The flight was normal as f*ck, only different thing was that I am crippled and with a pretty lady. We landed back okay, and I called James to pick us up. I saw him pulling in, I wave him down to come straight through the entrance because in a wheelchair it was to much of a hassle.
James stopped the car in front of us and as he got out, " Why are you in a bloody wheelchair Ray?" I didn't mention I was in the wheelchair.
Lucia whispers "You didn't tell him?"
I laugh and answer "Nope... I'm alright, I'll be out in two months, see?"
Jameson gave a pissed look to me but raised his head smiling to Ms. Rose shaking her hand and thanking her ten times straight, I hear him say to me to be polite to her and listen to her. Then he suddenly mentions that he, Martha, and the baby is going up north for family. I was angry but held it back because I to didn't mention an important matter. The two keeps talking.
I shout, "May we please get going?"
"Don't be so rude Ray, I'm talking with a sweet lady, count yourself lucky" James retorted.
"Imma tell Martha you said that Jameson if that's fine with you?" I smirk. He looked scared and turned to the car.
"Ok Ray you won, beside I meant your lucky for even getting a girl in general" He laughed to himself and got inside the car then said, "Lets hit it, you two."
The ride was normal, Rose sat In front with James and they just chat about me as I stared blankly out of the window, James pulls into the driveway. Rose pulled me out and gently put me on in the wheelchair, we say our goodbyes to James, and we saw him wave as goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway, leaving.
I reach down to a little compartment in the wall beside the entrance door... It was an advance hand scan, that opens the door automatically and I pull out a key from my pocket handing it to Rose for getting in with, because it won't open to anyone's scan but me. She agreed and pushed inside... next thing I rolled myself to the mud room grabbing a cane and use it to stand up my weight helping me stand straight. Lucia noticed and looked angry.
"Rivers, I'm sorry but you need to stay in the chair or bed until your healing is over" She angrily said.
I angrily spoken back "No, this is normal and besides I think this would be a good physical therapy."
She pouted then sighed "Alight then, just in the home you're not going anywhere but in this house." I snorted with disgust. she ignored it.
We stood there for a minute just silent until I mentioned the word "Food?" She just gave a smile of interest and went into the kitchen as I follow behind her slowly. She opens the fridge to be only bud light or Bush. I said to open the freezer, she did such, seeing a pile of instant home microwaved meals. she looks back to me with displeasure.
"What? What's wrong" I said.
"Beer and processed food, they don't even at the least have vegetables" She argued.
"Well miss Rose, I'm a soldier I enjoy the taste of alcohol and I'm to much busy to cook for myself." I angrily mention.
She mumbled to yourself making me more pissed, then I pick up my phone dialing a numbe, holding it to my ear. Lucia saw me and just stared still angry; I hold my hand over the speaker then asked her "Like Chinese?" She nods. I made the decision to call Mings to come over to the house and deliver the food.
I hear a knock, I answered, "Hey Ming, how are ya?" As I take the bag of food out of his hands.
"Yes yes, me good" he notices my cane "Another day of work, my boy." I nodded. He notices something again, a girl trying to look over my shoulder being innocent smelling the food. Mings smiles at me with a not innocent look, so that's when I just say, "Ok thanks Ming" Then slam the door.
"That was rude, I wanted to say thank you too?" She said saddened.
"You're lucky he was nice to make something even though his truck was closed today." As I walked to the counter taking stuff out of the bag.
"I still could have said a thank you." She said under her breath, I paid no mind. I got a fork and plate with General Tso on it.
"Let's just eat please." I said handing her the plate of food.
"Ok, thank you." She grabbed the plate with both hands looking around seeming lost.
"Oh yeah, the dining rooms on the right then you'll see it's in the living room" As I grab my plate and when she left, I took a beer from the fridge. but to my displeasure and surprise.
"You better not be opening a beer, Ray!" she yelled from the other room, I scoffed then drained the beer in the sink and toss it in the trash.
Afterwards I was sitting on the couch in the living room. Spacing out, while Lucia cleans the dishes, feels weird being here still. I look down at my legs and arms surprised, I lived from a f*cking explosion. I take my shirt off checking my upper quadrant of the stomach. It hurt but not as much as my head, I really don't know who that man was I started thinking about, but he didn't finish me off either, he must've thought the grenade would've done the job. I grab my holster taking out the gun and then start taking it apart, to my unawareness, Lucia was looking through the kitchen.
She came over sat on the couch next to me, looks like she wanted to talk. I didn't, I continued taking gun and dismantling it, the gun screws and all. Lucia for any unknown reason rubbed my back, I didn't really mind but felt a little awkward.
"I saw you in pain for a second, thought you were feeling sick is all, are you okay?" she softly asks me. still rubbing my back.
"Yeah... Thanks, just tired... Say did you pack anything, like clothes and that stuff?" I asked as I put the gun together.
