by Sam Herrera
*
“You’re pregnant.” Caleb swallowed hard when we were back in our room. “You’re sure?”
“I think so, yes,” I sighed, feeling fear tighten in my chest.
“You gonna keep it?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t see what choice I have but to keep it. Do you see an abortion clinic around here?”
“Ssssor. Ry,” he muttered, wide-eyed, recoiling slightly at my sharp tone.
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s just…”
“You’re scared.” I nodded. He sat and put his arms around me. “So am I. I’m terrified.”
KYLE
I sighed as the now obviously pregnant Mara dashed by us on her way to throw up…in the swimming pool, wondering what the hell we were going to do now. We’d lost our top raider. Her husband had flat-out refused to have her raiding, not in her condition. Caleb and I were doing alright, leading the squad, but we’d had some pretty close calls without our perfect warning system. Plus we always had to leave one or two behind to guard the prisoners who were like eating machines. Just as Mara, aka the Beach Ball, was herself. When’s her spawn gonna pop out so we can get back to normal? I heaved another sigh, recalling how much Sarah had eaten when she was pregnant with Michael; I’d faced a famine. I wondered how much we were going to have to steal for Mara alone.
“We going or what? Listening to that, I wanna hurl,” Chloe complained as she and Ethan came around the corner. I couldn’t help stepping back slightly as I looked at her. Her new attire was a black overall, fittingly like the uniform of a pilot, with one of the blades from the Winter in a scabbard at one hip, an HK at the other and her hair was worn in a ponytail, slung over one shoulder. She had “don’t fuck with me” written all over her. I followed them onboard the Winter, Caleb and I swapping resigned looks, hearing more puking. Welcome to fatherhood, kiddo. We took off, the ground falling away like a stone dropped down a well. This was a raid with a difference. I tutted at Caleb as he softly sang along to the music on his headphones.
“We need all the power we can get, y’know. We can’t afford to waste it on music,” I told Ethan, sitting beside as we flew toward the twinkling lights of LA.
“Music is a waste? Lighten up, ya miserable old fart,” Chloe scolded. “He’s having fun. Caleb.” He carried on singing. Oblivious. “Yo, Pops,” she snapped, taking his headphones out, “if you’re gonna have fun, share.” Taking the music player, she plugged the drive into her laptop. Springsteen’s ‘The Rising’ began blasting out. Soon everyone was singing along, Ethan’s deep, British-accented voice giving the old rock ballad a classical edge.
*
“You people again,” the clerk groaned, seeing the barrels in his face. This fuel stop had been our last raid after we’d gathered all the other essentials.
“Yeah, it’s us,” I grinned under my mask. We were regulars here. I could see the guy was thinking of going for the shotgun under the counter but he didn’t. With a resigned sigh, he came out from behind his desk and slowly dropped to the floor. “Alright, cuff him.”
“How the fuck do you people keep getting away with this shit?” he scowled as Chloe tied his arms behind his back.
“Life sucks. Get over it,” she told him. We cleared all the shelves after taking down the few customers left in the same way and then I went out back to see what I could find there.
