The Nothing (28 page)

“Pastor Nick
, I almost didn’t recognize you! I come to your church every Sunday and Wednesday evening. Never seen you this close before. Oh my child, are you hurt? I figured you were some stranger who had just given someone a beating.” Nick didn’t respond. He continued staring at her with that mischievous grin that caused the old woman to become worried again. “Pastor Nick, are you ok? What happened here?”

The wall crac
ked as Nick bounced himself off and forward to the old woman violently grabbed her wrists. Nick put his face close to hers and said, “Child of God, it is God’s will that we are both here. I don’t recognize you because you are one of thousands of faces looking at me from the pits of helplessness every week. Your irrelevance to me is probably why God has brought us both together today.”

“
Pastor, what are you doing? You are hurting me. Why do you have blood on your shirt.” Nick took both of her tiny hands tightly together in his left, raised his right hand and face upward in prayer. “As Christ had the blood of a thousand generations past on his chest, I today, have the blood of a million generations after on mine…”

“Pastor Nick, please let go of me….”
Nick squeezed her two hands harder causing a finger to crack. “Oh sweet Lord, show this woman, her irrelevant ways. Show her the sin that has caused me to not know her face. Take her home to your bosom…” She struggled to get her hands free but Nick was too strong. The pain was making it difficult for her to stand.

“To your bosom
, may thou take thee bitch, and free thee of her irrelevance!” Nick looked down into her eyes. The old woman asks in the sweet voice of a woman, who has only had love for others, “Pastor are you going to hurt me? Please don’t, I have three little grand…”

Nick grabbed the back of her head and
yanked her face close to his. “Time to go home to the Lord bitch! It’s time to free up a seat at church for someone who is relevant!”

Nick
threw her face straight to the floor with her body following. It was like throwing a stuffed animal because of how small and frail she was. Her face hit the floor with a sound that was a cross between a ball hitting a catcher’s mitt, and a boot stomping on carpeted floor. Her squeal was a sound that only a person in immense pain could muster. Nick then sat straddled on the back of her body, which trembled from the pain. Her hands repeatedly opening and closing into clenched fists. As Nick positioned one hand around her chin and one on the back of her head, the old woman let out a squeal that was more of a plea for help than a response to pain. Nick slowly began to twist her head clockwise. As her chin came back to her shoulder, the squeal became an eerie growl which even spooked Nick. Shivers slithered up Nick’s spine; he had never heard anything like that before. Once Nick got her chin passed the shoulder, her neck began to make sharp snapping sounds as vertebras began to snap. With his strong hands, Nick continued to twist the head around until it was completely facing backward. It took thirty-six seconds, with constant snapping for the last twenty. Her temples had been pulsing in and out rapidly from an extremely elevated heart rate, but diminished after a few seconds once her head was completely backwards. Her eyes shut tightly, her lips snarled open with her teeth clamped over a half severed tongue. To Nick, it looked like several of the teeth had cracked and were sitting loose in her mouth. The old lady’s pain and death gave him a joy he had never felt before. With each of his kills, he felt stronger and more powerful.
Man that was so cool! I couldn’t keep up with how many snaps there were. That head got completely around and she was still alive! Her bones must have been old and brittle. That was so fucking awesome! Never in my life have I ever seen anything like that! Goddamn that was cool.

A
nervous quiet settled over Nick as he got off of the old lady’s body. He paced around shaking off the excitement before walking back into Kyla’s apartment. Then after a short moment, Nick walked back out and paced the hallway some more. It was a lost but content feeling that was consuming him. A sort of job well done type of euphoria was building. Three people were dead and yet he couldn’t get past a feeling that the whole situation was unfinished. It was an antsy feeling. Nick felt like he was on a winning streak at poker, but had to suddenly stop even though there was so much more money to win. Or like publishing a best selling novel and feeling like there was more to edit. An overwhelming feeling of being incomplete over took him. At that moment, Nick couldn’t remember his wife’s name. Though he couldn’t fathom why he would give a shit at the current moment. Loss of control over this feeling of unfinished business scared him.

