Chapter Text
…’I like the room this way
I like this bed unmade
We never laughed enough
But you laugh alone today
So don't you ever say
You feel that you've had all you can take
You've already taken...
Everything but my pride
Everything but the rings on my finger
Everything but my pride
Everything but the rings on my finger ..’
CentrePoint
3 years ago
The last Battle of the Great Event
The sounds of the mortars made his teeth literally ache.
The young lithe blonde Carrier ran between buildings and crouched in the ruins of what was once a library. Books surrounded him, their covers and bindings awash with mud and debris from the constant artillery attacks. In retrospect, Danny was lucky to be alive. He had dodged the round up patrols and hidden in shaky structures that he knew patrols would never check. At the same time, he was exhausted, filthy, and so hungry he felt faint when he moved around. Like now.
But the good news was , the Great Event was nearly over and a platform with the belief of Capitalism had won. Now somebody needed to tell these guys, Danny thought. How come news of the surrender had not hit here? Or were they just killing and wreaking havoc for the hell of it?
The worst part was, nobody could really remember why the war started in the first place. It had been an itchy trigger finger and heavy handed response to a slight in the fracture of government. What were they fighting against? Why couldn’t everyone just get along?
At the beginning, The Red Party had invaded Washington with an army of ‘true believers’ to overthrow the government, which led to the Union defending the Constitution and everything it stood for. The country had gone to war, as bitterly divided as during the original Civil War way back when. Danny could not begin to understand why men wanted to destroy and murder; he only knew that he was damn. Sick. Of. It.
The so called Great Event had so many deaths so much destruction so little understanding, and for what? A piece of paper written centuries ago? An upset in ideology? The only ‘good’ thing about the battle was that neither side had resorted to bombs that would have destroyed the land and life.
Fuck it all. This just needed to end,he thought as he made himself as small as he could.
He had had a life once. He had grown up and gone to school and enjoyed friends. Although an aunt had raised him, she was kind and gave
Danny every opportunity she could until a bad heart had taken her from this side of the earth. Danny had been old enough though to be on his own and he pursued learning to heal through alternative medicines. He’d been shadowing a Healer, one who worked with the forces of air, fire, water and earth. He was young, yes, and eager but he’d had the support of his teachers at the Institute and had procured an Apprenticeship at 15 years old.
It had all meant nothing in the months that followed with the beginning of the battles. His school was bombed, and people scattered. Danny had lived by whatever means necessary in the three years he’d been on his own. He was 15 years old, alone and running.
He’d heard though through the whispers of other refugees and the single sheets of newspapers that fluttered down from helio drops that the Great Event was done. Red had surrendered.
Now if only these assholes would understand so they’d stop the fucking fighting.
Sitting there alone, he suddenly froze. Behind him, he heard rubble sifting and crumbling like someone was walking. Oh no! It was probably a scout from one of the armies and he’d be taken! The prospect of that made him shiver with fear. He’d heard about the prisons and after all of this time it would be fucking ironic if he was captured when a truce had been declared! Danny raised his arms in surrender and turned around to see…
“Mama?”
What?!!!
To his utter and complete amazement, a small toddler was trying to crawl over the shards of wood and ruined stones and books to get to him.
“Mama!” the boy said as he reached out for Danny. “Mama!!!!”
Danny immediately sprang up and navigated the pile to reach the boy, who was dirty and bleeding from a cut on his shoulder. He wore only a very soiled dirty diaper and his dark curly hair was matted and filthy. Danny pulled off his own outer shirt and wrapped up the boy’s upper body. His skin was cold and his little dirty feet were pink where the mud wasn’t.
“Mama?” He asked and willingly raised his hands so Danny could lift him up which Danny did. “Mama.” The boy sighed and wrapped his arms around Danny’s neck.
“Shhhhhh no I’m not your Mama but maybe we can find her. Let’s move quietly over here and let’s walk to—“ Danny saw a hand sticking up in the rubble in the direction from where the baby had come from and as he edged closer, he saw a woman, her eyes open, mouth frozen in a scream. She was dead, buried in the timbers of the building. Her face, frozen in time, looked horrified, and her empty eyes were fixated on the sky above.
Danny walked the other way, still holding the child to him and he knew from that moment on, the little boy was his responsibility. Perhaps that was the reason Danny had selected that particular building in which to hide. A greater force had guided him.
Now what though? Rations were scarce. Danny had no idea where to find food for himself but especially for the baby who needed formula or applesauce or baby food… Danny did not know!
The sun began to rise; outside there was blessed silence. No canons or tanks or shells. Could it be? Was it too much to hope for? Had there been some sort of acknowledgement that the war was fucking over?
The shelling had stopped and now, all Danny heard was the celebratory whoops of the fighters outside. Had they finally heard and accepted it was true?!?!
As if on autopilot, Danny held the child and slid over the rubble pile to the crumbling structure wall and out to the street.
Both sides had heard. The surrender of the Red The victory of the United. Men had laid down their weapons and were rejoicing together, no longer enemies but celebratory people in a sea of destruction.
With the boy in his arms, Danny fell to his knees and sobbed.
“Hey you! Hey kid!!! Yeah you!”
Danny looked up through his tears and saw a soldier approaching. He stood up to try to run but the dots before his eyes almost turned to black and he blinked and maintained his balance.
“I’m not gonna hurt ya. Look, there’s a refugee center about 6 miles to the north. Come on. I’ll give you a ride in my jeep.” Danny looked up at the soldier and hesitated. “The war is over, kid. Let’s give you something to celebrate, you and your brother. Come on.”
Danny followed the man because he really had no choice. The boy in his arms shivered and started to cry and Danny knew he was probably hungry. Danny crawled into the passenger seat and with the child on his lap, buckled them both in.
“There. In my rucksack. I have some water and some crackers. Take them. The little guy is probably hungry and you look like a stiff breeze would blow you to the Northern Pole.”
Danny carefully undid the loop and button on the front of the pack and reached inside for a thermos bottle. He used the cup to hold the water he poured and offered it to the boy who took several deep sips. Danny had some too, careful not to use it all. It was the first water he’d had in a day and a half.
“Go ahead. Eat the crackers. They aren’t much. Got peanut butter between them but they’ll help stave off the tummy rumbles.”