“Ambush!” I yelled, diving back in and ducking behind the desk. The back entrance of the shop was instantly transformed into a rectangle of blazing, flickering fire. We all ducked, taking the initial wave. Chloe screamed in pain as, being a second too late, she got tagged. She hit the floor beside me, clutching the side of her head, blood running down her cheek. I drew my handgun and returned fire, but we were pinned. The gun smoke began to fill the air, making it hard to pick my target. Windows shattered, sparks flew and woodchips rained down from splintered frames. Caleb fired the Uzi at his hip and was a pretty decent shot, getting one or two, but there were only four of us and God-only-knew how many of them. We were cornered. A roadblock was being set up outside; two armored trucks that seemed to have come out of nowhere. They had known we were coming and were raining fire on us through the glass front of the store. Finally they ceased fire, having to reload. In that instant, Ethan came out like a whirling demon, his anger pouring out on the Zeroes blocking the back way in a sheet of flame and sulfur, taking down the first gunman dumb enough to charge. While those behind him were still stunned by this new horror, he turned and flew through the automatic doors, straight over the hoods of the cars, into their faces. I had only seen him fight once before, using non-lethal force, and that had been impressive. This was just staggering. His sword and his tail flashing and whipping in lethal arcs, he was a true Locust, the wrath of God embodied. He moved like a spinning top, slashing his way in among them with the speed of a striking cobra. They tried to shoot him and, as he was too fast for them, were just killing each other. I now saw that he had been just toying on that rooftop and in training. Snapping out of it, I fired on the stunned enemy in the doorway, taking them by surprise. It was over in minutes. He stood among the black-armored corpses, lit up in the red lights of the empty squad cars, his scaled chest heaving and blood coating his face and body, dripping down his beak. Awed and stunned, we headed out the door. I was surprised to see the red light of the moon was almost out. How long had we been in there? Where had the rest of the “day” gone?
MARA
I woke up, as usual, in the middle of the night with the baby kicking inside me. He, or she, was a real squirmer.
“At it again, huh?” Abby chuckled as she stirred beside me, hearing me groan. “It looks as though we’ve got a star athlete on the way.”
“Does it?”
“What’s up?” she asked. I smiled. Even in the pitch black she, like her cousin, was able to read me like a book.
“What’s happened to him? Where is he?” She reached out to interlock her fingers through mine.
“He’ll be back,” she assured.
“When?” I sighed. I felt her hand begin stroke my stomach. It warmed me to feel my child respond to touch; especially Caleb’s, with little nudges and prods, as though he or she were reaching out, trying to get to the outside world. At times I wanted to open my stomach and let father and son’s fingers interlock just as mine and his always did. “Ahhh, Christ!” I yelled, as I felt my waters break. Oh, no!
KYLE
I landed the Winter, feeling really shitty and miserable. Chloe, Caleb, Ethan and I had been through hell and for what, some Rustlers microwave meals, milk, Doritos and some ham and Spam cans? It was just too bad we had no microwave. We threw the pitifully small boxes at Faith’s feet.
“See what you can do with that,” I told her. “You might wanna get that looked at,” I told Chloe. She gingerly touched her ear and winced. Her Jennifer Lawrence look was somewhat enhanced by the bright trickles of blood seeping out from her forehead and cheek and spreading all across the black material of her shoulder. She sank to her knees, next to Caleb. I wanted to join them, feeling just as shattered. I could have slept for a week.
She put a hand to the scar and shrugged. “Go see Richard,” I insisted. Sighing, she got up, turned and went. She was no sooner gone, however, than she came back, her face grim.
“Kyle, Caleb you wanna come see this.” What the hell? Frowning, I joined her, walking down the corridor, Caleb with me, his rifle up and ready. I felt my fingers close around my own sidearm at my belt as she led me on and on, Chloe’s sword drawn and Caleb’s rifle cocked and aimed. Had we been discovered? Were we the only ones left? Had they managed to track us here?
“He’s here,” David called over his shoulder as we rounded the corner.
“You’re a real joker, aren’t you?” I smiled at Chloe as I saw the family gathered together: Abby, beaming as she handed over the newborn to its father. David walked in and put his
arms around his son’s shoulders, looking down at his grandchild and Chloe grinned, her eyes overly-bright. Mara, gasping, flushed and sweaty, lay back on the bed. Her eyes met mine and we smiled at each other. So much to say but no words. I recalled, with an ache in my heart, that my own son had been reeking and bawling. Mara and Caleb’s child was cleaned and sleeping peacefully, his hair light-brown and his cheeks flushed and rosy. I swallowed hard as I also remembered Sarah, smiling up at me, on the day Mike had been born, just as Mara was doing now.
“What’s his name?” David asked, gazing at the small, cloth-wrapped form in her arms.
