Love Struck Delusion
Chapter 165 – Crossing lines.
Raptor's POV.
From time to time you could hear the wolves going head to head. But each time they did; it was short bursts of growls and screaming. Then nothing but ether smiles or awkward stares till they did smile. The two really seemed to be compatible. At least enough where they could stop their rants to just be happy with one another. I was hoping things were going to work out for them two. Thankfully it was looking good the longer they sat there together.
"Alright guess I should do this now."
Pulling out my phone I decided to give Hecan a call. Doubt he was expecting this but please god let him help. Sitting in the cockpit with autopilot on, I waited as I was soon connected. The same distinguished voice came through as it always did asking in a curious tone.
"Strange to hear from you this soon. I was expecting your call later in the week Voltz. How's things going? Of course I saw the TV. You caused quite an uprising it seems."
Nodding to myself I replied.
"Pierce went over everything with you already I'm sure. The riots are as bad as it should get for the rebellion."
"For your sake I hope your right." He replied back as I then was asked.
"So what's going on?"
Not taking a moment to think this over I replied.
"I got a favor to ask you. It's important."
"Oh I can only imagine. So what is it you need Voltz?"
Looking back to the rear of the plane I replied while rubbing my chin.
"I'm currently in the air as you know. I need to give the middle east some time to cool off. Right now I know for a fact things could be worse, but I managed to secure Pepper. Zeta's sister and we're on our way to you."
"You're coming here? To the states? With them?"
"Yeah and I need a place to hold up for a little bit while I'm there. Is there anything you can do for me?"
Hecan went silent for a second but I could make out the fact that he was trying to think about an answer. After a few seconds he replied.
"Raptor that is a big favor your asking. Half the people over here consider you a terrorist more or less. Half the world saw you on TV less then a few hours ago and tension is high as to what will happen with your absence now. What would people say if they saw you in the country just walking about?"
"I won't be just walking about. I'm not a moron sir. And I understand your point but I'm sure there are plenty of places you can set me up in away from public eyes."
"Yeah there are, but it's just the idea Raptor." He stated as I went silent. I heard him take a breath and after a minute he muttered.
"I can help you. But there needs to be ground rules and my word goes so long as your in my country. Are we clear? That means no killing. No fighting. No making a god damn scene. And keeping yourself hidden away from praying eyes. Do you understand me?" He asked as I quickly replied with a calm tone.
"I understand."
"Good." He said back calmly himself as I got a look from Blitz. Slowly sitting up from his seat he began to walk over.
"How long do I got to make this happen Raptor?" Asked Hecan as I quietly mumbled.
"Four hours. We're halfway across the Atlantic now. Won't be long."
With Blitz standing by the door he replied.
"Okay I can figure this out. You just do me a favor and make your way to Washington. I'll send you the coordinates over text. Call me when you touchdown and I'll have a game plan set in motion for you and your friends."
"Thank you." I replied as he urged.
"Don't test this opportunity Raptor. No bullshit. This isn't a war zone. This a place where democracy rules and the people matter most. I will not tolerate anything now that your doing this."
"You have my word I won't do anything but listen sir." I replied to him as he carefully said back.
"I'm holding you to that. Hear from you soon."
With that he hung up the line and I lowered my phone to look up at Blitz.
"What is it?" I wondered as he asked.
"Where we heading?"
"Washington. We're meeting up with Hecan Moore. He's going to help us get into hiding."
With a surprised look Blitz questioned.
"You serious?"
"Ya I am."
Blitz just nodded his head and turned back around for his seat. I watched as he took his place and then glanced back to Zeta and Pepper. The two were still talking.
"Mmmmmm?"
Looking back down to the floor, I locked eyes with Molly who had been cuddled up here for the past eight hours with my cloak. Bending down I asked.
"How you feeling baby?"
She just licked my nose as I got close to her getting me to smile. Petting her head I replied.
"Good. Good. We'll be on the ground in a few more hours. Just try to sleep till then."
This dog was the best at listening. Better then Zeta when I had her by the neck. She laid her head right back down to my commands. Still holding a smile, I looked back to Zeta to shout her name.
"Zeta!"
The wolf broke her train of conversation with her sister and immediately replied with a concerned voice.
"What is it?!"
Her sister was still eying me down like an enemy as I replied with a thumbs up. She knew what it meant and just gave me some sad looking eyes. Her sister quickly noticed her reaction and I could hear her ask what I meant by that. I assume she also just told her because all I heard next was.
"What!? Are you fucking crazy!?"
I kept my back turned as Zeta did what she did best. Pepper was soon tamed as I reached back to close the cockpit door. I wanted the last few hours to be just about me. I still had thinking to do on all that was going on.
