by Nathan Ward
“What do you have to do, Mr. Lynch? Just be patient…and erm…don’t mention to anyone that I was here!”
“I’ve waited fucking months, woman!” he said sharply, suddenly summoning back what strength remained, his eyes wide and blood shot, his lips chapped and sweat dripping from his forehead.
“I understand, but we’re working on something…something brilliant!” She promised him as she made her way back towards the sliding door.
“What is it…” he whispered, sounding desperate for information.
Joy turned, shot him a look over her shoulder and winked, before sliding the door back in to its closed position and wandering away from the medical unit.
Joy quickly scarpered towards the stair well, looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being followed, suited in her pure white leathers she wasn’t hard to miss as she descended down the steps and crashed in to Murdock who was running towards her. He grabbed her to break her fall and pulled her back to her feet. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, knowing she hadn’t realised who he was, the waist coat and bow tie wasn’t something she had come to associate with the fantastic thoughts of Nathan Murdock, but the beard was a giveaway, not to mention his slender build that these fine clothes exaggerated.
She looked at him, he smiled, she blinked, and then she recognised him.
“Murdock!” she cried, leaping towards him and smothering him. He returned a friendly hug and smiled, feeling warm in his heart to see her face once more.
“This place is growing by the day, for once I don’t walk out my door and see someone I recognise, and I’m meeting new folk, not sure if I like that or not,” He explained, “Walk with me,” he added, as he took a short step down the stair case.
“What’s with the new clothes then?” Joy asked, looking him up and down, “Is this it? That change you mentioned before?”
Murdock glanced to Joy beside him, “Well that’s why I’m here, and luckily Josh invited me in otherwise it could have been weeks until I managed to get inside, you know you’re the only one with a pass for this building, right?”
“And the doctors, nurses, Steph and Josh…” She added.
“Well obviously, yes. Don’t you think…Oh, never mind.”
Murdock picked up his pace, descending down the spiral stair case.
“No, what were you going to say? Tell me…”
Joy quickly caught up and pulled on Murdock's shoulder, turning him about to face her. “What is it?”
He couldn’t look her in the eye, he suddenly felt nervous which was most unlike him.
“I’m…I’m going to be leaving the city…for good.”
Joy fell silent, unable to find a means of processing what she had heard.
“You’re, leaving?”
“I feel like, if I don’t go now I never will…The opportunity has never been more appealing to me, but I want you to be happy for me,” He explained, knowing how unpredictable Joy could be.
“But why? We’re safe here…We have everything we will ever need to support life!”
“And you have your breakthroughs, word gets around. I’ve heard about the advancements in cybernetics, I’m proud of you. But this place…I was never meant to stay.”
Murdock placed his hand against the soft skin of Joys face, it was warm and glowing bright and made him think of the softness of rose petals. The sadness he saw in her gaze was something she couldn't hide.
“Then I guess you should go, no one's holding you back, no one holds Murdock back...I just hope when you leave you're happy.”
She knew she couldn’t change his mind, she knew he was in love too, and there was a job she couldn’t just hang up, it occurred to them both that destiny itself was meant to split them apart as Murdock raised his other hand and gently placed a small black box against her forearm. Webbing sprouted from the sides of the box and fastened it comfortably to her suit, and then the glass monitor lit up and sung a short tune.
“If you ever need me, I’m in the contacts…but if you’re gonna call every minute of the day missus, I’m blocking your ass, emergencies only, yeah?”
“Yeah,” she muttered, wiping away a tear that that suddenly ran from her eye. “Come here!” he ordered, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her, as secretly she wished that she could hold the embrace for eternity - but sooner or later they had to let go and so for this moment she cherished it, knowing this may well be the last she would see of her dear friend.
“Look after Connor, he’s a good lad, he deserves someone like you.”
“I’ll do my best, I promise,” she replied.
Murdock gave her one final kiss of the cheek which left her slightly flustered as he slowly backed away, raising his hand against his brow as a final salute. That image of him etched itself in to the back of her mind like a portrait of a god, she would never forget him, that man who had been like no other, that man who she secretly adored and had done from the start, the only man she had ever known who had made a difference and been a true hero, and a true friend... She thought on all those things as she watched him disappear, running down the chunky glass steps - because the chase was now officially on...
Murdock raced his way down the stair case, breaking left and down a dark gloomy corridor which led direction to the final set of steps that would take him down to the foyer. Suddenly a figure emerged ahead of him out of nowhere, he slowed his pace and turned down his eagerness as the figure walked under a light, it was Stephanie, sporting a long black dress and tablet in her right hand.
