Chapter 9: Declaration of Love
Nolan walked into his office the next morning looking like he'd just fought a battle. Actually, in a sense, he did fight a battle, of wills that is, but he still wasn't sure if he'd won the prize. Tommy was kissing his daughter when the Lawkeeper entered, but he backed away quickly upon seeing Nolan.
"Ah, um, morning, Nolan," Tommy stuttered. "How are you doing?"
"Hey, Nolan, you look awful. What happened?" Irisa asked.
Nolan frowned. He knew Tommy and Irisa had gotten close, but he'd never saw it before, and it was a little disconcerting. However, he didn't have time to ponder the situation. Datak was on his way this morning to petition the Castithan Order for a divorce, and it could all go south at any time. Nolan had to prepare Irisa if the Castithans denied Datak's petition.
"I got in a fight with Datak," Nolan replied, "but everything's fine. We worked it out."
Tommy smirked at the Lawkeeper. "I hope he looks worse than you do, Nolan."
Nolan smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I really showed him whose boss, but why aren't you at the Mayor's house? Why are you both here?"
"We took a break, Nolan. Alak is there. He showed up late last night with his wife, and he promised to protect his mother until we returned. We only left a little while ago and we're headed back now."
"Okay, Irisa, but hurry. I don't want Stahma and Kenya left unguarded for any length of time."
"Do you think Datak will try something, Nolan?" Tommy asked.
"Yup, he's trying something, but it's not murder. He's on his way to ask the Castithan Order for a formal divorce. Unfortunately, the order might refuse Datak's petition. If that happens, all of us will have to make a run for it."
"All of us will have to make a run for it… why?" Irisa asked cautiously.
"Um, because the Castithan Order will try to kill us if they think Datak is lying. If Datak can't convince the Castithans that he already released his wife, because he's in love with me, then we're all dead."
Tommy made a face. "Ooh, that's bad."
"Nope," Irisa said smiling, "that's good. The Castithan Order will grant the petition, but it might take a few days or maybe not. They could reach a decision soon, but it all depends on what you do next."
"Is this part of your vision, sweetheart?"
"Uh huh, but be careful," Irisa warned.
"About what?"
"A series of events are in motion, even as we speak, and you have to stay focused, Nolan, or it won't work, but I have faith in you. Everything should turn out according to my vision. Just don't vary your routine."
"Ah, honey, I don't have a routine, and I have no idea how to handle this."
"Go with your gut instincts. Whatever happens, just follow your first thought. It'll be all right, I promise. Just show a little patience and understanding."
"Okay," Nolan replied in bewilderment. "That's clear as mud, but thanks for the advice. Now, you two get back to the Mayor's house and let Stahma know what Datak is planning. She and Kenya need a heads up in the event we have to flee for our lives."
Tommy grabbed Irisa by the arm and led her out the door before she could confuse Nolan any further. "Got you, Nolan, we're on our way."
"Fuck," Nolan cursed. "Why can't it ever be easy?"
"Datak Tarr, why should the Council of Elders believe this story? Why would we grant your petition for a formal divorce when we have not received any factual evidence? We have a complete account of the events that took place yesterday at the NeedWant. We know you tried to kill your wife and Miss Kenya Rosewater. Do you deny these charges, Datak?"
Datak held his ground steadfastly as he answered the question. "No, I do not." He couldn't afford to show the Council of Elders any sign of weakness. "I was very angry with my wife yesterday. After releasing her, from our marriage bond, Stahma insulted my Caste, and I lost my temper. As for Miss Rosewater, she had no right to interfere in Castithan business. Humans always take it upon themselves to act the part of hero, even when it is none of their concern."
"I see. So, you still wish to kill your wife and Miss Rosewater?" The leader of the council asked.
"I sincerely regret my outburst yesterday, but I am afraid that I have a terrible temper. I understand my wife's obvious distress and I no longer want to harm her or Miss Rosewater. I had all evening to think about the situation, and I've come to realize that my wife was not in her right mind when she insulted me."
"We will forgive your wife's transgression… this time, but we also need proof of your intentions. Bring Lawkeeper Nolan before this council. You have one hour until we reconvene. That is all."
"Thank you," Datak replied gratefully. At least, the council didn't refuse his petition outright. He had one more hour to coach Nolan before reappearing in front of the Council of Elders.
