Klaxton turns to glare at Grenade, who has been listening to her meandering rant in awe like the rest of us. “… after all you brats have done, now I’m supposed to forget everything and work with you? Be buddy buddy? Act like we’re best friends, just so we can clean up the mess you morons created?! I DON’T FUCKING THINK SO!!!”
Klaxton shouts this with so much venom and anger that spittle splatters on most of our faces. I cringe as I wipe away a speck of saliva from my right cheek.
Grenade raises his hands and calmly replies, “Angela, I know you’re upset, but you need to settle down. And I know this is going to sound harsh, but you need to quit feeling fucking sorry for yourself.”
Grenade’s blunt response causes Klaxton’s mouth to drop open in shock. Much to my surprise, however, she doesn’t start screaming at him. Instead, she waits for him to finish his thoughts. Maybe it has something to do with the fact she respects people who stand up to her. (Boom Boom, Krystal and I don’t count, of course, due to the fact that we ‘ruined her life’. If it wasn’t for that, she’d probably respect us for cursing her out, too.)
Grenade walks around the table and makes his way over to Klaxton. “All of you need to quit feeling sorry for yourselves. I know that deep down in your hearts, you all secretly agree with me. You may hate yourselves for agreeing with me, but you do. You all know that this is the only way we can mobilize the American People and stop the Chinese invasion in its tracks. The Chinese fear Klaxton. They respect her. So do the American People. We need her back in power, at least temporarily, to keep the gates of Hell from bursting wide open and engulfing the entire globe in a raging inferno. And we need you guys… Krystal, Lance, and Boom Boom… standing by her side. If the American People see the three of you working alongside the only president in the past 50 years who’s been able to keep relative law and order, then they will fall in line. They will help us halt the commencement of Armageddon. In order for this to work we all need to set aside our differences and feuds, no matter how legitimate they may be, and come together… for the greater good. Because if you guys don’t do this… if you allow this country to collapse into a smoldering heap… then each of you will have been personally responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of Americans and, perhaps even worse than that, the wholescale obliteration of the single greatest country in human history. Do you guys really want all that blood on your hands? Are you prepared to live with yourselves, to your dying days, knowing you could have helped stop the end of the world, and yet you stood by and did nothing? I sure as hell hope not.”
The room once again delves into eerie, lengthy silence. It’s like we’re all trying to properly digest Grenade’s words. Like last time, Klaxton is the first to respond.
Speaking in a quiet voice that continues to tremble with barely suppressed rage, Klaxton says, “As much as it pains me to admit it… as much as I hate to admit it… I’m afraid you may be right, Grenade. Perhaps this is what needs to be done. After all, my country needs me.”
“Give me a fucking break,” Boom Boom says incredulously, as if she can’t believe Klaxton would have the gall to say something so outrageous. I, on the other hand, am not at all surprised by her overbearing arrogance and sense of self-worth. You don’t become a five-term president of the most powerful empire on Earth by thinking little of yourself.
Klaxton looks down her nose at Boom Boom before slowly turning toward me.
“America doesn’t just need me,” she says coldly. “She needs all of us. If you three are willing to do this, then I will allow bygones to be bygones and strike up a partnership with you. As Grenade so eloquently put it, it’s for the greater good.”
Klaxton sneers at Boom Boom, almost taunting her.
The taunt works, because Boom Boom shouts, “We are never, ever, EVER, in a million, billion years, EVER working with you! What part of that do you not understand?! As far as we’re all concerned, you can go straight to Hell! Right guys?”
“Damn straight,” Alex says, puffing out his chest as he puts his left arm around Boom Boom. “We will never join you. Never.”
Klaxton turns back to me and smirks. She notices my indecisiveness before Boom Boom does.
Boom Boom cocks an eyebrow and says, “Lance? Are you with me? Tell Klaxton to shove it.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. Never in my life have I felt so torn… so confused. Everything Grenade just said makes perfect sense. If I were to follow my brain, I’d have to grudgingly agree his crazy-ass plan is our only play. But my heart yearns for vengeance. Klaxton was the one who murdered Dorothy in cold blood. I watched the bitch blast Dorothy out of a plane with a machine gun. It was god-awful. It’s one of the main reasons I started doing heroin. To try and forget Dorothy’s screams… the look of pain and horror on her blood-splattered face. But if this is the only way to stop the Chinese, then what am I supposed to do? Isn’t this the reason we came after Klaxton in the first place? Because we thought if we captured her, the Chinese wouldn’t invade? That’s obviously not going to happen. The Chinese are invading whether we apprehend Klaxton or not. Hell, they’ve already invaded! If it turns out putting the psychotic lunatic back in power is the only thing that will slow the Chinese’s juggernaut march toward world domination, then isn’t that what we should do? Even if it goes against everything we believe in? This isn’t supposed to be about us. It’s supposed to be about saving the country… and eventually the world.
I blink back hot tears as I look directly into Klaxton’s cold, calculating eyes. “You killed my friend Dorothy. And your buddy, Rasputin, killed Boom Boom’s friend… her boyfriend… Arrow.”
