Chapter 32: The Ultimate Showdown

The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.

- Joseph Stalin

Mikhail's Journal 27.04.2011

On the road again on my motorcycle and passing by open desolate lands. It brought back the memories when I went on the long journey from California to Mexico just to look for Alicia. Ironic isn't it? I chased Alicia and her family while on a bike and now I'm driving away from her on a bike. This doesn't mean I'm not returning to Alicia, I'm just doing something I will have no choice but to grow accustom to, being away from family. It's one of the many strains and pressures on relationships that breaks them apart, but I was certain that Alicia has a strong will and can take care of herself without me having to do it for her. Mina won't have her adoptive father at home as often as she hoped, but with Alicia supporting her she will prosper and cope.
It took me nearly all day to get from Wyoming to New Mexico because I had to travel through Colorado just to get here. Still I had the pleasure of viewing the Rockies. It was such a wondrous breathtaking site seeing the snow that adorned the top of the mountains and fluffy clouds that hung above them in the bright blue sky. The large acres of trees, really tall fir trees whose green leaves glowed in the bright sun. One sight I will never forget is passing a vast clear blue lake where a big tall mountain reflected its image in the water as if the water acted like a mirror. This sightseeing while trying to focus on driving was just what I needed to break up the monotony and maintain my sanity as well as music I listened to on the way.
I arrived at Gallup which was my destination, but I camped just on the outskirts next to a small town called Alison where I found high terrain and a perfect view of the i-40 route. It was the perfect spot to set up an observation post and view the convoy should it come down this road. I got out my high-tech binoculars and tested them to see how well they zoom in and the night-vision and thermal function. Another piece of equipment I was issued with was a directional microphone that had a long range that stretched from my observation post to the road, this was to detect the sound of vehicles approaching and wake me in the middle of the night should the convoy approach in the cover of darkness. Fortunately it doesn't get too hot in New Mexico so I didn't need to worry too much about sunburn and dehydration, but I did need to worry about poisonous critters that might attack me while I'm sleeping. In my possession I had special repellent for snakes and scorpions, which was a mixture of lime, lavender, cinnamon and vinegar all mixed into both a spray and powder. I sprayed my body with repellent and used the white powder to make a circle around the campsite.

When the sun was down and it was nighttime, I had already had my campfire meal and like I used to do after every meal would pull out my cigarettes. However I saw I only had one cigarette in the packet, which I pondered whether I should have my last cigarette or save it for another time. Guess I was foolish not to bring another pack with me. One thing I remembered was I would go days even after meals without having a cigarette. I would mainly offer cigarettes and give them away to friends and strangers. Not sure what it was but I just didn't feel like smoking, even looking at the lone cigarette leaning against the interior wall of the packet with its butt looking up right at me. I was no longer craving nicotine nor was I in the usual mood to have a cigarette. Maybe I lost my desire for nicotine and found something else to lavish which is life and the beauty of nature I was basking in. I placed the pack back in my pocket and got out my walkman. It wasn't my old walkman that played cassettes, it played CDs. It was a birthday present from Matt who kept trying to get me into CDs by telling me that cassettes were becoming obsolete. This was something I always had in my possession and took it with me after leaving Los Angeles. It was something I could never bring myself to throw away despite my falling out with Matt. Since I gave Mina my old walkman I decided to play my CD walkman for the first time and listen to one of the CDs I had in my possession.

I browsed through my CD wallet and picked OK Computer from Radiohead. Radiohead are an English rock band who make art and experimental rock. They are renowned for writing melancholic depressive music, which was kind of what drew me to them. When I was going through a hard time with loneliness and dejection, they were my catharsis. Matt and I ended our friendship and I had feelings for Alicia, which I knew she couldn't reciprocate them because she was with Matt. These two heavy blows was what caused me to listen to this specific album from Radiohead routinely and try to desensitize myself of the feeling and escape my world of pain where I could find solace.
I love the frontman Thom Yorke's vocals and how he conveys emotion when singing and is experimental with his voice. A real unique vocalist if you ask me and is someone who inspired me to sing and play guitar.

