by JD Dutra
He needed to pick one, so he stepped into the restroom first, there was a lot of drug paraphernalia on the sink, it was filthy and it smelled like an open sewer, but no one was there either.
It’s too quiet.
He picked up speed and kicked the bedroom door open, looking for someone to shoot. The room was dark and the shadows weren’t moving. He turned on the lights and there were three men dead on the floor. He looked over his shoulder, no one had come or gone from the apartment.
He got closer to one of the dead men, his neck was broken, his chin was almost lined perfectly with the back of his neck. The other man had a wound under his jaw, as if something was jammed there all the way up into his brain. There was dried blood on his lips and chin that poured from his nose. The third had a broken arm and leg, and a gunshot wound to the back of his head. There was lot of coagulating blood on him and the old carpet beneath him was soaked red and sticky.
“Where is she?” Daniel said to himself.
The curtains were drawn, but the bedroom window was open. There was plenty of room for her to pass through it and run out onto the neglected landscape of the apartments. His conscience was clear enough, and he began to walk towards the entrance to the unit.
He ran out to his car which was parked near the same alley he was at minutes before. He drove a red Jeep Grand Cherokee that was just a few months old. A relic of better times and his life before now.
He brought it around near the edge of the stairs to Raymond’s place. He got out, unlocked one of the rear passenger doors and pulled it wide open, then went upstairs to retrieve his children, shotgun still at the ready.
When he walked in, there she was, in the living room, with a pistol pointed at him, as if she had been waiting all along. She was of Asian descent and very beautiful and the contrast of her black hair with her pale skin and red lips was striking.
She looks so familiar.
“I went to try to… help you downstairs,” said Daniel, his eyes noticed her hands and the sleeves of her hoodie were wet, as if she had just washed her hands.
“If you don’t want to end up like them you better get out of here now.”
“All I want are my children, the young girl and the little boy in the bathroom. I’m not leaving here without them.”
There was silence between them while she gazed at his face for a few moments. The woman began lowering her pistol. Daniel lowered his shotgun as well and noticed that her eyes looked moist.
“Both of them look like you. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Daniel nodded his thanks. “You don’t look or sound like you belong in this neighborhood.”
“I do not. I am here to recover something of mine.”
“They stole from you too?”
“Yes. I’ve looked everywhere, it’s not here,” the woman said before looking at her phone. The screen was black and shattered.
“My daughter was alive when I got here, she said they were planning on selling something from China at this parts yard outside of town. I’m going there to find Raymond and his crew… Then I am going to kill every single one of them.”
“I want them dead too…” She said before extending a delicate hand. “I’m Mei Lin.”
“Mei Lin Tao?”
She nodded wondering where he knew her from. They shook hands.
“I’m Daniel Cross. I knew I recognized you from somewhere. I’ve seen your face in a few magazines.”
She smiled warmly, but also looked a little sad for a moment. “Yes, that’s me… or it was. We better get out of here and go find them.”
“I got a car outside, if you want to ride together,” he said.
“Sure…” Said Mei Lin, apparently not perceiving him as a threat she couldn’t handle.
“I’ll be right out,” said Daniel before facing the bathroom again. He took a deep breath and began walking towards it.
“I will help you,” she said quietly.
They managed to find blankets in a closet that weren’t as dirty as the rest of the house and draped Nick’s small body first, then Summer’s. Daniel was impressed by Mei Lin’s strength, she was slender and didn’t look like she could carry much weight, but she did just fine. The condition of the bodies or their smell didn’t bother her either, and after two trips up and down the stairs, Daniel’s children had been carefully laid out in the back of his car. Without looking back, they got into the vehicle and Daniel drove off into the night.
Mei Lin turned to him and asked, “Do you know how to get there?” Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment while he drove, noticing his broad chin, high cheekbones, and large blue eyes.
“Yes, it’s called Rus’ Pick and Pull, I know exactly where it is,” said Daniel. “Thanks for helping me with my kids.”
“I’ll help you avenge their deaths too. All of them deserve to die, and they will.”
Chapter 40
Scottsdale, Arizona
Sunday, October 25th, 2020
8:37 P.M.
The blaring of a car’s horn woke Nazeer and immediately he could taste fresh blood in his mouth. He remembered Nathan’s fist coming towards his face then nothing after that, until now. He moved his jaw slowly where Nathan hit him, Nazeer’s vision slowly came into focus and he remembered where he was.
Nathan was driving a very expensive and luxurious Audi, weaving around abandoned and crashed cars on the road and accelerating madly through the light traffic, enough to cause near accidents with the few other drivers left alive.
“Why did you punch me again you blind cur? Can’t you accept the truth?” Asked Nazeer, while doing the best he could to wipe clean his bloody mouth and his pus filled eyes on the fabric of his polo shirt.
“That is only one punch Nazeer. The death I’ll put you through when we’re done will make all your martyr friends blush with jealousy.”
Nazeer coughed uncontrollably, spit and blood spraying out of his mouth onto the glove compartment of the car. There was a strong and sweet odor in the air, even though Nathan already had the air conditioning at full blast.