I glance at Boom Boom. Tears have started streaming down her cheeks as well.
I turn back toward Klaxton. She averts her gaze and looks down. It’s the first time I’ve seen her express genuine remorse.
Klaxton brushes past Boom Boom and makes her way toward me. I instinctively flinch when she raises her left hand. I guess I expected her to punch me or something. Instead she grabs my left hand (the ungloved one). Part of me wants to pull away, even punch her… but another part, the part that wins the day, grips her hand.
“I apologize for the deaths of your friends,” Klaxton says without a trace of the smugness and arrogance I’ve grown accustomed to hearing from her. “So many people have died, and many of those deaths can, perhaps, be blamed on my… er… brutal way of dealing with opponents. And one day in the not too distant future, I shall be judged for all the bad things I have done. But tonight is the start of something different… something new… a second chance to make things right. We all have a chance at redemption. Your friend Grenade is all too correct; America needs me to help navigate her out of the darkness. And I… I need the three of you to help me pull off this herculean task. So the only question that remains is, will you join me? Will you help me make things right, before a dark shadow falls upon this beleaguered world forever?”
It’s at this exact moment that I realize how Klaxton has manipulated the American People into voting her into office five elections in a row. Sure some of those elections might have been rigged, but she still got the majority of Americans to accept her totalitarian rule. She has a mesmerizing way with words, and it’s those words that convince me to join her cause.
In a barely audible whisper, I say, “Okay, I’m in.”
Boom Boom’s face becomes cram-packed with more emotions than I can count: anger, outrage, sadness, despair, betrayal, shock, disbelief…. Every emotion you can think of flashes across her face, all simultaneously.
“You WHAT?!!!” Boom Boom screams so loudly that everyone in the hut jumps back in alarm.
I reach out to grab Boom Boom’s arm and say, “Firecracker, listen, I know you’re upset, but…”
“Don’t you dare touch me!” Boom Boom shrieks, yanking her arm out of my grasp. “How can you agree to this, Lance? Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?! It’s like… I don’t even know you anymore!”
; Boom Boom glares at Grenade and adds, “I don’t know any of you!”
Boom Boom turns toward Krystal, who appears just as conflicted as I am.
Boom Boom grabs Krystal by her shoulders and desperately says, “Krystal, I know you think this is all madness. D… don’t you? Surely you’re not thinking about joining that bitch. Please tell me you’re not. Please…”
Krystal breaks away from Boom Boom’s penetrating gaze and says, “I don’t know, Boom Boom. They all make a good point. I mean, sure we could kill the bitch right now…”
Klaxton bristles at Krystal’s comment, but she displays incredible restraint by refraining from uttering a retort.
“… but what will that accomplish?” Krystal continues. “All this time we’ve been fooling ourselves. Killing Klaxton ain’t gonna stop the Chinese. They want to rule the fucking world. And Klaxton is probably the only bitch crazy enough to make them blink. I’m sorry, Boom Boom, but I’m with Lance and Grenade. I think we should do this shit. Yeah it’s crazy, but crazy is what it’s gonna take to fix this mess.”
Krystal siding with Grenade startles Boom Boom even more than my 180 degree turn. She turns to Alex and, in between choked sobs, says, “Are they right? Am I the crazy one? Should we join forces with her?”
“No,” Alex says fiercely. “I’m with you, Boom Boom. Klaxton needs to die for what she’s done.”
Alex whips out a dagger that Thiago and his men must have missed and lunges toward Klaxton. He doesn’t get too far, however, as Grenade rushes over and punches Alex in the mouth with his bionic hand. Alex collapses to his knees, clutching his bleeding face and moaning in agony. He spits out several teeth and what has to be close to a pint of blood.
“Grenade!” Boom Boom screams, pounding him with her fists. “What are you—Ahhh!!”
Grenade shoves Boom Boom to the floor. He then grabs Alex by the neck with his bionic hand and lifts him into the air. Alex gags and his eyes bulge out of their sockets. Blood continues to pour from his gaping mouth, trickling down Grenade’s arm.
“If you pull that shit again, I will snap your goddamn neck,” Grenade barks into Alex’s purple face. He finally releases his chokehold, and Alex falls flat on his back, gasping for air.
Grenade points a quivering finger at Boom Boom and says, “That goes for you, too.”
The pain and horror on Boom Boom’s face is enough to break my heart. Grenade has always been a father figure to her, and he just threatened to break her neck. In a matter of seconds, a once iron-clad friendship has been completely and irrevocably shattered.
“Grenade, this is getting out of---”
“Shut it, Lance,” Grenade snarls, cutting me off. “I love you like a son. I love Boom Boom like a daughter. But I will not hesitate to strike both of you down if you interfere with my plans. The lives of hundreds of millions are at stake. Your lives… our lives… are insignificant compared to the fate of an entire nation.”
Boom Boom slowly stands up. Tears spill from her blood-shot eyes fast and heavy, but her resolve is steadfast and unwavering.