With minutes passing as I just looked out the window, I was soon surprised when my phone went off again. This time with a different caller id on the line. It was Archer and I was wondering if I should answer or not. I can only imagine what he wants to say to me. Probably nothing good. Going against better judgment I answered and said with a low tone.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah? That's all I get from you after today?" Replied Archer as I quickly asked.
"What do you want?"
Archer was already set on giving me shit. I could tell by his voice alone as he replied.
"What do I want? Are you fucking serious right now Raptor? You know what the fuck I want. I haven't talked to you since you left my ass hanging in the wind in Iraq. Your fucking lucky I didn't tell Mason to cut your ass loose after that stunt you pulled. And where the fuck would you be if I did huh?"
"Probably still in the same position I am now." I replied as he then questioned.
"You wana bet?"
Letting out a sigh I replied directly.
"You still haven't answered me. What do you want?"
"Your a fucking joke. Don't pretend like I haven't been doing your job since this happened. Second of all you caused a fucking uprising today by doing what you did. What the fuck are you thinking? You actually listened to Mason's old ass? I know you. You have something going on and as a friend I shouldn't have to ask what it is. You should be in a position to trust me. Mason already caught me up on everything that has happened since you got here. So just be honest with me you fucking stubborn asshole and just tell me what's happening. You're working for Hecan Moore right?"
Sitting up I replied.
"With Hecan. Not for Hecan. Understand that first of all Archer. I'm not letting him control me."
"First of all, why the fuck are you talking to him anyway? Mason gave me an idea as to why already."
"What's that then?" I wondered as he calmly replied.
"Cause I wouldn't help you get Gorgon."
"Bingo." I replied as he then raised his tone to reply.
"Bingo?! You want me to go on some revenge mission you have in mind and leave Black to lead the country?!"
"I just wanted you to have my back." I told him as he quickly stated.
"I always have your back! But sometimes Raptor we have to sacrifice some things! Going off the grid in Pakistan isn't something we can afford!"
"So you keep telling yourself." I replied as he let out a growl to then go silent. I also stopped myself from going further. I wanted to have him keep talking. After some time he muttered.
"Raptor this war and the people in it are what matters most. Your family...their lives matter too, but this is a war. I don't want you taking this the wrong way when I say this, but please understand where I am coming from. If I could be in the ground in their places I would be gladly cause they meant a lot to me as well. But in the end this is a war and you were the leader. The person people looked up to at the end of the day during all this shit. Alicia and your kids were targets. They were always going to be in danger and that is your fault. We both know that was a stake in the game the moment you wanted to go back to war with G.U.N. There wasn't shit we could do about it and the one thing you did decide to do was probably the best thing there was. Sending them with Mason was the right call. We had no idea Linnen had men in place. We just didn't. But again this is a war Raptor. Their lives were always on the line. Now that their gone? It was a sacrifice Raptor. The only one to blame is you for it. But like all sacrifices we have to look beyond that and just find a way to keep going forward. No matter how much you want revenge; it just isn't worth it. It never is. You hurt more people then saved. Proof being what you did today. That stunt has gotten more people killed and not just G.U.N. But soldiers and the people we swore to protect. Do you understand all this Raptor?" He asked as I quietly replied.
"Yeah."
"Yet you still committed yourself to this."
"What the fuck do you want me to do? I know you wanted me to be strong but letting that slide is beyond me! I don't have the strength! No one fucking does Archer! Name me a single person who can just watch their family get killed and continue on like nothing happened!?"
Archer went silent as so did I. Tensions were high as time passed. Soon Archer seemed to have ignored or just dropped the conversation by suddenly switching to this.
"What are you doing right now? Just tell me. I have your back this time."
Taking my time to relax myself, I slowly replied.
"I'm sorry. But I can't tell you. It's private and doesn't involve the rebellion."
"You got people killed!" He shouted as I again shut my mouth to his tone.
"Rebellion soldiers are dead because of you! This fucking involves the rebellion Raptor! Be silent about what shit your up to, but don't pretend like your actions don't have consequences! You left the country leaderless!"
"You're there. Mason's there. Hell Black is doing good from what I've heard from the troops and Mason."
"We aren't you!" He replied back in rage as I just said bluntly back.
"Maybe so, but that doesn't erase the man you are Archer. Your a leader. Maybe not like me but your still a person people follow. I trust you can fill my shoes better then anyone over there. I mean from what I'm seeing you already are making moves and doing my job better then anything I could hope to do."
"I'm putting a boot down on their necks Raptor! Showing force!"
"Is it working?" I then wondered as he quickly replied.
