What Are You Willing to Risk?

by P. L. Camery

  She did something he didn’t expect. She slid her hand behind his head and pulled him down until his lips met hers. The kiss was possessive, as if claiming his entire being in the aggressive movements. He immediately felt his insides melt as he gave himself to her, feeling every inch of her, lost in the spell. All too soon she grabbed a fist full of his hair and pulled away. “I swear,” the girl hissed through gritted teeth, “If you don’t come back to me, I will never forgive you.” Before he could respond Mavis sprang to her feet and stalked off, leaving his heart racing and his mind stunned.

  *****

  “Mavis,” the girl snapped her head up, broken from her trance, and stared at Lawrence as he approached. Oh great, don’t I deserve one full day to myself to mope? What now? “We have an assignment. You’ll need to get whatever you need and meet me at the lab in ten minutes.”

  “No,” she said coldly.

  The bot blinked, “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me,” Mavis rocked to her feet. “You’re not the boss of me and I don’t want to deal with you. So, leave me alone.”

  Lawrence’s eyes flared, but he kept his tone calm, “For your information, this isn’t my order.”

  “I don’t care!” Mavis threw up her hands, “I’m done with orders. All I do is take orders and play by the rules. I do everything right and it doesn’t do anything for me. Sometimes I feel like this fight for freedom gives me more headache and heartache than results.”

  “I know,” Lawrence sighed and motioned to hug her but retreated when she went rigid. Then he stuffer his hands into his pockets and said, “Look Mavis, I know you’re also still mad at me, but if any of this is going to be worth anything, you’re going to have to work with me.”

  “But can’t Cal do it?” Lawrence was relieved to hear her tone reduce to a whine.

  The boy smiled, “Mavis, you don’t even know what it is yet.”

  *****

  “Don’t be nervous,” Lawrence said, appraising his love’s stiff form, “I’ve been here a million times, the general crowd is a bit rough around the edges, and I’m not going to lie you’ll probably hate them, but if they know you’re mine they won’t bite.”

  “Thanks, that makes me feel so much better.”

  The boy frowned at the sarcasm in her voice then responded by silently hooking his arm around her elbow. Mavis eyed him with suspicion but accepted the gesture without complaint. “So when we get in there,” Lawrence whispered to her as they approached the end of the street where a dingy building held up a neon sign reading: The Brigton Establishment, “just go along with whatever they say. Play it by ear, don’t take anything too personal, and you know how to get info out of people. Just do what you do.”

  The moment she was greeted by the reek of sweat and alcohol Mavis regretted her decision to come. The dim iridescent lighting added to the bar’s atmosphere of stuffy confinement, which made one hover between a dreamlike state and reality. Mavis tightened her link around Lawrence’s arm as she eyed the howling soldiers with suspicion. A uniformed man leaning up against one of the five pool tables scattered erratically on the right side of the building whistled as they passed and called out, “Hey there Larry my boy, where’d you pick up that pretty little thing?”

  Out of the corner of her eye she watched Lawrence for any signs of hostility. His eyes were dark with murder, but he flashed the stray soldier a smug smile that was disarming enough to get by. He stood tall, making a show of proudly parading her up to the bar stools as Mavis puzzled at his behavior. As they took their seats, he called the bartender over and ordered up a round of drinks. Then one of the adjacent soldiers, a short stalky fellow with glazed over eyes and a grease stained uniform, commented, “Larry you soft wimp, why don’t you ever drink up some hard liquor? I don’t think you are man enough to have that pretty little specimen you’re flashing about.”

  Lawrence grinned, “Want to try me Davis? I’m man enough to beat your ass any day.”

  “Hey back off schoolboy,” a third party put in, “after all it’s our troops that are going to be protecting your ass tomorrow. Wouldn’t want to have a little accident get by, would we?”

  At first Mavis stiffened at the suggestion, but when the three men burst out laughing, she turned away from them indignantly and focused her attention on the dark brown drink placed before her. As she was debating whether or not it would seem strange for her to accidentally spill the drink on herself and make an escape through the bathroom window, she hear Lawrence call out to her, “Hey, Mavis, the boys and I are going to shoot some pool, how about you sit tight and try not to be too friendly with the other men.”

