Good news!! Well you could easily tell from the cover :)
I won't spoil anything. Just read this chapter and find out what happens.
Enjoy!
I took some rest and woke up with some one barging in my room scarring me.
By time I got up to shoot, I noticed who it was.
Runner.
A smile latched on him.
"Booker!" He exclaimed, hugging me. Really odd for him to do that.
"Glad to see you." He said, lending me a carbine. "Have this. My men are ready to fight. We decided to head on out."
"Carful." I said, checking my carbine.
"Why's that?"
"Song Bird. I saw him out here."
"How far?" His chin raised in concern. I'd do the same thing.
"At the third quarter of this city. We're half way through the city. So Song Bird is only a quarter away."
"Is it just Song Bird?"
"I don't know Runner. One thing I can tell you is that I spotted a few oncoming airships.. Do you have the fire power to take them down?"
His eyes clarified a daring gaze. "I hope so. We're going to fight Comm Stock." Runner dismissed himself by the door, stopping. "You can come with us or not. Either way, we will gain victory Booker."
I didn't have time to respond. He just let as he said that.
Fighting Comm Stock is what want to do.. First, I need to get Elizabeth. She's in danger.
Getting to her before Runner and his men do is a priority.
What's the fastest and convenient way to the tower?
Going straight is fast, not smart though.
Maybe the docks could reach me to Elizabeth quicker. It is away from the city, where the action would take place.
Alright that's where I'll go.
I went outside to meet Runner on the streets, taking position.
"Booker, are you deciding to coming with us?" He asked tilting up his hat.
"I'm taking the docks."
"That's where I'm going." He smiled.
Is this a good thing that he's going the docks as I am?
If Comm Stock sees me with him, I'm sure he'll send his whole army directly to me and those around me.
"Runner." I jogged up to him, briefing him on my opinion. "You can't come with me. If you do, you'll have a higher chance of putting you and your men in jeopardy. I don't want that. If anything.. I want you to stay here in town and fight."
"We're soldiers." Proudly he announced himself. Not proud in pride. Proud in courage and bravery.
"If I die, it'll be by your side. At least I went KIA by someone I could trust. Would you want to die alone? Do you favor that fortune?"
Runner had a way in his motivational speech, moving me to wanna run to Elizabeth.
He's right about dying alone. I'd never want that.
My family didn't die alone. As I shouldn't either.
Being buried alive is top of the line my worst night mare.. But dying alone.. That's what my fear is.
You could die by someone you don't know and that's enough comfort for you.
It may sound selfish for you to want to be by someone, but it's true. No one in this world would want to die alone.
I stood silent, accepting what I fortune.
"Exactly.." Runner read my face, he knew what I preferred. "Now I want to ask this to you. We're both heading to the docks.. Right?"
I nodded.
"Do you want us to fight by your side?"
Each soldier crowded their face, expressing the look that tells that their ready to fight and if anything, ready to die..
Battle born people surrounded me.
I couldn't deny this. So I formed up my answer.
"Yes. We will fight together on this."
Every soldier lifted their rifles under optimism. "Ohh-rah!" They shouted.
Runner smirked as I smiled.
Roger made his way up to us, holding a revolver.
"Let us go then." He announced.
Gladly we went on, straight to the docks.
...
I heard Comm Stock cursing the thin air as I ran away. He sure flew mad from me leaving, like I care about that. Athletic is an issue for Comm Stock, he's too old to run. His only option to catch me is controlling Song Bird.
He'll have troubles finding me.
For I'm heading straight for the docks. I'll be safe their away from the guards and the war raging town.
Something big is about to happen. I don't want to be a part of it. I know Booker wouldn't want to be a part of this. If anything, he should be gliding down the decks as I am.
If I happen to see Booker. How will we get to Paris?
Our airship crashed down to bits. Maybe.. Hmmm.
I directed myself to the sky. Thinking of a way.
Multiple airships passed the town, shining spot lights.
"That's it!" I exclaimed to myself. Hiding in the shadows.
Booker and I could take an airship. We could run away from this mess and go off on our own.
I felt myself urge in excitement. How could I not want to freak out and scream?
I'm on a stealth mission, screaming is the last thing I want to do.. Actually it's what I don't want to do at all.
Okay.. So around me are multiple guards, all tall. Walking formally against the docks.
A few numbers positioned themselves on the docks, surrounding the rails. I'm not close to the rails. I'm under a shady region, away from the boarders.
Passing them will be easy.
The wind makes this mission easier for me, sounding loud. Gusting through the quiet air, disobeying it's routine of silence.
Even the smell of this wind is distracting. Smells of old fire, burnt wood and the smell of early fall.
I like this kind of aroma. Reminds me of the burned house me and Booker traveled to a while back, where he mentioned to me how he got those letters branded on his hands. .
I miss that moment.. I miss every moment I had with him. Even the moments where he yelled and shouted at me over anger.
Technically I'm missing everything I've done with him and what he's done to me.
Besides the wind. I have nature on my side. Lots of birds stay on the boarders of the docks, distracting the guards to appeal at them.
One thing I don't have on my side..
Time.
The most valuable asset.
