Chapter 17
Marcus was speechless at the statement. He turned his head and looked off into space as he tried to contemplate what she just told him. Her voice told him of her conviction, and he could not say anything in return.
Marcus was used to people threatening him or one of his loved ones, but never had it been this real to him. He felt a pang of regret at his quick thinking and wondered if this anger was not momentary. He turned to look back at Liz, but she was nowhere to be seen. He smelled her in the area, and looked around. There was movement in the trees beside him, so he chose to approach.
Liz started running faster, but she could never outrun a creature of Marcus’s size. He grabbed her in his claws and held her like he did before; as a gentle child holding a new pet. She curled into a ball in his hands and he said, “I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again! I promise.”
Liz continued to sob, and the sun finally made its way over the mountains. Marcus jumped into the air and landed on the other side of the island, where the tunnel covered the settlement’s view of him. He continued to repeat his apologies and Liz eventually stopped crying. She still did not speak to him. Liz looked up at him with so much anger; Marcus would have cried himself, if he could have.
He said, “Liz, you need to understand…I had to do it.”
Liz continued to stare at him. He nudged her with his muzzle, but she continued to stare back at him. She stood and tried to walk away, but Marcus lowered his wing in front of her. She continued to stare at him. He sighed and lifted his wing. She walked under it and ran back to the gate. Marcus pounded his head into the ground, and stopped when he was three feet under. He smelled another approaching him and simply kept his position. Mitch walked around his wing and he asked, “Where’s Liz? I wanted to-”
“You just missed her.”
“You don’t sound too good. What happened? You had a fight with Liz?”
“I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that. I did something I should have thought through and now I am paying the price”
“What’d you do? I’ll see if I can talk to her.”
“Promise me you will tell no one about my crimes.”
“I promise.”
“If I find out you told another, I will execute you.”
Marcus told him what he did in as few sentences as possible. Mitch sat on the grass next to him and stared at the dirt. He said, “Well you’re in what we Canadians call a shit-load of trouble. I don’t think I ever heard a story quite like that before.”
“What do you think I should do? I’m a brilliant politician, a powerful soldier, and a perfect speaker.”
“And you suck as a parent, a brother, and a guardian. How old were you when you changed into…what you are?”
“Twenty three. Two days ago would have been my birthday.”
“You’re still twenty three to me. I always give advice to the brats back home and this one always works the best: women take a day to think it over, but she’ll use it as an excuse thirty years from now for no reason whatsoever.”
“You lost me.”
“Look, just leave her alone until tomorrow morning. She’ll have given it some thought, but I really don’t see forgiveness any time soon. I mean…what you did to her…”
“I know women who went through the same ordeal as her and they all lived miserable lives. I did what I thought would rid her of that kind of lifestyle. Still, I think it will be punishment more than forgiveness”
“And she needs a day to realize that.”
Mitch stood and started to walk away. Marcus turned to him and said, “You know, I have been blissfully unaware as to what has been going on in the city since we arrived. Is there any news?”
“Yeah, you reverse-raped your own sister.”
“I’m serious; has anything important happened that I don’t know about already?”
“We put out the fires you started in the west side of the camp, and we found out where the General is hiding.”
“He is the one that first took Liz. Tell me where he is, so I can rip his head off and burn his body.”
“Easy now, we want him alive. He apparently holds Alcatraz and Angel Island and he’s the one that trapped Dem and the others in those weird chains. We found some intact weapons from the armory you burned down and now we got a radio signal to another General named George Colson. He’s got three hundred men with him, which is more than enough to storm the islands. When he arrives, we’ll make a plan, take the island, and hang this bastard for his crimes.”
“When will he be arriving?”
“There were three thousand undead between him and here last night. He probably reached the end of the bridge by now.”
Marcus stood and walked away. He felt sore about Liz, and his will to move was so low, he could barely keep his balance on the short climb to the tunnel. When he reached the top, he sat down and spent two hours thinking before the new General arrived.
Marcus was used to people threatening him or one of his loved ones, but never had it been this real to him. He felt a pang of regret at his quick thinking and wondered if this anger was not momentary. He turned to look back at Liz, but she was nowhere to be seen. He smelled her in the area, and looked around. There was movement in the trees beside him, so he chose to approach.
Liz started running faster, but she could never outrun a creature of Marcus’s size. He grabbed her in his claws and held her like he did before; as a gentle child holding a new pet. She curled into a ball in his hands and he said, “I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again! I promise.”
Liz continued to sob, and the sun finally made its way over the mountains. Marcus jumped into the air and landed on the other side of the island, where the tunnel covered the settlement’s view of him. He continued to repeat his apologies and Liz eventually stopped crying. She still did not speak to him. Liz looked up at him with so much anger; Marcus would have cried himself, if he could have.
He said, “Liz, you need to understand…I had to do it.”
Liz continued to stare at him. He nudged her with his muzzle, but she continued to stare back at him. She stood and tried to walk away, but Marcus lowered his wing in front of her. She continued to stare at him. He sighed and lifted his wing. She walked under it and ran back to the gate. Marcus pounded his head into the ground, and stopped when he was three feet under. He smelled another approaching him and simply kept his position. Mitch walked around his wing and he asked, “Where’s Liz? I wanted to-”
“You just missed her.”
“You don’t sound too good. What happened? You had a fight with Liz?”
“I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated than that. I did something I should have thought through and now I am paying the price”
“What’d you do? I’ll see if I can talk to her.”
“Promise me you will tell no one about my crimes.”
“I promise.”
“If I find out you told another, I will execute you.”
Marcus told him what he did in as few sentences as possible. Mitch sat on the grass next to him and stared at the dirt. He said, “Well you’re in what we Canadians call a shit-load of trouble. I don’t think I ever heard a story quite like that before.”
“What do you think I should do? I’m a brilliant politician, a powerful soldier, and a perfect speaker.”
“And you suck as a parent, a brother, and a guardian. How old were you when you changed into…what you are?”
“Twenty three. Two days ago would have been my birthday.”
“You’re still twenty three to me. I always give advice to the brats back home and this one always works the best: women take a day to think it over, but she’ll use it as an excuse thirty years from now for no reason whatsoever.”
“You lost me.”
“Look, just leave her alone until tomorrow morning. She’ll have given it some thought, but I really don’t see forgiveness any time soon. I mean…what you did to her…”
“I know women who went through the same ordeal as her and they all lived miserable lives. I did what I thought would rid her of that kind of lifestyle. Still, I think it will be punishment more than forgiveness”
“And she needs a day to realize that.”
Mitch stood and started to walk away. Marcus turned to him and said, “You know, I have been blissfully unaware as to what has been going on in the city since we arrived. Is there any news?”
“Yeah, you reverse-raped your own sister.”
“I’m serious; has anything important happened that I don’t know about already?”
“We put out the fires you started in the west side of the camp, and we found out where the General is hiding.”
“He is the one that first took Liz. Tell me where he is, so I can rip his head off and burn his body.”
“Easy now, we want him alive. He apparently holds Alcatraz and Angel Island and he’s the one that trapped Dem and the others in those weird chains. We found some intact weapons from the armory you burned down and now we got a radio signal to another General named George Colson. He’s got three hundred men with him, which is more than enough to storm the islands. When he arrives, we’ll make a plan, take the island, and hang this bastard for his crimes.”
“When will he be arriving?”
“There were three thousand undead between him and here last night. He probably reached the end of the bridge by now.”
Marcus stood and walked away. He felt sore about Liz, and his will to move was so low, he could barely keep his balance on the short climb to the tunnel. When he reached the top, he sat down and spent two hours thinking before the new General arrived.