This is making me
crazy
These black clouds following me
So I look for signs of light
But rarely I see them
I return to my shelter
And I crawl in a bottle
I'm losing my will for this
So over emotional
Black clouds
They rain down but
They can't kill the sun
Confession of depression
This life I'm second-guessing
Like ashes to ashes
I always seem to fall down
I'm tired of running
It's time to face my demons
Confession of depression
This life I'm second-guessing
My emotions are storming
And tears fall just like rain
Pain strikes like lightning
Despair is becoming my friend
I'm pushing myself to a point of self-destruction
Black clouds
They rain down but
They can't kill the sun inside
Papa Roach –"Black Clouds"
With a roar of fury and hatred surging up from her chest, Melissa ran full tilt at the door. She launched a drop kick at the steel door, slamming into it hard enough to rattle her jaw, then fell and banged her head hard on the cement floor. Adrenaline screamed in her, and she pushed the pain away. She was up on her feet again, and she kicked and punched at the door with only the echo of her own grunts in the room to accompany her. Several minutes passed. She slowed, breathing heavily. The adrenaline subsided. The ache in her skull and the pain in her bloody, ravaged knuckles was real. The skin on her fists was scraped raw. Melissa reached up to touch the back of her head, and her fingers came back streaked with blood. She sat on the floor, pulled her knees to her cheat and began to cry.
Cammy jolted from her bed with a small gasp. Once she realized where she was she was able to catch her breath though she was still shaken by the dream. In anger she punched furiously at her pillows. Grunting and on the verge of tears she kept beating at them. She knew that what she was seeing wasn't happening to Melissa, it was what had happened to her. But she couldn't help being angry. It very well could be what was happening to her. She realized that she had fallen asleep with Wagner and now he was gone.
Still in the clothes she was wearing the day before she made her way into the kitchen. Wagner was at the table with huge maps and papers spread all over. His eyes had dark circles under them and his five o'clock shadow had turned into an almost full grown light blonde beard. He looked up at her and tried to hide his fatigue with a smile.
"Good morning."
"Yeah sure. What are you doing?"
"Cammy, Ken called looking for Guile last night."
"And…?"
"And his wife was kidnapped last night around the same time Melissa was. Worse of all she's 8 months pregnant."
"Oh my God. So it has got to be Shadowlaw. They are getting revenge."
"I'll be damned if I let them get it. Look at these Cammy. Does the set up look familiar?"
Cammy looked closely at the maps of suspected Shadowlaw bases, nothing hit her as familiar. She actually was having a hard time seeing how they were supposed to be buildings.
"No. I don't even hardly know what I'm looking at."
Wagner sighed loudly.
"I'm just trying to figure all this out with just the files Guile had here at the house."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. Don't worry. I'll work it out."
"So what are you planning?"
"I really don't know yet. But I know they couldn't have taken them far from here. If they want leverage they are going to make sure we know it's them that have Melissa and Eliza."
"What's Ken doing?"
"He should be on his way here as we speak."
"Once we get this worked out we're going to need people right."
"Yeah, but I don't think we should."
"Why?"
"Last time we did that we just made more enemies to Shadowlaw. I want to end this."
"So it's just us?"
"Looks like it."
--
Ryu stepped off the plane, still shaken by the landing. He ran his hands through his short cut brown hair and sighed. He had never liked to fly. When traveling from country to country he'd much rather wait longer to travel by boat. But this wasn't one of his normal travels. His friend needed him. He saw Ken waiting through security glass. He looked shaken, as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Dark circles were under his brown eyes and his strawberry blonde hair was in tangles. Ryu smiled at him not expecting a smile back under the circumstances. Ken nodded before speaking.
"Thanks for coming buddy."
"No problem. I want to help you."
"I know we'll need you."
"So no word yet?"
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Ken shook his head, seemingly trying to shake off the bad feelings.
"We have another plane to catch."
"Another plane?"
Ken smiled, probably amused at Ryu's small discomfort.
"Sorry buddy, but we don't have the time. Just bring your barf bag."
--
Small kicks aroused Eliza from her exhausted sleep. She opened her eyes and placed her hands on her belly. Calm down baby, I won't let anything happen to you. She looked down at the young girl with her. She said her name was Melissa. She couldn't figure out why this was happening. But she had been praying for the safety of her baby and Melissa. Suddenly the door to the cell opened and a large man entered wearing a maroon military suit and a General's cap of the same color. He had a satellite phone. He grabbed Melissa rousing her from her sleep and yelled.
"Say hello to your Daddy!"
She whimpered trying to get things straight in her head before speaking.
"Daddy?"
--
The machine keeping Guile's blood pressure was beeping loud and fast as he gripped the phone tightly in his hands. The man on the other end addressed him
"Colonel, I've been trying to reach you."
"Where's my daughter you bastard?!"
He heard loud noises then the man on the other end spoke again.
"Say hello to you Daddy!"
Then he heard Melissa whimper.
"Daddy?"
"It's me baby. I'm here."
"I thought they killed you."
"No, no I'm okay and I'm going to get you back."
"Daddy, I'm scared."
"It's okay. I love you."
The man was back again.
"Colonel, I would suggest that you convince the U.S. military to back off of Shadowlaw or that will be the last time you ever speak to your daughter."
"I can't do that. I don't have to power."
"What a pity."
The line clicked off and Guile threw the phone onto the floor. It shattered as three nurses came running in to tend to his vital signs.
--
The man threw the little girl back onto the floor and left as swiftly has he had come, slamming the large metal door behind him. Melissa was crying now and Eliza pulled her into her arms.
"It okay, he's gone now."
She held onto her tightly, pressing her face into her chest. Eliza rubbed her hand up and down Melissa's back to calm her. The baby started kicking again. It startled and interested Melissa.
"Is that your baby kicking?"
"Yeah. He's always restless in the morning."
Melissa felt her belly for a while longer, smiling when ever the baby kicked. She spoke.
"Where's your husband?"
Eliza looked down, reminded that she was afraid for Ken. She had made him let them take her rather than risking their baby.
"Last time I saw him he was in our house, knocked out by one of the men who took me."
"They shot my Dad. But at least now I know he's alright."
"We'll get out of this. We just have to stay strong."
"My Dad will find us."
"Ken too."
--
Reaching into the fridge, Cammy pulled out the orange juice and poured a glass for Wagner. He accepted in with a grunt which Cammy took as a 'thank you'. She sat next to him wishing there was more she could do. All her memories would have to be good for something besides causing her strife. Wagner banged his hand on the table.
"If I could just find a way in!"
"What do you mean?"
"This base is a pretty simple set up, especially for a small siege, but getting in is the problem."
Cammy looked closely at the maps again, trying so hard to remember.
"I just can't. None of it is familiar."
"I gotta get into the computers on base."
"Wagner, without proper approval, which I know you aren't going to get, you could get into big trouble."
"I don't care anymore. This is more important."
Cammy grabbed Wagner's arm, almost scaring him with her realization.
"I think I know where to get our answers."