by Kip Nelson
“Tanya,” he replied.
“That's a pretty name,” she said.
“She was a pretty girl.”
Jackie turned away. Joe scowled. He hated talking about Tanya. It still hurt him the way she had run away without a word. All the years he had taken care of her, and they meant nothing to her. He'd protected his princess from all the witches and the false princes, and she'd given him nothing in return but misery. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. The silver metal lay in his huge hand. It sparkled a little, but it was the only thing left he had of her.
“One day I'll find you again,” he said, and thought about what he was going to do when he got his hands on her again. She was a fool if she thought she could escape him. One way or another, he was going to find her. Then Tanya would get the punishment she deserved.
Chapter Fourteen
“That was a hell of a way to introduce yourself, gotta give you credit for that. What did you say your name was again, David?”
David nodded numbly. He was taken over to sit down on an upturned box. Men were all around him, laughing and joking. David played along. They all seemed to be impressed by his show of force. It all had been so easy. So easy to pull the trigger. There hadn’t been any effort behind it at all. Just one quick flick, and a man's life had ended.
“I totally was not expecting you to do that,” another man said, giving David a toothy grin.
“When you came over that hill I thought to myself, well, here's another guy we can have some fun with, but you totally played with my expectations. It damn well brightened up our evening. I was starting to get bored here, and I'm gonna look forward to some fun later,” he said, licking his lips as he stared at Tori. The girl had been weeping over her brother's body, but she had been taken away and restrained. She'd barely struggled. All the fight had been taken out of her with her brother's death. The death that David had brought about.
“How is she? I mean, you know, she tight or what?”
David looked at him quizzically. “You know, you can't tell me you've been walking around with that piece of ass all this time and you haven't even enjoyed her yourself. Come on, man, please tell me you've been enjoying yourself this time, or maybe her brother was more your style. I mean, I ain't one to judge. You get your kicks how you want. The beauty of this world is that there's plenty of happiness around for everyone to have their share, but damn, that woman is about as fine as any I've seen.”
“She's everything you'd expect, and more,” David replied.
It was so easy to lie, too. Always had been. Lying to himself, lying to everyone else, pretending to be something he wasn't. He always knew he was more than a bank manager, but the world had been holding him back. Now he was more. Now he was a killer.
“That's what I'm talking about! I'd better get in there before Donny claims her for himself. I want a taste,” he said.
The other men made similar crude comments and David idly joked with them, but his mind was on other things. He tried not looking at Tori. She looked exhausted. Her clothes were torn, her face was smudged with dirt, and her body was covered in bruises. About the only clean part of her were the tracks left by her tears. Her scream echoed through David's head. It was funny. He remembered that, but he couldn't remember the sound of the gunshot.
Everything had gone quiet for those few moments. His plan had needed it. To get his revenge on Nick, Max had to die. He never would have agreed to let his sister be given to these men, but that was the price to be paid. David had come too far and suffered too much to let it fail now. He knew if he hadn't paid the price, the men would have just killed him and stolen the guns anyway, and Tanya would have been in the same predicament. This was the best result for all of them really...except for Max.
It had happened so quickly. David didn't quite remember when he had decided to kill Max. Had it been in that instant, or had it been at the police station, when Max had spoken out against the government? Maybe it had been even earlier, when David first had seen them. There always had been a sense that Max and Tori's deaths had been inevitable. They were expendable, and only were parts of David's story, helping him to get to where he needed to be. They had no use other than that.
The gun had felt so light. The trigger so easy. Before David knew it, he had pulled it. His eyes closed. One moment, Max was standing there. When David opened his eyes again, Max was falling to the ground. David felt the warm blood explode against his face. He could taste the coppery flavor on his tongue and he almost vomited, but he held it all in because he knew he needed to show strength in front of these men. He was strong. The strongest man. He had the guns, and he had the willpower to see this through to the end. These men were more tools, just more people to be used in his quest for vengeance against Nick. They all were expendable, too. They just didn't know it yet.
The power still flowed through him, so intoxicating. He felt as though he could take on the world. That moment was replayed again and again in his mind. Max had been standing there, alive, and then, because of what David had done, had fallen to the ground, limp and lifeless. David wielded the power of life and death. The more the image got replayed in his mind, the more David realized he wasn't seeing Max anymore, he was seeing Nick. The smug face of that evil man got blown away again and again. It happened so often that David had to glance down to Max's body just to make sure it wasn't Nick.
No, not yet. Nick still was out there, waiting for David to wreak his vengeance.
It didn't surprise him that these men didn't bother to dispose of Max's body. They weren't exactly hygienic. There were bones around, animal bones. At least David hoped they were animal bones. He tried not thinking about it too much as it unsettled him. The men didn't have any internal filters, and seemed to speak about whatever was on their minds. In some ways it was refreshing, even though some of the remarks made David wince, although he tried not to show any weakness to them. It was clear they had no purpose other than to sow chaos and indulge their desires as often as they possibly could.