Then
it hit him. Three dead people, killed by him, lay bloodied around him. It was time to leave. There wasn’t any attempt to clean or hide anything.
Why bother? If she couldn’t get 911, then no one else can. I’ll be long gone by the time anyone figures it out. And when they do, how would they be able to call anyone?
Nick left Kayla, her boyfriend Gerard, and the old woman where they died. But before he walked away to the elevator, Nick rolled the old woman over with his foot, placed it on her stomach and pressed down. He was slightly disappointed that the old lady’s corpse didn’t fart like Kyla’s did.

Shortly
after, Nick was back in his car. With a turn of the key and a foot on the pedal, the BMW revved to life. Nick ejected the Justin Bieber CD. He was now in the mood for Chris Brown’s latest album. The thought of Chris Brown beating up Rhianna gave him an erection. Nick sat in his car for a few minutes jamming to the music. Next, he attempted to remember what he was originally supposed to do today. But his mind was blank and his body was at ease. It was a relaxing feeling one would get after finishing their last college final or ejaculating. The music’s intensity revved Nick up. He began to feel anxious and wanted more action. Pastor Ben came to mind.

War

Smells of
spaghetti, the sound of a ceiling fan, and the annoying wind drying out his throat, woke James from a slumber much like someone waking from a surgical anesthetic. He was disoriented and had no idea where he was. His eyelids felt heavy. Out of the corner of his eye, a still woozy James saw a man walk past with all black clothing similar to the military dude that was coming after him earlier. Then he saw Bentley walking next to him. James rolled over on his side and watched the two fuzzy looking men looking out the side of a curtain. Other voices filled the area but James couldn’t make out what was being said. The need to go back to sleep burdened him, but the fear of not knowing where he was made him attempt to sit up.

Ok, this
here is a couch. I am on a couch. Man I can barely keep my eyes open! Where the fuck am I? Holy shit! I thought I was dying out in the street. I remember now. What? Am I a prisoner?

James rubbed his eyes
but they were still blurry as if full of goo. He maneuvered his legs around to the front of the couch so that he could sit upright. A woman that he couldn’t quite see set a glass of something on the coffee table in front of him. “Drink this James, you need some electrolytes.” James looked harder at the woman and guessed that it was Martha. “Thanks but I won’t be staying long.”

“Yeah James, probably not.
But drink this anyway so you can get your energy back.” Martha walked away and James’ sight began clearing up. He saw the man in black and Bentley walk back towards the living room area. Bentley stopped and saw that James was sitting up. “Hey man you’re awake. That is good. We were freaked out over nothing out there.”

Out there?
Freaked out? What is he talking about…oh yeah! It’s coming back to me. Rambo was getting ready to shoot the shit out of us.

“So he
wasn’t a bad guy?”

“No James, he is one of the good guys.
There are two of ‘em here…” The man in black walked up to James and held out his hand. He was wearing a black military outfit with pockets all over the front, a belt that had gun magazines clipped all the way around, and pistols strapped to each thigh. “Let me introduce my self James, I am Roy. My partner Tom is in the bedroom with Scarlett treating her wounds. We were sent by Martha’s son Raymond.” James was confused. It was if the world had gone on for years while he slept. An overwhelming feeling of missing out was engulfing him.

“Sent?
What do you mean sent?”

“We are close friends of
Raymond’s and have served in his unit for several years. I can’t say enough about Raymond or how much he means to us, which is why we are here. My new unit is stationed in the area and we look in on Martha for him. We were to protect Martha in case anything bad should ever happen.”

“So what did happen?”

Martha came back in and sat on the couch next to James with a plate of spaghetti. “My Raymond was able to contact these men before communications ceased.”

James
wanted to throw up. This made him remember the time at his mother’s birthday party when lieutenant Julio called him out and made him look like a loser. James had questions but didn’t want to get into another pissing contest. But he asked anyway. “How was he able to call them?” Roy answered quickly, “The event that interrupted all wireless communication took place over a twenty four hour rotational flow around the planet. Raymond contacted me and informed me that the breakdowns originated from Arizona or Nevada and to expect to lose communication. We spoke for a few more minutes and then the connection dropped. Five hours after that, my unit’s communication system was non operational. We held up at our office until we got wind of what was going on around the city and decided that we needed to initiate the protection detail for Martha that Raymond had set up.” Martha tapped him on the shoulder, “Eat your spaghetti James. These men are going to stay with us as long as we need.”

