Love's resolve

“The Council agrees with me. They think you’re an idiot too, Susie-poo.” Miguel said.

Susan merely raised her eyebrow, it always worked in sci-fi shows, and it worked here.

Miguel shrugged sheepishly, “I was just trying to rhyme.”

“Tried and failed, amigo. Tried and failed.”

Susan’s friend rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but even though they think you’re an idiot, there aren’t any better ideas on the table, so they’ve given us a go. Truth is, there was considerable debate on whether to even try to save Lucy, she did kill your team. Even after being reminded, she wasn’t responsible for her actions, it’s only the information about the Shats she might possess that swayed them.”

As always, thinking of her team caused her heart to ache, but she stamped it down for now. “I know you and I want to save Lucy because we care, and that’s why we will save her!” She took a deep breath, “Why wouldn’t they speak with me directly?”

“After this mission don’t be surprised if they do. Lucy has been compromised and we don’t know how much the Shats know. We assume everything.” Miguel hesitated, clearly choosing his words. “Lucy had not been brought fully into the fold, she was about to be, and then she was captured. The information she could have shared was limited, and so it yours.”

“In case I’m captured.” Susan stated, it was not a question. She looked into the cup and took a sip of water, wishing it was hot chocolate, her mind associated this room with it now. “What about you? They’re not worried?”

“Poison tooth.”

“I thought they only did that on TV,” Susan said.

“Maybe. Until we find a spy to tell us, we can only figure it out as we go.” Miguel said, a trace of bitterness in his voice. Most people trained to fight were dead or captured. The humans fighting now had to learn or die. Sadly, too many died learning.

“How soon can your team be ready?”

“An hour.” Miguel said. “Are you sure about this?”

“No, but one way or another, this ends tonight.”

Susan and Miguel crept up to Lucy’s house. The sun had set an hour or so before, and it was dark enough for their purposes. They went to the car in the driveway and put down the gas cans they were carrying. Susan turned around and presented her back to Miguel, who removed the container strapped to her back, and she did the same for him.

While her friend started pouring gas into the car, she went into the house to get the car keys. A brief search showed it was undisturbed since the last time she was here. Susan had hoped for another message from her “ally” Mary Gold but was also relieved there wasn’t another box waiting for her.

Miguel was putting the last gas can down when she returned. He closed the car’s gas tank and stepped around to the passenger side. “I’ve never been there before, you drive.” he said, getting in.

Susan got in the driver’s seat and started the car. The engine turned over smoothly. She was relieved, not sure how it would behave after sitting for so long. She backed out onto the street, turned on the headlights, and started driving.

Miguel shifted in his seat. “I’m not used to moving so openly. It makes me nervous.”

“Same here. The message said that Lucy had to kill me to complete the process. Once we’ve got their attention, if we don’t have it already, they’ll send her. We don’t have to worry about patrols.” Susan said with more confidence than she felt.

Miguel grunted but kept his eyes on the sky.

Susan kept her eyes on the ground. She knew where she was going, and she believed Lucy would find them before they reached their destination. This was the gamble, that they would be close enough when Lucy found them.

After about ten tension-filled minutes they left the suburb Lucy had lived in, heading towards an area with some dairies and other produce facilities. She didn’t come from this direction last time, but the route was easy.

Miguel pointed “Something to the right, do you see that?”

Susan looked where he was pointing, it was dark, but there was enough light to see a figure running towards them. The figure was running faster than any human should, a lot faster. Susan pressed down on the gas pedal, accelerating. She raced by the cross-street Lucy was approaching them on and kept pushing the speed. “Jesus! She’s not even trying to sneak up on us!”

Looking in the rearview mirror, Susan could see the figure turn the corner, coming after them. She glimpsed the speedometer, and they were going sixty! “Holy crap! We gotta move!!” she shouted.

There! About a mile away she could see the barn. She had been there before. She looked back, the figure didn’t seem to be getting any closer, but Susan was going to have to slow down. She hit the brakes a quarter mile away, she was looking in the rearview mirror and saw the figure leap up and out of sight.

“Get out!” Susan yelled, and they shouldered open the car doors and rolled out of the car. Susan shouted in pain as she rolled on the ground, coming to a stop in time to see the figure land on the car, smashing it.

Miguel was pulling her up, and they were running to the barn. They knew Lucy was following and didn’t look back. They ran and crossed to the other end, stopping, and breathing heavily. They turned around and saw Lucy standing at the open door.

Susan heard a malevolent chuckle, “oh I remember this place! how appropriate!”

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!” Susan shouted, not bothering to hide the fear in her voice. Miguel was still as a statue, but she knew that he was afraid too.

Lucy chuckled again as she stepped into the barn. She was in no rush and walked almost seductively, as if she were teasing Susan before she killed her.

