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Author's Note: I've taken to writing 'short' stories that are self contained. I enjoy writing it more than an ongoing story. It's done when it's done. I like that. I liked writing this one so much I'm defitintely writing more of them. They'll all be set within the universe of 'A Whole New World'. Got a request for a certain character's short story? Comment below.
Dante’s Sacrifice
Cooper didn’t even know the man’s name as he begged for his life. He loomed over the man on his knees in the grass. Cooper looked at him through his unkempt black hair that hung over his eyes. He held a bloodied combat knife in his right hand. He had already stabbed the man in his gut with it. He was prolonging his death for his own pleasure.
“Lemme finish this one!” Dwayne wanted to score points with his leader, “I been itchin’ to kill someone! Been way too long, man.”
“Stop riding boss’s dick,” Josh scratched the swastika tattoo on his neck, “we all know ya ain’t shit.”
Sly chuckled dumbly. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. He had a face only a mother could love. The arguments between Josh, the neo-Nazi and ex-KKK member, and the skinny black Dwayne were something he always enjoyed.
“Hey, yo, fuck you! I’ll show you-“
“Both of you, shut the fuck up.” Cooper demanded. His command had the same impact as a sudden strike of lightning. Josh and Dwayne didn’t dare to say another word. Sly laughed at them for it. “You too, Sly. You’re even uglier when you laugh. Why don’t we have our quiet friend take this one?” Cooper turned his head to Dante, who watched things unfold from afar. Any time they shook someone down, he would volunteer to be on lookout.
Dante noticed the four men staring at him. He chose to ignore them, and turned his head the other way, towards the woods. He wasn’t a part of them because he felt kingship. They kept him safe. If the opportunity were to present itself, he would abandon them without a second thought.
Dwayne tapped on Dante’s shoulder. He turned around, and was met with a bitter expression. “Boss wants to see ya. I’m takin’ over.”
Dante raised an eyebrow. Him not speaking made Dwayne nervous. To him, it felt like they stood there with their eyes locked for hours. Dante passed him without paying him any notice. He nudged his head at Cooper to acknowledge he wanted to know why he had to come over.
“This one’s for you, Sullivan,” Cooper prodded his knife towards the kneeling man, “take him out. You want to be a part of us, you got to do like us.”
“Yeah, Mute.” Josh scoffed. The nickname was something he came up with. Dante barely talked. “You never do any of the heavy lifting. I’m startin’ to think you’re not fit for this.”
Dante glanced at the man. He wondered who they decided to kill for no apparent reason this time. The man was going bald, seemingly in his mid-forties. The checked shirt he wore was filthy. He hadn’t changed in a while, which also meant he probably didn’t have much. Cooper would never outright kill someone he thought would be useful. Dante figured the man was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Cooper held the knife by the blade. He held it out so Dante could take it. He observed it for a second. He then grabbed it from Cooper’s hand. A gleeful smile appeared on Cooper’s face.
The man’s eyes begged Dante to spare him. Both men knew that wouldn’t happen, yet one still held on to the possibility. Dante took a step towards the man. Cooper was giddy with anticipation. Dante drew his gun from the holster on his hip. He flipped the safety off, and shot the man in the head. He put his gun back. He turned to Cooper. “You didn’t say how you wanted me to take him out. Are we done here? We’re wasting daylight,” He spun around to go back to camp, “oh, thanks for the knife.”
Josh shook his head. “What a dick.”
Dante separated from his traveling companions the moment they arrived back at camp. They went inside Cooper’s large tent, he went to the school bus. It’s where the women and children slept. Two young guys, Tom and Richard, were mechanics before the dead started coming back to life. They were armoring the bus. Richard was welding metal plates to the sides while Tom watched.
“Dante! Finally, you’re back!” Alyssa briskly walks up to him, her short brown hairs swaying up and down, “it’s my boy, you got to check up on him. He fell and his finger doesn’t look right. I think it’s dislocated and I don’t know what to do.”
“Lyssa, I’m no doctor.”
“I don’t care. Mitch isn’t doing anything. He says he’s too busy looking after Stan since he got shot on that last run. He also said we don’t have enough medicine left to spare. Asshole.” She grabbed Dante’s hand. She pulled on it. “Come on, please help him. You’re the only one I trust.”
“Alright, alright,” Dante caved in, “take me to him. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” Alissa walked up front to show him the way. Dante stayed behind her. She had a curvy physique, especially for someone who had given birth. She kneeled down beside her son, Derrick, who sat on a crate. His left index finger pointed up. He couldn’t move it.
Dante rubbed the boy on his head. “Hey buddy,” he took his wounded hand in his, “yeah, your finger is dislocated. Derrick, I’m gonna have to pop it back in. It will hurt a little. But you’re tough, right?”
The five-year-old nodded his head, putting on his strongest face. Dante wrapped his hand around his injured finger, pulling it down and pushing it forward at the same time. “Ouch!” Derrick moved his fingers. His index moved along with the rest. He barely felt anything. “Thanks! I didn’t even feel it.”
“Yeah, you did good. Told ya you were strong,” he turned his head to Alyssa and nodded, “he’s just fine.”
