Order of Magnitude

LXII. The War Part 4

      "Hurry up," Jacques said, and gave another tug to the leash that he was dragging Edison by. "We'll never get there at this pace."

      "That's the point," Edison spat.

      Jacques smiled and gave him another tug. "I liked you better when you were mute."

      "Yeah, well I liked you better when you sane."

      "You think me crazy for trying to save our species. Are you kidding me?" The reached the edge of the grass; the blacktop stretched in front of them forever. At the other end, shining in the sun was their final destination: the hospital. People shuffled in and out, or were carried through on gurneys. "Pathetic," Jacques muttered, and took a step forward.

      "Stop right there," a voice came from behind. The prisoner and captive both spun toward the voice. It was Turner.

      "My old friend," Jacques said, his voice dripping with vitriol. "I just can't seem to get away from you."

      "Not as long as I draw breath."

      The SubTerran leader unsheathed his pin. "Well, then we'll have to do something about that, oughtn't we?" He charged forward, catching his opponent off-guard.

      Turner dodged at the last second and drew his own weapon. "You lack honor, Jacques. I expected more from you." He swung wildly, and was easily blocked. Then again. And again. Jacques parried the last one, and Turner scrambled backwards, just out of the reach of the deadly weapon.

      "You should be right here, by my side," Jacques said, and swung again. "It should never have come to this." He sliced downward, barely missing his target.

      "You're right," a swing and a block. "It should never have come to this. Look at all those who have died because of you. Miller. Scarlet. Jean!" Jacques stopped dead in his tracks as Turner went on. "You claim to be about loyalty, but you murdered your brother. Your own flesh and blood."

      Silence passed between the two as the last words hung in the air. Finally, Jacques blindly marched forward, meaning to end the fight one way or another. Turner saw the blind rage in his enemy's eyes, and steeled himself for whatever came next. Suddenly, Jacques was tackled from behind. Edison landed on top of him, and ripped the pin from his hand. He was quickly flung off, but Turner quickly took his place.

      With the strength of a desperate man, Jacques pushed his assailant away and stood up. Turner dropped his pin and tackled his opponent. He wasn't very good with the weapon, anyway.

      Fists flew, most of them landing on Turner's face. But the few hits he landed back were full of power. A kick came up into his gut, but this was countered with an elbow to the knee. The SubTerran leader swung wildly, but this time he was stopped with a clutch of the wrist. One quick jerk, and a snap rang out across the blacktop. Jacques stood up screaming, his limp hand flopping around. Turner stood up too, and walked back to the grass where Edison waited.

      "You think this is over?" Jacques shouted in pain. "I'll find you. I'll find you and I'll kill you. Believe me." He watched as his enemies backed up and fled from the hospital. "Where do you think you're going? Stay and fight, cowards!" A shadow passed over him suddenly. Jacques turned around to see a boy towering over him, no more than 10. There was something in his hand which he brought down on top of the former SubTerran leader.

      "Mommy, mommy, I got one," the boy said, peering into the mason jar where his parv was trapped.

      "Come away from there, Timothy," his mother said. "Those things are dangerous."

      "It's just one. I'll be careful with it."

      "Okay, hurry up and put it in the car. You can't bring that in to Grandma's room."

      "Don't worry, I won't." Little Timothy ran and tossed the mason jar in the backseat, containing the former would-be king of the parvs.