Each time he declined answering I used and incredibly dull kitchen knife and made the cut on his leg just a tiny bit deeper. I wanted to make sure I caused as much pain as possible removing his leg. I would drag the process out over hours. I would get justice for Seraphina. An arm for an arm and a leg and innocence for pain.
It was more than three hours before I felt he told me everything I could learn. He gave me the names of two other men that reported to him that participated in ruining Seraphina. I would make them my next two targets before moving on to Arizona and another ring leader. Bidziil's leg was spewing blood and I thought he would likely die if I didn't stop the bleeding. Deciding that cauterizing his leg stump was my best option I looked around for the materials I needed.
I pulled Bidziil off the bed by his good leg and drug him into the kitchen. I laid him out on the kitchen table and turned on the stove. I threw a cast iron lid on the burner and waited for it to glow orange. Then I forced him to pick it up with his good hand and press it against his stump to burn the wound closed. The pain forced him to pass out. I turned on the cold water in the sink and filled a glass of water. I wanted Bidziil awake and very aware of everything I did to him. He sputtered awake and immediately started to beg for his life.
I asked him if Seraphina begged them to stop. I saw his face flame red and stripped him naked. Then I retrieved the same dull knife I used to hack off his leg and separated Bidziil from everything that made him a man. After today Bidziil would never want to touch a woman again. I left him bruised, bloodied and barely alive with the steak knife embedded in his colon. My last words as I left his home was
"Be sure to warn your NOFS buddies. I am going to do the exact same thing to every single one of them as I've done to you. If they were smart they'd take their own lives before I get to them."
Then I slapped his backside hard then added just for emphasis
"Thank you for being so cooperative. I'm sure with all the great information you gave me I won't have any problems. If I did I guess I could come back and you and I could have another friendly little chat."
I stepped out of his house and into the setting sun. I was covered head to toe in Bidziil's blood but didn't really give a crap. I walked back to the sleazy hotel I'd been staying at and stripped naked and climbed into the shower. I felt tears leak from my eyes as I scrubbed myself raw. I'd trained to save lives not damage and destroy them. Part of me knew what I was doing was wrong but I knew I’d to finish what I started. My animals and in particular my coyote didn't share my disgust. He yipped with joy each time Bidziil had screamed in pain.
At times throughout the day I’d allowed myself to withdraw and let my coyote or my jaguar take over. The water in the shower got cold and I managed to drag myself out. I wrapped a towel around my waist and walked back into the bedroom. I heard a buzzing sound and remembered my cell was still in the dresser drawer. I pulled open the drawer and looked at the caller ID. It was either my mum or pop. I slid my finger across the red icon and declined the call. I was in no mood to fake a pleasant call with anyone. A few seconds later I heard the phone beep and knew they left me a voice mail. I punched in the code and listened to the message
"Ulric, it's your mum. I called to tell you that Seraphina has gone back to live on tribal grounds. We made a mistake and scared her. We only meant to do what was best for her but it backfired on us.
Call me Ulric so I can explain. You should probably also call the Chief and check in on her. He's refusing to tell us anything. He's pissed off that we tried to force a member of his tribe to undergo experimental medicine.
Ulric, you know we just wanted to help her heal. Waylon is convinced she can help Seraphina grow her leg and eye back. We might even be able to heal the internal damage. Please help us Ulric. Seraphina deserves to be whole again. You know she will do anything you ask."
The message beeped indicating that my mum had run out of time. I dropped the phone on the bed and took a deep breath. My mum was right Seraphina did deserve to be whole. I should call and tell to do the procedure. I lifted the phone in my hand and pushed in the Chief's number. It rang twice before I quickly slid my finger over the red icon and hung up. Tomorrow I would call. I just wasn’t ready to hear Seraphina's voice yet. I didn't want to hear the pain in her voice if she asked when I was coming home.
My animals would want to rush home to protect and care for her. I couldn't let that to happen. I had to do this and I couldn't allow my shame or remorse stop me. I needed to do this for Seraphina, myself and even Taini. I would be stronger once I made sure the other two guys here in Vegas were taken care of. Then I would call and tell Seraphina to do the procedure.
XXXVIII~~ Seraphina’s Perspective
“Ouch”
I shouted again as I the doctor shoved the needle into my leg.
“Sorry about that little miss. No way could I take the sting out of that. Insulin has a little bite to it. Gestational diabetes is common. I’m betting that your recent trauma and the pregnancy are the cause. I think it will clear itself up once you have the baby. In the meantime, I’m going to show you how to give yourself the daily injection.”
I looked up at the tribe doctor and tried to sort through the hundreds of things I wanted to say. Now that I was living on tribal grounds I was able to see the tribe doctor. I felt a tremendous sense of relief that I would be able to make my own decisions and not have his family force their morals and standards on me. I wanted to know if not carrying the baby was still an option. I know that I was a bit further in my term than optimal but perhaps given my circumstances the doctor would agree to do the procedure. With that in mind I cleared my throat and looked him dead in the eye.
“How much do you know about my current trauma? Do you know that the child within me is a result of that trauma? Did you know that I was brutalized and raped by more than twenty skinwalkers?”
