XIXLos Angeles
Kruger
How much longer could he cope with the agony of uncertainty? This was worse than war. If he had survived the Apartheid, surely he could survive a broken heart? He had had his heart broken before, with a sword, but not even that compared to this. Loneliness.
We landed, finally.
Never had I been so glad to get out of my own aircraft. I stalked out onto the shrubby desert grass and stretched my legs. The anti-gravity of space working against our artificial gravity took a toll on my muscles. I didn't realize it, but I had been tensing the entire time. But then again, maybe it wasn't just the gravity. Drake barreled out into the field beside me. Shit. Before I could warn him to get back, Brooks and his men had spotted the boy and grasped his arms.
"Fuck off, teef! Let me go, bastaard! You'll pay!" He kicked and struggled as Brooks brought him over to me. He shoved the boy down to his knees at my feet. I didn't flinch, merely levelled with my ex-commander.
"Quite a mouth on this one, eh? Ain't that right, boy? You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Brooks taunted. He unleashed the hellion.
"And yours, too, piel kop!" Drake spat directly upward. With a generous arc, it landed squarely on Brooks' forehead. A priceless look of disgust crossed the lieutenant's face as he wiped the gunk off his face.
"Where'd you find this rat? I hope you have a good exterminator…"
I laughed heartily. "Dug him up in your wife's poes, poepol." I lowered my hand without lowering my eyes. A clap of victory echoed across my palm as Drake slapped it.
"English, goddamnit, Agent 32! English so I know what you're saying!"
"Trust me, sir, you don't wanna hea what I'm saying…" I shot a wicked grin at Drake, who returned it with equal mischief.
"Well, I don't care. What do you plan on doing with this runt?"
I looked down at Drake, who looked pleadingly up at me. He knew I wanted to leave him here, back where I had found him, but I knew I couldn't. He would stay no matter what, no matter how hard I tried to shake him. "I plan on doing with him whatever I please." Drake looked scared for a moment. "He stays with me." With a look of relief from Drake and an eye-roll from Brooks, the lieutenant began to walk away without a word. Then, he turned on a heel and pointed a finger at me. "This makes us even, Kruger. I don't owe you anything. Not anymore. Okay?"
"Alright then, bokke," I snorted, amused at his nervousness. With that, he and his crew walked away from the ruins of the Raven. My poor ship had one busted engine, broken beyond repair, and a tear in the primary walling. The only reason we hadn't suffocated in space was that outer reinforced hull. I can safely say that it's saved my ass more than once.
"Hey, Kruga…?"
Drake tugged at my shirttail like a lost child. "Where am I gonna live? I mean… I ain't got a home anymore, and I'd been living with you on the ship for the last day or so, so… I dunno… What am I gonna do?" He was a lost child. I hadn't thought about arrangements. I was thinking, in the long run, he would be trained and suited up for the job, older and eligible to be a legitimate crew member of mine. But for the near future, I had not thought of it. And now, with Protea on board, I had even less of a clue as to what to do with either of them.
Curious, I walked over to the Raven as Crowe began making arrangements to have the ship fixed. Abbott sulked around, still waiting for his abysmal dismissal.
Protea was sitting in the hanger where I had told her to wait. She looked up when I came in and bolted upright. "Are you going to let me go?" she asked breathlessly.
"I was neva holding you in the first place," I noted glumly. "You escaped me, remember? I thought that was reason enough to let you off the hook. Delacourt's done with you anyways. She ain't on your trail anymore. I'd suggest laying low, princess."
She responded with a quiet "don't call me princess" and crossed her arms in deliberation. "I honestly never thought I'd get this far… I mean… Getting healed after the accident," she sneered at me as she said this, "getting a new identity, inside and out. And Marcel… I mean, I just left him. I stranded him, without a word! He must be so worried! I should—" She suddenly stopped ranting. Her eyes blazed. "I should report you!"
"What the fuck?"
"Yes! I should report you! I should say you kidnapped me! I could go to the authorities as a new citizen and get you arrested for putting me through all this! I'll send you to jail for the rest of your life, you crazy motherfucker."
"You're the one who's crazy, you know that, eh? What the fuck are you talking about!" I demanded, getting increasingly agitated.
"I'll do that! Yes! My case will hold up in court, and Marcel will vouch for me. He'll agree I'm a victim of the venomous Agent Kruger!" She strode up to me and punched a finger to my collarbone. "I've got enough on you to lock you up forever, space hobo-" What the fuck? "-and you'll rot in a real prison, not the daycare they run on Elysium."
She stared intensely, crazily, at me with wild eyes. She was clearly delusional. Maybe moon fever is a real thing. "You nearly done, princess?" I growled.