Datak left with all due haste. He had to find the Lawkeeper quickly, so they could go over what he needed to say to convince the Castithans. Nolan was crude, and Datak wasn't sure if any amount of coaching would help his socially inept lover.
"I have to tell them what?" Nolan shouted.
"Do you want to die, Nolan? The council is already suspicious. If you don't tell them exactly what I said, then we might as well just kill ourselves. Nolan… sweetheart, repeat it back to me," Datak ordered.
"Fuck me," Nolan growled.
"Not now, Nolan. We don't have time for that."
Nolan laughed. The whole situation bordered on the absurd. The Lawkeeper didn't think he could present 'a declaration of love' to the Castithan Order with a straight face, but he had to try, for the sake of everyone involved.
"Here goes nothing," Nolan grumbled. "I Joshua Nolan do hereby swear my undying love for Datak Tarr. I want nothing more than for us to bond together, in a holy union, until death releases us from our spoken vow."
"Hmm, not bad, but please try to put a little more sincerity behind it. You're trying to persuade the Council of Elders that you truly love me, even if you don't," Datak said with a heavy sigh.
Nolan's heart skipped a beat and he felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Damn, he knew he was in deep trouble now. "I never said that I didn't love you, Datak."
"What?"
"I never said that I didn't love you, so can we get this over with, if that's okay with you?"
Datak smiled. "Come on then, Nolan, and remember, be sincere."
"I'll do my best, Datak," Nolan replied softly. He would do his best, making the Council of Elders believe him, because he was in love with Datak.
"Lawkeeper Nolan, we appreciate your honesty and your willingness to appear before the Castithan Council of Elders," the head elder was saying, but by now, Nolan was in a daze. Things were happening so fast and the Castithan Council looked less than convinced.
"We will consider everything you have told us, and give you and Datak an answer as soon as possible. We must carefully look at all sides of the situation. Therefore, our final decision may take several days."
"Ah, thank you," Datak said, stepping forward. "We will await your decision patiently."
"Yes, thank you," Nolan added, as his lover grabbed him by the arm and hauled him out the door.
Once out in the street, Datak breathed with relief.
"Well, what do you think, Datak?"
"I think we're dead. I don't think that the council believed either of us, but we'll just have to wait and see. It might be a good idea if we started packing."
"I did the best I could, Datak. I thought it sounded sincere."
"I thought you seemed sincere too, Nolan, and I would've believed you, but we don't have a lot of evidence to back us up. The Castithan Order is very thorough and they need proof before dissolving a bond of marriage."
"I get it. So, we don't have much of a chance then?"
"No, not much at all," Datak answered truthfully.
"All right, I'm going to go talk to your wife and Kenya. I'll send Alak over to pack up Stahma's things and Amanda to get Kenya's if we have to leave town in a hurry. I need to know something before we start packing, are Alak and Christie in any danger?"
"No, the Castithans won't hurt them, but then, my son may want to come with us."
"I don't think Christie will leave her father, and if Christie won't go, I doubt that Alak would even think about leaving, but I'll ask."
"You're probably right, Nolan. I don't want to leave my son here, but I know Rafe McCawley will take good care of him."
"Yes, he will." Nolan agreed.
"Okay, go get things ready. I have one meeting that I must attend, but then I'll go home and start packing as well. Try not to draw any attention while you're getting things together. The Castithan order is not stupid, and we'll be under supervision."
"You think their watching us?"
"Yes, and if the council sees anything suspicious, they'll kill us on the spot."
"That's a lovely thought," Nolan groaned. "But fine, I'll try not to call attention to myself. Will you meet me at my office later?"
"Yes, I'll come this afternoon, and you can tell me how things went with my wife."
Datak left Nolan standing in the street and quickly walked away. He had to stop a certain event from taking place, before it was too late. The Castithan gangster had a meeting with the leader of a mercenary group, and he needed to call the thing off immediately. If he went through with his plan, then his son would have no protection in Defiance.
