He put his hand out and shifted Chrissie slightly behind him. ¡°What did I miss, they were just talking?¡± Callahan asked the pregnant woman. What the fuck, he didn¡¯t know if he should be elated and say ¡®I told you so¡¯ or worried that they were making a big mistake because he was just jaded like everything else in this world.
Nikola raised his hands slowly, and got down on his knees mumbling, ¡°I was bad. I was bad. I was bad¡±. He was confused, clearly he had done something wrong. She was right he could have run away, why did he take a chance and kept following them? ¡°I¡. I don't want to be alone¡ I don¡¯t know how¡.¡± he admitted.
She would think he was crazy, well he was a little off kilter. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut tight waiting for the explosive sound of the bullet leaving the chamber to smash his skull to bits. ¡°I saw you in a vision...a dream...had to find you¡± he mumbled before his words became an incoherent jumble.
The dream made her pause. Then she shook her head. ¡°You are full shit, Nik and let me tell you why.¡±
¡°Stop it! Stop lying to me.¡± James said, cocking her pistol. ¡°You told me the marauders you run with have one creed,? join us or die. you said you¡¯ve been with them since you were 16. So you want me to believe that those marauding men found a perfectly able bodied 16 year old boy and instead of training him to be the best killer amongst them, they took that 16 year old boy and beat him and drugged him and turned him into a not so quite right in the head mindless pet? Really? Why? How does that help their cause??
¡°you told me, the marauders you run with want that woman bad¡and out of everybody they could have sent after her on this very important mission they sent you. a not so quite right in the head mindless pet? You told me your orders were to seek¡and find and be a good boy. Once you found us, who are you supposed to be a good boy for Nik??
And with that being said,? When we found that woman, we killed every single man there. we left no survivors. you told me, the marauders you run with with were all dead.? so who gave you your order Nik? who sent you after us?
If I go by your description of your life,? you've been conditioned to follow orders because those men turned you into a not so quite right in the head mindless pet and you want me to believe that just because I was a little kind to you, because you don¡¯t want to be alone. And now that I have my gun at your head you know you saw me in a fucking dream or vision that has instantaneously flipped your 16 years worth of conditioning, that you will no longer listen to the very people who turned you into a mindless not so quite right in the head pet? But you are going to listen to me? And be on my side? I call bull shit, Nik.? Bull shit Now stop fucking playing with me and tell me what I want to know. Because up til now you¡¯ve been playing this role. And it ends here. Right now. One way or the other.¡±
Chrissie¡¯s was quiet and Shadow stood protecting her.?
¡°I don¡¯t fucking know?!?¡± the man howled desperately, and AJ had to turn his head. He couldn¡¯t watch, because it was pathetic and it disgusted him¡. And because like James he had to be hard or you could end up dead. Maybe this guy was the real deal but he was definitely keeping secrets from them. But they all had their secrets didn¡¯t they¡.
¡°A picture!¡± Nikola spat out between anxious breaths. ¡°I think it was a picture¡± he looked up at James with a frightened expression. ¡°It¡¯s hard...to remember¡¡± he whined at her. AJ turned and frowned slightly because the guy had all the signs of maybe someone that was infected, they should have checked him for bite marks¡.. Or track marks, maybe he was a junkie¡. As fucked up as the planet was they seemed to still be around.
¡°I¡¯ll be good, I promise I¡¯ll listen!¡± Nik blurted and he latched onto James' ankle and pressed his head against her leg.?
¡°OHMYGOD¡± Callahan exclaimed, ¡°Just¡ just club him or cut him loose. I can¡¯t take that whining.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± Chrissie called. ¡°he¡¯s telling the truth. I have been seeing visions of you...all of you since before I met you, since my husband died, maybe even a little before. it's why when you found me, I went with you. I instinctively knew I could trust you. Because I was connected to you.? And I know, James deep down inside you feel it too. The instinctive trust between us. You can¡¯t explain, but you feel it. And I would wager my life for him, that I you been having the same visions.¡±
James stood there breathing heavily. Chrissie waited with bated breath¡not sure what she would do. And then the other woman said. ¡°Bah,¡± she uncocked her weapon and turned, kicking Nik off her leg, she walked away in a huff.
