Learning the Hard Way 3

by H. P. Caledon

  Keelan hurried down the steps and jumped the last distance. Mike hurried to the corner and peeked out before nodding. Keelan shouldered his weapon and hoisted Misery back into his arms.

  “Ready?” Mike asked.

  Keelan nodded, and they sprinted out of the alley and set course for the space dock. As they ran, Keelan kept his eyes on the walls to see when the colors changed to tell him they’d reached Red Turf. “Take a right here, or we hit the border.”

  Mike turned sharply and continued at a maddening pace that Keelan, despite the weight of Misery, managed to keep, but his muscles were getting tired.

  “Left, and we’ll hit denser population. We need to get to the other side.”

  “You’re not taking us to the bar, right?” Mike asked.

  “No, I’m leading us around Red Turf.”

  “The unit responded—they’ve reached Ratkins.”

  Keelan didn’t bother to answer—he was too tired from running and talking at the same time, and Misery’s weight was beginning to slow him noticeably.

  “There’s interference on the line. Shit, three men straight ahead, armed.”

  “Left alley.” Keelan turned the corner just in time to not get hit by a popper that impacted with the wall twenty centimeters from him.

  “We’re trapped! No fire escape or doors!” Mike sneered.

  Keelan ignored him and tried to get Misery stashed away behind a big dumpster before he checked his weapon.

  Keelan went to stand in the middle of the alley and aimed his gun at the opening. “Call the backup. We make our stand here.”

  Mike glanced at him but did as told while taking position next to Keelan. Once backup had been informed of their position and status of their situation, Mike sighed. “Whatever happens, I just want you to know that you’ve been a very interesting friendship. I’m glad I met you.”

  “Me too, Mike, but I don’t intend to lose, because then Misery goes to Orlani, and I promised her mother that that wouldn’t happen.”

  Mike snorted. “Okay. See you in Spec Edit five’s sickbay, they.”

  “Better,” Keelan growled.

  They waited in silence.

  “And here I actually expected them to come storming around the corner,” Keelan finally said, never taking his eyes from the opening. He focused on listening, but all they could hear was the humdrum of city.

  “This is taking too long,” Mike said. Just as he said it, a grenade hit the wall and rolled into the alley.

  “Blinder, close your eyes!” Mike warned.

  Keelan had just done so when a flash lit up the space around them. “Hug the wall and hide in the smoke. Misery, hide down back.” Keelan stood with his back against the wall and tried to breathe without getting smoke into his lungs. Mike sounded like he had trouble doing the same.

  Footsteps mingled with their coughs, then the characteristic sound of a popper.

  Mike screamed, and Keelan lost his last grip on any logic.

  * * * *

  Without being able to see or breathe properly, Misery managed to drag herself further down the alley to hide better. She felt a hit to her shoulder so hard that it knocked her over and a blinding pain spread from her shoulder joint.

  Keelan had told her not to scream unless she was injured. She had no idea how bad it was, but her attention was drawn away from the pain when Keelan roared and flickered in the smoke. Her eyes stung, her shoulder ached, and her ankle throbbed.

  Mike’s curses were accompanied by groans and the sound of fists impacting with a midsection.

  Misery focused on her surroundings, and even half-blind she managed to locate the new knife Keelan had helped her make. She shuffled around to sit on her knees so her injured ankle wouldn’t be in the way. She held the knife with her left hand, since her right shoulder was injured. And while she sat and waited for one of the fuckers to get close enough, she silently thanked both Keelan and Mike for insisting that weapons training had to be done with both hands.

  * * * *

  Mike felt a fist connect with his cheekbone and everything went dark. He regained consciousness before he hit the ground and kicked about him. He hit someone, and luckily it wasn’t Keelan who cried out.

  Mike got back on his feet and kicked the inside of his opponent’s knee, but another pop sounded and the popper impacted with his chest. He gasped and looked toward Misery—he could see her sitting there. So still, but Mike noticed the knife.

