Jeremiah by Kris Michaels
Chapter 20
Jeremiah stepped back into the garage. Zeke looked up at him and smiled. “Come see who’s awake.”
He was at her side in three strides. She grasped his hand. “Cyrus is here.”
“I know. We’ve got a plan and Guardian is setting up near where we believe he is.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Are you in much pain?”
She closed her eyes and opened them again. “Not much. Zeke gave me some happy juice.”
He glanced over at the doctor. Zeke shrugged. “I’m not setting that arm without an x-ray and we want a CT on her just to make sure that head injury won’t cause any further problems. I gave her something to help the pain, but not enough to knock her out.”
The Guardian with the broken leg was hooked up to an IV and out cold. Kerry was still laying down and wasn’t talking. “How long before the ambulances get here?”
“Guardian made calls and has an air medevac coming up from Rapid City. Shouldn’t be long.”
Eden grabbed his hand. “I didn’t see him. We were running toward the root cellar and the next thing I knew, he had me. The Guardian who came after me. Is he okay? A wall hit him.” She swallowed and tears pooled in her eyes.
“He’s in the bed next to you. He’s busted up, but he was talking when they dug him out.” Jeremiah kissed the back of her hand again.
“What happened to your hands?” She looked down at the blood-stained skin.
“Debris. We had to go through a lot to get down to where you were.”
“I should have been crushed.” She swallowed hard again.
“You weren’t. You’re here and you’re safe.”
“I tried to get away. He had a knife. Then the tornado. I could see it coming behind you. He must have realized he was going to die, too, if he stayed there. He dragged me back to Gen’s truck, but it had already flipped over. Something hit me.” She lifted her hand to her head. “The next thing I saw was that light.” She flicked her eyes up at the old bare bulb that hung over her.
“You’re safe now. That’s the only thing that’s important.” He glanced down at his watch and closed his eyes. He needed to go. Placing her hand back on the plywood, he leaned up and kissed her lips. “I have to go help the people from Guardian with a few things. Zeke will get you on that helicopter and I’ll be down to see you as soon as we get Gen out of the cellar. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”
Eden grabbed his wrist. “You’re going after him?”
He stared down at her and nodded. “I am.”
She took a breath and spoke, “Watch out for the knife. He pulled it from behind his neck.” She squeezed his hand. “Come back to me.”
He would not promise something he couldn’t deliver. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you.” He whispered the words against her lips and lifted quickly, forcing himself to walk out onto the main street and head to the meat processing plant.
Phil ran after him. “Doc, hold up.” He held out a long blade. “This hunting knife is razor-sharp. If that man has a knife, you need one, too. Do you know how to handle one of these things?”
Jeremiah took it and nodded. “To a degree.”
Phil held his hand up, mimicking holding the knife. “Grasp it like this. You don’t need to get close to the man. Flick him with the blade. You might hit clothes the first couple times but be quick, don’t get in close to him, and don’t lunge. Believe me, Doc, this technique will take him down. You’ll have him on his knees in three minutes. Quick, snake-like flicks.”
He put the knife between his belt and jeans behind him and then held out his hand. “Take care of them for me.”
Phil nodded. “Until you get your ass back here. We got the tractor uncovered and we’re going to get Gen out of that cellar.”
“Thank you, Phil, for everything.”
Jeremiah started toward the other side of town. The walk toward the processing plant would take about five minutes, and that was due to the debris he had to circumvent. The only light came from sporadic glimpses of the moon through the fast-moving clouds that trailed the main front.
As he neared the hardware store, the debris piles forced him to veer toward the side of the street in front of the store. His boot hit the step and he froze when Cyrus stepped out of the shadows.
“Well, Doctor Wheeler. We meet again.” The sound of the man’s voice was a wide-awake nightmare come to life. Cyrus crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall of the hardware store. Jeremiah knew the man wasn’t relaxing; no, he was trying to control the event.
Jeremiah mimicked the man’s relaxed lean against the storefront. “Cyrus. I see the bullet wound is healing.” The man’s shirt was torn to shreds, exposing a red, puffy, vicious-looking scar.
His tormentor’s head cocked, and Cyrus studied him for several long seconds before he smiled. “You’ve changed.”
“Change is inevitable.” The moon broke out from the cloud cover and illuminated the area. Jeremiah could see the strap around Cyrus’ neck, probably the device that held the knife. “The storm got in your way tonight.”
Cyrus flinched as if someone had slapped him, which was exactly what Jeremiah wanted to happen. He wanted to keep the man off-balance, not behave as a victim would. No, he wouldn’t get mad; no begging this time. This time he was going to treat Cyrus as a normal human and watch the man go mad trying to figure out his endgame. But his endgame needed time to move into position. From where he was leaning, he saw someone dart across the street. They were aware something had happened, and they were adapting.
“What is different about you?” Cyrus lifted away from the wall and took two steps toward him. “Why aren’t you afraid?”
