Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Mine ❯ Shattered Resistance ( Chapter 53 )

 

Disclaimer: Hmmm... I own my kids (Because I made them) I own my husband, (Because the Marriage License says so) and I own a REALLY big mortgage. (Because I'm stupid and signed on the dotted line.) However I don't own Trigun. (Because if I did, I wouldn't have said mortgage.)

“blah blah” : talking

`blah blah' : thinking

“blah blah” : telepathic talking

blah blah : other misc. stuff.

 

*~*~*

 

Forever Mine

Chapter 53: Shattered Resistance

 

 

 

I love you.

 

A shiver ran throughout her very being as she closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Vash just said that he loved her, finally in person and now of all times, when she was at her weakest. Meryl didn't know how she could possibly resist him any longer. Hell, did she even want to? No, she didn't, she was just so tired of the arguments, the jealously ripping through her every time he went off skirt chasing. Not to mention, the petite beauty was tired of not being close to him, both mentally and physically. But, could she simply forgive all of the heartache he had caused prior to saying those three little words? And what would prevent it from happening again? However, before she could contemplate those questions, the ex-outlaw continued.

 

“Ya' know… its kinda funny,” Vash started, as a cheerless laugh escaped his lips. “You and Milly followed me around for so long and now here I am… following you. Pretty ironic, isn't it?”

 

“Yeah,” Meryl whispered, her eyes still closed as she started to chew on her bottom lip. She could at least move that.

 

“Oh god, Meryl, I…I never wanted any of this to happen. Surely you must know that!” he cried out, unable to hold back his emotions any longer. The tears started to flow freely down his cheeks as he looked at her profile and knew there was no stopping now. Either way, the state of uncertainty would come to an end. “When Jessica tricked me into the engagement, I didn't know what to do. I never wanted to be with her. I thought of her as a little sister. I still do!”

 

“But why didn't you come to me that night, instead of going out drinking?”

 

“I…I was scared,” he stuttered before adding, “I was afraid you would push me away, so I went out to be alone, while trying to think of a way out of the fiasco, myself. And when I couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't hurt somebody in the end, I came looking for you. I knew you would think of something…”

 

“Except Jessica showed up before you had a chance to say anything because I was too stubborn to leave with you,” she finished for him.

 

“Well… yeah, but none of that was your fault,” he quickly interjected, so the short-girl knew he wasn't laying the blame on her. “It was all mine, I should have known to come to you right away! Hell, I should have known better then to get stuck in such a situation, but I didn't and ended up losing you,” he confessed before pausing for just a moment so he could collect his thoughts. After taking a shaky breath, he continued, “When you left, part of me left with you. I felt so lost, so alone and I didn't know what to do with myself. So I…I started drinking… a lot. Knives said I was trying to kill myself and I guess in a way I was. I was trying to kill all the pain I was feeling on the inside with alcohol. Then he finally helped me snap out of it.”

 

“Knives did?”

 

“Yeah, he helped me quite a bit. As a matter of fact, it was his idea to take over the Federal Building,” he said as another miserable laugh escaped his lips. “So, with his help, I was able to get out the engagement, have the bounty dropped and became a Federal Marshal. Ya' know…” Vash added, before pausing momentarily as a small smile graced his lips. “It's kinda hard to believe that he's the same person who wanted to wipe out mankind not too long ago.”

 

“You've helped him a lot, too, you know,” Meryl quietly remarked.

 

“I guess so, but ya' know what? He didn't agree with how I handled things once we met up with you,” Vash told her, still staring at her stunning profile as the smile disappeared from his face. “From the very beginning, he wanted me to tell you why I came after you, but I was so jealous of Walker that I couldn't think straight. So instead I came up with the crazy idea, that if I made you jealous then you would come back to me. That's the only reason why I was acting like a…

 

“Like a complete reprobate?” Meryl supplied for the golden blonde after he trailed off.

