"Oh my God, thank you," Marcus said again once he was inside behind a locked door.
"What happened to you?" JJ asked, still holding his rifle. Just in case.
"Man, people be crazy 'round here," he panted, "I was just checkin' out all the noise when outa nowhere someone started shootin' at me."
"Did you have that pistol out?" Alex asked.
"Yeah man. I didn't know what's goin' on."
"That might be why. I'm Alex, by the way," they shook hands firmly.
"Yeah whatever. I'm just glad y'all were nice enough to take me in."
"Of course we would," Shannon said, "now come sit down and let me take a look at that wound.
"Uh, okay," his eyes grew larger and brighter as he watched the redhead nurse lead him into the living room and ensconce him on the couch, "I'm Marcus."
"Yes I heard," she giggled, "and I am Shannon. I'm a nurse. Now hold still."
"Yes ma'am."
"Can we trust him?" JJ asked while the newbie was being tended to.
"I think so," Tony said, "he hasn't shown any deception indicators, and he didn't hesitate to put his gun away. I think he's on the line."
"I agree," Alex said, "but keep an eye on him all the same."
"Yes Sergeant," JJ said automatically. Alex gave him a brief glare, but said nothing about it.
Marcus' gunshot wound wasn't too serious, though it could have been if it had been a few inches off in any direction. As it was, the bullet went through and through just below his rib cage. It didn't take long for Shannon to have it cleaned, disinfected, and a clean bandage wrapped around his abdomen. The entire time she was working, he watched her with doe eyes, not even noticing his pain.
"So Marcus," Alex said after he was all bandaged up, "was it just stupid people that shot at you, or was it these... invaders?"
"I don't know, man," he shook his head, "I just heard shots and took off."
"Did you see anything?" Karen asked.
"Uh, yeah," he looked questioningly at her, not knowing who who was, "Those Air Force jets were dogfighting with these... I dunno what. They were wedge shaped things that were flying circles around those jets. It was brutal, man."
"Oh, I'm Karen. I'm a network engineer. Good to meet you."
"Marcus Vincent," he shook her hand gently.
An explosion a few blocks away caused them all to duck for cover. Marcus grabbed Shannon and dropped to the floor beside the couch, shielding her body with his own. All of the windows on the East side of the house shattered inward as the shockwave blew through the shutters. Glass shrapnel flew through the house, shredding furniture and ruining the paint on the walls.
"Goddammit!" Karen screamed in pain. She had been too slow in finding cover and was bleeding from several cuts, including scarring her lovely face.
"I've got you, Karen," Shannon grabbed her medical bag and crawled over to her.
"Alex," JJ called, "are you hurt?" his friend was lying on the floor holding one leg with both hands, his rifle fallen to the ground beside him.
"My leg," he groaned in pain, "it hurts so bad."
"Here, let me see," he had to pry the sergeant's hands away to get a look, "I don't see any blood."
"Oh God it hurts," his teeth were clenched, and he was gasping in breaths.
JJ whipped out his knife and cut the leg of Alex's pants open. He gasped at what he saw. There was no blood, no cuts or injuries. His entire leg was crisscrossed with scars. These weren't the kind of scars you get from a bullet or a knife. They were deep, angry remnants of shrapnel and flame. He had never seen such extensive scars on anyone who still had their limb attached.
"Jesus Christ," he breathed unconsciously.
"How bad is it," Alex asked through gritted teeth.
"You're fine," JJ said, though he wondered how he had been walking on a leg that mangled for the last two years.
"No, it hurts so bad," he was on the verge of tears.
"Okay buddy. I'll take care of you. Just hold on."
"Oh God," Shannon gasped when she saw the leg.
"Morphine. Give me morphine."
"Here ya go, brother," JJ said as he poked his leg with a finger.
Alex immediately relaxed, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Shannon looked at him like he was crazy, by JJ just held up a hand to say, don't ask. They managed to get him to the couch and lay him there. Shannon smeared some Salonpas cream over his leg that had lidocaine in it to help with any real pain that he might be feeling.
"I think it's time to go," Tony said, looking at the broken glass covering the floor.
"I second that motion," Karen said. She had a gauze bandage over her cheek.
"I third the motion," John said," if that's a thing, or if it matters."
"Hey brother," JJ said softly to Alex, "we need to move out. Can you walk?"
"I think so," he said, eyes tight with pain, "where's Max?"
The others looked curiously at each other, but JJ said, "Max is gone, buddy. We gotta move."
They got him into a sitting position, and were about to stand him up when he suddenly tensed up, his eyes going to the fireplace in front of him. With a strangled cry, he launched himself off the couch.
"Kris," he called, falling to the floor beside her motionless body leaning up against the hearth.
"Oh God," Shannon choked, "why didn't we see her like that?"
Kris' eyes were open and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. A large piece of glass protruded from between her breasts, the blood disguised by the black dress. She gave one final choking gasp before her head fell to one side, still staring straight ahead yet unseeing.
"No!" Alex howled, "not another one!" He pulled her close, cradling her head like a baby's and sobbed as his tears made dewdrops on her black hair.
They tried to call 911 over and over again, but the lines were always busy. So Tony and JJ carried her body carefully into her bedroom where they laid her out gently on her bed, arms folded over her chest. They then placed objects around her that they knew had meaning to her.
"Someone should say something," Shannon said.
Alex limped forward to the foot of the bed, "May the Lord and Lady watch over you and help you on your journey to a better life. Blessed be."
