by Scott, Lona
Will shook his head and handed his back to her. “I’m staying here.”
“Why would anyone do that?” Danae asked.
“To make sure they don’t follow you. I can lead them in another direction, if they ever catch wind of where you might be. I need to stay and make sure the virus works how it’s supposed to anyway. So they can’t try to do this again. Besides, my place is here. I was never really one of you.”
“Don’t say that.” Johnny said. “Man, we wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for you.”
“You are one of us, man.” Bryant said.
“Don’t ever think otherwise.” Mykel said. He gave the man a big bear hug. “You gave me back my family. No one else could have. Seriously man…if you ever need a place to crash, or anything at all…you know where to find us. Ask. I’ll be there.”
“We are naming one of the boys after you, Will.” Isabelle said. She came up and hugged him again. “You are family. Never forget it.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I’m honored.” He said, flushing a little.
“I just want you to know, I consider you one of mine. You are a part of this team, whether you go with us or stay here. Are you sure about this Will? You really don’t have to stay.” Graham said.
“I’m sure. Go now. Bryant, can you set off one of your explosions to create a diversion so no one is watching the power surge?”
“You know it!”
“Good. Set one off three seconds before you go.”
“Wait!” Isabelle cried.
“What’s wrong?” Mykel asked.
“Can I go through while I’m pregnant? I mean…won’t being pulled through time hurt the babies?”
“It shouldn’t.” Johnny said. “They have a protective barrier of amniotic fluid that protects them from shock and helps cushion blows and things. None of their senses should be affected, just yours…although now that you’ve had the nanites in your system longer, it shouldn’t be as bad as the first time.”
“Okay.” She rubbed her stomach, frowning.
“It will be okay sweetie.” Mykel said, putting his arm around her.
“Holy moly, people. We’re kind of on a time crunch here. Let’s move it!” Bryant said. “Ready or not, I’m blowing something up in ten seconds!”
********************
“Here? Really?” Isabelle turned and glared at Mykel. “You brought me back to the damn farmhouse?” The guys were already loading who knows what into a caravan of SUV’s and strapping strange cargo boxes to the racks on top.
“It’s a good extraction point for us. Besides, we hid food and clothes and supplies here. We are actually moving out of this state, up to the hills of Montana. We’ll be safer there.”
“What’s in Montana?” She asked, frowning.
“Mountains…lots of land…beautiful night skies.” He said.
“But…how much land?”
“How much do you want?” He asked.
“I was trapped in a box for over six months. I…kind of need big open space in a house. Is that okay?”
“Only if you marry me when we get there.” He said, putting his arms around her as best he could with her belly so big.
“Yes. After the babies are born, so I can wear a pretty dress.” She said, smiling. “I was always going to say yes. You know that right?”
“That means you love me right? Like for real? Forever? No more trying to run away from me?” He kissed her in between each sentence.
“Until time stands still.” She said. “In every time.”
****************
Mykel stood over the man silently watching him snore, completely oblivious to the presence of an intruder in his home. The man slept in an overly decorated room full of rich gold and blue fabrics covering the canopy bed, and matching curtains covering the windows. The room was decorated in rich mahogany furniture, and old world style couches and chairs. There was gold inlayed on the walls and ceiling, and in the decorative statues and crap cluttering the walls, and huge bookshelves. The books themselves were all leather bound. Some of them looked like first editions. There was an expensive painting taking up almost an entire wall. Mykel didn’t know who’s painting it was, but he knew that if it was in this room, it must cost a lot. There was a globe in the corner made of marble, each country colored by a different rock or gemstone. On the desk was a letter opener covered in diamonds. He wondered, briefly, if Isabelle missed the indulgence and privileges of the wealthy. This one room probably cost more than the entire house he and the guys had built.
For an instant his finger moved over the trigger of his hand gun. It would be so very easy to just squeeze, and end the life of the man who had tried to kill Isabelle. He would die before he even woke long enough to realize he was dying. Before he had a chance to regret his life choices or spend another cent of the money he so clearly loved. Mykel had never been so tempted to kill an unarmed man in his life.
“Mykel…no.” Graham said. “Just wake him up.” He heard in his earpiece.
Mykel let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding and took his finger off the trigger. He took a breath and let it out slowly, and then unclenched his jaw. When he felt himself relax again, he kicked the side of the bed.
“WAKE UP!” He hollered.
Lewis bolted up, gaping at the very large man standing in full military fatigues and face paint, pointing a gun at him.
“Who are you? What do you want?” He said, stunned. He was instantly awake, his heart beating faster than it should, his blood pressure elevated enough to make his chest hurt.