  Mavis spun around in her seat and opened her mouth to object but found herself addressing empty space. The girl threw up her hands in irritation and muttered under her breath, “What the fuck! Like what the fuck! I go out of my way to come here and you just leave me stranded.”

  From her right came a deep rumble of laughter. She turned to glare at the imbecile which only excited a fresh chuckle, “I hope you weren’t expecting a romantic evening hot stuff, cause you sure aren’t gonna get it here.” His words were slurred, and she could see from his glazed expression that his senses were impaired, probably high. Obviously, Lawrence would bring her to one of the few establishments in the country which still offered drugs and hallucinogenic substances.

  Mavis spun around in her seat, so she could watch the stranger’s movements, “Clearly.”

  The man took a swig of his drink then slammed it back down onto the counter, the remaining contents sloshing about the rim, “So what you doing here with a wimp like Larry? I mean don’t get me wrong, he’s probably the nicest kid that comes here, but he ain’t got the balls to treat a fine young woman like yourself,” he put one forearm on the counter and leaned into her, “as she ought to be treated.”

  Mavis opened her mouth to respond then immediately closed it again. The man laughed, “Come on sweetheart, have a little fun. It’s one of the true freedoms we still have in this blasted country is it not?” He leered at her, his eyes unmistakably communicating that his definition of fun, and raised his glass, “To freedom of entertainment!”

  “To freedom of entertainment!” the entire bar repeated.

  Mavis abruptly bolted from her stool, shaking her head, “Thanks, I guess, but I can see I’m wasting my time here.”

  It was a relief to emerge into the crisp night air. Mavis glanced over her shoulder and debated whether to retrieve Lawrence. But no, he still had a job to do. Having made up her mind and resolving to circle back in an hour or so, she began a slow stroll along the sidewalk. As she approached an intersection, she could hear voices from around the corner.

  “Come on man; cut the poor guy a break.”

  “No Falin! I’m sick of it; Roland goes on and on mooning over some Mabel bitch, or whatever her name is. The way he goes on about her is plain pathetic., especially since he has a perfectly good fiancé willing to put up with him.”

  “Well personally,” the first man countered with a light chuckle, “I think it’s all a ploy to get rid of the perfectly sweet fiancé. I mean, she’s not the most docile thing in the world.”

  Mavis had to bite her lip to suppress a laugh. Even then a slight snicker escaped her, and the two men quickly rounded the corner and stopped short in front of her. For a moment she could only manage a blank stare as their eyes looked her up and down. The man to the right was the first to recover; he took a step forward, “Hey there cutie,” he gave her a wink.

  “Nice to meet you,” Mavis passed on a superficial smile but didn’t bother to hide the sharp edge in her tone, “I’m the Mabel bitch.”

  He mouthed the word “oh” and shoved his hands into his pockets. His friend gave him a small nudge and whispered, “Nice one moron.”

  The former ignored him and quickly straitened, “Look, babe, I didn’t mean what I said. I was just venting you know. I didn’t know…” he made a motion to reach
out, but his wrist was stopped by a strong grip.

  “Didn’t know what?” Lawrence growled as he came up from behind Mavis and twisted the man’s hand. The soldier screamed out in pain as he pulled his arm upwards and pushed the man down.

  “Hey, what the hell!” the soldier’s friend yelled, trying to pry Lawrence away. “Bug off idiot, mind your own business.”

  Lawrence kicked the first man down then snapped his head up, fixing a death glare on the second individual. “Lawrence, don’t!” The boy spun around to face his girlfriend, confusion creeping into his eyes. “Just leave them alone,” she tugged at his arm, “It’s not worth the trouble.”

  He mutely appraised her then slowly began to give in to her tugging when the first soldier used the wall to push himself upright, “That’s right! Listen to your little bitch and get out of here!”

