Chapter Twelve
The dream came swiftly and Lex let out a small distressed murmur in his slumber. Images of repressed memories were swirling before him unbidden and he tossed fitfully trying to fight the buried pain that haunted him. Despite his efforts Lex awoke in a cot and a familiar scent, lost long ago, wafted into his nostrils. There, pacing at his feet and humming a cheerful tune as she twisted her hair back, was Siva.
"Morning sleepy head." She smiled gaily at him.
Lex stared back for a moment. It's a dream stupid. He told himself. It's just a dream. Wake up. He commanded silently but his body wouldn't obey. Instead the dream Lex smiled back.
"Hey babe. Why don't come back to bed?" Wake up!
"I'd love to but Sergeant Jay's called a meeting." She and Lex both chuckled at the nickname they'd given Jay months ago. "I think he's made plans to attack one of Mega's checkpoints."
"Another day in paradise." Lex murmured before resigning himself to get out of bed. Pausing he sized up Siva's curvacious figure with a glint of lust in his eyes. "Did I tell you I love you today?"
"Not yet." She replied sweetly.
"Good." Lex smirked. "I'm waiting for a special moment."
Siva laughed at his teasing and slapped his arm. It had been a couple days since she'd read that quote to him out of one of her harloquin romance novels. The last couple of months things had been going quite well for Siva and Lex. Ever since he'd finally made up his mind to put Taisan and their past behind him. It hadn't been an easy choice but Lex knew it had to be done. He also believed (and hoped) that Taisan wouldn't begrudge him for moving on and finding love. He only prayed that she was happy and able to do the same for herself. Taking the few material things he had left of their marriage, including her beloved crystal, Lex placed them in a box and stored it in the back of the foodstore of the mall. This way she'd always be in his heart, just not on his mind, leaving him free to pursue a future with Siva.
It was early August and the city was still under the siege of war. The Mallrats were no longer in their precious mall and instead had divided their forces into several smaller groups spread throughout sector ten. The decison to evacuate was made barely in time as Mega attacked the mall. His firebomb had caused the carpark to collapse, killing Ved who died in a valiant attempt to protect Lottie. They'd followed the young girl's screams and found her buried beneath Ved's broken body amongst the rubble. Since then most of the women and children were taking refuge in the basement of the art museum a few blocks away. It was dark and cramped but secure. Ram and Jack rigged the generator to give them light and a bit of heat. Some buildings away, in the bunker of the first national bank were the most of the Mallrats soldiers. All of the rebels had gone underground as Mega's attacks escalated in feriocity. Even the Zootist found little safety on the streets. They were losing. Everyone knew it but no one was saying it out loud. Despite the odds against them and their heavy losses, it was just in the Mallrat spirit to continue fighting.
Lex and Siva slipped into Jay's meeting and were greeted with weary yet determined faces. Amber looked the most down trodden of them all. It had been nearly a week since she'd been able to get over to the museum to see her son. It was important to keep from leading Mega's spies to the new Mallrat hideout. Or any other place where the civilians and wounded were being kept. Despitewanting to protectthe women, the fighters couldn't spare Amber, Ebony and Siva. Each had skills that were desperately needed on the lines. Lex could see right away that this was going to be a big mission. Jay had called in reinforcements and the room was more than crowded with fighters from the city's remaining tribes. When Jay finally revealed his plan, the room dissented into subdued argument.
"You want us to attack the old boneyard?" Fox, one of the last Demon Dogs left around, narrowed his eyes at Jay. "What good will that do? There's no petrol there."
"No," The blond commander shook his head. "But I received word that Mega's stationed a small band of Technos there."
"Why should we trek all the way out to sector fourteen to jump a small group of Technos?" Ebony's sultry question carried over the other voices. "If we're looking to get pistol whipped we can just step outside. They'll find us."
"Because we believe this group is supplying Mega with his firebombs." Ram countered.
The room went silent as they considered this news. The firebombs were the most catastrophic weapons in the war. They not only created massive explosions but also emitted an awful, flammable substance that would set anything and anyone ablaze. The bomb itself was about the size of a man's head and carried within it several smaller bombs that spread out from the first blast. Each blowing up in succession and leaving devestation in their wake. One firebomb was all it took to bring the entire mall carpark down. If they found a way to keep Mega from making them, it could turn the tide in their favor.
Wake up!
The colors of the room suddenly swirled and blended together and Lex found himself in a jeep with Slade and several other fighters. Their small group had been assigned to attack from the right flank. Siva and her group were sent to the South, Fox and Amber were coming from the left and Jay had the North with Ebony, the most dangerous area of attack.