Chrissie ran to Nik and put her arms around him. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She said holding the other man. She looked at AJ then.??
AJ frowned but he found his legs moving forward toward her, and the hunkered figure that was shaking and sobbing. He tried to ignore the noise, it was like nails on chalkboard to him. Mostly because he was afraid that one day someone might break him too and quite frankly he¡¯d rather be dead.
Or maybe it was because Chrissie¡¯s words scared him more. He put a hand under the man¡¯s armpit and tried to haul him to his feet, ¡°C¡¯mon! She didn¡¯t kill you so just¡. C¡¯mon and walk because I ain¡¯t carrying your smelly ass¡±.?
He gave Chrissie a look over the man¡¯s back¡. She was the therapist, he was just a soldier. ¡°Hood, wait up!¡± he grounded out in frustration, why were things so damn complicated this time.
¡°It's OK ¡°Chrissie said to Nik. ¡°it's OK we're going to get off the street. it's getting late. I'm sure we're all tired and hungry and we have to get off the street so we're going to go in one of these buildings. We are going to secure it? then get you all cleaned up. I have a change of clothes and some soap in my backpack, sorry it's OK .¡± Chrissie said.?
Chrissie noticed that even as AJ called, James did not stop.
Nik whined and groaned in pain when Callahan pulled at his arm. AJ could feel his patience thinning out to nothing, especially because James was just walking off and leaving them with her stray. He didn¡¯t get her at all, she saved them and then treated them like dirt. But would defend them from each other, it was all crazier than this stinky fucker crying like a cat in heat.
¡°It¡¯s not okay, c¡¯mon and get up dammit!¡± AJ growled. ¡°Move your skinny ass, or she¡¯ll leave you!¡± Well, that seemed to work as Nik stumbled up onto his feet. ¡°Take his gun, Chrissie. I got him¡± he rolled his eyes and cringed as he got a good whiff of the other male. Yeah, this was the glorious life alright.
AJ bit his mouth because he wanted to ask Chrissie if it was true. That she saw their faces in a dream¡. Or some kind of vision. And why did James high tail it when she brought it up??
Chrissie took his gun. ¡°AJ¡.We can¡¯t¡.Not like this...We can¡¯t keep going. He¡¯s in too much pain. We have to take shelter in one of these buildings. Ill get him inside and you go after her. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s okay. If he tries anything Shadow will maul his ass to death. He is a wolf after all.¡±
Callahan frowned, because he thought she was far too nice for this world. And because she was right if they actually didn¡¯t want this guy to bleed out.
He sighed, ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t trust this guy as far as you can throw him. I mean it¡¡± AJ found a storefront that looked promising and dumped Nik in the doorway with Chrissie and Shadow to give it a quick once over.?
¡°This looks good but barricade the door anyway, okay?¡± He didn¡¯t like leaving her with a loony, wolf or no wolf. Giving Shadow the last of his jerky he whispered in his ear, ¡°Keep an eye on them¡±.
He left his pack with them and only took his rifle and extra ammo to travel light. AJ was hard sprinting after that to catch up to James. ¡°Hey Hood! James¡ hold up it¡¯s just me¡.¡±
Dammit, he didn¡¯t want to get too far from Chrissie. ¡°C¡¯mon and cover the perimeter with me, We¡¯re gonna hole up in that old store for the night¡±. AJ figured she might be more willing to talk if they were doing something productive.
¡°You okay?¡± He asked tentatively.