It was then that David saw him. In the distance he caught a glimpse of the man who he had tried to shoot back when Mikey still was alive. Nick then had leaped into a fight. Mikey had been fool enough to join him. David had been smart and stayed behind. Ranged attacks would have worked best, but the fight was over before David could load the next bolt. Mikey was dead because of Nick, but these men had a role to play as well, and before he was done David would see that they paid as well.
None of them had seen him that day, since David hadn't shown himself until after they were a long way away. So they had no idea who he really was. Just like they'd had no idea who Mikey was either. Nick, on the other hand, they knew well, and they were eager to speak about him and how annoying he was. They spoke of the dog and the bitch who stole the dog. David vaguely remembered them at the end, but that whole part of his memory was hazy. He had been entirely focused on Mikey and Nick. Everything else had faded into the background. He hadn't even noticed Cosmo, and barely had given any thought to him.
David had heard the story of how Nick and his friend had been captured at the station and brought back, and how Nick had been forced to run. David wished these men had killed Nick then and there. It would have made his life far easier. Mikey still might be alive.
Mikey...
David rose as he thought of his friend. He walked away from the men. Their laughter faded a little, but only a little. They didn't seem afraid of anyone finding out where they lived. They didn't have anything to fear anymore. They had strength in numbers and ferocity, and that was all that mattered. David was strong, too. Yet, there was a gnawing ball of fear that threatened to grow, and he had to make a serious effort to push it down, deep down, where he hoped it would get swallowed up along with all the other feelings he didn't want to feel anymore.
This isn't you.
David shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was Mikey's voice speaking to him. Death was all around him. Whenever
David looked up and saw Max's body he saw Mikey’s body, too. David remembered beating Mikey's chest and pressing his mouth to the dead man's, hoping in vain to bring life back to him. It was hopeless. Mikey was dead. Max was dead. He and Nick still were alive, though. That was all that mattered. Soon enough only one of them would be alive. The reckoning was coming.
Stop this.
David rubbed his temples. This was the last thing he needed. Of course this wasn't him. This was better. He had cast off the shackles of his old life and found himself. He had released what had been inside him all along and it was wonderful. Finally, he was free. He could be the person he'd always wanted to be, not the one who had to play by the rules society had forced upon him. All his life he had tried being as good as he could be, and where had it gotten him? Sure, he had a good job and was respected in the community, but that didn't mean anything in this world. He'd still been alone. Women didn't pay any attention to him. Now he knew why. Because he had been hiding. He wasn't hiding any longer. He was out there and free.
So, why was Mikey still in his head? Still telling him that this was wrong?
As he was battling with his thoughts he glanced over at Tori, who still looked the worse for wear. In front of her were scraps of food in a can and water in a bowl. She was being forced to eat like a dog. Part of him knew it wasn't right. It was wholly degrading and there was no reason she had to suffer like that. Another part told him that it wasn't his problem. It just highlighted the fact that there were two types of people in this world, those who survived and those like Tori. David wasn't ever going to be like her, enslaved to people like this. He was going to make the world better, one person at a time, beginning with Nick.
Did killing Max really make the world better?
David turned his face away from Tori. Mikey was wrong. This time, he was wrong. He didn't have a place in David's head anymore. They were just silly thoughts that didn't matter anymore. The world needed a new kind of morality, a new kind of strength. There was no time for remorse or pity. If he suffered from those things, the world would swallow him up. He couldn't show any doubt or hesitation. This was the right path, he was sure of it.
He turned his attention away from Tori and went back to the men, listening to the stories they told. They spoke of how the world had turned its back on them so many times, but how they were having the last laugh. He heard stories of the downtrodden, of the beaten, of those who had turned to drugs and alcohol as the only way to soothe their aching hearts. Some of the stories were sadder than others. Some truly were victims and barely were holding onto a shred of sanity. Others were victims of their own hubris. It was clear by their stories that they felt the world owed them.
David didn't have any respect for them. The world didn't owe them anything. If they had failed at life, then it had been their own fault and they only were reaping what they had sowed. Mikey wasn't like that. He could have been in a better situation, but he never blamed the world for his problems. He was better than every man under the bridge, including David himself.
But what kind of a world was it where a man like Mikey could die while men like these not only still lived, but prospered? It didn't make sense at all. That's why David had to be different, why he had to embrace the darker parts of himself. If he didn't, then he would end up chewed up and spat out.
“And what about you? What did you before all this?” one of the men asked him.
David had been so intently listening that he hadn't even thought to take part in the conversation. All eyes were on him, and he dared not tell them the truth. He'd heard how all of them had spoken about authority figures, respected members of society. Revealing that he had been a bank manager would not have gone down well and would have corrupted any of the good will he had garnered from his entrance to the camp. But lying was easier than telling the truth. People usually believed what you told them. They liked to believe what they wanted to hear. He told them he had worked in a store, and basically gave them Mikey's story, although he added an extra layer of bitterness to really make it stand out. He talked about how nobody had ever given him any respect and he'd had to work hard for every penny he earned and where had it gotten him? Nowhere. The world had ended, and nobody gave a crap about him.
Nobody except me.