Eagerly, Danny unwrapped the zip bag with crackers and broke off a small piece for the child who was crying with want, and waving his hands.
“Do you… think he’s got teeth?” Danny asked. That elicited a chuckle from the driver.
“He’s got choppers, gotta be at least 15 months old. Just give him that small pice and let him nibble it.”
“Ok.” Danny handed the bite to the child who immediately started to chew. He clapped his hands, swallowed and looked at Danny.
“More!?”
In that fashion, they rode to the refuge center. The crackers were nearly gone and Danny felt guilty but he did not have time to say much because suddenly they were there.
The building had once been a high school but was transformed into a center for the people who had fled their homes and had nowhere to go. Outside there was a line of people waiting to get in but the soldier drove around to the back where other army vehicles sat in a parking lot.
“There you go. Through that door. Tell them Burke sent you.”
“Burke?” Danny repeated.
“Yep that’s all. Just Burke.” He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Danny. You take care now. I’ll be back to check on you.”
Numbly, Danny shook his hand and slid out of the vehicle. It was all he could do to put one foot in front of the other even though the water and crackers had helped immensely.
What was important was that the child depended on him. He could not… would not…. Let him down.
The first person he ran into was an attractive older woman with an apron on over her clothes, her hair in a chic chignon and her skin pale like a white China doll.
“Excuse me. Burke sent me.”Danny waited, wondering what now.
Danny did not expect much but what he got was what he needed.
“My name is Milly. And you are?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Danny Williams and this guy is…” Danny paused. He was not sure whether to tell the truth or to lie. He went with the latter. “My brother Zuma.” Danny just picked the first name that came to mind.
“Well Danny and Zuma, I’m going to direct you over there to my friend Helen who will give you clean clothes and show you where to shower. Go on now and then you can eat.”
“Thank you.” Danny walked over to another station that was set up in front of what had been the locker room. The lady there gave him two hygiene kits with toothbrush, paste, mouth rinse, soap, a comb, shampoo and deodorant. She gave Danny a bottle of Baby Wash and a tiny toothbrush then asked him sizes of clothing.
“Go get cleaned up and wrap yourself up with the towels there. I’ll be in with some clothing.” She tutted at Zuma who had stopped crying and was playing with one of Danny’s earring hoops.
Danny stood under the water and let it stream around him and the boy. Zuma, for the most part, was happy to sit on the floor and Pat the puddles of water around him so Danny crouched and used the shampoo and baby wash to give him a shower too. Layers of dirt washed down the drain and Danny could see the cut was more like a scratch. Still he would ask for some antiseptic.
When they were both clean (for the first time in Years!!!!), Danny wrapped Zuma up in a towel while also donning one himself. He walked out to another room and sat on a bench, happy too that he’d given his backpack a wash.
“Alright boys. Here are some clothes! I guessed on the sizes but I think you’ll find them at least warm. As soon as you’re dressed we will give you a cot and then a meal.”
“Thank you so much.” Danny hesitated then hugged her. Zuma watched from his spot on the floor.
“You’re welcome, child. Now hurry and pull on some clothes. It’s cool in here.”
Danny dressed Zuma first. The little boy was cooperative and seemed to like the giraffe on the front of his hoodie. The pants were a little big as were the shoes but Zuma clapped his hands and giggled. Danny noticed the scratch on Zuma’s shoulder had cleaned up nicely and would probably scab over soon.
“Yeah well you just sit there and let me get dressed.” Danny pulled on clean underwear (wasn’t that a fucking luxury?!) and jeans that were too large for him but he used his shoelaces to cinch a belt so they’d stay up. He put on a Nike tee shirt and a zip up the front hoodie. Everything was too large but so soft and clean he could have cried. The rest of the clothes she’d given him he put in his backpack.
“Mama?” Zuma asked and raised his arms. Danny picked him up, swaying as he did and again the black spots appeared before his eyes. He was so hungry. So so hungry and he was sure Zuma was too.
Once they emerged from the locker room, Milly showed him to a table where there was a booster chair and promised to be back. The smell of food was making Danny literally drool and he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“Eat!!”
Startled Danny looked at the child who was pointing at Milly. She approached with two trays in her hands. Both of which she set on the table in front of them.
“Here we go. Good hot soup and two sandwiches for you, Danny. Milk. Juice. Some cooked carrots and pudding for dessert.”
Danny could have cried and maybe he was because she kissed the top of his head and patted his back.
“It’s ok, honey. You just eat. I’ll feed this bad boy.”
Danny was so focused on the taste of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the goodness of the vegetable soup that he did not pay much attention to Zuma. Milly fed him, talking to him as she did.
“He’s a good eater! He looks a bit old to take a bottle but before you go to sleep, you’ll have a snack.”
“Thank you so much thank you… “ Danny got up from his seat and hugged her, taking comfort from the safety of her arms. She returned the hug and finished feeding Zuma who was now full and interested in everything around them.
“Well. I need to go back to the kitchen but Father Dan will show you to your cot where you two will sleep. Good night, precious boys.” She kissed Danny’s cheek and Zuma’s cheek.
After Danny ate another sandwich, a kind clergy member led Danny to the cot where he and Zuma would sleep. It was wide and had a pile of blankets and two pillows at one end.
“Can you talk? “ Danny whispered. Zuma just looked at him with big dark blue eyes and giggled. “Well you won’t be laughing later on. We will probably have to see a doctor and you’ll probably get some vaccinations. But no worries. I will too.”
Danny set his backpack down and undid the fastener as Zuma looked on. “Ok listen. This is mine and you can play with it but… you can’t break it or put it in your mouth. See?” Danny held out the metal matchbox Camaro, all he had left from his toy shelf. “Zoom zoom.”
“Zoom!” The boy repeated. “Zoom!” He held his hand out for the car and Danny was touched to see how skinny the child’s arm was. God, war was indeed the most hellish thing on earth.
Danny carefully placed the metal car in Zuma’s hand. As the boy examined it, Danny hesitated. He also had his beloved rabbit stuffie from his old life yet he wasn’t sure if he should give that to Zuma too.
Just then, two women, carrying a laundry basket between them, paused beside Danny’s cot and handed Zuma a lamb stuffie and a palm sized plastic car
“Thank you,” Danny said. “How about that eh?”