It's only matter of time before the break out of war begins and when Song Bird catches Booker or me.
I hope with my everything that Booker is okay..
...
Twenty minutes I've driven on the docks. War has already broke out.
Airships launched massive missiles in the city, loads of rockets raced at them.
Sounds of gun shots dictated the local area.
Agonizing pain distributed from a soldier to another.
These sounds were worse than a bar fight.
Runner devised a plan to split into two.
Roger lead half the men to town and Runner stayed on the docks with me.
Our main goal besides eliminating Comm Stock was getting Elizabeth to safety before the tower explodes into pieces.
"Roger is going to shoot that tower once he gets close!" Runner shouted, shifting behind cover.
I swung in close shooting a couple of guards. "Well. Let's get our asses up there."
"Right." Rapidly Runner ran across, gaining upwards.
His army followed behind, taking advantage.
Some of his soldiers took the upper docks, flanking Comm Stock's men.
Runner's men had a nice way of approaching tactics.
"Booker. Take down those machine gunners." Directly across us were two bulky suited men firing away trigger happy. Some bullets hit their own comrades. They didn't seem to care for friendly-fire.
"How?!" I exclaimed. "How am I supposed to-."
"With this." Runner handed me an RPG a soldier threw to him.
Runner pulled out a grenade launcher, flinging mines at the men.
"These mines won't explode until contact. I want you to aim that rocket launcher at those mines and shoot when the timing is right."
I nodded, adjusting focus to his plan. Aiming down the rocket wasn't easy. Hardly I could see down the scope, fog covered the glass. The marker wasn't even precise.
I had to wing this shot..
Carefully I watched their machine guns crank as they walked closer and closer.
Runner steadied his eyes on me, worried I might miss or include us in the blast radius when they get near us.
Milliseconds after milliseconds, I steadied on the trigger, closed my eyes and took the shot. Before I closed my eyes, Runner evaded back, scarred of him being in the blast range.
Shooting the rocket blasted my ear drums to its maximum outage. Ringing chorused in my ears, singing an atonement of silence.
Shortly I heard laughing and a shoulder tap.
I decided to look at what I've caused.
The machine gun men were on the floor, deceased from action.
"We did it!" Runner cheered.
Some of his men cheered, others did not.
For we were still in tons of combat.
"Look!" I pointed across the docks..
Airships passed through, launching mortars at us.
"Run everyone!!." Runner shouted, swinging his arms alarmingly.
Whistles of the bombs hummed to the docks, delivering a parade of chaos.
I split myself from Runner, sprinting up and down the docks, evading the oncoming bombs. One bomb knocked a support beam off the upper docks, causing it to crash land beside me. I sprinted along the upper docks, signaling Runner to follow up.
More airships hacked upwards with mounted machine guns. Rocket soldiers daunted me and the opposing team. Swiftly some rocket men glided their eyes on me, tapping the man on the machine gun..
This wasn't good.
I'm still holding the rocket launcher, only one rocket sits inside, waiting to purge anything in its sight.
Under my might, I took position and shot.
My rocket guided along to the airship's left wing, annihilating the ship to fall.
"Good one!" Runner said, catching up to me.
"Just a lucky shot"
Runner's rocket men fired at the near mortar ships, success in each shot.
"Victory is imminent, keep pushing forward men!"
This time everyone cheered on, pressing forward.
Runner caught himself in the action, sprinting ahead.
How ever I didn't. I took a tunnel passage way. A short cut to the tower, this should be safe for me to cross.
...
Song Bird didn't catch me or see me. That's because I took a tunnel across.
A network of tunnels lied ahead of me.
Shortly inside the tunnels I heard gun shots, soldiers yelling, bombs and so much destruction.
I became frightened to step out or continue to move on. Staying still and sitting down in the dark gave me some comfort.
Just by hearing the soldiers I wanted to cry. Battle didn't sound great. I've read books about battles and the slaughters that happen. Reading books of war disturbed me and twisted my stomach.
But in reality. Its different.
You're scared, fearful, horrified and shocked of the commotion. Some one as me, whose pure and innocent doesn't belong here.
I'm no fighter.
I'm a lover.
Booker's a fighter and also a lover.
I'm worrying about him right now. So much action is happening outside. What if he's in the middle of this? Or.. What if he's dead?
Just before my thoughts developed stronger on the possibilities of Booker Dying, sounds of foot steps caught me off guard. I got up, holding my fists up. I couldn't see who was coming, but I did see a silhouette. A masculine shadow.. I backed up towards the light behind me, horrified of this figure.
As soon as I stepped the light the silhouette stopped, pausing with its arms wide out as if it were shocked.
Then it started running.. To me.
"Get away!" I bellowed.
My heart panicked, troubled in fear. I had no instincts to help me out of this.
The silhouette got closer and closer.. Then revealed itself..
It was Booker.
He stood tall with a few burn marks scattered across his clothes. His face rippled from concentration to instant awe.
He browsed around my body to my face, looking for any wounds.
Him observing me made me blush.
Usually when guys do that it offends me . Guys at the beach did that to me. When they'd look at me and my body with interest I'd get disgusted or bothered.
