The Bearing

14. The Execution

Richards moans with unexpected pain, a line of red staining his suit and spreading outwards from his body. "How dare you!" He clutches at his chest and yells at Jonathan, who twirls his knife in his hand. Richards is seriously injured but not fatally. Just a light slash down his torso. Maybe if he bleeds out, but I cannot have hope just yet. Who knows what side Jonathan fights for now?

Reaching into his shoe, Richards whips out a brown handle and pushes a black button on its side. A blade appears from the handle extending about the same length as Jonathan's. Of course. How ridiculous of me to think Jonathan could defeat him that easily?

"Rule number one of being Chief of State: Always make sure you keep a weapon on hand," Richards boasts between breaths.

"Rule number two," he continues, "know how to use it." He slashes toward Jonathan's face, but Jonathan reacts quickly enough to dodge the swipe and make a move of his own towards Richards's stomach. Richards is far more agile than I would have guessed; he blocks the knife easily with his own, countering the move and pushing the blade backward.

I'm the only one with a weapon because my mother, Honey, and Dr. Black had theirs stripped from them while kidnapped. I need to do something. I rush towards Richards who senses my approach. He swerves around my blade while battling Jonathan, then reaches into his suit pocket, pulling out another brown handle.

He pushes its button. "Rule number three: repeat rules one and two in case you need another weapon." Richards grins and simultaneously counters both of our strikes against him. Then, he spins on his heel and brings one arm down, cutting me in the leg and the other up, slicing Jonathan's arm. Jonathan yelps out and drops his knife. Richards raises one arm, about to cut off his head. What is with this man and decapitation?

Without a second to spare, I pick up the fallen knife and place my feet firmly in front of Jonathan, protecting him from Richards's strike as our knives clash with each other. I push him backward, then duck towards his legs, swiping at both of them. The fabric of his slacks rips, and blood immediately fills the gap, coating his pants. He grunts and swings towards the ground. I jump back to prevent him from bringing his knives down on me from above, but he manages to nick both of my outer arms. I still did some damage, though. Hurt, he closes his eyes for a moment and loosens his grip on the handles, allowing Jonathan to rise up and steal one right out of his hands. He makes a giant gash on Richards's back, causing him to drop his other knife, right into Jonathan's hand.

I have a free moment to reassess the situation and get my bearings. It's just enough time to run over to my mom and pass her one of my knives. We may be winning at the moment, but we will need backup. I sprint as quickly as possible so that I can give it to her.

"You didn't realize that you dropped that gun earlier, did you?" Richards calls out from behind me. The gunshot rings out before I can react. As I hurriedly turn around, I see Jonathan tackling Richards to the ground. The bullet barely misses me while the gun slips out of Richard's hands and onto the floor. The two of them wrestle and try to reach for the gun. Jonathan pins Richards hands to the ground, but he pushes him off. I sprint for the gun, but Richards beats me, lifting it up and aiming it at my chest in one fell swoop. I prepare by holding my knives in front of my chest like an X, hoping to deflect the bullet.

In a sudden, swift motion, Jonathan stands up with the knife he previously dropped and grabs Richards by the shoulders, yanking him backward before he can pull the trigger. Richards turns around to face Jonathan, who slices his knife upwards while sidestepping. Mid-step, his weak ankle falters and gives out, providing Richards with the few seconds necessary to aim his gun at Jonathan's stomach and pull the trigger. Now, Jonathan tries fruitlessly to run from the bullet, but he stumbles over his ankle and falls to the floor, already shot.

While falling, he throws his knife with full force, aiming it straight for Richards's heart. Instead, the sharp blade punctures him directly in the neck, nearly decapitating him. What a fitting death. Frozen in the air, knife still embedded, his body hovers for a moment then falls backward at once.

I put my knife away and rush over to Jonathan's side. He coughs and sputters blood. "When I saved you from that coyote, I meant it. That wasn't fake," he admits with a sweet glimmer in his eye. "Funny how that injury led to my death, huh? I could have beat him if I hadn't had a bad ankle." He manages a slight chuckle. Joking around, even to the end.

"I don't understand, Jonathan. What was real and what was fake?" I ask quietly with a breaking voice.

"My feelings were real," he replies. "I went along with Richards's plan, but I started slowly falling for you while we were in the woods. I pushed those feelings away for the sake of my career. Once the military got to us at the camp, though, I felt so guilty..." His eyes start closing, so I shake him to keep them open. "Leah, you have no idea how sorry...I am... When I was in Richards's office, I was again swayed by the thought of power, of wealth, of living up to my family's name..."

His breathing grows more ragged, but I can tell he needs to say more. "When you gave me that speech, it brought up all the feelings I held back. I couldn't kill you. I just hope I made it up to you by protecting you because I... I love you, Leah."

He sighs and closes his eyes. "Hey...you did, you made it up, don't worry," I say in tears while his breathing slows. "No, no, stay with me. Gray, Jonathan, I don't care what your name is..." He stirs his head slightly, fighting death for a few seconds longer.

I clutch his hand, whispering, "I love you, too."

His head stops moving, and his hand squeezes mine one last time.

Then, his entire body lays completely still.