Max Arena (27 page)

‘Tell me,’ Max
replied.

‘I’m trained to
do whatever is necessary, so I can pull a trigger if I have to, but
you, Max, if the ugly side of humanity breaks through that fence
and gets right up in our faces, they could well be ready to kill
for what they need, so you need to be ready to fight fire with the
same. You need to gear yourself up for retaliation.’

‘You mean I
might have to kill someone?’

Peter paused
and then said, ‘Yes. You might have to kill someone. Do you think
you can do that?’

Even in the
gloom of the moonless night, Max could see the glimmer of Peter’s
eyes and he held them in the gaze of his own. He then shifted his
attention down to his own hands, holding them out, palms up. Then,
clenching them, he looked back up at Peter and said one word.

‘Yes.’

3am, 2
^nd
August (3 days later).
Prophecy

Elsa woke to
find Max standing over her.  It was dark and she was outside,
lying on the ground.  Something was not right, but just having
Max there made her feel safe.  Looking around, she found
Millie and Jason curled up together next to her.  Max held his
hand out and she grasped it to let him pull her to her feet.

Lightning
suddenly ripped across the brooding sky, the luminescent flash
revealing they stood on the western lawn of the estate, alone as a
family, the time of day impossible to tell, but it was not night.
It was just dark.  Very, very dark.

A light, cool
breeze sprung up, rippling Elsa's clothes.  It was an odd
wind, damp and clammy.  Max as usual was impervious to the
elements, standing there in his black training gear, his orange
shoes glowing slightly in the gloom.  Her husband.  Her
rock.

The breeze
picked up.  A prick of fear stabbed inside Elsa.  Max
noted the flinch and he pulled her in tight.  The kids woke up
and Elsa looked down to see them stir.  Impulsively, she bent
down and helped them up, pulling them and Max in to her, the family
huddling together.

More lightning
rent the broiling ceiling overhead.  The breeze increased to a
wind and now Elsa could definitely feel wetness in the air. 
Elsa looked up at Max, his face calm, but firm.  His control
settled Elsa down a little, but now the children clung more tightly
to Elsa and Max's legs, also sensing something was amiss.  Max
leaned his head in close, resting his forehead against her's. 
Elsa's nerves settled a little more, but she knew something awful
was coming.  Something she could not outrun.  Something
that was going to hurt her and her family.

Then she felt
the rumble.  Looking down, Elsa saw her feet shaking on the
trembling grass.  She looked back up.  Max raised his
forefinger to his lips and Elsa saw in his eyes that no matter what
happened next, they would be alright.  He would protect
them.

The rumbling
grew.  The wind whistled, ripping at their clothes. 
Lightning sizzled and scorched across the now pitch black palette
overhead.  Elsa locked Max's eyes into her gaze, his calm the
only safe haven in the storm around them.

Then suddenly,
Max started to grow in size.  Panic rose inside Elsa, but Max
shook his head and smiled lightly.  Elsa's panic
subsided.  She fell to her knees and clutched onto the
kids.  They were all she had now.

Max continued
to grow in stature, towering over Elsa and the children like a
giant.  Far over his head, the lightning blistered as the
storm intensified.  Then Elsa sensed someone else with
her.  She looked over her shoulder and there was Kris,
standing still and looking past her into the distance.  Beside
Kris stood Joseph, Abdullah and Peter, also with their gazes fixed
on the horizon.  They were all there, Team Max and then Elsa
noticed a crowd of people behind them.  Instantly she knew
there were thousands, probably even millions or more, everyone
looking into the distance.

The rumbling
grew and Elsa turned back to Max who was still looking down at her,
his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light, like beacons in the
night.  Then, rising up behind Max, even larger than he, Elsa
saw the focus of everyone's gaze.

On the
horizon, a vast, enormous wave surged across the land.  White
caps frothed on its mountainous crest as it devoured the earth and
now Elsa knew what was coming.  Death to all.  The end of
the world.  The doom that Macktidas had promised was
here.  She looked back to Max and now he smiled, really smiled
and the warmth of that smile filled Elsa with pride in the
knowledge that Max was there to protect them all.