I stopped just long enough for my words to cause the doctor to become visibly uncomfortable. I watched him swallow and knew that I’d his full attention when he nodded ever so slightly.
“I don’t want to give myself daily insulin injections for the next several months. In fact, I think you know that I don’t want this baby at all. To me, it is a reminder of the pain I have already survived. I believe that it is cruel and unusual punishment to force me to carry the monster within me to full term. Please tell me that you will provide me with a solution.”
I allowed the tears to flow down my cheeks and land on the crisp white paper on the examining table. I watched the doctor flinch and swallow hard before he said
“Seraphina, I am well aware of your circumstances and I must agree with you that carrying an unwanted child of this nature to full term is a huge burden no one should have forced on you. If you had come to me last month or even two weeks ago I could have performed the procedure with no risk to your health. Now however if we were to try we would be placing your own life in danger. I am so sorry to have to tell you it’s not possible at this time.”
I heard his words but thought that the old coot was being overly precautious so I upped my dramatics and allowed myself to moan as if in pain and the tears drastically increased as I said between loud sobs
“Please doctor you have to help me. You are my only hope. I would have come but I was forced against my will to keep the child. My eternal heart’s family had me committed to a hospital where they tied me to a bed. They took away my choices and forced me to agree to keep the child. Then when I came home they told me how they wanted to give me experimental treatment that could kill me and make the baby some kind nagual thing. What if it turns out to be evil like the men who raped and brutalized me? You have to help me please.”
By the time I finished speaking my voice was almost a screech. It was like nails scratching up and down a chalk board. I knew that my tears and words cut through to the old doctor’s heart. He was looking at me with sympathy and sorrow in his old eyes. I watched as he reached out and rested his hand on my shoulder. I watched clo
sely as he took a shallow breath of air and his body trembled. Then I smelled his fear before he said in a voice that was shaking
“I can’t do it without risking retribution from your eternal heart’s family. They knew you would approach me and have already made it very clear that I was not to terminate your pregnancy.”
I felt my own hysteria building. I’d thought to woo him to my side but now realizing that he was going to decline helping me I felt trapped and started to shake. My anger rising at Ulric’s self-righteous holy than thou family. How dare they decide what is best for me and my body! I felt real tears of anger and frustration building in my arms as my heart rate increased. I watched the old doc put his finger to his lips then touch his ear before he said to me in tone that was so quiet I’d to struggle to hear him.
“Take these pills home with you. Take four and drink two glasses of water. When the cramps start take four more. Try to move around the house as much as possible, when the bleeding starts call me not Ulric’s family.”
Then he raised his tone and said
“I really wish I could help you more. I understand having the baby is not your choice but honestly all life is precious. Go home for the night and rest. I can teach you to give yourself the insulin injections tomorrow.”
Then he patted my back and opened the exam room. To my surprise Emilio, Ulric’s father was sitting in the waiting room waiting to take me home. I looked over at him then turned back to the doctor. I smiled at him before saying loud enough for Emilio to hear me
“You are just as bad as the rest of them. I would have thought that at least you would have understood my pain and shame.”
Then I shoved the crutches under my arm and hobbled past Emilio. When Emilio stood and followed me out of the door I turned towards him and said
“You may be the father of my eternal heart but you are not my family. Stay away from me. You and your wife caused this to happen to me. Everything that is wrong with my life is a direct result of either yours or Kealoha’s actions.
It’s your fault those skinwalkers tore me into pieces and used my body for their pleasure. You had them create the perfume and you never told me it wouldn’t have a smell. It was your plan that sent me into the bar.
Then when you found me beaten and raped instead of taking me to a tribe doctor and having them abort the baby you took me to a mental hospital and had them tie me down. I had rights. You had no right to force this baby on me. Then when Ulric finally comes home you chase him away again telling him he needs resolution. Well screw you and your wife. You have done enough to ruin my life. I don’t want either of you anywhere near me.”
My words did the trick. I watched the pain my words caused him flutter across his face before he took a huge step back from me. I turned my back on him and quickly placed the pill bottle the tribe doctor gave me into the pocket of my skirt. I made my way home and closed and locked the door behind me. The moment I was sure I was alone I swallowed four of the little red pills and swallowed down two glasses of water.
Then I started pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room. After an hour I started to get heavy cramps in my stomach. I smiled and swallowed down the other four pills.
Ulric’s Perspective
“Ulric, I think you should come home. It would be best for Seraphina and the baby. I know that you believe you can’t be with Seraphina until you’ve avenged her but she needs you now.”
I halfheartedly listened to my pop. I know that he believed coming home was the right thing to do but I couldn’t disagree more. I’d no intention of going back to Arizona yet. As far as I was concerned they had everything under control. There wasn’t really much I could do. Seraphina was in stable condition and the baby was getting all the care it could. I trusted the tribe doctor. He was good and would do everything he could to help my eternal heart and the baby. I was too close to blowing the whole organization wide open. If I stopped now they could pull back and go into hiding. I kept my voice even when I said back to him
“Pop, thanks for calling but I’m confident between Mum and the doc, Seraphina and the baby are in good hands. I’m so close to getting all of them I just can’t come home right now. Can’t you and mum step up and help me out here. I just need a little more time.”
