Chapter 14

A loud explosion in the night awoke Beau from his sleep. He looked around the room for Rider. Rider’s cot was empty but for a piece of paper.

He got up quickly going over and taking the piece of paper. It was a short message.

– Thank you for keeping me going as long as you did.. I love you,, brother.

Rider

Beau felt a weird feeling. He rushed out of their tent and hurried out to where a small crowd of their people were gathering around a smoking area.

He saw the body. Rider was black. Burned to near ash.

There was complete silence and then a loud wailing came from someone. Beau didn’t look at E as she went crazy. Crying out from her soul in pain.

Beau just stared at his friend. His brother. He had failed him. He had fought hard and tried his best to avoid this day from happening and it still happened. E had been right. She had warned him Rider was close to losing it. She had begged him to turn down the job.

First Angel and now Rider.

“Fucking hell.” He said finally.

E roared fighting her way out of the people holding her and went at him beating him with her hands and then trying to choak him finally until he gathered her in his arms. She roared curses at him still trying to fight him as he cried.

“I told you! I told you!” E said in a bitter voice.

Beau said nothing as he stared at his friend on the ground. He felt emptied out of all the hope and energy.

……

Beau shook himself out of his day dreams of Rider’s death a day ago to focus back on the conversation between him and Major Benjamin on Skype.

“Lucas. I know your having a tough time right now but you need to get your head on straight. You can not turn down this job offer. I’m sorry about your friend but you really need to consider your own future.”

Beau shook his head. “I’m out. I can’t abandon my people right now.” He said. “Rider’s death….it hit everyone here hard. We need time to-“

“You are all out of time. Vlad’s children are to be taken in to military trusted hands and your people and their children will be shipped to Baltimore within the hour.”

Beau stared at Major Benjamin. “Vlad’s kids we’re given into my protection. I promised him before I killed him that they would raised among his own people. My people.”

“The children are wards of the state and American citizens as are your people. The military will be there with in the hour to take them all. Lucas. Don’t think about doing anything stupid. You-“

Beau turned off the feed and fell down in to a seat. His legs hurt and he couldn’t think beyond the consent pain he was in. It was to much. He was losing to much all at once and now Vlad’s children would be under the control of the government.

“You can’t fight them.” E said behind him.

He couldn’t look up at her. The shame and guilt he felt was to much. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

E sat down and felt around blindly for something on her desk. Beau stared at her. “What the fuck is wrong with you? It’s not that dark in here.”

E shook her head. “I didn’t love Rider.”

“Bullshit.” Beau spat.

“I didn’t love him.” E repeated. “Rider belonged to me. We fit one another. He just wasn’t able to accept it. He only just lost his wife six months ago. You lost. Is this a dream?”

Beau looked up at her as she aimed a glock at his face. “Yes.”

“Good.” She said before firing the gun in his face.

Beau and E sat down in her hospital office drinking wine alone after Rider’s funeral. A flash of light brightened the room and then several government agents and mercenaries appeared in the room. All armored and weapons at the ready aimed at them. Beau looked at the leader in the room.

“Sir. What’s this about?”

The man frowned at him. “Set your weapon down on the table. We came here to talk.”

“Okay. What’s this about, Major Benjamin?”

“You and Doctor E need to come along with us to a secure location. You are to be detained for your protection.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you without a warrant.” E said.

“You didn’t answer my question Major. I want to speak to your commanding officer.” Beau said.

“It’s simple son. To many lose ends have to be cleaned up before things can get back to normal on the Surface. Sorry but you and the doctor are the ones that didn’t keep your promises and handled your end of the bargain. You have information we need. The others have already fallen in line and disbanded your army here.”

Beau flinched back. “Army?! Sir. We don’t have an army here. We’re just survivors. We’ve been waiting six months to get out of this city and we’ve been protecting the folk here so they could get out finally in one piece.”

Major Benjamin shook his head. “The president and the military don’t see it that way. Besides the fact you didn’t come good with your end of the deal you made with the government you got to much power in your own right and influence with the people here. Your the reason some of them are staying just to look out for you.. Are you coming with us or not.”

Beau looked at E. She shook her head. Beau sighed and looked back. “We’re staying here.” He said.

The soldiers unloaded on them instantly. Killing E behind him and taking him down to the ground and hail storm of bullets until one of the mercenaries shot him with a blast of fire and lightning from his mouth.

Beau stared feeling his body die and then finally. He felt Angel let go his hand and release him from the hell.