by Mark Tufo
“That could be bad.”
“Yeah, and that’s only the half of it.”
“What is this other part?”
“Tracy thinks I’m dead. With so much going on I forgot to tell her that I’m alright.”
“That is much worse than stealing a military vehicle.”
“I know.”
“What are you planning on doing?”
“The only thing I can…drive faster.”
“You sometimes are blessed with a wisdom I do not give you credit for.”
“Sometimes I forget just how much you’ve picked up from me.”
“That was not sarcasm.”
I nearly ran over four schools kids, three grandmothers, two English bulldogs and something that looked like a yeti. If I hadn’t been in such a rush I would have stopped to check out that last one. Tracy was at the door with Travis in her arms before I could even get out of the Hummer. Even from this distance I could see that her face was washed out from a decent sized crying.
“Did you miss the sale at Shoe City?” I asked, doing my best to diffuse a situation that was most likely going to entail several punches to my shoulder.
“I thought…” she swallowed hard. “I thought you were a military notification of your death.”
“That would be something if I came to tell you of my own demise.”
“Don’t make light of this, Mike. I thought you were dead. I’ve had a bad few hours trying to hold it together for Travis.”
She placed Travis down, he came waddle running over to me. I picked him up and spun him around, much to his squeals of delight. “Oh boy,” I said as I handed him to Dee. “His diaper is dirty.”
Dee growled. Travis pulled on his snout. “If it were not for you having to grovel at the feet of your woman I would hand him back to you,” he said as he headed into the house. He hesitated, and then turned to Tracy. “Do not be too severe. When he called you, our prospects of survival were indeed dim. Once again the charm that encircles your mate was able to find a way to salvation.”
Dee had done me a serious solid. Tracy, who had looked poised to pounce, seemed to have all of the fight drained out of her. We met halfway, each of us holding the other up in a long embrace. The only interruption was Dee’s moans of bewailing as he dealt with Travis’s diaper and my son’s squeals of delight as he put his uncle through the ringer.
“He is flatulent as I am changing him!” Dee roared. “It is burning my olfactory senses!”
“That’s my boy,” I mumbled in the tangle of Tracy’s hair. “I’m so sorry to have put you through that. It was touch and go for a while.”
“What happened?” she asked, pulling back a bit so she could look into my eyes.
“I bought us some time. We destroyed a Cruiser and a Destroyer today.”
“That hardly seems possible.”
“Yeah, I have to agree with you. Dee and I went on a suicide mission.”
Tracy gasped.
“Sorry, bad phraseology. How about high risk mission?”
“Why, Michael? Are you in such a rush to get out of our marriage and fatherhood?”
“Don’t you ever say anything like that again. It was the thought of you two and you two alone that spurred me on to even attempt it. The Guardian was getting its ass handed to it. We were in serious danger of dying aboard that thing and I’d be damned if I survived everything I’d done on that ship only to have it end that way. Dee and I found a way to get onto the Cruiser and we took it over.”
“Just like that? You landed and said something like, ‘I am Lord Michael Talbot and I now command all that I see.’ ”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“It really feels like you’re leaving out a vast part of the story.”
“Do you really want the number of rounds that were shot in my direction? Because that was one hundred and twenty six. Do you want to know how many bombs I detonated? That was two. Do you want to know how many Genogerians and humans I saw die today? It was...”
“I get it, I’m sorry.”
“Iserwan died.”
There was another sharp intake of air from Tracy. “How? Who will pilot the Guardian?”
“He was training Bailey.”
“Bailey? That idiot couldn’t fly a kite.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Iserwan gave his life. He flew the Cruiser into the Destroyer during a buckle.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I guess, because he did it. The sight of it was beyond description. I think I saw God and the devil today.” I drifted off in thought.
“What now?” Tracy asked.
“Ultimately I only bought us some time. There’s another Destroyer coming and it’s going to be firing first and not ever bothering with questions.”
“Is Paul coming up with a battle plan?”
“Well, see, that’s where it gets a little sticky.”
“That’s where it gets sticky?”
“I quit.”
“Quit? Quit what?”
“The Corps.”
“You can’t quit.”
“Well, let’s see. Paul was going to bring me up on charges of disobeying orders and destruction of government property and I guess now he could add assault. So I told him to fuck off and I tossed him my leaves. So that’s insubordination as well. Not enough rocks in Leavenworth for me to crush—they’d probably have to ship them in from Arizona or something.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“I want to move.”
“Move where?”
“Somewhere remote. We have maybe a couple of months before that Destroyer is parked on our doorstep and maybe we could hold out if nobody knew we were there.”
“You said it yourself, Mike. There will be no place remote enough. If they drop those planet busters we know they have, nowhere will be safe.”
“Your mate speaks the truth,” Dee said as he emerged from the house in a much more pleasant mood than when he had gone in. He was dangling Travis over his head by one leg. My son was punching the knobs atop Dee’s head, long ribbons of drool hanging from his mouth. “It is lucky for you God-son that I do not eat meat.” Travis and Dee were face to face, albeit Travis was upside down.