Nazeer’s coughing attack dissipated after a few moments and he continued.
“Like I said, so many people have been deceived, you and I too. Don’t you understand? They used us both. They’ve been using all of us against each other! We don’t need to destroy one another in order to have peace and prosperity, all we need is to leave each other alone so we can all create our own prosperity and share it with others.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Asked Nathan. He was only half listening as he fought to shed the image of his dead family from his mind.
“We don’t need war in order to live a better life, what we need is the freedom to invent things that make our lives better. Lots of it, so there is a surplus and we can trade. There is only war for resources, but if the most valuable resource of all, the mind of man, is free, they can overcome the need for anything. War is not the answer, freedom from oppression is.”
“You’re talking about a world that no longer exists Nazeer. What you and your kind have done to the entire world, there is no forgiveness for any of you. Why would your god be satisfied with the destruction of his own children?” Said Nathan.
“God gave us freedom of choice. Don’t blame him for the greed of man. You really don’t understand any of this. Talking to you is like talking to a goat…”
They turned into a very high class neighborhood in Scottsdale, with magnificent homes that would be mini palaces in Nazeer’s country. Here they were, one next to another.
“Who is responsible for this pandemic? Stop your pathetic nonsense and tell me the truth!” Said Nathan.
“The old men who dream wars for the young to die in. We all have been deceived.”
“I knew you were a terrorist the moment I saw you, I should’ve killed you out in the desert,” said Nathan.
“A terrorist is anyone who doesn’t follow the will of your government,” said Nazeer quietly and the words remin
ded Nathan of the lunch date with his wife. The one she walked out on to go have a conjugal visit with Daniel.
While Nathan’s mind worked to keep himself under control, Nazeer continued, “I consider myself blessed for being able to avenge the blood of my family and get even, but you see, the real enemy, whoever orchestrated this conflict between us, the architects of it, will most likely walk away unhurt. Only men like you and I get to lose everything. They always win.”
Nathan’s car stopped in front of a beautiful Spanish style mini mansion. Red roof tiles and an exotic desert landscape framed the light tan structure that went three stories high. Like the street it was on, the home appeared deserted.
“I’ll go get some answers from Tom, then I’ll know exactly which way I am going to kill you.”
“I’m already dead. Today I’ll spare your life and help you find the ones who did this. Bring death upon them all.”
Nathan’s fist moved too quickly for Nazeer and before he could turn away, he once again felt a violent blow to his chin. The sick man let out a grunt as his eyes rolled back into his skull and his head rolled against the car’s window, smearing the glass with sweat and fluid.
Nathan reached over to make sure the handcuffs still went through the car door handle and clamped each of Nazeer’s wrists, they were on as tight as they could be without cutting his blood flow. “This guy stinks so bad,” he muttered to himself before getting out of the car. He slammed the door and set the alarm.
Just in case he gets out… Somehow.
He walked up the driveway to the double front doors that were made of thick, solid wood. He turned the handle after he rang the bell, but they were locked. He wandered around the side of the house and looked through the windows, the house appeared empty. Just a few short months ago Nathan’s daughters were running on that Spanish tile floor, the oldest trying to help her mother control the youngest.
Nathan went to one of the large windows near the front door and smashed it with the butt of his gun. The sound of breaking glass seemed so loud, he knew Tom would come running if he was there; Nathan realized he had to move quickly. He reached in, unlocked the latch and pushed the frame up with the tip of his pistol. Despite being tired, he jumped through the window as easily as a cat, his years of calisthenics once again paying off. Once inside the house he walked down the wide hallway, his ears listening for any noise in the house. There was nothing.
The smell in the air was similar to the one in his own house. Someone was dead here, whether it was Tom or his wife or both, he didn’t know. He began to move more quickly now, going through the same motions he had done in his own home, like he’d done dozens of times during many of his missions. He found Tom’s wife, she was dead on the living room couch. She had a blanket over herself and a pan nearby full of blood and vomit and used tissues. Rigor mortis had set in and the yellow muck around her eyes was already dry. By the temperature of her skin she’d probably died that morning.
Nathan knew the layout of the house and immediately started going upstairs to Tom’s office, his pistol still at the ready, but there was nothing but silence in the air. As he walked up the elegant solid wood staircase which was flanked by Tom’s own paintings on both sides, the smell of death got stronger again and when Nathan entered the office, Tom was seated on his comfortable ergonomic chair, his work laptop had been pushed forward to make room for his head which rested on the desk. There was a dark pool of something wet by his mouth.
Nathan pointed his gun at his boss, even though he appeared dead. He got closer, the trash can was over half full with blood and vomit. Nathan checked his temperature, he was about as cold as his wife, they probably died within an hour from each other.
Nathan checked his boss’ pockets and pulled out a compact pistol and slid it into the waistband of his tactical pants. He opened his wallet and took out his boss’ ID and credentials. There was a laptop backpack on one of the chairs so he opened it and folded Tom’s laptop and power cord into the padded pocket.