 

“Yeah, but I swear to you, I didn't do anything, with any of them,” he whispered desperately, finally walking up from his position by her bed to stand directly in front of her. He then mentally commanded his short-girl to move her neck, essentially making her tilt her head and gaze into his eyes. Meryl saw that he had stripped everything away, showing his very soul within their aqua-blue depths and knew that he was in just as much pain as she was. “You have to believe me, Meryl! I don't want to be with anyone else. All I want is to be with you forever! And if I have to spend the rest of my days proving it to you, then I will, gladly.”

 

“BBB…But what if something like this happens again?” she asked as her own tears started to slip down her cheeks. “I…I don't know if I could handle it…”

 

“We could always get married,” he suggested, while watching as she closed her eyes and took shaky breath, showing her obvious anxiety over the offer. “At least that would prevent me from getting engaged to someone else,” he quickly added, hoping to calm her.

 

“I…I don't know…” she whispered, opening her eyes.

 

“Meryl… I can't promise that I won't screw up along the way, especially with the way trouble likes to follow me. But, what I can guarantee is that no one will ever love you as much as I do. God… I really do, Meryl. So much that it hurts and just knowing that I may not ever be able to hold you again is tearing me up inside,” he replied with conviction before closing his eyes and exhaling unevenly. As much as he wanted too, he knew he couldn't make her take him back. Opening his eyes, he took a deep breath before continuing. “AAA…And I know I… ahhh… can't force you into taking me back. So, I…I will leave this up to you. If you decide that it just isn't worth it and you never want to… ahhh… see me again, then… I'll honor your… wishes. After you're safe from harm, that is.”

 

“YYY…You promise?” she stuttered, after hearing the sincerity in his voice. She knew that he was leaving the fate of their relationship in her unsure hands.

 

“I promise,” Vash solemnly replied, while staring intently into her now heather colored orbs. “And I say…” he then began, only to pause briefly, in order to take another step closer. Raising his real hand, he cupped her cheek before breathing out, “…let's seal it with a kiss.”

 

And with that, he closed the miniscule gap between them and kissed her.

 

The kiss was long, lingering and so much more than just two people's lips pressed together in a simple gesture of affection. It was profound, as if two lost souls found one another again after a lifetime of searching and they both knew in that single instance neither would feel complete without the other. Then suddenly, the acute need to deepen the kiss shot through both of them simultaneously and the next thing they knew, they were eagerly engaging in a blistering exchange that left them both desperate with want.

 

Meryl wasn't entirely certain who initiated the heated lip lock and at that particular moment in time, she didn't care. All she cared about was that she was ardently kissing the Humanoid Typhoon, who now had his arms wrapped securely around her waist as he held her suspended in the air, pressed firmly against his chest. She absently noticed that he must have, at some point, relinquished his mental hold on her, because she had her own arms wrapped around his neck, with her fingers buried in his spiky hair.

 

This was it, the all consuming heat and the feeling of oneness that Meryl thought she would never experience again. But, there she was, not even twenty minutes after thinking those morose thoughts, partaking in the most Gunsmoke-shattering kiss that she had ever experienced. She couldn't deny it any longer; she needed him, like a plant needed water and sunshine. And in her heart, she knew right then and there that she would always be his, forever. The consequences be damned.

 

Vash thought he was in heaven, because there he was holding an angel in his arms, never wanting to let her go. Her sweet lips pressed against his as their tongues danced in the most pleasurable of ways and he had a feeling that if he were to take things further, she wouldn't have any qualms about it. They would eventually end up lying naked in between the white cotton sheets of her twin bed, sharing each other bodies in an intimate exchange of love and lust.

 

Oh how he was so tempted to do just that. It had been so long since he felt her silky heat against his battered body and the mere thought of seeing every inch of her shapely form again stirred him like nothing else could. Unfortunately, the ex-outlaw knew he couldn't take advantage of the situation or of her. He had just promised that he would leave the decision up to her, after all. And he knew he would not be able to keep his word if they ended up in bed together. Hell, even if they didn't make love, Vash doubted he could let her go.

