Kylie’s blood red fingers frantically searched the back seat for a plastic bag. Not having any luck she stuck her head out the window, spewing bile and blood into the wind and on the side of the car. Her hair was stiff with blood, and her entire body was trembling. She looked like a pale, deathly leaf in the wind. Once she was back inside the car, Jake looked at her solemnly. “Baby,” he started. She slowly reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing with what little strength she could muster. “Baby what’s going on?” he asked softly.
“I told you. I’m sick,” she said, not looking at him.
“No you’re not. Well, you are, but you weren’t. Is this..” Jake’s voice cracked and tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t say it. “No,” he said, clenching his jaw. His eyes were set on the road. His face was a mixture of determination and pure defeat all at the same time. Kylie stayed silent.
After a while, Jake followed the truck into a long drive way. They had finally made it. “Here, you can get some rest and food. You’re gonna be okay,” he said, as he shut off the car. He cupped her chin and kissed her bitter, metallic lips. She stayed still, not kissing him back, but not pulling away either. “I love you,” he said, putting his hands on either side of her head. His fingers tangled in her hair and he put his forehead to hers. His shoulders began shaking with tears. A minute or two passed before he abruptly pulled away from her. He wiped off his face with his sleeve. He got out of the car and slammed the door shut. He waved up to Colt and Alexei, then turned to the people getting out of the trucks.
Kylie was sitting in the passenger seat, completely still. She looked nauseous, and not completely because of her stomach. It took her a few seconds to register the fact that Jake was there, asking for her hand, to help her out of the car. She blinked, and each time it felt like it took hours to open her eyes again. Each time, the light hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt like she was seeing the sun for the first time in her life. Jake’s voice was deep and confusing. What was he saying?
“Come on, Ky, give me your hand,” Jake pleaded with her. He didn’t want to move her without her understanding, for fear that it would make her feel even worse. Finally, he leaned in and scooped her up. As he did so, she coughed blood onto his face and shirt. He hardly reacted. He didn’t look at anyone else, just started walking towards the front door. His mind was racing. He had to find a way to save her. Suddenly, Kylie started convulsing. She was gurgling and it sounded like she was drowning. In a panic, Jake set her on the ground and turned her head to the side. Blood poured out in incredible amounts. Her entire body was shaking, like she was having a seizure.
“Somebody help me!” Jake called out, hoping that anyone might come over. Blood filled Kylie’s unseeing eyes and began falling like tears. Jake held her close to him until she stopped shaking. He looked down at her chest, she wasn’t breathing. “Oh no, oh god please no,” he said and placed her carefully on the concrete. He lifted her neck and put his lips to hers. He held her nose and forced two powerful breaths into her blood filled lungs. He put his hands to her chest and pumping hard, trying to restart her heart. He repeated this cycle three times and she suddenly gulped in air. He kissed her and pulled her close to him. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said into her head.
“Jake,” she said. The coughing seemed to have stopped and even through the blood, her eyes looked alive. “I love you. Kiss me again. It makes the pain go away,” she whispered. Jake kissed her until she lay limp in his arms. He still kissed her. Tears and blood covered his face as he cried into her.
The ride was silent. Well at least, that’s how Minnie would have wanted it. Leo was deep in thought, she could tell by his face. She wasn’t sure what, but she wasn’t going to ask with Antonio there.
He began speaking with his strong Italian accent.
"It is a shame to meet you in such...awful situation. But it is a pleasure all the same. Your accent is not...American? You are from France, is that correct? Us Europeans have to stick together I believe,” he said, sounding calm. He wasn’t smiling and it seemed like he meant what he said. Minnie almost hit the breaks.
Instead she shot him a look and opened her mouth to speak. “Us Europeans? If you’ve forgotten we are currently the only people on this earth that we know of. I don’t really think Nationality matters anymore. So put a sock in it or.. Well that’s really your only option,
tesoro,” Minnie said. She knew only a little in Italian, but Tesoro was one of her favorites. However in this context, she meant it completely sarcastically, bordering vicious. She hit play on the radio, but it was all static.
Of course. She thought and jammed a CD in the drive. It was a reaggaton mix tape, full of Spanish pop songs. She always loved that kind of music. French pop wasn’t her taste.
After a bit, they finally pulled into the drive. She killed the engine and hopped out of the car. She stretched out some and looked around. Everyone else was doing the same. Jake was leaning in the passenger side of his car, most likely to help Kylie out.
Leo shook his head slightly when they arrived. The entire ride there, he had been thinking about what happened. Not dwelling on the fact everyone was dead, but why they were, and he wasn’t. Minnie wasn’t either.
It must be DNA, he thought. He pulled a small notebook out of his back pocket and began scribbling away in French. Suddenly, he looked up. Was Ace’s brother alive? If he wasn’t, then this would be shear luck.
He shook his head, that wasn’t possible. Antonio and Lucia. He and Minnie. Jake and Kylie. There was no luck in that. There had to be something… Maybe it was a gene, or a hormone. His eyes widened at the thought as he looked at Jake and Kylie. Jake was on the ground, holding Kylie. He was yelling. Leo looked at Minnie, she was frozen in place, the sight of the blood no doubt.
Leo hurriedly walked over to Jake and Kylie, he stood a few feet behind them as Jake gave her CPR. Just as Leo was going to tell him that it was no use, Kylie was revived. Leo once again wrote in his notebook.
A sweet voice whispered out, and it took him a second to realize it was Kylie. That was strange. From all the coughing and throwing up, her voice should have been raspy and hoarse.
“I love you. Kiss me again. It makes the pain go away,” she said to him. Jake kissed her over and over again. After a few minutes of only the sounds of Jake’s sobs, Leo knelt down next to him.
“Jake,,” he began, placing his hand on the other man’s back. “Come on,” he said, and replaced his notebook in his pocket. He tried to pull Jake off the dead girl, but Jake wouldn’t let go. He started doing CPR again, screaming that he had to save her. Leo tried to pull him off, but Jake blindly swung a fist behind him and connected with Leo’s jaw. He heard a crack, and hoped it was just a pop. A gruff hand grabbed him and pulled him back, away from Jake and Kylie’s body.
“No, Jake! It’s over,” Colt said, pulling him off the girl. It was a struggle for a few seconds, but finally Jake let Colt pull him away. Jake whirled around and tried to push Colt off him, but instead it turned into an embrace between the two. Colt put his hand on Jake’s head, telling him it was going to be okay, but he doubted the man could hear it over his sobs. They looked like brothers, hugging that way. After a minute or two, Jake pulled himself free and reached into his car, he grabbed the tire he had before and began swinging it at his car. No one, not even Jake, could know why he was taking this out on his car, but hitting something made him feel better.
Jake let out a few screams like he was in agonizing pain, and continued to bust every window in his car. He finally dropped to his knees and sobbed. His fists were still clenched around the tire iron. Colt slowly walked towards him and crouched in front of the panicked man. “Jake give it to me,” he said quietly. His voice wasn’t harsh, but it was demanding. Jake didn’t respond. Colt grabbed the iron and received a terrible look from Jake. His light blue eyes were full of malice and pain. After a few tugs, Jake released the weapon and returned to staring at the ground.
Minnie stood stony faced the whole time. She wasn’t going to throw up again, nor was she going to cry in front of everyone once more. She couldn’t seem weak, not again. She slowly made her way to Colt. She wanted to say something to him, about what he did for Jake, but the words didn’t come. She blinked and seemed to find herself. “I uhm.. That’s mine. I can put it in the truck,” she said motioning to the tire iron.
