Wisconsin Outpost. Chapter 15

Wisconsin Outpost. Chapter 15

The Mighty Fall


I got up and moved to the sound. Moving more by instinct than direction. The shower was running and the hiss of stream too warm for any person greeted me. I opened the door with my rifle barrel.

“Hades” I barked as I pointed to the kitchen and made a motion with my two fingers at my eyes, then pointed to the blacked out kitchen to Joe. He nodded. I didn’t really expect anyone to be here. I looked around the small bathroom, which wasn’t hard. I could see the blood running down the back of the curtain. The scene wasn’t as shocking a expected by the report of one shot. I was in medic mode. It was an old claw foot tub. Hades never liked it do to its height. I couldn’t shake the amazement that he fit in it. I could see his head was back from the shadow it cast against the curtain. Blood trickled down the wall where the bullet past through his skull.

I clicked my tongue. “Is he……” Susan began.

“It would seem so.” I responded harshly, and then laughed abruptly. I pulled back the curtain. There he was; his four hundred plus pound bulk wedged in the tub. I would have figured that it wasn’t possible to hold him. A neat little hole under his chin; and a small chunk of flesh and skull missing from the rear top of that massive head. The curtain caught most of it. The water taking the blood to the drain. He had no shirt and you could not escape his size. His three fifty seven snub nose revolver lying on his stomach in his hand, thumb through the trigger guard resting on his belly. The sides of the tub wouldn’t allow his arms down.

He had put the pistol under his chin and pulled the trigger. No one moved or said anything. I could not stop staring. I had known this man since we were thirteen years old. We talked of sailing the world, becoming African bush pilots and our adventures were far and many, the girls we knew, the fights and bars we got kicked out of. The parties, the jobs, and the bonds we had. The promises we made. The high fives at three am in the morning, those nights when we were accompanied home by gracious ladies there to enjoy wee hours, we were less than discrete. I smiled at that one. I could feel the tears coming.

My Buddy died here, our dreams, they died here, he killed them. It made no sense. I shook my head. I stared at the corpse of my once loved friend and brother. Gone in seconds. No explanation , no why. No goodbye.

I could hear Sissy. “No, No, No” her voice was breaking. Joe was calling her name, trying to calm her down.

He was my oldest and dearest friend. I knew why he did it; I just couldn’t believe he did it. He left me, he left us. As weird as that sounds, he abandon us and our promises. I felt the pain of a major headache coming on. The rage was building inside me. I knew I had to hold it together. But part of me didn’t want to.

Then I knew I fucking lost it. Hades was lying there dead, a hole in his large head. And I heard him clear as a bell. I mean it was his voice, it was audible, and it was him.
“Get them out of here bro, troubles coming.” He said. I mean his lips didn’t move. He didn’t move a muscle, he was dead after all. But his voice was in my ear. As if he was still alive. I shook my head when I heard the high pitch sirens. I laughed. I fucking lost it. Then I saw that Sissy, Joe and Susan were hearing it too. I laughed again. Good I was just a little crazy.

I looked out the window. The sirens were sounding throughout the city. Emergency sirens in the middle of the night. Telling people to take cover. I shook my head. They would hide in the basements and that would be a death trap. But people do what the always were trained to do.

Things were getting sporty. Gun shots were going off in the distance, cars were driving on lawns and hitting each other and Zack was here. Not in force but sporadically from my window I could see about five of them on the street. Lumbering, shuffling and running. I would have shot them but people were fighting and running, and if the city sirens were on. That meant an announcement was being broadcasted.

Besides who doesn’t like the news. “What about Hades?” Sissy asked.
“fuck him he’s dead” I said. As I moved to the radio in the sleeping room.
“Papa!” Sissy blurted.
I spun, my rage was inexorable.”Really Sissy! You expect me to morn him? Backstabbing fuck, he fucking deserted us! Everything we planned, everything I needed him for. He fucking severed it.” I could feel my voice cracking.
“He was your friend.” She began. I moved at her quickly. She backed into the doorframe. She was scared, everyone was. Only they were afraid of me.

“He was my brother” I hissed. “Never fucking forget that. I would have killed you all for him and then some. I drank more beer, kicked more ass and fucked more strange with that man.” I said pointing to the bathroom where he lay dead. “Than all the people on this block put together and we did it in more countries than I can count on my fingers.

She started to say something. I cut her off. “DEAD! I bellowed. He’s fucking stone cold dead!” I insisted. “He’s never coming back. He’s a meat bag.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. I refused to acknowledge them or wipe them. Susan was crying to along with Sissy. I couldn’t see Joe.

“He left his post, deserted our lines, Sissy.” I went on, my rage, hurt and abandonment fueling my anger. “He left us to die. He cut out because he was scared, because he knew we would have died to save him.” My tears poured as I felt the weight of the real situation. As I realized his misguided and fucked up decision.

“All Because he couldn’t move like us, run like us or climb like us.” I paused for a breath and chocked off a heartfelt sob. “You dumb Fucker!” I yelled at him. “I could have gotten us to safety; I would have gotten you a comms room like the fucking bat cave. All I needed was a few more hours.” I felt light headed. Just a few more hours” I horsed out softly.

I looked for the radio, where the fuck was it. Susan cut in front of me. Dawning realization coming to her face.

“You were going to leave us there.” Susan demanded. “You were going to leave us with him.”

“You know that’s true, but you got to get out of here, bro.” It was Hades voice again.

“Shut Up” I said to my dead friend. Man I was losing it. Come on Jack, hold it together. I closed my eyes to center myself.

“No.” Susan demanded. I was about to tell her that I wasn’t talking to her. But that did not seem the best idea at the moment.
“We need you Papa.” The hurt look in her eyes was nearly unbearable her fragile eighteen years came in to play on her face. She was a scared little girl. I didn’t want to see it. I turned away.

“Look at me!” her voice broke. I turned to her. Really, I was then one who pulled this shit out my hat. She came to me. My best friend just blew his brains out and she was upset because I was going to dump her somewhere safe. I know in retrospect I could have been more delicate but I couldn’t.

“Suck it up girly, I didn’t ask for this shit any more than you did. Yes I figured if I could get this faggot of sticks tied together least I would know you and the rest were ok.” I knew the faggot comment lost her. But I wasn’t interested in her lack of decent education. “If I can get you to the state hospital least you have a chance of a somewhat normal life.” Susan’s tears welled up. I wanted to hug her and tell her it was going to be alright. But I Knew it wasn’t true.
“ I thought.” She started

“Good” I baked. “Keep thinking and stay alive. You need to get your fucking head strait. We have one man down and we need to bug the fuck out.” I told her when I heard him again.

Hades voice came to my ear. “Told ya so. You’re too late bro…..”

I was about to say something when the sound of hell itself breaking the crust of the earth raged against us. The heat was incredible. I felt myself rising into the air. As I saw Sissy go out the windows as she bounced off the door jam. Joe grunted. Which I thought was strange that I heard it over the roaring wind. I had the amazing clarity of thought as I heard Susan scream as she slammed into me.

All I could think was what exploded? Then the blackness claimed me.