Fractured Steel

by T. J. Loveless

  I nodded. I concentrated on the plants and flowers, recognizing all of them as big on oxygen output. They ate a lot of carbon dioxide, releasing more oxygen. Perfect for a natural air filter. The extra O2 in the air was enough to wake me up.

  I could see everything clearly, in an epiphany I preferred stay buried.

  “Take me to Five, now,” I put my hand on the right wheel to make the turn.

  “I’ll do it, Karen. Just wait a minute,” he wrenched control of the wheelchair.

  We headed to the stable, the underground maze made for slow going. I wanted to run, leave them all behind and do it myself. I tapped the armrest, leaned forward, trying to will Aiden into a run. He resisted.

  The massive steel door leading to the stables opened on smooth hinges, and I could see Five’s stall. It was empty. Anger burst in my chest, hot, uncontrolled, flowing thick and heavy until it filled every inch of skin, burning me alive.

  “Where is Five Alarm?” I turned slowly. I was too weak to fight, but part of me wanted to tear Aiden apart, as if he had a part in Five’s missing status.

  He put his hands up, and backed away in slow steps, “Karen, I don’t know. He was supposed to remain here until healed.”

  “Bullshit. Where.is.my.horse.” My voice low, almost a whisper, but forceful. I stood, falling into a fighting stance. My legs shook, my back throbbed, and I needed a crutch or a cane. Instead, I stalked him.

  Aiden’s eyes popped wide, as if he understood what I intended to do. He retreated, “Let me call the Colonel, okay. Sit down, you are going to cause yourself injury if you keep coming after me.” He stopped, pulled his hands up, left foot sliding back.

  I smiled, “If you think you can. Where is my horse? You know more than you’ve admitted. Why should I believe you don’t know where he is?” I took two more steps in his direction, mimicking his movements.

  “Stop and think. I’ll help you find the horse, I’m not the enemy,” his voice monotone. He reached slowly behind him, grabbed a small walkie-talkie and pushed the button. “Colonel, you need to come down to the stables. The stallion is missing.” He reclipped it to the back of his jeans. “I knew your father, and I would never betray either of you.”

  Instincts said he wasn’t lying and I slowly eased out of the fighting position. I watched him closely, refusing to back down, but letting him know with body language I wasn’t going to start a fight either. He relaxed.

  The sound of boots thudding against concrete echoed eerily through the tunnels and into the stable area. I waited, feeling my legs shake from the exhaustion, the anger unable to keep me upright for much longer.

  Chuck rounded the corner and ran past me, heading straight for Five’s stall. He threw open the door and cursed. He turned, “Who the fuck had the rotation for the stables this morning?” He glared at every mercenary nearby.

  “He couldn’t have gone far, Colonel. Nobody can get in or out of the bunker without the codes,” one male offered.

  “No, no, no, no!” I turned and shuffled to the medical clinic. I was breathing hard at the end of the first hallway. Chuck picked me up and continued running. He must have caught on to my thoughts.

  We barged into the medical clinic, to find a drugged and bleeding Five Alarm against the far wall. The entire clinic was a mess, with broken glass covering the floor, the cabinets in shambles, the beds overturned. I found a man to our right, on the floor in a pool of blood.

  “Put me down, now,” I demanded and tried to make sense of what happened. “Someone gather supplies for me, find out who the hell that moron was and get his body out of here. The rest of you, clear a good spot on the floor, I need to get Five on the floor.” I could see several deep lacerations along his right side, and two scars reopened, bleeding freely. I stood at Five’s head, talking in low murmurs, as activity exploded around us. Within moments I had everything requested. “Come on, sweetheart, let me work on you. It’s me.” I felt tears threaten, and ruthlessly pushed them away. I whistled in gentle tones, and managed to pull him to the center of the room. “Lay down,” I pointed at the floor. He sighed, and several men stepped up to help ease him onto the floor. As they took his weight, they grunted, but gently lowered him to the concrete.

  I looked at Aiden, “Get your ass over here, he needs tranq’d, then we have to sew quickly. I’m not a vet, but he’s in danger.”

