He eased himself into a chair near the front with Cora, her family, and Josie.
Before I called the meeting, I had a quick discussion with him so he understood what I wanted to do. He was going to support me the best he could.
I was scared as fuck with every pair of eyes focused in my direction. I counted to ten in my head, trying to calm my mind before I began.
“Uhh… First, I want to thank everyone for coming. I appreciate your want to know and understand what’s going on.” I cursed under my breath, then continued, “Yesterday, our community experienced an…enormous tragedy. We lost one of our most valuable members, Quinn Landers, at the hands of savages.”
I paused again, gathering myself, hearing the sniffling noses and muffled cries at the mention of her name. Gunther hung his head, and Cora reached out to take his hand. I cleared my throat, trying to force out the roughness that crept in.
“I wasn’t privileged to have known Quinn very long, but I can say she was inspirational to me. She had to do things that were unimaginable, but she took what she learned from her own tragic circumstances and dedicated herself to helping others. So fucking inspirational. She rarely lost composure, and she was always there when someone needed help. I hope you found her just as honorable as I did, and I beg you to take a page from her book.”
My pacing intensified, knowing what was coming next. I jammed my hands through my clean, but unruly hair. “Gunther and I have known one another for many years. Once, we were sworn enemies. I’m not proud of this, but we came to blows many times, even recently. Quinn convinced us that we needed to put our egos aside and work together as a team. I will be forever grateful for her faith, trust, and loyalty in us and the leadership we have been able to provide and continue to provide for this community. I ask you all to show great patience and gratitude toward Gunther. He was on the verge of death, as well. If it wasn’t for Cora and her capabilities, we may have lost him, too. He fought valiantly against four men who arrived with one agenda. Murder. I have great admiration for his bravery, placing his life on the line to save others.
“There are several members of our community who deserve an extra thank you for everything they did yesterday and will continue to do. To those who fought side-by-side, stood guard, counseled, and medically treated our members, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It makes me proud to say I’m a part of this community.”
I paused again, feeling the stress, and rubbed my neck. “On to my next point. These savages will not stop until they are all true dead. Without a doubt, there will be many more showing up here and coming after us. I will do my best to keep anyone else from falling victim to them.
“After Quinn’s burial, I will be holding a training session in the gym for anyone who wants to learn or brush up on any skills…be it weapons or hand-to-hand combat. We will continue to train until everyone feels they are ready for battle. Because there will be a battle. We need to fight with much gusto, but with as little ammunition as we can. Our resources are severely low. From now on, ammunition will be reserved for those who will be guarding, and those who can shoot with extraordinary accuracy…such as me, Gunther, and Thomas.”
In need, I rolled my neck again. I didn’t have time for that bullshit. Trying to ignore my unwanted obligation to myself, I debated as to whether or not I should tell our community all the gory details. I glanced at Gunther, who gave me a reassuring nod.
“These savages are after Gunther and me. Without care, they will torture, abuse, and kill anyone in their path.”
Again, I cursed to myself. My eyes traveled to Elaina. She held her hand over her mouth, knowing what I was going to do. I feared an uprising against us.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Gunther and I grew up in a government-run program. This virus that has infected millions is man-made.” There was a quiet murmur amongst those who didn’t know our circumstances. “The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom developed it.”
Fuck, it’s out in the open now.
Gasps were heard, then James stood. It was going to get ugly really fast.
“James,” I said sternly.
“So you are saying it was you two who infected everyone?”
“No, I’m not saying that. I would like to explain the entire situation before anyone gets the wrong idea.” I was protecting Gunther as he would me. “So, please, allow me to finish, then we can discuss what you would like to.” James sat back down.
“We are highly-trained assassins, if you will. We were broken mentally, physically, and emotionally by these people. We were beaten and tortured to the brink of true death on many occasions. Much the same way as Gunther was beaten yesterday. I was hospitalized several times, and I assume it was the same for you.” I looked at Gunther, who nodded. I glanced at Elaina again, trying to gather the courage. “He and I were…are infected.”
More gasps filled the small crowd and I held up my hands. “Everyone, please, allow me to finish.” When a hush went through the crowd, I continued, “They wanted us to build immunity to the virus so they injected us with a small amount, which is how this whole thing began. We aren’t immune, and yes, we can infect you, but we can also control our impulses. The only ways we can transmit the virus is through you ingesting our blood or from a bite from us. Even then, you wouldn’t get the full virus like you see out there.
“Please keep in mind we will not hurt any of you. We ask you not to be afraid of us. We also ask you keep in mind how we have protected and provided for you. If we truly didn’t care for you, we would have pushed you out ages ago.
“The virus was placed in the wrong hands, and it was used against the US. Our mission was simple: destroy the States, and the UK would be restored as a superpower as they picked up the pieces. It was about greed. They never expected us to go rogue, but once we realized what was happening was wrong, we backed out. We have decided to fight against the program.