Alyssa smiled. It was not often she saw her son happy anymore. “Thanks, Dante. Hey, could you do me another favor?”
“What is it?”
Alyssa rubbed her upper arm up and down, nervously. “Could you talk to Cooper for me? About the lack of medicine. The lack of supplies in general. We just don’t seem to have enough. No offense, but what is it you guys do exactly when you go out on runs?” Dante kept his silence. He might not have agreed with the senseless killings and stealing, but he knew what Cooper would do to him if he found out he talked. “I tried to talk to him about it more than once, but he just waves me off. You’re one of his most trusted, maybe you can make him see reason.” She glanced toward the house Cooper called ‘his tent’. It had a generator for heat, and could easily fit more than a dozen people. “If he listens, maybe we can talk about how unfair the housing is. The kids have to sleep in an ice cold school bus, while he gets to sleep all alone in that big ass tent of his. But let’s not bring that up, yet. Baby steps.”
Dante had to think. People were afraid to ask Cooper anything, let alone favors. There was no telling how he would react. “I’ll go talk to him. Same place, same time?”
Alyssa winked at him. “You know it.”
Dante turned around. His steps felt heavy, like he wore a ball and chain that was dragging him down. He wasn’t afraid of Cooper. They had known each other for only four months, but they fought together. They were brothers in arms, whether either of them liked it or not. Dante pushed the flap aside. He took three steps inside.
Cooper stood around a wooden desk in the middle of the back of the tent. Dwayne, Sly and Josh had gathered around it. All four of them hunched over a map of Georgia on the desk.
“Cooper.” Dante called out to him. Cooper raised his head. He held out his hand with the palm up, gesturing for Dante to speak. “Could we talk in private?”
Josh snorted. “Fuck off, Mute. The men are talkin’-“
“-He wasn’t asking you,” Cooper silenced him, “very well. We’ll pick this up later, gentlemen. Dismissed.” Cooper’s three henchmen left the tent. Josh snarled at Dante as they passed one another. Cooper walked out from behind the desk. “I assume you’re here to give me my knife back. You know I don’t need anyone making a fool out of me in front of the others. I let it slide this time because of our history.”
“I’m not here about your knife.”
Cooper frowned. If anyone else were disobedient, he would have taught them a lesson. He knew better than to screw with the mercenary. “Then you better have a another damn good reason for interrupting me.”
“I’m here about the supplies,” Dante began, “I wouldn’t mind you having your ‘fun’ so much if we actually brought back a substantial amount of supplies. I heard Mitch denied a kid treatment because there wasn’t enough medicine to treat both the kid and Stan. And we both know Stan’s a dead man. He’s been in a coma since he was shot in the chest. And I don’t need to remind you that only happened because you shot first.”
Cooper sat on his desk. He crossed his legs. “Fucking kids have been a drain on our resources for way too long. They get sick so easily. We’re low on medicine because of them, not in spite of them. I wouldn’t mind them so much If their mothers would just put out like they should.” Dante listened to him rant. The last man who interrupted Cooper ended up with a slit throat. “We risk our lives every day. The men risk their lives every day. What are those bitches doing for us? Laundry, cooking? Shit, we can do that, too. If they just all made themselves useful,” he licked the corner of his mouth, “let’s just say that boys have needs. And just for the record, I shot because those assholes weren’t sharing.”
Dante waited before he spoke. “It’s unfair, but everything is now. Train some of the women if you want them to pull their own weight. We took them under our wing, so we might as well take care of them. There’s nothing more sad than dead kids.”
Cooper hopped off the desk. “Yeah, whatever. Did Alyssa send you? She came to me with the same bullshit, and I gave her the exact same answer I did you. She didn’t like it, either. We should just get rid of the of the ones that don’t want to do the only thing they’re good for.”
“We need supplies,” Dante didn’t give up, “if not for them, what are we going to do when another one of our guys gets shot? What if you get shot? You have to stop letting pleasure get in the way of business.”
Cooper slammed his fist down on the desk. His hair untangled as he turned his head. “You don’t tell me what to do, merc.” He took a deep breath, and clenched his teeth. “Sorry about that. Things are a bit tense. I’ll call a town meeting tomorrow morning, and we’ll talk things over with everyone.” Cooper grinned. It was one of the creepiest things Dante had ever seen him do. He merely nodded his head and left.
The full moon shone bright over the Georgian landscape. It illuminated the camp with a white glow. The guards didn’t need flashlights to see in the dark. Dante greeted Sly, who just finished his patrol and was on his way to his tent. Dante stepped up to the school bus, and there she was like always. Her skin looked even more perfect in the glow of the moon. Alyssa grabbed Dante by both forearms. He let the rifle hang from his neck by the strap. They shared a kiss. The left side of the bus was always out of sight from the guards. It is blocked by a tent. “Did you talk to him?” She asked as their lips unlocked.
Dante’s hands slid down her forearms. It made the hair on her body stand up. He stopped at her hands, holding them in his own. “He’s going to call a ‘town meeting’ tomorrow, so we can discuss it with everyone.”