  Aiden took off his shirt, nodding, and scrubbed his hands. He brought over several betadine soaked cloths and sterilized my hands and arms.

  I grabbed the huge containers of saline and cleaned the wounds. The biggest cut was under his withers. It was from a scalpel, and went deep. The dead guy tried to get the chip.

  Aiden and I worked on Five Alarm for thirty minutes, watching the horse for signs of waking up before we were done.

  The stitches completed, his body cleaned, and gauze in place, I noted Five’s blind eye open. “All of you, so he doesn’t break a leg, get some rope and heavy blankets. We need to help him to his feet. He won’t have any purchase on this floor, so it’s up to us. Find some rubber flooring if you can.” I crawled to Five’s head. I lifted it gently and squirmed under him. I petted his cheek, hunched over his face, making sure he smelled only me. I talked to him, waiting. “By the way, Colonel, there was no chip. Either the dead guy had it, or the whole thing was a lie.” I glanced up, holding Chuck’s gaze, not blinking.

  Ten minutes later, Five was lucid and trying to sit up. I barely kept him down, growing impatient for the men to return with the necessary equipment. I breathed a sigh of relief when twenty men showed up and rigged a hoist, scattered several rubber mats around the room, and installed pulleys.

  I gave Five a command I wasn’t sure he’d recognize. It’d been years since I’d used it, but he seemed to remember. We rolled him to get the blankets and ropes in place. I crawled away, until Aiden made an impatient noise and picked me up. I was exhausted and unable to fight.

  I watched, forced myself to keep eyes on the now decimated stallion. My heart broke for the once proud horse. His head hung low, his good eye dull. He was too thin, too weak, the fight gone. Whoever tried to find the chip almost killed him. I would take out the ones responsible. I would make them understand what they put him through, what he felt. Helpless and barely able to defend himself. I hated more in that moment than any other time in my life. Including when I was kidnapped.

  “We will join you.” Aiden whispered, as he watched.

  I frowned, “I didn’t say anything.”

  “From your reaction earlier, I’m pretty sure I already know what you were thinking.” His eyes met mine, and I gasped. They were molten lava brown, full of rage, sparking.

  I nodded, and turned to Five. They had him on his feet, discussing how to get him back to the stall. “He can’t move for a bit. Didn’t someone say there was a pool nearby?”

  Chuck turned to me, “What are you thinking, Karrie-girl?”

  “Let’s get him in the pool, we’ll need to rig something to keep him dry, but it’ll help him stay upright. He can’t do it himself, too weak. Plus, he can thrash if he needs to without hurting himself.”

  Aiden smiled, “You are brilliant!” He set me on a bed and turned to leave.

  “It has to be something rubber, to cover him, but allow access to his wounds. It needs to conform a little as well, otherwise it’s useless.” I looked at every man in the room. “He’ll need to be kept in the air for now. How long do you need?”

  “We’ll need several hours to make something,” a man near the back spoke up.

  “Aiden, scoot me close to Five,” I whispered.

  I was arranged next to Five. I shooed everyone out, and for hours, I talked to the stallion. He’d give me soft snorts, but remained calm.

  “I promise, honey, when this is all over, we’ll heal together, we’ll make it, one way … or another.”

  Chapter Twenty Four

  They rigged something for Five, and we lowered him into the pool. I held the little rottie in my
lap, stroking his sleeping body, trying to figure out what next. The dead man had yet to be identified, and according to Chuck they were still up top, searching.

  “Have you named him yet?” Robbie stood behind me, a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head. “Come up with something for the little guy.” He reached around and rubbed behind the floppy ears.

  “I’ll name him when it comes to me.” My eyes stayed on Five, as he thrashed. He screamed and I winced. He turned the good eye on me, and I saw fear, pain. I handed the puppy to Robbie and pushed out of the chair. I sat at the edge of the pool, not sure I could swim, but going to try. I eased into the warm water, ignoring my own pain. I understood him.

  They’d put him in the middle of the pool, enough for him to put his feet on the bottom, but keep him afloat. It was too deep, and I did the breaststroke to him. I grabbed a rope, pulling myself up, reaching for Five’s head. I needed to comfort him, let him know it was going to be okay.

