The Warrior (3 page)

“First time out and you hit the fucking
jackpot. Nice job son.” He says as he smiles and nods his head.

“What’s going on? Please just let me go I
won’t say anything.” She cries as I roll my eyes. The girl tries to
turn around and I just grab her with one arm around her waist and
hold her there. I look over at my dad and he can tell I'm getting
annoyed.

“You and your brother nailed it tonight. Take
her down to holding 3 and you are done for the night. She will go
out with the shipment Tuesday.” He says as I look at him with
question.

“You hold them that long?” I say as the girl
cries and half struggles to get loose.

“Yea. Moving them too quickly draws attention
or so we learned. We move a bunch all at once. Works out easier.”
He says as I nod and turn to take the girl out. I pull her along
down the hallway and out the back door.

“What are you going to do to me?” She cries
as she looks up at me.

“I won’t be doing anything to you except for
delivering you to where I was told.” I say in a dry tone. I'm not
much on talking and especially to the female I just basically
kidnapped and add to the fact she is highly fucking annoying I
don’t want to hear her talk anymore.

“Please just let me go.” She says as I shake
my head.

“Well I can’t do that or my ass will be on
the line sweetheart.” I say as the guy guarding the building nods
and opens the door.

“Where’s 3 at?” I ask as I walk through the
door.

“Down the hall on the left. It’s marked.” He
says as I nod and hear the door close behind me. I knew about this
building I just never went in it until now. It’s like a fucking
cave. It’s all stone or concrete. I already know this place is
sound proof since I just heard the girl Bradon brought in screaming
and once he closed the door it was quite.

“You’re bleeding man.” I say as I walk past
Bradon with a smile dragging the girl along with me.

“Fucking girl scratched me man.” He says as I
chuckle. He looks down at the girl I'm dragging raising his
eyebrows.

“Don’t you even think about it sweetheart.” I
say as I see the look in Bradon’s eyes. He knew she was thinking
about it too. She doesn’t try anything as I put her in the room.
Maybe she can feel the magnitude of the situation or maybe she is
just smart enough not to fight. I put her in the room and she
doesn’t move as she cries.

“I'm sorry.” I whisper as her head shoots up
and her eyes lock on mine. I can see the fear in her but there is
nothing I can do about that. I quickly break the connection as I
walk out and close the door behind me.

“Nice night huh?” Bradon says as we walk out
of the building. He holds the door as I follow him out.

“I guess so. I mean if that’s what you call
it.” I say as we make our way back to the house.

“It gets easier.” He says like he knows what
I'm thinking. He does know because he has been there.

“Yea I'm sure it does. I’ll see you in the
morning man.” I say as he nods and I head to my room.

***

Screaming. That’s all I hear is screaming. A
bloody hand reaches out and grabs my arm. There are rocks flying
and debris everywhere. I can’t hear anything. My ears are ringing.
I look around and all I can see is blood. It’s everywhere. I look
at the hand that’s on my arm and follow it up to a face laying
there. I don’t recognize the face in front of me because it’s gone.
There is no face there. Whatever hit it blew it the fuck off. I'm
breathing heavy and shit is all blurry. I feel a hand on my
shoulder as I turn to look at it I see it’s my Sargent. His mouth
is moving but I can’t hear anything over this ringing. He grabs at
me and my eyes are fuzzy. He pulls me up and shoves me in the other
direction and I try to make my legs work as I trip and stumble the
whole way. I look around and there are bodies everywhere. I trip
and fall over something and my face hits it. I sit up a little
looking at what I fell on and I realize it was one of my friends. I
sit there staring at the lifeless body lying in front of me. His
blood now on my face. His stomach is ripped open. I look at him
lying there for what seems like forever until I feel something
graze my head. I reach up and pull my hand back to find it bloody.
The ringing in my ears never stops. I wake up in a panic and
swinging.

***

I'm sitting in the diner with a big ass cup
of coffee trying to force my eyes to stay open. These nightmares
are fucking killing me these days. Once I fall asleep I only sleep
for a few hours before the nightmares start. After that I know I
won’t be sleeping anymore.

