Love Struck Delusion
Chapter 279 - Raptor's resolve.
Raptor's POV.
"BANG!"
Julie had her eyes wide open and was staring at me in shock as I had turned the gun on her and fired off one round directly into her stomach. I was breathless from it and I watched as her eyes looked down to her stomach to see the blood. All I could do was watch and wait till she was staring right back at me. For a few seconds neither of us said a word, but maybe a few more seconds after; did she ask me in a calm voice.
"Why?"
Lowering the gun to my holster I replied while feeling lightheaded.
"I still have some things left to do before I can rest."
My wife looked back down at herself. From there I reached in to gently touch her cheek. She looked back up at me as I urged her.
"I promise I'll be ready soon…...and….when the time comes we can be together forever. Just like you want. But I need just a little more time. Go wait for me."
It's as if she dissolved right in front of me after saying that. No more words. Her blood gone from the rocks, and the noise from the outside word leaked in. I could hear gunshots above me in the cave. I had no idea who that could be way out here and for some reason I was still without my powers. Unable to heal was really a bitch right now.
"Aghhh…...hhhhhh…..ahhh…..ughhhh….fuck." I groaned as I felt my body begin to move on it's own from side to side.
I couldn't sit here. I had to lay down. So that's what I aimed to do as I rolled onto my back to look right up at the cliff. My vision was again fading from me and nothing but questions were on my mind now.
Where was Marcus? Where were my powers? Why did every memory have to come back like that just now? This shouldn't be happening. I'm not crazy. I know it's real. I know Marcus is real. He had to be. Something was wrong and I didn't know what that was, but the image of shooting my wife and everything else just hit me all at once. My head thumping and thumping as I asked myself out loud in almost a whisper.
"What's wrong with me?"
Letting my body relax on the rocks, I just felt my focus shift to my eyes. I watched for what felt like hours. The cliff itself was all I could see and I felt something in me give away just as I saw something peer over the cliff. I don't know what it was, but it looked like another dog. With that now in my head I accepted the answer and just allowed my body to rest. Hopefully I made the right choice shooting my wife. I felt a very thin giggle come to my lips as I passed out.
"Hehehe…?"
Zeta's POV, Ten minutes earlier.
We had to leave the truck behind. Molly had managed to follow the trail to this almost mountianness stretch of rocky badlands. I haven't seen this since I flew into the country all that time ago. It was a lot of walking uphill and with Molly starting to slow her pace I looked back at my sister who came in close to say to me.
"We're bound to find a nest up on one of these cliffs Zeta. Chances are if this is their home, we're gonna probably meet the whole family. And they won't be friendly when they see strangers approaching their turf."
"I know. Did you warn the others?"
Pepper nodded and together we looked back up the hill to see Molly stop in her tracks and dart her head to the left. Both her and I followed her gaze to see one of the family in question looking down on us from all the way up the ridgeline. I lifted up my rifle as Pepper muttered.
"That's not good."
"Awwwwwoooooooooo!"
Both of our eyes widened as the wolf let out this huge howl. Enough to echo in all directions and tell us the dinner bell had been rung. With Pepper reading herself along with the boys who were a bit further down behind us, I looked back at my sister to tell her.
"That's really not good. Molly! Keep going!" I ordered as she was staring up at that other dog. However in a few seconds Molly obeyed and kept leading the way. As we climbed we began to hear more howls. No idea what direction because of all the echos, but we knew they were close when all the sudden we approached the top of one of the cliffs and were jumped at by a wolf easily three times the size of Molly who he was clearly going for when we saw his trajectory.
"Molly get clear!" I ordered her as she jumped back from where she was standing. The wolf landed right where she had been standing and once he landed Pepper and I emptied a burst of bullets into it. The dog's howls of pain could be heard from all over the valley. Along with our bullets. Molly on the other hand began to run away, but with the trail she had been on.
