Brothers In Blood: For Country

Shopping Anyone?

She woke up to the sound of her door being opened. It had been two days since she had come with Mac and she thought no one would bother her. Rachel bolted up in bed, making the intruder scream. Jennie was staring at her, her eyes wide open.
“I’m so sorry!” Jennie regained her composure rather quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you!” She extended her hand. “I’m Jennie, Greg’s wife. They called me yesterday and mentioned that you were staying here for a while. Believe me, I know what its like to be stuck alone in a house full of men.” She smiled. “And if you stick around, we won’t get bored!” Hours later, the two women were walking around the mall with a ten-man escort.
Scud was battling the urge to scream. Shopping was not his favorite activity. “Guys, I don’t feel good. Can we go- oohh, a merry-go-round.” His attention shifted to the four foot tall, multicolored kiddy ride. “Mac, wanna try it out?” They didn’t notice that the rest wandered off without them.
“I call the black one with the red saddle!”
“There’s only one black horse on the ride!”
“So?” The sight of two grown men pumping quarters into the ride and then holding on to the miniature horses drew a lot of attention. Mac could barely fit under the carousel's top, his hands clamped around the horse’s neck in a death grip. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this!” Scud just laughed. “hey, its not like we’re going to get in trouble for this, right?” Then they noticed the suit and the security guards standing around them. As the music started to slow down, Mac leaned over to Scud. “Act drunk when you get off. Then, i’ll give you a sign and we’ll take off. Got it?” Scud nodded.
The ride stopped and Mac staggered away. Two of the guards closed in on Scud as he tried to extract himself from the horse. He slurred his speech as best he could and fumbled around. “Hello, offisher. I wus juss testin it out, makin’ sure it wuz safe for’em kiddies.” They grabbed him by the shoulders and held him up. He let his knees go and slumped to the floor. Across the floor, Mac was trying to stand up straight. The suit was looking at him. “Are you drunk, sir?” Mac leaned back so the man wouldn’t notice that there was no alcohol on his breath then answered. “Nosir, ain’t drunk, no sir. Juss a few afore we comes here t’night. not drunk, noway, no how.” He glanced over at Scud, who was pulling himself to his feet using the merry-go-round. Their eyes met. Mac blinked both eyes hard.
Like rockets, they were gone. The guards just stood there, trying to figure out what had happened. It wasn’t worth chasing them, as no damage had been done, and they obviously weren’t drunk. It was close to closing time anyway, so there weren’t many people left wandering the hallways.
In the parking lot, the two men crashed against the truck, laughing like school boys. “See the look on that manager’s face when we took off? Priceless!” They walked back towards the mall, towards the Sears entrance. Their smiles froze on their faces.
Inside, they could see people struggling, fighting. flailing gold chains threw out any misconceptions about who was involved. They hit the doors hard. They were locked out. Scud ran back and got the truck revved up.
Inside, GD and Jack had been looking at the chainsaws when they heard someone scream. It was husband’s instict that told GD that Jennie was in trouble. He smashed the glass, cutting his hand open and ripped out an electric saw and stuck a battery pack that had been sitting nearby in. Following his lead, Jack grabbed the two biggest crowbars he could find and they took off in the direction of the scream. They emerged from the aisle to a scene of utter chaos. Men in black were standing in a circle around three people; Jennie, Rachel, and Mista D. His gold chains were wrapped in his rocklike fists, spinning around with lethal intent. His shaved head pulsated with the adrenaline that raged through his body. Opposite Jack and GD, Whip and Custer ran up. On one of the shelves, Joe was piling up boxes and ripping CD’s and DVD’s out of their cases.
One of the attackers stepped forward, a blackjack extended before him. A coil of gold formed around it and whipped it away while another streak caught him in the cheek. He went down howling. The whine of the chainsaw made the circle turn to face the new threat. “Da Cavalry’s heya, boys!”
D leapt onto one of the larger men and wrapped one of his chains around his neck. The other bashed anyone who came too close. When he felt the man faint and relax, he let go and just started swinging. GD rushed to the women’s side, swinging the chainsaw in a deadly arc. No one came close. Joe started throwing the boxes and discs he had been collecting at the unfortunate few who came within his range. Bullets started flying and everyone ran for cover. Security busted through the opening, and Mac’s truck came flying through the outside entrance. The black-clad men scattered and disappeared through the gapping hole into the night. Mac grabbed one and threw him in the back of the truck, where he made quick work of him.
