Finale Breath

Saving Them All

Sarah was waiting in our secondary location. I had forced Shion to change cars four times since I blew up my apartment. We walked out onto the roof of an old theater. It had been the first place I had met the girl. She stood leaning against the sunlight.
“Dani!” she rushed to take the baby from my arms. Dani cooed happily at her mother.
“Sarah, I…” she gave me a swift nod, tears in her eyes.
“Come with us. I'm taking Shion to number six. It’s different now.” I paused. She looked up at me her dark hair blowing in the breeze. She gave me a curt nod.
“Well there’s nothing left for me here.” With that we made our way back down to the street. We walked three blocks until I found a car that would be suitable. I helped Sara get Dani settled then hot wired it. We headed toward the edge of town.
For once Shion wasn’t asking a bunch of questions. The silence was a little unnerving.
“ You're very quite.” I said gripping the steering wheel. Shion turned to look at me. He gave me a rare genuine smile.
“Planning. I need to find a way to take him down.” He said. He turned back to the window. I snorted.
“Good thing I bugged his house and car then.” I said. I pulled over. We were about five miles from the town’s limits. I made everyone get out.
“When?” Shion looked shocked. I grinned but didn’t answer.
“Ah, the Rat returns.” A voice called from an open window. “I had hoped never to see that beautiful face of yours again.”
“Sorry to disappoint. “ I said. There was a hoarse laugh followed by severe coughing. I opened the door letting us in. When we got to the apartment where the old woman sat smoking by the window she was waiting. She held out her arms to me. Gingerly walking across the cluttered room I bent to hug her. Her dry lips touched each of my checks. She patted one wrinkled hand to my face.
“You running again, my boy?” she asked.
I gave her a twisted smile. “Always. We need to get out of here.” I told her.
“Jerry's waiting out back for you. Masters won’t find you, boy. I promise that. You set for protection?” her knowing eyes racked my body.
“I have what I need to get us home.” I told her. She gave another nod then waved us away. I moved back to the others.
“Rat?” She called out. I paused looking back over my shoulder.
“Go clean boy, you deserve to be happy.” I snorted gave her a final wave then walked out. Happy? I was never… my thoughts turned back to those winter months. I had been happy for a brief time. Glancing sideways at Shion, the idiot was gawking at everything. I grabbed his arm pulling him from the building.
Jerry was leaning against a truck out back. He spit out a stream of brown liquid when he saw me. “She's never wrong.” He popped open the back tailgate. There was a small crawl space under the main bed of the truck.
“Sorry but you're gonna have to squeeze a bit.” It would be hard with the baby.
“No problem.” I took Dani to let Sara in first. Once she was squished up in the top I carefully passed the baby to her. Shion made a face but said nothing as he crawled in as well. Slipping twin knives out of my pockets I held them in my hand as I slid in. Jerry placed a toolbox across the opening then closed the tailgate.
“This is a bit cozy.” Shion commented. Sarah chuckled. I smiled in the dark leave it to Shion. I thought. The truck moved off. Dani was asleep so far it was good. We would have to get through any checkpoints Masters may have set up.
The drive was made in silence. I knew when we reached the city limits that Masters was indeed searching for us. There was a checkpoint that shouldn’t have been there. The truck stopped. I heard Jerry's muffled voice. Then there was a rapid three knocks on the back of the truck. It was his cue to me. I gripped the knives my body tense.
The tailgate opened. I saw shadows moving behind the toolbox.
“What' in there?” a board voice asked.
“Just my work stuff.” Jerry commented. There was a brief pause. I waited to see if they would move the toolbox. They didn’t and the tailgate closed. I let out the breath I was holding.
Jerry drove us another two miles to an underground car park. He let us out. I gripped his hand placing the transport fee into it. He pressed it back. “No charge for the Rat, mamas orders.” Jerry stated. I knew what that meant. She wanted me as a stand by favor. I nodded helping Shion and Sarah out.
“Your car is still here where you left it.” With that Jerry left. I lead they way to the lower levels where I had stashed a car years before when I first fled from number 6, and Shion.
Shion said nothing as I pulled the keys out. He watched me with those red eyes. I could almost smell the sadness on him. I looked over at him. His eyes met mine. He gave we a tiny smile before climbing into the car. Sarah got Dani settled. I was just about to step in when I heard something. I bent to pretend to tie my shoe. I saw three sets of feet under the cars. I pulled the knives from my boot.
“Stand up and give us the keys.” A voice said. I laughed.
“That's not going to happen.” I stood turning. The guy closest to me held a gun but wasn’t looking at me. He had turned around. My hand shot out grabbing the gun. I pulled him to me spinning him around until I had his arm twisted back. I pulled the gun free slipping it into my pocket. Pressing the knife to his throat I ducked behind him it would be hard for any of them to hit me. Well I didn’t have to worry too much. The second guy saw what I did and took off running. It left the one that had spoken.