“You all can kiss my ass. Fuck you Grenade. Fuck you, Krystal.”
“Bitch, what you just say?” Krystal shouts.
“Fuck you, Klaxton,” Boom Boom continues.
“Ditto,” Klaxton spits back.
Boom Boom swivels toward me and says with as much venom as she can muster, “And FUCK YOU!! I hate your FUCKING GUTS!!!”
Sharp, stabbing pain erupts in my chest. It’s like my heart has been cleaved in two. I try to say something, but no words come out. There’s really nothing I can say. I made my decision, and Boom Boom made hers. Our relationship… considering we even have one after today… will never be the same.
Boom Boom helps Alex to his feet and they both storm out of the hut.
Several of Thiago’s men start to go after them, but Grenade blocks the doorway.
“Let them go,” he says, his gravelly voice tinged with pain and regret. “They just need time to cool off. They’ll come around. Boom Boom will… come around.”
Grenade’s voice cracks at the end, as if he doubts his own words.
Klaxton stares out the doorway and flashes a grim smile. “I’m actually starting to like the red-head. She has a lot of fire. She’s a major bitch, but she has fire.”
I start to go after Boom Boom myself, but Grenade grips my arm and swings me back into the hut.
“I said let her be, Lance. Trust me on this. She just needs some time alone.”
“But she’s not alone, she’s with that jackass Alex!”
Grenade sighs and says, “I meant she needs time away from us. She will eventually see the light and come around to our way of thinking.”
“But what if she doesn’t? What do we do then?”
Grenade pauses a moment before replying, “Then we leave without her. We will wait until dawn. Give her time to return. But if she doesn’t come back, we have to leave her behind. We have no time to waste.”
I try to sputter out a protest, but I quickly realize I’m just wasting my breath. Grenade’s made up his mind. Nothing is more important than the completion of his insane mission.
Several of the natives hand us our body armor and utility belts. It suddenly dawns on me that Grenade, Krystal and I are still standing around in our damn underwear. We quickly put our armor back on and secure our utility belts around our waist. I frown when my belt starts to slide down my hips. I’ve lost a ton of weight over the past few weeks. And I didn’t have much to lose to begin with. I tighten the belt as best I can, but it still sags a bit. When we get out of this mess… if we get out of it… I’m going to have to fatten up. I can feel my ribs rubbing up against my armor.
Grenade makes his way over to Klaxton and extends his hand. “Thanks for agreeing to this. I know it’s a lot for you to process.”
Klaxton shakes Grenade’s hand and says, “I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to this cockamamie plan if it came solely out of your mouth. Montgomery, however, is someone I trust my life with. If he thinks this will work, then I’m willing to give it a try.”
Grenade and Klaxton break their awkward handshake.
“So I guess tomorrow morning we’ll be heading upstream to my underground compound,” Klaxton says crisply, keeping everything strictly professional. “I’ve got a couple flying cars and helicopter-jets in the hangar.”
“I’d prefer we use a jet. Those flying cars can be awfully unreliable on non-stop intercontinental journeys,” Grenade says.
Grenade turns to me and Krystal and says hesitantly, “Look guys, I… I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry about everything. One day I hope to be able to regain your trust.”
I cut Grenade off and say, “I hate to burst your bubble, but that ain’t ever gonna happen. We’ve agreed to do this, but not for you. We’re doing it because it’s the only thing that will stop the Apocalypse. Our relationship is fucked beyond repair, Grenade. It will never go back to the way it was. Once this is all over, we never want to see you again. Do I make myself clear?”
Grenade’s face falls as the full impact of my words slam into him and crumble his entire world. I’ve never seen such pain plastered across his face. In a strange way, I’m glad. It means he truly does… or at least did… care for us. But I can’t worry about Grenade’s feelings. What he did was inexcusable, and as far as I’m concerned he’s a lying sack of shit who can go straight to Hell.
Grenade lowers his head and quietly says, “I know. And I’m sorry things have to be this way. I will miss you guys more than you’ll ever know.”
Grenade suddenly looks up, and his eyes glow with a renewed intensity. “But know this, Lance. I regret nothing. Desperate times like these call for equally desperate measures. I’m willing to throw away every goddamn friendship I’ve ever had if it means preventing a nuclear holocaust.”
I glare back at Grenade with equal intensity. “Yeah… apparently so am I. In fact, I’m throwing away the most important relationship I’ve
ever had.”
I glance back out the hut door. Boom Boom is nowhere to be seen. She’s gone. Gone from the village. Gone from my life. And I can’t even begin to blame her. She’s the only person around here with any honor or integrity. The rest of us are more than willing to sell our souls to the Devil. Boom Boom, on the other hand, has too much goodness inside her to do something like that.
Someone grabs my hand. I spin around, ready to fight, and find myself looking into River’s piercing brown eyes.
“Let’s go get some rest, Lance. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
World War Forever (Highway To Armageddon Book 2) Page 40