by Kipjo Ewers
“I have no idea what she’s…” General Matheson started to say dismissively.
Sophia cut him off getting to the point, “I want to know about the D.E.A.D…Bernard…”
The room went dead silent, as the only ones still in confusion was Mrs. Bernard and Trisha; her demand even took Peter aback.
Alexis was the first to turn to her father now demanding an answer, “Daddy…what is she talking about?”
Sophia decided not to wait for him to come up with a lie, “The night Robert was murdered…I woke up to see his murderers. Three people covered from head to toe in some black hi-tech outfits you see in a comic book. Two men and a woman, who was holding the knife from our wedding cake sitting on top of Robert, ready to stab him…on their left shoulder was a black embossed symbol of a Grim Reaper…sitting on a large skull holding a Scythe in one hand, and skull in the other. I just came from Kenneth Scott’s house last night, and he confirmed not only their name, but that he witnessed their handy work…on his last tour he and his squad came across an entire town in Ramadi that was massacred by these individuals…the only survivor, a little boy who described to him the very same symbol I saw.”
The silence became more awkward as the General stared her down with a scowl on his face, which made everyone very uncomfortable because he was not refuting what she just said.
“Daddy…is what she saying…true?” Alexis asked again stunned at what she just heard, “Daddy say something!”
“Do you expect me to respond to an old wives tale?” he scolded his only daughter, “A conspiracy theory? This is the United States of America…there is no such thing as a Death Squad secretly sanction by this country! This is the woman, who murdered your brother in cold blood for our family money; who got her information from a man who was dishonorably discharged during his last tour!”
Something Ken forgot to mention, no doubt because he was too ashamed to talk about it, and probably why there was an unspoken tension between him and Elizabeth; it’s the ultimate kiss of death for a service man especially a Marine; and Sophia knew how much Kenneth loved the Corps.
“That’s right,” pressed on the General, “Dishonorably discharged for threatening a superior officer with his firearm and conduct unbefitting a Marine officer! The man’s an alcoholic undeserving of the title Marine!”
“You expect me to answer wild accusations supposedly backed by a man such as him? Ask her why she didn’t come forward with this information during her trial!” snorted General Matheson.
“Because it was blocked from my memory with whatever they injected me with that night. Funny that memory came back, but I still don’t remember going to the bank, the ATM, driving through the toll to Oklahoma, and I don’t remember checking into a hotel,” Sophia returned fire going on the defensive, “Then again I also didn’t know that you put Robert into some goddamn super soldier program!”
It was a hail Mary thrown out there, at this point everyone would think she was nuts until she was forced to show them what she was capable of, the General remained stone faced not flinching and inch from her accusation. The man was a solid poker player; she was now counting on a confused family now filled with questions to force his hand.
“Super solider program?” Peter emitted an idiotic laugh, “You mean like Captain America and shit…you joking right?”
A disgusted grin formed on the General’s face, “Prison has obviously also left you delusion and more twisted…”
“You want to see delusional and twisted?!” she hissed having her fill of being under attack when she knew the truth.
She advanced to rush him cracking the tile floor with a step. Peter and Jeff advanced to get in front of her not realizing what she did, but Alexis saw it; Sophia on the other hand was not paying attention to either of them or what she did, her eyes were on the General who quickly stepped back when she moved forward. The man who had fought in countless occupations, the epitome of what it meant to be a hardcore Marine backed up to the advance of a woman.
“Sophia! You need to calm down!” Jeff ordered her.
“You trying to run up on my father in his house?!” Peter started flexing on her as if ready to bang, “Are you crazy?!”
“Crackin they good floor with your roach stoppers!” slipped in Trisha.
“Sophia please stop!!” pleaded Mrs. Matheson.
Sophia however did not hear any of them, she had tunnel vision on the General, “Why’d you back up Bernard, big bad Marine with almost every branch of the military under one roof; why’d you back up?”
This time the General did not answer, Alexis looked at her father; and saw something she had never seen in her twenty-eight years of knowing him…pure unadulterated fear.
“You know,” Sophia bared her teeth, “You son of a bitch…you know what I am!”
Red was all Sophia saw as she advanced full speed ahead for the General, Jeff was the first to try to take her down.
The six foot five two hundred and sixty pound Navy Seal quickly found out to his shock and dismay that no training could prepare him for the six foot several hundred pound female powerhouse, who quickly overpowered him grabbing him by the front of his khaki pants, and hoisting him high into the air with her right arm.