Datak drove to the far, west corner of the McCawley lands and parked his rover near the back of an abandoned mine shaft. Workers never came here anymore because they'd striped the mine years ago. He got out of his vehicle and looked around cautiously. Datak didn't see any signs of life. Shane Colbert should've been here by now. He hoped that the mercenary hadn't arrived and left already, but Datak was only a few minutes late, and he'd offered Colbert a huge amount of scrip to do the job. He didn't think that a mercenary of Colbert's caliber would just walk away from that much money.
Datak went around to the front entrance and took a quick look down the mine shaft, but seeing nothing except blackness, he ventured up the hill a little way, to get a better view of the surroundings. Datak didn't see anything close by, so he decided to wait a bit before going in search of the mercenary. Maybe Colbert was running late as well.
Datak heard the awful screech just as he turned back toward the mine shaft. The sound ripped through the valley and shook the ground beneath Datak's feet. The Castithan looked up in horror as the thing came barreling across the field. For something that large, it sure was fast, Datak thought, as he ran into the mine shaft, taking refuge in the only place available. He'd never make it to the rover. The creature moved fast, screaming in rage, as its girth covered the mine shaft entrance, completely blocking out the light, and plunging the mine into total darkness.
Datak huddled in the back of the mine shaft, trying to make his body as small as possible. The thing was just too large to follow him inside, but it could conceivably break through or cause a cave-in by ramming the entrance repeatedly. Datak didn't have a clue why the thing was so angry, but the screeching hurt his ears, so he covered them with his hands for protection.
Datak knew he had to do something. He couldn't stay here forever. The furious Hellion would eventually get in, so Datak removed one hand from his ear and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out his hailer, not sure if it would work or not, but he thought it should, since he wasn't very deep inside the mine. Holding the hailer close to his mouth and pushing the button, Datak whispered, "Nolan."
After leaving the Mayor's house, Nolan went back to the office. He and Irisa needed to pack their stuff in preparation for a hasty departure. His daughter wasn't happy about it either. She didn't want to leave Tommy, but when her boyfriend vowed to come with them, things went a lot smoother. The three of them entered the Lawkeeper's office, stopping there first, before going to Tommy's place. Unfortunately, the frantic Sensoth waiting inside waylaid their plans.
"What's the problem?" Nolan asked. "Just calm down for a minute because I can't understand a word you're saying."
"Found dead body, crushed rover, big tracks heading east," the Sensoth shouted.
"Let me see if I've got this straight," Nolan replied, repeating what the Sensoth just told him. "You found a body in a crushed rover and some large tracks heading east?"
"Yes, yes," the Sensoth yelled, waving his arms toward the door. "We go now, heard the screeching of the Hellion."
"Not again," Tommy said with a scowl. "There's no way it's a Hellion."
"Yes, Hellion," the Sensoth cried emphatically. "We go now."
"We need to find out for sure. Let's go. We don't have much time," Irisa said nervously.
Nolan noticed the faraway look in Irisa's eyes and knew this was part of her vision, so he and Tommy followed her, piling into a rover, as they raced after the Sensoth.
The crushed rover sat in a big hole, surrounded by trampled grass and dirt. Nolan didn't recognize the dead man inside, but then, there wasn't much left of the poor slob. He was beyond any hope, so Nolan decided to come back for the body later. They followed the tracks, heading due east, as they doubled back toward Defiance. Nolan and his group needed to stop this thing before it could reach town. Hundreds of people would die if the creature entered a populated area.
"Holy fuck," Tommy said, staring in disbelief at the creature covering the mine shaft entrance. "Our Sensoth must've only got a look at the Hellion's underbelly. That thing is at least fifteen feet tall."
"Yup, at least," Nolan agreed. "Get your blasters ready. We can't let that thing make it to Defiance."
At that moment, Nolan's hailer flared to life and a whispered voice called his name. "Nolan."
"Fuck," Nolan growled, as he grabbed his hailer. "Not now, Datak, I'm a little busy."
"Nolan, this is an emergency, you idiot. I need help," Datak spoke quietly.
"What's wrong, Datak?" Nolan asked, suddenly very concerned.
"I'm trapped in a mine shaft, west of town, with a gigantic Hellion guarding the entrance."
"Oh, is that all?" Nolan replied.
"Is that all? What more do you want?" Datak asked. He wanted to scream at his lover, but he didn't dare risk it.
"Ah, easy now, we're standing a few feet away watching the Hellion. Stay calm. I'm going to try to lead it away from the entrance so we can blast it."