  He lashed out, almost taking my fingers. I jerked back. “No, big guy, it’s me. It’s okay, I promise.” I slowly pulled myself to his good side, where he could see who was trying to touch him. I reached again and he thrashed.

  My heart shattered. He no longer trusted, having been in pain for weeks. I’d failed to protect him, and I deserved the blame. I’d never be able to make it up to him.

  “Ma’am, I’ve been around horses, and it may be time to think about –“

  “Fuck off! He won’t be put down. He’s hurting, and all of it at the hands of people who were supposed to keep him safe.” I studied the man who spoke, and a memory rushed back. “I remember you. Shot in the leg, lower abdomen and arm, right?”

  “Yes, Captain.” He frowned.

  “You punched me as I tried to field dress your wounds, asshole. I lost a tooth, followed by your biting me.” I lifted an arm out of the water. “I have scars from you. Should we put your ass down too?” I glared. “Well, dickhead? Should I have put you down when you were in pain and scared? It isn’t a rhetorical question.”

  He lowered his eyes, “No, ma’am. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “For now, let’s give him some Bute, try to keep him quiet. No oats either. I’ll fix a mash Dad showed me a long time ago. Thank you, gentlemen, for your ingenious efforts.” I swam to the edge, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to get out on my own. A hand appeared, and I grabbed it without thinking. I was hauled out of the water and wrapped in a wool blanket. My legs shook, and I was lifted against a powerful chest.

  “Come, Karen. Let’s get you cleaned up and dressed. I think you should use the pool as well to regain strength,” Aiden offered.

  “You’re probably right.”

  *

  The next two weeks were spent in rehabilitation for me, and healing for Five Alarm. Chuck brought updates, explaining the old equipment in the initial room remained able to contact certain offices on the outside.

  Five was eventually taken out of the pool and put in his stall. He was walked around the arena, and his wounds scabbed nicely. We took the stitches out. He walked stiffly, and the guys took it upon themselves to create workout pools for the both of us. I was fast becoming attached to the men Chuck brought along.

  The beginning of week three brought excitement to the bunker. The invaders had left my house, according to what I found out were several hidden cameras. The best news was the German government finally learned the truth and were no longer after me. But they did want the Senator’s head on a platter. It was a matter of negotiations at this point.

  I walked to the main door, Aiden not far behind. He’d kept to orders, never leaving my side. For the first time in years, I had a best friend. Standing in front of the keypad to open the door, I punched in the date. Something big in the door made a thick unlocking sound, and I could hear hydraulics pulling the lock open.

  As soon as the door popped open, air rushed over me, bringing the smells of midsummer. Until that moment, I didn’t realize the air in the bunker was so stale.

  “Let me go first,” Chuck put a hand on my shoulder. “I want to double check, okay?”

  I nodded, seeing the logic. I held the swiftly growing puppy, stroking his neck and back, a nervous gesture I’d developed over the past weeks.

  He stepped forward, motioning for several men to follow. They took the industrial lift to the top.

  We waited. And waited. After thirty minutes, I pushed the button for the lift to come down. The gears ground, and the sound of rusty cables filled the shaft. Two men were on the lift, but not the Colonel.

  It wasn’t until I met the forest green eyes I realized what happened. He pulled the M16 to his shoulder, grinning.

  “No!” I scrambled backwards, into Aiden, turning and trying to run. The sound of spraying bullets shattered the momentary confusion, laughter could be heard in the background of deafening death. I fell to my knees, Aiden covering me with his body, and I sobbed when he jerked.

  “Go, damn it, Karen, go!” he yelled in my ear. Warmth spread on my hip, and I glanced to see his upper thigh was grazed by a bullet.

  I crawled as fast as I could, trying to find shelter. If I saw clearly, they carried a thirty round clip in each weapon, meaning we didn’t have long before we were all taken out. I moved to the left, behind an iron pipe, pulling Aiden after me.

  “Ohhh, Karrrennn! Come on, sweetheart, we have some unfinished business!” Johnny yelled in a singsong cadence. More shots, the sound threaded with psychotic laughter.

