Absolution River

by Aaron Mach

  “Go!” Jack screamed.

  “You’re not in!”

  “Go! I can hold him for a minute, just go now!”

  Marie braced his hand on the side of the boat with her damaged arm and turned the hand throttle with her other. Going as slow as she could not to lose them they began to make ground across the lake. After a minute or so the shore was far in the distance and she slowed the boat to a stop. Grabbing his wrist with both of her arms, she tried to pull Jack in. But he was too heavy. There was no way she could bring in two grown men on her own.

  “I can’t! You’re too heavy!” Marie screamed frantically.

  “Yes you can!” Jack said from behind the hull and his head nearly entire underwater. Anders floated close to unconsciousness with Jack’s left arm around his chest to keep his head above the water.

  “Just grab Anders!”

  Leaning over the boat, she grabbed Anders’ shoulders and got his head up over the crest of the hull. Jack grabbed the side of the boat and pushed Anders with all his strength, ripping the remaining stitches. He screamed in pain, launching Anders fully into the boat. The boat swayed violently in the water and nearly turned over on its side. Marie and Anders fell back into the boat that now had at least three feet of water on the bottom. The water on the inside of the boat was barely perceptible from the water on the outside and soon it would begin to sink. Jack sat there in the water for moment with both hands holding the edge of the boat collecting himself. He finally gained the strength and thrust himself up over the edge and landed next to them. Marie put Anders aside, making sure his head was above the water, and hit the throttle as hard as she could. Jack attempted to push the water out over the edge with his hands, with little success.

  After a minute the boat was nearing the other shore and the rocks were fast approaching. The boat was finally at its limit and it began to dive into the water. The engine went first as the boat began to sink and it finally became entirely submerged and died immediately. It slowed so fast that Anders and Jack were thrown forward into the water, crashing violently twenty feet from the shore. Marie started to swim as the boat was fully submerged in seconds. They all swam for a few feet, but the lake bottom came underneath them and they began to wade to the beach. Marie caught up with Jack and began to help him carry Anders. As the beach finally approached so did their exhaustion and once there was sand under their feet they all collapsed. The clouds parted and they all looked up to see the stars shining through the gap in the storm. The wind slowed and the rained stopped all together.

  “Is it over yet?” Anders mumbled with his eyes closed.

  Just then the gap in the sky was gobbled up by black storm clouds and the wind picked up as fierce as ever. The rain started again and the rumbling from the thunder beat in their ears.

  “Guess not,” Jack said breathing heavily.

  Marie lay on her back, chest heaving in exhaustion. Her arms were bleeding heavily but she didn’t have the energy to stop it. “Do you hear that?”

  The two men lifted their heads off the sand and in an instant they all knew what it was. In the distance they could hear the sound of a boat, louder and louder as it approached. Jack looked up and he could see a lake house above a small rock outcropping just above the beach. The house was brown with a large bay window facing the lake, no larger than a standard garage. There was no way of telling if anyone was home.

  “Gotta move,” Jack said as he lifted himself up. He put a hand out to Anders and Marie and helped them to their feet.

  “You’re shot, again,” Jack said. “How bad is it?”

  “Can’t feel it right now, but I will.”

  Jack put his hand on her shoulder and forced a smile, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna make it.” He ripped off a piece of the pharmacy bought shirt that said, “Welcome to Lakeside!” and tied it tight around her forearm. He could see the pain in her face and he put his hand on her face to reassure her. Jack looked to Anders, “Now, we have to go now.”

  The three scrambled up the beach and helped each other over the rocks, each slipping over the wet surface of the rock outcropping, all while the sound of the engine became louder and louder. Soon there was no sound. The engine had been cut. Jack looked up and could see through the lightning flashes the figure leaning over the crest of the boat two hundred feet from shore.

  “Get down!”

  A bullet struck the rock next to them, throwing up shards of rock, another, then another, all within inches of striking them. They all dove over the rocks and landed hard on the dirt path that led up to the house.

  “This guy is relentless!”

  “That’s why we have to keep moving!”

  “Get to the house!”

  “We’ll be trapped,” said Anders in a sound of defeat.

  Jack grabbed Anders’ shirt, hard, “We have to make our stand, no more running.”

  Anders nodded and rolled over on to his hands and knees. Jack helped the two up and they all limped up to the house. Jack burst through the locked door and the house was black. Nobody home.

  “Marie, look around for a gun or some kind of weapon. There has to be something around here.”

  Jack carried Anders to a closet just off the kitchen and laid him down into it. “Just stay here buddy, stay low.”

  Anders nodded and Jack looked him in the eyes as he closed the door on him, filling the closet with complete darkness.

  Jack put his hand behind his back and was surprised to find the pistol still where he left it. He opened the chamber, took a hand towel off of the oven, and began to dry it frantically. All the while he kept his head up and his ears perked for the man he knew was coming to kill them. Marie came into the kitchen with an antique single-barreled shotgun and three shells. The barrel was slightly rusted and the shells looked like they had been around since the lake formed.