 

Mind made up, the enamored blonde knew he needed to end their embrace and, reluctantly, pulled away from her lips. Taking a deep breath, he slowly set his Meryl on her feet again and made sure she was steady before un-wrapping his arms from her waist. He then moved his hands up to her shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her lightly on the forehead before completely stepping back so he could look at her.

 

`God, she's gorgeous,' he groaned internally has he took in her passion-clouded eyes, reddened kiss-swollen lips, flushed skin and the way her chest heaved from the intensity of the moment. It took every ounce of his willpower not to succumb to the stunning temptress before him. He closed his eyes, taking several deep and even breaths in order to calm the raging desire running rampant through his veins. A few moments later, Vash finally calmed down enough to think rationally and opened his jade-colored orbs, pinning her with his intense gaze. Meryl simply stood there in the exact same state as a few minutes before, like she was in some sort of heat induced trance.

 

“As promised, I will leave our fate in your capable hands,” Vash breathed huskily, still feeling the lingering effects that she had on his body as he pulled something out of an invisible pocket. Reaching for her right hand with his prosthetic one, he gently grasped it and placed the item in her palm with his right before closing her fingers over it. “If you choose not to see me again then please consider my debt paid in full,” he whispered cryptically as he let go of her hand before turning on his heel and walking toward the exit. Once there, he opened the door only to pause for a moment as he looked back over his shoulder to her stunned form and added…

 

“And please remember that no matter what you decide, I will always love you…”

 

Then with that declaration, Vash `the Stampede' Saverem stepped out into the hallway closing the door softly behind him.

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

“So what are we gonna do now?” McKenna asked after setting her coffee cup down and looking over to the platinum blonde man sitting across the table from her.

 

“Well woman… after we have our mediocre breakfast, if it ever arrives, we are going to find you more suitable attire,” Knives responded haughtily, without looking up from the paper he was currently reading.

 

“That's not what I mean!” she protested, getting tired of hearing him complain about her clothing. “I meant now that we have what we came here for, what do you have planned?” she clarified as she pulled the paper over from its vertical position so she could see him.

 

He shot her an annoyed glare before completely setting the paper down and reaching for his cup of tea. He knew exactly what she meant, but he wasn't completely certain what they should do yet. He wanted to discuss their options with Vash before committing to anything. Taking a sip of the distasteful brew, he absently thought about how much he missed the tea on the ship and set the cup back down in its saucer ahead of giving her his complete attention. “So, you don't want to go and find something similar to what that whore was wearing last night? I have acquired the address of a lingerie store where we can make such purchases.”

 

“No… I mean… yes, we can do that,” she faltered as her cheeks turned pink, while hoping the other patrons having breakfast out on the hotel's patio didn't hear him. She knew he did it on purpose just to get a rise out of her, especially since he was smirking and had a mischievous gleam in his eyes. It was one thing to talk about intimacies in a, well a brothel, but in the middle of a busy outside restaurant was another matter. “But, what about later? I know it probably won't be such a good idea to stay here for a few days like we first planned.”

 

“I concur,” he sighed, fully aware that she was referring to what Caden told them last night about Cruz's henchmen being in town. “I want to discuss the matter with Vash first, but it would probably be in our best interest to head back to New DC today. Once we drop you and Vash's ex-p… Meryl and Milly off, we will go after our targets and dispose of them.”

 

“But Espoera is southwest of here! Why go east, then back track just to head south? Besides, you know Meryl and Milly won't agree to that!” Mac pointed out, instantly opposed to the plan. “I won't agree to it, either! I'm not getting left behind.”

 

“If that is what's decided upon, then you won't have a choice,” he commanded, while leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “I refuse to let you go anywhere near where you will be in harm's way!”

 

“But Alexander…” she started only to have Knives cut her off.

 

“No McKenna, there is no room for argument in this,” Knives exclaimed, worry evident in his tone. “This isn't going to be like our take over in New DC. The people we are going after won't care if civilians are involved and I am not willing to take the chance of you getting hurt. You will go home to your father and stay put until I come after you! Do you understand?”