“Murdock!? It’s been so long!” She exclaimed, pulling him in for a quick embrace.
“Well you can blame your husband for that.”
“You know what he’s like, his suspicions.”
Murdock rolled his eyes and nervously glanced over Steph's shoulder, hoping she didn’t notice that he was in a bit of hurry.
“Am I…keeping you?” she asked, noticing the eagerness to get away.
“If you must know, Yes…Yes you are, and I’m glad I bumped in to you because I just want to say, you’re brilliant…you were brilliant, and I’ll be off now!”
He pulled a key card from her breast pocket and pushed past her, launching himself down towards the end of the corridor.
“Murdock! You can’t do that!”she wailed, attempting to give chase in her high heels, but he was long gone, so she cleverly ceased her pursuit and thumped her hand against an emergency button protruding from the wall that erupted the city in to a state of high alert.
Sirens blazed and lights flashed bright red as Murdock ran for the closest emergency exit, avoiding the oncoming squads of freedom soldiers dressed in their white leathers and wielding long assault rifles with explosive tipped bullets.
He scanned the key card against the wall and the door flung open, releasing him from the tower in the direction that he was required to take.
Kevin quickly dropped his spade and begun unzipping his leather uniform, revealing a Hawaiian shirt and beige shorts. He pulled the leathers away and hopped in to some crocks that were hidden beside a bag of soil, the middle aged man then gave chase, catching up with Murdock as he ran down a long, wide road.
“They’re right behind us, Captain!”
Murdock glanced back, catching a glimpse of soldiers boarding a carrier vehicle. “We’d better be quick then!” he replied as he begun to pick up the pace.
“I want air units on standby, get us after them, lieutenant!” Josh ordered as he climbed in to the front of the Carrier.
Suddenly a front door burst open and Sasha, flanked by Jordan emerged – Sasha was sporting a low cut green tank top and leggings while Jordan wore a dark blue shirt and smart grey trousers fastened by a black leather belt. They quickly formed up along side Murdock as he passed, headed straight towards a clearing behind the street of houses.
“Did you do it?” he panted.
“Sorted!” Sasha replied, lengthening her stride to keep up with the tall, agile men
.
As the four of them reached what looked like a narrow alley way, they compressed themselves into a single file formation and made their way down the concrete path and in to the back garden where Michael and Kevin’s daughters suddenly appeared, jumping out from behind a wooden shed. Michael had a similar Hawaiian shirt to Kevin and a silly sombrero while the girls both sported leotards and leggings, having got the memo that lots of running would be involved a few days earlier.
“Come on!” Murdock ordered, waving them down and making one last effort to reach the back of the ridiculously large garden.
Outside the front yard the carrier vehicle came to an abrupt halt. Soldiers disembarked from the rear ramp, stomping down on the iron surface and making way for Josh who charged forward down the side alley and into the garden, flanked by his troops. They wasted no time, dispersing among the grounds and remaining alert with their weapons drawn.
“Murdock, don’t be a fool…” Josh sighed, following his armed guard as they advanced up the length of the garden.
But Murdock and his crew were no where to be seen, the garden was fenced off completely, leaving no means of escape.
“Negative, sir.”
“What do you mean, Negative?” Josh raged, spitting in the face of his soldier. “They are not here…” the soldier daringly added as Josh turned towards the house, glancing up towards the windows.
“Shoot down the fences!” he ordered, the soldiers looked confused at first then proceeded to fire on the wooden framework. As bullets begun to explode, splintering the wood and punching holes through the fences a trail of bullets fired back, launching the bulk of the back fence towards Josh and his troupe.
“Get down!” he cried, pulling down his men as he slumped like a ton of bricks to the grass and soil.
The fencing crashed on top of them, breaking apart but leaving none injured. Then came the thunderous roar of jet engines. Josh scrambled back to his feet in time to catch sight of the legend that was the war bird, repainted in its traditional matt black war paint and rising off the city ground.
The white leathered soldiers had the craft in their sights as Josh waved his arm, issuing a cease fire, realising that it was over…Nothing good would come from shooting them out of the sky, they had gotten what they so desired, they were free. Free of corruption, free of law, free of prejudice and all that accompanied it.
There was nothing here for any of them, just long lost friends and devastating memories that belonged far away.
“Perhaps we’ll get some sleep now…” said Sasha, holding on to Murdock's shoulder and watching through the window as the war bird accelerated away from the city suburbs.
