Cherry: Chapter 30 - Late Goodbyes
Cherry and Markus did it. The former killed Mitchell Corbin, his father's killer and the monster responsible for all this madness. Now, our wolf hitman and ocelot apprentice must get to safety and say goodbye. To Lakertown. To their former lives. To everything.
The shot to my Kevlar wasn’t too bad, but it did leave a nasty bruise and wincing pain that would heal. Regardless, I needed to walk it off.
We exited the highway and abandoned the truck along the side of the road in a ditch when I felt nobody would notice us leaving. Reluctantly, I hid my pistol in Cherry’s backpack and tossed the truck keys down a storm drain. I had us make just enough walking distance from the site before pulling out my burner phone, dialing one of the first outgoing numbers.
“You almost there?”
“Yes,” I informed the voice on the other end. “We’re a mile or so away from the hangar, but we needed to ditch our ride.”
“I saw what happened on the evening news,” the Coyote replied. “Newscasters are suggesting that the grizzly bear’s aide had a nervous breakdown and started shooting anything that moved on the highway. No mention yet of you or your passenger, but that might change. Unless you want me to leave early, I suggest running now.”
Hanging up again and pocketing the burner, I grasped Cherry’s paw, and we ran. The two of us tumbled and jogged for our lives down the dirt path of the road, maneuvering between bus stops and a few construction sites without being noticed too much. Plenty of weird mammals and panhandlers surrounded Lakertown International Airport. What made things easier for us was that the pitch-black Autumn sky was cloudy overhead, obscuring us compared to daylight.
The strobing headlights of passing cars and adjusting eyesight allowed me to see glimpses of Cherry. His tail wagged during our trek, grinning and walking in a way that I hadn’t seen since our first date at the movie theater.
Leaving the truck earlier, the feline appeared beaming and jubilant with relief, like shooting Corbin in the chest finally released the weights from those perfect shoulders. It made perfect sense, in hindsight. Cherry was still high on the sensations of fulfilled vengeance. The lad had gotten revenge against his father’s killer and avenged the deaths of everyone else in the Benefactor’s wake.
“Are you doing okay?” I asked at one point, turning to Cherry.
“I’m fine,” he claimed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
One of my ears folded, and I sighed. “Just checking.”
I still kept a close watch on Cherry in the corner of my vision. After I’d finished speaking, that was when my ocelot’s expression shifted. His jubilation and glee was replaced by looming uncertainty. He appeared to be taking in all of our surroundings, surveying it as well as drinking it all in. It was dawning on him that we were actually leaving Lakertown for good.
“Cherry, I…do you still—” Before I could finish, he squeezed my paw tightly. Probably tighter than ever before, and immediately understanding it, I squeezed back, giving him a nod.
Like he said, normalcy was boring.
Finally, we reached an open portion of the airport’s border fence known to a select few, one hidden behind a large sign welcoming people to Lakertown International Airport. We hid from view, waiting for enough cars to pass. If it weren’t for the years of exercise, I’d be hunched over from the throbbing bruise latched onto my chest.
Cherry slipped inside the fence. I did too. He followed me closely in the shadows until we came to an innocuous private hangar near the edges of the massive area, far away from the airport terminals and on the opposite side of the runway maze.
I knocked on the door. It opened slightly to reveal a tall, gangly and graying coyote my age covered in tattoos and enough scars to impress a brawler. The jacket draped around his broad shoulders possessed enough history to fill a display cabinet within a true crime museum, and behind him in the wide-open hangar sat a used private jet. It was one of many I presumed he owned for occasions like ours.
Silently, the Coyote looked at Cherry who held our meager luggage.
He then surveyed me. “You look like a mess.”
I didn’t say a word. The lean canine simply continued surveying me.
“Are you sick?” he asked. “You’re wincing.”
I straightened my posture, clearing my throat. “Bullet shot to the chest,” my paw motioned to it, raising up the shirt hem to reveal the Kevlar vest beneath.
“Okay.” The Coyote clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “You’re just in time, Markus. Part of me was worried you’d stand me up.”
“Not a chance,” I chuckled, shaking his offered paw. “Thanks again for doing this on short notice.”
“Thank you, sir!” Cherry added with a trill.
The Coyote gazed down at him, smirking amusedly. “You must be the Charlie Rochford that police are looking for, huh?” he asked. We stared at him, and he shrugged. “Frankly, I don’t care about whatever shitstorm you just came out of. Just make sure it stays all here. If you’re gonna make a call, best do it now before we go.”
I turned to Cherry, handing him the burner phone. We exchanged nods, then entered the hangar. As I grabbed the meager bags and luggage while joining behind the Coyote, my ocelot spoke into the flip phone. It seemed he only managed to leave a voicemail.
“Alan? Dennis? It’s me,” he exhaled. “I’m alive…I’m alive, and l-leaving soon. I’m going to be out of town…for a long, long while. I can’t promise where I’ll be or when I’ll be able to contact you guys again but just know M…Just know that Fergus will be with me. He’ll protect me. I know we had our goodbyes earlier today, but…I wanted to tell you that I love you both so much. Dennis, I’m sorry I won’t be there to help you rebuild your life outside of jail, but if you can do one thing for me, it’s this: please stay out, forever. Your friends that convinced you to drive weren’t your friends, and I know you’ll find better ones while out on parole. And please take care of Alan. The same goes for you too, A.”
Cherry cleared his throat. I lingered behind to keep listening, prepared for anything.
“Alan? I’ll be honest…you were always an asshole to me growing up, but you’re still my brother like Dennis is. I’m sorry I ended up dragging you and Dad into this fuckin’ mess. Rest assured it’s all over now. If you testify, Walker and Corbin will definitely be going to prison. They’ll face justice, and at least…that’s the least I can do to start forgiving Dad. I have to go now. You two take care of each other. I’ll do the same for myself. I love you, Dennis. Love you too, Alan. Good…Goodbye…”
Click. He blindly shut it closed. My eyes met his. They leaked tears down his cheeks. Something hard pulled at my chest towards him, and I stepped forward to pull my ocelot into a hug. We stood there for a moment and what felt like eternity.
It wasn’t until the Coyote motioned for us to come aboard that we separated, only to walk paws together up the jet’s staircase. I later made sure to snap the burner phone in half when my ocelot crashed unconscious on the nearest couch.
Finally, within minutes, we left it all behind. We left Lakertown, the Benefactor, and everything else behind.