out of it, but I guess I should have said something. I knew Jeff would feel that way,” I feel Jeff and Merrick looking at us now. “Though why he would,” I say and smack Jeff’s leg, “is beyond me. Come on, Jeff. You had to know we’d be happy for you.”
“This is all new to me, Sherry,” Jeff says softly, shrugging.
“I’ve heard that before,” I say smiling and looking at Merrick then back to Jeff. “Jeff. You saved my life,” I said vehemently. “You’re mine and Merrick’s family and I love you. I want you to be happy. I’m so happy for you if you are,” I say pushing myself up to hug him.
“I’m glad you think so. I...you’re the closest thing to a real sister I’ll ever had,” he said, clearing his throat and pulling me tighter to him.
“Whoa, Jeff. That sounds awfully human of you.” I try not to laugh but I can’t keep the smile from my face as I pull back to look at him.
“I hope so,” he said laughing. “Cause I’m not going anywhere,” he says, looking over at Marissa and smiling.
We all laugh shakily and I cry some more along with Marissa while she gives me my first hug from her. The first of many I hope.
Miguel is brought in to lay on the couch as he instructs Kay what to do for him. He is pale, compared to his normal coffee tan skin, making him look really bad off but he’s still Miguel. Loud, boisterous and yelling at Kay.
“Just get the bloody thing out before I cark it!”
She tweezed the piece of metal out as Miguel squints in pain and throws out more amusing language. Then she plops it on the towel beside them on the end table and we all look at it.
“Well. I’ll be stuffed,” Miguel said and then laid his head back in exhaustion and fell asleep quickly. Or passed out. Whichever makes him seem more manly.
I hobble a step over to Merrick who accepts me with the biggest smile. Miguel’s ok, the kids are back, Jeff and Marissa are out as a couple and happy. How can so much good come out of such a rotten day?
Merrick wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me.
As I start to put my arms around his neck I feel a slight tug on pants leg.
We pull apart and both look down to see a halo of golden hair, two hands pulling on each of our pants to get our attention. We laugh and she looks up. Merrick scoops her up and holds her in between us. She is pushing her hair out of her face with her palms feverishly, so cute. Her poor little outfit is destroyed. Muddy and torn.
“I’m hungry, Mewwick,” she says sweetly, matter-of-factly.
“Is that right?” he says playfully, about two octaves too high. “Well we can’t have that now can we,” he says as he kisses my cheek then he lifts her in his hands like an airplane and flies her to the kitchen.
Her laughter and squeals of delight the whole way filling the rooms.
The End of the Beginning
Chapter 8
“Mewwick! I gotta go potty!” Lily squeals, wiggling on Merrick’s lap.
“Uh...well.”
Merrick is looking around franticly for someone to help him.
“I’ll take her Merrick,” Marissa volunteers.
“Oh, thank you,” he says graciously.
“Sorry,” I say. “I’ll be back on my feet soon and then you won’t have to endure all the girly stuff.”
It’s been three weeks since that awful day. The day we all almost died. The day I made a stupid mistake. The day Lily and Calvin were taken from us and returned. The day we lost Mike. The day lost Trudy.
We had a memorial service for both of them. No bodies of course but we buried some things for them. Things that reminded us of them like Trudy’s apron. Then we put two big rocks over that with their names written on them.
They are out back past the store, on the other side of the shed near the tree line. Nobody will see them back there but we all know where they are.
Shockingly, no one has mentioned on the news about Crandle’s death. They are still business as usual. Keepers are evil, Crandle is a God. Blah blah. Jeff and Merrick believe that’s because they want to wait until the new Taker comes. They don’t want to seem leaderless and weak.
We all watch the news now. For one reason or another we’ve discovered that we are all immune to the Lighter speak. Which is great. No more worrying about that when we go on food runs. Merrick and Jeff speculate it’s because we’ve been aware of them too fully and too long so they can no longer control us like they could before. Maybe up close but not over the T.V.