Ok Computer starts with the track "Airbag", which begins with a loud guitar rhythm and then the clashing of drums. This track reminds me when my suicide attempt failed and I got a second chance to live, the only difference was I didn't have an airbag to save me. Paranoid Android sounds like a very angry song, especially the middle part while the rest sounds like mourning and being defeated. "Exit Music" is a sad song with an acoustic style, which I remember it was played during the end credits of Romeo and Juliet the 1996 version and the lyrics sure do suit their tragic love story. "Let Down" is a track I remember crying to because I could relate to the idea of being trapped and emotionally destroyed. I even like the electric piano and the various guitar guitar rhythms, which give the song its gloomy and mournful tone. Karma Police is what I consider one of the most upbeat tracks on the album. It reminds me when I criticized others and saw enemies everywhere when I was back in LA, but at the end of the day I realized how wrong I was to criticize others when in fact I was my own critic. Fitter Happier is without a doubt the most unique and experimental track on the album. The track is short and has a computerized voice narrating his daily routine and lifestyle with a resonating piano melody in the background, shortly the narration turns dark and sinister with haunting disturbing lyrics and synthesizers playing over the piano. It becomes obvious that despite the narrator lives a seemingly perfect life he's not happy. He feels tortured and desires a more meaningful and fulfilling life. This reminds me that although Alicia, Mina and I are happy together as a family and I do enjoy my new social life, I can't help but feel that eventually I might feel like the narrator and become an empty shell of myself.
No Surprises is another song I remember shedding tears over with its acoustic and glockenspiel tune and sentimental melancholic lyrics. Many thought the song depicted suicide and I would agree with that theory, but I look at it in a different perspective. The song represents everyone and everything in the world becoming a burden on one's soul and the narrator of the song would rather live a quiet life with no surprises.
The last track on the album "The Tourist" I kind of compare it to the first track "Airbag" and consider it a reprisal. The album started off with being in a car and also ends with being in a car, from my perspective that is. I tried committing suicide while driving fast in my car and making it crash and here I am with the will to live and the vow to never commit suicide again (unless I got bitten by a walker and I'm bound by orders to commit suicide). The whole album from start to finish depicts my life from my failed suicide attempt to now living a new life with hope and prosperity. I suffered and experienced pain and suffering, but I've learnt so much from it and I will acknowledge it and carry it with me to pass on to others who have no idea how lucky they are to be alive.

That night while sleeping I had a nightmare or what I would call an episode of an old memory, a memory of how I round up in hospital in a coma. I was upside down and there was blood in my eyes. All I could see was a cracked windshield and the right side of my face was on fire. I didn't scream out in pain, but I do remember the smell of gas and meat cooking.

"Mikhail, are you all right bruv?" called Matt's voice in my right ear.

Matt unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled me out of the wreckage. The next thing I remember was seeing my wrecked car in the distance and it was in flames. The car exploded and I felt the heat on my face.

"Stay with me, Mikhail. I'm going to get you help," soothed Matt, putting his hand on my shoulder and dialing 911. "There's been a car accident, come quickly!... Just one..." my vision faded to black where I could only hear Matt's voice confirm, "No, he's unconscious."

I woke up in shock and to see I was sleeping in my sleeping bag and it was daytime. Sensing the pleasant warm sun on my face, I turned around to see an unpleasant surprise.

"Aw what's wrong, Mikhail. Did we have a bad dream?" asked Rico grinning at me.

"Rico, what the...?" I shot myself up only to be halted by armed masked men, who I knew just from memory that they were Marc Antony's men.

"Dobroye utro, Mikhail. Welcome to New Mexico," greeted Marc Antony approaching me with open arms and a smug grin on his face.

"Marc Antony, how did you know I would be here?" I questioned.

"Oh I think our pal Rico can explain that," responded Marc Antony.

"You were bugged, Mikhail, and I have a great way of bugging people. If you know what I mean?" joked Rico.

