FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The evening sun painted the sky in a vibrant mix of gold, pinks, and blues. Mother nature using the sky as her tapestry of color and beauty, seemingly ignorant of the three stressed individuals lounging and going through final checks of their gear. Rifles, pistols, shotguns, optics, night vision, and thermals along with a number of other tools that both Eli and Ian had been trained to use in the short timeframe. Max was unusually quiet as he donned his kit, thin clothing covered his frame as the setting sun poured in through the windows. “Max, are you alright?”

Eli’s voice snapped him out of his daze, wide eyes and shallow breath met her concerned look. Blinking a few times he let a heavy breath escape his lips and let his shoulders slump. The multicam clothing stretched across his arms and chest flexed as he shrugged in uncertainty. “You don’t feel it?” Eli raised an eyebrow where her worry was replaced by confusion. “The tension, I always feel it before something like this. Every time we were about to leave the wire, before every detonation or firefight there was always this tension.” Max slid his gloves on just as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness began to blanket the sky. “You two should get some rest, I’ll stay up first and get you two if anything comes up, alright?”

She wanted to tell him that she’d stay up. That she’d be with him every step of the way, but she knew he’d tie her up at worst and at best demand that she just stop being so hard headed and get some rest. So she simply nodded and made her way up to the small loft where she had slept with her partner the last few nights. “So we’re taking shifts?”

Ian tapped through the different video feeds on Max’s computer. The infrared images flicked through one by one as he scratched at the shoulder straps of his borrowed plate carrier. “Yeah if they’re smart then they'll try at around four a.m. But knowing their plan I find that doubtful.” Max began moving to each window checking the two sets of firearms perched there. One having mounted thermals and the other with a standard red dot optic that works well with the night vision device currently strapped to Max’s discarded helmet. “So since they’re stupid we have to be ready for them at any time.”

Ian nodded as he turned his attention back to the screen in front of him before asking another question. “Where did you learn all this? Don’t get me wrong I'm happy that you live in basically fort knox, but you initially don’t look like someone that would be ready to fight a war.”

Max fiddled with the setting on a thermal sight on the far side of his home, ensuring that the image was clear enough for a quick sight profile. Shrugging in response, he set the rifle down and moved over to the switch that controlled the overhead lights. “Just things you learn over the years. Bet you could school me on how to run a ranch or keep chickens.” The interior of the small shed home went dark, allowing anyone outside to suspect that the inhabitants were asleep. “Keep it dark and quiet. I want to surprise these idiots when they finally show up.”

Ian nodded as he lowered the brightness of the screen in front of him. “So…why Jackson of all places? Seems like a guy with your knowhow and job expertise you could make it anywhere. So why a small town in the armpit of Wyoming?”

Max stayed quiet as he thought over his reasons before he realized the single tipping factor in his choice. “Jackson is quiet. It was peaceful before all this and I just hope that we can get back a bit after this, but that's pretty doubtful. If not, I at least still have my best friend and Eli. We can always rebuild.” Ian nodded as he continued to flip through the cameras as Max worked on the last steps of preparation. Both unknowingly letting Eli fall asleep near effortlessly with the comfort of her partner’s verbal affection.

Hours passed in silence with only whispered questions or commands passing Either Max’s or Ian’s lips. The wolf’s limbs shook as the stress of waiting for a foot to fall wore on his nerves. Max’s hand landed on his shoulder, an unshakable boulder amidst the roaring storm of tension. “Get some shut eye. It’s only eleven at night and I dont think theyll show for at least another hour or two until they show up.”

Ian nodded as he stood on unstable legs and hobbled over to the small loveseat. “You’ll wake Miss Vavulin right? Two sets of eyes are better than one.” Max looked up to the loft cloaked in darkness with the faint breaths of Eli emanating from the small alcove. A smile crossed his lips absentmindedly for just a brief moment while he let his emotions overpower his logic.

“Yeah, in a moment. I hate waking her.” Ian nodded in response as he fell onto the small loveseat. It seemed like he fell asleep before he even hit the cushions. Max watched over his sleeping compatriots for a few more moments before he looked at his dogs sleeping together on their wide bed. He stood and silently made his way to the front door being as quick as he could to let as little heat out of his warm home. A single cigarette met his lips for just a moment as he looked out over the snowy landscape. The moon was covered by a thin blanket of clouds providing an eerie baleful light. Visibility was perfect for the nods he dropped over his eyes before lighting the smoke in his lips.