“Ulric, I didn’t want you to find this out over the phone but, Seraphina is rejecting the baby. She won’t even look at it. She even refused to name it. She’s confused and needs you to come home and help her connect with the baby. This is your child too. Come home Ulric, I know you think making the men pay is important but your eternal heart and baby are more important right now.”
I hated what my father said. He tried to use guilt as a way of controlling me. I know that in his eyes all children are a blessing. But the truth was the way Seraphina felt was too close to my own true feelings. I couldn’t admit it but the child wasn’t mine or really even hers. It was a byproduct of violence and shame. I just wasn’t ready to come home yet and make this work. I took a deep breath and said
“Pop, I hear you but I can’t come home yet. Don’t worry about Seraphina and the baby. If you and mum can’t help out just hire one of the childless tribe members to care for it.”
I paused realizing that I’d never even asked if the baby was a female or male. Honestly I didn’t care. Whatever sex it was as far as I was concerned it was just going to be a burden that Seraphina and I’d to deal with. I need just a few more weeks then I’ll come home and figure something out. I sighed before continuing
“Listen pop I have a lead and I have to be somewhere in the next fifteen minutes so I gotta go. I’ll call you later this week. Love you” then I quickly hung up the phone before my father had a chance to respond
XXXIX~~ Ulric’s Perspective
I did a double take and felt my heart slam roughly into my rib cage. I looked her in the eye and she winked at me before slowly walking towards me. I could tell she was intentionally rocking her hips to make sure each step she took was as seductive as it possibly could be. I could feel my heart rate increasing and my brow instantly beaded with a drop of sweat.
I knew the woman walking towards me wasn’t my eternal heart it was just her body. I also knew that I needed to keep my cool long enough to get her somewhere very private and end her life. I was beyond shocked that I’d stumbled upon her without even trying. Last night during my interrogation of a NOFS member he’d claimed that he was in Texas to collect the camazotz known as Tiana and deliver her to his superiors within the organization.
When I applied just the right amount of pressure he gave me every single detail. Where to find her, what she’d been up to, even where to locate the belongings that she tried to keep secret. I knew everything I needed to make our reunion a reality. I licked my lips and smiled brightly up at her as she moved closer to me. I caught a whiff of a heavy perfume and had to force myself not to crinkle my nose. No self-respecting chupacabra would ever allow themselves to stink so heavily of an artificial scent.
“Oh Ulric, thank god you escaped and found me. I was so worried about you. I’ve missed you so much. You have no idea at how horrible it has been trying to scrape by without you. I’ve had to sleep in nasty dirty little hotel rooms more than once.”
It took only seconds for the Vaettir to use the body against me. I felt her press her lips against mine then quickly got herself thoroughly wrapped around me so that we she could bump and grind against me. It was like having sex with our clothes on in public. I was trying to keep her occupied but was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with her public show of affection and managed to pull my lips away from hers long enough to say
“Oh Taini, I missed you so much too. Let’s head back to your hotel room so we can finish what you’ve already gotten started.”
Then I took her hand and placed it over my manhood. She smiled her face full of desire and said
“Follow me big boy.” Then she grabbed my hand and dang near drug me to her hotel room.
She pushed
open the door and my nose was assaulted with more foul smelling perfume and surprisingly men’s cologne and sex. If I’d to guess I would think the Vaettir was using the hotel room to turn tricks. I knew she was desperate for money and had refused to tap into the real Taini banking accounts for fear that one of the NOFS members searching for her would find her. I was surprised that she was stupid enough not to know that I knew the truth.
I smiled and could feel my pulse quicken with excitement. I knew she mistook my nervous anxiety for desire. That made me even happier. I waited to hear the door click before I reached behind my back and swung the Samurai sword with the intention of removing her head in one quick motion from her shoulders.
She managed to drop to the floor just as the sword would have sliced cleanly through her neck. Then to my surprise she quickly pulled what I think was thirty three millimeter Beretta from her bra. Then without even blinking she rapidly unloaded the entire content of clip into my chest. The force the bullets slamming into my chest forced me to take several steps backwards. Knowing that the bullets posed no real harm to me I couldn’t help but smile as I growled out
“You didn’t really think that was going to slow me down did you?”
She cackled and said
“One could hope!”
Then she launched herself to her feet while snapping in another clip. This time she aimed for my face and head. The moment the first bullet exploded in my face I knew she had a momentary advantage. While I would certainly even from face and head shots with enough bullets rattling around in my brain even I could be temporarily taken of the game. So before she had a chance to squeeze the trigger a second time, I dropped to the floor forcing her to unload the rest of the clip into the back of my head at close range.
The pain was much worse than I could have ever guessed. With each shot she took huge hunks of my brain tissue out. I felt my world blurring and new that I’d sustained enough brain damage that she was most likely going to get away this time. She just needed to step over my body and out of the door for freedom. I felt her move next to me then felt her shove her hand into my crushed skull.
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