"Be careful, Nolan. That thing is angry."
"We'll be careful, Datak. You just stay put until I give you the word."
Nolan pocketed his hailer and pulled out his blaster. He pulled an extra blaster from the rover and handed it to the Sensoth.
"Irisa, go left and Tommy, you go right. Argol, stay over there on that little knoll and keep firing until I tell you to stop. I'm going straight up the middle to try to get the bug's attention," Nolan said, as he ran toward the thing, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Hey, ugly, over here," Nolan shouted, as he fired his blaster at one of the creature's back legs. "Come on, I know you see me."
The first shot just grazed the Hellion, and it screamed in rage, as it pulled away from the mine shaft entrance. Turning to face its attacker, the thing charged Nolan up the middle of the field.
"Shoot!" Nolan cried.
Irisa, Tommy, and the Sensoth opened fire on the Hellion, blasting the creature from all sides. Nolan took up a spot right in the direct path of the enraged bug. He fired off several shots, in rapid succession, aiming for the eyes and head of the approaching behemoth.
Nolan stepped back, as the thing screamed in pain and stampeded his position. Smoke billowed all around, making it difficult to see, but Nolan knew the thing was close as its hot breath wafted across his cheek.
The ground shook in protest as the Hellion fell right at Nolan's feet. Jumping back, the Lawkeeper fired more shots into the creature's head, just for good measure. It had to end here. There was no way Nolan would let that thing get back up. Irisa, Tommy, and Argol, moved in cautiously, surrounding the creature, as they continued to shoot at it. One well-aimed shot to the head finally did the job. Brains, blood, and other gelatinous gunk exploded outward, bathing Nolan in a smelly, sticky mess.
"Cease fire," Nolan shouted.
Tommy cringed in disgust. "Yuck, man, that's just nasty."
"Yeah, but it could've been a lot worse. I'm lucky that I didn't end up like that poor dead guy back in the rover."
"Nobody's hurt?" Irisa asked.
"I think we're all good, honey, but can you and Tommy ride back to the body with Argol? We need to bring it in for an autopsy. I hope we can figure out who he is."
"Sure, Nolan, we'll go get it," Tommy replied. "What are you going to do?"
"Ah, I need to get my… fiance out the mine shaft," Nolan replied with a laugh.
"Oh right," Tommy said with a grin. "We'll leave you to it then."
Irisa raised an eyebrow at her father. "This is it, Nolan. It's do or die time, so don't fuck it up."
A shiver went down the Lawkeeper's spine as his daughter gazed at him pointedly. Nolan felt that whatever happened in the next few minutes might just change their fate forever.
"Are you okay?" Nolan asked, pulling Datak into his arms.
"Oh, Nolan, you reek, so take your hands off me at once."
Nolan chuckled as he let go of his ungrateful lover. "You're welcome."
Datak smirked at the Lawkeeper. "Thank you, I suppose, but did you kill it?"
"It's dead, so you're safe now, but we need to get back to town. Tommy and Irisa are bringing in a body we found in a crushed rover. I don't know who he is. I never saw him before."
"A body, huh?" Datak asked with a strange look in his eye.
"Yeah, so come on, we have to go."
"What about my rover," Datak asked.
"Just leave it. We'll come back for it later."
"All right, whatever you want, Nolan."
Datak followed Nolan to his rover and they took off toward Defiance at a fast clip. He remained silent for the entire trip back to town, raising Nolan's suspicions.
Nolan parked the rover in front of the office, but he didn't attempt to get out. Turning toward his conniving lover, Nolan covered Datak's wrist with his hand.
"What's the matter?" Datak asked. "Aren't we going in? You really need a bath."
"We'll go inside in a minute, but for now, we need to have a little chat. What were you doing inside a McCawley mine, Datak?"
"Well, if you must know, I was very upset after meeting with the Castithan Order, so I went for a walk to clear my head. I hadn't realized that I'd traveled that far, until I heard the screech of the Hellion and looked up. The mine shaft was the only shelter nearby, so I ran inside for protection."
Nolan angrily shook his head. "No, Datak, try again. You're lying. I know you're lying. You told me you had to meet with someone. Who was it?"