“Get up.” Mykel motioned with the gun. “Slowly. No sudden movements.” He moved back about a foot and let the man swing his legs over to stand up. He sat on the bed, with his feet on the floor, his hands up in the air.
“Why are you doing this?” Lewis asked. “Who are you?”
“Who I am doesn’t matter.” Mykel said. “Go over to your desk, and sign the papers sitting there.”
“What papers?” Lewis said. “I’m not signing anything.”
Mykel grabbed the man by the hair and yanked hard, pulling him up and over to the chair. He shoved the man hard into the wingback chair and shoved a pen in his hands.
“You have two choices. Sign the papers, or die.” Mykel said. “I don’t much care which you choose.”
Lewis narrowed his eyes and looked down at the document. “Divorce papers?” He looked up at Mykel. “She’s still alive?”
“So…it was you who hired the hit man.” Mykel growled.
“I was told she had died.” Lewis confessed. “I buried her.”
“Why?” Mykel asked. “Why would you hire someone to kill your wife?”
“I needed the insurance money.” He said feebly. “An investment I made went bad. I was broke. I had to do something.”
“You are a colossal douche bag.” Mykel said. “How fucked do you have to be in the head to choose money over a persons life? She deserves better than you.”
“And you think you’re it?” Lewis snorted. “Look at you, ready to kill a man over a few pieces of paper. She must not know about this, or she wouldn’t want you either.”
“She wanted to come here and kill you herself. I wouldn’t let her.” He said.
“I doubt that.” Lewis sniffed. “She wouldn’t dare. She doesn’t have the guts.” Mykel clenched his teeth again, the nerve in his jaw twitching.
“Give me a reason to shoot you, you bastard…just one.” Mykel growled.
“Mykel…ease up. We want him to sign the papers remember? If he doesn’t sign, then you can’t legally marry her.” Graham’s voice said calmly through the ear wig. “At least get him to sign the papers first before you hurt him.”
“Sign.” Mykel said, gritting his teeth. “Now.”
Lewis stared at the papers, reading through it.
“You get to keep all your precious money.” Mykel spat. “She doesn’t want anything of yours, and wants nothing from you. You keep the
money, house, cars, and the accounts. Everything. Just sign. Now.” He put his finger back on the trigger.
“Fine. Fine.” Lewis began scribbling his name in the marked lines. “Here.” He shoved the papers at Mykel. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”
“You have a sniper drawing down on you. If you make any movement in the next ten minutes, if you try to call out for help, or set off any alarms, you die.”
Graham flashed the laser sight over the man’s chest in warning.
“Just go…please.” Lewis said, nodding. “I won’t do anything.”
Mykel glanced at the documents to make sure they were all signed.
“If you ever come near her again, if you ever try to contact her, or send anyone after her again, for any reason, I will hunt you down like the animal you are. You’ll live just long enough to regret ever knowing her, and then I will kill you. Slowly. Got it?” Mykel said each word slowly, deliberately letting the man see the cold mask he had worn so well for so many months previously. “She’s mine now.” He carefully rolled the papers into a small tube and tucked them inside his vest. “Close your eyes.” He ordered.
“No. If you’re going to shoot me, you do it looking into my face. Looking at my eyes.” Lewis said, hotly.
“Well, well, looks like someone has a spine after all.” Graham chuckled.
“I’m not going to shoot you.” Mykel said. “I got what I came for.” He smacked Lewis over the head with the butt of his gun, knocking the man out. Carefully, he dragged the man back to his bed and put him in it. He was still breathing, and would probably wake up with an epic headache. Mykel slipped back through the window and belayed down the side of the house. Unhooking his gear, he slipped into the night like a phantom. The guards patrolling the area had never been aware of his presence. He met Graham at the planned extraction point and they took off into the night.
“For once, the mission goes as planned.” Graham said, sighing in relief.
Mykel laughed, a huge grin on his face. “Let’s hope the next mission goes as well.”
“The next mission?” Graham narrowed his eyes “What mission?”
“Planning the wedding.” Mykel said. “The womenfolk are plotting about all of us getting married at the same time in some sort of huge ceremony.”
“We may need reinforcements.” Graham groaned.
They both laughed.
Epilogue
“Okay, Isabelle…I know you’re tired, but you have to push now.” Johnny said.
“I can’t.” She said, crying. She had been in labor most of the day, and it was well into evening.
“Isabelle. Yes you can.” Mykel said, squeezing her hand. “You can do it baby. Where’s that fierce little momma at?”
“She’s changed her mind! I don’t want to do this anymore!” She whimpered as another contraction ripped through her body. She felt like throwing up, but there was nothing left in her stomach.