Jeremiah shrugged. “Fear won’t change your plans.” He moved off the wall and took a stabilizing breath before he leveled his weight evenly on his feet. He’d have to move fast if Cyrus struck.
The man closed the space, but Jeremiah held his ground. When Cyrus was within three feet of him, the man slowed and stopped. “When I finish with you, I’m going to skin your woman and anyone else I can find in this Godforsaken hovel. You said you weren’t afraid, but only fear would drive someone to hide way out here.” Cyrus laughed and it took all his willpower not to cringe. The man was unhinged. Cyrus smiled widely. “I know what! I’ll take her your heart. That’s a romantic gesture, isn’t it?” Cyrus lifted his arm to go for his knife.
Jeremiah took a quick step with his right foot and snapped his right palm out, pushing Cyrus’ arm back farther and faster than he’d want. He slid back and pulled his knife, having it out before Cyrus. The surprise on the man’s face lasted only a split second before evil invaded the stare. Cyrus lunged, holding his knife in an icepick, overhand hold. Jeremiah moved out of the way and flicked the knife as Phil had instructed.
A long red line formed over the man’s ribs. Blood welled from the cut. Cyrus glanced down. Enraged, he lunged again. Jeremiah used his MMA training to avoid the frontal attack. As he moved away and then past Cyrus when he stumbled forward, he slashed the man’s back. Another long, angry gash opened across his skin.
Cyrus screamed and ran toward him. Jeremiah waited and dropped just as Cyrus swung the knife in a downward motion. He caught Jeremiah on the shoulder, slicing the skin.
Jeremiah spun and sliced at Cyrus’ legs with a strong motion. He launched to his feet and backed up.
Cyrus followed. His movements were less intense, but the man’s fury was palpable. Jeremiah dipped and weaved, moving away from the knife while slicing the man with every forward advance Cyrus made. Blood covered what remained of Cyrus’ clothes. Jeremiah slipped and went down on one knee.
Red dots suddenly illuminated Cyrus’ chest. Jeremiah shoved himself upright and yelled, “No! Don’t shoot him. He’s going back to jail. He’ll die there!”
Cyrus growled like an animal and searched the darkness unable to see the men who held guns on him. A wild scream ripped from him, “I’ll never go back!”
Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, you will.” His chest heaved in heavy pulls, but he controlled his physical responses whereas Cyrus’ actions were crazed. Cyrus screamed and pushed forward, slicing in wide arcs. Out of instinct more than training, he caught Cyrus’ arm. Jeremiah moved forward and jabbed with the hunting knife. Once, twice, and a third time. Cyrus collapsed forward toward him. Against every instinct, Jeremiah stepped away and let the man fall.
Ace stepped onto the porch. He held a gun on the man and turned him over. Cyrus’ eyes were open wide, but he wasn’t seeing a thing. The madman’s own knife protruded from the middle of his chest.
Ace stood up and extended his hand. Jeremiah gave him the knife Phil had loaned him, only then noticing how his hands shook. “Wheeler, next time tell your security detail you can handle a knife.”
Jeremiah blinked and shook his head. “I can’t. I’ve taken MMA lessons. Phil just gave this to me and told me how to use it.”
Ace’s eyebrow rose. “Well, then you’re either a natural talent or you’ve been touched by an angel tonight. We had him in our sights the entire fight.” Jeremiah moved his gaze from the dead man at his feet to the Guardian. The question was obvious without saying a word. Ace shrugged. “You wanted revenge, Doc. How’s that feel?” Jeremiah opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn’t. He felt horrible. He’d taken a life. Something he’d sworn he’d never do. Do no harm. He’d ripped apart the vows to his professional creed. Ace handed him back the knife. “Just FYI. You didn’t kill him. That knife he fell on did. Look at your cuts, Doc. Superficial except for those last three, and believe me, they wouldn’t have done him in. This one, over the hip, is nothing. The other two aren’t deep enough to finish him, either. The reason he’s dead is that he killed himself. He wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of taking him back to jail. We watched it happen. He realized he was falling forward and turned his knife to kill himself, and that’s the God’s honest truth.”
The sound of a helicopter in the distance sent everyone’s eyes heavenward. “Get down to your people, Doc. We’ll clean this up.” Ace motioned to one of his men with signals Jeremiah couldn’t comprehend. The man nodded and knelt, taking off his pack.
“We’ve got a body bag. He’s going with us. That is if we have a ride.”
“Thank you.” Jeremiah extended his hand.
“No worries, this is what we do. Granted, it is usually somewhere where they don’t speak English, but taking care of good people is where our company excels.” Ace grabbed his hand and nodded down the street. “Get out of here, Doc. We got this.”
Jeremiah started at a walk but ended up jogging down the street. He wasn’t sure Ace was right in his assessment of the injuries. He’d wait for the autopsy to relieve himself of any guilt, but one thing he knew was that Cyrus Macmillan would not kill another person. His vicious walk on the planet was over.