“Mama.” Zuma carefully placed Danny’s car on the cot and reached for the lamb stuffie. He cradled it in his arms then crawled up beside Danny who had made them a bed from the blankets. His thumb went into his mouth as he turned on his side with his arms holding the lamb.
Danny gently brushed the child’s hair away from his face and curled up behind him, an arm around the child. He was asleep in seconds.
*****************
Mouse island
Mouse Island was aptly named since it was small, not only in area but house size. Just big enough, Danny mused, for good living and a little bit of a yard to have a small garden and play area for Zuma and Drax. A couple of trees. A small swing set.
“Mom? Where’s my teddy?”
Danny put his paring knife down on the counter and glanced around the kitchen area. He saw a brown furry arm sticking out from beneath the table and pointed. “I believe the lost is found.”
“Whatcha doing?” The almost 4 year old with the dark brown curls and striking dark blue eyes retrieved his stuffie and climbed up on the stool to sit adjacent to Danny.
“I am canning tomatoes. When winter arrives, we will have many jars to use in sauces and casseroles.” Danny resumed peeling the bright red fruit.
“I like spaghetti. It’s my favourite.”
“I know. Mine too.” Danny looked over his shoulder. “Want to help me?” Eagerly, Zuma nodded and waited for his orders. “You can hand me one jar at a time. Can you reach from where you are sitting?”
“Yes I think so.” With great concentration, Zuma picked up from the drying rack one of the jars that Danny had washed and sterilized. “Here you go.”
“Thank you. When you see that I’m done with one and it is all filled, you can give me another.”
In that fashion, Danny and Zuma worked together and counted 30 filled jars of tomatoes and juice ready to go into the canner.
“Now what?” Zuma asked.
“Now we have to make sure they will keep and be good to eat and that involves my canner here. Can you go find Drax and play.? Do NOT go near the water. “. Danny began loading up the jars in the wire racks of the pot. He had to boil the water around the jars to seal the jars and prevent contamination and he did not need an inquisitive little boy in his way. He did not want to trip over him or God forbid spill heated water on him!
“Can I give Drax a treat?”
“You may. I made his peanut butter bones so go ahead and get one out.”
The little boy dressed in blue bib overalls and a plaid flannel shirt opened the sealed bag in a shelf under the counter and picked out one of the homemade bones. Concentrating on resealing the bag, he poked his tongue out between his teeth and with furrowed brow, went about finding Drax outside.
Danny sighed. He shouldn’t trust his child to go out alone when they were surrounded by water so he checked his watch to take note of the time and followed Zuma out the door.
He shouldn’t have worried. As usual there was Drax doing her babysitting duties, watching Zuma as he petted her head.
“Did she eat her treat?” Danny asked, fondness creeping into his voice.
“Yep. I think she wants another one.”
“I think she can wait until dinner.” Danny looked around at the water which was on all sides but one. Except for a narrow road from the mainland that led directly to the house, there was no way off or on except by boat. That was ok. It reduced the chance that a Deserter or an undesirable would try and crash their homestead. “You know, while I’m out here, I’m going to see if I caught any fish. You and Drax stay right there.”
Danny walked to the front of the island spot where the water was deep. He had a fish basket, a variation of the types nomads used for catching small fish in ponds. This was a custom made basket, given to him by his generous friend Burke who had also constructed it. Danny picked up the reel and pole mechanism that raised it from where it was suspended underwater and started to wind up the line, bracing his feet because the water made the weight of it rather cumbersome and heavy.
The fish trap emerged with a sodden pop and if Danny had not braced his body, he would have staggered forward. He set the trap on to the ground and noted with satisfaction that he had caught a nice whitefish of rather good size. He would fix it for their dinner and they would thank the fish for giving them life.
Quickly, Danny put the fish on a stringer and fastened the one end securely to the ground allowing the other end to be submerged so the fish would remain cold and in the water. Because he had caught their dinner, he did not put the fish trap back and instead fastened it with sturdy knots to a pole.
It was time to check in on his canning.
“I want you to come inside, kiddo. Come on. Drax can stay outside it’s fine but you need to do an assignment for school.”
“Ok! I like assignments!”
Danny had created a sheet of simple addition and subtraction problems and Zuma sat at the table holding his pencil in his little hand and concentrated on solving the sums. According to the In Home School journals, Zuma was light years ahead of children his age and Danny was proud of that. His son was going to be educated despite what the Purge had done to the country.
It took him the better part of the afternoon for the canning to finish but in the end, he had 30 jars of red tomatoes ready for the winter months. During those dark cold days of snow and ice, he could only have a few herb pots inside but he had no way to grow vegetables.
Zuma finished his assignment and found one of his books to read which he did until Danny suddenly remembered he had not arranged for Zuma’s nap.
“Mommy, I’m getting too old for a nap,” the boy protested. “I’d rather be out here with you.”
Danny nodded. It did seem like a waste of daylight hours particularly since they were headed into late summer. “Fine. You stay there and I’ll get our fish. I’ll bake it with potatoes and carrots and green beans.”
“Yum!”
Drax had returned from whatever it was she did in the woods (and did Danny want to know? Probably not) so Danny let her in where she sprawled out in the living room beside the couch. She had an unobstructed view to the water and sea birds that swooped and chirped.
Zuma, though, still had no interest in a nap and wanted to help Danny in the kitchen. He carefully cleaned the beans and carrots in a bowl of water and set them aside so Danny could cut them up with the fish.
“Mommy?”
Danny looked up from preparing the roaster. “What’s up?”
“Do you ever think about where I actually came from?”
“I do. I wonder about your birth Mommy who must have loved you so much. She tried very hard to take care of you. She’s in heaven always watching over you.”
“What about your boyfriend?”
Danny’s heart was going to thud out of his chest. Zuma had such a memory, absorbing everything that was said around him. As for Keller, it had been a while since Danny had actually missed him.Their romance had not been all that.. great. Danny was so young and Keller was a teacher at the school Danny had attended. Danny had resisted every attempt to get physical and he was not sorry he had. He was old enough now to realize Keller definitely had a kink. It was child abuse, plain and simple and yet there had been elements of their relationship Danny missed. Keller had been extraordinarily smart and knew a lot of folklore and off the normal path knowledge. Danny had liked hearing about those things.