“My hero,” she said, her eyes glistening. She pressed her head against Dante’s chest. “I swear, if I could just take you and Derrick and leave these people, I would. I hate how Cooper keeps us safe.”
Dante caresses her back with the tips of his fingers. They talked for a big part of the night until Alyssa’s eyes closed on their own accord. He escorted her back to the bus, and tucked her in. He made sure none of the guards saw him.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Cooper said loudly, with both arms raised in the air. “A matter has been brought to my attention. If you would all gather ‘round!” He hopped on a wooden box. He overlooked the entire group gather around him. “Closer, closer!” He announced, gesturing with his fingers. “Everyone should be able to get a word in!”
Dante stood at the back of the crowd. He scanned the group of people. He spotted Derrick sitting on his mother’s shoulders.
With his hands still raised, Cooper looked around to make sure every single person was there. The moment he was sure, he swiftly lower his hands. This was their cue. Twenty of Cooper’s most loyal followers opened fire on the crowd. Gunfire thundered throughout the camp as people screamed in terror. Women and men alike all fell down like toy soldiers. The hail of bullets perforated them, spraying blood all over the grass and tents.
Dante lost sight of Alyssa and Derrick. He duck down behind a jeep. He held on to his rifle, ready to use. The gunfire stopped. Dante heard footsteps on the side of the jeep. It was Josh. Dante immediately pointed his rifle at him. Josh did the same in return. When he was sure that Dante wouldn’t pull the trigger, he laughed. “Boss! ‘Ey, Boss! I found ‘im! He’s right here!”
“Ah, Dante. There you are. My apologies for not warning you in advance.” Cooper said as he stepped off the box.
Dante refused to lower his weapon. “What the fuck was that?”
Cooper amusedly shrugged his shoulders. “I fixed our problem. Now there’s plenty of supplies for everyone!” After he got no reaction out of Dante, Cooper’s amusement subsided slightly. “Truth to be told, me and the boys, we’ve been talking about this for a while now. What you said yesterday, about the kids hindering Stan’s recovery, I knew we had to do it. Now, would both of you please lower your weapons?”
“Him first!” Josh shouted.
Cooper rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Both of you, weapons down. Or I’ll lower them for you.” Both Dante and Josh lower their rifles. Josh spat near Dante’s feet. “I again apologize for keeping you out of the loop, Dante, but the boys were a little on the fence about you. I kind of agree with them. Can we fully trust you?”
“You can.”
Good. I guess we’ll have to take your word for it. For now.” Cooper noticed something in the distance. The guys he sent to collect any of the women who escaped were coming back. And they had four female prisoners. Alyssa was with them. Her shin had been shattered by a bullet. “Ladies, ladies,” Cooper grinned, sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth, “you’re the lucky ones. We’re going to let you live. Just cater to our needs. After all, the boys, we risk our lives for your safety. We just expect a little something in return.”
One of the women right next to Alyssa spat out a blob of blood. “Fuck y-“ Cooper drew his silver pistol. He put it to her head and pulled the trigger. The shot deafened Alyssa.
“I assume there are no other objections, then? I don’t hear anything. Good! Put ‘em in the bus.”
Sly pulls Alyssa to her feet. She raised her head, and saw him in the crowd. He turned his head away, but she had recognized him already. “Dante! How could you! How could you! They killed my boy! I loved you!”
Cooper’s eyes shot open. He raised his eyebrows up as far as he could. “Dante, you didn’t tell me you’ve had her! Good job, brother!”
Alyssa slipped from Sly’s grip while he was too busy laughing at Cooper’s quip. She didn’t run away like Sly expected her to. She ran towards the group of men, towards Dante. Before she could reach him, Josh clocked her in the face with the butt of his gun. She fell. Her forehead was split and bled heavily. Cooper squatted down besides her. “Not that pretty now, anymore. You don’t mind if I have a go with her, do you, pal?” Dante shook his head. Cooper pulled Alyssa up violently, escorting her to his tent by the arm. She cried, begged for mercy. This was only going to be the first time, but not the last.
Her forehead suddenly burst open, as a single bullet penetrated the back of her skull. Cooper angrily spun around. Dante’s rifle was still raised, the barrel smoking. The entire group of men was quiet, waiting anxiously for Cooper to retaliate. Instead, he burst out laughing. “Ho-ly shit! Hahaha! That shot was a-ma-zing! I’m not even mad!” He picked away a tear of laughter. “She was probably going to be more trouble than she was worth, anyways. Did you see how she just charged at us? Jesus.” Cooper cleared his throat. He chuckled a few more times. “Alright, alright. Let’s pack our shit up and move out, boys! I heard about a supermarket being around here somewhere.”
Cooper left Alyssa’s body. Dante kneels besides her and carefully turns her over. Her eyes were wide open. He closed them, and crossed her arms. She looked peaceful now. He saved her from a fate worse than death. Dante didn’t shed a tear. He wouldn’t show that to the others. They wouldn’t tolerate that weakness. He got in the truck with Dwayne, who tried to fist bump him. Dante didn’t look back as they drove away.
The End.
If you mean Jonah, he has a pretty long story to himself in Journey.