" Right flank, approaching sector fourteen." Lex spoke into the walkie talkie strapped to his waist. It was a primitive way for the rebels to communicate but being wireless, it kept Mega from over hearing their messages.
"Disembark the truck and continue on foot." Jay's voice crackled back. "The element of surprise is the only advantage we may have."
Another swirling of color and Lex was now huddled in an alley, an explosion going off somewhere in the distance.
"What the hell was that!" Slade shouted over the noise and grabbed for his walkie talkie. "Jay! Was that any of you?" He and Lex could hear garbled messages coming back. First was Ebony.
"Didn't come from the North but I think they were expecting us."
Lex then heard Jay calling Amber's name receiving only static. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the small instrument in his hand. This part he always feared the most. He waited to hear Siva's voice amongst the static. He was too scared to call her name. Scared she wouldn't be there to respond.
"South group here." Her voice finally came through and Lex let out the breath he'd been holding. After a pause. "I'm here baby."
"Glad to hear it." Lex smiled as he replied, trying to disguise his fear.
"Amber!" Jay's voice called again.
"I'm alright!" Lex recognized Amber as she coughed. "They knew we were coming. They ambushed us. Fox is down!"
"Where are you?"
"Two blocks from the boneyard. Trying to get back to the truck."
"Amber wait." Siva spoke up. "Hold your position. We can see them and if you move you'll run straight into them... " Wake up dammit! "We're coming in to cover you. At my signal make for the truck. We'll lead them away."
"Siva!" Lex cried out and then paused... "We'll meet you there." There was no way in hell he was letting his girl go at this fight alone.
The color wheel that clouded Lex's mind was overwhelming. He could hear shouting, and explosions as the ground shook beneath his feet. They were running and above them the sky rained fire. The only thing on his mind was getting to Siva. Oh God... wake up! I don't want to see anymore... Voices blared from his walkie talkie, a medley of chaos.
"We're clear..." That was Amber.
"They're closing in..."
"Jay and me are coming in to back you up Siva. Just keep your heading." Ebony...
"Almost there babe!" Lex heard himself panting for breath.
"They've blocked us off...
"We can't stop the bleeding... Fox is gone..."
There was a scream, another blast, more swirling colors and then all was black for several minutes before Lex realized he was still running. But now he was running toward something in the distance. A cloud of smoke hovered above like a beacon drawing him forward. He didn't call Siva's name on the walkie talkie... scared she wouldn't be there.
"Siva!" It was Slade. "Siva, please say you weren't in that building that just came down. Siva!"
"We're okay." Lex's heart flipped. Wake up... it's going to be bad... "Some of the hallway caved in and blocked us off. They can't get in but we can't get out either. Bars on the window."
"Where are you?" Jay...
"The courthouse. In one of the back rooms, facing the alley."
"Jay and me will lead them off, give you all a chance to gain some ground. Lex, Slade..." Ebony's voice trailed off.
"We're on it." Lex answered running faster.
In minutes Slade and Lex came to the alley way behind the courthouse. They could hear the fighting out front and both silently wished Jay and Ebony luck. Their group fanned out searching all the barred windows until...
"Lex! We're here!"
There was her arm waving at him. He raced toward her, leaping onto a pile of milkcrates so that he could see inside. He grabbed her hand and reached in between the bars to embrace her.
"You alright?"
Siva smiled briefly before looking down. "Yeah. Jones is hurt and we lost Steven."
"You did good." Lex said simply, his heart pounding with immeasurable relief.
"I got us trapped."
"At least you didn't get us dead." Jones spoke up from the floor bringing a bit of comic relief to their situation.
Slade stood on the ground below Lex and eyed the windows. "We have to get these bars off somehow."
"Where'd we leave the jeep?"
Slade narrowed his eyes at Lex. "Back some ways. Remember, we came from the right."
"Yeah," Lex frowned.
"You can use ours." Siva said brightly. "It's only a couple blocks that way." She pointed up the alley.
There was a quick exchange of keys and Slade took off with two others to retrieve the jeep. Lex and the other three young men stood watch in the alley, listening to the sounds of the fight out front tapering off.
"I hope that means we're winning." Siva tried to smirk.
Despite the seriousness of their situation Lex grinned at her. "I can not wait to get you out of there, back home and out of those clothes."
Siva feigned innocence. "All of us, or just me?"