“Ryan,” Mara panted from the bed.
“Ryan Grey,” David murmured. “I kinda like it.”
“Congratulations,” I beamed. I kissed Mara on both cheeks and pumped Caleb’s hand. I looked at the small, bright blue eyes, just like his father’s, opening and gazing up at me as Ryan sucked his thumb. I kept silent, knowing this was a very special moment between the three of them.
“What?” Grey mouthed at me, seeing that I was looking pointedly at him.
“I’m sorry to do this to ya now, but we need someone on guard duty for a while. I’d do it myself,” I added, seeing his reaction, “but I’m fucked; I’ve been dodging lead all day. Plus, I think they might want some time alone,” I added as we watched Caleb bend down to give Mara a long, lingering kiss on the lips. He smiled and gave Ryan and Mara a peck on the cheek and a long embrace each, before following me out.
*
I went back to my own cot, needing some sleep. I smiled warmly as I remembered Mara as a skinny little thing, whose head barely cleared my waist, stepping out of the gloom of the cave beneath Thompkins Park, glowing, tiny and wary. Her gazing in awe at Venus’ vast, rosy bulk. Her all upset and pissed about Ron, lazing on her lawnchair on Hawaii’s beach and coming at me with a knife in our training sessions, determined not to go down. How she’s grown now. I slept, dreaming of the past.
*
“Nooo!” My eyes snapped open and I sat bolt upright. “Nooo!” the long, grieving wail resounded throughout the chamber again. I was up and racing towards the sound in seconds, my sidearm leading the way. It fell from my nerveless hands, as I saw the horror before me: David Grey lay on the floor, all the blood he had pumping out of his ruined throat which had been opened by a crescent-shaped ring of gruesome wounds. His wet, agonized eyes met Chloe’s weeping ones as she knelt over him. She knew, as well as I did, that he was beyond help. She gave a soft gasp as the death rattle sounded in his throat. I glared over at where the OWO bitch, the tall, dark-haired hostage I’d seen Chloe chatting to in the Statue, was being restrained by Ethan, blood all around her mouth like badly-applied lipstick. I saw something small and metallic lying on the floor beside David’s body: a set of steel dentures with the teeth sharpened to razor-sharp points. Shit! Why hadn’t we searched her mouth? She grinned as Ethan dragged her away.
“See ya, Chloe,” she called out over her shoulder. Fuck you. I gently pried Chloe off and held her as she wept into my chest; my jaw clenched tight, my heart breaking.
MARA
I lay back on my rock slab, breathing hard and utterly exhausted as I watched Ryan suckle at my breast. It gave me a strange feeling, that; a feeling of a deep connection. A feeling I hadn’t had since my mother died. When I had known she was gone from my life, it had created a deep hole in me. I felt afraid. If I woke up to find this small bundle gone from my life as well…I held Ryan to me tight, looking lovingly into the bright blue eyes he had inherited from his father.
“I love you,” I whispered. My gaze drifted to the small crop of light-brown hair on his head. “Where did you get this?” I smiled. I was a pale blonde, in-keeping with my albino status, and Caleb had thick, black, curly hair. “I guess it’s your own, huh?” I smiled. “Where’s Daddy?” I looked up as a shadow fell over me and drew Ryan close, hugging him even tighter, with a gasp of horror, when whoever it was came into the light. Kyle was soaked in blood; it ran all down the front of his coveralls, matting in his blond hair and flecking his grim face.
“Kyle, stay back.”
“David is dead.” I froze solid.
“What?” I whispered, my eyes bugging.
“David is dead,” he sighed. I showered quickly and, ignoring my sore body, left Ryan with Kyle and ran to Caleb. I found him, kneeling on the floor beside his father’s still body. I recoiled in horror, my hand over my mouth, at what had been done to his throat, feeling close to hurling. I knelt beside him and ran my hands through his curls as he wept long.