"What are you doing here, Marc Antony?" I asked.

"I think you know why I'm here and I know why you're here. Trying to interfere with my convoy aren't you?" revealed Marc Antony.

"I can't have you launching nukes, Marc Antony. Many people will die," I persuaded to no avail.

"Yes I know that. What else are nukes for? Anyway that's a rhetorical question. I think it's time for a little show and tell before we deal with a sneaky rat like you. Follow me, Mikhail. We're going on a little trip," ordered Marc Antony, turning his back on me as I was tailgated by his henchman who aimed their automatics at my back.

I was ordered to mount a jeep with Marc Antony as we were both driven to a neighbor town with a rather appropriate sounding name called "Defiance", which was next to the Arizonian border. We reached what looked like an abandoned farm where no animals were in sight, but there was a big old metallic barn and an old rusty meat truck that Marc Antony walked up to once I was ordered out the jeep. Marc Antony stopped within five feet of the meat truck, turned to face me and ask, "Do you know what today is, Mikhail?"

"Nyet," I answered.

Marc Antony reacted with shock and disbelief as he perplexed, "No, today is the 28th of April. Maybe this will jog your memory."

Marc Antony whistled and called two of his men to open the back of the meat truck. A big cloud of ice flew out of the back of the truck and the two henchmen walked up the ramp. A few seconds later they fetched out what sounded like a walker. It was indeed a walker, but there was a sack over his head.

"Mikhail, prepare to say hello to our dear friend here," chirped Marc Antony as he pulled the sack off the walker's head revealing its face.

Immediately I recognized the face of the walker. It was Matt, my deceased best friend had been turned into a walker and Marc Antony was keeping him the whole time. Not only did it shock me to see my best friend turned into a walker, but see he had a bite mark on his left shoulder. Then I got a flashback on what happened. I was lying on the road unconscious and I felt Matt turning me on my back as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Mikhail, it's going to be okay. I've called the ambulance and they are on their way. Just hang in there, you're going to make it old buddy."

I then saw a walker approach Matt from behind as I tried to tell him and point out there was someone behind him. Unfortunately I couldn't raise my arm and I gurgled when I tried to speak. Matt was attacked from behind as the walker sunk his teeth into Matt's shoulder. He screamed in pain and pushed the walker away from him. Matt did all he could to try and get the walker to stop, but was unaware that walkers are unresponsive to communication so he just pushed the walker away until he got more violent and begun punching him. Eventually he punched the walker so hard it fell on the ground and directed its attention to me. The walker got up and tried advancing towards me while I was paralyzed and helpless against it. Then I saw the back of the walker's head explode and its brains splattered on my face. The walker slumped down to the ground revealing Matt behind him holding a bloodied rock in his hand.

"Are you all right Mikhail? Don't worry it's going to be okay. I'll stay with you until help comes. Just don't die on me, you're my best friend, Mikhail. You always were," hearing Matt's kind words put the light back into my then blackened tainted soul as I closed my eyes feeling a sense of peace, I heard Matt cry, "Mikhail don't close those eyes, don't you dare close those eyes."

After ruminating my recovered memory I saw Marc Antony's shades directed at me as he asked, "Do you now know what today is? It's Matt's birthday. I can't believe you. Matt was your best friend and you can't remember your best friend's birthday? Some best friend you are."

Matt was tied to a flagpole still thrashing and growling. One of Marc Antony's henchman came up with a sliver tray with two shots of clear liquid, which I immediately assumed was vodka. Marc Antony took his shot of vodka and the henchman moved the tray to me so I could take my shot of vodka.

"Go on, Mikhail. It's vodka, you Russians love vodka," ordered Marc Antony.

"It's a little too early to be drinking don't you think?" I declined.

"Oh stop it Mikhail, one little drink early in the morning isn't going to do you harm, besides I don't think you will want to offend me in this position," pressed Marc Antony as I reluctantly grabbed my shot of vodka and Marc Antony stepped closer to me with his shot glass raised. "Let's drink to Matt for his birthday shall we?"