Laughing Lex leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers through the bars. "Did I tell you I love you today?" please... please wake up... She shook her head coyly. "Good." He whispered and leaned in to kiss her lips.
The intimacy of the moment was interupted by the arrival of the jeep at the end of the alley. The pathway between buildings was too narrow for Slade to drive through.
"We'll have to chain it from here." He called over.
Lex nodded and smiled at Siva. "We'll have you guys out in a couple minutes. Stand away from the window, in case we accidently bring down the wall."
The noise out front had completely died down though the group in the alley way didn't notice as they started attaching the tow chain to the bars of the window. Lex could vaguely hear Slade trying to get through to Ebony on his walkie talkie but she seemed to be breaking up. That could mean they were out of range.
"What? I didn't catch that. Ebony?"
"Slade!... lost... omb... out... now... out... there... now..."
"What?" He shouted back. "Where are you guys? Are you alright?"
"What's wrong?" Siva peered out the window once more, worried over the panic in her younger sister's voice. "Is she okay?"
"I can't hear a thing she's saying." Slade shook his head and started walking toward the jeep with the device against his ear. "Ebony!"
"It's prob'ly the alley." Lex looked up at the enclosed space. Get up... please "Interference." Jumping down from the milkcrates he started walking in Slade's direction. "Lemme give it a try. A good wack against the bricks outta help."
"What?" Slade shouted as he looked at Lex's approaching form. "Ebony I can barely..."
"Get out... " Suddenly Ebony's voice blasted through frantic and clear as day. "Slade! Get out of there now! A bomb Slade, a bomb! Get out of there NOW!"
Not even a second passed between Lex and Slade staring at one another in fearful shock and the faint clattering of a metal ball being tossed into the alley from the other end.
"Lex?" Siva's voice rang through the silence that had over taken them. "What's going on?"
There was no time. Just as Lex shouted her name, Slade was screaming for everyone to run. And that's what Lex attempted to do, run for the window to Siva as if he would rip the bars off himself. Please... no... There was a deafening blast and Lex felt as though he were choking as he was lifted and bathed in burning white light. Just before the swirling colors turned to a black abyss, he heard Siva's scream.
The colors swirled around him in a chaotic manner making him feel sick. There was a pounding on his chest and somewhere through the thick fog he heard shouting. His name... someone was calling his name. Suddenly warm, dirty lips covered his own and forced hot air into his paralyzed lungs. Lex gagged and started to cough, the noises around him greatly intensifed.
"Jesus man," He heard Slade's voice. "I thought you were dead. You weren't breathing.
Lex opened his eyes to see the young man kneeling over him. The left side of Slade's face was covered in blood from a deep gash on the side of his forehead. His clothes and hair were covered in singe marks suggesting he'd just barely been out of range of the flames. The tender pink burn on his right hand emphasized that fact even more so.
Lex sat up and tried to see the sky above them through the thick black smoke. If he didn't know any better he'd think it was night. All around him was smoke and he could hear the roar of fire. He reached up to rub the soot in his eyes and realized it was blood coming from the cut in his brow. Slipping a hand around his tender neck Lex found that the collar of his leather jacket had been nearly ripped off.
"Sorry 'bout that." Slade frowned. "You were running toward the bomb. I had to grab you. Good thing you were wearing that coat." Slade held up his burnt hand. "That could have been you... but all over."
Shaking the swirling colors from his head Lex looked around and saw flaming items littering the ground. "What... Where... Where's Siva?"
Slade looked down. "They set a trap for us."
Lex frowned and stood up, wavering a bit. "Where is she?" Not again...
"There was nothing we could do..."
"Wha...?" Narrowing his eyes at Slade, Lex started stumbling through the choking smoke trying to figure out where he was.
"Lex don't."
Lex didn't stop and he noticed Slade didn't get up to enforce his command. After several feet he was able to make out a few buildings then bumped into the jeep. He must be at the alley way entrance. No... But when Lex looked up through the clearing smoke, he saw that there was no alley. The backs of both bordering buildings had completely collapsed into a mass of burning rubble. Siva...
He was overtaken by the swirling colors and when Lex was on his feet again he was staring down at her name engraved in a smooth wooden marker. Siva... Around him stood his friends, some weeping, others stoic. He thought maybe Amber was saying something, or perhaps it was Ebony. None of it mattered for all he could focus on was her name... I don't want to be here... engraved in a plank of wood. And all he could think was "I should've told you... please... that I loved you." ...wake up...