“Where is she?” he growled, his teary eyes blazing in anger. Who?
*
We found her in a cavern a few feet away, bound and gagged, with Ethan covering her, his claws drawn and his tail raised and ready to strike. Caleb, marching grimly forward, took the gag out and pulled her to her feet.
“Howdy,” Scout smiled in a Texan drawl similar to mine. We’d come from the same place, gone to the same school. Christ!
“Why?” he hissed, his eyes shooting furious, sapphire flames. She smiled and shrugged. Her only answer.
“Come on,” Kyle whispered into his ear. “Come on, forget her. She’s nothing.”
“I am curious as to how you got one of those things on your side. How about it, Dino, feeling like spilling your guts?”
I stared in horror. She’d forgotten us altogether, probably forgotten all about David as well. How many other people has she forgotten about? Who are you? I stayed as they left the room, my eyes fixed on her.
“Why, Scout? Why?” The monster that had once been my only friend grinned at me, my father-in-law’s blood still flecking her teeth and framing her lips.
“I’m like your friend, Chloe,” she said. “I can travel any place. Anytime. That is why you haven’t seen me for so long. I wasn’t in Washington; I was in a One World training center, learning how to be a soldier and many other things.”
“Was murder one of them?” I muttered grimly.
“Yes,” she admitted freely. “Well, why not? I am no longer bound by the law because the law can never hold me and I am glad to be on the winning side.”
“We are the winning side as you will find out on Judgment Day.” She just laughed at me as I left.
The icy shock of what had just happened thawed in me at the sight of Caleb holding Ryan in his strong arms, tears still in his eyes.
“David would be proud of you and of him,” I whispered into his ear, sitting next to him on our bedroll and holding them both tight.
“Think so?” he smiled.
“Know. So.” People like Karden and that evil woman, who was no friend of mine, would never have this: love. They had their money and their world domination. We had each other. With my own vision blurring and my hand shaking, I reached for my notepad. Helped by Caleb, I tried to put all that had happened into words.
Joy And Tragedy
I stand, caught between two fires. Should I laugh or weep?
I have my son whom I love, but the price was so steep.
I see those I adore gathered all around me.
But there’s one missing, and I’ll so mourn thee.
I will never see you again, hear you laugh,
Watch you be all you should be.
When I said I do, I joined your family
And you never showed me anything but love yet.
If only my child and you could have really met.
Why, in this world, does there have to be
Such great and terrible tragedy?
The one I love is stricken by your sudden end.
And so am I. How, from this, can a rent heart mend?
You weren’t my father, but you were my friend.
I hate the one who took you. Her to hell send.
I will never see you again, hear you laugh,
Watch you be
all you should be.
When I said I do, I joined your family
And never showed me anything but love yet.
If only my child and you could have really met.
Why, in this world, does there have to be,
Such great and terrible joy and tragedy?
I feel a great, helpless anger for the one who persecutes us all.
If it weren’t for him you wouldn’t be under death’s pall.
I recall you holding my child in your arms,
Hoping I might be seeing the healing of the harms.
Now that hope has been shattered and lost.
I want to cry but my tears are stuck, caught in the frost.
I will never see you again, hear your laugh,
Watch you be all you should be.
When I said I do, I joined your family
And you never showed me anything but love yet..
If only my child and you could have really met.
Why, in this world, does there have to be
Such great and terrible tragedy?
I still pray we meet again in the heaven I long for,
So my heart, from your loss, can thaw.
For then we will dance as we did before your fatal scars.
Only this time it won’t be on Earth, but among the stars.
Caleb, when he saw it, smiled and placed a warm, lingering kiss on my lips. “I love you.” There was no need for more words.
KYLE
It was held at midnight, out in another desert, far away, with only a few candles that could be quickly extinguished if needed. I had made them all promise that at the first sign of trouble, we’d drop the body and run. We all rose, hearing the Winter land with a soft thump on the desert floor.