 

“I understand,” the redhead mumbled out. Even though she didn't like the idea, McKenna knew he was right. The women would be safer if they stayed with her father. It was just that she would worry while he was gone, not to mention missing him terribly.

 

“I will be fine,” he pointed out telepathically, giving her a reassuring smile as their waiter finally brought their breakfast to the table. After the waiter set their matching plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast down and left, the two ate in verbal and mental silence, until Knives decided to break it a few minutes later. Picking up his tea, he took another sip, while mentally whispering, “And I'll miss you, too.”

 

“Really?” she asked out loud with a fork full of eggs positioned right in front of her mouth.

 

“Of course woman,” he replied, setting his cup down so he could smile wickedly at her. “I'm especially going to miss the way you warm the sheets at night.”

 

“You are insatiable,” she exclaimed, blushing again, while shaking her head as she chucked over his response. However, she knew he wasn't kidding. He really had a voracious appetite when it came to bedroom activities and sometimes he just plain wore her out. Not that she was complaining, though. Knives made her feel beautiful and desirable, something McKenna never thought she would be. “Well then…” she started after her laughter died and her aurulent orbs glittered. If he could talk so blatantly in public, then so could she. “I suppose we'll have to have to buy more than one negligee. One for before and one for after…”

 

“Woman, you've actually come up with another excellent idea,” he said as his eyes darkened with the prospect. However, before he could command her to hurry and eat so they could go shopping, Vash contacted him. After disclosing their location to his twin, Knives advised his mate that Vash would be joining them momentarily.

 

“Hey… ahhh…. guys,” Vash called out a minute later as he stepped up to their table, his golden spikes brushing the underside of the pale blue umbrella shading them from the morning sun.

 

“Good morning, Vash,” McKenna smiled warmly before asking, “Would you like to join us?”

 

“Ummm… no thanks red.”

 

“What's wrong?” Knives asked, feeling the nervousness running through his twin. “And don't say nothing!”

 

“Well…” Vash replied slowly, knowing full well that he couldn't get away without telling them what just happened. “I just told Meryl the truth.”

 

“And?” both McKenna and Knives prodded at the same time.

 

“It's in her hands now,” he whispered as sad smile crossed his face. “And I just stopped by to tell you I'm going for a walk. I need to think things through.”

 

“Alright Vash,” Knives simply said, while watching his brother guardedly. “Where are you going?”

 

“I don't know really, outside of town somewhere, I suppose.” Vash gestured in a vague direction.

 

“We are probably going to head out in a few hours, so don't wander off too far,” Knives advised. Then after taking a bite of toast, he informed him, “Walker said he saw our adversaries last night.”

 

“I know,” the ex-outlaw sighed. “In that case then, I'll just head out to the cliffs south of here. They're only about an ile away,” he added as he reached for his shades and slipped them on. Then, turning on his heel, he walked away.

 

“Do you think it will work out?” McKenna asked as she watched Vash's retreating form.

 

“I hope so. My brother deserves a break.”

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

His heartfelt words, sad voice, and tear filled eyes, Meryl couldn't get them out of her head. The images of Vash's confession kept replaying over and over again in her mind as she realized that he was hurting just as much as she was, maybe more; if she included the guilt eating him up inside. He said that he never meant for any of it to happen and that he wanted to be with her forever.

 

The petite beauty truly believed him, but just as she was wondering if it was all worth it, he just had to go and kiss her, knocking her completely senseless. That was something Vash should be quite proud of. After all, it wasn't everyday a Stryfe could be rendered immobile, at least, without telepathic assistance that is. But, she was and Meryl mutely stood there after the impromptu make out session, still thoroughly caught up in the moment and utterly stunned that he had actually stopped. She had really hoped the amorous blonde would keep on going until they both ended up sweaty, sated, and wrapped around each other in between rumpled sheets. Unfortunately, Vash pulled back, his husky muttering nearly incoherent, saying it was up to her before placing something in her hand. Then he left, but not before telling her that he would always love her.