“You look like hell Cad.” Dell says as he
sits down in front of me.

“I feel like it. I haven’t been this fucking
tired since we were in the fucking war man.” I say as I take a
drink of the coffee.

“What’s going on?” He asks like he’s
concerned.

“Nightmares I guess you could call them. Doc
said I have PTSD. Fucks up my sleeping.” I say without looking at
him. Dell knows when to lay off. That is one thing he has learned
quickly since I have been back. Pretty much everyone has learned
when to back away from me even my dad.

“Well we have plenty of coffee.” He says as
he slaps my shoulder and stands to walk off as I nod my head. I
roll my head from side to side and pop my neck a little. It’s so
damn stiff.

“You should have that checked if it is
bothering you.” I hear Nina’s voice as I turn my head and look up
at her.

“I don’t need that shit.” I say as she pours
more coffee in my cup. I watch that dark liquid as it fills my cup
to the top and wonder why this is the only relief I can get.

“I know someone who does massage therapy if
you want to try it.” She says as I look over at her.

“I don’t like people touching me but thanks.”
I say as she nods and starts to walk away.

“Find anything out the other night?” I ask
and she stops in her tracks. She takes a step back as I push the
chair out in front of me. Nina looks at the chair and then back to
me before she walks over and sits down.

“No. I didn’t find out anything new.” She
says looking down.

“And by anything new that means you have some
old news?” I say as I grab my cup.

“Not really. The only thing I was told is
that she left a party with a younger guy.” She says as she looks up
at me. I don’t say anything I just nod as I drink my coffee. After
a while of no one speaking Nina stands up and walks away. I hear
the door open and after a second Bradon sits in front of me.

“You ok? You look like shit.” He says smiling
at me.

“Yea I will be. What’s going on?” I say
watching him.

“We are going out tonight. We have some
business that needs to be dealt with. Make sure you strap up for
this run.” He says as he waves Nina over.

“Give me some eggs and bacon please.” He says
as she nods and turns towards me.

“Want to eat yet?” She says looking at me as
I shake my head. She nods and walks off as Bradon starts to talk
again.

“You sure you’re ok?” He says looking
concerned as I nod. We don’t speak much more after his food arrives
since he’s busy inhaling it. I have never seen someone eat like
that.

“Hungry?” I say smiling as he looks up
smiling with a mouthful of eggs and nods.

“I'm going out for a smoke. I’ll meet you out
there.” I say as he nods. I stand up and walk out the front door
and light up a cigarette. I stand there smoking and looking around.
I start to walk and wander to the back of the diner when I see Nina
trying to get the lid of the dumpster open. After she tries a few
times I walk over and flip it open for her.

“Thanks.” She says with a half-smile. I nod
as I take another drag of my Marlboro.

“Not a problem.” I say as I start to walk
off.

“Hey do you… I mean would you…” She trails
off as I turn to face her. I hold the cigarette between my lips as
I watch her face. I raise my eyebrows as if to say get on with
it.

“Do you want to have dinner later?” She says
at a fast pace. Did this girl just ask me out? What the hell is
this shit?

“That could be nice but I can’t. I have to
work.” I say as I flick the end of my smoke.

“Oh ok. Maybe another night.” She says as she
turns and rushes into the back door. I shake my head as I walk
around to the front door and wait for Bradon. That has to be the
first time a woman has actually asked me out on a date. That is the
craziest thing to me.

***

“Hope you strapped up good for this shit.”
Bradon says as we follow Drew down a dark back alley. The silence
is almost disturbing. We walk along the cold alley towards a door
at the end. Drew lifts his hand and pounds on the door as the slide
hole opens. All you can see is eyes.

“What?” The man behind the door says as Drew
smiles and grabs the man’s throat through the hole.

“Open this fucking shit before I shoot you
now.” Drew snaps as he smiles at the guy. The guy reaches down and
flips the lock as the door slowly moves with Drew’s arm still
through it.

