Lexi wiped the tears before they could flow and rubbed her head. “Argh, my fucking head hurts.”
“Big Mike knocked you on your ass pretty good. You smacked the back of your head on the floor hard. You could have a concussion.”
“Water, I need some water,” Lexi said.
Nicholas found a thermos and gave it to her.
She took it with her trembling hand. After fumbling with the lid for a second she took a long drink.
He wanted to hold her badly. He suspected all she needed was human touch, a warm embrace.
Lexi finished the thermos and put it on the table.
Beau came into the kitchen and put his wet nose against her dangling hand.
“Hi, big boy,” she said, scratching his head.
“He was worried about you too,” Nicholas said softly.
She knelt down and scratched Beau on his side and belly.
Beau returned the affection and licked her face several times.
“Not in the mouth.” Lexi laughed.
Nicholas found another thermos and took a drink. He pulled a chair out from the dinette table and sat down. He watched as Beau used what could only be described as magical powers to rid Lexi of the tension that plagued her.
Lexi gave Beau a big kiss on the top of his head then looked up at Nicholas. With a heavy sigh she asked, “Did I say or do anything stupid?”
“Unless you consider singing the theme song from Welcome Back, Kotter stupid, then no,” he joked.
“Huh? Welcome Back who?”
“Never mind, I’m an old television junkie. It was a classic seventies show. John Travolta got his start on it.”
“Oh,” Lexi replied, not really interested in such pop culture references.
Nicholas was exhausted. He looked at his watch and grumbled, “It’s almost four in the morning. If we’re going to attack that farm later, I’m gonna need some rest.”
“I’m sorry,” Lexi said with as much sincerity as she could muster.
“It’s okay; I should respect your space more.”
Lexi scooted an empty chair out and sat across from him. She touched her neck and said, “My throat hurts.”
“You should see the bruises. Big Mike did a number on you,” he said.
“Do you suppose he called the others? Just wondering if we should be a bit more concerned,” Lexi asked.
“No, I don’t think so. Leo told me their MO was to go after single women without calling them in.”
“Leo? You two got pretty close while I was away,” she teased.
“I have no idea what his name was, he just kinda reminded me of Leonardo DiCaprio.”
“Oh my God, you’re right, he did look like Leo.”
“A young one, like Titanic Leo.”
“Ha, Titanic Leo, that’s his name, I love it.” Lexi laughed.
“It’s good to see you smile and laugh,” Nicholas said.
Lexi blushed and looked down.
“I want to bury my sister properly. I feel bad that I left her lying out there.”
“She’s already buried; I took care of it the day we met.”
“You did? I didn’t know.”
“I know I can be a hard-ass, but I thought it was the right thing to do regardless of my insensitive comment about letting the dead lie where they fall.”
“Thank you.”
Lexi paused. She held her head low and softly said, “I never got a chance to bury Carey. They left her on the cross for days. Birds came and pecked at her. Then they dragged her body away and tossed her into a pit with shit and piss. It was so degrading, not the way her beautiful body should have been treated.”
Nicholas didn’t say a word; he wasn’t going to mess up again.
“I’ve often asked myself if I should go find her body and bury it properly.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nicholas said.
“It’s a thought mainly,” she confessed.
“Well, if we make it through today, let’s head down there and bury her.”
She needed to change the topic so she shifted it to their assault. “There’s a good chance the slavers will be on high alert. They’ve had two people disappear in the same day. They’ll be on the lookout for sure.”
“Oh, I’m not worried about them. We’ll be fine,” Nicholas said confidently.
“Glad you’re so optimistic.”
“Of course I am. I have you; they don’t,” Nicholas said, giving her a compliment.
“Well, I didn’t do so good today.”
“You have a death wish, I see it now. You don’t possess the power to end your own life, so you put yourself through dire almost hopeless situations. If you die, so be it; if you live, so be it.”
“I take it back, you do know me,” Lexi said.
“You know, if I had a rifle, I’d be more help for this attack,” Nicholas said.
The number of weapons at their disposal was limited, as they only had what she could carry.
“You will have a rifle and you’ll be covering me as I go in and free those people,” Lexi said.
“That death-wish thing again.”
“Yeah, you could say that. But really I’m better equipped for it. I’m fast, agile and good with silent weapons,” she said then pulled out a knife, flicked it open and slammed it into the tabletop.
“Can we go over the detailed plan later? I really need some sleep.”
Lexi reached out and touched his hand. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
Feeling her touch gave him goose bumps. He gave her a smile and replied, “You’re welcome.”
“I, um, don’t trust people. I’m sure if I haven’t said it, my actions show it. But you’re different; I don’t know how to say it. It’s more of a feeling; like I can’t logically explain it, and believe me, I try to analyze my emotions all the time. I was always like this to some extent. I remember Carey telling me to stop feeling with my head and use my heart. She was always the softy. Same gene pool but two entirely different people,” Lexi confided.