But I'm not getting that vibe with Booker. I don't care that he's browsing me.
It's funny. As he was browsing me, I did the same to him, yet he didn't fluster as I did.
"Booker!" I finally screamed happily. I didn't care if soldiers heard me.
"Elizabeth!" He exclaimed in excitement.
Quickly he embraced me in his strong arms, holding me tight.
I did the same.
Being back in his arms again registered so many emotions. It felt so right to be in his grasp.
"I missed you." He whispered delicately in my ear.
Shivers seeped from my spine. His voice rocked my world.
"I missed you too." I quivered. Speaking was difficult for me. I cried in his hold, not able to let go or stop tearing up in happiness. I thought this enlightened feeling of love and pain couldn't get any worse. Or better or increase. That is until Booker spoke again, this time it was soft and heart touching. "I don't want to ever loose you again. I want you with me. I need you and I can't ever live without you." He paused, holding his breath. Next he brushed my hair, soothing me.
I expected him to silence himself from this bridging energy between us, instead he went on.
"Elizabeth.."
"Yeah?"
"I..."
"You what?" I smiled.
Booker peeled his face to me, taking a hold of my cheeks. His eyes blazed pure passion for me. The look he gave me.. It was beautiful.. Tremendous and kicking my heart to urge more for it. His eyes dilated onto mine, arousing me. I swear I haven't seen a man so handsome as him, he's so perfect..
Booker rubbed his hands softly on my cheeks, wiping away my tears. Crazily he darted his eyes from my eyes, my mouth and to my hair.
Anxiously I wanted to know what he wanted to say.. "Booker. What is it? What is it that you wanted to say?"
For a moment he was thinking of a better way to say what he wanted. It seemed that he gave up and instead said something simpler.. And better.
Closely he went to my ear and whispered to me, cooed to me in the most libidinous way.
"I love you.."
He said it... After so long, he finally says it to me.
The man who closed himself in bed rock stones, impenetrable walls and cold floors..
I broke his iced chest. I cracked him.
He's mine now, he knows that.
And I'm his, I know that.
The love I felt for him suddenly prospered, ringing fire to my heart. Clarity filled up my picture about love. It's not just a word that can be read in a dictionary and defined as some romantic phrase.. It's more complex than that, a lot stronger than that and completely life changing..
If I could define love.
My definition would be; Love is a Metanoia.
Truthfully it is.
Booker launched his forehead on mine, empowering my addiction of him. "Before you left me-you said that to me. I didn't get a chance to say it back. Now that I got the chance.. I love you.. I truly do want you Elizabeth.. I truly do love you."
I cried even more to this.
Every angle in his pitch invited me to home in on his lips. "I love you too." I whispered.
Just by saying that.. I felt like I stood on top of the world, ruling every single nation in the existence of man kind. This amazing feeling can't be described. Any moment I could grow wings and fly off into the drift of passion.
"Booker. Promise me that you and I will love each other until the end."
"With all that I have left.. I promise you that I will love you until my existence is forever gone. Till death will do us apart. You're my sweet Elizabeth. I'm sorry for the rotten things I've done to you."
"Shh." I placed my index finger softly on his lips. "It's okay.. I don't care about that anymore."
"I want to make things better."
"Oh you do?"
"Yes."
My tone caught him off guard.
I caught myself into the moment, smiling at him.
"If you want to make things better for me-." I pitched my voice differently, flirting to him. "Then come closer."
This stunned him. He didn't expect me to say this, as I didn't either. I can't take it anymore. All this anticipation of getting him and breaking him is over.. Now that I have a chance to take him in. . I'm taking it.
He listened with a glare in his eyes, telling me that he needed me.
I closed my eyes, he did the same.
I leaned forward, he did the same.
The moment of reeling in fetched a draft of magic.
Powerful and rich it felt.
I angled myself as Booker mirrored me.
His hands drifted from my hair, to my cheeks.. To my chin. By time he reached my chin..
We kissed. Tenderly he landed his lips on mine. Once he kissed me, he did it again and again. Each shot became more aggressive and more lustful.
His lips tasted amazing. Finer than the cotton candy and the Carmel popcorn he introduced me to.
I thrusted my hand to his, wanting him to explore me. But he cringed.
"Wow.." He said. "Your lips are amazing."
"Yours too." I cooed.
"Elizabeth.." He looked me square in the eyes. I love it when he does this. "I will end this mess for us.. We will get to Paris when this war is over. I promise.. Now I." He looked away for a minute. Then back onto me. "I'm going back out there to fight. I want to put an end to Comm Stock for what he's done.. To me, my family, Anna.."
I gasped when he said Anna.. He doesn't know Comm Stock killed her..
"And you.. He did this terrible shit to us all. In return, I'll shed away his light from his throne.."
Booker backed from me, kissed me and slowly departed off my lips. "Stay here.. I don't want anything happening to you okay?"
I nodded. "O-okay."
"I love you.. Stay safe."
"I love you too." Gah I love it when he says that word to me.. So mesmerizing.
Sadly I watched him leave back to action, to kill Comm Stock and end this war.
I know he will end this war.. And he will live and take us both to Paris.