His breath was already a thick fog in the frozen air even before the thick miasma of smoke joined it. The cold air nipped his exposed pale skin as he scanned over the edge of his property seeing nothing but still air and light snowfall. “It’s almost time.” The faint whisper of his voice barely dancing over the crystalline ground in front of him. His open ears twitched as he listened for anything in the silent night. Stillness is what met his ears just a little after midnight along with the barely audible crackling emanating from the bright orange cherry of his cigarette. “They’ll be here soon, maybe I should take it easy on them.” Max’s mind flashed from Iraq to the woman currently sleeping peacefully in his bed. His eyebrows fell in a scowl before he flicked the half burnt smoke into the deep snow with a light hiss. “Not a chance in hell.”

-

It was two AM when the first signs of life outside Max’s property flashed from the headlights of several vehicles before they abruptly shut off. The infrared cameras clearly saw them pull up to the edge of the property before a number of both anthros and humans stepped out and began to gaggle between each other. Max didn’t see Trevor, only a number of poorly armed ranch hands. “I'm surprised they haven't rushed yet.” Ian’s voice carried just above a faint whisper as he watched the feed over his new human friend. Surprise was evident in his voice as he watched the screen confused. “What do you think they're doing?”

Max just rubbed his chin as he thought. “Probably psyching themselves up. They probably know that this is dangerous, but are still willing to do it anyway.” Max tossed a thumb over his shoulder. “Next to the breaker there's a switch. I'm going to wake Eli but when I say flip it, alright?” Ian nodded as he shuffled over to the switch mounted to one of the exposed wooden beams. “Eli it's time, I need you awake for this.”

She stirred slowly, letting her mind grant her consciousness once more. Her eyes were lidded as she looked to her lover before rubbing the sleep from their surface. “They’re here? What are they doing? Wait, what time is it?” The worry was heavy in her voice as the new information began to pour in.

Max held her cheek to calm her down, the rough texture of his glove scratching against her smooth scales. “Everythings alright. They just got here, but I need you awake if things go south.”

Eli’s mind was still groggy as she processed his words, letting his meaning finally sink in. She shook her head and stretched from under the warm sheets before sliding down the ladder that led to the loft. She could feel the tension in the air between its occupants. Sig and Sauer had their backs rigid and were staring at the front door. Ian was patiently awaiting a command from Max as his limbs shook. Max held a microphone in one hand and kept his eyes glued on the single ultrawide monitor hooked up to his computer and surveillance system. “Ian, they're starting to move up, be ready.”

A sharp nod met Isaac’s eyes before he snapped to the posse of fifteen visible individuals slowly trudging through the snow. With a snap of Max’s fingers Ian flipped the switch and the feed on the monitor lit up with floodlights and the hiss of speakers coming to life. Max held the hand mic up to his face before going live with a tap of his thumb. “Good morning.” The bright lights and his voice stopped the group in their tracks and made a few of the more nervous ones jump. “It's currently two fifteen in the morning, and I don’t know what brought you here. Whether it was just following orders or if you were threatened, it doesn't matter. What does is that I'm giving you one opportunity to turn around and head home. To your families, friends, and those that will miss you if you don't show up in the morning.” A moment passed as The inhabitants of the small home waited for their reaction.

A few shuffled in place as they debated in silence with looks between each other before a bear of a human pulled out an indecipherable black pistol and began shooting out the floodlights one by one. “Remember, I gave you ALL an out.” The rest of the lights were killed as Max told him to flip the switch back. “Ian, the one below that one, flip it. It’s to keep the speakers live.” As Ian flipped the second switch the speakers hissed to life once more as the opening notes of a song Max chose began to play. Dulcet tones of the opening lyrics were deafening even to the humans as the sound danced through the trees and light snowfall. ‘Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward. Whoever cannot take care of himself without that law is both. For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, If I live I will kill you. If I die, you are forgiven. Such is the rule of honor.’

