Chapter 3
"Up the stairs. Quickly, I can't guarantee that Omar... never mind." Naz said. The man had slipped into a twilight state from the blood loss and Nostos. The only good thing was that the Nostos made him pliable, he didn't argue or question as he was hearing an entirely different conversation to her.
"You gave him too much Nostos." Elias told her, Naz shook her head and gave a half shrug.
"Maybe, but could you shut up about it as I'm tired of you stating the obvious." She snapped at Elias, he'd been nagging her non stop as she herded her companion through the streets to the church. She'd almost think he was jealous which was insanity at it's best given he was just a figment of a drug and her memories.
"You left the Nostos at the house. If you stop taking it, I'll disappear." Elias pointed out to her. She already regretted it but she knew that it was her grief and addiction getting the best of her. It didn't want her to move forward or climb out of the hole she was in. Hell, she didn't but it seemed fate had a different path for her.
"Maybe it's time for me to let you go." Naz told him, tears trailed down her face as he just smiled affably.
"Better go help him before he falls over. Last thing you need is for your ticket to freedom to die." Elias pointed out. Naz nodded and walked straight through him as she chased up the stairs after Charlie Oscar before he broke his neck.
"Vulture, what's your whiskey?" Kara asked over comms. Sasha, Tom and James were making good time on foot and culling down their enemy numbers but so far they hadn't run into Mike or his companion.
"Vulture team is approaching the Cathedral." Sasha said as they met up with the rest of Vulture team at said Cathedral. She just hoped they weren't too late. The other team members came and they formed a small circle; keeping their eyes open for trouble.
"Miller, Green, you're with us." Sasha said, she looked to Burk and the others. Months of working side by side had given them a short hand. "Burk." She said, he gave a nod as they all knew what they had to do.
"Here, slowly, slowly." Naz said. Mike groaned in pain as she helped Mike half lay down on the ground but also leaning against the wall. It had the best vantage point for the door but also gave him some support as he had no strength left to sit up. He wished he had a gun but even if he did, he was pretty sure he would barely be able to hold it.
"Where are we? How?" he asked in confusion, he remembered being in a run down house and now he was- well he had no clue where he was or how he got there. He just knew he hated being here, his world was filled with agony and despair while the other world was not. He looked to the woman next to him, she looked as bad as he felt; she didn't have a stab wound.
"Don't worry about that, your friends are on their way." Naz assured him.
"The bag?" he asked, Naz pulled off her jumper revealing a kevlar vest and more scars than anyone should ever carry on their person. His attention shifted focus as he saw the strap bisecting her chest. She pulled off the bag and gave it to him without hesitation or question. He opened the bag, relief washed through him as the seeds were still in there among other things.
"Your friends are closer than I expected." Naz said, she pulled the 9mm hand gun from her holster and pointed it at the door. Gunfire erupted down below, Mike was too tired to argue or even to help as he sunk further onto the floor.
"Turn on the radio." She told him, but Mike wasn't listening as everything faded out. He was back in his bedroom in Norfolk kneeling before Lucas. His tiny face scrunched in concentration as he pinned a large maple leaf made from alfoil onto Mike's shirt.
"There you are Commander." Lucas said with a grin, Mike's heart bloomed with immense love for his kid as rose to his feet and moved to the mirror admiring reflection. "Looks good." Mike told him, admiring his son's handiwork. Lucas beamed from the praise.
"Sure does." Christine said from the door with an appreciative smile.
"Now, you're appropriately dressed Commander, you must report to duty. Dinner is on the table and the roast beef is not going to carve itself." She informed him.
"Yes, Captain." Mike said with a salute, Christine and Lucas giggled at his humour, it was the most beautiful music to his ears.
Naz cursed as the man had slipped into another memory. She held the gun up in her left hand, and rummaged through the bag with her right as she kept her eyes on the door. She had just pulled out the radio as the door opened.
"Don't shoot!" Elias shouted at her, she pointed her gun downwards at the order as the people coming through the door were not the enemy. But it had been close as her reflex had been to shoot.