  The fog from the grenade lifted a bit more, and he saw a man come at him with a fist raised. The man looked surprised before he screamed. Keelan stood behind him, his eyes black. The man collapsed at Mike’s feet, and Keelan was already gone, attacking three others. The man lying on the ground was bleeding from his back, and his screams mingled with furious roars. Mike remembered hazily that he’d heard Keelan like that once before—in the shower room in Delta when he saved Mike from getting raped.

  Mike’s head cleared a bit more, and he rummaged for his gun. A shot went off, but not from Mike’s gun, and Keelan’s roar changed.

  The overall tempo of the fight changed, and Mike recognized the phenomenon from when conscious thought stopped and training took over.

  Mike cocked his gun and took in the scene. Three more had arrived, Keelan had fallen, and three prone figures lay lifeless around him. Another pop sounded and hit Mike on the jaw, sending him face first into the wall.

  It all went dark.

  * * * *

  Keelan’s mind swam in and out of a void he’d been swallowed up in. Usually, it just consumed him completely so why was it trying to balance? When he saw Misery kneel at the end of the alley, he knew why. Fear. He had to keep her alive, too, not just himself.

  Mike was on the ground, and three men ran into the alley. Two went for Keelan while the third checked on Mike before he continued toward Misery.

  She screamed and shivered, and Keelan fought furiously to free himself. Suddenly, Misery stopped screaming and made two precise movements. The man dropped to the ground, gagging.

  The muzzle of a gun was pressed to Keelan’s face, and he saw another being pointed toward Misery. He heard the shot and saw the bullet hit her, the force of it shoving Misery backward.

  He screamed her name.

  A thump sounded, but it didn’t get his attention. He looked at his daughter, and for the first time in his life, he felt like giving up. It didn’t matter anymore. The will to live simply ebbed out of him as he watched her lie still.

  The men must have gotten up because their weight against him disappeared.

  He had promised Alice—

  A man landed next to Keelan’s head with his gut cut open.

  “My blood! Mine!” a man bellowed.

  Keelan turned to see a man fight his way through the last bounty hunter, but Keelan only had one objective—get to Misery. He half dragged himself through the alley, ignoring his body’s complaints as he pulled her into his arms.

  She wasn’t dead.

  She shivered and tried for a smile, so Keelan examined her body. She was hit, but not fatally unless she went into shock.

  “Good girl, good, keep fighting. We’re gonna make it out of here, just keep fighting,” Keelan whispered.

  A shot rang out. Then a fierce roar and another two shots. Then two thuds as the man and bounty hunter hit the ground. The man, who had chosen to join the fight, was still alive. Keelan pulled Misery up, and half carried her to Mike, lying close to the man.

  The man popped himself up and looked at them.

  “Two generations of me. Get her out of here.” The man’s eyes started to glaze over.

  His words finally registered in Keelan’s tired brain. “You’re my dad?” He changed his eyes and looked at the man with the black pools. The color was not to be mistaken—it was the same as Misery’s—and the feeling accompanied was unmistakable, too. Not even his hatred for the man could take away the loyalty he felt for him at that moment. He’d just saved them. Saved Misery.

  The
man drew his last breath

  Seven men stood at the opening of the alleyway.

  “You left your position,” one of the soldiers said. Keelan thought he looked familiar, but he hung at the edge of consciousness. All he focused on was Misery’s shivering body in his arms.

  All he had to do was hold on to her, and he kept doing that until darkness swallowed him up completely.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Keelan opened his eyes, and the first thing he registered was that Misery was no longer in his arms.

  “Misery!” he shouted and sat up.

  “Lie down!”

  Keelan looked at the physician standing next to him and working fast.

  “She’s here, she’s being treated,” Lewis said.

  “Mike?”

  “Being treated by the doctor.”

  “Alice?”

  “Her too, focus on yourself now.”