The heavily distorted guitar slammed into them and shook even the more stoic to their cores. Shaking their lungs as the music blasted over them with a few in the camera’s view bolting back to the road. A bear anthro rolled his eyes as he trudged through the snow marking the beginning of the small skirmish. A wire hidden by the recent snowfall was tripped by a human following to the bear's right that released the tension on a mousetrap. In a moment there was a flash and a deafening bang splitting the eardrums of a few individuals close enough before the calf of the man’s leg was torn asunder by the lead pellets launched by the simple pipe gun trip mine.

Max smiled as the men began to panic. They ran for cover as different mines were tripped, causing several of the humans and anthros to fall and hold new wounds across their injuries. Blood and chunks of flesh began to decorate the pristine snow across his property. The screams of men drowned out by the growls and guitars as they tried to staunch the flow of blood to desperately keep themselves alive in the below freezing temps. Max knew there were more than just the few that he saw initially, more than the fifteen that were quickly cut down to only 8 fighting members. He flipped through the different feeds until he spotted something on the last camera. A trail cut through the snow of fresh tracks done by a clearly bipedal form. He stood from his chair and dropped his hearing protection over his ear before turning to the other two in his home.

“Keep an eye on the assholes pushing up the hill, I doubt any will get close enough but if they do…” His jaw clenched as he thought of that worse case scenario. “We’ve gone over worse cases. Just call me and if you’re hit superficially…” He hated the thought as he moved to the door. It sickened him thinking about either of them getting hit but he shoved that feeling back. There was a job to do. You know where all the first aid is and if necessary there's red hot pokers to brand the wounds closed. Just please recall me first. I can’t lose you two, especially you Eli.” After receiving a nod from both with Eli taking up station at the monitor and flipping back to the original group, watching the chaos unfold.

She wasn’t as disgusted with what was happening than she thought she would. Maybe she was spending too much time with Max, but she was seeing this pain as their own wrongdoing which made it far more palatable. Then she thought about pulling the trigger herself and a queasy sickness washed over her. That was something she was certain she couldn’t do. She wasn’t a soldier. She was just a woman that fell in love with one.

-

Max kept silent as the snow just barely crunched under his boot clad feet. His personal rifle held in his gloved hands as he scanned his surroundings in the lightly falling snow. He prayed that the profile of the tracks wasn’t from the person he thought, but was from another anthro that just shared their height and build. It was on the edge of his property near a mountain cliff, tucked away from the road; the only way for someone to get there was to have prior experience of the terrain. To have been there before, like a hunter.

He took up station behind a tree, concealing himself from the shadowy form walking directly towards his position. He pulled the scarf down from around his neck and placed another cigarette between his lips, simply waiting for the new player to walk past. Long strides from thin legs to wider thighs carried the buck as he ducked below hanging branches to keep his massive rack from getting caught. “You’re the last person that should be here, Jeffery.” His voice locked the stag in shock before the simple flick of his lighter lit up the human’s features for just a moment. His face was frozen in rage, his furrowed brow screamed his rage that his voice hid.

“H-how did you know I was here?” Max drew from his lit smoke, watching the frozen stag standing in the snow with rage filled eyes brightened only by the blazing cherry.

The baleful orange light glinted in his eyes as he held the cervid’s stare. “That doesn’t matter. What does matter is why you’re here. So tell me, why are you sneaking through my woods?” The stag from the outerwear shop stammered as he tried to spill out any explanation even if it didn’t satisfy the infuriated human in front of him. “Shut up.” The babbling stag went silent as the human bit back. “Let's start from the top. Who did they threaten to get you here?”

“My daughter.” His shoulders fell as Max held his furious glare in between the sorrowful stag’s eyes. “They said that my shop, my FAMILY would burn! They said they would spare Jessica, just to watch me die! I have no choice.”

Max rolled his eyes as the explanation fell upon him with no sympathy. “Do you hear the music out there? Those heavy guitar riffs and bone shaking drums. Let me show you what’s underneath these harsh tones.” The music cut as Max paused the music with a moment after the air was filled with the gargling screams of human and anthro men alike. ‘Where’s my leg?!’, ‘I never wanted this!’, ‘Help us!!!’ Those words screamed out from between the trees giving the forest the tone of a warzone. He let those grim voices ring out just long enough to let his point sink in before the deafening music played once more. “You should have tossed your lot in with me, not those animals. That goes for the kid following your tracks too.”