The only reason Zuma knew of him and even his name was through conversations Danny had had with Burke. The older man definitely disapproved and upon hearing of Keller’s death had not reacted much in any way except to tell Danny if he could, he’d organize a ticker tape parade to celebrate.
Whatever that was, Danny always thought.
“He’s gone. Let’s not talk of him and he really was not my boyfriend. Let’s figure out what we want to season this with… rosemary, parsley and… how about a little black pepper?” Danny ground out some spice from the pepper mill and added all of the veg he’d cut. He put the lid on the roaster and stuck it in the oven. He asked Zuma if he wanted to sit on the enclosed deck and watch the boats.
“Maybe we will see Burke!” Zuma said happily. “I love Burke and Milly!”
“Me too. So so much..” Danny whistled for Drax who padded out and flopped by the floor to ceiling temperate glass windows.
“He’s got a big boat! I like going out on it! He gets lobster for Milly and they eat it with butter. How come you don’t eat lobster?”
“Full of questions,” Danny teased and pulled Zuma over on to his lap. “I can’t stand to cook them alive. It hurts me to see them suffer. It’s bad enough for fish but… the fish we do thank for their lives.”
Zuma settled down and leaned against Danny. He yawned once and Danny soon realized the little boy had fallen asleep. Carefully, Danny lay him on the couch and covered him up with a light wrap. I’m his mother, Danny thought proudly, and it’s up to me to take care of him.
Danny sighed and leaved back against the couch. He loved this room and the way it wrapped around the whole back of the house. Burke had once told Danny he could always make this room another bedroom, using shades and window blockers for privacy, but Danny had a huge bedroom upstairs and while Zuma’s was small, the boy loved his built in bunk against the wall and his desk and shelves full of his treasures. They really did not need another bedroom. Besides, they spent the majority of their time in this room during the good months, watching for whales and other sea life.
Today, however, the water in the channel of Tenants Harbor which was where Mouse Island sat, all part of Penobscot Bay, was churning with some whitecaps. This meant most small boats would remain safely tied up in the marina at St. George, the nearest town. Danny did not believe their friend Burke would be out in this weather.
Suddenly a nap sounded good. Danny slouched back and repositioned his head against the pillow. He closed his eyes and drifted off, unaware that a stranger was soon going to show up and change his and Zuma’s lives forever.
***************
Katie Drew poured a draught beer for the big dude at the end of the bar and stood on tiptoe to get the top shelf whiskey. The man who had come in a few minutes ago now stood impassively waiting to be served had not changed expressions.
“Here you go,” Katie said as she placed the bottle and glass in front of him. In response, he slid a bill towards her with a tattooed hand. His nails were painted black. “Anything else I can do for you?” She asked cheerily.
“You can,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper, “leave me alone.”
Katie nodded and returned to her tasks at the bar though she was very curious and wished she could observe him. She could not tell what he looked like really; the hooded cloak he wore obscured his face. She had seen the flash of white teeth when he’d talked to her, his mouth in a straight line, lips open just enough to respond. Surreptitiously, she looked at his reflection in the mirrored wall.
The cloak he wore did not hide the outline of muscles and a nice set of shoulders. It wasn’t often they saw former mercenaries in their corner of the world, and Katie decided he must be a merc. Good guys did not paint their nails or tat their hands.
He knew she was staring. Their eyes met in the mirrored wall. His were dark blue, stormy, angry. A shiver ran through her. He was sex, dangerous, tantalizing, thundering sex.
He knocked back the whiskey, threw some bills on the bar and with a flourish of his cloak, left the bar with all eyes on his retreating form. It was only later when they were cleaning up that Katie found the spots of blood from where the stranger had stood.
A lot of people in St. George had small solar powered one or two person vehicles. They had come into use when gasoline had become difficult to distribute and while some of the bigger cities and settlements sported the usual gas powered cars and trucks, in the country, people had come to depend on the ‘scootems’ as they were called. Some were very clever and had the frame of a car with the flatbed of a pickup, all on only two wheels.
Aside from the scootems, there were horses, mules and donkeys, used for transportation. One such horse waited patiently, nibbling on grass and waiting for his owner.
“Sarajevo, let’s go see the water.” The big black stallion raised his ears and lowered his head. “My trusted friend, we are in strange territory but close to water. Let’s go and do what we came to do.”
He swung easily into the saddle, his long legs providing access. He had glanced at the map before he’d ridden into St. George so he knew in which direction to ride. Before he went there however, there was the little matter of the two men who had followed him from the bar.perhaps they had noticed his heavy wallet when he’d paid for his drinks. Perhaps they had a death wish.
Stupid stupid stupid.
The stranger paused long enough for the first man to run in front of Sarajevo. As if by magic, the long strong biting tendrils of a whip flashed from the hand of the rider and wrapped around the attackers neck. With a jerk that was almost casual, the man’s neck snapped and the whip was released as the man, dead now, collapsed on to the path.
The other man, on seeing what had happened to his friend, tried to run but a whirling steel disc sliced his spinal cord in two, immediately stopping any involuntary physical functions. Life ceased before he hit the ground.
The stranger stopped only long enough to collect his disc, wipe it off and replace it in the box on the saddle. He ignored the searing pain in his chest and bent forward as he rode, the front of his cloak stained with blood.
Drax started to whine just as Danny dished up their dinner. She refused to come into the kitchen to eat; instead, she stood patiently at the door waiting for Danny to let her out.
“What is it?” Danny asked the brawny wolf. “What’s out there?” He was rewarded with a nudge of her big head against his leg. “Ok but don’t you be chasing the rabbits again. They’re too fast for you anyways.” With that, Danny opened the door and Drax streaked out.
“Mommy is Drax scared?” Zuma asked, mistaking the wolf’s zeal for being frightened.
“No, kiddo, she’s just going outside to run around. She will be back for her dinner.”
Danny stopped though and listened. The lack of noise was unsettling and he put the ladle down on the counter and lifted Zuma out of his chair. It was not often that Danny was scared but he was always prepared in case anyone wanted to mess with him. “Listen. You’re going to go upstairs and hide. Do not come down until I tell you to, ok? Remember we practiced this. No matter what you hear! Go!!!!” Danny gave him a little shove towards the stairs while at the same time Danny reached for his gun.