He looked at me and the man I held, his eyes darted in the direction the other one had gone. “Go ahead, run. It’s the best idea you had today.” I said. With one finale look at the guy I was holding he turned and ran. I bent my head closer to his ear.
“Never take your eyes off of the guy you're pointing a gun at.” With that I knocked him out. I dragged his body back out of the way so he wouldn’t get ran over. Slipping behind the wheel I glanced at Shion. His mouth was a thin line.
“What I'm a thug, or did you forget that?” I asked. He said nothing. After a moment he turned to look back out the window. I started the car, pulling out of the garage. Shion, he was still so clueless. I thought. Anger swelled in me. What was I to have done, let them take the car? Kill us? He just refused to see reality. My hands clutched the wheel. Until a scared pale hand covered one.
“I never thought of you like that.” He said pulling my hand from the wheel. He held it as he let it fall to the seat between us. “I always thought you were brave, strong and very lonely.” I glanced at him he was looking down at our hands. I swallowed. Why did he always make me feel things?
Suddenly his head snapped up and he flashed me a huge smile. “Well, “ he chuckled a little. “Maybe I am still clueless about you. But I am a good judge of character and there is. No one I would rather have at my side than you.”
“Shion…”
“Look out!” Sarah yelled. Ripping my hand from his I spun the wheel sending the car onto the side of the road. We barely missed colliding with a very large truck that was coming up the hill on the wrong side of the road. The truck veered as well. The last I saw it was still on the road. I brought the car back to the pavement and continued our journey.
Shion, Sarah and Dani all fell asleep as we drove. It took a few hours to get back to Number Six. How I didn’t miss this place. I thought as I pulled past the city limits. The wall was down. There were no more check points. I was able to enter the city without being stopped. I knew where Shion lived, yet I didn’t trust going there. Instead I found myself driving the streets. I had hated this place all my life.
I pushed the thought away as I pulled up in front of a bakery. A large painted sign read Karen's bakery. I gazed at the man standing outside writing on a chalk board. Carefully I climbed from the car. I stood staring up at him my fists thrust into my pockets.
He slowly turned, wiped at his sweaty brow, then our eyes met. “Eve!” he shouted. A woman stepped from the door behind him. She was carrying a folded sign. A young boy munching on a roll walked with her.
“Where's Shion? Is he all right?” he growled at me. I snorted.
“He's fine.” I said stepping around the car.
“ Hon, who is this?” the woman asked. I bowed my head tucking my chin into the scarf I wore. I pulled something from my pocket. Kneeling I placed it on the ground. A black rat ran up to her. It chittered at her feet. She gasped placing a hand to her mouth. She looked back at me.
“Rat.” She breathed just as I heard the click of the car door opening behind me. Shion came to stand next to me.
“Daddy!” the little boy cried rushing to him. He lifted the boy up in his arms. I watched them as the rat scurried back up my leg to sit on my shoulder. Turning I opened the back door. Sarah climbed out with the baby.
“Hey, mom. Think we can get some lunch?” Shion asked the woman. She was still watching me.
“Oh, yes of course. Come inside.” Shion went first swinging the boy down beside him. Sarah followed with a quick look at me. Rikiga remained standing by the door looking down at me.
“You staying?” he asked. The others had all gone inside. I leaned back against the car.
“I have to ditch this first.” I said.
“Go. I can take care of the car.”  A voice said behind me. I chuckled. Turning I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had known her for a long time but now. Dogkeeper stood there in a clean t shirt and pants with sneakers on. Her hair hung clean and long down her slender back.
“Wow, you clean up well.” I stated. She faked a shocked expression.
“A compliment from a lowly Rat.” She punched my in the chest. “Go. I got the car.” I tossed her the keys.
I started walking toward Rikiga. “You look good too.” I smirked but didn’t bother to turn toward her. She laughed.
“Same old basturd though.” I looked over my shoulder at her. We nodded.  Nothing would take West District out of us.
Rikiga held the door open for me. I paused before him. “You should have come home sooner.” He said.
“Better late than never.” He gave me a nod. I stepped into the bakery. Shion, his son and Sarah where no where to be seen. Karen stood in the center of the room.
“They're upstairs.” She said. A second before she flew into my arms. I had to take a step back to keep from falling. She wrapped her arms around me tightly.
“Thank you for keeping him alive. For saving him.” She pulled away patting my arm. She gave me a watery smile. “Thank you for letting me know he was safe.” She added. I looked away from her tear stained face.
“He saved me first.” I said. This took her back. “He never told you?” she shook her head. I drew in a breath, letting it out slowly. “When he was twelve. I was the VC he housed. I left as soon as I could. I didn’t mean for you to get into so much trouble.”
“I would have done it again. Meeting you changed my life for the better.” We looked up to see Shion on the stairs.