Nathan looked around and there was a small luggage bag on the office’s couch, left there as if Tom were going to take a short trip. He opened the bag and started to go through it, he raised his eyebrows when he saw some strange ceremonial clothes inside. Dark gray robes, aprons with an embroidered pyramid and the all seeing eye, a dark cape and hood along with some odd looking jewelry. He opened the laptop backpack and pushed everything inside.
He turned back to the desk and where Tom’s hand lay as if reaching for something Nathan noticed a golden ring on his boss’ finger he had never seen before. There was a series of coiled snakes flanked by two pillars and when Nathan removed the golden band he found it had the same design all the way around. It looked like it was made by hand, like old jewelry. He stuck it in his pocket wanting to do some research on it later.
On the other side of the desk there was a yellow pad with a series of numbers and coordinates on it. Nathan tore off the sheet thinking he’d check them later. One the page below there was a very strange drawing of a man with high cheekbones, large dark eyes and an elongated skull. It had been erased and retouched several times, as if the artist in Tom was trying to depict someone’s exact features. Nathan looked it over a few moments. It looked so real and vivid, as if it were really a person. The skull was oversized and the man’s features were unusually shaped but the most intense part were the eyes. They stared straight out of the page at Nathan and made him shudder.
The alarm of his car suddenly went off. Startled, he shoved the whole yellow pad inside the laptop bag and slung it over his shoulders. He ran down the stairs, gun at the ready, but before he was even all the way down a loud boom of what could only be a hand ram being crashed against the door and echoed through the house. Over the top of that he heard several men’s voices outside, shouting to one another.
Nathan hid around the corner of a hallway, which led to the kitchen. The wall was made out of brick, providing both cover and concealment and gave him a small but straight line of vision towards the front door. He aimed his gun and held steady, waiting. There was a loud crashing sound of metal bursting through solid wood and as the doors burst open, Nathan immediately recognized the dark bullet proof shield carried by a SWAT team member. Behind him was a line of helmets and rifles waiting for the doors to open all the way so they could take aim inside the house.
The shield man took the first step inside Tom’s house and Nathan fired a shot of his .45 right on the top of his boot. The man screamed in pain and the SWAT team members behind him pushed on, he lost his balance and fell forward. The shield came down and Nathan shot the man in the face, exploding the back of his skull sending brain matter and pieces of bone over the men behind him.
An immediate burst of fire almost ricocheted off the brick wall where Nathan stood and he turned a corner and ran down the hall towards the kitchen, looking for a place to conceal himself and escape the hail of lead. Footsteps were rushing down the hall, shouts and screams of anger, the men wanted him dead. Nathan pulled out Tom’s large stainless steel fridge, it was heavy but his strength and the adrenaline helped him do the job. He turned the fridge between himself and the men who now had barricaded the hallway.
“Come out Nathan! We’ve got you surrounded!” Shouted one of them.
“Get out from behind the fridge we know where you are!” Said another.
Nathan didn’t recognize any of the voices and wondered how they knew his name. He realized they probably ran his car’s license plate through their database.
Seconds later another rainstorm of bullets came down towards him, shattering the granite countertops, wooden cabinets, dishes, china, everything getting blown to pieces and scattered around him. The rounds were piercing one side of the fridge and Nathan could hear glass and plastic being peppered inside it, but the bullets weren’t going all the way through. Milk, wine and orange juice began to flow out of fridge, but none of his blood was on the floor.
Nathan removed Tom’s pistol and blindly shot i
t in their direction as cover fire, to keep them at bay. The only window was the one above the sink but he’d be dead if he took a step in that direction. There was a hallway on the other side of the kitchen that lead to the backyard. He’d just decided that he couldn’t run that fast when another round of bullets came, they were using high power rifles, all fully automatic along with high capacity magazines, something only legal to law enforcement agencies.
He scanned the kitchen for anything else he could use to help shield him from the bullets, but it was useless, there was nothing. Another volley shattered more glass, tile and wood cabinets and Nathan decided he was the only thing that hadn’t been hit by a bullet on that side of the kitchen. As soon as the stream of shots stopped, he wasted the last of Tom’s rounds to keep them back. Now all he had was his .45 and if the count in his head was right, he had three more bullets in the current magazine plus another 16 from the other two magazines in his pockets.
Nathan felt the men were preparing to move and rush him and the idea of just running for it as fast as he could was becoming more and more enticing. Then, as their guns opened up for the fourth time, Nathan heard a man scream out in a language he couldn’t understand at first, but then he realized he remembered the phrase from his days as a Marine in the Middle East. A soon to be martyr praised his god, before making the ultimate sacrifice.
Then an earth shattering explosion came from behind the SWAT team, shaking the entire house, engulfing the kitchen in a bright light at first and then into blinding darkness as light bulbs were shattered and black smoke filled the kitchen from floor to ceiling.
Nathan felt disoriented and fell to his knees. His ears were ringing, he couldn’t hear if the SWAT team was coming. He shut his eyes, they were already stinging from the dust and began to cough. He covered his mouth and nose with the rim of his shirt, his sense of direction came back slowly and he crouched down before running almost blindly through the kitchen, hoping the thick smoke would hide his location.