"Molly wait!" I begged her as she had to be thinking we needed to rush now that we were killing this land's owners. Pepper tried to hold me for a second but Molly was gaining too much ground from us so I yelled at her.
"We need to run after her!"
Pepper agreed and together we started to run as fast as we could, while at the same time climbing rocks. The guys followed our lead and did their best to keep up as Molly could be seen only a few meters away jumping her way onto the last rock that led to the top where the trail was going.
"Hold on Molly!" I begged her as I was the first to get in position to act.
Almost as soon as she made her jump to the top, I felt my heart jump out of my chest when all the sudden a dog about her size came running out from her left side. With jaws open the dog snatched her right by the neck. I slipped on the last rock when I heard Molly scream from being dragged to the ground.
"Molly!" I screamed back as I got my gun up just in time to shoot her attacker in the back.
"Awwwooo!" The dog reacted by falling right down on top of her and using all I had; I got up on her level and aimed past her to see three much larger variants slowly coming our way with teeth bared.
"Zeta close your eyes!" Pepper shouted as she tossed a flashbang right over my shoulder.
"Jesus!" I shouted as I saw it sail past me. My only option was to do what she instructed, but before that I crouched down till I was right on top of Molly who was struggling to get free. Using my left hand I pinned her eyes shut and waited till it went off. When it did however all my sounds got blown away. I could only hear a very loud pinging sound as I looked back to see both Pepper and Roz opening fire onto the crowd of blind wolves.
Once it was over I felt Pepper grab me by my shoulder. I could barely hear her as she asked loud enough.
"Are you okay!?"
I nodded and refocused on helping Molly. Lifting the dead dog off her legs, I watched as she got back up to shake her head. Then she tried to reach her neck with one of her front paws. With my sound coming back I got in close to order her.
"Let me see!"
Molly kept herself together as I saw she was bleeding in two spots on the left side of her neck. Reaching into one of my pouches, I got out a large roll of bandage and ordered my sister who watched.
"Help me!"
She acted and together we got Molly wrapped up. Yet it had to be done fast because we were seeing a large number of dogs coming from a cave that was placed towards the very back of the cliff we were on. Pepper and I got ready as the rest of our friends got up here. Once we were all together Pepper told us.
"He's got to be in there."
"That's a lot of dogs." Diz's voice announced as we prepared ourselves for a fight.
Looking back down at Molly who was recovering herself from the first attack, I urged my sister who raised her rifle up at the pack.
"Cover me. Molly and I are gonna go right in through the middle."
"You sure about that Zeta?" She asked me as it was clear we were outnumbered. Nodding my head I replied while tapping Molly on her backside.
"I'm sure. They won't know what to do. Molly?"
She looked right up at me as I instructed her calmly.
"Don't leave my side. We're gonna go in there and we're gonna find him. Alright?"
"Braf!" She replied as I smiled and refocused on the task at hand.
With my rifle up and ready, I took aim on the first group of dogs and waited till they were all in the open. Once the first wolf got within running distance and began to sprint I shouted out while laying down on the trigger.
"Open fire!"
The first group of dogs who were closest to us were leveled well before they could react and make a move. The second we cleared a path out Molly ran out from under my legs and I followed throwing all caution to the wind as we ran right into the cave. Molly ducked under a handful of angry defenders who tried to grab her, allowing me more than enough time to drop them. Then it was a matter of catching up to her as we came to a fork in the road ahead. Molly went to work sniffing through the shit on the ground in hopes of locating Raptor's scent. Yet I had no idea how she could because this cave was filled with putrid remains and nothing but fecal matter. She was for once stuck and I kept our general surroundings safe as most of the dogs were focused on fending off the rest of my friends who were just entering the cave behind us. With Molly looking down both paths in confusion, I watched as both her ears and mine shot up once we heard someone scream deep down the rightmost pathway. We knew that voice and almost as fast as we heard we both panicked and ran full speed in that direction. Down the path I screamed back.
"Raptor!"