“Holy!” Jeff screamed.
“Oh my god!” freaked out Mrs. Matheson.
Trisha coiled behind an antique chair definitely scared, “Oh shit…she dun turned supa thug!”
Alexis was beside herself in disbelief with what she was witnessing, she then turned to her father to see that even though he still displayed fear, he was not shocked at what he was seeing, only angered and defenseless.
Peter however was not impressed with the display of power as he prepared to throw hands with her, “Bitch, you think you got some jail muscle I’m afraid of you?!”
Sophia lifted Jeff in the air because despite it all, she cared about him and did not want to hurt him. As she held the freaked out Navy Seal high, she turned taunting Peter, “Go ahead Captain Nintendo…take ya best shot….”
She however really wanted to hurt Peter.
“No! Don’t take the shot man! Do not take the shot!” Jeff yelled begging him.
“What you just called me?!” it was like a tick to Peter being called that.
“Peter! No! That is an order!” was the first emotional outburst the General ever displayed.
Alexis joined in trying to bring him to his senses, “Peter!”
“Bitch ass Nintendo pilot flying pussy…” Sophia sneered.
Peter exploded putting all his weight behind the punch, unlike Craig Martin she wasn’t shocked he was going to hit her; she just stood there and took the six foot four man’s blow to the jaw, then watched him drop backwards on his ass clutching several broken knuckles.
“Oh! Oh god! My hand! Oh god!!” he hollered rocking back and forth.
Sophia ignored him as she lowered Jeff back down to the floor, the big man backed up to the wall no longer wanting any part of her as Sophia advanced toward the General; she did not know what she was going to do when she got within range of him.
General Matheson just stood there, visibly trying to keep himself from shaking, visibly trying to remain tough; she was within six feet of him when Alexis jumped in her way with her hands up.
“Sophia…please…stop….” Alexis cried begging her.
“Get out of my way Alexis,” Sophia growled, “Don’t make me hurt you…”
Alexis threw her arms around Sophia holding her tightly, “You’re not going to hurt me sis…I know you’d never hurt me…like I know you didn’t hurt Robert…”
She grabbed her wanting to throw her off, she wanted to get to the General and strangle the truth out of him, but Alexis held her tighter. Tears poured from Sophia’s eyes as she finally broke down letting out an agonizing wail.
After almost four years of hell, screaming innocence, and going to her death with no one believing her, the truth finally revealed was too much for even her. She drop
ped to her knees sobbing as Alexis followed her down to the floor still holding her, crying with her.
It broke Mrs. Matheson’s heart again as she turned to her husband demanding an answer, “Bernard…what did you do? You son of a bitch…What did you do?!”
Mark Armitage’s voice came via a bullhorn saved the General from having to answer to his family, “Sophia Dennison! This is the FBI and the entire Houston Police Force! We have the entire house surrounded, you are ordered to come out with your hands up and surrender!”
Sophia looked around confused to what is going on, along with everyone else as multiple lights flashed outside around the house.
“We knew you were coming,” Alexis confessed to her, “The FBI was here early this morning…they told us to keep you in the house till they surrounded it so you couldn’t escape.”
Sophia was still in a daze, she was on emotional overload at this point, “How’s that possible? Wait…why are you all here? It’s not Sunday…”
Tears flowed from Alexis’s eyes as she started to cry again, “Marcus was killed while in Iraq during an ambush…we’ve been here since yesterday.”
“But ma…came to the door…just fine,” Sophia uttered with a confused look.
“She has early onset Alzheimer's…she…doesn’t remember Marcus… she barely remembers me…only some people,” Alexis explained.
Sophia instinctively turned to the large family picture showing the entire Matheson family in their traditional military garbs. Marcus was the oldest of the four, followed by Robert, Peter, and Alexis; and one of the finest people she had ever met; he loved and treated her like a little sister from the first day Robert introduced her to him. She almost fell out from the news, not good being a person with her “condition”.
Memory after memory began to appear everywhere, the day Robert introduced her to the family for the first time, the holidays she spent there, the day Robert and her told them of their engagement. The day her parents flew down to meet his parents for the first time. Barbeques and the laughter of children running; so overwhelming was the attack it left her on her knees in a near catatonic state.
Alexis noticing something was wrong gently shook her to try to wake her from her semi-trance state, “Sophia…Sophia…talk to me.”