Then, before any questions could be asked and answers could be given, the women were hustled into the cab and the men were racing for Mista D’s Hummer. Back at the house, they crashed in the kitchen. GD was holding Jennie, tears streaming down his face, Mac was kneeling in front of Rachel, his head in his hands. “I can’t believe I got you into this,” He just kept repeating it, mixed with sobs and various apologies.
She touched his hands, peeling them off slowly. Lifting his face, eye to eye, Rachel leaned closer and said, “Kevin, this isn’t your fault. don’t beat yourself up just because now we’re a part of this.” Mac collapsed again, growling and crying.
“Rachel, it ain’t no one elses fault but mine.” He rose from the floor, pulling her up with him. “If hadn’t told them feds i wouldn’t work with no one else, none of us would be here right now. you wouldn’t be here now, with your neck on the line if i hadn’t started this.”
“I would still be running, Kevin, hiding and scared to death of my boyfriend, on the run in a busted-up car, and two kids. this isn’t your fault. i’m happy to be here, i don’t want to be anywhere else right now.” Wrapping her thin arms around him, she felt him go limp, releasing pent up emotions in a single, long sigh. “it’ll be okay, Kevin, just believe that. i’m trusting you to get us through this. get through this, hear me? it’ll all work out.” His unshaven jaw moved up her neck, across her cheek, pulled away so they were looking at each other again.
Mac’s red rimmed eyes echoed her words back. “It’ll all work out. all work out. work out.” He choked and his face fell. “All work out.”
Like a mother, Rachel tried to put her arms around him again. Mac shrugged her off and stood, his face a conflicting mass of confusion and anger. “Rachel, we barely know each other and here you are, telling me that it’ll all be fine, just push through together and we’ll make it through.” He hid his face in the shadows. “For the longest time after the War, it was just me and my boys, guys who’d seen the real me, the scared me, the human Kevin McNaughton. Knew each other, saw every man when he was at his low. weak with each other if we had to.” She glimpsed his eyes, a weird reddish glow seemed to light them from behind. “Helped you, ONCE! And now all of a sudden you’re here to stay. no, that can’t be right.” he whipped around. “Rachel, i don’t want nothin’ to happen to you, these freaks don’t know you got family in Ohio. Go back there, please, Rachel, i don’t want you to get hurt, I-” Slap!
It froze everyone in the room. They stood there, like statues, Mac and Rachel, in the center of the floor. “Don’t ever-” She slapped him again. “Ever pull that on me, you were the one who wanted to meet that night, not me! I wanted to thank you, yes, but now i’m caught in this tornado, with your hand grabbing mine. In desperation!” Rachel softened, wilting, relaxing. “We’re stuck together now, Mac, whether you like it or not.” Mac just stood there as her footsteps moved up the stairs to her room.
Jennie knocked, then slowly opened the door. Rachel lay on the bed, face down, heaving. Lifting her tearstained face, Rachel groaned. “Jennie, why can’t i seem to get it right with guys? Every time i’ve tried to get close to one, they always push me away, all they wanted was someone in bed with them. I finally find one man who gives a damn about other people, and he wants to send me packing! looking for love, and all i get is raped or thrown away.” She buried her face in the pillow.
From the doorway, Mac and GD watched as Jennie tried to comfort her friend. “let’s go, man. ain’t for us to see.”
From the bed, Rachel called out to him. “Mac, come here, please.” He came and knelt next to her. She rolled over onto her back before she spoke. “Kevin, i want to love you. saved my neck twice, by yourself, no help at all. the other guys I’ve gone with would have just ditched and read about me in the paper the next day.”
“Didn’t have much choice.” She laughed.
“Still could have run, you’ve been weak with me. remember that talk in the truck? Maybe its time you finally let someone into your life.” She punched his arm. “Somebody’s gotta be home for ya, watching the house while you’re off saving the world.”
He seemed to be trying to bore through her. He glanced down her body, came back to her face. “Yeah, somebody’s gotta inside me, watching out. Can i say...” He fumbled for words, forcing them out. “I... love you?” “I love you too, you big ape.” She clung to his neck, pressing her lips against his, his arms wrapped around her body, holding her off the ground.