His screams came to an end in due time and we were left looking for any sign of him. All I could see was darkness the further we went, so going behind my back, I pulled out a flashlight I had stowed in my vest and began to shine it around the cave. Molly kept running as it seemed it was a direct path forward from here. More bones and remains littered the path but my eyes widened when I heard a gunshot ring off that wasn't my own or from behind me. Molly began to bark her head off as she heard it too and seeing she was clearing a good distance ahead of me, I panicked and shouted at her.
"Molly! Wait for…..?!"
I saw her little body leave my sight and at that exact moment I felt this larger one slam into my back, taking me down to the cave floor. Unsure of what it was I turned around to find this monstrously large feral looming over me with snarling teeth. The second our eyes locked he jumped forward with his fangs aimed at my neck.
"Aghhhh!" I screamed and lifted up my M4 just in the nick of time. The wolf bit down right on the rifle giving me some leverage to retaliate and shake him off to my right side. But when I did, the wolf dragged my gun right out from my hands with it's sheer power and tossed it somewhere into the darkness leaving me defenseless.
Raising my hands and trying to back up, I watched very closely as the wolf again jumped at me. This time however he went for my leg and I wasn't ready for the speed. All I saw was it move and then the next thing I knew it had its teeth wrapped around my ankle. The pain I felt after was nothing but extraordinary. My only choice was to go right for my M9 and aim at it. The wolf however was much more aware then I expected and when it saw me pull out the weapon it released my leg and jumped up into my chest knocking both me and the gun back down to the ground where I had my hands wrapped around its neck.
"Ahhhhhh! Aghhhhh! You fucking…..?"
The dog snapped at my face with one straight downward lunge and my only reaction had to be high impact if I wanted to not get my throat ripped out. So channeling what venom I had I wrestled the feral over until I was the one on top and using my right hand I began to punch it right in the maw as hard as I could. Blood splattered my fist and then my face as I was losing control. I felt my mind blank out when I went to apply the finishing touch with one last strike. Then from behind I felt the teeth of another dog attach right to my neck. Almost immediately I yelped out as the animal who jumped me pinned me right to the rocks next to his injured friend. I couldn't breathe, the grip was so tight around my neck. All I could do was go for my knife, but the angle I had was useless to attack. I couldn't spin around in this position. With my head filling up with blood, I began to scream in pain as the dog was about ready to snap me in two.
"Zeta! BANG! BANG! BANG!"
As if by some miracle I heard my name get called then heard a series of rounds get shot right at me drilling my attacker right in the side of the back and head. The body rolled off to my side leaving me to look left as I saw Roz running over to aim at the other dog who I broke.
"BANG! BANG!"
Killing it right on the spot, Roz looked back at me to see my red eyes and asked me in concern.
"Are you okay!?"
Offering me a hand, I took it and replied while grabbing the back of my neck with my right hand.
"I am! Thank you!"
Roz nodded and handed me back my rifle. I collected it and my M9 and stated to him while still in shock from nearly dying.
"Molly ran ahead. Come on…..follow me."
Roz did as I asked and came with me the rest of the way. We found Molly looking around a series of rocks and once she saw us I asked her.
"Did you find him!?"
The girl kept her head to the ground in search of his scent. Roz put his effort to start searching around the other side of the cave, while I came right to Molly's side to look around. This was a deadend, but what we heard had to have come from here. Where could he….?
"Braf!"
My attention was shaken away as Molly let out a heavy bark as she ran to the edge of another rock. This one large enough to lay on and with my flashlight out I widened my eyes when I saw the rock itself was connected to nothing else but a deep drop that had to be maybe fifty meters down. In confusion I leaned over her side to point my light down the pit to find him. My heart stopped when I found Raptor laying at the very bottom of the pit with both his arms and legs spread out as if he was shot right there. I could see two wolves down there with him, about the same size as the ones that nearly killed me. They were unmoving much like him. Molly began to bark her head off as Roz looked over our way in confusion. Looking back at him in shock I shouted.