¡°You stay the hell away from me. I trusted you¡and you for some reason shot a bullet that whizzed past my ear into someone I was speaking to for no fucking apparent reason. the sound of that bullet or the smell of his blood could have brought us swarm raining down upon us that we could not have gotten away from and you would have been safe in the apartment that I told you about watching me die.? I trust you AJ and you know what you did, you screwed me. So you know what¡fuck you. leave me alone and stay the hell away from me.¡± She said walking away.
¡°I know! I¡¯m sorry¡. I screwed up! I thought¡. well, it really doesn¡¯t matter what I thought now¡.¡± he admitted following her. She might have been shorter than him but she sure could hustle when she wanted to.?
¡°C¡¯mon James, I fucked up. You gonna tell me you never screwed the pooch?¡± He frowned and resisted the urge to grab her sleeve to slow her down. He really didn¡¯t want to get punched in the face again.
¡°You want me to beg? I¡¯ll beg!¡± Callahan exclaimed. ¡°Please come back Janes, I¡¯m an idiot and you know I can¡¯t get Chrissie and her baby back without help.¡± He did touch her arm this time, gingerly like she was made of high explosives. ¡°Please James, what do I have to do to keep you with us?¡±
¡°Leave me alone!¡± She screamed as she kept walking ¡°I don¡¯t want you to beg. I want you to leave me alone.¡± However when he mentioned the chick and her baby. When he touched her arm. She turned and screamed. Loud ear piercing scream in his face. Tears filled her eyes. And she was panting.
AJ froze like a deer in headlights. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James. Please I¡¯ll go¡..just¡. come back to us, okay?¡± He pushed an extra ammo clip into her hands. This was beyond him, and she wasn¡¯t the kind of girl that wanted a hug when she was upset.
Back at the store Nik¡¯s head jerked up suddenly, and he tried to get his feet under him. ¡°I have to find her!¡± He gasped, grabbing at his wounded side.
Chrissie frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t. We have to get you washed and cleaned up.¡± She took his face in her hands. ¡°I know. I know what happens to her is we split up. I have seen the visions. So I know and I swear to you. I won¡¯t let her die. Neither will AJ. You know he cares for her just as much as you do. We won¡¯t let her die.¡± Chrissie said with sincerity in her eyes.?
¡°Noooooo¡..¡± Nikola whined, covering her hands with his own. ¡°We have to stop her. Please, please¡. Don¡¯t let her go¡±. He shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s all coming apart¡.¡±
James backed away from him slowly. And then she turned and ran. Running away hard and fast. She was never going back...she saw the visions...she didn¡¯t want to die.
Dammit¡. AJ stood looking lost. What the hell was going on, everyone seemed to know something except for him. And he hated to be left out¡ He was torn between following James and abandoning Chrissie, or doing the opposite. Biting his lip he trusted Shadow to keep shit together and trailed after James, staying far enough back not to disturb her.
Chrissie shh¡¯d him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything is going to be okay.¡± She cooed softly. ¡°Calm down okay. Help me get your clothes off so I can tend to your wound. And then go wash yourself in the sink in the back. Okay.¡±.?
Nikola squirmed and cast his eyes downward. ¡°O-okay¡¡± he whispered, but his eyes shifted towards the doorway like he might bolt. His fingers peeled off crusty layers of material to expose sinewy, lean muscles that barely covered his bones.? Skin laced with thin scars that overlapped into morbid designs.
He looked straight ahead and raised his arm to give her easier access to the bullet wound. Nik grimaced against the pain in his side. ¡°Is it bad?¡± He grunted out.
¡°No, the bullet went right through. I just need to clean it and wrap it. Go wash and I can wrap it when you are done. Here these are my husband's old clothes. There should be something in here you can fit.¡±
James continues to run; she just needed to get away. Far far away.
AJ followed for a while until he felt they were getting too far for comfort. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to abandon them¡¡.me?¡± He yelled at her, as he moved to catch up.
He thought he meant something, that they were friends. Certainly that James was made of stronger stuff. ¡°What are you really running from, James?!¡± He shouted.
