Uprising: A Collide Novel Part 9

"Now don't do that." He rubs my arms. "No crying. Cause then I'll cry, and be all embarra.s.sed. And you know what, I doubt I would've made it in that cave without you either. You saved my life just as much as I saved yours. You're pretty warm for such a small little thing," he says smiling.

"Ugh," I say wiping my eyes with both hands. "If that's what you gotta tell yourself. I know what really happened. And I won't forget it. Thank you, Cain."

"Thank you, Sherry." He nods and pats my leg before asking me if I need anything.

When I decline he gets up and heads to the kitchen.

Supper was quiet. Lots on everyone's mind. I know there is on mine. If Lily were here, she would have eaten up her spaghetti like a trooper.

The noodles would hang off her chin, so adorable. She'd complain that it was sticky as I wiped them with a warm cloth, then wiped her hands. When she was done she'd go right to Merrick and he would plop her in his lap. She would be chatting away. Telling him all about what Trudy had made her for a snack that day and how Miguel had showed her how to color using lipstick he'd found in the bathroom which I'd roll my eyes about.

Calvin would be running around with Frank, playing swords with golf clubs. He'd offer to show Lily how to play spoons, again. He'd ask Merrick to help him explain it because Lily's just not getting it. Then I'd have to explain that Merrick doesn't get it either and we'd all chuckle. Even though the memory makes me want to laugh I can't. Looking at Lana, pus.h.i.+ng her food around on her plate with her fork and looking back at the wall, like she's looking out a window, waiting for Calvin.

I suddenly realize how much I want this for myself. I want to have someone to worry about, as painful as it may be. Watching Merrick be a makes.h.i.+ft father makes me want him to be a real daddy. He looks so at ease with it and with the task they have to do tonight, catching the Lighter.

My heart starts to beat a mile a minute as I think of what life would be like without them. Without him. I rub my necklace charm in between my fingers absentmindedly. Soothing mechanism.

I can't lose him and for the first time since I met him, I sincerely fear for his life. I feel the tears stinging my eyes and I hold them back. Not just for my sake would I miss Merrick, but for Lily's and Calvin's too.

Merrick has been so good to them both and they would feel the bite of his disappearance as well as me. Just thinking about it makes my chest wrench with physical pain and pounding. That's when I decide. I want Lily.

I want Lily to be ours. Merrick and I can be her parents and she can always sit on his lap and tell him about her day. She can always take naps with me. She can always complain to us about her hair or spaghetti noodles on her chin.

If- I gasp at myself. WHEN! When Merrick returns tonight and then we go get our kids back, I'll talk to him about it and see what he thinks. Maybe we'll wait a while and see what everyone else thinks first. Maybe Miguel wants to take the parent role as well. Maybe Trudy.

The group that is setting up the trap gets all ready to go outside and do their thing. I can't help but finally let the tears fall when Merrick hugs me against his chest. It feels so strange to be so totally dependent on someone for safety yet be so totally worried about that same person's own safety at the same time.

He doesn't notice me crying at first but the tears soak through his s.h.i.+rt and he stiffens. He carries me, still hugging him back to the wall away from most of the people, then sets me down on my good foot.

"Sherry? What's wrong, baby," he asks me in his most concerned, very husbandly non-Keeper voice.

"I'm just so...worried, Merrick. I feel helpless. Useless." I sniff as he wipes my cheeks with his thumbs. "I don't doubt that you can take care of yourself, but if something were to happen to you-"

"I'll be fine. There's plenty of us to take on one little Lighter."

"But, Merrick, there was more than one little Lighter when Cain and I were out there and plenty of Markers. What if you mean to attract one but you attract more than one?"

"Won't happen. And even if it did, we won't be far from the store. Phillip is gone. He's the one who lead all of them here. We'll be fine. Don't spend the whole time worrying over me. Go sleep for a while. You need the rest. I'll let you know when it's time for you to do your thing." He pressed him forehead to min. "And you're not useless. We need you later to help us. Everyone's got a job to do."

"Yes. And yours puts you outside with the enemy, while I'm supposed to stay in here and sleep and relax?" This thought brought a new round of fresh tears and hysteria.

I know Merrick is completely undone by the sight of me in tears but I just can't help it.

"Honey, honey," he croons, pulling me to his chest and rocking me under his chin. "Please don't. You know I can't stand to see you cry. I don't like you worrying about me. This is what I do, what I've done for a very, very long time. Centuries. Dealing with the Lighters and watching out for you is what I was made for. I'll be fine. I'm always fine and always careful. Promise. If there's so much of a scratch anywhere on me...you can spank me later." I feel him smile against my cheek and can't help but smile too and roll my eyes.