For just a moment Jeffery’s eyes widened in shock. His eyes darted just behind Max before a shuffle of snow was heard. The lit cigarette fell into the snow as Max ducked down, the edge of his nods just barely being clipped by large claws before sinking into the wide pine tree he was just leaning against. “Slippery little bastard I’ll give you that.”

“And the youngest son makes his entrance. Tell me Sampson, is this to get back at Ian or did Trevor strong arm you into this because you’re human.” A hood kept the upper portion of his face shadowed but left his trimmed beard exposed in the pale light. The color of those wiry strands was indiscernible to Max’s eyes, all except his bared teeth and the clear anger in his stance. The hydraulics of his powered glove hissed as the metallic claws sunk further into the wood of the tree. Harsh squeaks and splinters snapping under the increased pressure before splitting through the massive tree entirely, causing it to fall away from the group. “From that reaction I'm going to guess it was the second one.”

Max’s cocky smile caused the early twenty year old's anger to flare. His muscles were taught like springs before releasing their tension in one motion. Two gloves were reached out towards the taller but less built man. Even under the bulky clothing Max could tell that he was fit. Certainly athletic enough to swing those heavy claws around like they were an extension of his own fingertips. “You really just keep talking huh? Let’s see how well you can without your throat!”

He lunged at Max again predictably. Arms outstretched as he flung himself into the air with open arms trying to ensnare the human in front of him. He moved like an animal in Max’s eyes, and animals were easy to trick if you know how they think. Luckily for him he didn’t have to know, he was angry and desperate to make something of himself to his older brother. Max would happily make him a disappointment. He rolled out of the way covering his deep brown khaki clothing in a powder of white, making him nearly disappear in the early flurry of moves.

“NRRRRG Prey! Where did he go?!” Jeffrey had fallen during that first move, his mind filled with flashes of possible outcomes of gore and viscera. With his heart pounding in his ears he didn’t notice the human demanding information from him, a desperate fire burning under his shadowed hood. “Answer me, Prey! Where did he go!?”

Max knew the low light would help him disappear for a short while. Hiding behind a group of small bushes he stayed low and listened to the young man shout at his unwilling and shocked counterpart. Max kept his breath low for just a moment before trying to draw his attention away from Jeffrey. “Just so you know I wont be aiming to kill you.” Sampson turned towards where he thought he heard him speak from, the terrain and trees making it hard to pinpoint his location. “Maiming is a different story.”

A single shot rang out and grazed the back of Sampson’s right calf, with the distinct lack of blood from the muscle tightening, but that didn’t stop him from falling into the snow. The bitter chill ran down his arms as the snow bit into his hands as he struggled to stand back up on his injured leg. The hiss of the hydraulics screamed angrily as he flexed his hands in rage and slowly shambled to his feet. “Fight me like a man you coward!”

Max’s voice was distorted as he spoke through several speakers placed all around his property, giving him the voice of ten men speaking at once. “I am, you’re the one that came to my home with a small warband. So now I'll play by your rules.” Jeffrey was still locked in fear, not from the youngest Gray brother anymore but this demon in human skin Eli was so fond of. He would bear witness to a peaceful man pushed to violence and what a terrible sight he would behold.

-

“Ian! Guy pushing up on the northwest side!” Two strides was all it took for the wolf to reach the window and take cover before leveling the rifle on the white hot target, the FLIR optic making them stand out clearly amongst the frozen surroundings. A quick trigger squeeze and the rifle kicked into his shoulder, the rifle spat the 6.5mm round in a cloud of fire and smoke directly over a feline anthro’s head, causing him to lose his nerve and blot back to their vehicles. A few rounds were returned on the wolf’s position and embedded themselves in the small home’s walls. Eli called out to the wolf near her as she sprinted towards the wall with the breaker box. “Northeast side this time! They're all getting close, I’m gonna pull the cord! Cover your ears like Max said!”

