-Cooper Max is the author of this story. His other works can be found under his author name in the prolific author section. He welcomes all feedback at lmd4208@gmail.com -
A Husband's Secrets
Chapter 1: Survive
The sound of gun fire erupted behind Julius as his thick frame crashed through the brush with no grace; his linebacker's build didn't lend itself well to nimbly running for his life through the Catskill mountain ranges in the middle of the night.
His lungs burning and gasping for air, he could barely hear the gunman gaining on him from behind. Before Julius could think of his next move, he lost his footing and tumbled down a steep hillside crashing into every rock and tree dotted across the hillside. Pain shot through his body but his left arm screamed the most from his recently healed injury obtained while on assignment in Nigeria.
After tumbling for what seemed like forever, his downward roll was abruptly halted by a pine tree. Julius lay still trying to regain his breath and his wits. Silence consumed the forest as he wondered how far he had fallen. With every effort he tried to control his breathing in order to not give away his position.
Julius rapidly assessed the situation; he had no idea where he was within the expansive mountain range; he had been forced deep into the woods with a blindfold on. The only reason he even knew he was in the Catskills was because he overheard his captor on his cell phone. The odds were stacked against Julius with him being outgunned and disoriented. He had to chuckle silently to himself, though, because he did have one advantage - his dark smooth skin. It'd work to his benefit at least until sunrise.
Julius strained his ears for any indication of where his hunter could be. No sounds reached his ears. He ran through his options: Wait it out and hope the assailant passed him altogether? Run for it Ð but to where? Quietly make his way through the brush Ð but again to where? Sweat, leaves and dirt lathered smooth dark skin as his stress level rose.
Quietly, Julius rose to his feet. With every effort to keep his six foot two inch frame quiet, he silently stalked toward a thick grouping of trees in the near distance. He hoped the thick line of trees would muffle his sounds and movements.
Julius froze in his tracks as a loud crunch came from the hilltop. He could barely make out movement through the darkness. Was that him? Was it an animal?
Before Julius had time to see, a loud pop came from beside him and an object lodged itself into the tree beside him. Julius hit the ground realizing a bullet had just barely missed him.
"How did this fucker see me out here?" Julius's mind screamed as he scrambled for cover.
A menacing voice cascaded through the forest.
"Julius, my friend, that was just a warning shot. You're probably wondering how I found you out here in the dark. Did you really think I'd come out here without my thermal and night vision goggles? I didn't spend all those years fighting America's wars without learning a thing or two." The man stated arrogantly.
Julius threw himself behind the biggest tree on the opposite side of where the voice came from. Julius wondered if he could outrun the man. With all these trees, there was a good chance he'd miss Julius even if he could see him.
"Before you get any silly ideas about running again you should know that I called in the whole team. Before dawn, this entire area is going to be crawling with my best guys. You could get away from me Ð maybe Ð but you won't escape all of us, Julius. Don't prolong the inevitable, turn yourself in and I promise you'll go unharmed." The man called out; his words tripping with hubris.
Julius's heart sank. He knew the team this guy worked with; he'd worked with them too. Ruthless, skilled and greedy beyond measure; these guys would make a sport of tracking him down. He shuttered to think what they'd do with him after they caught him; he'd seen what the team did with its `play things' while in the Congo and Mali. He'd never get those images out of his head.
"Alright! You've got me. I give up," Julius bellowed out; his mind still churning on how to escape this situation. Even if the man didn't kill him then and there, he'd still have to survive being under his thumb; no easy task. There was no escaping him or his team; they had too much dirt on Julius."
Julius moved forward towards the man with his hands raised.
"Ahhh smart decision, Julius. You're too valuable alive to us. What a waste it would have been to kill you. To think how sad your dear, precious Connor would have been without your salacious rendezvouses. Oh and of course there's your wife to think about too." The man remarked with malice and sarcasm in his voice.
Julius despised everything about this repugnant, arrogant man. This guy thought the world bowed to him. If Julius didn't loath everything about this guy's existence, he could think a thing or two he'd like to do to shut up his never stopping mouth. Julius wondered how this asshat would handle his 8 inch cock rammed down his throat; at least he'd be quiet.
The man walked toward Julius cautiously, weapon raised and night vision goggles still on. His strong, lean framed seemed wound and ready to respond to any aggression.
"On your knees, Julius. Sadly, this won't be the kind of service you like to provide while down there. Hands behind your back." The man uttered.
Julius begrudgingly complied.
The man approached Julius with a smug assuredness. He reached behind his back with his free hand to remove a pair of handcuffs.
The man stepped closer to Julius and tossed the cuffs to him.
"Put these on one of your wrists. I'll do the rest. Don't do anything stupid." The man said.