  Aiden gave me hand signals, and I crawled toward the opening behind a piece of electronic equipment, giddy for the size of seventies tech. The opening could only be seen at a low level, a perfect place to hide.

  I heard the consistent sounds of bullets hitting flesh, and the howls of pain echoed in the huge chamber. They banged around my skull, making it almost impossible to not run and help. I wasn’t armed, but if I gave myself up, maybe some of my friends would live. They had families, lives outside of protecting me. Choked with guilt, I swallowed hard. Aiden put a hand on my thigh, pushing me forward. I shuddered, unable to keep the need to help at bay.

  I turned and kissed his forehead. I shook my head. An expression of defeat, he moved out of the way.

  I stood, “Over here, you misogynistic prick.”

  Johnny swung the M16 and pointed it at me, “Come here, honey.” He smiled, and I held back the waves of nausea. I knew the smile, what he wanted, knew if he got me out of here, I was going to hurt.

  “Stop shooting and I will.” I kept my feet planted, hoping the fear didn’t show.

  He turned and shot a man trying to crawl away. I flinched as blood and thicker things spread over the floor. “You don’t negotiate. Come here, Karen. We have unfinished business.”

  I took a deep breath, the smell of copper pennies and released bowels covering my nose and throat. Don’t cry, show no weakness. There are others that might survive. I took a step, followed by several more. If I managed to get Johnny and Jake out of here, they could lock down and call for help. Peripheral vision said at least seven survived. The good of the many outweigh the good of the few, or the one, I repeated in my head, remembering the line from the eighties movie, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan. I wasn’t brave like Spock, I was a coward, and couldn’t live with myself.

  Standing in front of Johnny, I released a punch, sending him reeling. I grabbed his M16 as he lurched to the left, and turned it on Jake. I hesitated, seeing his beautiful eyes, a dozen years of memories flashing in front of me. Shaking my head, I pulled the trigger. His body jumped and moved, eyes wide with pain and surprise.

  I turned the muzzle to a hunched over Johnny, “Look at me. For once, don’t be a coward, and face the person who is going to take your life.”

  He looked up, anger plastered on his face, but real fear in his eyes.

  “Now you know, you bastard.” I pulled the trigger again, unmoving in the spray of mutilated body parts.

  I followed him down, a sense of relief pouring through every i
nch of skin. I took apart the weapons, and dropped them.

  For the most part, it was over. A lot to clean up, but it was over.

  I fell to my knees and cried.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  I stood in the middle of what used to be the stables. The entire place was in shambles, decomposing bodies littering the floor.

  We found Chuck at the office door in the stables, his throat slit. Blood pooled, but his eyes would haunt my dreams. Since the fateful night in Fallujah, he’d been a father figure, one I’d called on multiple occasions to retain sanity. The fire was gone, forever snuffed.

  I found his semi-automatic near the end of the office and automatically picked it up. I clicked off the safety.

  Not far from Chuck, we found the other men, some shot, and one stabbed, the knife stuck in his heart.

  Robbie lay two foot away, face down, his neck broken. I closed my eyes, hoping for the strength to make it.

  As we left the office, the smell of decomposition was strong. In the aisle, Happy Feet, her sorrel coat dull, covered in flies. I glanced around the area, hoping the foal had escaped. It was newborn and not likely to wander far from his dam. Please let Fire’s foal survive.

  I checked the first stall. Ringing Alarm had not escaped into the pastures. I stood outside the door, staring at her bloated, broken body. She’d been tortured, and my heart screamed as I fell to my knees, unable to touch, comfort, or heal her. I’d adored Chuck, and owed him much, but the feelings for him didn’t come close to the mare who’d been my best friend for almost two decades.

  I held the gun in front of me, staring at it. One shot, that is all it would take. One bullet to end the pain, the nightmares, the horror of my life. Quick, easy. I raised the gun slowly, ready. Tired, so very tired. My psyche fractured, tearing apart. If I could pull the trigger, I would no longer need to worry about whether or not healing was possible. I could end the hiding from memories of Iraq, of blood and death, of recent torture and failure. All I needed was one bullet.