Victor Methos - Plague

The night air was hot and the moon was out but it was partially hidden by the few clouds that were dotting the night sky. She walked down her porch steps and stared at the stars as she came to the driver side window.

“How much was the fare again?” she asked. The driver didn’t respond. She bent down, closer to the window. “Excuse, how much was the fare?”

As she reached in to get his attention, she noticed the trickle of blood from behind his ear that was soaking the collar of his shirt. His eyes were glazed over and his head tilted just enough to the right that she couldn’t have noticed it at first.

She felt soft cloth around her neck and then it tightened like a vice. It tightened so violently that she was lifted off her feet and her air was cut off instantly. She began to gag, and drool began to slop from her mouth.

“You know,” Robert Greyjoy whispered in her ear. “It would’ve been far easier for you in the jungle. One quick shot and it would’ve ended. Now, I’m going to take my time.”

He began dragging her into the home, her feet kicking the pavement as she tried to scream but nothing escaped her throat. She was dragged up her porch steps and into the house as he kicked the door shut behind them.

He threw her into the living room. As she lay on the floor, he lunged and kicked her in the ribs. She spun over with a groan, the air knocked out of her, as he smashed down on her hand with the heel of his shoe.

Robert paced a few seconds and then stomped on her ribs, and then on her Achilles tendon, sending a shockwave of pain up and down her body. He kicked her again and again in the head and ribs and chest until she lay flat on her back, silent, the blood pooling around her and her vision spinning. He stomped on her stomach and when she didn’t move because of how numb her body had become, he stopped and stood over her.

“She was the only person in the world that I gave a shit about. The only one that actually knew who I really was. And you took that away from me. Do you know what that feels like? To be absolutely alone in the world? I was alone my entire life and for a brief period I thought, maybe, there was something else. Now I know there’s not. You’ve shown me something, Dr. Bower. You’ve shown me that the universe is the cold, dark place I always thought it was. And I hate you for it. I hate you more than I’ve ever hated anything in my life.” She mumbled something and Robert leaned down over her. “Was that begging that I just heard?”

“No,” she said. “Turn around.”

Robert looked up just as the 9mm Smith amp; Wesson fired. The round entered his cheek and exited out the back of his head, spattering brain matter, blood, and bits of skull over the carpet and wall. The corpse fell back over Sam, but she didn’t have the strength to heave it off her.

Duncan leaned down and lifted the corpse, moving it to the side. He helped Sam to her feet, putting her arm around his neck as they began to walk out of the house.

“You came for me,” she said, her voice hardly a whisper.

He looked to her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. “There’s nowhere else I want to be.”