"Hercules." Naz said drily, looking at Tom Chandler as he on point with the Navy Sailors she had noticed at the pit earlier that day. They all seemed to lack the grace of blending in with their surroundings. But then there had been no hope of it given majority of them all look vibrantly healthy, with not so subtle military posture, American accents carrying weapons only an outsider or someone with a rich benefactor could afford.
"Slowly put the weapon on the ground." Tom ordered her, as the rest of the group that travelled with the CO came through the door. Naz placed her gun on the ground and placed her hands on her head knowing the drill.
"We don't have time for this." A woman snapped at Tom impatiently, before she started giving orders to the other team members. She moved to Naz, "You have ID?" she demanded in a curt and professional tone.
"Bag." Naz said, the woman moved to the bag and rummaged through it for a couple seconds before pulling out the ID and looking between it and Naz for a moment. It was enough for the woman as she didn't mince her words or ask questions.
"Welcome to the team, what's his condition?" She asked with a tilt up of her chin in the direction of the CO as she put the ID back into the bag and handing it back to him as he clutched for it even in his state.
"Critical, he needs another blood transfusion, fluids and surgery." Naz told her as she lowered her hands and picked up her gun much to the mistrust of Tom. The man was touted as a hero of humanity, but he was just as scarred, dark and twisted like everyone else.
"Are you ok?" She asked Naz.
"I'm good." Naz replied, she knew how she looked in comparison to the goddess standing before her but she was ready fight.
"Good enough for me as we're about to be swarmed." She said before she took up a position near them ready for the firefight that would be upon them soon.
Tom glanced at the woman leaning against the wall beside Mike who was off his face, he couldn't tell if it was from blood loss or something else. The woman was definitely a Nostos user, she had all the outward signs, her gaunt features, dark sunken eyes and appearance that she hadn't seen a hair brush or shower in months.
There was an unsavoury dark nature about her that he seemed to recognised well but he pushed away the thoughts of comparison between them. He moved to Mike's side, his friend looked terrible; staring at him like he were a ghost. Tom couldn't help but feel the guilt of failing Mike even though he rationally knew it wasn't his fault.
"Mike!, Mike! Can you hear me?" Tom demanded, but Mike didn't see him, if anything he looked straight through him. He turned his attention to the door, watched as the men put charges on hinges of the door.
"I can hear them coming, hurry up." Miller shouted over his shoulder.
"Hand me one more." Burk said to Wolf, the man tossed him another charge and he placed the last charge onto the door frame. It would be a nice surprise, for the men who were going to breach the door.
"Fletcher, here you go." Danny said tossing the man button to detonate the explosives and line cord before rushing to take position away from the door.
"Everyone take cover." Fletcher told them, the remaining men at the door ran from the door and took up position waiting for the enemy to greet them.
Mike found it hard to breathe, it was like he was caught between worlds. The one where he wanted to stay with his family and the other was here in the middle of a gun battle. He could see all their faces blur and then focus; all worried about him but also caught up in what was happening.
"Let's go, Nathan James, where's that helo?" Danny shouted into his radio, Mike wondered what the response was but then a second later the man added "It's now or never, Sunshine!"
"It'll be ok Mike." Tom told him, Mike looked up at his friend wondering if he were real or just a ghost of his imagination. His mind pulled him away from the chaos and hell.
There he was standing in front of a grill, making sure Hannah's burger was one inch away from being ash in the wind. Just how she liked it. He took a sip of his beer as he watched the kids play in the park. It was just how a Fourth of July should be celebrated. It felt good to kick back and do normal day activities, to be home with the family after so many long months away.
"Mike." He turned and smiled as Tom ambled over to him.
"Meant to give you this." Tom said as he pulled a cap out from behind his back. Mike placed his beer down and took the cap. He smiled at the logo.
"Spear of the Navy, huh?" Mike asked as he read the embroidery on the cap.
"Damn right." Tom said, Mike lifted the lid on the BBQ to see how much life was left in Hannah's beef patty. "So, it's last minute FRAGO. They want us to escort some scientist to the Arctic. Quick deployment just for the summer." Tom told him, his face pinched in annoyance as he didn't want to leave as much as Mike.