“And you never removed the corpses! Excellent!” Lucy stepped into the light shining from the hole in the roof she made last time. The last time when she killed Susan’s team. The grey scaly look was gone, but she was still that chalky white. Her eyes were different though, red, and burning with fire. “I want them to be the last sight you see when you die. I want you to bring your failure with you to your grave, in the name of the Holiest of Holies, the Mighty Crishat!”

“What a load of shit!” Miguel muttered.

Lucy’s eyes fell on him, and her lips curled into a sneer. “So, both of you are here. It will be my pleasure to sacrifice both of you to my Gods!”

Lucy closed the remaining distance quickly, done with the game. Her eyes fell on the locket resting on my chest. I wore it outside my shirt this time, knowing she see it.

Lucy threw back her head and laughed, “did you seriously expect that to work a second time?”

“Yes” Susan said, staring at Lucy defiantly, “and it has. Now!”

Suddenly the corpses began to move. They stood up quickly, and Miguel’s quite living team pulled out their weapons and fired in unison. Six tasers latched onto Lucy, and electricity poured into her.

Lucy staggered, screaming in rage, but didn’t fall. She straightened slowly, and took a step towards Susan, reaching out. Miguel stepped up next to Susan, pulling out our most prized possession, a recovered Crishat stun weapon. He fired.

The beam hit Lucy in her chest, and she fell to her knees. She was still reaching for me! Miguel cursed and dropped the weapon, Then dropped to his knees and pulled her arms down, shaking as the tasers affected him.

Susan pulled out the cylindrical device from her side pocket, her eyes fell on the marigold icon as she raised it up, Susan pressed the button and a bright green light appeared on the end, as bright as a flashlight, the green light made Lucy look like a bizarre electric zombie.

I brought the cylinder down and pressed it to her forehead. Immediately Lucy went rigid and screamed. The light shone brighter, and Susan could see the light shining through Lucy’s skull. Then she fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Stop!” Miguel ordered, and the tasers went off. He quickly yanked the wire off her and tried to check her eyes. She moaned before he could touch her and he pulled back, getting to his feet.

Susan didn’t hesitate to take his place, kneeling beside her and placing one hand under her head. “Lucy? Can you hear me?”

“Susie? Is that you?” Lucy opened her eyes and tried to look at Susan, then clenched them shut “ow! my head!”

Susan laughed as she wiped the tears away with her free hand. “Yes, it’s me. and yes, it’s you!”

Lucy tried to smile but winced again. “Yes, thanks to you.”

Miguel said, “I’m very glad you’re back Lucy, but we need to get out of here!”

“Got it” Susan said, slipping her other arm under Lucy’s knees and easily lifting her. Right then Susan felt like she could lift a mountain.

This time Lucy did smile and kissed her “my hero” she said, her eyes staring at Susan's.

Susan stared back, Lucy did look different, she also looked kind of…...hot.

Miguel cleared his throat.

“Okay okay.”

The three of them sat around the table. This time there was hot chocolate again. Miguel was truly a godsend and Susan said so. Lucy echoed the sentiment, clearly enjoying the delicacy.

“It's the last of it, but this is definitely a special occasion.” He refilled their cups. “The council will want to see you first thing in the morning, both of you.”

“Lucky us,” Lucy said.

Miguel smiled. “I’ve missed you; I can’t think of why since that means I have TWO wiseasses on my hands.”

“We can only do our best.” Susan said and smiled at Lucy, Lucy returned the smile and brushed her hand against Susan’s.

Lucy’s smile faded, “It’s not going to be pleasant, especially the stares.”

“Meh, it won’t take long to get past that after the shit we’ve all seen since the Crishat invaded.” Miguel shrugged easily, “They won’t rush to put you on active duty though, there is no doubt you’ve been freed of their influence, but will it come back?”

Lucy leaned back, sipping slowly. “I don’t intend to stay; I am going to find this Mary Gold you mentioned.”

Susan did not hide her surprise. “Lucy? I hate her for what she did to you, but revenge will get you killed!”

Lucy waved her hand dismissively, “No, I don’t want revenge. And I don’t hate her. The Crishat always get what they want. If not her, they would have forced someone else. No, we have to stop the Crishat from ending the rest of humanity. I think she can help.”

Susan took her hand, “Now that I can get on board with.”

Miguel made a confused sound, scratching his head.

“What is it, Miguel?” Lucy asked.

“Oh, I’m tired and trying to remember a saying I heard, something about all life being a play.”

Before either of them could say anything, Miguel lifted his cup of hot chocolate “a toast!”

Susan and Lucy lifted their cups.

Miguel looked at both of them a moment, smiled ruefully, then said “if all life is a play, then the writer is an asshole!”

He raised his cup a little higher and they “clinked” their cups against his.

“The writer is an asshole!”