“But w
ho are they though? Last I remember was one of them marching towards me and Bentley ready to blow us away. Are they special forces?” Roy was grinning, “You could say that James. Right now, we are here looking after the welfare of the mother of the greatest soldier I have ever known.” Martha giggled and looked embarrassed, “Oh Mr. Roy you are too much.”

Roy
walked to Martha, and took her hand. “Martha, I wish I could tell you everything. But know this, Raymond Diaz is the greatest man many of us have ever known. He has saved my life twice in combat. You could say that we are all alive because of him. He is the most talented, skillful and deadliest man I have ever known. And he has a heart of gold. For many of us, he is the leader that has kept us alive. He is the hidden protector that while you sleep, fights to protect you. It is an honor for Tom and I to be here and to watch over you for him. You are to consider us at your service.”

Martha
blushed and stood up from the couch. “I’m just another woman trying to make it day to day until I can see my son again. I am just overwhelmed by all that you told me. I am very proud of him.”

“I imagine so Martha.
But it is you that is a big part of why Raymond is who he is. Many of us are grateful to you for raising him right.”

“Thank you kind sir, you and your partner.”
Martha looked like she was about to cry. She wanted to escape the spotlight. One thing Martha has never enjoyed is being in the middle of a room with everyone directing their attention at her. As she stepped away from the couch, James felt a little vulnerable. He was surprised that he felt safer with Martha sitting next to him. Then Bentley came and sat down in the same spot. He had a look that said he wanted to have a conversation that was private and not for others to hear. Bentley leaned close to James’ ear, “You passed out on the street. These guys checked you out and stuck an I.V. up your ass. Just thought you should know in case your ass was sore. Didn’t want you blaming anyone for raping you while you were sleeping.” James wasn’t amused and felt that Bentley’s humor wasn’t appropriate to the situation they were in at the moment.

“What the fuck?
Why would someone do that?”

“Hey man it is the quickest way to get you back up and
running.”

James’ sarcasm was his only weapon
and made a point to speak loud enough for everyone to hear. “Well as long as he held me afterwards and will call me the next day!”

Jenna walked in which annoyed James because he wasn’t in the mood for any more
babying. But all Jenna wanted was to ask Martha a question. “Hey Martha, I am not sure how to work your dish machine.”

“No problem girl, I
’ll show you how.” Roy turned around and went to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “I’m going to see how Tom and Scarlett are doing.”

James asked, “
Shouldn’t we get her to a hospital?” Roy shook his head no. “It’s too dangerous out there. There are gangs roaming around. Word got out on the street about police communications being down and they are taking every advantage of it they can. That is how Scarlett was shot. These criminals know that they can run around like it’s the wild west. But don’t’ worry, she is going to be fine. Tom has plenty of experience as a field medic and was able to patch her up. Bullet went in her back and exited her side. Nothing critical was hit.” Roy then turned and disappeared down the hallway while James and Bentley sat on the couch in an uneasy silence. This whole day was a first for both of them. What has been happening throughout the day has only been the stuff movies are made of. Every man has occasional personal reflections on the what if’s and how they would handle an apocalyptic type crisis. But when an event with the magnitude of what was happening today comes, the reality is always different than what any man’s imagination had conjured in the past.

Bentley broke the ice and spoke first. “Bro, it got pretty bad out there didn’t it?” James lifted his head. “Yeah man. You see chaos in those large disaster movies and you even imagine yourself being in the middle of it. But now I know it is much more intense in real life than on screen. I was wondering where the soundtrack was. You know, the music that adds the dramatic effect to battle? I was actually listening for it dude! But right now, I feel drained, like after Granddaddy’s funeral. The emotions gave me more of a workout than any gym!” Bentley grinned, “Yeah I know the emotional toll it takes on you. I’ve shot a woman with a knife. Killed two black businessmen who were only out for lunch. I had bullets flying at me. I might go to prison. But right now, all I can think of is getting back to Mary.”

“Well Bentley,
lets go now. There is nothing keeping us here.”