“Well now wasn’t that easier than being shot
in the throat?” Bradon says as we walk in the door and Bradon
shoots the man in the head as we walk past. I walk around his dead
body where it fell on the floor as we make our way down a long
hallway. Once we stop at another door Bradon holds his hand up
signaling for us to pull our guns and watch our backs. Me and Drew
both nod as we look at each other and Bradon moves his hand slowly
to the door handle. He throws the door open as we all move in with
guns drawn.

“What the fuck is this Bradon?” A small
chubby Hispanic man says looking at us.

“Oh Juan come on now ESE. You know why we are
here.” Bradon says as he walks around the room behind the other 3
guys that are sitting at the table.

“Oh come on now Bradon. We can work this out
right?” Juan says as he looks us over.

“We don’t seem to have anything to work out
here do we?” I ask looking over at Bradon as he starts
laughing.

“No I suppose we don’t.” He says as he nods
towards me. I point my gun at the other guy at the tables head and
pull the trigger. I watch as blood sprays from the man’s head and
onto the surprised face of the guy sitting next to him. I move the
gun over to the second man as Juan starts to speak.

“How much you want man? Huh?” Juan says
looking back and forth between me and Bradon and then over to
Drew.

“Juan Juan Juan. You know exactly how much
you owe us. I don’t think we need to discuss the amounts with you
do we?” Drew says as he paces the floor. I glance over at him as he
nods at me. I pull the trigger and shoot the second guy. I don’t
even flinch. This is what I was born to do. I point my gun at
Juan’s head now.

“I don’t have it all. I can get it by next
week Bradon. Come on man you know I'm good for it.” Juan says
looking to Bradon as he circles him.

“Oh Juan I think we have been over this in
the past. You should fucking know by now that you don’t cross us.”
Bradon says as he pulls out a small knife and flips it to me. I
catch it in my free hand as Bradon nods at me. I put my gun in the
back of my pants as I pin Juan’s hand to the table. Slowly I drag
the sharp edge of the knife across his finger and I can feel the
bone split beneath it as Juan screams.

“Now if I come back by here, let’s say Monday
you will be here right? With ALL of the money you owe?” Bradon says
as Drew smiles.

“I will have it all I will.” He says as I
watch the fear in his eyes rise.

“Hope so because I would really hate to have
to bring my brother back here. I mean I'm sure Cad wouldn’t mind it
though.” Bradon says as I smile and nod. I pick up the finger I
just cut off throwing it in the air and catching it.

“I think I will take this back to Randy for
safe keepings.” I say with a grim smile on my face as I look at
Juan who is beyond terrified. Drew laughs as he slaps me on the
back and we turn to walk out of the room.

“Nice cutting there.” Bradon says smiling
over his shoulder at me.

“Yea I thought that would make you smile.” I
say as we walk up the hallway and step over the dead doorman.

“You are one crazy son of a bitch.” Drew says
as I nod.

“That I am.” I say as we make our way back to
the truck. It dawns on me just how much my little brother has grown
up in that moment. He went in there running things like a fucking
boss. I'm proud of him.

***

I'm working out on one of the machines when I
notice some movement near the locker room. I sit up quickly knowing
no one else was supposed to be here. David gave me the key so I
could come in whenever I wanted to. I stand up and move stealthily
towards the locker rooms. I push the door back as I fly through
door and slam someone against the lockers. I hear a female cry but
all I can see is black. The doctor told me this could happen with
the PTSD. I hear the crying again as I snap my eyes to the person I
have around the throat. Shit its Nina. I let go quickly as I take a
step back.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snap as
I watch her hand fly to her throat.

“I was just trying to hide out for a while.”
She says and her voice is a little rough. Fuck I didn’t realize I
squeezed it that hard.

“You need to be fucking careful Nina!” I snap
as I take another step back and hit the lockers.

“I didn’t realize anyone else would be here.”
She says as she wipes her eyes. I take a step towards her now and
reach my hand towards her face as she flinches back. Something
inside me snaps. You fucking hurt her I say to myself. She’s
fucking scared to death of me. I don’t stop though as I grab her
chin and lift it so I can see her neck. I run my hand across her
throat and she shivers from my touch. What the hell is this girl
doing?