Eli yanked hard on the paracord line that led from the small home with the line going taught before dropping to the floor with the released tension. For a moment nothing happened and she thought that whatever was on the other end failed to detonate. That was before she heard the screams. She expected an explosion not the sizzle and pop of a now searing fire fueled by a mix of napalm and thermite. Max had called it cheap phosphorus, and from the screams outside she could hear why.

Ian looked out for just a moment and watched as the rest of the men and anthros tried desperately to put out the sparking jelly clinging to their forms. The heat increased exponentially as it burned through their clothes or fur and nothing stopped the caustic form from beginning to eat down to the bone. Some made the mistake of trying to swipe it off and took their flesh down to the bone with it. A mix of blood and pain washed over the ones caught in the largest splattering of naperite as they panicked and rolled around in the deep snow tossing up powder and steam. Ian fell back into cover, trying desperately to wipe the nightmarish images from his mind. Both Ian and Eli were in shock. Hiding their minds from the continued lashings of the tortured sounds, begging them to stop. That’s when the door was kicked off of its hinges where the massive human stood.

He was bloody, not all of it his. Eyes flaring in the low light, silhouetted by the dazzling fires just outside. He had to duck down to fit through the door frame and allow him to take in the dim surroundings. He was silent as he looked before spotting Ian trying to recover from the shellshock from just a moment ago. The ring of burning thermite and napalm behind them painted the interior with a burning wrathful orange light as the large human took two steps towards the shaking wolf and threw him into Max’s loveseat so hard the hardwood buckled and snapped under the force. “God damned SNITCH!”

Eli whipped the hand mic and desperately pressed the side button. “Max, they’re in the house! Ian’s hurt!”

There was a reply the moment Eli unclicked the button, Max’s calm voice poured through the radio’s speaker. “Moving. ETA is less than a minute.” As he finished his sentence there was a harsh snap and the beginning of a cry in pain before the sound was cut off. Leaving Eli to watch Ian slowly stubble to his feet before being thrown into the far wall trying desperately to get to his feet again. ‘I need to buy Ian, and by extension Max time, but with what?’ Her eyes scrambled throughout the small home falling on a number of weapons before she realized that she still had her pistol on her. She quickly drew the firearm and took aim just like Max had taught her. Without thinking she fired and caught the man in his shoulder causing him to flinch. He didn't fall but looked over his shoulder towards the hognose currently pulling the trigger over and over not realizing the brass casing had caught in the slide before it was ripped from her hands.

Her heart hammered in her chest as he fully turned to face her. She smashed the trigger over and over with no feedback from the uncharged and jammed firearm before it was slapped out of her hands. He towered over her as she tried to claw her way to safety before she had her arms pinned above her head as the man chuckled. “So this is where you’ve been hiding. Trevor has been looking for you.” Ice ran through her veins as those words were brought into the world before his free hand slowly reached to the collar of her jacket. Just as he began pulling the zipper down there was a harsh crash at the back of Max’s home and half a second later a meaty whack with a flurry of sparks emanated from Eli’s assailant’s back. Max got back just in time and struck the man with the glowing red rod from his wood stove in the small of his back. Max wasn’t thinking, he only saw red as he busted down his own door and saw that mountain above his woman. He was going to pay for that.

-

Max was actually having fun with this quarrel. This young man had meandered onto his property and thought Max would be easy prey with a quick sneak attack. He was paying for how Ill prepared he had been as he limped towards a tree, bleeding and bruised. Thick metal claws dug into the bark of an old pine as the many voices of the insane man playing with him rang out in the darkness. “So tell me, do you know what happens when a pressure driven piston gets punctured?” Sam tossed snow up in a flurry trying to blind his assailant from any angle he might fire from. That didn’t change the outcome. “Spontaneous expansion.”

A single round rang out again and caught one of the exposed hydraulic pistons on the back of his left forearm. He didn’t flinch, there wasn’t enough time to before the cylinder ruptured and sent fragments of itself in every direction. That included the back of his left arm. The immediate air pressure from the small explosion forced him to the ground with his heavy clothing shielding him from having every strip of fibrous tissue shredded from the bone. Soft weeps emanated from him as the weight of those metal constructs kept him pinned to the ground as fresh splotches of blood colored his clothing as Max approached. He said something too low for Max or the still frozen stag to hear. “What was that?”