  “Better than nothing,” Jack said with concern. Jack held his hand to Marie’s mouth, “Shhh,” He looked down and then looked up immediately.

  “The engine. It started again.”

  Jack put the two rounds back into the chamber of the revolver and slapped it shut. He grabbed the shotgun from Marie and loaded a round.

  “You ever handle one of these before?”

  Marie shook her head, “Never.”

  Jack showed her how to open and close the chamber. “No safety, just load the round and pull the trigger. It’s going to have a big kick, but I’d rather you have it because you don’t even really need to aim it. This old thing will hit anything in the room. Just know where I am when you fire.”

  Marie nodded in disbelief that she may have to shoot and kill another person. She never told Jack about the mace and the incident was still fresh in her mind. She felt revulsion just thinking about it now.

  “Jack, I killed one of the guards back at the compound.”

  “You did what you had to do. You survived, now you have to survive now.” Jack looked into her eyes and their faces were only inches apart. “I want us to make it out of here, I need us to.”

  The engine from the boat shut off.

  Jack broke contact and she backed off, terrified of the approaching man and terrified that she might lose Jack. She had only known him for a few days but she felt a connection and she hoped that he did too. There was so much she didn’t know, but she wanted the chance to find out.

  Jack whispered, “Go behind the side door. When it opens, let him have it.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “I’ll be at the front door, go,” Jack said with urgency.

  Jack sat down below the row of windows that lead to the front door. His breathing more controlled, remembering his training, going into that place of animal instinct, the need to survive. Footsteps, slow and methodical, louder and louder. The crunching of the gravel beneath the man’s feet closer now. Jack slowly cocked the revolver and held it up near his face. He could see the shadow of the figure looking into the window. Jack was ready to pounce at any moment, the sweat beadin
g down the sides of his face as he wiped it away with his forearm. Anticipating the moment, sweat dripped into his eyes, burning. Then it passed. The man continued past the front door. Oh no. He’s going for Marie. The figure continued around the small house heading towards the side entrance.

  Jack crouched and moved towards Marie. He headed into the living room and she would be around the corner, waiting nervously for the moment.

  Just then the side door burst open and Jack could see Marie thrust the barrel of the shotgun into the man’s face and a loud crack filled the house. The light inside the house from the shot could be seen from across the lake. The man deflected the barrel at the last moment and knocked it out of her hand. Jack came rushing to help her but in a flash the man wrapped his arm around her neck and began firing in Jack’s direction with a silenced pistol. Jack dove behind an ancient TV and sparks flew in the air as several rounds struck the screen. Before he knew it the man was outside and he had Marie.

  Jack struggled to his feet and ran out the side door. Nothing. Only the heavy rain coming down over Jack’s long hair almost entirely covering his face. He scanned the woods surrounding the house while thunder rumbled in the distance.

  “Marie!”

  Nothing.

  “Marie!”

  She was gone in a blink. Jack scrambled to the back of the house in the thicket of trees, screaming her name. Panic filled him with the prospect that he may lose her forever, that her fate was once again at the hands of a madman and there was little he could do.

  “Marie!”

  “Jack! Jack!”

  He ran through the woods in her direction. The sound was muffled by the wind and rain. The pine trees, standing like sentinels in the night, swayed violently in the storm.

  “Marie!

  Nothing.

  There was a flash of lightning and he could see off in the distance Marie struggling in the arms of the madman. He raced to her as the man holding her fired wildly in his direction. Completely disregarding the bullets streaming by his face, he ran boldly in her direction. He flanked around to the right, trying to gain elevation on them, running almost blind in the darkness, tripping over rocks and downed trees. The pain in his side was numb with adrenaline. He was gaining on them and the madman continued to fire in his direction, stopping only to reload.

  Thirty feet up and over them Jack looked down among the pines. He jumped down rocks and hopped over stumps, racing to her, to save her at any cost. Just need to live long enough. The madman turned with Marie’s head right next to his. The silencer of the pistol burned into her face. She screamed as the red-hot barrel made a permanent imprint on her cheek.

  “Stop! You’re hurting her!”

  “I am, aren’t I. Would you look at that.”

  The man wore olive drab fatigue bottoms with black leather combat boots. His hair was black and long, matted down almost to his eyes. Along his cheek was a long deep scar that went to his mouth, leaving his teeth partially exposed even with his mouth closed. The darkness of his eyes was penetrating. His black leather gloves tight around the grip of the pistol.

  “So we finally meet.”

  “Let her go! You can take me!”

  “How noble, my friend. But you see I’m here for all of you. You pissed off some very important people. Lots of money lost. Someone has to pay.”

  Jack was at a loss; there was no negotiating with this man.

  “Well, time to die.” The man aimed his pistol up to Jack’s chest. The rain beat down on the gunmetal and steam rose from the barrel with every drop.

  Marie elbowed the madman in the stomach and he immediately lurched forward. He was stunned for only a moment and collected himself. Marie dove off to the side.

  “I’ll deal with you in a second,” the shooter said glaring at Marie.