 

So she just stood there, blankly staring at the closed door for what seemed like forever, until a specific image began to replay in her muddled brain. It was the vision of him placing a tiny item in her hand. Gaining control of her wits, the small insurance girl looked down at her closed hand as she raised it and uncurled her fingers. Nestled there was a tiny black pouch of crushed velvet with a drawstring closing one end. Taking a deep breath, Meryl opened the pouch and dumped the contents into her left hand.

 

“Oh Vash,” Meryl whispered, dropping the bag, while instantly raising her right hand to cover her mouth as tears slipped down her face. There, in her palm, was a pair of long and slender earrings made of gold that shone brightly as the room's light reflected off of their recently polished surfaces. They were the same earrings she had used to barter in helping to purchase the truck…

 

Her earrings.

 

`But how?' she thought to herself, not knowing how he could have found out about the transaction, unless someone told him. Though, she wasn't certain who could have other than Milly and she promised not to tell Vash. Then something else crossed her mind as she absently put her earrings in…

 

Vash told her that their getting back together was up to her, but he left before she could give him the answer.

 

“That spiky haired pea-brained idiot!” she groused, now fully coherent, before striding up to the door and yanking it open. How could he possibly think that she would say no? Couldn't he tell that she needed him like the air she breathed? And the very thought of him not waiting for the obvious pissed her off. Enough in fact, that she was going after him right now, just so she could give him a piece of her mind before dragging him back to her room (unless he was already in his) so she could prove it to him, repeatedly.

 

However, before she could take two steps out into the hallway, she realized that she didn't have her boots on. With a muttered curse flowing from her mouth, she marched back through the door and grabbed her boots from the floor before stepping over to the dresser to pull a pair of socks out. After hastily putting them on, she took off through the open door, completely forgetting her white over shirt and cape.

 

Reaching Vash's room, the short-girl instantly knocked and patiently waited (for about two seconds) before knocking again. After giving him four more seconds to respond to the second knock, she tried for a third time, while calling out his name, hoping that would prompt him to open the door. When he didn't answer after the third time, she figured it was safe to assume that he wasn't there and decided to check with Mac and Knives. Turning around, she headed across the hall to the room marked `207' and knocked.

 

After frustrating wait, of about ten seconds, she realized they weren't in their room either. So, she quickly made her way down to the lobby to check with the front desk, where she found out that the two were having breakfast on the patio. Giving the concierge a smile and a thank you, Meryl headed across the lobby to the hotel's restaurant, eventually going through the French doors that led to the patrons dining alfresco. She paused for a moment, just outside the doorway as her eyes moved over the tables searching for the couple. Once spotting them, she immediately walked toward their table.

 

“That was mush faster than expected,” Knives commented to McKenna right before Meryl stopped right in front of them.

 

“What was much faster than expected?” Meryl asked irritably as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at the platinum blonde.

 

“Good morning, Meryl,” Mac quickly interjected to keep the two from verbally sparring; it was just too early in the morning, after all.

 

“Good morning, McKenna,” she replied warmly, turning her attention to the redhead and promptly letting her guard down. “Have you seen Vash?”

 

“Actually, he just left here no more than ten minutes ago. Why, is there something wrong?” the redhead asked.

 

“I'll say there is!” Meryl exclaimed huffily before instantly adding, “He just had the audacity to sneak into my room so he could whine and cry about how miserable he's been without me and then he just up and left! I swear, he has absolutely no sense! Either that or he's too afraid to face me! As he should be, because once I find that broom-headed buffoon, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!”

 

“I bet that's not all you're gonna give him,” Knives muttered as he casually reached for his paper, completely ignoring the glares he was receiving from both women.

 

“Anyway,” McKenna started, once returning her attention to Meryl. “Vash said that he was heading somewhere so he could think.”

 

“Do you know where?”