It was a formidable weapon from long ago but it still worked, still had the sight lines he needed to defend them while using it, still took the bullets hd now loaded into it.
Danny held the Glock and turned out the light in the kitchen area. Slowly, he crouched down and faced the door, his thoughts a jumble. Why hadn’t Drax barked or at least run back to the house? She had always defended them in the past! Who was out there? Friend? Only Burke would come late like this and even then he would whistle so Danny would know it was him.
Therefore it had to be a foe or someone who was not well intended. Nobody ever just showed up. Not this far out.
Danny almost fell over when someone knocked. Three raps on the side of the door. Business not familiarity. Still, Danny did not want to give himself away so he did not respond.
Three more taps, a moment of nothing and then Danny heard snuffling. Drax! Was she with the stranger? Danny had no idea but now he was terrified to think that a creature who had unconditionally loved and protected him and Zuma would allow someone unknown to walk up to the door.
“Hello? I need to ask you to take care of my horse! I know you are inside. I won’t hurt you! Please. I just need you to take care of my horse. I’m feeling a bit.. tired.”
The voice was cultured and pleasant. No accent or trace of one even.
“Who are you?” Danny asked. Tired? The man was … tired? What the fuck?!?!
“Who are you?” The stranger answered.
“I’m not telling you!” There was a long moment of silence. And then the stranger spoke again.
“Please. By the way your pet wolf wants inside.”
“You just leave her alone!” Danny squeezed his eyes shut then refocused. “Alright! Listen! You are going to take a step back and I will open the door! But I’m armed! Understand!!!”
“I’m not deaf and yes I understand!”
Danny paused and frowned at the man’s snark. He wasn’t deaf? Well Danny could not help it that he was yelling. Slowly, he stood up and raised the Glock , and opened the door with his other hand. Immediately, Drax ran inside and over to her food bowl.
“Put your weapon down.” The stranger snapped the gun out of Danny’s hand, emptied the ammo and once again stuffed the empty gun in Danny’s hand, this all in the space of 5 seconds!
“I’m not going to hurt anyone.”
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?!”
“I’m Danny Williams-“
“Commander Steve McGarrett Rebel Forces SEAL Unit.”
“SEALs…” Danny stepped aside, all resistance gone. “Please come in. Let me take your cloak.” He had heard of the SEAL unit and how they had been the force to change the tide so the United won,
“I’m not staying. I just have.. I just have…” Dammit! Steve felt the hole in his chest and when he took his hand away, it was sticky with dark red blood.
“What’s wrong with you?” Danny asked. “You’re hurt! Take that off and let me see it. I’m a healer so I can help you.”
Steve reluctantly removed the cloak and turned so Danny could see that most of the bottom part of his shirt was dark and wet.
“Shirt off too. You can sit on this stool.” Danny went to get his box of medical supplies. “How long have you had that wound? Abd who gave it to you?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” Steve cringed as Danny cleaned out the excess blood and saw a small hole obviously made by a bullet.
“Turn around and let me see if there’s an exit wound.”
“You’re bossy too. How old are you?”
“Look who is asking the questions now,” Danny scoffed. “This is bad.”
“Yes I know. “
Danny suddenly stiffened and backed away,puzzled. “What?”
“There’s lots of water here. I’ll just swim away but maybe I’ll just bleed out on the floor here.”
“Stop!” Danny propped Steve up and looked frantically around. Dammit but Zuma was standing by the couch, his thumb in his mouth.
“Zuma, baby, listen to me. Take the blanket from the couch and lay it on the floor. Can you do that for me? Please?”
“Yes Mommy.” Zuma did as Danny asked and only then did Danny assist the tall man into the living room. When Steve was centered over the blanket, Danny helped him lie down,
“You hold this rag next to the wound. Put some pressure on it. I’ll be right back.” Danny saw that Zuma had inched closer and was staring at the man. “Zuma!” The little boy jumped. “Come over here and wait until I tell you it’s ok to come back!”
Danny gathered his supplies and returned to where Steve lay. The cloth he was using against the wound was stained bright red. Clearly, Steve was suffering but one look at his full sleeve tats and his various weapons on his belt told Danny that this was a man who could withstand a great deal of pain.
“I’m going to stitch you up but I’m going to knock you out so you can get a handle on your pain.”
“I’m fine.”
“Im fine,” Danny mocked. “Yes I can see that since you came to swim or whatever you want to do in my bay.”
“Not… your bay. Isn’t Danny Bay. It’s Tenant Bay.”
“Shut up.” Danny placed the cloth with ether on it over Steve’s mouth and nostrils and held it there despite some resistance from Steve, who tried to rip Danny’s wrist out of his socket (or at least it felt like that.)
Finally, Steve was out and Danny moved the basin of medicated water closer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Drax making sure that Zuma stayed away and in the kitchen area.
The ether was not going to last a long time but Danny did not want the stranger to be over medicated. However, it was taking some time to clean and disinfect the wound. The bullet hole was old, possibly two days old maybe three, which made Danny wonder why exactly Steve had not sought treatment for it.
Well, he maybe he wanted to die. He’d come to the water. Maybe he wanted to drown? That was just weird.
Using gentle but effective pressure, Danny made sure the pus was cleaned out and no internal organs were nicked or hit. Steve was extremely lucky as the bullet had gone through and through.
With some effort, Danny pushed Steve over to get to the exit wound and cleaned that out too, stitched it and plastered a bandage on it.
There. Danny was panting from his exertions and efforts so he placed a pillow under the man’s head and covered him with a blanket.
“Mommy? Is he dead?”
“No, baby, he’s just sleeping. He was hurt and I fixed him up.” Danny washed his hands and disposed of the water he used. “Did he say something about a horse?” Danny looked out the window and saw a big black horse grazing beside the swing set. “Shit. Ok. I gotta .. “ Danny sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I gotta put the horse in the barn.” He looked at Zuma. “I can’t leave you in here.”
“I come with you?”
“Yes you’ll have to. Get your coat on.” He glanced back at Steve and hoped the man would not wake up while Danny was gone.
