Page 31 of Ravaged By the Dark

“Yeah, you’re always such a glory hog. I couldn’t let you have this one. You know the guy that sacrifices himself to save everyone type shit.” Scooter looked at him, and they both laughed.

“I guess I’m not looking so hero-like right now,” Arek said.

Scooter’s face sobered.

“You’re a fucking beast, man.” Scooter wheezed as he took his next breath. “You’re going to get out of here, and when you do….” Scooter dug around in his vest and pulled out a picture of his girl and kid. “Tell them…tell them I died with honor. Tell them I love them, that I never stopped missing them for a single moment. Do that for me? Please.” Scooter grabbed his arm harder.

“Yes, of course, I’ll tell them.”

“And tell my mom it was a valiant death. She would like that. I died in some heroic fashion, make it good, make it something she can talk about with pride to the women at her church.”

“I’ll tell her that Jesus fucking Christ came down here and took you to be a mother fucking disciple if you want.” Scooter laughed hard, but it turned into coughing. More blood dripped from his mouth and coated his lips.

Arek could feel the others standing around them, he knew they needed to get going, but he couldn’t leave Scooter like this.

“Arek, can you do me one more favor?”

“Anything you crazy fuck.” Scooter pulled off his dog tags and handed them to him. “Don’t let them get me. Don’t let me die slowly like this. Please.”

“Scooter I…”

“Don’t you argue with me.” The wheezing was getting worse. “I saved your life. You owe me this. Let me have a quick death.” Arek’s eyes met his friend’s wide and terrified ones. His lip quivered, but he refused to cry, not now, maybe not ever again.

Arek pulled the Maxim out of the holster on his leg.

“I have you, buddy.” Getting on his knees, he leaned over Scooter. “Think of your family, think of your baby girl.” Scooter nodded, tears freely flowing now as his body shook. His hand gripped his harder. “Close your eyes. I love you, man.”

“I love y…”

Bang!

Arek leapt from the bed. The room lit up a moment before another loud blast of thunder shook the house, the pictures on the wall rattling. It was closer this time. Arek ran his hands through his hair. Lifting his eyes to stare out the glass window, Arek watched the storm light up the whole sky in a brilliant white light.

His lip curled up in a smile as he made his way to a window and placed his hand on the glass. Scooter always loved storms. The crazy fucker would sit out in the middle of the worst storms to get the best pictures.

“I hope you’re riding this storm buddy, you’ve got the best seat in the house now,” he said as the thunder rumbled through the house again.

“What the hell happened to you? You look like you were dragged through a knothole backward, beaten with a stick, and then shit on.” Trev said as he walked into the kitchen. Arek lifted his eyes to his brother, who looked crisp in his suit, hair perfect with his tablet tucked under his arm. He was the epitome of professionalism, and it fucking annoyed him.

“And that is me being kind.”

“I didn’t think I looked that bad.”

“Well, you do.”

Arek rolled his eyes at his brother’s back. On top of the arcade drama yesterday, he had a horrendous case of blue balls, and he’d had one of his notorious nightmares.

Shocking after yesterday.

They weren’t as common as they used to be, but when they gripped him, and he relived watching his brothers die, doing what he had to…

“Thanks for the help with the whole Renee thing.”

“That was easy to take care of. Now, do you want to fill me in on what happened at the arcade?”

Arek coughed as he choked on his coffee and then inwardly groaned as he stared into his brother’s all too intuitive eyes.

“How did you find out about that?”