Would Mikey ever give him peace?
The men accepted his story and accepted him. They drank and smoked and spoke of how they were finally free and could do what they wanted. David cheered with them for he felt free too, but he had to try blocking out the anguished moans of Tori in the background. There still was a part of him that was tied to the old world, and the old way of thinking. In time, that would be eroded away. He hoped so anyway. In time, he would be more like these men, but better. He would be the perfect embodiment of this new world. Powerful, ruthless, and without any remorse or doubt whatsoever. He was an instrument of justice and righteousness. He would make Mikey proud. He would be the person he always wanted to be.
Together with the men, he sat and drank and laughed the hours away. They all were friends and shared the same kind of camaraderie that he and Mikey had shared. It made him sad to think he never would have that again. It made him angry all over again and he was convinced he had made the right decision. He'd do whatever it took to get back to Nick, including sacrificing anyone necessary.
He looked back at Max's body. Flies were buzzing around the corpse.
Chapter Fifteen
Cosmo found a space for himself in a spare room. Tanya had taken the woman's room, of course, because Tanya was a special little snowflake who needed protecting. Nick had the other bedroom. Cosmo found a little sofa and pulled a blanket around himself. He'd taken off his wet clothes and laid them flat on the floor, hoping that after a few hours of sleep they would be dry. His mind was restless, though, and he found it difficult to sleep. The ordeal had been bad enough, but Cosmo was bitter that he hadn't been given any plaudits. He had been right all along, but you wouldn't know it given the way Nick and Tanya were acting. As far as they were concerned, he was as much a villain as the other lot.
Cosmo shuddered.
The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. All his life Cosmo never had been given the credit he deserved. He was smarter than he looked, but nobody ever looked to him for answers. He hadn't technically been wrong about Tanya either. She had been hiding something, and it was better that it was out in the open rather than allowed to fester. The truth set everyone free and, okay, even Cosmo could admit that it hadn't been handled in the most elegant way, but that was her own fault for being such a sloppy liar. The stupid kid should have kept track of what she said to which people. That was the first rule of lying. He felt bad for her because nobody should have gone through what she went through. Cosmo was no stranger to having a harsh father, not that he was abusive, mind you, although he always was ready with his leather belt. Even now Cosmo could feel a sting on his rump whenever he thought about his father.
It was sad that she had to go through that, but there was no need to vilify Cosmo. He shook his head and tried putting thoughts about Tanya out of his mind. She would get over it. She had to if they were going to stick together. Nick had told him to give her some space. Cosmo was more than willing to do just that. At least she had some sense to stay away from the city. Not like Nick. Cosmo didn't know what game he was playing, but it was madness to be back here.
The best thing they could do was get miles away from anyone. There had to be an abandoned hut somewhere in the world where they could just hunker down and live by themselves, not worrying about anyone else. Cosmo half-considered going back to his family's farm, but that was a reunion he was not looking forward to with any kind of anticipation. He only could imagine how his brothers would tease him for having to crawl back with his tail between his legs. No, it was much easier to find somewhere safe by himself.
Not that he could be by himself just yet. He almost hated having so much honor. He owed Nick a life debt, and he couldn't leave
Nick's side until it had been paid in full. Really, he owed Nick twice now, since he didn't know if he would have been able to break free of his restraints before the river pulled him under. Those people were crazy. Cosmo didn't know what they had been smoking, but he was glad they were free of them. Nobody should have been that happy, especially not in this new world. Cosmo didn't trust happy people. There was always something wrong with them. Everyone needed a good dose of cynicism. It was healthy.
The following morning Cosmo awoke and stretched. Of course, he had no idea what time it was but, judging by his stomach, it was late morning. Shame there wasn't any food in the house. They'd have to scrounge around for some more. Cosmo stretched and scratched the middle of his chest. There were still some bruises from his scuffle with Jake. He bet Tanya felt stupid now, falling for that weirdo. Who was the hero now? Cosmo sighed. He would have to get his dues elsewhere.
He leaned down and felt his clothes. They still were damp. There was always something else that was going wrong. He wondered when times were going to change, and things were going to go his way. Cosmo winced as he put on his clothes. There was nothing worse than putting on damp clothes. They had the odor of the river as well, and he turned up his nose. Walking out of the room, he went downstairs and saw that Tanya was in the living room staring at the dead woman.
Sad case that was, but that was the fate that awaited them all. At least she died in comfort. There were worse ways Cosmo could think of going out, like being drowned in a river. He still shuddered when he thought of the river rushing around him, the water lapping against his eyes and ears, the pull of the water dragging him down. He hadn't been able to stop fighting for one moment. He hadn't been sure how much longer he could have held on if Nick had not rescued them when he did.
Cosmo thought twice about entering. He wanted to give Tanya her space, but before he could move away she had noticed his presence. She looked at him and then went back to looking at the woman. Since Tanya didn't say anything Cosmo took that as an invitation to walk into the room. Tanya stared at the woman and didn't move. Cosmo gagged as he got closer. The stench of death filled the room. It was worse than the damp.