“I’m the same way; I always like to overanalyze things. And speaking of sisters, Steph was my heart and soul; she gave the best advice. If I ever needed counsel, she was always there for me. Here I am this big strong guy, tough, etcetera, but Stephanie was my rock. I could cling to her and she’d always support me. Doesn’t seem right, I was the oldest, the boy, but she was really the leader,” Nicholas said. His eyes began to fill with tears.
“It appears we’re two people who think too much,” Lexi said.
Nicholas dabbed his eyes.
“Were you close with your parents?” Lexi asked.
“My life was complicated. We used to say we were survivors of our childhood. I think that’s what made us so close.”
“Sounds like my childhood.” Lexi chuckled.
“If it wasn’t so late, I’d have a drink,” Nicholas said and looked fondly at an unopened bottle of Smirnov vodka that sat on the corner of the counter.
Lexi agreed but something in her screamed to just let go. She got up, grabbed the bottle by the neck and put it on the table. “One drink won’t hurt.”
***
The chirping of the birds was the first thing that told Lexi dawn was fast approaching.
She grabbed Nicholas’ wrist and squinted to see the time. “Oh, fuck.”
“What?” he mumbled, his words slurred.
“It’s almost eight. We need to prep,” Lexi said and stood. Once on her feet she swayed.
“Sit down. Let’s finish this,” Nicholas urged as he went to grab her hand but knocked over the almost empty bottle.
“No, we need to prep,” Lexi said.
“I don’t think we’re going anywhere. I’m wasted and exhausted. I need to rest.” Nicholas stood and almost fell over. When he finally steadied himself he remarked, “I believe I’m fucked up.”
Lexi walked to the kitchen window and looked out. Finally realizing that today would have to be postponed, she said, “We can’t do thi
s today. You’re drunk, I’m drunk, we’re not ready.” She grunted and turned around to see Nicholas was gone.
Nicholas bounced off the walls until he reached his bedroom and with two uneven steps crossed the distance from the hall to the bed and fell onto it.
Lexi came in and, like a good nurse, placed three Advil and a bottle of water on the nightstand. “Get your ass up and take these.”
He rolled over and put the tablets in his mouth and washed them down with a large gulp of water.
“I’m going to fortify the house a bit more, close all the blinds and get some rest.” She looked around but didn’t see his pistol. “Where’s your Glock?”
He pointed to the chest of drawers.
She retrieved it and put it under his pillow. “Keep this close by.”
He looked up at her with half-closed eyes and said, “Oh my, there’s two of you. Wow, if we had sex, it would be like a threesome.”
She laughed.
“That was fun,” he said.
“Yes, but stupid. Now get some rest.”
He touched her hand then wrapped his fingers through hers and nudged her down.
At first she went along but resisted. “Not a good idea.”
“Oh, c’mon, we could be dead tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes and walked out. She started in the kitchen and made her way through the house, ensuring everything was secure. She gathered all her weapons and set them by the chair next to the large bay window and closed the curtains. There she’d find the rest she needed. Always a nurse who followed her own advice, she took three Advil and drank an entire bottle of water.
She thought about Nicholas and his offer just then. It had been a long time since she had been with someone, excluding the sexual assaults at Rahab’s camp. She liked him a lot and he did have a point.
With a surge of impulsiveness, she picked up all of her weapons and gear and made for his room. She entered to find him lying there looking at the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” he asked, genuinely curious.
She didn’t reply. She placed her rifle against the wall and put knives on each table along with several pistols.
He sat up a bit and chuckled. “What are you doing?”
Done placing her tools of the trade everywhere, she closed the door, locked it and turned around to face him. “You’re right, we could die tomorrow. That’s true.” She kicked off her boots, unbuttoned her pants and let them fall to the floor. She stepped over them and stood just beside the bed; she took off her shirt and tossed it aside. “I know I’m a tough girl, but please be gentle with me, especially my heart.” She took his hand and climbed into bed.
Sandy, Utah
A good night sleep was exactly what Annaliese needed. She woke confident in how she needed to handle Hector.
“You’re in no way allowed to go into their camp,” Samuel barked.
“But I’m the only one he will listen to, I know this. He promised me that his army was mine, and I’m going to take him up on that offer.”
“You told me just two days ago something different,” Samuel said, challenging her.
“What are you talking about?” Annaliese asked.
“You said you had a conversation and that you told him you didn’t want his army for revenge,” Samuel replied, reminding her of her recent comment to Pablo.
“I’ll tell him I’ve reconsidered.”
“But he offered them to use for revenge, not go home,” Samuel said again, pointing out the finer points or flaws in her approach.
“Stop arguing with me. I swear, sometimes I feel you just disagree with me only because I’m a woman.”
“That’s not true. Your uncle is wise and he truly cares for you,” Sariah scolded.
“Just let me try. What harm could come from it?”
Sariah and Samuel looked at each other. Being brother and sister, they had a way of communicating without speaking.
“I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, but he can only send them south,” Samuel said.
“Yes, I’m going to tell him to send his army back home.”
“They’re not Mexican, Anna, they’re Venezuelan. Home is a long way.”
“But he’s Mexican; they can go home with him. Where they go after that, I don’t care. They can’t stay here. We’ve already agreed to that,” Annaliese said.
