by K A Duggsy
“You can do this, Sweetheart,” he reaffirms.
“Please Kye, I told you I wouldn’t run again but my whole body is telling me to. Please babe. I’m sorry if I let you down but...”
He strokes my face and my eyes flutter closed. The panic dampens immediately. When I open them again he’s staring at me, his eyes shining. “You never let me down babe. I gave you this because I believe in you, I just wanted you to believe in yourself. I wanted you to see what I see. You’re strong beyond words baby, I’d follow you anywhere.”
I breathe heavily and smile at his words. “You’re in charge again, Kye.”
He shakes his head seemingly annoyed that I gave it back to him, his speech was clearly meant to give me strength but he forgets once my mind is set, that’s it.
He kisses my head and we continue walking. I wander from his side to Trask and tell him about the change in leadership. He looks shocked but happy, probably thinking I’ve given up on listening to Charlotte – which is what I want him to believe. I haven’t given the Comm over to Kye yet so I pray she messages soon before he requests it.
My shoulders feel lighter. I like being in charge for certain things but I’ve noticed I’m much better as a follower. I guess doing everything Advance Industries ordered for so many years has stayed with me and without being given direction I can’t function as well.
From nowhere the streets light up from overhead and we all shield our eyes. Giant spotlight like beams shine down on us, an alarm starts ringing so our senses are doubly assaulted. Complete panic ensues as AIG swarm from the remaining shadows. By squinting until my eyes adjust fully I can see they’re carrying phasers not guns, unless they have them hidden as back up. The sounds of boots stamping through the street snaps me from my shock and I notice Walker and Palmer are already fighting against them as they try to overwhelm us. Shit just got real. I look around trying to pinpoint Kye or Trask, someone I’ll feel safe next to. They’re both behind me, Trask is engaged with two AIG and Kye is feet away from him embroiled in his own fight. No pulses are fired they’re all using their fists or feet or whatever they can to injure the guards.
My Comm vibrates and as I go to look at it my head is whipped back, my scalp screaming in pain. I’m being dragged backwards by my hair. I lose my balance because it’s so unexpected and end up on my arse. I’m still dragged along, my bum scraping over the harsh realities of the streets.
I try to find my footing, hoping my trainers will give me a foothold or act like a brake. I just scramble around instead, flailing and twisting trying to see who has hold of me and get them to ease up. The burning in my head brings tears to my eyes and I’m so disappointed in myself. Really? This is what I amount to? This is me fighting? Anger burns bright, anger at myself and how pathetic I’m being. I stop trying to grab at the floor and instead relax into being dragged as my hand finds its way to my knife. I jab behind me awkwardly but repeatedly, hoping to slice or pierce the person’s ankle or leg. I make a hit and try to strike again but I fall back as my hair is released, just stopping myself from smacking my head on the ground. I look up and Cal is stood over me, an AIG is lying on the floor, blood oozing from his head. Cal holds his hand out to help me up and I could cry with relief. I throw myself at him and hug him tightly before he pushes me off.
“Keep moving Faith, but stay close this time,” he tells me.
I nod and this time I’m ready, as Cal is tackled by another guard, one comes for me too. I ready myself and as he swings for me I duck and as I’m still holding my knife as I lower I move it in an arc motion right across his stomach, he falls to his knees and I’m on to the next. I take a hit to the face and it hurts but I’ve trained with Trask, a beast of a guy with huge hands and power in his blows, this hit is nothing and I shake it off before getting some hits in myself. He’s tiring quickly and I am too truth be told but I won’t show it. I’ve had enough of being hit now so I do what hurts men most and raise my leg quickly, booting him right in his jewels, even I wince knowing that’s gonna hurt.
I try to pick Kye out again and he’s still fighting as are all the team but he has eyes on me too, he’s been watching, checking. A surge in numbers has me panicking again but I notice they’re Charlotte’s guys, they’ve arrived, thank God. I remember the Comm message and check it’s safe to read.
Breakaway, my man will meet you at the conference centre. We’re nearly there.
I look up again and see she’s here, she’s thrown herself straight into the foray, she’s kitted out in black leather again, a tight top and bottoms. Makeup perfect and she’s kicking arse. She fly-kicks a guy and I’m impressed, I want to learn how to do that, she’s wearing black boots but they’re heeled, how the hell can she fight comfortably while balancing on those? Did she walk through off grid in them? She looks at me and her brow furrows. I realise I’m just standing here thinking about shoes no less. Kye now has his back to me while he defends himself and I want to rush over and help him but I know there’s no time like the present.
I spin and start walking away determined not to look back, tears wet my cheeks but I keep going. When I know I’m far enough away that I can’t be stopped and I’m hidden quite well, I turn around. Charlotte and Kye are fighting side by side, helping each other, smiling at one another when they’ve succeeded, jealousy stabs me hard as I watch them stand back to back warding off the attack. They’re in their element. They’re actually enjoying themselves. I will never be like her.
I wipe my tears away, wipe my knife on my jeans and take off with my heart heavy.