“Alexis…get away from her,” General Matheson ordered his daughter.
“Dad…Shut up!” Alexis spat back at her father, “Sophia…talk to me…what’s wrong?”
“Nancy…the kids…” she managed to get out barely hearing Alexis through the mixed noises in her head, which was crashing her senses.
“They’re not here,” responded a choked up Alexis, “Removed for their safety and Nancy’s pregnant again…the house is surrounded…you have to give yourself up.”
Alexis’ words of surrender brought her to her senses, surrender was not an option, this was not going to end with her walked out in handcuffs again, not until she found them. She remembered what she taught herself last night. As she concentrated, the memories disappeared one by one until she could just hear the original present sounds in the room, feel Alexis’ touch on her hands.
“No…I’m not going,” Sophia shook her head, “I’m not going back till I find them…”
Alexis accepting the impossible did not bother reason with her as she gently cupped her face, “Then you have to run…run…”
Sophia knew what she meant, despite probably winning, the last thing this house needed was a firefight on the front lawn. She had to protect the people she loved and cared about…even Peter and Trisha. She rose to her feet with Alexis in control again, it was then that Alexis realized the dramatic changes in her.
Sophia silently leaned down to place her forehead against hers for a final goodbye before stepping away; she stopped locking eyes with the General, letting him know this would not be the final time for them.
Her lips quivered as she pointed in his direction, “Conversation to be continued…I will see you again…real soon.”
Sophia headed to the door as Alexis took over looking at her father with betrayal and utter disgust. She first shot Trisha a dirty look making her cower further behind the large old chair for some “protection”; quickly she walked over to Mrs. Matheson kneeling down in front of her holding her hand.
“Ma…I got to go…” smiled Sophia
“I’m so sorry,” she wept, “Baby I’m so sorry for what we’ve done to you…”
“Ma…you didn’t do anything to me,” Sophia caressed her cheek as she reassured her, “I love you…I got to go but…I love you…”
She quickly kissed her hand before walking off heading for the front door, she slowed down as she saw through the glass doors the multitude of cars and law enforcement littering the law; butterflies filled her stomach as she took a deep breath grasping the doorknob before flying it open and stepping out.
“She’s coming out! She’s coming out!” an officer screamed.
Sophia stepped out onto the lawn surveying the sea of personnel, vehicles, and guns aimed at her. She did not even notice the neighbors watching from their lawns and windows. The way she saw it if she tore through the least path of destruction, she would be gone before any of them jumped in their vehicles and gave chase.
Armitage stood there with bullhorn ready and hand up making sure no one foolishly opened fire creating an unneeded combat situation.
“Dennison, hands up and down on the lawn! There’s nowhere to run!” he ordered praying that if there were a God in heaven, she would comply.
“She’s gonna bolt…” Mercer muttered.
“She’s not gonna bolt…” Armitage shot back.
Slowly she raised her hands up as commanded surveying the lay of the land, spotting two squad cars with the least amount of bodies covering it.
Seeing that she was complying, Armitage gave a mental prayer of thanks not having spoken to God since he was an altar boy as he followed up with his third order, “Down on the floor Dennison! Down on the floor!”
He would find out that God was up there, hocking a loogy on him. A fake smile grew on her face as Sophia went half way down as if she was going to the lawn making the agents move closer. Her face switched up to a sneer as she exploded kicking up dirt and grass on the lawn; knocking two agents out of the way who would be thankful later that they had body armor on.
“She’s bolting! She’s bolting!” Mark yelled scrambling.
“I told you!” yelled Dustin running with him.
Gunfire erupted, but none of them would touch Sophia as she put it into overdrive charging like a bull toward the barricade of squad cars.
“Get out the way!! Get out the damn way!!” yelled Mark on the bullhorn seeing the direction she was charging.
BADOOM! Was the sound that sent everyone in the area of impact ducking for cover as Dennison smashed through two unmanned squad cars sending them both into an almost three hundred and sixty degree spin. Once again, she went into a full out sprint jetting out of the residential area for the main street. Those that were able and brave scrambled getting into their vehicles to begin pursuit along with Mercer and Armitage who was behind the wheel of their issued vehicle leading the chase of a woman literally out running them on foot.
“This shit cannot be happening,” Dustin shook his head in disbelief holding on for dear life, as Mark drove, “This shit cannot be happening man!”
“You took a drink today?” Mark asked while pushing the gas pedal to the floor.
“No!” he yelled.