“Sweetheart. I don’t think that’s an option at this point.” Mykel said.
“Push. Now!” Johnny said.
Danae, who was helping, counted out “One. Two. Three. Four. Five.”
“Count faster!” She growled, her face beet red.
“Good…good. Now do it again.” Johnny said. She felt like she was being torn apart. She screamed.
“Oh God.” Mykel blanched, glancing down. “Is it supposed to look like that?”
“Yes.” Johnny said. “Hold her leg.”
“Push, baby. You can do it. Women have been doing this for centuries remember? Your body knows what to do. It’s natural.”
The pain was so intense she felt like she was dying. She grabbed him by the throat and dragged him down to the bed. “There is nothing fucking natural about this!” She yelled. “I changed my mind…drugs! NOW!”
“It’s too late for that. The baby’s head is crowning.” Johnny said. “Push as hard as you can, Isabelle.”
Danae helped to pry her fingers off Mykel’s throat, who sputtered and choked for air, while she pushed again.
The first baby was born to his mother’s screams. Johnny helped to pull him the rest of the way out, and slipped him onto Isabelle’s stomach.
“Oh my God.” She wrapped her arms around the baby, already wiggly and crying.
“You did it sweetheart.” Mykel said, his voice hoarse.
She began to cry. “He’s beautiful.”
“Danae, grab that blanket and wrap the baby in it.” Johnny said. “Mykel, get over here if you want to cut the cord.”
Isabelle laid back on the bed and held her son. She couldn’t believe she actually did it. She was a mother.
Johnny showed him were to cut and the first baby was free.
“Okay people, we got one baby…let’s go for the other one. Are you ready Isabelle?”
“Do I have a choice?” She groaned. Danae took the baby over to a waiting bin of water and began to wash him clean. The baby’s angry squall filled the room.
“Good, healthy lungs. That’s a great sign. This one should be a bit easier, since the first baby sort of made the way.” Johnny said. “Let’s just hope he hasn’t moved out of position.”
“What?” Mykel said. “What does that mean?”
“With twins, sometimes when the first one is out, the second one will move, because all of a sudden, there is more room than they are used to. If he moves sideways, we may have to turn him.”
“Turn him how?” Mykel frowned.
“Mykel, don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.” Isabelle said, shaking her head. “Come here.” He went back up to the top end of the bed and held her hand.
“You did amazing, Isy.” He said kissing her. She pulled him down to kiss her again.
“Ow…ow…owwww…” Another contraction hit her hard and she screamed.
“Ow…son of a …oww…let go!” She was pulling his hair.
Johnny laughed. “Serves you right man.”
He scowled and rubbed his hair.
“I’m so sorry baby.” She said. “I didn’t mean to.” She was panting, trying to catch her breath.
“Here…just hold my hand.” He said. Another contraction hit and she groaned. “Breathe into it baby, like we learned in classes.”
“Okay, Isabelle, push hard again.” Johnny said.
“Get this baby out!” She cried.
“I can’t honey, you have to do it.” He said. He cringed. Seeing her in so much pain ate at his heart. He had never felt so utterly useless in his entire life. It was the worst and best day of his life, all at the same time. Mostly he was just terrified something horrible would happen to her. She was amazing. Seeing her go through this all, for him…he could never thank her enough, and he knew it. She was the strongest person he’d ever seen.
“Okay, Isabelle, it looks like this baby is sunny side up.” Johnny said. “I could turn him, if you’d like, or you can try to deliver him in the position he’s in.”
“What’s the difference?” Mykel asked.
“It’s less traumatic if I let her deliver the baby in this position. Turning him will be incredibly painful.”
“More than this?” Isabelle asked, panting.
“Probably.” He said. “I’m not going to lie about it.”
“Don’t freaking touch me!” She hollered.
“Okay then. Let’s do this thing.” He said. “When I tell you to push, do it, but if I tell you to stop, stop.”
“Are you kidding me?” she gasped. “That’s all you’ve been telling me to do for hours now.”
“Isabelle, you like to sing right? Sing a lullaby to the babies.” Johnny said.
“You’ve got to be kidding me now.” She grunted. Another pain tore through her body and she screamed.
“Push…more…more…good girl.”
Mykel began to hum some silly song he learned when he was a boy. It was either that or he was going to start crying.
“Good. Push again, as hard as you possibly can, and then some.” Johnny sa
id. She did.
“Great. You did great. Okay, the second babies head is out. Push again, Isabelle. You’re almost done, I promise. Just give me one more.” Johnny encouraged.
When the second baby slid free, Isabelle collapsed on the bed and cried, mostly in relief, and joy, and exhaustion.