She looked at me but hesitantly answered me, "No, I was going to grab all that stuff while I was here to save the trouble, why?" I stopped putting the gun back together and grabbed my cane.
"Come with me" I gotten up, same did she and I limp to the back of the house.
I looked at a door hesitantly opening it but as it creaks open, I just quickly walk to the dresser inside the room looking distinctly away of the bed and open the slot of the dresser grabbing a thing of clothes, shirt and pajama pants and pass them to her saying.
"The bra and underwear are on you, but the showers behind you and huh... this'll be your room." I said briefly and limped fast pass her and back into the living room leaving her holding the clothes with me hearing a soft little "Thank you."
Thirty minutes pass ad I grabbed a case under the couch placing it on to the coffee table pop up the pins opening it completely seeing it was a custom case to hold and suppressed baretta and little above it is a another suppressed M4A1 with hybrid red dot optic with cases of dragon's breath bullets.
I heard a down behind me open I shut the case and threw it back under the couch, I saw Lucia in the long sleeve and pajama pants thinking she was way to pretty to be Zinc sister, but adoption would make me believe so. she sat on the couch.
"Thanks for the clothes, but-" I answer before she could ask.
"They were my mother's clothes."
"Oh, does she live with you?" I shook my head.
"This was her house... Then mine"
"Where is she?" Lucia being clueless.
"Not in our existence anymore" Rose looked guilty for asking.
"Sorry I didn't mean to-"
"Nah, it was long ago... It's fine." I place my arm on her shoulder telling her.
"It's late, you should head to bed."
"I didn't see any other beds here, where you are going to sleep Ray?"
"The couch is good of a bed than anything."
"The beds big enough, why not sleep with me then." She said so calmly.
I coughed hard "One no and two I despise that bed, I said its fine, so go ahead." She looked paused until she realizes what she said, she got up.
"Ok good night, Ray" And dashes to the room.
I thought, Jesus Christ... I laid on the couch, but then I thought about getting that beer. I rush into the kitchen taking a Bush from fridge but as I am about to drink it, I heard steps from the hall getting closer and in a quick second I saw it.
"My lord, Ray I said no beer." Lucia said from then snatching my beer away.
"Hey what the F*c-." She put her finger on my mouth shushing me.
"I said language and I'm dumping these down the drain now." I watched here drain every beer I ever had.
"That's just... Wow." I said, I cried inside.
"You are under my care, and I promised my brother to watch you well so don't do this again."
"Not like I can, that's the only beer I had."
"I don't mean only your beer, what you do behind my back. I want to help you get better."
"Feels like it's not the pay for why you're trying so much... Sorry, I didn't mean." That I said was disrespectful.
"My brother said you saved him, drawing the enemy on you while letting him and the target get out." I was even more surprised.
"Yeah... Well, I still think this is unnecessary."
"I'm always kind to every patient either way... That's who I am you know?"
"I guessed that much."
"So... Be honest and let me care for you, I'd like to at most befriend you." I felt something from that remark.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I'll be more honest for both our sake. You should go to bed now." She smiled, gave a quick hug, and then ran to the hallway to the bedroom.
I walked to the couch turning the TV on laying on the couch thinking I feel better to sleep right now. The night flew, I stayed up to just watch a few romcoms, it was still dark but was two in the morning. I heard a creaking of wooden pallets; I got up sitting on the couch watching a tired eyed Lucia walking to the couch and sitting down yawning.
"Hey, sorry did I wake you up?" I asked her.
She shook her head. "No, I needed to use the restroom and saw you were still awake... Could we watch a movie, please." She said very gently giving a sweeten look to me, I couldn't say no.
"Oh, huh yeah not a problem with me what do you want to watch?"
"A Rainy Day in New York" I searched and played it.
I rested my head on the couch and grabbed my pillow with the blanket placing the pillow behind Roses head tossing the blanket over her. She smiled to me, meaning a thank you I guessed... The movie played the same but the both of us started to drift to sleep near the end of it, but I felt to comfortable to even bother moving, as Lucia head dropped on my shoulder and my head resting on hers. I finally had no insomnia but was able to sleep normally for once that night...
The time flew by like nothing. No nightmares, no sudden awakening, just nothing. I am getting up from the couch almost forgetting I needed my cane to hold myself up, I almost fell straight to the floor until Rose caught me then setting me down.
"Clumsy Ray might be your knew name."
"Yeah, no thanks." She passed me my cane.
"Jameson was right, you're lucky to have me." She walks back to the kitchen.
I gotten up behind her looking over her shoulder cooking eggs and blue berry pancakes.
"Where did you buy this? and had did you buy this?"
"While you were snoring, I sneaked out to the grocery store, and I paid with someone wallet." I reached into my pocket while she grinned at me.
"Clever girl, I barely use the money anyway only replace torn clothes and cartridges for the guns."