She glared. "Not nearly." She lurched forward suddenly, her head aimed right for my jaw I thought she would head-butt me, then flee. I certainly would. I think I'd prefer the head-butt to this.
She kissed me.
Her lips hit mine with such fierce passion, I staggered back slightly, totally taken aback. I stilled, not wanting to move a muscle, I even shut my eyes because I knew there was no way this could be happening. It lasted a few seconds, then she broke away, sputtering to herself in disbelief. A look of shock was plastered on her otherwise pretty face, contorting it strangely. My eyes snapped open just in time to see her sprint out the hanger door. I raced after her, slipping on the metal floor. When I got up, I flung myself out of the ship, my head whipping around in every direction. I noticed Drake, Crowe and Abbott shouting happily amongst each other. I barked at them if they had seen which way the girl went. When neither pilot disclosed anything of use, Drake sprinted over to me. As I stood panting, he anxiously asked, "Where did she go? Where did the girl go? What happened? Why'd you let her get away?"
"You were supposed to know!" All my desperation poured out suddenly. My exasperated wail caught the attention of Crowe and Abbott, who jogged over to me, guns at the ready.
"What is it boss—"
"The girl!"
"What?"
"Where did she go? Which direction?!"
"Kruger, I don't—"
I shoved my way past the two of them. I looked desperately for a trail of dust, or something else to indicate which way Protea had run. When I saw nothing, I sunk to my knees. I felt my jaw go slack and I knelt, mouth gaping in disbelief.
She was gone again.
Gone.
The darkness bubbled up inside me once again, shredding my insides, as I cried out into the hot Western sun.
Protea
I didn't move from behind old gas pump, I scarcely moved a muscle. Even as I heard his agonized wail carry across the desert, I tried hard not to flinch.
I had a preconceived notion that Agent Kruger could not feel pain. Especially not emotional pain.
But I have been wrong before.
And I was so wrong now.
I never thought I would feel the sharp guilt I felt now. Guilt for him.
He had brought this on me. He had destroyed my life. I told myself this over and over and over but I knew it just wasn't true.
It was true I was scared for my safety when he captured me under Delacourt's orders, and it was true he hurt me more than once. But all the same, he had redeemed himself each time he wrought punishment upon me. He had saved my life, whether or not I'll admit it, twice. He stopped Tweedy from doing who knows what to me. He had somehow helped me escape the CCB. He had even begun my healing process by taking me to some random citizen's house.
Kruger had put his job, his crew, and his life on the line to save me, to keep me from harm. But why? Why was I so important to him? Those were questions I had once asked myself. Now I think I knew.
He lovedme.
In his own twisted, Kruger-ish way, he loved me. That cry, usually reserved for the over-dramatic wail of an actor on set, was all real, raw emotion. I wasn't sure if it was the volume and tone of it, or the fact that it was in fact pure anguish. Anguish I had caused him. For all the times I wished ill upon him, I now sought to take it all back, regardless of everything else. Because I was felt the same kind of twisted love for him, too.
Though, perhaps, I truly was delusional.
It must be some kind of syndrome or something! My scattered conscience tried to rationalize this situation.
You don't actually love him! That's impossible! There's so much wrong with him, so many reasons you can't love him!
And yet, I effectively ignored the wailing conscience in my head.
So many reasons I can't love him…
Maybe that was it then. The more I pushed away, the closer I got, like being in a hole of sand. The harder you struggle, the tighter the sand compacts around you. I could feel the sand tighter than it had ever been. Especially after that kiss…
A cry escaped my throat, and was matched by his, effectively creating a ghoulish echo across the desert field.
Kruger
Even as the cleanup crew came and went, I didn't move. Stubbornly, I stood staring out into the desert, refusing to acknowledge anyone unless I needed to. Eventually, the coolness of dusk settled on my shoulders. The Raven's crew had gone home in friends' vehicles, while the ship was airlifted out of the vacant lot. Only Drake remained by my side, adorned in an oversized vest and fatigues. He knelt by my side contentedly, looking out in the same arbitrary direction as me.
"Did she mean a lot to you?"
I only nodded, truly not knowing how to answer that particular question.
"I liked her, too. Not like, just physically, I mean… She made me feel safe, you know? Made me feel… good. You know?"
"Yeah, I know, Drakey…" I murmured, trying to blink away the sting in my eyes. "I know what you mean."
We stayed there for about twenty more minutes, until Drake began to shiver slightly from the light drizzle that had begun. I nudged him to his feet. "Let's git you to out of hea. Git you a nice bed, clean water. Come on."