"I found him! Roz! I found him!"
He came running right on over to look for himself. Almost immediately he replied.
"Oh fuck me. Commander!"
Raptor's body was unmoving. I could barely make out his face as Molly started to try and find a way down. Seeing she would get hurt I ordered her.
"Molly stop! You can't get down there on your own baby!"
"Braf! Braf! Braf!"
Handing Roz my rifle, I urged him while getting down on my knees.
"Hold this. I'm going down there."
"Can you even get down there safe Zeta?" He asked me as I nodded and replied.
"I'll figure it out. Just make sure she stays up here and when the others get here you start working on an idea to get us back up."
Roz took another look down at Raptor and questioned.
"Is he even alive?"
I ignored his question and Molly came to my side the second she saw me trying to get down on my own. Once I had a foothold she shocked me by jumping right onto my back. Wrapping both her arms around my neck she clung to me as I shouted.
"Oh my god! Molly?! Roz!"
The man got down to try and grab her but Molly wasn't having it and went to bite at his fingers as they came near. Instantly I ordered him.
"Stop! Jesus Christ girl!"
"Braf! Braf!" She barked back as I quickly accepted the added importance of getting down there safely. Roz watched in complete fear as I had to go as slow as humanly possible to make this work. By the time I was halfway down the others reached us. Pepper and them all looked over as Roz shouted to them.
"We found him! Your sister is already on her way down!"
"Down!?" Pepper questioned as she shined a light of her own down the cliff where I was to see for herself. In the process of taking another step down, I heard her shout at me.
"Be careful!"
"I know!" I replied as I got closer and closer to the bottom.
"Diz! Cooper! We're going to need a rope or something to get him out of there! Head back down the mountain and see what you can find in the truck! Saff! Get your ass down there with her! He needs a medic!"
The fox nodded and began his climb down. Leaving my sister to ask me in complete shock for the situation he was in.
"Is he breathing Zeta!?"
By then I had reached the bottom. Molly jumped right off my back and in speed, we both got to Raptor's side to check. Placing my hand on the bottom of his neck I felt no pulse, but ignored that and began to shake him by the chest. Raptor didn't respond as Molly was dead set on making sure he was alive herself. She quickly bit down on his left hand and right then I saw one of his eyes flicker. Almost instantly I screamed back up at Roz and Pepper.
"He's alive!"
"Thank god!" She replied as I put down my flashlight and began to gently slap his face, at the same time asking him.
"Raptor? Raptor? Can you hear me Raptor? It's Zeta."
He didn't respond. By the time Saff got down here I had informed him as calmly as I could as I saw him reaching for his medkit.
"I saw his eyes move. He's breathing but it's very slow. We need to do something."
Saff nodded and with his hands going to his belt, he cracked open a low intensity green flare and began to look over the damage. I helped where I could, but by then he already knew what was wrong and informed me.
"He's lost a lot of blood. He's got a really bad tear here on his side and right here on his face. Fuck one of them got him good."
"What else?" I asked as he carefully felt around Raptor's legs.
"He had to have broken his legs. They feel like goo. His arm too for sure. Fuck he's not walking out of this one Zeta."
"What can we do?" I asked him as he leaned in close to Raptor's face to reply.
"I need to try and close some of these wounds. Hold your flashup up to his face. I need to be able to see."
"What about his back?" I asked as I did what he needed.
Saff got his hands on what he needed from the medkit then informed me before shifting his focus onto his medical training completely.
"I can't risk moving him right now. I'm going to give him a shot of morphine, but when I'm done with his face you'll need to help me flip him over. Can you do that?"
I nodded instantly as Molly had positioned herself right above Raptor's head to watch. She had stopped her barking and as a replacement began to whimper. Raptor remained out cold as I watched Saff get to work on cleaning the affected areas. From there I had all my fingers crossed that he'd still be alive by the end of this.
mT Shadow.