Jacqueline Druga - Healing

They knelt in a line and all of them set their crossbows.

“Take your target.” Mick called quietly. “On my call. One… two… fire.”

There was a synchronized line of clicks followed by a single whistle sound as the arrows sailed through the air fast and furious.

Quietly, the nine arrows hit five of the men in deadly areas, the sixth took a shot to his leg and dropped forward.

“Charge!” Mick ordered and they all raced forward. Except Mick. He reloaded, aimed, and shot at the sixth man, taking him out.

He motioned to the two men to go in with him and as Mick crossed the barricade, he noticed one man reaching for his rifle. Mick kicked the weapon, bent down, covered the man’s mouth, and ripped the arrow from his chest. The arrow pulled ligaments and blood flowed upward in a rush. Quickly, Mick shifted and stabbed the man in the throat.

At that point, he didn’t have time to think ‘humanity’ and Mick charged through the barricade.

It was quiet. No one was around. The sneak attack had sounded no alarms and Mick waved his hand for the two men to go on.

“I’m in,” Mick whispered into the radio as he ran. “All good. Six down. No one the wiser.”

“We’ll wait. Let us know when you get a position.”

“Actually,” Mick spotted the golden arches, “quarter mile. I think I see our fast food restaurant. Be back.” Holding tight against the buildings, Mick followed the bright yellow ‘M’ as if it were the North Star. But staying out of sight was increasingly difficult as the buildings and businesses were further and further apart.

He came around a back street through a car wash and halted, his back against a wall, and peeked. Men carrying guns walked down the street. They weren’t patrolling, they were walking. In fact, every man carried a weapon.

Mick pulled his radio to his mouth. “Don’t respond, just listen. We have hostiles up and down the main street. They are armed but not in any ready position.” Mick’s eyes shifted to the blue sign above his head on the building. It read: ‘Patient Parking only,’. “I think I found it. Hang tight.”

He inched his way forward. Would the men even notice him? No one seemed to pay any attention to what was going on. As he hit the main sidewalk, he looked to his right and up.

It was the Breast Care Center.

Waiting until he had a clear shot, Mick darted from the side of the building and raced as fast as he could to the door. Revolver raised, he blasted through the door holding out his weapon.

The door closed on its own at the same time Mick saw Lars.

Lars spun around. “Mick!” He grinned.

“Michael?” Rose swung her legs from the cot.

“Mom!" Mick rushed to her. “Oh God.”

Rose weakly got to her feet. Her legs wobbled but Mick grabbed on to her.

“Mick.” She placed her hands to his face. “Thank you. I knew you’d be the one to get us.” She kissed him over and over.

Mick smiled. “I’ve seen you look better though. Lars, how is she?”

“She’s been better, but she’ll heal.” Lars stepped to him. “Mick, what is happening?”

“Hold on.” Mick lifted his radio. “Briggs, found the hostages. Give me three minutes.”

“Roger that,” Briggs responded. “Let me know when you have it.”

“Roger. Out.” Mick clipped his radio. “Lars, listen to me. Take my mom out the back. Make a left, follow that street for a block then take a right. It’ll bring you to the Left Hypochondria.”

“I know exactly where that is.”

“I know you do. You did great giving us intel. We own that now. Our men are there, Take my mother.”

Rose asked, “What about you?”

Mick moistened his lips. “I don’t have time to go with you. There something in this town I need to find. Find it, take it and destroy it.”

Lars asked. “Are you talking about the MHS?”

Mick nodded.

“I know exactly where it is. It’s at the Diary Queen a block and half down the road. In the basement, inside a stand up freezer. Be careful.”

Mick’s head tossed back with a grateful nod. “Thank you. Okay, get my mom out of here. We’re running out of time and an attack is gonna happen any minute. It will no longer be safe for you.”

“Then you’ll meet us. Right?” Rose asked.

Mick took his mother’s hands. “Mom, that’s not gonna happen. You need to know how much I love you and how much you have been a great mother. Please watch the boys.”

“Michael?”

“Mick?” Lars asked. “What’s going on?”

“Lars, go,” Mick said firmly. He struggled to pull his hands from Rose.

“No. No,” Rose shook her head. “You are my son. What are you doing?”

“Yes, Mick, what are you doing?” Lars asked.

“Lars, go,”

“No!” Lars yelled. “Not until you tell me what is up.”

“I have the virus!” Mick snapped. “My suit ripped. The room was hot. I have it. Confirmed. In less than 8 hours I’ll probably be highly contagious. I can’t let the boys know, I can’t let them see me die like that. I won’t be able to touch them, hold them. So…this is my last stand.” He looked at Rose. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” she wept. “You’re my son. My son. I’m going to stay with you. I don’t care about the virus. I don’t.”

“I do,” Mick said passionately. “I care about you and I care about those boys. They need you.”

“What are you going to do, Mick?” Lars asked in irritation. “Take care of the heroics and when that is done, go off to the woods and die like a sick dog?”

“If I have to, yes. Or…” Mick touched the grenades strapped to his belt, “go out in a blaze of glory.”

“You can’t do that,” Lars argued.

“What choice do I have!” Mick blasted.

“You can’t be serious?” Lars said. “You stand before me and ask that. Let me help.”

“You are the great Lars Rayburn, but not even you can beat this.”

“How do you know!” Lars yelled. “How? Give me a chance at this, Mick. This is what I do. Get the antidote. It’s with the virus.”

“It needs to be taken within two hours you know that.”

“But it’s something for me to work with,” Lars said. “It’s a base to start with. The virus is heat resistant and I’ll stick you in a sauna if I have to slow it and buy us time, but for God’s sake don’t do this. Don’t give up. Let me try. For those boys, your mother. For all of us,” he pleaded, “Please, Mick, let me try.”

Before Mick could reply, gunfire rang out in the distance. “Fuck. We’re too late. Battle started. Go. Go! Get her out.”

Lars took hold of Rose. “What are you going to do?”

Mick closed his mouth tightly, leaned to his mother, kissed her and stepped back. “First thing’s first. I get the MHS.” He pointed outward and shouted. “Go!” and she flew through the door and out to the street.

He emerged unnoticed onto the street. Men and women with weapons rushed toward the other end of the street. Mick could only guess they were headed to the front lines. He blended in so much no one noticed he was the opposing force.

“Wrong way!” someone yelled at Mick. “The fighting is that way.”

“Gonna check the other barricade!” Mick replied as he ran.

The Dairy Queen. He saw it. Picking up the pace, Mick charged to the former ice cream store and inside. The door clanked as he slammed though it and it echoed in the hollow empty store. The basement door wouldn’t be in the main dining area, so Mick hurried to the back hall. It wasn’t there, then he turned to the kitchen.

He spotted the door and saw it was open. He ran down the stairs and the single metal freezer door was directly in the scope of his vision. That too was open.