WE ALL DIE ▸ NICK CLARK

xxvi. blood

"Victor get in the boat." I tell him.

"Katherine..."

"Take my place." I nod and he swallows hard.

"Just take care of them." Nick speaks up and Victor nods as he runs away.

"It's alright. There'll be time to find them later." John tells his men.

"You don't survive this." Nick says.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. Many a slip between cup and lip. I'm interested to see how it all plays out, though." He gets closer. "Not well for you either way, I'm afraid."

"I'm not afraid of dying." Nick stats grabbing the detonator harder and getting closer to me.

"The bravado of the Junkie Christ." He chuckles. "That detonator real?"

"Let's try, shall we?" I threat trying to buy enough time for them to run away.

"This sam could be the center of a new civilization, but it needs managing, parceling. We can't give it away, Nick." the Proctor starts saying. "You're smart-"

"And you're full of shit." I interrupt and look at Alicia who had manage to get the Zodiac working.

"If you blow the dam the river blows, you think folks won't then fight over what the bottle? Come on. Civilization's born of violence." He keeps going and me and Nick chuckle at his words.

"What's so amusing?"

"We heard someone else say that." Nick says.

Jeremiah.

"It's a great truth."

"We killed the last man who spoke that truth." I finish and the man swallows hard.

"So you do understand this world."

Jesus Christ, he doesn't shut the fuck up.

"Harness the fury or get stampeded."

"I'm looking for a third way." Nick looks away from the detonator and at the guy in front of us.

"There isn't one!" He screams. "War was waiting to be realized by us. And here we are!"He screams.

"Nick..." I mutter noticing that the Zodiac stopped.

"A quantry." Josh says noticing it too. "If you blow the dam too soon, your family won't make it." Didn't consider that quite did you?" He extends his arm at us and his men start getting closer. "End of the road, Nick." He tries and I take my gun pointing at the one who looked like a lion so that he doesn't get closer.

"Give that device and put the gun down." He asks again.

Another man gets closer and I keep my gun pointed at them, but there were more, I couldn't shoot. As he steps forward and tries to take the detonator and the gun he falls with a snipper bullet in his skull.

I don't know where the bullet came from but something tells me Walker and Lee wouldn't just leave, and I don't know anyone else with such a good aim as Crazy Dog.

"New wrinkle. No matter. It's not a game-changer." John starts walking looking at his dead pet on the floor. "As for you, Katherine and Nick. You're bluffing."

I wish

"I can see it in your eyes. You're not a killer."

"Yeah, you should definitely get that checked out." I tease him again.

"And your family's not far enough away yet." John looks at the Zodiac going as fast as it can.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Nick grabs the detonator harder and grabs my hand.