"Guess it works in both our favors." She chuckled.
I grabbed my phone off the coffee table, I looked into my messages... I stumped to my coat rack struggling to reach into the pocket thinking where it was. Rose looked at me and ask what I was looking for, I said "The gun that was in my other holster on my chest, she said Zinc might put all the guns in the military base here saying it was in my locker. I instead grabbed my jacket putting it on then walking out the door Rose came behind my in her pajamas in the snow.
"Where are you going?" As she gasped for warmth, shivering.
"Gotten a message from your beloved brother, and he informed me to a clue from Mr. Elias" I opened my car door and pointed her to come with, she said nothing and sat beside me in the passenger seat.
I drove to the base, used my keycard to get in through the gates. I told Lucia to stay in the car and to lock the doors, she was confused but nodded. I walked through the always stumbling trying not to buckle my feet with this bloody cane, I walked in the armory seeing my number on the locker I put in the code then seeing a duffle bag. I assumed it was in the bag but as I attempted to leave...
Walking out to the long hallway I saw black suited men talking to the receptionists, they looked my way, so I walked backwards into armory, covering the door. I slipped in a barely able to get through window you use for a vent, I push the bag through landing outside then I tossed myself as I heard footsteps turning to breaking of hinges of the door. I wasn't as fast since my injuries made me to be stationary.
I picked up the bag and rushed to the car door, but I saw two cars both sides of my car. and heard a man. I thought of Rose and wrapped around the cars seeing only one guy trying to open into Lucia side door.
"Hey!" I said walking up to him hastily.
"Hey, buddy don't worr-." I took my cane and bashed it to the man's throat and took his collar hitting over the other car window door repeatedly then the window broke on itself, then I stopped, then walked away around the blood-stained glass. I opened the front seat getting in the tossing the duffle bag in the backseat.
"Why'd you hurt him, Ray? Rose asked frantically.
"That was one of the men that tried killing your brother and me." I rolled down my window and shot both right side tires then rolled down the window on Lucias side doing the same on the other car. I pulled out of the parking lot and gotten out of the base. I pulled a radio from the glove box.
"Sergeant Ray Rivers, there is a shooting from the home base, repeat a shooting on home base."
I pulled into the house getting out grabbing the bag and getting Roses to get inside the bedroom and staying put, she was hesitant I had no time for it I taken her hand then nudging her to the bed and locking the door on her, she screams to me scared. I in an instant dismantle the fridge from its spot struggling to push it Infront of the room Rose was in.
She shouted through the door, "Ray please tell me what's happening" I had the fridge against the door.
" I'm becoming a target of interest, so you stay in that room and speak nothing unless it's me got it?"
"Ok, please be careful Sergeant."
I heard someone walking into inside I pulled my gun to the man in a hoodie, AR in hand.
"Ray its Sergeant Ace, I'm I saw you drive out of base and got worried." I lowered my gun walking up to him.
"Ace? help me station the house, I want you in the back where the fridge is, so help me with the couch." He nodded and helped me pick the couch up to the hall.
Opening the case underneath the couch, I pulled out the Berretta and M4A1. Ace was a friend in Aghan and still is, but was stationed elsewhere, but he came to help me, and I'll need it right now. I take the weapons and take a flashbang from inside the mat inside the case and string it to booby traps the front door.He sat behind me watching the door as I laid prone, waiting for anything to walk in.
Just like popcorn, a grouped rushed the door coming straight in and then blind themselves with the flash. Ace shot down two in the head before one shot in his direction making me hearing yelling the words "F*cking Hell, piece of sh*t." I quickly shot another two down, I got up from the floor back tracking to Ace seeing he was only shot his arm holding the wound down... I cover myself behind the couch, and I raised to dry firing in the door straight ahead of me... But I paused and dropped down to the ground and grasped for breath. I gotten shot in my throat... clearly, I was about to pass out then to die but...
I was reaching for the pistol, for my other hand trying to hold pressure on my throat. Just out of my reach I see Ace kicking his leg back and forth, to my satisfactions he was kicking the gun to my way. I grabbed the gun I kneeled under cover as we still get shot at, I was breathing heavy, and Ace couldn't even move. I was thinking how I was only worried about Ace and Rose; I could die but I need to do so when these guys dropped dead... These last couple of days are really going to kill me.
I held tightly to my pistol, feeling the hell was ready to take me back. I already told Zinc the devil was the greatest I learned from, and this was just another test. The best part? Well, I always got a hundred on every test, this is no different. I faintly looked towards the gunfire seeing there were just kneeling and shooting from the door. Along them, I saw a propane tank. I lowered myself to the side and in the instant, I aimed down my sights, taking the shot I saw orange of fire and red of blood plus gore in the air. To our luck I think I heard cops and swat pulling up, but I passed out before even knowing any was still ok or alive, I dazed out, just to pass out into a long nap.