  In a flash of movement Lawrence whirled back around and uppercut the soldier in the gut. He doubled over, gasping for breath, and his friend yelled, “Hey!” then made a swing for the boy’s head. He turned and brushed the blow aside without a second thought then thrust the palm of his free hand upward into the soldier’s chin. Mavis flinched at the sharp crack and the man arched up then staggered two steps backwards, clutching at his jaw. The first individual growled with furry then reached down to his hip and drew a gun. As he was taking aim Lawrence did a back-swing kick and the man yelped and shook his hand as the weapon went flying.

  “Lawrence!” Mavis’s plea fell on deaf ears as boy the shifted into auto pilot, quickly dealing merciless blows to the soldier’s temple and face. Then the girl lunged for his fist and used both her hands to halt the next impact. Lawrence let the man fall limply to the ground and snapped his head up in wide eyed surprise. For a moment their gazes met, his portraying a paralyzed uncertainty and hers darkening with frustration, then Mavis screamed as a closed fist slammed into his temple. Lawrence staggered and tried to recover but the second soldier wasted no time and kicked him to the ground. Then he went down onto his knees, and wrapped one arm around the boy’s neck, and squeezed. “No!” Mavis rushed forward, pulling at the soldier’s hair and thrashing at his face and arm. “Let go of him, let go!” She pulled at the man’s arm uselessly and screamed out in alarm as Lawrence gasps and attempts to claw and hit the man weakened.

  Then out of the corner of her eye, Mavis caught a glint of metal. She lunged for the fallen gun then spun back around and fired one round at the man’s back. It hit his spine and the man plopped dead with a distinct thud. The girl dropped the gun and rushed forward, looping her arms under those of her boyfriend and struggling to drag him away. She pulled the coughing form a few feet, then his coughs slowed to uneven breathing and she put him down. There was a massive cut protruding from his forehead and she tore a piece of his shirt to press it to the bleeding wound. Then she bent over him and lightly shook him.

  “Lawrence, Lawrence are you okay?” No response. She pushed back his hair and tapped on his cheek “Lawrence baby, open your eyes, look at me, you’re safe.” She took him by the shoulders and strengthened her shaking, “Please, love look at me,” she brought her fist down on his chest as tears brimmed her eyes, “come on, please, just give me a sign that you’re okay. Please!” Still nothing. Mavis tried to put her arms around him and lift him again but fell back after a few steps. Then she banged her head against his chest and suppressed a sob.

  She kissed his cheek lightly then whispered, “Please be okay, I’ll be back Lawrence. I’ll get help and I’ll be back.” With that, she rose to her feet and broke into a sprint. She went for the nearest building she knew of, and as she turned to enter, the bar door swung open and she ran into someone’s chest.

  The man took her by the shoulders and retreated a step, “Mavis?” The girl’s heart sank as she looked up to meet Roland’s concerned gaze. “Mavis, are you okay? What are you doing here?”

  Mavis ignored his questions and grabbed him by the wrist, “Come, I need help.” Roland made no objection as she dragged him to the end of the street.

  When they reached the bodies, Roland stopped abruptly and pulled his wrist free, “What the hell happened here?”

  Once again ignoring him Mavis scanned the area with a sudden rush of panic, “Where did he go?” She made a wide perimeter, searching the ground through frantic tears, “Where is he, where is he?”

  “Who? Where is who?” Roland asked, trailing behind her.

  “Lawrence!” Mavis screamed at the top of her lungs. “Lawrence, where are you?”

  “Mavis calm down!” Roland snapped, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her sharply. “Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”

  For a moment all she could do was stare, feeling a sudden sense of dazed confusion under the intensity of his concerned gaze. Then a familiar voice from behind him shook her back to reality, “Let go of her.”

  They both turned to find Lawrence with one clenched fist letting him lean up against the wall and a look of unfocused hatred spreading over his face. Mavis rushed over and threw her arms around him. The boy staggered back, as if drunk, and grimaced as he clutched at this head. Blood trickled through his fingers, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Where did you go?” the girl demanded.

  Lawrence softened as he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, “To look for you.” He held her for a moment then growled, “What’s he doing here?”