“Honey, your uncle is right; you’re not going out there alone,” Sariah said.
Annaliese chewed on this little deviation and decided it could work. “Fine, we both go out there, but you don’t say anything, just keep your mouth closed.”
“Anna!” Sariah said admonishing her.
“It’s fine, she’s probably right. I’ll keep my mouth closed, but I’m also taking a few other guys with us, just in case.”
“No, that will only antagonize them.”
“Me and two guys or no trip out there, that’s the deal,” Samuel said.
Annaliese paced the kitchen and gave up. “Fine, but let’s do this now.”
***
Luis had a scheduled meeting with Pablo and this time made sure he was on time. When he arrived at his old command tent, he found the two guards normally positioned there were gone. Finding this odd, he barged into the tent and found the entire space covered in blood. His eyes scanned the space and counted two bodies or at least that was what it appeared to be. Sitting in the chair behind his desk was Pablo. He was naked, covered in blood, and wearing the Aztec headdress.
“Emperor, are you okay?” Luis asked. The tent was dimly lit, but it appeared Pablo was having a conversation with the empty chair.
“Yes, Father, I know you’re proud of me, but my next conquest will be epic. You will be—”
“Emperor, sir, are you okay? Who are you talking to?”
“Ssh, can’t you see…” Pablo said then paused before finishing his thought. He cocked his head, looked at Luis and with a smile continued, “I’ve never been better. Call a formation, I wish to speak to the men,” Pablo said and stood up.
Luis had seen Pablo unhinged before, but this was different. He was acting certifiably crazy. With a crazed look, his eyes were wide and demented.
Pablo walked past him and exited the tent without dressing.
“Sir, your clothes, you’ll freeze,” Luis said and followed him out.
“I’m fine, I’m the emperor, nothing can hurt me,” he said and raised his hands up and cupped them around the rising sun. “General, have you ever heard of Huitzilopochtli?”
“No, Emperor.”
“He was the ancient Aztec god of the sun, and he was the god of war and sacrifice.”
“Sounds interesting.”
Pablo moved his hands in a circular motion around the sun and continued. “He was also the patron of Tenochtitlan, a great city from the ancient world.”
Luis nodded. A range of emotions ran through him, fear being the most prominent.
Pablo lowered his hands, turned to face Luis and said, “Huitzilopochtli wielded Xiuhcoatl, a fire serpent, as a weapon. How great is that, a fire serpent?”
Luis gave Pablo an awkward smile and stepped away from him.
“I need a fire serpent or something like it. All great men, all great leaders need a weapon like that; it instills fear in people,” Pablo said with a crazed look. His eyes were wide and he wore a demented smile. His entire face was covered in blood as if he had painted it on, ensuring he covered every pore of his skin.
“Yes, sir,” Luis said.
“Where’s your son? I need to see him,” Pablo asked.
“Captain Luis is at the forward camp, sir.”
“Bring him to me, and hurry up, get the men assembled.”
Luis took a few more steps away from Pablo; he wondered what exactly he wanted with his son.
Pablo paced around and saw that Luis was still standing there. He walked up to him quickly and yelled, “Move!”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Luis said and marched off.
***
Samuel sat in the idling SUV with Thomas and Dominic, two of the compound’s security, and waited for Annaliese to come out of the house.
Thomas, an older man from Sandy, said, “Is she doing her makeup?”
“Ha.” Samuel laughed.
“Yeah, is she getting dolled up or something for Hector?” Dominic joked; he was a young twenty-eight-year-old gender studies professor from the local community college. After wandering the area for months he came to the compound seeking aid and was taken in. With no skill set, Samuel had him put on security detail, a job Dominic loathed.
Samuel looked in the rearview mirror and gave Dominic a hard stare.
“I’m just joking,” Dominic said.
Thomas had known Samuel for a long time and opened up. “There’s talk about the camp that Hector and Annaliese are an item.”
Samuel craned his head over his seat and snapped at both men, “Shut up, both of you, and I don’t want to hear that again. Tell those who wish to gossip they can gossip and snicker all they want outside those gates; otherwise be respectful.”
Both men lowered their heads.
“Sorry,” Thomas mumbled.
Annaliese bounded out of the house and down the stairs. In her arms she held a box.
Samuel jumped out and opened the rear hatch of his SUV. “What’s in there?”
“His stuff, I thought I should bring it so he wouldn’t have to come back. Let’s make a clean break,” Annaliese said and placed the box in the back.
“Did you contact him so he knows to expect you?” Samuel asked.
“I’ve been trying all morning, but no reply,” she replied. She imagined he was upset and didn’t want to talk.
They both got in the SUV.
“I’m sure he’s easy to find,” Annaliese said.
Samuel nodded and hit the accelerator.
West of Joseph, Oregon, Republic of Cascadia
Nicholas could hear the distinct sounds of cooking in the kitchen, but the aroma that hit his nostrils told him it wasn’t the staple corned beef hash.
He entered the hall and now heard Lexi speaking to Beau in a sweet and gentle tone.
When he popped his head around the corner of the kitchen, he saw her with one hand on her hip and another flipping a pancake.
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