Steve dreamed. He was dangling over a pit of fire and he could not get the cuffs off his hands. The wooden beam he was attached to lowered slowly as Steve struggled.
You want to die.
You want to burn up.
How many did you kill?
You deserve to die.
Steve jerked his arm one last time and connected with something. Was he free? He slowly opened his eyes, his dreams coming home to roost and saw that he’d.. hit Danny.
“Shit! I’m sorry!!!” Steve struggled to sit up but his torso felt like it was full of a dozen wiggling pain inducing worms.
“No sudden jerks or you’ll rip your stitches out and I’m not sewing you up again!” Danny rubbed his shoulder. “I’m glad you hit me here and not in my face!”
“Sorry I was dreaming….” Steve looked around. “How long have I been out?”
“An hour or so. I’ll help you get up so you can sleep on the couch but if you want to wash up or anything..” Danny jerked his head in the direction of the washroom.
“I’ll leave. I’ve been a burden already.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake! You’re like a turtle lying there. Now I have two choices. I can help you stand and you can get washed up like a civilized man or I can just leave you there. I did not invest all the time and effort in seeing you rip out the stitches and then go drown your sorry ass in my bay-“
“Not your bay.”
“You are really infuriating! Maybe you deserved to get shot. Now grab my hand and we will get you upright!”
“How old are you? Is that your kid?”
“Shut up.” Danny had managed to help Steve stand and was assisting him towards the washroom. “I put out clean towels and there’s soap in there. You don’t get a shower yet. Oh and your packs are in there too. Change your clothes.”
Steve shut the door and sighed. Actually, and he hated to admit it, it felt good being able to use a clean toilet and utilize hot water to scrub up. He could smell himself, never a good thing, so he stripped and used the toilet then scrubbed as much of himself as he could. He’d last shaved three days ago before he’d been ambushed but there wasn’t a razor around so Steve dried himself off and pulled on clean underwear and tee shirt from his pack.
By then, he was panting and dizzy from exertion so he emerged and with some effort walked over to the couch which looked soft and inviting with blankets and two pillows.
“Where’s your barn?” Steve asked as he gritted his teeth from the pain. Oh but the couch was heavenly! Days of living rough fell away in the face of such comfort!
“On the mainland. I have some chickens and a goat, and a cow for Zuma’s needs.” Danny hovered and gave Steve a capsule and a glass of water. “Take it. It will help with the pain.”
“I don’t need—“
“Then don’t take it.” Danny walked back to the kitchen and fed Drax her night time snack. “We’re going to bed. If you need me yell.”
“M’k.” Steve was almost asleep though he’d taken the pill. As Danny walked by, he tucked in the blanket around Steve’s neck and blew out the lantern.
It was nearly noon when Steve woke up.
“Good morning.”
Steve blinked and used his hands to prop himself up. An older man, probably in his 60’s, stood by the couch. He had shaggy white hair and blue eyes and regarded Steve with a hint of a smile on his weathered face.
“Danny said you arrived with a bullet hole clean through you. Feeling better?”
“Uh yeah actually I am.” Steve felt extremely vulnerable without his cache of weapons. Who was this man? Danny’s father?
“I’m Burke. Danny’s friend. I’m going to help you upstairs where you can shower and Danny can change your dressings.”
Steve felt he had no choice. He had met many men in the course of his travels and profession and he pegged Burke as a no nonsense type of man, the kind who would not take no for an answer.
Steve extended his hand and Burke grasped it and surprisingly pulled Steve up with ease. They walked together to the stairs and Burke nodded to indicate that they should proceed one step at a time.
It was excruciatingly painful for Steve but he refused to utter a sound. Instead he gritted his teeth and concentrated until they were inside the spacious bathroom on the second floor. Gratefully, Steve leaned against the counter and tried to catch his breath.
“Come on, son. We are just delaying the inevitable.”
“Give me a minute.” Steve leaned forward and tried to even out his breathing.
“Who shot you?”
“Fucking thief. Tried to steal my horse.”
“Liar. Who shot you?” Burke says casually. He pulled Steve’s tee shirt off. “SEAL team. What unit?”
“Nine.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. I thought the Premiere disbanded you guys. Or let me guess.. she said she did but you are still working covertly.”
Steve waved his hand and nodded. He slid his underwear off and stepped under the shower head.
Twenty minutes later, he was gloriously clean and shaved, the razor swipes courtesy of Burke. Steve dressed in the clean undergarments Danny had apparently laundered from the night before and waited as the blonde checked out his wounds.
“Looking good. No infection though I still want you to take the antibiotics. I’m going to put the dressings on now.” Danny concentrated on taping the gauze bandages over the neatly stitched wounds.
“Where’s Burke?” Steve asked more or less for conversation to distract him from how tender his skin was around the wounds.
“Watching Zuma.” Danny finished with the back and scooted in front of Steve.
“He doesn’t look like you.” Danny ignored that. Steve continued, ignoring the rather sharp poke from Danny. “Did you find him wandering around and take him in? That happened a lot, kids without parents and all.”
“What would you care about that? You were out there doing your thing and contributing to all of that war.” Danny finished taping that round.
“Ouch! That’s not nice, Danny.”
“You’re good. Let’s get you dressed so you can have some breakfast.”
“I’m not a morning eater. If you give me my horse I’ll be out of your hair, which I have to say is really.. there’s plenty of it.” Steve tugged on a curl.
“Get dressed then and I’ll meet you downstairs. Seems if you have energy to talk you have energy to manage the stairs.” Danny shoved the clean clothes into Steve’s arms, turned and walked away, though the sounds of his angry footsteps on the stairs certainly indicated his mood.
Zuma looked curiously at the stranger sitting at the end of the table. He had so many questions but his mom seemed mad so Zuma said nothing. He had asked his lamb stuffie, Max, if Max knew anything about the stranger but Max did not.
“You can cook. This porridge tastes good.” Steve finished his bowl and Danny took it over to the sink. There wasn’t any sign of Burke. “Zuma, that’s your name right, hey Zuma do you ever see any turtles around here?”
Zuma glanced at Danny for permission to answer the stranger and Danny nodded. “Sometimes snappers but we always leave them alone.”
“What if I told you that I’d seen the baby turtles going into the sea. There were so many of them it was like a mad rush! Of course some won’t make it but we can always hope most did get to the middle of the ocean.”