"Da, I agree," I conceded.

"To Matt our dear undead friend."

"To Matt," I simply said as we tapped glasses and I prepared to neck the putrid burning liquid down my throat. I followed my late father's advice and tipped the vodka down my throat. Marc Antony drunk his and took a deep breath and exhaled feeling the burning sensation in his throat. I didn't flinch after drinking the vodka, I just let it burn in the pit of my stomach.

"Whoah that's a real man's drink. God you Russians are awesome," gasped Marc Antony, "Anyhoo," Marc Antony threw his shot glass at Matt's head and it exploded into shards, "Time to get down business about what we're going to do about you, but first, I think I owe you a story about Matt and how I found him."

I threw my shot glass under arm so one of his henchman could catch it, looked back at Marc Antony and smiled ironically, "I can hardly wait."

"One thing you should know about Matt, Mikhail. Is without him I would not have made these cyborg walkers."

"Those little toys that I happily destroyed. Guess they weren't the super soldiers you were hoping for."

"You're right, Mikhail, you are absolutely right. They were a failed experiment. They may have had durability and better mobility than the average walker, but they were undisciplined and still hungered for human flesh. It's like throwing the dog a bone, it's clearly going to eat it, which is why I've given up making anymore of those freaks. However," Marc Antony pulled down the sleeve of his left arm to reveal what looked like an arm that belonged to one of the cyborg walkers. It was a dark metallic looking arm, with muscular looking curves and there was a round bolt at the elbow joint. The hand was also metallic and kind of looked like a metal glove. The fingers flexed and moved, even the hand could open and close. It was either a robotic arm and hand that replaced his entire arm or it was an exoskeleton, which not only healed his damaged arm, but also enhanced it. "This arm and hand would never have come to be should I have never pursued the cyborg walker experiment. Or maybe I should say it was Matt's old man who lead me to this sweet technology. Believe it or not, Mikhail, I was there when Matt lay in his bed dying from the walker virus. I entered his house when I saw the Clarks leave. Like a real friend I stayed with him until he died slowly and painfully, but not without promising him I would help his parents cope with their loss. That however was a lie because I was there to get access to his dad's secret files. When Matt's parents did return home I killed his mum incapacitated his dad. When Matt's dad regained conscious I used the freshly reanimated Matt as a way to torture him into revealing to me his secret files, which he did. Once I got everything I needed from him I allowed Matt to eat his parents. Rico was there when it happened as him and I were already partners in crime or should I say survival. Together we built our own syndicate where we would find people who wanted to survive and we promised them survival and prosperity, but all we wanted in return were their services. Taking over the military wasn't a hard task. All we had to do was watch it crumble and disintegrate and it was an open gold mine and we wasted no time in plundering what we could. Operation Cobalt did have its perks and that was what the city had became, our own little shopping mall where money wasn't needed. We just took what we could and we left before the bombs fell. When we left the city we were our own military with lost abandoned members of the National Guard joining our cause. I lead the syndicate while Rico told me where all military depots were, which was how we became a force to be reckoned with."

"Sounds like you took a real opportunity there," I remarked.

"Damn straight you are, Mikhail. One of the many things my grand-daddy taught me. He's from St. Louis originally and he taught me to not waste one opportunity to seize the moment. He even told me why my father worked and why he wasn't home much. Every little thing he did and every time he sweated and broke his back he did it for a reason. I assumed it was because he had kids to feed, but my grand-daddy told me he did it to rise higher up in the working class. Soon he was president of an estate agency and got the chance to transfer to LA so we moved down there. It finally came through to me that I too had to work hard and be an opportunist, which made me the man I was today. There was one other thing I learnt from my daddy, trust no one in the workplace and prepare for rivalry because they are looking to find a weak spot and once that weak spot has been exposed, they will strike and take everything from you. That's when I learned there are no friends, just accessories and alliances. Too bad my then party crew back at school learned the hard way that once they became a liability I would dispose them, which was what I did, which is why you don't see them around. My men here are my allies because they want the same thing I want, total domination and prosperity."