¡°Leave me the fuck alone Callahan. I don¡¯t owe you anything. Now go back to your girl.¡± She said never turning around.
Nikola stared at the face in the broken mirror that looked back at him. Wash up the pregnant girl had told him, and he diligently obeyed. The washcloth was grey and dingy, the water ice cold. He rubbed vigorously until his skin was red.
He pulled on the dead man¡¯s shirt and practically drowned in it. But Nik buttoned it up, and peered out from the back bathroom at Chrissie and Shadow. ¡°Done¡± he mumbled.
Chrissie walked back to him. ¡°You look good..,you smell better,¡± she smiled.? ¡°Here¡¡± She said handing him some food. ¡°How do you feel? A little better?¡±
Nikola eagerly took the food and shoveled it into his mouth with his fingers greedily. He gave an embarrassed expression when his shrunken stomach made a loud sound at the sudden intake and he slowed down. ¡°Better¡± he grunted although honestly his side was on fire.?
She gave him a can of beans, ¡°okay im gonna look at your wound now. It may hurt.¡± Chrissie said.?
¡°So you keep looking at the door. You are worried. Will you tell me what you remember.¡±
He looked at the doorway, hoping to see the other two reappear. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to happen.?
AJ was so frustrated with James, he¡¯d never been in a situation like this. He caught up with James and barked at her , ¡°You¡¯re my girl too, James! You¡¯re my friend and I don¡¯t desert them. Let me help, dammit!¡±
Fuck this, he¡¯d take a chance at a busted nose. Callahan grabbed James by her arm, ¡°Hey, talk to me. What¡¯s going on?!¡±
?
James sighed. ¡°Do you have them?¡±
He looked so surprised but her sudden seeming surrender. ¡°Huh?¡± AJ replied, he frowned slightly at his own inability to make sense as well as hers. He really did want to help her in whatever way he could, not just because she saved his life¡
¡°Do I have what?¡± he asked, voice low, fingers loosening to hold her arm a little more in a comforting gesture rather than a deathgrip. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, James. C¡¯mon just let me in a little so I can help you¡.what¡¯s got you all wired up?¡±
She pulled her arm away and began to pace back and forth. ¡°The visions. I¡¯ve been having them for a while.¡±
Nik looked up at Chrissie as he dug into the can of cold beans, eating it with the relish of a starving man. ¡°Life hurts, I¡¯m¡. use to it¡ ¡° he replied as if more for her comfort than his. His brow scrunched up in confusion, and he repeated her words ¡°What I remember?¡±
He bit his lower lip. ¡°That depends¡. is this real or a dream?¡± Nik savored the dull taste of cold baked beans for a moment, and decided this must be real. ¡°So many lives, like the threads in a tapestry coming together to make a picture¡. The drugs make it clearer¡¡± he grumbled, he could use a hit of morphine right about now. The pain was making his senses come in sharp and clear and Nik didn¡¯t like it. There were things that weren¡¯t worth remembering in this life.
¡°Would you like to talk about it?¡± Chrissie asked.
He licked the inside of the can as far as he could, and looked at the mother to be over the rim. ¡°I was better in the dream, not like here¡.. Broken, a coward¡ Different chapter in a book¡± Nik grunted before tossing the can to the side. ¡°No¡ different pieces of the game¡. Sometimes you¡¯re the pawn, sometimes the queen.Sometimes you remember nothing, sometimes you get bits and pieces like parts of a puzzle¡±.
Leaning so he could watch her patch up the matching holes in his side, Nik glanced at Chrissie. ¡°You¡¯ve had them too, I can tell¡ heard you tell, Bellissima¡± he admitted.
AJ stared at James, the others had mentioned visions and dreams. Since when did he start listening to crazy trackers? But James and Chrissie both mentioned it and well¡¡ ¡°I dunno¡¯ I did have this crazy dream where we were on an old fashioned plantation¡ but it was just a dream¡±.