“Where did you see them?” Danny asked.
“Mexico. It was quite the spectacle.”
Time for some tougher questions. “Why did you really come here!?” Danny asked. “Zuma, you and Drax go sit at your desk and do your homework please.” When the child hesitated, Danny continued in a soft voice. “Steve and I need to talk and you need to finish your work. Go on now.”
“Yes Mom.” Zuma jumped off his chair and he and the wolf walked over to the corner where a child’s desk sat. When Danny was certain Zuma was engrossed, he repeated the question.
“You weren’t going to drown yourself or go into the water.” Statement.
“No. No I was not.” Steve sipped his tea.
“Then why?”
“Treasure.” Steve shrugged. “I want to find a treasure.”
Danny looked surprised. He sat up straighter and ran a hand through his hair which he had pulled back in a ponytail. “Treasure? Around here!?”
“Yep.” Steve popped the ‘p.’
Danny considered this. Oh he’d heard the tales but he also heard the less appealing stories.
“It’s ridiculous. A fool’s quest.”
“So say you.” Steve sat back in his chair and fixed his intense gaze on Danny who was clearly not comfortable with the scrutiny.
“What?” Danny asked.
“You’re not very old. Is Zuma really your kid?”
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Danny said suddenly inspired. “Tit for tat. I answer one question you answer one. Deal?”
“Well, a deal always means that the two who agree on it are satisfied with the content. Are you going to tell the truth?”
“Am I.. yes of course!” Danny practically yelled.
“Alright. Deal. I’ll go first. How old are you?”
Danny felt his ears get hot. He sighed and nodded. “Ok alright. 18.”
“Just a baby. Wow. Alright ask me one now.”
“How old are you?” Danny asked.
“Oh Danny I really thought you’d come up with something better than that. 24.”
“You’re not very old then! Geez! Ok,” he nodded. “Did you turn to be a mercenary? Is that why you have so many tats?”
“Two at once,” Steve said. “I’ll answer them though but I get two. No. Yes.”
“Just yes?” Danny asked.
“No I’m not a mercenary. Yes I have a lot of tats. Not all related to my kind of work though.” Steve rubbed his hands together. “I get three.”
“Wait why three… ohhh it’s because I asked you just yes. That’s not fair.” Steve shrugged which made Danny testy.
“Three questions. Is that kid yours? Is Burke your boyfriend!? Where’s the barn?”
“Oh my God,” Danny laughed. “Fine. No. No. Down the road leading to land and turn left and you’ll see the barn.”
“Where are the kids’ parents?”
“His mother was killed in a bombing. I’m not sure where his dad is but it does not matter. I was granted custody. He calls me Mom. I’m the only parent he’s known for the past 3 years.”
Steve’s eyes softened and he nodded. “It’s nice of you to do that. You are just a kid yourself.”
“I’m very mature.”
“Yeah you are. Gotta hand that to you.” Steve looked around the kitchen. “Do you have anything stronger than tea?”
“Well when Burke comes out he usually brings his own coffee. I have some orange juice.”
“Whiskey?” Danny shook his head no. “Vodka?” Again no. “Gin? Bourbon? Tequila? Nothing??”
“No and you shouldn’t drink either. You’re healing. Your body needs good nutrients not bad ones! And if we are still playing the game you owe me a lot of answers.”
“Games been over. I’ll take some more tea please.”
“Ok, tea it is but tell me more about the treasure.” Danny got up and poured each of them some strong tea from the kettle. In his tea, he poured milk and added sugar but Steve indicated he did not want any of that.
“I have a map.”
“Is it legit? Could be just a big bunch of hokey.” Danny shrugged and sipped his tea. Steve leaned back and coolly regarded Danny.
“Maybe. I want to find out. How long have you lived here?”
“Two years. Burke and some other friends helped fix it up for me. Trust me, it looked nothing like it does now. It was more or less a fishing shack. Nobody had claimed it though so I put a bid on it and used the money I had received from selling a gemstone and bought it.”
“A gemstone eh. So you have other family?”
“None. Burke and Milly are my family now and I have my friends of course. Zuma has some friends he see a couple times a week.” Danny sighed and looked over at the boy who was now playing with Drax instead of doing his school work.
“Zuma. What kind of name is that? Sounds like a noise one of those Scootems makes.”
“You’re annoying you know that!” Danny said.
“You aren’t the first person to say that.” Steve laughed and drank the rest of his tea.
“Zuma happens to be the name of a very famous surfing beach in California. As if you’d know that.”
“I’ve been there. Surfed the waves. Felt the spray in my face and smelled the sand and sun.” Steve’s voice was soft. “This fucking war, man. It took everything good away,” he looked over at Danny. “Except you. You’re … gentle. The world needs gentle.”
The admission was so unexpected that Danny just stared at the handsome man in front of him.
“Do you want to help me find some buried treasure? Are you in?”
Danny was not sure why he agreed but he did. They shook on it, making it so.
*************
Steve hadn’t meant to fall asleep.
He was watching the water, secretly pleased he’d seen a whale in the harbor, its bulk breaching and crashing into a sea of foam. His eyes had grown heavy and he was so warm and comfortable that he had somehow drifted off.
“Hi.”
Steve half sat up to see Zuma standing beside the couch. He was holding out a piece of paper.
“I made this for you. It’s a get well card!”
Steve had very limited experience with children. He avoided them at all costs and had never had any type of relationship.,always the loner. IN his line of work, he could not afford to become attached.
He accepted the card and looked it over, aware that the child was waiting for his approval.
“It’s quite nice! There’s my horse. And I take it that’s me?” Steve pointed at the figure beside the horse.
“Yes because you wear big boots and a long coat. I like your horse. I gave him an apple and he loved it.” Zuma came closer. “Are you my Mom’s friend now?”
“Uh friend. Hmmm. Yeah, I guess I am.” He watched Zuma to gauge his reaction.
“My Mom is a good friend. He makes potions for everybody. “ Zuma sat beside Steve and sighed. “My Mom is catching a big fish for dinner. Sometimes I get tired of fish. Don’t tell him.”