“
Yeah you are right. It would be ok now that you are awake and back to normal. But I am not sure if we should wait ‘til dark or go now. In the dark, it is easier to stay out of sight. But we would have to move fast.”

“Can’t we take a scooter or grab a car?”

“No man, after what happened to Scarlett, the scooters or a car, would attract too much attention. We also heard gunshots in the back ground several times while you were asleep.”

“How long was I
out?”

“
Around thirty minutes.”

James
tried to stand but felt dizzy and sat back down. Bentley grabbed his arm to stabilize him. “Hey James, you might need to rest on the couch a while longer.”

“Come o
n Bentley, let’s just go. I just need a few more minutes on my feet.” Martha, apparently hearing what was being said, walked in and said, “You gentlemen are welcome to stay here. It’s no problem.” But James wasn’t too eager to stay. “I appreciate the gesture Martha, but I know you would be more comfortable if I were gone.” Bentley looked to each of them; wondering if he was missing something. He turned to James and said, “Don’t be ridiculous. Martha is offering to provide shelter.”

Martha was still standing off to the side
feeling compelled to end the debate. She could sense that James was uncomfortable being there. Martha always wanted her home to be a place where people came and were happy. She even knew that her previous encounter with James was something that he was having trouble reconciling with.

“James, seriously, y
ou are welcome here. You will stay and that is the end of it.” Martha walked away before James could respond. She acted annoyed which made Bentley suspicious that something was going on between James and Martha. Either earlier when he wasn’t paying attention, or by some weird coincidence, they had met before.
I sure hope this isn’t one of the internet girls that James chased after.
Bentley decided it wasn’t worth worrying about at the given time and brushed it off. A look indicating a desire to know what he was thinking prompted James to just go with the flow. No need to open up any cans of worms or rotting meat. After a deep and sarcastic breath, James said, “Ok Bentley, we’ll stay.”

“Sure James, but I think
it would be better to wait ‘til dark and then go.”

“
Yeah, that’s probably wise. Nighttime is better. Your uniform would make you a target anyways. You got enough ammo?” Bentley reached to the side of the couch and brought up an AR-15 assault rifle with a scope. “Our new friends came packing. They brought two big cases of guns and ammo with them. Five rifles besides this one, four military grade shotguns, eight Glock pistols and thousands of rounds. Not to mention, twenty of those round grenades and flashbangs. These boys are definitely in the war business.” James smiled. “Sweet!”

***

Jenna put the last dish in the dishwasher. “Ok girl, I think I have it now.” She pushed the green button and the machine hummed with a smooth swooshing sound. Martha clapped, “Good job Jenna!” Jenna clapped along with her. An hour earlier, when Roy and Bentley had carried James in, Jenna had tried to make several calls on Martha’s landline using every number listed on her cell phone. Each number was not in service. Martha was going to call 911 but Roy advised her against it. Her landline was like gold now and she shouldn’t take any chances on getting word out that she has one. Bentley talked about the 911 dispatchers being human like everyone else and that you can trust no one. That is if they are still at their posts. Bentley even added, “Before you know it, you would have hundreds of blue shirts showing up on your doorstep. And as far as I know, everything is cellular based there too.”

Discussions throughout the
late afternoon included how long everyone was going to stay. Martha had suggested that everyone stay with her until the situation improves in the city. At first she wanted to be alone and not be bothered by anyone. But having everyone around eventually helped her relax and feel safer. Martha was thinking also with Scarlett being shot, that she could stay as long as needed, days or weeks if needed. She couldn’t resist that maternal instinct of wanting to protect and take care of everyone. Roy and Tom would stay until they felt that the city was back in order. It was nice to have a police officer on her side too. It made Martha remember how safe she felt when Hector was alive. Regarding James, she wasn’t sure what to think. What she saw that afternoon was a different man than the man she had seen sitting on the prostitute’s doorstep way back when. Martha didn’t know what would make a man sacrifice his life for others. And that is what she saw James almost do earlier. Bentley told her everything, including the car leaking gas and James risking his life to start it. One thing Martha does know; there aren’t that many men who would do that. Many tough guys would talk like they would, but in reality would run away scared.