“We aren’t sure who has survived from the program, but I can tell you that there were four people in charge. Two are dead, and one of their strongest fighters sits here before us.” I motioned toward Gunther. “So that leaves one. In our original mission, we were instructed to meet at the port in this area. Gunther and I are still unsure how they pinned us down because the tracking devices we had implanted in our arms were cut out ages ago and left in other areas of the country. I assure you, Gunther and I are here to rid the world of the filth who did this to us.
“If you have any questions, we will be happy to speak to you separately about it. I do ask that you respect Gunther’s privacy at the moment. Allow him to have the time he needs with himself to heal and be with his son.
“Before I close this meeting, I would like a rough idea of who will fight beside us so I can prepare properly. I cannot guarantee you will be unharmed…or even survive. Many of you may die. Please understand. You will not be persecuted if you choose not to fight, nor will you be forced to leave the community. I respect your decision. I’m giving you what we never had: a choice. So, please stand if you will be fighting beside us.”
There was a lot of looking around and whispers. Then Elaina stood, Gunther slowly following. Then Josie, Thomas, and Cora. A few moments passed and when nobody else got up, I took a deep breath.
Then, one by one, every single person in the room rose to their feet.
Gazing around, I was astonished to see every single person backing us, even after the confession. Tears welled, and I tried to swallow my emotions.
“Thank you,” my voice cracked. “Meeting is adjourned. Quinn’s burial will be within the hour.”
Turning on my heel, I stormed out of the cafeteria. Footsteps rushed up from behind me, but I couldn’t face whoever it was. I jogged down the hall toward my and Elaina’s room, yanking open the door and slamming it behind me.
A meltdown was just under the surface and I needed to hide from everyone, including myself, until it passed. I hit the floor, knees first, hands covering my face.
; The door slammed open, but I couldn’t pull myself out of it until I heard her voice. “Henry…look at me.” As I withdrew my hands and met her eyes, she sank to her knees in front of me. She pulled me into her and I held on for dear life.
Despair laced my voice. “I’m sorry.”
“You have no reason to be sorry. You are doing what you can.” She made me look her in the eye again. “You, Henry Daniels, are one amazing man. You united that entire group. They want to fight beside you. Everyone is standing by your side.”
“Many of them could die, Elaina. You could die. I could die.”
“We know that, but everyone still decided they were willing to fight next to you. Do not feel guilty for any of it. If any one of us dies, it’s because we’re willing to sacrifice ourselves.” She wiped my tears away with her thumbs.
“I can’t let you die for me, Elaina. I can’t handle any more death. I cannot bury another. And if I had to bury you…”
“That’s not your choice.” She brushed her lips over mine. “I love you and I will do everything in my power to protect us.”
“I love you, too.” Still sitting on our knees, holding one another, I whispered, “Elaina, I’m so fucking scared.” My body tremored through my confession. “I couldn’t lose you like he lost her. I couldn’t handle it.”
“You aren’t going to lose me.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“I know, lover. It’s okay to be scared.”
Elaina kissed my cheek and I hoped with everything I had that we would survive.
Just before the burial, Henry and Elaina put the cross into the ground at the head of Quinn’s grave. Then Thomas and Henry took positions to guard. The community filed out and surrounded her grave. It was Elaina’s turn to be strong. She had to stand up and serve as the matriarch and could no longer hand it to someone else.
Gunther plodded out, Grey hoisted on his good side. He stopped and froze in place. The torment was obvious as his only working eye looked around at the surrounding support. Each breath he tried to suck in stalled in the back of his throat. The sight of everyone standing and waiting to celebrate Quinn’s life overwhelmed him at every level. Gunther turned away from everybody. He couldn’t handle or face the truth.
Cora jogged to him. “Here. Hand me Grey.” Gunther hesitated, but allowed her to take the baby out of his arms.
As soon as Grey was in the safety of Cora’s arms, Gunther lumbered back to the door, one dogged step at a time, as fast as his injured body could move. Elaina decided it was her who needed to help him and ran to him before he went back inside.
With his forehead pressed against the door, she put her arm around him. “I can’t do this,” he cried. “I can’t say goodbye to her.”
“Yes, you can. You can do this.” She pulled him into a hug. “You are so strong.”
“She was my everything,” he said with a coarseness in his voice that Elaina would never forget.
“I know she was, and I can’t imagine how it must be tearing you apart, but we are all here for you. We’re going to support you during your weakest and darkest hours.” He took a deep breath that rattled through his very core. “Come on. Hold my hand. I will be your strength.”
After much pleading and coaxing, Gunther interlaced his fingers with Elaina’s, and they walked toward Quinn’s grave. She left him standing with Josie and Cora, then went to the head of the grave.
Elaina needed a minute—fiddling with her shirt, fidgeting fingers, swallowing to relieve the dryness in her throat—but then she was finally able to speak. “Friends, family, and community members… We gather today to remember and honor two lost members of our community: Quinn Landers…and her unborn child.” Several gasps passed through the crowd. Cora held onto Gunther as he just about collapsed. “Quinn was an honorable woman and quite respected. She served as a matriarch to us all, a mother to some, a friend to others, and a wife to one. I looked up to her. She delivered strength and empathy to all of us when it was needed. She loved with every ounce of her soul, which I witnessed firsthand with Gunther and their beautiful little boy, Grey.” Grey cooed and squealed, even making Gunther chuckle a little. “It pains me to no end that he’ll never know how truly wonderful his mother was, but we can give him our memories. Also, I’m deeply saddened to know their second child will not know how amazing a father Gunther is. I’ve watched someone who would go from Mr. Egotistical Tough Guy to absolute mush when Quinn would walk into a room with Grey cuddled in her arms. She lit up every place she went and I greatly appreciate everything she did for me, for us, and for everyone here. Would anyone like to say anything before we proceed?”