Then Max
turned, his gaze lingering on Elsa for as long as he could. 
The wave rumbled onwards.  Max squared up to face it, the
tempest before it raging against him, but he stood firm, immovable
and implacable.  Max planted his feet and spread his immense
arms out wide, his formidable stature now truly god like.

Humanity
cowered down behind him.  Doom beat down upon them.  Only
Elsa stood behind her husband, her children standing with
her.  Together they would face the end.  Together, if
fate demanded, they would die as one.

Max leaned
forward and braced himself.  The wave slammed into him, the
force of the water pummelling him back, but only a few steps did he
retreat.  Digging his orange-clad feet into the earth, Max
challenged the power of the wave and tamed it.  The wave
surged up against him, but failed to pass his colossal form.

Elsa could see
the strain on her husband's face.  The enormity of his
struggle was palpable and it ripped at her heart, but pride
overwhelmed the pain knowing her husband was the only thing
standing between doom and the rest of the world and Max was
winning.

Still the wave
surged, but still Max held it back.  The titanic struggle
seemed to endure forever as the world watched on.  Then, the
wave slackened.  The water started to slide off Max's frame
and recede.  He had done it.  He had beaten back the tide
of death and saved them all.

The people of
the world rose together as one, behind Elsa and the children. 
Elsa smiled down at Millie and Jason and they smiled back, joy
binding them together now.  Their father, her husband had
saved them.  Elsa looked back up at Max and instantly her
smile faded.

Max was caught
in the water and it was dragging him away.  The boiling tide
clung to him like glue, pulling him into the mass.  He
struggled, but failed.  Max’s footing faltered.  He
stumbled and then he fell.

Elsa stepped
forward, her arms reaching out to try and grab Max, a silent scream
issuing from her mouth.  Max fell into the tide, his head
disappearing beneath the turmoil.  Elsa screamed again, her
cry still soundless.  Then Max surfaced and he turned to look
at her, his blue eyes brighter than ever.  He did not cry
out.  He did not smile.  He merely looked at Elsa as he
washed away, as the tide stole him away.

Gradually,
Max's gleaming blue eyes grew more and more distant.  Elsa let
her hands fall to her sides.  The children rushed forward and
held on to their mother and together they watched Max slip further
and further away.  Finally, the light of Max’s eyes winked out
and he was gone.  They stood there alone, Elsa, the children
and all of humanity, their saviour taken away, but their lives
saved.

10am, 2
^nd
August (later that morning).
Evacuation

The western
lawn of the estate lay bathed in the warming light of the
midmorning sun, the rays soaking the vast green turf with energy
and promise. Parked on the far side of the lawn sat Kris’ training
truck, it’s freshly painted orange exterior emblazoned with giant,
black “X” logos on all sides. The Pain Train as it was now
labelled, had its back and side ramps open with various bits of
training kit spread across the lawn around it.

From where Max
and the kids stood in the kitchen, Elsa and Kris could not see
them, but they could watch the ladies as they went through their
own dual fitness session. In their fluorescent nylons, both Kris
and Elsa lunged their way over the grass and through the sunshine
with weight laden barbells across their shoulders. Even from this
distance, Max could clearly tell they were doing it tough. He could
also hear Kris shouting at Elsa, and herself, to go harder. Max
couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face.

‘Daddy?’ Millie
asked. ‘Is Mummy feeling okay today?

Max looked down
at his little girl and said, ‘She’s okay, sweetheart. She said she
had a nightmare last night. That’s all and we know dreams can’t
hurt us don’t we?’

‘I’m not
talking about that, Daddy,’ Millie replied, pointing out to Elsa.
‘I want to know why she’s walking funny?’

‘Yeah, Daddy,’
Jason chimed in, pulling a face. ‘What’s Mummy doing?’

Max chuckled.
‘Mummy is getting smashed by Kris.’

‘But Kris
normally smashes
you
,’ Millie added.

‘Yes, she does
and she’s very good at it,’ Max answered, ‘but right now it’s
Mummy’s turn to get smashed and besides, it makes her fitter and
stronger.’

‘Why does Mummy
need to be fitter and stronger?’ Millie asked. ‘Is she going to
fight aliens like you?’