"So killing millions of people is your answer to total victory and achieve domination and prosperity?"

"Mikhail you are so pessimistic and judgmental of my methods. I'm not willing to live and let die, I'm willing to live and let live, all I ask for is cooperation."

"So killing those people back in Salmon was justification despite they cooperated and gave you what you wanted?"

"Well if you want to make an omelette you're going to have to break some eggs, besides don't you dare tell me your fellow Russians are better because I've seen how they threaten free people to conform to their ways. I'm talking about forcing them to speak your language and subsequently act like Russians. Unlike them Mikhail I'm a liberator not a tyrant like you and many of your other friends think I am. You Russians will not take America, America will remain American and I'm here to stop you and by doing that, I'm going to make you an example."

"So what about your nukes, are you going to be a coward and launch them or are you going to bluff like you did last time back at the ranch?"

Marc Antony burst out into laughing and would divulge, "What do you take me for, Mikhail? Seriously, you think I would waste precious nukes on civilians? No Mikhail, I have something much better for them. I just gathered some refugees from the west coast who would be more than happy to go over to the Russians. The only difference is they'll be starving and they'll be happily dining of human flesh when they get there."

This subliminal hint abhorred me as it became clear what Marc Antony did.

"You sent a horde of walkers to attack my people?"

"Correctamundo, I just hope your people are prepared for such a whooping influx of walker refugees because I'm sure most defensive forces are too busy keeping order in occupied zones. It's too bad your defensive forces won't be there to join the party once it gets started. Oh it's going to be one hell of a party with one hell of a banquet."

Marc Antony continued to laugh as I started to panic about everyone's safety back in Montana including everyone I loved and cared about. Unfortunately I wouldn't find out who survived until I either got news over radio transmission or when I get home, should I ever get home that is.

Out of nowhere in the far distance down the road we came from there was a loud thunderous explosion followed by the rattling of automatic gunfire. This stopped Marc Antony from laughing and startled him and his henchmen. Rico on the other hand was smiling egomaniacally as if he was expecting the outcome.

"Well ain't this great? Just when things were getting interested someone decides to crash the party," tutted Marc Antony, "Okay go and teach these party-crashers a lesson and leave me to Mikhail. Him and I are going to settle things once and for all."

The henchmen obeyed their boss' request and prepared to mount their vehicles and drive off to the warzone.

"Sorry Mikhail, I would love to stay, but I'm going where the action is. Good luck, Mikhail, not that you'll need it," smirked Rico as he chased after the henchmen to board a vehicle and ride with them.

When Marc Antony and I were alone he whipped out the gadget I knew was the gadget that emanates the white noise that paralyzes me. Marc Antony pressed the button nimbly with his thumb and the white noise echoed and rung my ears, but didn't paralyze me. Marc Antony reacted as if he was surprised and tried pressing the button again.

"It won't work, Marc Antony. I had my hypnosis removed so I can no longer be subdued by white noise," I clarified.

"Oh so that's what it is. Okay then," Marc Antony crushed the gadget with his metal hand into pieces, through the debris on the floor and said, "At least it bought me time."

"Time for what?"

"Time to prepare for this moment. No more running, no more tricks or arsing around," Marc Antony stripped off his coat with one hand revealing to be wearing a garish black fishnet vest and long legged black shorts and pointy leather boots with steel tips. Looking at Marc Antony's upper body I can see he'd been working out and had accumulated muscles. His torso protruded outwards and his deltoids were in fine muscular tone with veins sticking out. Ever since defeating Marc Antony back in LA at the river did he train for this moment in the hopes of taking me down and claiming his revenge against me. "I'm going to take you apart with my bare hands, Mikhail. When I'm done with you, there won't be a body for even your loved ones to sob over," angrily taunted Marc Antony, putting up his fists in a boxing stance and conveying anger and bravado. "Prepare to die, Mikhail."