James stepped forward. “I would.”
The tension could have been cut with a knife, but Elaina stepped aside to allow James to speak his feelings…although she was ready to pounce at a moment’s notice if he got out of line.
He cleared his throat. “I know I wasn’t the most respectable husband a wife would want. There were many things I did wrong and many things I certainly regret. When I saw Quinn’s lifeless body clutched in Gunther’s arms, I realized what I gave up.” He looked up to the sky for a brief second before his eyes went back to her body. “I would like to say I am truly sorry for every ounce of pain and grief I caused her, our daughter, our grandson, and Quinn’s family.”
As he wiped the tears from his face, he said, “I would also like to say that I could see the love Quinn and Gunther shared. You were the husband she desired. The husband she deserved. She was truly blessed to have a man like you in her life. I’m so thankful you brought her beautiful smile back to her face and love to her heart after I crushed everything for which she ever hoped. She deserved the happiness you gave her.” He stepped away from the head of the grave, leaving every emotion open, raw, and exposed.
Josie pushed through the crowd, wiping her face and nose with her sleeve. “I just wanted to tell everyone that she treated me like her daughter, and I looked at her like a mother. I love her so very much, and I will miss her every day for the rest of my existence.”
As she sobbed, Josiah reached out and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close and stroking her hair. With no other place to go, she allowed him to comfort her.
One foot in front of the other, Gunther made his way forward with a profound ache in his chest that he was positive would never leave him. The emptiness he felt was just the beginning of the end of who he was.
No one was sure if they could handle anymore, especially hearing a goodbye from Gunther. Elaina tried her hardest to stay strong as he made his way to her.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” he muttered to himself, not realizing he said it out loud.
He stopped and stared into the grave at the love of his life wrapped in a blanket. He was at a loss for words and begged his body to keep him standing because he wanted to tell everyone what Quinn meant to him.
“Take your time,” Elaina whispered as she reached for his hand. He accepted the strength she so willingly passed to him.
Gunther cleared his throat. “From the moment I rescued Quinn right after this all began, I knew there was something truly amazing about her. She had a smile that would captivate even the cruelest of people.” Her smile captivated him…and he was one of the cruelest people he knew. He took a couple deep breaths, emotionally losing ground. “Quinn was creative, intelligent, loving, and beautiful. I am honored to have shared many things with her, which includes the birth of my son. That was the most incredible day of my life and I will be forever thankful she gave me that little miracle.
“She taught me how to love, to be loved, to respect, and to accept. In the short time I knew her, I learned more than I did in my entire life. Minutes before her death, I found out she was with child again. My heart aches that I will never be able to meet my youngest in this lifetime.” Gunther looked to the sky, kissed two fingers, then held them up. “I love you so much, it hurts. I promise you I will take care of our Grey
bear the best I can.” With eyes of a man with an empty soul, he looked back at the crowd that was gathered. “Thank you everyone. I will forever be grateful for the kindness you’ve shown.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pair of wedding bands. He rolled them in his fingers momentarily before lightly tossing her ring on top of her blanketed body. Then he slid his on and treaded away in silence, not minding all the eyes staring at him.
A harsh shudder ran through Gunther’s body. He swayed to the left, his spine sagged, and his knees began to bend.
Elaina rushed to him. While he bawled his eyes out, she held him for several minutes, providing him with warmth, something he was in desperate need of.
Once the sound of shoveling made it to their ears, they sat at the head of the grave while Chris and Jake buried Quinn.
Cora padded up, Grey squirming around in her arms. “I’m going to take him inside. He’s getting fussy and seems to be ready to eat again.”
Gunther hissed as he stood, kissed Grey on the forehead, then embraced Cora. “Words can’t express the gratitude I feel for what you’re doing for my son. Without you, he would perish, as well.”
Tears filled Cora’s eyes in response to Gunther’s appreciative words. She kissed him on his uninjured cheek and headed back into their home, bouncing a cranky Grey on her shoulder. Gunther watched them the entire way back into the school, making sure they made it in safely. He held out his hand and helped Elaina stand.
“You’re doing an amazing job. Thank you.” He kissed her on the cheek and faced the grave once again. “Did you make their cross?” he asked in a rough voice as his eyes traced the patterns and letters.
“Yes,” she cringed with a flush across her cheeks.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“It’s not as beautiful as…” she began.
“It’s perfect,” Gunther muttered. He shifted his weight back and forth as he continued to stare at the freshly dug dirt. “Elaina, I feel like this is a nightmare. How do I move forward?”
Fractured Hearts (Shattered Lives, Book Three) Page 45