The need warehouses are still going up as planned. Only a few weeks before they take effect. Things are gonna get rough around here but we’ve got some ideas. And some good minds and bodies behind those ideas. I have faith in this group. We’ll be ok. We have to be.
And Miguel. He has to be the fastest healing man ever. He only wore the makeshift arm sling Kay made him for a week. Within another half week, he was right back to normal. Teaching his karate lessons and on me about resting my leg constantly.
He’s a freak of nature.
Lost in thought I hear someone saying my name. I snap out of it and giggle a little in embarrassment. Cain is knelt down in front of me, his hands on my knees for support with an amused face.
“Sherry?” he says smiling at my daydreaming stupor.
“Sorry.” I laugh. “What’s up, Cain?”
“I just wanted to tell you guys about the store trip in the morning. Explain how it was going to go down and make sure everyone is ok with that. Miguel, Jeff and I have got it all planned out but I need a list of things from you since...you know, Trudy’s not here.”
Yes. I know.
“Ok. No problem. I’ll get on it.”
“Are you doing alright? How’s the leg?”
“Lot’s better. It actually doesn’t hurt at all anymore but Miguel insist I wear this stupid thing for a few more weeks,” I say the last line loudly so Miguel will hear.
He does. He looks over and rolls his eyes, laughing.
“Well good. Someone needs to make you listen around here.” He laughs squeezing my good knee. “How’s Lily today? Been busy and haven’t seen her much lately.”
“Perfect,” I say and I can’t keep the smile from my face.
“Wow. It’s funny, ya know. How so much bad can happen to us and yet people still find some good. If you look hard enough...you can always find the good. It’s just amazing to watch the human condition take a hold of people and wrestle us to the ground in submission of it. All of us, from all walks of life. Some not even from this world. You can’t fight it, but...even if you could, why would you want to?”
I just stare at him in utter disbelief and awe. I just love him. I love these people. And he’s utterly and incomprehensively correct. Why fight it?
He continues and I listen.
“Lily has a better life than she ever did. And Jeff and Marissa, Danny and Celeste...you and Me
rrick. You all found each other, despite all this,” he says opening his arms to prove his point.
All this, is everything. Cain’s sincerity is breathtaking. I’ll cry if I don’t start the jokes. So I do.
“Well...we’ll find you a good resistance girl soon enough Cain. Don’t worry. It’s my next mission.” I smile as I say it but the wheels start turning in my head.
“Oh no!” He waves his hands. “If Sherry puts her mind to it, that’s it! I’m thinking I should probably be worried. Kidnapping a girl for me is still against the law. You do know that, right?” He smiles and quirks and eyebrow.
“I know...but what’s a little jail time compared to true love, huh? Don’t worry about it. I’ve got you covered, Cainy boy.”
“Now I am worried. And you know, you are the only one I will ever let call me ‘Cainy boy’, right?” he said smiling and squeezed my knee.
“Yeah. I know,” I say with satisfaction.
He laughed, shaking his head as he chucked my chin softly and retreats to the kitchen.
Merrick has completely grown into the father role for Lily. Whole heartedly and willingly. She loves him with a fierceness only rivaled by my own. They do everything together and he spoils her like any human father would but better. Of course, we still have to fight for her attention. Though Mrs. Trudy is gone, there are still plenty of people to divide her time between.
She started Karate lessons with Miguel. He loves it even more than she does I think. His face when he watches her mimic him is priceless, you just can’t look at her without awe and protectiveness.
And Marissa reads to her a lot. Even taught her to read a few words by herself, pretty good for a kid who’s never even been read a book to until now.
And Cain, Jeff and Danny all act like uncles in the truest since of the word. They play and chase and give piggyback rides and color and watch the same old cartoon movie over and over with her. She squeals with satisfaction and glee as though she has no idea what to do with herself. Like she doesn’t know what this feels like.