¡°No...it isn¡¯t just a Dream. It¡¯s more...it¡¯s life...my...your...life...all our life...Chrissie was there...Nik is there...after I¡¯m sent away...he finds me...but when we are all together...
Chrissie smiled hearing the name. ¡°I do. I have had them for a while. And there are just as you say. Hard to determine what¡¯s real and what's a dream. They are jarring. In some, I am much different than I am now. In others I¡¯m the same. One thing is constant though. Your Bellissima is the center of our world.¡±
Nik nodded his head eagerly, ¡°The linchpin¡. The catalyst¡ you understand?!¡± He seemed relieved and elated that someone didn¡¯t think he was insane, that she saw the pictures too. Perhaps not at the same angles but she saw and knew.?
¡°Look,¡± James Said. ¡°It¡¯s too much to explain. I just...I just can¡¯t do this...not again...not this time....I just need...I don¡¯t¡¡± She said fighting back tears.
AJ took a cautious step closer, ¡°James, whatever it is I¡¯m here for you¡ You don¡¯t have to face it alone¡±.? He motioned with one hand for her to come with him. ¡°Maybe we can piece this altogether¡¡ right?¡±?
¡°I do,¡± Chrissie said however. ¡°You also play an important role. Do not diminish that. Especially since..¡± she began then gasped. Bending over. Pain exploding behind her eyes. She looked down and her water had broken.
James stepped back. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t. If I stay¡¡± she shook her head. Taking in a deep breathe ¡°i don¡¯t want to di¡¡± she said just as the shot rang out piercing her chest.?
James dropped like a stone. Gasping her eyes fixed as tears rolled from her eyes. The blood pooled beneath her.?
¡°FUCK!¡± AJ dropped to cover her and drag James behind a pile of debris. ¡°James! I got yah, just hang in there¡± he exclaimed reaching for his¡. Dammit, he left his pack with Chrissie. He pressed his hands on the wound to keep pressure there. ¡°Oh god, honey¡.hang in there!¡±
He was damned no matter what he did, leaving her here or trying to carry her. Callahan had to make a choice, so he packed the wound with what he had as best he could. ¡°Listen to me, I¡¯m gonna get you out of here. Just hang on, okay?¡± AJ hoped this was the right thing to do, as he scooped her up and stayed close to the buildings.
¡°Oh!¡± Nikola exclaimed as he reached his hands out to Chrissie. ¡°The baby¡±.
¡°No,¡± James said, touching his arm. She shook her head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. ¡° she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°You gotta leave me. You have to. Chrissie...needs you. They want the baby. Gotta get away...fast...now...can¡¯t take me¡ you gotta leave...Promise me you will take care of Nik. Promise me.¡±
¡°The baby,¡± She said, collapsing to the floor. Tears filled her eyes. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡±
¡°Shut up, don¡¯t say that shit, James. I ain¡¯t leaving you!¡± Callahan blurted out. She was dying. They were both crying like idiots, and he wished he was still deaf so he couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Stop talking, I got you. You can take care of that smelly booger yourself¡±. He shook his head to clear his eyes, as he kept his back to the wall.
Nikola took off the dead man¡¯s shirt and rolled it up like a pillow and wedged it under Chrissie¡¯s head. His eyes darted to the backpack for a moment, and the thought crossed his mind to steal it and make a run for it. He dug through the bag feverishly, and found a first aid kit.
¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± he said nervously, taking Chrissie¡¯s hands and holding them. Maybe he could send the dog to find the other two like those old movies he watched as a kid. Maybe he could find them, he doubted they covered their tracks.
¡°The baby¡¯s coming soon,¡± he said softly. ¡°You need them, not me¡±.
¡°I need you,¡± Chrissie said ¡°please help.¡± She panted in pain. Squeezing her eyes shut against the onslaught. Her baby was coming. Where were they? ¡°Look...tell me, is the baby's head coming?¡±
She said opening her legs, she felt like she needed to poop. Which based on the book she read told her she was crowning and the baby was coming.