  The killer raised his pistol to Jack but it was too late for him. Jack had the revolver sighted in and put two into his chest. Sol stood there with the weapon still up. It went limp in his hand and dropped into the mud at his feet. Through the smoke from the barrel of Jack’s revolver he could see the man drop to his knees and face plant right into the mud.

  “Marie!”

  “I’m okay Jack, I’m okay.” He put her face between his hands and put his head to hers.

  “Oh thank God, I don’t know what I would have done.”

  They sat there a moment, embracing each other. Both trembled from the cold and exhaustion. Jack heard the man roll over and in his hand was a small pistol. The shot rang out and whizzed right by Jack’s face. Jack grabbed the man’s hand and broke it instantly. Sol dropped it and screamed in pain as the back of his hand was touching his forearm. The bones in his arm stuck out through the skin. Jack put his knee on the man’s chest, pushing down on the bullet wounds causing the air to leave the holes.

  “Who do you work for!”

  “I ain’t telling you shit, man.”

  Jack stuck two of his fingers into Sol’s bullet holes, “You are going to tell me right now.”

  “Jack!” Marie screamed in shock.

  “This is never going to end Marie, I need to know who.”

  Jack continued to stick his fingers deeper into the gaping wounds and the man screamed in agony. A sound that could be heard across the lake as it echoed across the water.

  “Coolidge!” Sol screamed. “His name is Coolidge!”

  “Who is he?” Jack thrust his fingers deeper.

  “A congressman, a congressman!”

  Jack released and Sol went limp onto the ground. The mud all around him was no longer from rain, but from his hemorrhaging wounds. Jack moved off of Sol and sat down next to Marie. He leaned against the tree and looked up to the swaying trees. The rain fell on his face, washing away the sweat.

  “You were there, weren’t you man.” Sol said quietly with a stone face. “I can see it in you.”

  Jack just looked at him as he saw the wild look in the man’s eyes fade. The eyes closed slightly and then the light disappeared from the icy stare. Looking at Jack now was just the shell of a man, with a soul that left this world to the outer darkness, alone.

  Marie’s head leaned on Jack and they both closed their eyes, sitting there in the rain, the endorphins raging through their bodies demanding sleep. They could not even feel the cold, or the numerous wounds they suffered during their ordeal. There was only the patter of the rain on the muddy ground and the soft breathing they felt from each other. Jack groaned as he lifted himself to his feet and put his hand out for Marie’s. Their hands met and every joint in her body screamed as she was raised up next to Jack. They could feel the heat from each other’s body and the warmth felt like a piece of home.

  “Anders.” said Marie softly as she clung to Jack’s strength.

  “Better check on him.” Neither moved, savoring their moment in the quiet, grasping at every second. Jack turned and put Marie’s good arm over his shoulder, her other went limp. The shred of cloth holding her forearm together soaked in blood.

  “I recognized that man. He was a cashier at a gas station I stopped at.”

  “Did you remember to pay for the gas?”

  Marie laughed and then began to cough. “Stop, it hurts to laugh.”

  Jack grinned and they began to move back to the small house at the bottom of the hill. Their friend was waiting for them. Stopping for a moment, they looked back at the man on the ground. He was sprawled out, his eyes gaping at the sky. Searching for something that would forever elude him. They both turned and looked at each other and began limping, struggling as they went.

  “Anders!” Jack yelled as he walked through the side door. He could see him standing in the living room in the dark, lowering the shotgun.

  “Oh man, I almost shot you, Jack.”

  “Relax, let’s get out of here.”

  As they exited the front door they could see a dozen red and blue lights swirling in the distance across the lake, swarming the motel.

  “About damn time.” Anders said as they all
helped each other to the beach.

  “Better late than never,” replied Marie.

  …

  The agent wore the typical agent garb. Black suit pants, dark tie, and a blue jacket with the letters FBI stamped over the left lapel. As he approached the beach just past the motel he could see three individuals who looked like they were refugees fleeing a war-torn country.

  “Freeze, don’t move!” shouted the agent as he cautiously lifted his sidearm.

  “We’re unarmed!” Jack yelled as he put his hands up. Marie and Anders collapsed on the ground and Jack soon followed them. Going to his knees with one hand catching his fall and the other grasping the now gaping hole in his side, he finally collapsed onto his back. His eyes became heavy and it was time he thought, to let go. Not for good, but just for now. As he drifted into unconsciousness he could hear the agent yell for the medics.

  “We’ve got three down! Send the EMT!” Jack’s hand dropped to the ground and he grasped Marie’s and she grasped it back. The exhaustion overtook him and he faded into the darkness.

  XXVIII

  Jack awoke in the intensive care unit. Tubes were going in and out of him all over his body. The steady beep of his pulse was just barely audible on the EKG. His eyes were difficult to open and he could only make out two silhouettes through his foggy vision.

  “Jack? We’re here Jack,” Marie said softly into his ear as she grasped his hand. He could feel someone grasping his other, and it was Anders.