He turned his face towards the other two in the darkness, his beard matted with snow and his deep green eyes catching the little light from the hidden moon. “If you don't kill me my dad will.”

Max rolled his eyes before he started throwing a couple tourniquets on his heavily bleeding arm and leg. Pressure dressings applied to his torso as Max berated both individuals. “No he won’t, being melodramatic and let me get you patched up.”

“Why are you helping me? I tried to kill you.” Max continued to bandage the broken man in the frigid snow. Tears continued to stream down his face as the pain continued to lash at his mind.

Max pursed his lips as he thought over his question. “Well for one if I send you back wounded it’ll tell your dad that I shouldn’t be messed with.” He continued to check over the weeping man for any broken bones or other unseen wounds, finding nothing beyond slow bleeds he rose over him. “Second, it’d be pretty stupid to send him back with a corpse to the local clinic. Even if the cops aren’t gonna get involved I don't want anyone else branded as an interloper during this quarrel. So you’ll need to do a few things for me.”

Sam clenched his teeth as the cold truly began to sink into his core as he glared at the man next to him. He spat at where Max was kneeling, blood mixed with his spit that stained the pure white snow between them. “And what would that be?”

“Appeal to your family. I never wanted any of this but when your lackey attacked me in the snow I knew you wouldn’t back down. Maybe a few mangled men, a wounded son and a couple bodies will be enough to make you assholes realize that you all dont have the biggest teeth or the mettle to use them.” Max took his un-injured arm on his right side and began to lift it above his back. “Agree and I won't have to break a bone too.”

At this moment his radio flared to life. The message made his blood run cold as Eli spoke. “Max, they’re in the house! Ian’s hurt!”

With a click of the radio control he answered as soon as her end went dead. “Moving. ETA is less than a minute.” His heart hammered in his chest as he replied with a steady voice. He gave one look down to the man under him that whispered his reply.

“Fuck you.” His arm snapped just as Max released the mic and looked over to Jeffery.

“Get him to the clinic. Send an ambulance asap. There will be people that need it.” After minutes of sitting in the snow the stag finally moved to lift the wounded man and finally leave Max’s property. “Stay out of this. It won't end well for anyone not directly with me.” Max spun and sprinted through the snow, the familiar terrain passing him as he sped through the cloud covered night. His breath fogged up in the air as he vaulted over frozen logs and trudged through the shallower snow, tossing up powder as he burned what little tendon he had left in his hip. Gear fell from his body so he could get that little bit of extra speed leaving him with only his trusty pistol for what may come. His home, his friends, his lover would be defiled by these bastards and were threatening the first sliver of joy he had found in over a decade. If they touched one scale on her he would make them truly suffer.

He charged through the backdoor, splinters flying from its hinges as the heavy oak panel clattered to the floor. Everything to him slipped into slow motion as he took in the scene, Ian in a slump against the far wall, furniture shattered and bullet holes peppered throughout his small home. Directly in front of him however was a man straddling Eli, that’s when everything went red.

-

The glowing metal still held in Max’s hands arced through the air with a trail of furious light as he cleaved downward with a righteous hiss. More sparks flew as it crushed several bones in his ribcage causing him to wheeze before thrashing around and ripping the scalding piece of metal across the room. The sickly orange light of burning naperite poured in through the windows as the large man ignored his multitude of wounds and threw Max to the ground with a sickening crunch. The air was knocked from his lungs, feeling as if he was about to vomit before he pushed himself away from the diving man. Max slid across his cheap tiled floor along with losing his helmet, trying to get distance before that beast was on him again. Eli was coughing as she tried to stagger to her feet, and that drew Max’s attention away from his adversary for just one moment. For that moment he was relieved that she seemed no worse for wear. That’s when a fist struck his face back down into the hard tiled floor. Stars rolled through his vision as the second fist struck him, truly landing him in a daze. Blow after blow rained down on him as he tried to vainly put up his hands to block the relentless onslaught.