  “I’m helping her,” Roland said, matching his tone. “Not giving her problems, unlike you.”

  “Why you…” Lawrence tried to take a step forward then swayed.

  Mavis grabbed his arm to steady him then asked, “Lawrence are you okay? Does your head hurt?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Roland,” Mavis turned to him, “Where is the nearest hospital? We have to take him.”

  “No,” Lawrence said.

  The general shifted his gaze between Mavis and Lawrence. Then his eyes lingered on Mavis for another moment and he nodded. “Come on,” he turned, “this way.”

  Despite the over flow of pre-rally drunks, Lawrence was admitted into Hassdrin Country Hospital immediately upon arrival, much to his girlfriend’s relief. But after five minutes in the waiting room area Mavis began to pace. She was aware of Roland watching her but ignored him until he reached his hand out to grip her arm. “Mavis,” it pissed her off how calm his tone was, “honestly he’s going to be fine, he’s a tough kid, I’ve seen him fight and he can handle a being shoved around a little.”

  “Well that wasn’t just what I’d call a little shoving around,” the girl hissed at him, dark eyes firing daggers, “he had a major concussion Roland! You saw how bad he was, he couldn’t even walk straight!”

  “Mavis…”

  “No! Just stop Roland! You don’t even care you…”

  The boy rose, and before she had time to react, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, “Look, I know you’re scared, I know. It’s okay to be scared, but I’m telling you there’s nothing to worry about, just give him time to recover and I promise he will be okay. If he’s not, you can hold me personally accountable.”

  Mavis wanted to protest, but instead she inhaled deeply, allowing herself for a moment to be comforted. “I’ve missed this,” she said, then quickly added, “I’ve missed your friendship.”

  Roland pulled back and gave her a quizzical look, “You saying we haven’t been friends all this time? Well I’ve certainly been living under a different impression.”

  The girl laughed and hit him in the chest, “You know what I mean you idiot.”

  Roland chuckled, but before he had a chance to respond another voice cut in, “Well, this is an interesting development.” Mavis turned to see Cal, a smirk dominating his features, “I thought this was a medical emergency not a sappy gathering among friends.”

  Squealing, Mavis threw her arms around Cal’s neck, “I see you got my text, thank you for coming.”

  “Of course,” the boy
gave her a squeeze, “So how is he doing? Any news?”

  Mavis pulled away and shook her head, “Nothing yet, but he looked bad going in.”

  “But not as bad as she thinks,” Roland interjected before shocking out his hand, “Hi, Caleb, right?”

  Cal shook the hand, “Yeah, that’s right. Good to see you Roland, I wouldn’t have expected to see you here at this time.”

  The other boy shrugged, “Believe me, I’m as surprised as you.” Before anyone could respond there was the faint hum of vibrating. Frowning, Roland reached into his pants pocket and produced a phone, “Excuse me, but I have to take this call.”

  As Roland strode towards the hospital entrance, Cal took Mavis by the arm and pulled her into a seat. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked, his voice barely audible.

  “Of course, what’s up?” Mavis returned in the same hushed tone.

  “It’s about tomorrow,” the boy’s eyes scanned the room, weary of eavesdroppers, “the council decided they liked Lawrence’s idea after all. They want me to give his independence speech tomorrow.”

  Mavis had to struggle to keep her expression vacant, “Excuse me? But how is it any different between you and him? It’s still a suicide mission and a stupid one at that!”

  “I know. Believe me I had the same protest.”

  “And you aren’t even one of the speakers, how are you supposed to…”

  “I’m going to be wearing a mask,” the boy explained, “I’ll be impersonating the representative from Jalbac County.”

  Mavis felt the desperate need to moan in frustration, “This is ridiculous! What…”

  Before she could finish Cal elbowed her in the leg, “Your ex-almost-boyfriend is coming back.”

  When Mavis looked up, she moaned internally, “Why do you look so down?”

  “No reason,” Roland said, his tone clearly indicating he didn’t want to discuss the matter.

  Mavis rolled her eyes, uninterested in prying him for an answer. Then she straightened in her seat as a nurse approached.