"I went to meet a man from a neighboring town. He offered his services, as a campaign manager, for the upcoming election. I was simply going to meet him as a courtesy, to let him know that his services were no longer needed, but the man never showed up, so I went for that walk."
"Listen to me, sweetheart," Nolan growled. "I'll give you one more chance. What we're you doing near a McCawley mine? If you don't tell me the truth, I'm going to throw you to the Castithan Order and never look back. Do you understand?"
Datak noted the look in Nolan's eye as he carefully considered his next statement. He finally decided it would probably be better to come clean than to face the wrath of the Castithan Order.
"I went to meet a mercenary. His name was Shane Colbert. He and his group are known for getting particularly nasty jobs done neatly. I originally hired him to kill Rafe McCawley and anyone else who got in the way, so that I could take over the mines."
"Son of a bitch," Nolan snarled as his hand clamped tighter around Datak's wrist.
"Wait, Nolan, honestly I was trying to call it off. I had to go to the meeting before his band of mercenaries arrived. If McCawley ended up dead then Alak wouldn't have any protection in Defiance. I swear, Nolan, I was trying to stop it, but Colbert never showed up."
"That's because he's flat as a pancake, thanks to our Hellion. Fuck, Datak, I should beat you into a coma, and leave your body on Rafe's doorstep. Of all the idiotic things to do, how could you…"
"I love you, Nolan," Datak interrupted, looking innocent as an angel. "I'm sorry. It was a very bad idea and I regret my decision to hire someone to kill Rafe McCawley. It was Stahma's idea anyway and I promise I'll never do something like that again, besides we may need Rafe in the future."
Nolan was blowing fire from his nostrils when Irisa's words echoed in his mind. 'Just show a little patience and understanding.'
The Lawkeeper took a deep breath. He looked at his lover, sitting next to him, faking sincerity, but something in the way Datak was gazing at him made Nolan's heart beat wildly. He knew for sure now that his love for Datak superseded any underhanded, double-dealing, murderous plots, that the gangster might have going on in his devious mind.
"Please, Nolan," Datak said softly. "Please forgive me. I give you my word of honor that I won't try to kill Rafe McCawley again."
"Yeah," Nolan laughed. "But only because you may need him in the future."
"Exactly," Datak grinned.
"You're such an ass," Nolan replied as he leaned closer to his lover.
Datak gently caressed the side of Nolan's face with his free hand as the Lawkeeper released his wrist. Nolan wrapped an arm around Datak's waist, pulling him close, as he kissed him right there in the rover. Datak moaned into the kiss when Nolan slipped his tongue inside his mouth. Datak put his arms fully around Nolan's neck as the kiss deepened. Nolan opened his eyes briefly, catching a flash of purple fire, as he continued to kiss his lover in front of the growing crowd of curious onlookers.
As the oblivious couple made out passionately, in front of the Lawkeeper's office, several of the Castithan Oder members, who were standing across the street, took notes on the spectacle happening before their eyes. It would make a very interesting report, and as the order members walked away smiling to each other, Nolan and Datak still kissed unaware that a new chapter in their lives was about to begin.
"Mm," Datak sighed, as they came up for air. "That was lovely, but you still stink, Nolan. Why don't you come to my home and we can bathe together?"
"That's a great idea. A Castithan bath sounds like just the ticket, because if I don't fuck you soon, I may explode like that Hellion."
"Well, we can't have that now. All I want exploding is your hard cock inside me," Datak said seductively.
"Oh yeah," Nolan agreed as he gunned the engine and took off toward Datak's house.
The next morning, the Castithan Order called Datak Tarr before the Council of Elders. Datak couldn't believe that they'd reached a decision so quickly. Nolan almost fell over in shock when he found out that the council unanimously approved Datak's petition. Now they could get married without any further trouble.
"There's just one small catch, Nolan."
"Oh, God, what is it?" Nolan asked.
"We have to marry, two days from now, in front of the Castithan Order."
"Two days, that's all we have is two days? How are we supposed to prepare for a wedding in two days?"
"The Castithan Order is taking care of it. All we have to do is show up. You will show up, right?"
"Do I really have a choice?" Nolan grumbled.
Datak looked at Nolan pensively. "Um, there's more, Nolan."
"Fuck, I should've known. There always is."