“So we just sit here and wait for the end?”
“Once we are born, Michael, all that we are ever doing is waiting for the end.”
“Buddhists. Got an answer for everything.”
“We should enjoy the time we have left together.” Tracy hugged me tight.
“Well, that’s not the worst idea I’ve heard today,” I said, wrapping my arms around her.
“No. The worst ideas of today all came from your mouth.”
“Don’t say another word, Dee. You’re going to ruin this for me.”
Chapter Eleven - Mike Journal Entry 07
That night was among one of the most peaceful I’d ever felt. We sat in some chairs in the back yard with Travis running around like a banshee with Dee growling behind him. I drank a few beers, spending most of the time with my head back looking up into the sky, Tracy’s hand intertwined with mine. There was a shower of bright white lights that streaked across the sky. I didn’t even let the fact that they were charged ions from the massive collision destroy the illusion of it being my very own fireworks show.
I more than half expected Paul to show up that next day, with either a Military Police escort (I still had the Hummer) or by himself to see if we could work through this. Honestly, that next day had he come with hat in hand I may have. Each passing day, though, my resolve set harder. I was really getting into the swing of being on perpetual vacation. I’d been at it a solid week and not once had I pissed off Tracy. Dee was another matter because I had spent a fair amount of time over at his place. He had a garage full of experiments and I always liked to see what he was doing. So it was one small beaker…you’d think I knocked over the answer to world hunger by the way he’d chased me out of his place. I’m not going to lie—it felt a litt
le like the time he was going to kill me in France. Had I known what was waiting for me at my house I may have just stayed put and suffered my fate. Dee was cursing as he slammed down his garage door behind me.
There was another Hummer in my driveway. I couldn’t really tell from where I was but it looked like the Sergeant who had tried to detain me was sitting in the driver’s seat. I got closer to confirm.
“Hey buddy, how you doing?” I asked, startling him by tapping on the glass. “How’s your head? Do you have any headaches? How about them balls? Will your dog still lick them?”
“Fuck you, Talbot.”
“That’s really the best come back you have? Get out of my driveway.”
“You’re on a military base. I’ll damn well park anywhere I want.”
“I’m going to drag you out of that thing and...”
“Mike, get your ass in here,” Tracy said from the doorway.
“You’re a lucky bastard,” I said, pointing my finger at him.
“Look at you running with your tail between your legs. Do you do everything she tells you to?”
“Of course I do. Just because I’m an asshole doesn’t make me stupid.”
The Sergeant raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. “Makes sense,” he said softly and rolled his window back up. Guess he couldn’t argue with that logic.
“You have company,” Tracy said with no small degree of flare in her voice. “We need a few things for dinner and I’m taking Travis with me. I’ll be back in half an hour and I’d appreciate it if our guest (that word was laced with ice) was gone by then.” She then walked out.
I wondered what Paul had said that had her so upset. And then I realized it was Paul’s lesser half. Beth arose from her seat to turn and look at me. “Your baby is cute.”
I didn’t need her to say it because it was written on her face. “Our baby would have been beautiful.”
“Beth, why are you here?”
“We could leave—just me and you. It could be the way it was always meant to be.”
It was not lost on me in the least that she said “me” first in her statement. It wasn’t as intentional as it was just hard wired in her to always think of herself first.
And people are always asking me, “What’s wrong with you? Fucking weird. I’m getting a beer, want one?”
“Didn’t you hear me? We could finally be together.”
“Oh, I heard you.” I closed the fridge door and twisted the cap off my beer. I took a long pull before I responded again. “Let’s see…I am happily married to a woman I love dearly. Then there’s this little being about yay big,” I held my hand up to about my hip, “who I’m just fascinated by. Then, and this is a big part, there’s this other being…” I held my hand way above my head and jumped a little, “who would be seriously disappointed in me if I ran away. Oh yeah, then there’s this guy, he’s like a General or something who for a fair portion of my life held the best friend honor and strangely enough is also married to you. And now for the kicker, Beth…I don’t love you. Why you haven’t figured that part out yet is a mystery to me.”
Her face flashed anger and then bewilderment before abruptly switching to an all-knowing smile. “You don’t mean that.”
I took another pull from the beer before sitting down. “And I really thought my time aboard the Julipion screwed me up. What the hell did it do to you?”
She seemed undeterred. I wasn’t sure how much clearer I could make my point. She reached to touch my face, I pulled away. That anger came back; I think if she had a weapon she would have used it.
“I’m here for another reason.”
“If you’re pregnant, it’s not mine.”
“Paul is my husband, your friend. He needs you.”
“I know who he is, pretty sure I didn’t need the reminding. Oh, wait. Sorry, you probably did that for your benefit.”
“Funny.” The words did not match her tone.
“If Paul, my friend and your husband (I stressed ‘husband’) needs me so much, why isn’t he here instead? My guess is he doesn’t even know you’re here. After your outburst aboard the Guardian, which I’m sure did wonders for all of our relationships with him, I’d think he wouldn’t want you within a country mile of me. Not that I even know what a country mile is, but it sounds far.”