Kye
Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. The thrill of the fight always carries me away. These idiots are fucking useless, completely clueless. They’ve managed to get a few shots in but nothing has phased me. I don’t know why they’re not using their weapons unless they’ve been ordered not to and now Charlotte’s group have joined us we’re ruling. They’re falling like flies and soon I’ll have a chance to pick Faith out again. I’m fucking livid with myself for leaving her side for a second and it just so happened that second was when they ambushed us. I’ll think about how they knew we were coming later. Someone set us up and I won’t rest until I find out who. I’m trusting in my team, knowing they’ll be doing their best to look out for her too but I need to see with my own eyes. She shouldn’t even fucking be here. Cal is my hero right now saving her when I couldn’t because some moron slammed into me when I wasn’t paying attention.
I watch as Charlotte throws a guy to the floor and then as he’s spluttering, trying to catch his breath she looms over him and with the heel of her ridiculous shoes she brings it down right over his crotch. He’ll never have kids.
I spin and try to see Faith in the mass of moving bodies but there’s so much going on it’s hard. I can see Trask, Arlen and Saunders but not the other guys and it’s getting harder to differentiate now that Charlotte’s team are fighting too.
I run over to Trask who’s nearest. “Have you seen her?”
He shakes his head then turns and phasers another guard, once the guy is down squirming in pain from the volt he turns back to me. “Charlotte got to her.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
More guards spill into the street and we separate as we try to contain them. Charlotte got to her? She’s been here fighting side by side with me, how could she have?
When I get back to him he continues, “Charlotte Commed her telling her she knew where her sisters were and to stay out of the fight if she wanted the location.”
“How the fuck do you know this?” I shout.
“She messaged me too, wanted my help. I warned her off Kye. I told her Charlotte can’t be trusted but I think she went anyway.”
I pull my arm back and punch him, the pent up anger I’ve had towards him can’t be quelled any longer and I rain blow upon blow down on him. His face is still fucked from the beating he took after he took off after Faith and every connection my fist makes eggs me on more. The stupid fucke
r just takes it too, he could easily defend, block, or attack back but he stands there and lets me punch him. It winds me up even more. Fight me! I scream in my head. My fists are sore, bloodied. I knew they were up to something. I warned him not to give me any reason to doubt him and he didn’t tell me. He stayed quiet, kept the secret and now she’s fucking gone again? That woman is gonna be the death of me. I don’t even know if she was injured before she took off.
“Tension in the ranks?” I hear from the side. “Focus on killing the AIG, you can kill your own team afterwards!”
She’s gone before I can round on her and I stand panting, my fists still bunched, my heart beating furiously and a bloody Trask staring at me.
“Feel better?” He asks as he spits out a mouthful of blood, glaring at me.
“We’re done,” I tell him. “When this is over you’re out. I can’t have someone on my team that I don’t trust.”
His face falls but he still won’t give me anything. “If that’s what you want.” He makes to walk off but spins back around. “Just know – I wasn’t working against you. I thought she listened to me and I’ve been watching her every move to make sure she didn’t take off.”
“You didn’t watch well enough did you?” I fire back.
“Did you?” He accuses and it’s like he sucker-punched me.
“Y’ know Kye you’re quick enough to point the finger but not so good at accepting you fucked up too. If it’s easier to blame me then fine, I’ll take it.” He takes a step closer so he’s right in my face. “But if she was mine, she wouldn’t be fucking fighting in the first place.” He spits at my feet again and walks off.
I notice Jonah is losing his fight and go over to back him up, as he’s getting to his feet shots ring out and we all duck, our eyes darting around to see where they came from. A beefy AIG is stood in the middle of the street, amidst the fighting and holding a gun up to the air. “ENOUGH!” He shouts, “BACK UP!”
When other AIG stand next to him, also holding guns we start to listen, we retreat until my team and Charlotte’s are stood together facing them. The AIG we were fighting with walk off towards them and stand behind those with guns. We’re fairly matched numbers wise but now they have the advantage. We have a sizeable gap between their frontmen and ours but I prepare for us to be picked off one by one by their shots when I hear Charlotte cry, “NOW!” I look at her thinking she’s definitely bat shit crazy if she’s preparing to rush them. I hear a low beep, beep, beep and then BOOM! It happens so quickly it’s hard to process. My ears are ringing, I feel bits of fuck knows what land on me and splatter my face. When I look up the AIG are gone, shack windows broken, debris flying through the crowd and some of Charlotte’s men that were stood closest to the AIG are on fire. Some of the more intelligent guys drop and roll but a few run around, arms waving, screaming like girls. The smell of charred flesh burns my nostrils and amidst all this as my sound starts coming back slowly I hear cheering.
Charlotte is surrounded by her followers, lifted up on their shoulders and being paraded around like she found the cure for cancer. They’re cheering, whistling and hollering even while members of their group are running around on fire.
She obliterated them. She killed them all and for all I know she’s sent Faith to her death too.
Chapter 19
Fraser
“I’m so glad you came.” I smile at her as she reaches the doorway and I step out from the shadows. I pull her inside quickly before she can escape.
