Easternport Vol. 1, First Edition

The Fall- Part 2

Steven

"Markus, what in the world happened?" I reached out to help him, but was too afraid that I'd do more harm. His eye was most concerning, the blood that oozed out of it near his nose looked to be a different consistency than the blood that ran down the rest of his face.

Ian picked up his radio from the floor. "Everyone pull out. We're done at the Docks."

"What do you mean?" I said to him, "Cory and Miles are still in there!"

"I know."

Markus, weak and bloodied as he was, stood firm to block the doorway, shoving Ian back with one hand while his other cupped his face. "You're not leaving until they're out safely," he said.

"Don't you ever touch me." Ian narrowed his eyes.

"I just did," Markus said. "What are you going to do about it?" He lifted his chin up to show his confidence, but his body was shaking--not from fear, I don't think, but from the injuries he had already endured. It was only his determination that kept him standing there.

"Wait, hold on." I stepped between the two of them and held my hands out. "You two are not about to fight right here. There is a war going on. Now, look..." I turned to face Ian, shaking a finger at him like the matrons used to do to me when I misbehaved. "That shooter in there is distracted. There are gunshots going off inside the building, which means that Miles and probably Cory are keeping them occupied. Why can't you just send in some back up and secure the whole building. You can't come this far and then just walk away before it's over!" Somewhere toward the end of that little speech, I realized that I was trying to tell off a high-ranking member of the Serpent society, an armed and angry one at that. My posture waned. I dropped my finger and softened my voice on the last sentence to make it sound less accusative and a little more... inspiring?

Ian looked like he was about to pounce on me. He leaned toward me, using his height to loom. With the back light from the window casting dark shadows over his face, he looked like a nightmare from my childhood.

But I couldn't back down. Not now. I had just watched Miles go running fearlessly in to save Cory and now I had a bleeding and possibly blinded Markus standing behind me, fearlessly ready to take on the Serpent army to save Miles and Cory. I couldn't just stand by and watch.

"Get out out of my way," Ian said slowly.

"I can't do that." I started to say more, but couldn't think of anything worth saying, so I left it at that.

Ian didn't bother to stay and argue. Instead he shoved me aside and and walked up to Markus, who still stood defiant, yet trembling in the door. "Get out of my way before I tear out your other eye."

Markus gave that a short thought. Then he dropped his hand away from his face and, with a little effort, balled up both fists. He swallowed whatever fear was building up and said, "Try it."

Ian started reaching for the knife on his belt, but I grabbed both of his arms like I was going to arrest him. He wasn't that much bigger than me, and strength-wise we seemed to be about even. However, it became very obvious that he had a few skills that I didn't because somehow I ended up on the floor staring up at him. And then the pain and tingling sensation set in, letting me know that I had landed there rather hard.

Another Serpent soldier came running into the room to find out what was going on, pushing his way past Markus, who moved like parted grass. "Sir," he said, and then stopped to take in the scene. "I... uh..."

"Let's go," Ian said and once again took a step to the door.

"You're not leaving until my family is out of there!" Markus yelled in his face, his voice echoing off the empty walls of the room.