This was it, no more talk, just action. Marc Antony wasn't going to stop until one of us was dead. I had to fight and fight I did. I got into my fighting stance and the fight instigated. Marc Antony charged at me and threw his fists at me which were powerful and deft as I avoided and deflected them, but then he started to implement a kick to my kidney, which was also heavy and intimidating. He applied another kick, but it was a high kick to my face, which I caught and swept his other leg and he fell face first to the floor. With his leg still in my hand I swept the floor with his face like a broom and hurled him in the air where he crashed and rolled on the ground kicking up sand. Marc Antony got back up and hit the ground with his metal hand, feeling absolutely no pain. His face turned to scorn and rage as he spat dry saliva from his lips and again charged at me. I avoided a perfectly adept flying kick from Marc Antony. Then he got in close enough to try and hook me in the face and even perform a backfist. He then flicked out his leg, which I blocked, but then I would receive a rude devastating surprise. He punched me square in the face with his metal hand and I almost felt my neck snap. My jaw was numb as I lay on the ground writhing in pain. Marc Antony tried punching me on the ground with his metal hand, which I avoided and got behind him and got his arm in a lock. Then I received an elbow in the face that prompted me to release him. I then was attacked with a flurry of angry fists, which I blocked, but received an uppercut underneath my chin. The impact shook my brain inside my skull and I was again on the ground. I tried getting back up, but got a pointy steeled toe in the stomach, which practically winded me. Being stunned and powerless I would see Marc Antony take a step back and I could tell he was going to try and kick my head like a football. Just when he was about to unleash the kick that I'm sure would have killed me, I mustered enough strength to grab his foot and twist his ankle. He fell to the ground and I used the opportunity to swing him in the air and slam him against the body of the meat truck. This should have shattered his spine if it wasn't the body of the truck and rather the front of the truck. I allowed him to get back up and I could see he looked more angry than ever and was determined and still confident he could beat me. He then again threw himself against me and because he was too blinded with rage to implement a cunning attack, I was able to overpower him and slam his face into the body of the truck. I could see he already broke a blood vessel and was cut above his left eyebrow. One thing I quickly learnt about Marc Antony was how he relied on his metal hand to finish the fight, which I knew I had to disable somehow. Marc Antony was able to catch one of my punches in his metal hand and I could feel its strong grip compress my hand. He smiled and was eager to crush my hand into a bloodied pulp, which I tried to prevent him doing so. I checked everywhere on his body for a part which wasn't defended and where I could attack so he would release my hand. My leg that wasn't bent I used my focus and all my strength to generate enough forced to demolish Marc Antony's knee. As expected he screamed out in pain and released my hand, I could then see he was limping and was handicapped for the rest of the fight. Still Marc Antony was dogged by his unconsolable hatred and wouldn't stop until there wasn't one ounce of strength left in him. Reluctant to attack him when he was down on the ground, I allowed him to get back up as I saw him use the aide of the meat truck to help him stand up and use the weight on his still intact kneecap. Once Marc Antony was stood up and leaning against the meat truck, he turned his head to look at me.

"No, it's not over yet, Mikhail," hissed Marc Antony with blood shot eyes and drooling from his mouth.

Suddenly and unexpectedly Matt appeared behind Marc Antony and took a bite from Marc Antony's shoulder, ripping off a strip of flesh. Marc Antony screamed in pain, turned and punched Matt in face so hard it knocked him onto the floor. Marc Antony directed his attention to Matt and attempted to retaliate. For some reason I intervened and pulled Marc Antony away from Matt and threw him to the corner. Marc Antony didn't try to get back up, instead he crawled towards the wooden fence where he leant against it.

"It's over, Marc Antony. That's it, you've been bitten. I'm afraid you're going to die," I assuaged, but to no avail as Marc Antony just raised a wide humorous smile on his face. Then he begun to chuckle and then he laughed, then his laughing got louder and louder.

"Oh Mikhail you don't get it. I'm already dead, Mikhail. I've been dead before the dead walked the earth."

To be continued...