She shrugs my arm off violently and I lean on my cane for balance.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came to meet you as agreed.”
“Agreed? That bitch did set me up didn’t she? I don’t fucking believe it!” She starts stomping around the room, her hand gestures going crazy while she works off her anger. She really is rather cute when angry.
“She didn’t lie to you but she also helped me.”
“Helped you what?”
“Helped me to have a chance to speak with you. Faith there’s so much I have to say. I just want to be heard. Please give me that.”
“Fraser this has to stop. Why do you keep expecting me to give you anything? You hurt me, you used me and you want me to ease your conscience? Why should I?”
“Because I’m truly sorry. I’m not that man. Not really. I just... I got caught up in the need to do good for the future, the lines got hopelessly blurred and it took getting blown up for me to realise how sickening my actions had been.”
She sighs and sits on the seats I provided for us. I sit opposite her almost awkwardly as my leg struggles with the bending motion. I try not to let her see my pain but I still grit my teeth at the movement. Worry crosses her brow for a second but it’s all I need. She’s not completely unfeeling. I just need to chip away.
“Say what you have to Fraser then I’m walking away. I can’t believe this was a setup. Do you have any intention of telling me where my sisters are?”
“Yes, every intention. Please hear me out first?”
“Okay.” She crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me waiting for me to begin. I take a steadying breath, those blue eyes of hers burn into me and knock me off kilter for a moment.
“Faith I realise whatever I say or do will never make up for what you went through for most of your life so I’ve decided the only thing I can do is spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” She raises her brows but stays silent.
“I am being prepared to be named President but I want this to be right. I want you there with me calling the shots, making this city what it should be. I need you to keep me on the straight and narrow. I need you to ensure I do right by the people. I don’t want to be swayed again. I need someone like you as part of my team, putting me in my place.”
She stands up and starts walking towards the entrance.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Faith I have guards outside, how do you propose to get past them?”
She spins around, hate written all over her face and then she rushes me. My chair tips back and she’s on top of me, straddling me. Her face is red and the unbridled passion stirs something inside of me. She feels it too because her face pales and she moves to sit back and climb off me. I wrap my fist in her hair and pull her down, my lips claiming hers as she fights against it. The less pliable she becomes the more intent I am on having her surrender, she will learn obedience. She bites my lip and I groan. Does she not realise the fight makes the ache worse? I roll us away from the chair and over so I’m sat atop her. My leg protests but I ignore it and grab her hands in mine holding them next to her head.
“Stop fighting me.”
She spits at me and that kind of behaviour is unacceptable from a lady. It lands on my suit jacket and I look down at it in disgust.
“What now Fraser? I thought you’d done your worst but I guess rape is another thing you believe to be acceptable.”
“Rape?” I ask horrified by the notion. “No. God no, Faith. I’d never...”
“What? You’d never force me to do something so vile? Don’t make me laugh.”
I release her hands and climb off her. I just wanted her to listen and stop fighting. I may force a kiss but I’d never to do something so disgusting. I have no need to force myself. “I just wanted to kiss you, I may have got carried away but I’d never force myself on a woman. I’m sorry.”
She stays lying on the floor, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Instead of apologising all the time, why don’t you try not doing things that will require an apology?” She sits up, all the fight has left her face, she crosses her legs and glares at me.
“Were you ever going to let me leave?”
“Yes, after you’d heard what I need you to hear.”
“You mean after I agree to whatever it is you say?”
“Would it be so bad Faith? Living with me, guiding me? Your sisters would live with us too. None of you would ever
go without again. I can give you everything you could possibly want.”
“I just want to be free Fraser. I want my sisters and I to choose what we do, not to be coerced into it for one plot or another. I want a life. I want to be loved.”
“Love? I could grow to love you and you, me. Can’t you see how great we’d be together? With us in power, this city will be completely different.”
“Fraser you’ve fixated on me, I don’t know why and I don’t want to know but you’re not thinking clearly. What you’re proposing wouldn’t work.”
“Why not? I’m willing to try; just tell me you are too.”
“This is ridiculous. Are you hearing yourself? You think I could move in with you – a guy I despise and have zero trust for, you think we could play happy families and eventually fall in love?” She laughs as if it’s the funniest proposal she’s ever heard and it hurts, it angers me. I just lowered myself to begging her near enough and she has the audacity to laugh, to sneer at me?
“I asked nicely Faith. I gave you the chance to cooperate but know this- if your answer is no, you’ll be taken by force anyway but I’ll leave your sisters to rot where they are.”
My annoyance at not being taken seriously has taken over and mister nice guy has been shoved aside. Why is the idea so preposterous to her?
Yes, I’ve wronged her but I’ve apologised. I won’t harm her again; I just want her with me. Why is that so laughable? Am I that repulsive?
Not good enough for the likes of a woman born via test tubes? She should be counting herself lucky that I even make the time for her.
Out of everyone I could choose I offered her the honour. How dare she deny me, look down her nose at me. I’m offering her the world on a platter.
She grew up with nothing, I can give her everything. Everything she ever missed out on, everything a woman could possibly want and she laughs. I’ll show her.