  “Misery. I promised Alice—”

  The physician planted a hand in the center of Keelan’s chest, put his weight behind, and slapped the shoulder he’d been shot in. Keelan screamed and fell onto his back again.

  “And stay down,” the physician growled, while Lewis mumbled something disapproving. “A broken nose, a hairline fractured jaw, broken shoulder blade, broken ribs, broken all kinds of bones and a lot of stitch work. No organ damage other than a thoroughly massaged kidney. You’ll live, but lie still!”

  The physician left.

  Keelan jerked when Lewis put a hand on his arm. It felt chilly, and Keelan felt cold.

  “Don’t you guys usually sedate people?”

  “Yes, but we need you awake for a little while longer. You’re gonna be moved to another room in a minute.”

  The physician rolled a stretcher in. Misery was on it, and she turned her head to look at him.

  “Dad,” she whispered.

  Keelan tried to get up.

  “Lie down!” the physician said, and Keelan did as commanded. Both their stretchers were rolled into another room, where Alice lay in a bed.

  Keelan felt hollow when he saw the many bruises on her.

  “No!”

  “Alice needs you right now, that’s why you’re awake,” Lewis said quietly. Alice blinked and tried to turn her head while Keelan’s stretcher was placed closer. Another doctor came over and helped lift Misery closer while he called Alice’s name.

  Alice opened her eyes fully and laughed. With a shaky and bloody hand, she reached to stroke Misery’s cheek.

  “My beautiful girl,” she whispered.

  “Mom?” Misery sobbed.

  “I love you. Always loved you,” Alice said, pulling Misery closer. Misery cried and held onto Alice.

  Keelan fought his way up, and the physician didn’t tell him to stay down. Instead both he and Lewis helped Keelan turn so he lay close enough to Alice to be able to hold both her and Misery.

  “I got my family,” Alice whispered and looked at Keelan, and it wasn’t until then he saw her face. One eye was completely red, and the skin on one side of her face was swollen and scorched.

  “Honey?” Keelan whispered.

  “Promise you’ll always protect her? Our little girl.”

  “Yes,” Keelan said and kissed her. He didn’t end the kiss before he felt her lifeless body slip from his grasp. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine her alive again. It was difficult.

  “Dad?” Misery whispered.

  Keelan looked up and saw Alice’s eyes staring back at him.

  * * * *

  Mike woke up to stare at a ceiling he’d seen from that position many times before. He tried to remember what had happened.

  Keelan had been shot.

  Mike looked around the room, finding he was alone. Panic set in, and he tried to unfurl himself until he remembered there was a call button. He pressed it, and fifteen seconds later a nurse stood by his side.

  “You have to lie still, you’ve had a drain put in your head,” the man said.

  “What? Why?” Mike noticed how dry his throat was, and his tongue felt like it had doubled in size.

  “You hit your head very badly.”

  “Keelan, Misery? What about Alice and Ratkins and... ” It all still seemed so jumbled in his head.

  “It’s okay. The physician is on his way.” He helped Mike back down and adjusted the blanket.

  The physician came in and stood silently at the foot of the bed.

  “Where are they?”

  “Here. Keelan and Misery are healing. Keelan needed surgery and is heavily sedated. An induced coma. Misery’s shot went through and through with no vital organs in the way. Child-friendly ammo still goes right through children.”

  “How bad is Keelan hurt since you put him in a coma?”

  “Alice is dead.”

  “No,” Mike begged and fell back. Then he definitely understood why they’d put Keelan under.

  “Ratkins was luckier than you guys, but he still got a serious ass whooping.”

  “And now?”

  “Now you heal and get better. Lewis is on his way. And I have to ask if we can move Misery in here. She insists on it.”

  “So do I,” Mike said.

  “Well, that settles it. Be right back.”

  The physician left the room, and Mike finally managed to drink some of the water the nurse was waiting with.

  Lewis arrived shortly after, along with the physician and Misery.