The man inched closer to Julius. The man leveled his gun right at Julius's head.
Slowly, Julius reached for the cuffs. In the dark, it wasn't too easy to see them in the leaves near his knees. Julius could hear the man's breaths as he inched even closer. He stopped right in front of Julius.
"Hurry the fuck up. I don't have all night. I have plans to put in motion with the most recent intel you so readily leaked me. Weapons to move. Countries to crumble. The usual." The man commented flippantly.
Julius could hear the sarcasm in the man's voice but he knew he wasn't actually joking about any of the activities he listed. This fucker was in deep in all the wrong places. How deep Julius didn't know but deep enough to know warlords, terrorists, drug kingpins, arms dealers and the occasional senator on a first name basis.
A dawning realization zipped through Julius's brain. Even if he didn't get a bullet in his head tonight, it would just be a different night. Maybe not next week, not month or even 5 years but that bullet would come. This guy didn't tolerate loose ends and with everything Julius knew he was an enormous loose end. There's no way he'd be allowed to live.
The reason I'm alive is because I'm still valuable.' Julius thought morbidly to himself. The second I stop being valuable and providing the information these fuckers want, I've signed my own death warrant."
A sudden anger rose in Julius's body. Adrenaline surged through him as the fury built.
The man shifted impatiently.
`Death now or death later. At least now it's one on one.'
Realizing the man was within striking distance, Julius thrust his arm out as hard as he could directly into the man's crotch. The man, shocked, howled loudly in pain and pulled the trigger.
His aim was off. Hot lead tore through Julius's right ear; the sound deafening him. Julius seizing on his momentum, leapt to his feet. He lowered his shoulder and plowed into the man; this was something Julius knew how to do and well. His linebacker build crushed into his opponent knocking him clear off his feet. The gun flew out of the man's hand. Julius didn't have time to see where it landed.
The man roared with anger and pain. He surged to his feet. He charged Julius and landed a solid blow to Julius's face.
The two locked arms and bodies and struggled violently. With a quick foot sweep from Julius, the two men crashed heavily onto the forest floor. The man pounced on top of Julius gaining the upper hand. He landed two quick blows and Julius could feel the blood seeping from him.
Julius countered with a heavy punch. The man wasn't shaken. The man connected a swift knee to Julius's abdomen and pain consumed him.
Julius shifted his weight and slid on top of the man. He swung widely; only a few of his blows connecting well.
The man shifted his weight and threw Julius off of him. He regained the upper position and wrapped his thick hands around Julius's throat. The man's strong, thick hands squeezed with an immense grip.
Julius could feel the air being squeezed out of him. Panic coursed through him as he violently attempted to dislodge the man's hands from his throat. He could see the man's arrogant grin as Julius's attempts failed.
Julius's hand swept through the brush and leaves. He could feel the light-headedness setting in. Suddenly, his hand connected with something.
With every ounce of strength he had left, his hand sprung forward Ð rock gripped tightly- and struck his assailant in the head. The man swayed and his grip relaxed.
Julius struck him again. The man made a loud, pain-ridden noise. Julius struck again and again. The man slumped onto the forest floor.
Julius took the upper position and relentlessly started crushing the man's head with his stone. Anger, fear, loathing all surged through Julius's body. His mind blanked as his body acted. He struck again. Again. Again.
The man's body twitched and convulsed. Blood squirted and oozed. Finally, the man's body lay still.
Julius slumped onto the ground beside the body. Relief and exhaustion consumed him.
Feeling the blood dripping from his ear, his mind lurched into full-throttle. He tore a piece of the man's shirt from his body and wrapped it around his head to cover his ear. He had no way to assess how bad the injury to his ear was in the dark without a mirror.
He had just a few hours before the goons flooded the forest. Julius had the upper hand; the goon squad didn't know their boss was dead; they'd assume he lost service during the pursuit.
Julius yanked the night vision goggles from the man's head. They'd come in handy until the sun came up. Quickly, he searched the man's body. Finding the man's cell phone, Julius flipped it on. It still had service. He flipped open the web browser and did a quick search to determine his location. Hastily he smashed the mobile several times with the bloody rock in hopes the men wouldn't triangulate the position.
Julius started a rapid search for the weapon that flew from the man's hand. After 10 minutes, Julius recovered it; another useful tool.
Julius dragged the body as far as he could manage into a thick set of bushes. He hastily covered it with any materials he could find. If the team were able to triangulate the last ping from the cell phone, hopefully they wouldn't find the body. Not knowing about the demise of their boss gave Julius a slight advantage.
With one last breather, he set out toward the nearest town.
------ End Chapter 1 -------