Each hit brought flashes to his mind, previous long forgotten memories that were frighteningly vivid in that exact moment, but were smeared as they faded again. Skinning his knee when he learned how to ride a bike. His first camping trip with his dad. His first crush in highschool when she said yes. More flashes passed before they suddenly stopped, the man pulling the pistol from Max’s holster and placing the barrel to his forehead. He knew what came next, there would be a final bang quickly followed by silence that would finally snuff out his existence. The shot rang out but his ears rang, his eyes opened. The gun was absent along with the towering man. One of his eyes was tinted red from the constant stream of blood that poured from a fresh cut upon his forehead. Eli sat there with Max’s replica KS-23 held tightly in her hands. She continued to smash the trigger against the wall of the firearm as tears streamed down her face. He was drained from the beating he took, simple mistakes he could have avoided if he just kept his eyes on his target instead of the woman holding the shotgun.

He looked to his side and the man laid there lifeless. Everything above his shoulders was reduced to fine mist the moment Eli made her choice. She was in shock, her wide eyes clung to the stain on the opposite wall with smatterings of gray matter bone. She was hyperventilating as the images of the man’s head disintegrating burned into her mind. Permanently scouring themselves into the backs of her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Max rolled onto his stomach with considerable effort and rose back to his feet. Besides his face bleeding like a stuck pig and his back reeling he wasn’t too worse for wear.

He retrieved his pistol from the now dead man creating a pool of blood on the cheap tile before moving back to Eli. She didn’t want to relinquish that trusty firearm, even though another round hadn’t been fed into the chamber. “He…he was going to-”

“I know Eli, I know.” He pulled the firearm from her grip before looking over his shoulder to Ian. “One second, alright?” She didn't reply as he stepped away from her to check the large wolf for major injuries. He wasn’t bleeding and his heartrate was strong and stable. As far as Max could tell, he was just roughed up and unconscious from a blow to the back of his head. It was swollen but the most he’d need is maybe a cast from a fracture he couldn’t see. That and some time off due to the concussion he no doubt received.

Max hobbled back to the still wide eyed woman staring at the lifeless corpse she produced. Max’s voice was barely above a whisper as he regarded her. “Eli, I’m pretty sure we’re safe.” He kneeled down to her side and reached for her hand to check her pulse at her wrist. Her heart rate was spiking and her breaths were quick and shallow, clear signs that she was in a shock induced panic attack. His arm wrapped around her shoulder as he sat down next to her and the other was held in front of her eyes, blocking the visceral image from her sight. He stayed like this for minutes waiting for her to calm down as the orange light finally faded as the last of the napalm burned itself off. Their assailants scared off from the overwhelming force of the people indoors and those injured left to seek medical aid.

Her breathing slowed as the comforting presence of her still breathing lover held her close. Her tears never stopped while she was in shock, but they were soon joined by her cry into the dark early morning. A wail that could stir the dead left her thin lips as the dam finally broke. Everything hit her at once, the fighting, the bloodshed, the man attacking Ian then her, and her pulling the trigger. Everything was wrong in her world, blood stained her hands whether it was her choice or not.

She cried in the comfort of Max’s arms, he was like a rock in her storm of emotion that she was currently in and just that little bit helped keep her sane. She was terrified, disgusted with herself to the point of nausea, and the smallest bit proud. She was confused by that last wave of emotion, she was supposed to be mournful, distraught, inconsolable. Not happy at what she’s done. “Why?”

Pulling her tighter letting her head fall to his chest, her warm tears staining his thin black undershirt. Rubbing her shoulder, he comforted her as she wept. “Because Ian and myself wouldn’t be here right now if you didn’t. I did see you clipped him before I got here. I’m just happier you’re in better shape then I am.”

She couldn’t speak as the image of his own pistol being held to his bloodied forehead passed in her mind. The first person that didn’t avoid her, the first person that defended her, the first person that loved her wouldn’t be here if she didn’t act. That’s why she felt happiness. That’s why she didn’t hesitate when the man looked over at her and smiled, thinking she wouldn’t pull the trigger as he held the gun to Max’s head. His smiling face being removed from the world would be a small joy she would hold in the coming rough days. Her tears slowed as she pulled back slightly to look up to her bleeding partner. “Stay with me? In the coming days?”

With a simple sentence he reassured her and reinforced that he was the man for her. “I can’t see me anywhere, but with you.”