James touched his face. ¡°You gotta go...She needs you...Baby...They are...close...Gotta go...protect them. Please¡¡± she gasped her chest heaving the sound of blood filling her lungs. ¡°Go...please...now¡¡±
¡°Don¡¯t make me do this¡± AJ sobbed, he didn¡¯t care if it was an exercise in futility he had to try. Something in him felt like he was always trying to save her somehow and always failing. Just once, just this once¡.¡±Please¡± he begged her, but he was already lowering her to the ground knowing he would never make it back in time.?
Nik¡¯s face went red, but he bit his lip and reached to pull Chrissie¡¯s panties off from under her skirts. And dug a woolen blanket from Callahan¡¯s pack to put under her so she wasn¡¯t directly on the floor.?
Calloused fingers slid along her thighs, and he knelt directly between her legs so if the pain got to be too much she couldn¡¯t clamp her legs closed on the baby. His fingers pushed her skirts back and his eyes widened, as Nikola squeaked out ¡°I see the baby¡ just a little...;¡± He glanced back at the door nervously, and then at the dog as if Shadow could do something.
¡°Should I¡ Should I try to pull it?¡± Good god, he was so not the man for this.
¡°No!¡± She screamed. ¡°I just need you to catch..¡± She said. The bearing down, now she pushed. And screamed and pushed and screamed. It seemed like forever. Where were they? She thought as she continued to push. And push and after she was so tired she didn¡¯t think she could push anymore, the baby slipped free. A beautiful baby girl. With a head full of hair began to cry.?
But the pressure didn¡¯t stop itself like she hoped. Still screaming she pushed and pushed some more. And soon, the second identical baby girl slipped into his hands, also crying. Chrissie smiled then laid back on the floor and closed her eyes.
Nikola wrapped the baby up in some of the clothes the others had with them. Babies needed to stay warm, that much he knew. Weren¡¯t they supposed to cut the cords or somesuch? ¡°Tie it, cut it¡± he mumbled, bouncing the babes in both his arms to try and shush and settle them.
James breathing was getting softer and shallower. Until final, the hand on his cheek went limp and fell away. Her eyes still staring forward.
The sound of feet behind him was coming closer. ¡°I think the target went down over here.¡± A man called out.
AJ laid James back against the building and took the extra ammo rubbing his eyes as he scurried off to hide. Pulling his rifle? off his shoulder just in case, he had to get back to the others. Dammit, this was his fault if he had just did as she told him¡. They¡¯d be sitting in Apartment 5 eating cold beans together.
He racked a bullet into the chamber of his sniper rifle as quietly as possible, he should just kill these bastards that shot James. But he needed to get to Chrissie and that stinky nut job, and get them to safety.
Two baby girls whines and cried. Shadow slinked closer to Chrissie.? He rested his face near hers and began to whine also. Chrissie never reached for him. She never moved. She never stirred.?
Blood covered the floor¡
Nik made a soft noise and cradled the girls close to his thin sides before laying them with their mama and the dog. Scurry on his hands and feet to find what he needed Nik came back with some fishing line and hunting knife. He had to free the babies from their mother¡.
He put a hand on Chrissie¡¯s even if she was still as the night. ¡°Sorry¡.¡± the blade sawed through the cords and he tied them off as best he could, hoping the little girls wouldn¡¯t hate him for deformed belly buttons.
Nik reached a stained cover hand to touch the dog gently. ¡°We tried, we were so close¡. Maybe next time¡±. He hefted the pack onto his shoulders, covered Chrissie with the blanket the best he could and picked up the babies. He had pulled on AJ¡¯s jacket and nestled the twins inside.
He looked at Shadow expectantly as he walked toward the door and listened to gunfire in the distance. ¡°C¡¯mon boy¡± Nik said softly as he carried his precious cargo.
(End Part One)