Hopeless Romance

Chapter Twenty Six

My knees were bloody from crawling over rocks, the pants worn through on the knees.   My fingers were also scratched up and bleeding but I couldn’t feel them.  I recall noticing these things in a vague out-of-body way, like snap shots intruding occasionally on my minds central focus: finding May.

I continued to send my thought waves to May, “We are almost there May.  So close.”

A petrified, tortured, high pitched scream erupted from the direction of the lake.  We were close but not close enough.  I had never heard May make a noise anything like that, yet somehow I still recognized it as her scream.  Instinctively, I stood to run to her but Robert once again tackled me. 

“If you do that, May ends up dead, we all end up dead.  Knock it off!”  He hissed at me.

He crouched but didn’t crawl.  We ran as fast as we could bent like that.

I saw a Rachiese Hummer.  There were six or seven soldiers by the lake, and one sitting next to a tree a ways off.  There was also one still in the Hummer, his head poking out an open window, watching whatever was happening. 

The soldiers with us all dispersed, hiding behind whatever little protection they could find.  Robert dragged me with him and put his hand flat out.  I got the cue to lay down flat, and I did.  I could still see.

Robert shot the guy in the Hummer first.  Then, quickly other men fell to the ground.  A few had time to fire wildly in the direction of our unseen soldiers.  Soon, all the Rachiese soldiers were lying on the ground. 

Robert, still cautious and crouched, stood then walked closer and closer to the lake.  I followed. 

Suddenly he turned to me.  During the attack his face had been unfeeling stone.  I hadn’t even seen anger.  He was a robot, a trained killer.

Now, tears were streaming down his face.  I couldn’t see what he saw, I began to run. 

He grabbed me and held me tightly.  “No, man.  You don’t want to see.  Remember her like she was.”

“Robert I will kill you in your sleep if you don’t let me go.  I swear I’ll find a way!”  I screamed in his face. 

“She’s gone.  It’s too late.  You can’t help her.” Robert whispered.

“Let me go!”  I was still screaming.  A voice so venomous I cringed from it.

I was vaguely aware of soldiers yelling, “two down” and “going for med” and leaving.  I guess carrying their friends back towards the cave. 

Our remaining soldiers worried that more Rachiese would be coming to this area, using the hummer’s GPS as a guide.  They told Robert they were going to drive it somewhere else. 

Robert said nothing to them.  He was looking at me, trying to decide what was best.  We were frozen.  We were in the center of a chaotic tornado.

Finally, he let go.

I wish now I had listened to Robert.  

First I saw Pod, blood leaking from numerous bullet wounds.  I knew my protective puppy would die to keep May safe.  This had given me some hope during the time that had passed since I had found May’s note.  She followed May everywhere.  I had worried how Pod would fare when May had her own, human baby.  She had gotten used to be spoiled by May.  I guess I no longer had to worry about that. 

I looked for May. Maybe Robert was wrong.  Maybe she was still clinging to life.  She was the toughest, most stubborn person I’d ever met.  He was underestimating her.  I’d be able to at least say good-bye and I love you.