"You promise? you'll be safe?" I say biting my lower trebling lip and looking up to him, loving him even more at his constant ability to know exactly how to handle me.

And always with the right amount of humor, caution and concern.

"Promise. Don't worry about anything. I love you so much, honey."

"I love you, too. More than anything."

He leans down to kiss me gently but deeply, in front of everyone that would glance our way, so everyone. His hands are on my cheeks, completely stroking all the tears away. I hug his waist and push up harder on my one good foot to reach even more of him.

Reluctantly, his lips leave mine and he carries me to our room, placing me down before kissing me once more on the lips and forehead. He watches me for a second to see how I'll react once he starts to move away. Then he turned, shutting the door behind him, with one last peek.

I'll be back in no time. Rest and don't worry about me. That's an order, gorgeous.

I smile and nod as the darkness washes over me. I can feel my pillow getting even more soaked as I continue to wallow in guilt and worry, disregarding Merrick's plea to stop. I wrap the covers around my self tightly, rub my necklace and try desperately to ignore the excruciating pain in my leg and whisper a pray for Merrick to be right.

Merrick - Another One Bites The Dust

Chapter 5.

My human heart is just...breaking. I had to pull to remove her hand from my neck she was gripping so tight. I bet she didn't even realize she was holding on when I laid her down. It's so painful to watch her cry and know I have to leave, especially over my safety.

My safety.

She has never been upset over me like this. Not fearful for me. It hurts worse than anything to know that she worries for me, but also, I feel grateful to have it.

She's been through so much. That poor little body of hers can't stand too much more of this kind of life. She's been bruised and beaten or healing to some degree almost every day since I finally met her, today she looks worse than she ever has.

I painstakingly push all that out of my mind and trot back to Jeff. Gotta get my mind right if I'm gonna keep my promise to come back to her safe.

What's that look on his face?

"Aw, brother. She ok?" Jeff ask with genuine concern.

"No. She's not. Let's just get this over with."

"She'll just be that much happier to see you when we get back," he said, slapping my back.

"It's not just that. She's worried about me. She's worried about the kids and feels guilty. She's hurting though she's trying to act like she's not. And Phillip's da...the Lighter left fingerprints bruises all over her neck and arm not to mention the broken leg."

"Phillip?" I hear Trudy behind me and curse myself silently.

We had hoped to save her from this truth and now my stupid mouth has let it slip.

"Mrs. Trudy. I'm sorry," I say as I turn at look at her.

"What? What about Phillip? He was here?" To my surprise she actually looks horrified instead of happy to see her son again.

"In a way. Trudy, please just let it go. He's gone. He's not here."

"Merrick. He's my son and I'll always love him but if he has come back here to hurt her again...we can't have that. I won't allow him to hurt my poor Sherry anymore than he already has."

"He's not." Maybe I won't have to tell her.

"Then why did you say Phill-" I see the recognition hit her eyes and she closes them trying to block the tears. Her fingers covering her lips. "Oh. I see." She opens them again and looks me right in the eye, letting the tears fall. "Well, when you do evil things, evil is bound to find ya. Ya'll please be careful out there, ya hear."

She hugs me with one of her rib crushers, even Jeff gets one to his astonishment and she then looks between us both, still holding each of our hands.

"You two have brought all this to us. Wait- that's not what I mean. I mean the good things." Trudy is still crying, letting the tears fall freely as she speaks which isn't like her at all. "I never had much of a family and after my husband died, Phillip is the only son who would even speak to me anymore. I have missed being a real family. A happy family that can get through anything together. Ya'll gave that back to me. You are more human than most people I've known my entire life. I love you all. Please. Be. Careful."

Dang. I turn to see Jeff, he looks like he might cry which in any other circ.u.mstance would be humorous. We both nod as she turns away and look at each other.

This is what you meant. This is the human...love you tried to explain to me and I never understood it. It actually hurts.

Jeff is rubbing his chest while he speaks and swallows loudly.

Yes, brother. It does. I smile in spite of it all. In the best possible way.

And Sherry. She loves you even more than Trudy? How do you stand it?

It's easier than it looks.

I smile at him to convey that it's a joke, but also not. It's easy to let someone love you and to love them back.

We are joined by Simon, Ryan, Kay, Danny, Josh and Miguel by the stairs. Max and Racine come to the stairs as well to bid us good luck.

"Guard you in all your ways, brothers and sisters."

I see in his mind that Max isn't just talking to the Keepers. He's talking to us all, a collective unit. A family.

"Thank you, brother," I say in return.

Everyone is looking at us, watching us as we head upstairs and out to set the trap. Our one shot to get our kids back.

We all have our weapons just in case but our main weapon this time is rope and nets. We all take our places strategically placed so Miguel has help from every direction but before that, we go over the plan one more time.