"Yeah, but it's summer for the camping trips, no fishing, no Dad." Mike argued, he never pushed orders but he wanted it noted that he wasn't happy given this mission wasn't time sensitive. It was a joy ride for some egghead who wanted to ruin the first 3 months of R&R they were supposed to have after a year out at sea. It wasn't fair.
"You tell them yet?" Tom asked him, Mike shook his head.
"Tonight." Mike said, a stick snapped and he turned to see Lucas. He stood there looking so hurt by the news as he clutched his ball. He'd obviously come over to see Mike wanted to play.
"Lucas" he started, but his son dropped the ball and ran away. "Lucas!" Mike called out, but his son wouldn't stop. So Mike took after him in earnest. "Lucas!" he called out.
"Can't wait on that helo, Fletcher. Let her go!" the man by the door shouted over the gunfire that was coming through the door. Naz pointed her weapon at the door, not even flinching or dodging like the others as bullets whizzed through the door and past them. She just waited for the door to be opened and the helo to come pick them up.
"10-inch steel!" the Brit shouted, Naz closed her eyes and looked away as the door was blown off its hinges. Debris and dusted landed all around them as Omar's men tried to come through the door to kill them. They barely made it through the door before they were cut down. While their general location wasn't ideal, this position had it's advantages.
As Mike ran through the forest,fire crackers erupted through the area. Mike tried not to flinch as he reminded himself it wasn't gunfire, just harmless fire crackers being set off in celebration.
"Lucas! Where are you, buddy?!" Mike called as he looked everywhere for a sign of his son. He kept moving, trusting his instincts as he moved through the woodland. He was right as he caught sight of him running, he slowed confused as he saw two men- Miller and Burk standing to side firing their weapons.
He frowned as it was right, he didn't want to be right, he blinked and he was no longer in forest. He was back on the cathedral tower, he looked around at his friends firing them weapons and to Naz- the woman who'd kept him alive and gotten him and the seeds this far. She held her weapon with ease and fired off a few rounds in a precise and measured manner, as she was economising her use of ammo, yet she was out in the open like a fool with a death wish.
He turned his eyes to where they were shooting to see men at the door; drop to the ground dead. Mike didn't want to be here. He needed to find Lucas. His heart stopped as he saw a small figure come out of the haze of his blurry vision. It was Lucas, he ran straight to him, just as the man behind him was shot in the head. Mike had no idea what was happening but a warmth of relief and love washed over him as Lucas took up all of his vision. Mike reached out for him, Lucas just smiled at him.
"Lucas." He said, his mind drifting back to exactly where he wanted to be. He ran through the forest and looked up. There he was, up in the trees.
"Hey, Lucas, hey.I know it's a few months, and that's a long time, but I'll still read your bedtime stories." Mike said as he looked up at his son. He looked so upset and angry; it broke Mike's heart as he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with his family, with all his heart and every fibre of his being.
"How?" Lucas demanded, his face splotchy as he'd been crying.
"I'll make recordings before I deploy. You can play a chapter every night." Mike offered. Lucas mulled over his offer before looking back at him.
"Well, maybe I could record something for you, too." Lucas said, accepting the fact Mike was leaving and finding a compromise. He like his sisters were always the best of Mike and Christina's qualities.
"I'd love that." Mike told him, his son would never realise how much he relished every piece of home he could carry with him when he was deployed. "Now, let's get you down." He said, he took in the large tree trying to figure out the best option. He raised his hands up into the air.
"Ok, all you gotta do is jump, buddy. I'll catch ya." Mike promised Lucas, he heard the sound of Helicopter rotor blades swiping through the looked for the source but couldn't see it. So he turned his attention to Lucas.
"Now's the time. I'll catch you. I promise." Mike said to his son, his arms out stretched. Lucas gave a nod, proving his complete faith in Mike, he jumped from the branches. Mike's vision snapped, his heart jolted with a start as he looked up at Naz and Tom. He smelt the blood and ocean air, heard the rotors going. He was back in hell, all he could think was that Lucas was falling to his death on the other side. He needed to get back.