  She smiled at him, but it didn’t really reach her eyes. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Mike said, trying for a more convincing smile. A supportive smile, at least.

  “I saw my mom. I got to meet my mom.” She smiled again, and it reached her eyes. “She said she loves me.”

  Mike nodded and tried for another smile, because the lump in his throat had stolen his voice. A tear ran down his cheek.

  “Welcome back to the living,” Lewis said.

  Mike looked at him. “How long was I gone?”

  “Three days. We put Keelan under when Alice died. He wouldn’t let go of the body. Billy, Sean, and Jerry are dead, too. So are all the bounty hunters, plus a civilian we don’t really know where he fits in. He was found with you. Shot.”

  “I don’t know,” Mike said.

  “I don’t really know how to clean this one up, Mike. Ratkins is angry as piss because Gat Max said they knew he was on your side. Don’t think there’re many chances of dealing with him in the near future.”

  “Our ship?”

  “Your Galaxie seven hundred is safe in our dock,” Lewis said, sounding like he was trying to placate a spoiled child.

  “CCH,” Mike added.

  “Brag, brag, it’s all in the equipment.” Lewis turned to look at Misery.

  “You have to be the lieutenant commander who gets a discontented look on his face whenever he hears my dad’s name,” she said.

  “Yeah, and even though I’m a Lieutenant Colonel now, Mike and your dad are still some challenging friends.” Lewis smiled. “You’re safe here. Enjoy that and get better. It’ll take longer for your dad to heal, and we’ll keep him under until he does. We’ll figure all this out when he wakes up, okay?”

  Misery nodded and looked at Mike. He tried to mimic a smile as calming as Lewis’, but if anything, it probably just looked tired.

  “I’ll check in on you later.” Lewis left them.

  After another week, Mike was back in uniform while Misery wore coveralls and had her arm in a sling. Mike showed her level two where he’d lived for four years even though it had been on another ship. They were identical. Misery’s interest in the ship was so overwhelming that he finally decided to show her level one, where there was a huge room with the best view of the ship’s exterior, too.

  Before they reached that room, Mike noticed a soldier running past them with a frightened expression. Then he heard the sound of someone marching. Mike pulled Misery behind himself and waited. A unit rounded the corner a minute later with Lewis.

  Upon seeing them, Lew
is called the marching soldiers to a halt. The soldiers stopped, their eyes empty and cold.

  “Level one is off limits,” Lewis said.

  “Sorry, sir.” Mike maneuvered Misery around so he had her in his arms and blocked her view. Mike looked at the unit and tried to guess which of the fifteen young and physically well-trained men Keelan had seen the colors on. But he had no intentions of telling Lewis about it.

  “Acadians, report for training. Begin warm up.”

  “Yes, sir!” The unit left, and even though they were big—a few bigger than Keelan—Mike couldn’t forget Keelan’s story about the boys of Red Turf who had let him sleep in their containers and cleaned his wounds by their fire.

  “Go up and eat. We’ll talk about this later,” Lewis said and left.

  “Yes, sir,” Mike said.

  Misery looked up at Mike with black eyes. “One of them has dad’s color.”

  Mike gasped and held a hand over her eyes. “Don’t ever tell anyone, not even Lewis. Promise me.”

  “Okay,” she said, shrugging.

  Mike turned her face up to lock gaze with her. “Promise. Me!” he whispered.

  “I promise.”

  Mike smiled and put an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go see what happens in the mess hall while your dad sleeps the day away.”

  Misery laughed, and Mike felt useful. While Keelan slept, he’d take care of Misery.

  One big, odd family.

  * * * *

  Keelan woke up to a sore body and a bad taste in his mouth. He grimaced and felt something cold and wet against his lips. Opening his eyes, he found Misery smiling at him, holding a bottle with a straw.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “You okay?” he managed with a hoarse voice.

  “Yeah.”

  “Mike?”

  “I’m here.” Mike came to stand on the other side of the bed. Keelan drank from the water, Misery offered.