“I won’t. Promise.” Steve grinned and fully sat up. He was getting soft lying around. “Is your Mom outside now?” Zuma nodded. “Do you want to go out to see what he’s doing?”
“He’s just getting a fish out of the trap. I saw it a million billion times.”
“Oh. Alright then what do you want to do?”
The boy thought for a moment then brightened as the idea hit him. “We can play a game!” Zuma slid off the couch and took off presumably to get the aforementioned game.
“I’m not good at games! I never played— oh. What’s this?” Steve looked at the box Zuma was carrying,
“It’s Candyland though I know my colours. I still like it though.” He opened the lid and placed the board on the couch.
“I don’t know how to play this,” Steve said suddenly panicking.
“It’s easy but be careful. My son is the Candyland ringer.” Danny walked into the room with Drax beside him.
“Did you get a fish?” Zuma asked with just a hint of trepidation in his tone.
“No. No fish tonight. Mr. Thomas brought us some fresh bread and a casserole his wife made too much of so that’s dinner. Steve, it’s your turn.”
“I just… I don’t know… “ Steve hesitated as Danny chuckled.
“I’ll fix dinner. Have fun.”
The casserole smelled delicious. Tom’s wife sure had a way around some vegetables and pasta. Danny was secretly happy not to have to eat fish again so when Tim had handed the dish to him, Danny felt relieved. He knew Zuma felt that way too.
As he mixed up a salad to go with the casserole, he smiled at the sounds of game playing. For a big bad tattooed SEAL, Steve was now at the mercy of a persistent 4 year old which was kinda funny.
Steve. Danny had more questions than answers about the good looking man. Buried treasure? Steve had told Danny he had a map of where it was supposedly hidden by a pirate from long ago. Now Danny knew his history and was aware that Dixey Bull was an established pirate who came looking to avenge himself against a schooner of Frenchmen. However, he was unsuccessful and his mission was scrapped.
However, in a discussion the night before, Steve had mentioned Black Sam Bellamy whose MO was to rob the silver from the French ships that liked to skirt the outer coastal edge of Maine. Bellamy had supposedly buried a huge chest of his spoils intending to return for it. He died, however, before he could come back and retrieve his treasure.
“You’re right about him. He’s a ringer alright. I lost three straight games.” Steve sat down at the island and briefly reacted as he did by crossing one arm over his midriff and gasping.
“You aren’t out of the woods yet. You have to take care of that wound.” Danny frowned and stood in front of Steve, motioning for Steve to pull up his shirt.
“I’m fine—-“
“Yeah you’re fine. You get an infection in there and you’ll be even better huh! how about that?” Danny pulled Steve’s shirt up and saw that there wasn’t any blood on the bandages which meant no stitch tore. The pain must just be from Steve moving around. “You need to go relax again.”
“I’m getting soft,” Steve grumbled.
“Hey! You can always go sleep in the barn!”
Suddenly, Drax came out of nowhere and sat beside the door, growling. Danny and Steve exchanged looks but it was Steve who went to the stairs first, a gun in his hand.
Whoever it was on the other side of the door knocked which made Drax kick it in to high gear and vault with her weight against the door.
Steve reached around the wolf and opened the door, pleased when he heard the man’s cry of surprise as the wolf pushed him down and sent the man’s knife skittering across the drive.
“You move and he goes for your throat,” Steve said. “Danny! Tell me where you have some rope! I’m either gonna hang him or tie him up! I haven’t decided!!”
“There’s some in the barn,” Danny answered. He turned away, Zuma in his arms. “I’ll be back to help you.”
When Danny was out of the room, Steve leaned down to the man and asked him quietly what the hell was he doing here.
“I wasn’t after anyone who lives here. I’m after YOU! There’s a reward on your head. I figured I could get ya since a source told me you were wounded.”
“Your source was wrong! Now get up and start walking down the road here, keeping in mind I have the gun aimed at your head.”
“Kingston is gonna find you! He’s gonna find you and then you’ll be sorry!” The man sputtered.
“How many know you came to get me?” Steve asked.
“Oh I work alone. I’m not sharing anything with anyone—“
Steve took two strides forward and used both hands to break the man’s neck with an audible snap. He then shoved the man’s body over the side into the water where it sank down among the tangle of greens and plants. He started back just as Danny came out of the house. When he saw Steve by himself he was puzzled.
“Where is he?” Danny asked as Steve stopped waiting for Danny to ask him.
“Took off. He’s not gonna bother anyone.”
“He might be back! You let him go??? I have a son to think about here—-“
“Danny he won’t be back—-“
“—-and for you to just let him loose-“
“DANNY!” Steve said loudly enough that Danny stopped protesting. “He’s dead ok? He’s dead and he’s not going to come back here.”
Danny looked at Steve with narrowed eyes, after his look of disbelief faded. “You killed him? Where’s his body?”
“In the water.” Steve shrugged. “I’ll go fish him out if you want me to.”
“Well you obviously can’t with a bullet wound like you have! Geezus.” Danny ran a hand through his hair and slid to the floor, back to the wall. “What was he doing here?”
“Making trouble. Just a fucking drifter. Thought he could rob you. Are we gonna go inside or stand out here forever?”
Danny glared at Steve, not sure at all of what to make of the young stranger. He was dangerous, Danny thought. Very dangerous.
“You need to leave here in a couple of days once you’re healed.”
“Oh allow me to leave now.” Steve shut down, cold, his gaze hard. He stepped past Danny and Drax and started to gather up his clothing.
“I’m just worried, ok? What if someone else comes looking for trouble? We never had this before you.” Danny followed Steve as he started to pack his bags. “Look, Steve, I know we said there’s treasure but I’m scared ok? I’m worried about protecting my son.”
“Then you shouldn’t kick me out, Danny.” Steve paused, not knowing why he was pleading his case to stay. He should just go. Danny wanted him to go.
“Fine. I’m sorry. Please stay. You shouldn’t ride with that wound.”
Their eyes locked and it was Steve who looked away first. “I’m sorry, Danny. I’ll do my best to protect you and Zuma.”
“Alright then. I’m going to go get him and get dinner out of the oven. Set the table.”
Steve watched Danny go; his head told him he was crazy to plead his case to stay there but his heart? His heart was betraying him now and he shoved down those feelings. He had a treasure to find. Anything else was just baggage.