"It's not how this city is suppose to be!"
"Then do your job when things calm down and get shit together. You still have Linnen to worry about."
"So what's that suppose to mean then Raptor? You say that like you aren't coming back to the rebellion." He soon admitted as I then replied.
"Cause right now I might not. Depends on how I recover over the next few weeks."
"Recover? Now I know your lying to me."
"I'm not lying."
"You are. What are you doing with the girl Mason said you brought back with you from Iraq? Zeta is her name right? She with you right now?"
"That doesn't concern you Archer."
"Mason thinks your on viper venom Raptor. Mason knows this girl your with is a user so why don't you just come clean and talk to me about it? What the hell has happened to you since leaving Iraq? I'm not going to grill you Raptor. Just fucking talk to me." He begged as I replied while looking down to Molly who had her head up looking at me.
"Archer...I don't want you to get involved."
"I'm not going to. I just want to know your not lost in all this after losing Alicia and...?" Archer went silent as I just blankly replied.
"I'm okay Archer. If anything...losing them has made things easier for me."
Instantly Archer replied.
"Raptor that...is that suppose to be good? What you just said right there?"
"I've been free to think clearly for once about things going on in my life Archer. It's why I'm sitting where I am now. It's why I am who I am now."
"The man who walked away from what mattered most?" He wondered as I calmly said back.
"I'm not normal. I never will be. I'm not perfect. I never claimed to be. I'm not smart. I never tried. But what I am is a leader. I have not given up on my words. You may think otherwise, but I never was a lair. I will keep my word. But till then you need to take the mantle. I have other promises to keep before then. What I am doing now being one."
Archer was silent now as I urged him.
"I need to end this call soon so just listen to me for a few more seconds. I'm not on drugs. Never have I touched that venom by choice. I'm different now yes. But my eyes were opened when Gorgon shot me in the head. I see my life on a whole new home front now. For that I do not regret. But there are things that can...as you said...be sacrificed. Or delayed. The war and my promise being one of them. Delayed. Ask yourself this...would I have done all this if I thought the rebellion would lose? Would I being doing this if I didn't trust the people who had always had my back? Would I be doing this if it wasn't important to me? Would I be so selfish to just walk away? Do you really I'm a fucking traitor working FOR the one person I swore to kill!? Do you really think I'm a fucking idiot and would just walk away without reason or thought for it!? Do you really think I would break a promise!?"
Archer was absolutely silent as I gave him more then enough space to answer me as I got a little red in the face from yelling. After a few more seconds, I mumbled to the stuck man on the other line.
"If you think differently about any of those things then your a bigger idiot then I thought. I trust you to let me do me and not get in my way. I trust you to lead in my place. But if I am wrong Archer...?"
I took a calm breathe before finishing. Once collected I finished.
"I will put you in your place. That being ether away from me and the ones I love. Or in the ground. You want to say something before I let you go back to reality?"
Archer took a few more seconds, but soon asked with a much calmer voice.
"What should I tell Hunter?"
Widening my eyes I listened as he went on to state.
"She...Raptor she misses you. She was the most hurt when you left that night. Besides me trusting you to make the right calls. She was trusting you not to leave her side during all this. She's changed and without you she's been lost. Black is doing all he can to watch over her, but she needs to hear something. Something from you that I can give her as maybe...as maybe some closure. You had a relationship and I beg you not to give me details, but I know you were close. Probably closer then you should have been with Alicia still being alive. But if she loves you for some unknown reason then I know deep down she's killing herself about this. Just one thing. Please." He begged as I gave it some thought. After some time I replied.
"Tell her...tell her to move on. She needs to be the woman I know she is. A leader. You got that?"
Slowly Archer replied.
"I got it."
"Good. Now I have to go."
"Can I ask you one more thing before that Raptor?" He wondered as I quickly replied.
"What is it?"
"Why Mason?"
"It's war. In order to get things done people need to die. That goes for friendships too. In order to do what must be done; Mason can not be a part of my life or the next. He's a sacrifice and in time you will see and understand why. If anything you can tell him I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner."
Not giving him another chance; I just dropped the call and tossed my phone on the top control panel. Looking back down to Molly who still watched me from the ground, I said with a small smile.
"I'm okay baby. Promise."
,Ignoring my answer she slowly stood up and walked a few inches closer to my leg. My eyes widened as she jumped up into my lap to start laying down. All I could do was smile as she closed her eyes against my stomach. Gently petting her head, I looked back out the main window and watched as the sky went on by. Hopefully when we land I can start to see the other half of the world. The part that didn't try to take what little of my soul I had left.
mT Shadow.