“You’re right. He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“I’m like psychic or some shit.”
“Mike, this is serious. Colonel Bailey is having a difficult time taking over the helm of the Guardian.”
“Not much I can really do about that,” I said, kicking back and placing my feet up on the table. “Oh hey, could you not tell Tracy about this?” I asked, pointing to my feet. “She’ll get pissed. You know, I’m really getting into this vacation thing. I almost beat Dee in a game of chess. The downside is I’ve been changing WAY more diapers, should probably ask for hazard pay or something. A real good thing, though, was I didn’t have to kill anything at all within the last seven days and the bonus is that nothing was trying to kill me. I mean, with the exception of Trav’s diapers.” I finished my beer and let the front chair legs hit the ground as I stood up. “Sure you don’t want one?” I asked, swishing the empty bottle in her face.
She shook her head. My next beer shattered on the kitchen floor with her next words. I would mourn for its loss later. “Paul is planning on bombing the Genogerian settlement.”
“What? What the fuck for? I’ll kill him. Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand and dragging her behind me.
“Where...where are we going?”
“Getting back up.” I was dragging her towards Dee’s house.
“Mrs. Ginson, are you alright?” The Sergeant stepped out of the Hummer.
“She’s fine. We’ll be right back.” I didn’t turn to respond. “Keep the engine running.”
I slammed my fist against Dee’s garage door.
“Only you, Michael, are crazy enough to disturb me in this fashion!” Dee bellowed from behind the door. Beth was attempting to shrink back but I held her fast.
“We have to go.”
“Important?” His demeanor changed with the question.
“That’s an understatement.”
The door flew open quickly. “Does it have something to do with small female who travels with bear?”
“Her mate.”
“Is the General not well?” he asked, stepping out and shutting the garage door behind him.
“He won’t be when I’m through with him. He’s looking to end the Geno settlements, violently.”
“Should I retrieve my weaponry?” Dee was about as ripped as I’d ever seen him.
I had to think about it for a moment. I was afraid if we had anything on us, we might be tempted to use them, and by “we” I meant Dee. “If we need anything we’ll take it from the armory.”
“Where are we going?” he asked as we walked back over to my driveway.
I honestly had no idea and looked over to Beth.
“He’s on the Guardian.”
“We’re going to the Guardian.”
“Would it be too much if I inquired as to why?”
“I don’t know all the particulars. Beth here is going to fill us in on the way, but suffice it to say it involves the wholesale slaughter of Genogerians.”
The Sergeant must have seen the anger Dee was emanating because he involuntarily reached for his sidearm.
Tracy pulled up just as we crossed the street.
“Mike?” she asked, rolling down her window.
“It’s not what it looks like,” I said, letting go of Beth’s hand, which I had been squeezing tight. Beth sighed in relief as I let it go, vigorously rubbing it to get some circulation back into her purpling digits.
“It looks like Beth is terrified and you and Dee are about to start blowing things up.”
“Friggen nailed it. How do you do that? I’ve got to go the Guardian.”
“Is the second Destroyer here already? I thought w
e’d have more time.”
“No, something different. I’ll tell you when I get home.”
“And when will that be?”
“I don’t know.” I leaned in the window and kissed her like it might be my last time. And who knows, maybe it was. With only a few exceptions, did you ever truly know when you might have kissed the one you loved for the last time? And I’m not talking about while they’re in a casket, that doesn’t really count. Just like all those stupid flowers people feel the need to buy for the dead. The deceased sure as hell doesn’t give a shit. Probably would have liked it a lot better if they’d received them when they were alive. Well, that’s my two cents anyway.
“I’m only authorized to drive the General’s wife,” the Sergeant said, looking at me as Beth and I climbed up in the back seat.
“Tell him that,” I said, pointing to Dee who was sitting up front.
“Right. Everyone’s going to the airfield I take it?”
“Out with it,” I said, turning toward Beth. “What possible reason could Paul have for wanting to bomb the Genos? And please don’t tell me this is some sick way to get back at me because if it is, I’ll put him down like a rabid dog.”
The Sergeant shot me a glance through the rear view mirror.
“Figuratively, figuratively,” I repeated, trying to appease him.
“No, he’s not trying to get back at you. It’s not always about you, you know.”
“In my world it is.”
“I did not take you for a narcissist,” Dee stated.
“I only let it out occasionally—sometimes I can’t even stand myself.”
“That makes more sense.” Dee said.
“Two men drove a supply truck into the settlement and detonated a bomb.”
“Did they say why or who sent them?”
“No. They died in the explosion.”
“Suicide bombers? What would be the reasoning behind that?”
“How was the bomb detonated?” Dee did not turn because he really didn’t have the room in the tight confines of the Hummer.
“Trigger switch in the passenger’s hand.”
“Something stinks here. Why not just put a timer on it, drive the truck up, park and walk away? Okay, that’s something we’ll have to figure out eventually. What in that scenario necessitates bombing the Genos again?”