Chapter 20: Dark Dreams

The heat was intense despite the cool nights the city had. The moon lit up the field, TJ could see the enemy dug in. A heavy silence hung heavily in the air. Both sides were dug in like in the Great War. All this modern technology and they were resorting to primitive tactics. Some men even had ballonets on their guns. Still they had no choice. They had to hold the line long enough for the VIP's to get out of the city.

Finally TJ saw one of the enemy creep over his trench. A shot was fired. The sound seemed so loud but not as loud as the dead silence that followed. For a brief moment the world seemed to stop; the silence before the storm, then a rain of bullets and mortar shells came raining down on TJ's line. One shell landed next to TJ throwing him into the air before landing with a thud on the open field several feet from his trench. His right side was all wet, covered in the blood that had once belonged to his corporal that had been on his right side. Looking around TJ could see the enemy coming over their trench to charge his faltering line.

Time slowed, TJ got up to charge the enemy and instill courage back into his men. His movements and all of those on the field seemed to slow down; bullets could be seen spinning as they went on their path of death. In front of him TJ could see a man aiming at him as they ran towards each other. The man fired a shot that sent a single bullet at him. TJ dropped down but as he fell he could see that he would be too late, the bullet drew closer and closer. TJ felt something strike his forehead and all went black.

TJ standing in the rain outside the old church near his house. It was dark and late but TJ could see several boys near him firing small arms at the church. The boys looked young, between the ages 14-16, and they looked engaged in a gun battle with several other boys in the church. None of the boys seemed to notice that TJ was there. Natural instinct taking over TJ got to a safe location away from the church. From his new vantage point TJ could see into one of the windows of the church. Firing back at the boys outside the church was a brown haired boy of about 14. His had on a raggedy red cap and seemed to be firing a colt magnum revolver. The boy seemed to have a hard time firing his weapon. The recoil would jolt the gun with such force and violence that the weapon nearly came out of the boys hands.

The battle was rather sloppy. TJ could see that neither side knew how to aim and fire a weapon properly or knew proper tactics. One boy was standing still firing at the church in random bursts. Normally that kid would be the first one to go but it took a long time before the inevitable happened. Time slowed again and TJ could see what the trigger happy kid did not. The red cap kid fired another shot, this time the bullet found a target, striking the other boy in the forehead. The bullet passed straight through the kid's grey matter and took a small chunk of the back of the kid's head accompanied by a red mist.

The body hit the ground in a thud, the blood pouring out of the kid's gaping hole in his head. Both sides stopped shooting and stared at the body with faces of fear, disgust and panic. Lying on the pavement in front of a church was the body of a young boy. Neither side did anything but look at the body for along time.

From the reaction TJ could tell this was the first time any of the boys had seen a dead body. For the red cap kid it was probably his first time to kill someone judging from the look on his face. TJ was disgusted. He knew what these kids were. They were nothing but the cheap cannon fodder footmen that the local gangs hired on cheaply just to add numbers. For the Underworld it made sense. The more men that wielded guns one gang had; the more territory and power it had. Even with this known knowledge TJ still felt that this was sickening. All the boys were young and had a lot of life left to live even if they had to live it among the "luxuries" of the Underworld. And now one boy was dead. But it couldn't be helped. Like when he joined the army TJ knew that in a fight men got killed but these boys didn't know. They didn't have the experiences of near death and seeing death all around. The stink, the carnage, the blood curdling screams of wounded and dying men. These boys didn't have the luxuries of these experiences that deadened the heart and steeled the nerves. They didn't have…

TJ awoke with a start. He was covered in sweat despite it being mid November. Sitting up TJ looked around his room to remind himself of where he was. He was in his bedroom in his house and standing in the doorframe was little Ashley wrapped up in a blanket looking at him with large questioning yet understanding eyes. TJ smiled and motioned for his daughter to come to him. Ashley shuffled across the floor, climbed onto her father's bed and settled herself snuggly into her dad's side.

"You've been reading my dreams again, haven't you?" TJ asked softly.

Ashley looked up at him and gave her father a hard look before settling her head on his bare chest.

"You've been having those more frequently. Especially the one from when you were in 'Broken Line. It worries me."  The little girl answered.

"I thought I was the one that had to worry about you." TJ chuckled.

"Just because you're my father doesn't mean I can't worry about you." Ashley countered with a serious tone.

"Alright, alright."

"I know you haven't been with anyone since I was born and I think you should be." Ashley said sitting up to look at her father straight in the face."

"Why? I'm happy and content. I have you took look after plus all my businesses so I have a full schedule as it is." TJ stated plainly.

"Ya, but you need to be with someone you can be with. Someone who can do things for you I can't." Ashley told her father.

The idea of him discussing his social life with his daughter was a bit strange but then Ashley was not the ordinary seven-year-old girl. She was special in her abilities, which was why TJ wasn't so freaked out. Still TJ didn't think that his daughter would want him to have someone else in his life. He was happy the way things were and told Ashley so.

"Sure but you need a woman." Ashley said bluntly. "You should be able to have someone you can confide in and share a pillow with."

TJ was flabbergasted. He didn't know what to say and Ashley was being more blunt and acting more grown up then per normal. Not knowing what to say TJ retreated to his old safety net saying; "I'll think about it." This was the way TJ would tell Ashley "no" with out saying it out right.

Ashley shrugged and hopped off the bed. "I still think you should."

"I'll think about it."

Ashley shuffled to the door before stopping and looking over she shoulder said quietly; "I've seen you looking at Aunty Ashley. You should try and get her. I like her."

TJ smile and answered; "I'll think about it. Now go back to bed. You have school in the morning."

Little Ashley left TJ's room and TJ settled down to sleep thinking about what his daughter had said.

DONE AT LAST, DONE AT LAST! Sorry for the long disappearance but grading rolled around as well as a ton of essay writing which took up a lot of my creative thoughts. A guy can only produce so many in a day. So review, tell me how freaky this chapter was and take stabs directed at what TJ does and not at me.

LockDown out…