Max hesitated
and then squatted down to turn and look his five year old daughter
directly in the eye. His smile faded, but his expression remained
soft. ‘Darling, Mummy will be safe, just like you and Jason.
I’m
the only one who has to fight the aliens. No one
else.’

‘I don’t want
you to fight aliens,’ Jason said as he came up to Max and hugged
him from behind.

Max smiled and
half turned, gently pulling Jason round to stand next to his
sister. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and asked with
a mock sternness, ‘Is Daddy a big strong man?’

Both children
nodded.

‘And is Daddy
fast?’

Two more
nods.

‘And is Daddy
brave?’

‘Yes!’ Millie
half shouted.

‘Then don’t
worry about me fighting aliens. It’s the aliens you should be
worried about.’

Two more
nods.

Max smiled and
pulled them both in close to squeeze them. With his eyes shut, all
he could feel was unconditional love. When Max was jumping as high
as he could, running as fast as he could and pushing himself to
limits he didn’t know were there, it was this feeling that drove
him. Not desperation. Not anger and certainly not fear. It was love
and it was moments like these Max needed to keep himself
fuelled.

More shouting
floated in from the lawn. Max let the kids go and stood up to look
back outside. Now Kris and Elsa were down doing burpees and box
jump combinations. Kris was clearly the fitter of the two women,
but Elsa was pushing herself hard. Kris had been on a few model
shoots for fitness magazines before, but Max had to admit, Elsa
could just as easily get a gig like that if she kept up this
pace.

‘Hey, kiddies?’
Max said, looking down at his two children who looked back up at
him. ‘Want to have some fun?’

Both children
beamed back, their heads nodding vigorously.

A few minutes
later, Max had both children off the ground, tucked up close
against his chest, one in each arm and peeking around the corner of
the mansion to the western lawn. Kris and Elsa were currently doing
some skipping, with Kris pushing Elsa on. All Max had to do now was
wait for the two of them to turn their backs and he could make his
move. Just then, Kris and Elsa finished skipping and threw their
ropes off to the side.

‘Come on!’ Kris
urged. ‘Sprint time!’

Elsa
straightened up from resting. ‘You’re evil.’

‘Yes, I am and
that’s why you love me,’ Kris returned. ‘Now let’s go!’

Elsa trudged
over to where Kris was now standing. Elsa stopped and put her hands
on her hips. Kris was also breathing hard, but she held her posture
a little firmer than Elsa.

‘Fifty metres!’
Kris barked. ‘Go!’ and with that, the two women lurched forwards,
running as fast as their weary legs would allow them, heading away
from Max and the kids.

‘Let’s go,’ Max
whispered and launched himself into his own sprint. He also had
about fifty metres to go to get to the cover of the Pain Train and
hide behind it before either Kris or Elsa turned around.

To be fair, it
was not really much of a challenge. Max was fresh and the ladies
were beat. Even with two kids under his arms, Max easily made it to
the Pain Train before either of the women turned around. Then as
Kris and Elsa sprinted back, he and the kids shuffled around the
bulky truck to stay hidden from view, the kiddies being helpfully
quiet.

Now Max knew
Kris would finish the session with some core work like she always
did with him and sure enough, she got both herself and Elsa down to
push out some planks. Max held a single finger up to his lips to
indicate to the kids to remain quiet, which they did, despite the
big, fat smiles on their faces. Max carefully opened a side cabinet
on the Pain Train with the label “water hose” and inside found a
length of hose attached to a regular tap. Uncoiling the hose, Max
pulled a generous length out. Closing the spray nozzle on the hose,
he then turned the tap on and watched it go taut as pressurised
water filled it. Turning back to the children he held his finger up
to his lips again and first picked Millie up to perch her on his
shoulders and then picked up Jason and cradled him in one arm
against his chest. Then squatting down, Max picked up the hose.

Silently, he
crept towards the back end of the Pain Train, the hose unravelling
as he went. Once at the end of the truck, Max turned around and
flicked the hose out to make sure it wasn’t caught up. Then
listening to hear what the two women were doing, he confirmed they
had finished their planks and were now just sitting around talking,
the session over.