Joy looked on through the large plane of glass inside her apartment as the great war bird vacated the city with a piercing rumble, launching into the distance, fading among the clouds and leaving sadness in its wake.
“So long, Murdock...” she whispered, her vision turned towards the blue of the sky as unforgettable memories flashed before her.
The change that Murdock spoke of had finally come, and sadly it was in a way that no one had ever expected to witness: The city had suddenly fallen cold under the rays of the burning sun, a contrast that could never have made any sense to some, but the cities people could feel the pocket in their hearts as it became empty. The love, the joy, the ambition felt like it was suddenly no longer existent as families clung on to one another, watching as Joshes matt white military vehicles clambered along the roads, returning towards the grand tower that sat dominantly at the centre of the city chattering and clonking as the vehicles articulated with the bumps and rubble in the streets.
Change had come to the City of London, Change had come to Freedom...
Conclusion:
Murdock:
“We were hot off the press, made it on to the front page all over the city…at least I’d assume so because that’s how the world works, right? It’s what makes the cogs turn, and that’s why we opted out, we defeated the menace that was terrifying and destroying our world and we took it back, bringing a feel of normality back to our people.
But after months of the rebuild and new state laws being introduced by Josh as a means to keep the city safe, I felt like my job was done and I was never one to abide by rules - it was always my own way or not at all.
So we just flew, to anywhere that looked reasonably attractive, a lake, some elegant old ruins and not a sign of life for miles…it was perfect for a stop off, and so we put the old bird down in a nearby yard where the grass was high and golden like the sun.
The lake was only a few meters down the slope and it was just magnificent, it IS magnificent…”
Murdock pressed his finger tip against the stop button illuminated on his wrist computer, it kind of looked out of place while he wore an open white shirt and bright pink floral shorts.
“Come on!” Sasha called, sat in a navy bikini top with her tanned, silky smooth legs washing to and fro with the gentle pull of the water.
Murdock took a glance over towards Kevin, Michael, Jordan and the two girls who were sat in the high grass chatting and enjoying the sun, then he turned to Sasha and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her thin elegant waist and pulling her close.
“Kevin and Michael are great… Jordan, well we’ve got some bridges to build let’s just say that…”
“Oh you can say that again, but his hearts in the right place, it always was,” Sasha looked down at the wash of the water as it sparkled under the sun, “What are the names of those girls?”
“You know what… I never asked, I have no idea,” Murdock chuckled, planting a kiss on Sasha’s forehead.
“This is great, isn’t it…we’re not dreaming are we?” she smiled, looking up at him with excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“We most certainly aren’t,” he replied.
Then they fell silent with the sound of crickets chirping in the grass behind them, the majestic trickle of the water splashing against the soil and the distant sound of laughter, erupting from the others.
It could have been a dream, but even after Sasha had nipped at her skin it didn’t seem like it was ending. She giggled and slapped a forceful kiss against Murdock's lips, he pressed back against her and before they knew it they were taking a tumble in to the lake. They splashed around, striking their hands against the water in an effort to wet each other, even though they were already drenched.
There was nothing left for the imagination as their half naked bodies climbed back out and slumped against the damp patch of grass where the water could run off them.
“Can I tell you something, well…can I ask something?”
Sasha turned to Murdock, with her body still damp and firmly pressed against the ground.
“Of course.”
“If you had the power right now to turn back time, say to before the virus outbreak happened, would you do it?”
Sasha’s eyes narrowed, she looked away for a second to think on it then met Murdock's gaze again.
“I think…I would, I’d hope that someday we’d cross paths, like destiny forced us together…Why? Would you?”
“In a heartbeat, to correct the wrongs, to discover the man I was meant to be through natural development and not through the means of running because my existence depended on it. Just makes me wonder really, after what the UNA brought with them, what else do they have…up there…”
Murdock and Sasha leant back, resting their heads on the ground and casting their eyes up towards the crystal clear skies, while the sails of a distant windmill begun to turn and creak as a warm, gentle breeze swept along the peaceful embankment.
Murdock:
“As I look to the skies and think of all that lies beyond it, I'm still searching for answers:
Could it be true?
Can they really have abilities as powerful as Josh believes?
A means of turning back time, like a way of cheating death?
If they can do that, then why haven’t they
done it, why haven’t they used it?
What part can I possibly play in the grand scheme of things?
Perhaps we’ll never know, but one thing’s for sure…I’m no longer without my questions...”
END