Miguel gets in place, I can see him stumbling in the middle of the field. It's been almost an hour.

After what Cain told us, we've decided I'll be the designated person to relay instructions to Miguel in his mind so all the keepers aren't yelling at him at the same time.

I can see him perfectly from my spot right on the lid of the barn where the cars are parked. He's trying to walk slow so as not to get too far away from us. He stops to tie his shoe and when he does, that's when I see the Lighter that's standing there, no more than six feet in front of him.

Miguel. Don't react, but he's there. About six feet to your front. You shouldn't be able to see him, he's not illuminated, so don't panic yet. We don't want him to know the rest of us are here. He's trying to sneak up on you.

Miguel straightens then walks forward another step, then two. The Lighter just steps out of the way letting Miguel pa.s.s. Then turns to attack him from behind.

"h.e.l.lo," he says menacingly.

Behind you. Now!

Miguel twist around and grabs the concealed knife out of his s.h.i.+rt sleeve, popping it out into his palm and swings for whatever he can get a hit on. The Lighter's arm is the lucky winner and while he's distracted, Miguel smashes it's forehead to his knee.

The Lighter yells and falls back but isn't immobile. We rush in blurs and Jeff and Kay wrap Trudy's husband's old fis.h.i.+ng net around the Lighter, rolling him in the dirt as the rest of us hold him down and then tie it all off with the rope.

He is not pleased. He is spitting dirt and blinking and yelling. His lip is busted. And red dirt is stuck to his lips and face. His face is so plainly evil yet still so plainly human. His dark hair is coated with dust and the more he thrashes, the more flecks falls back into his face and mouth, causing his human body to cough.

We all pick him up together and carry him, wrapped and rolled up. The designated interrogation room is one of the brand new not quite finished sleeping rooms. Far away from the entrance and far enough away from everyone else, so as not to hear him scream.

I wrap a towel that I left hanging on the shelf by the trap door around his head so he can't see all the people and so they can't see him. We asked the others to try to stay in their rooms but just in case. We make it down the stairs easily enough, without incident.

Danny is cursing the thing, I've even seen him elbow and knee it a couple times, perhaps subconsciously, maybe not. He's murmuring and muttering about how they think they can hurt his sister and get away with it. That the Lighter better be glad that Celeste wasn't hurt. I feel what he feels. I also feel that Danny definitely can't be in the room while we question the Lighter.

I know Danny. He'll go off on him. He'll even think he's enjoying hurting the Lighter but he won't and later he'll feel guilty about it.

I tell Jeff in his mind that only Miguel, him and I should be in the room. He agrees, no one else should see this. Even I don't want to see it. Even the torturing of a Lighter.

We set him in a rusty old folding chair in the middle of the small room. His hands are still bound behind his back, the net only draped down to his waist, his legs still wrapped in it.

Danny and the others didn't fight us about leaving like I thought they would. In the end, they know what we will eventually wind us having to do and if we are all honest, no one wants to do this. Even to a Lighter. Even to an evil thing.

His black hair is mussed, still dusty and his head is hanging though he's awake. Miguel has been slowly bringing in objects. A golf club, paring knife, a book - ironically, a copy of Shakespeare's love sonnets - and a hammer. Trying to intimidate the Lighter, let him know what's coming.

I sent Cain to check on Sherry, but not to wake her. She doesn't need to see or hear this yet. Just as I think about it the Lighter looks up at me. His eyes red with irritation and dust. He laughs.

"You think you can keep her from him? Crandle will take what is his. Did you forget I can see your thoughts as you see them, Keeper?" He crescendos the last words for an annoying effect.

I want to run him through for even speaking of her. And yes, more irritating is I had forgotten Lighters could read thoughts as we are thinking them.

I sigh slowly.

"Quiet, Lighter, or I'll let Miguel get started on you."

I nod my head toward Miguel who is twirling the hammer in between his two hands for dramatic effect.

Wow. He seems to know what he's doing. He's got the intimidation thing down.

"You think I will tell you anything, Keeper? Especially to your intimidating pet human. I am not so weak as you think."

"We'll see."

I think purposefully about how I kicked a Lighter's feet from under him and once his head smashed to the ground I drove a broken branch through his neck. I showed him in my mind how Marissa made the Lighter jump off the cliff edge that day like the puppet he was.

I think of the time I once used a sword, back in the day, to impale a Lighter to a tree trunk and then set his accomplice on fire by torch, setting half the woods on fire and killing who knows how many other Lighters back in a fight in England, in the 1700's.

I also showed him me, stabbing the headless golf club through Phillip's Lighter body just as he was about to take Sherry to their beloved leader. I smile though the images make me just as sick as I'm sure it does him and Jeff who is also reading my mind. He winces as does the Lighter. I don't want to remember either.