 

“He's heading out to the cliffs south of here,” Knives answered from behind his paper.

 

“Oh well… I… ahhh… guess I should head that way then, huh,” Meryl anxiously said as she ran her hand through her hair. She was suddenly feeling a bit nervous about seeing him already.

 

“Meryl, would you like for me to walk with you?” Mac asked, fully knowing that her friend needed a little reassurance.

 

“Would you?” Meryl asked back in relief, while internally thanking the young doctor for noticing that she didn't want to go alone. “I mean… that is if you don't have anything better to do,” she quickly added, trying to cover up her desperation.

 

“No, nothing that can't wait,” she replied before looking over to Knives and adding, “Do you mind if I walk with Meryl? We can go shopping once I get back.”

 

“You have my permission, woman,” Knives autocratically granted, not taking his eyes off of the paper. “Besides, I may actually be able to finish reading this without you here distracting me every few minutes,” he purposely added right before lowering the paper so he could give her a teasing smile.

 

“God, you're such a pompous ass,” she replied, with a roll of her eyes as she rose from the table and stepped over to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. Pulling away, she gave him a wink and mentally added that she would see him within the hour. Then, shoulder to shoulder, both women headed off following in the direction Vash had just taken.

 

“Ya' know, this is the first time we've been able to really talk since before Milly and I left New Oregon,” Meryl commented after walking about a half a block away from the hotel.

 

“You're right and don't tell Knives, but I'm glad he didn't want to tag along,” McKenna added, while turning to her and flashing a warm smile at her friend. “Sometimes you just need to be with your girlfriends, right?”

 

“Right!” the short-girl adamantly agreed before stating that it was too bad Milly wasn't with them. McKenna quickly replied with an `absolutely' prior to declaring that once they reached the next town, the three of them would need to go out and without the men. Meryl thought it was a wonderful idea and smiled back as the two made their way down the busy sidewalk.

 

After crossing another street, the pedestrian traffic started to thin with every step the ladies moved toward the outskirts of town. As they walked along, they spoke openly with one another about what had happened since their separation in August, minus the discovery Mac and Knives made. The redhead knew she wasn't supposed to tell Meryl about that. So instead, she told the smaller woman about how Knives and her relationship started out very slowly, until the one night he decided to take it further by feeding the erotic images to her. “I was quite surprised to say the least,” McKenna said with a light laugh. “I would never have thought he would try something so devious just to get me into bed!”

 

“Yeah, I'm surprised he just didn't order you to strip and pleasure him,” Meryl responded dryly before laughing over the very idea of Knives doing something like that, especially since it would have been just like him to do so.

 

“That definitely sounds like him, doesn't it?!” McKenna immediately agreed as she started to laugh again. Once their laughter started to die down, the doctor looked over to the raven-haired woman walking to the right of her and added, “Though, I will admit that even though he still has his `holier than thou' attitude, I can see him becoming more like Vash everyday.”

 

“More like Vash…” Meryl whispered, closing her eyes for a moment as the two started up the incline taking them to where Vash should be. She remembered the outcropping from the last time she was in Inepril City. It was the same place where she and Milly observed the city with binoculars right before `officially' discovering that Vash was really Vash. Of course, Milly thought he was from the beginning.

 

“You know, I don't blame you for being unsure about your relationship with him. I know I would feel same way if I were in your shoes.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, but I will tell you this. I have never seen anyone so torn apart like he was after you went back to December.”

 

“He told me,” Meryl sighed before looking over to her friend and asking, “So, what would you do… if it were you that is?”

 

“I would do exactly what you're doing, Meryl,” McKenna replied warmly as the two turned right to climb up a steeper incline. “I would follow my heart.”

 

“Yeah,” Meryl said quietly, letting silence fall between them as the trek became more strenuous. She was definitely glad that the walk back would much easier, especially if she made Vash carry them back down. It was the least he could do for making them come so far out of town just to retrieve his sorry butt. Then a few minutes later, they finally made it up to the top. Looking around the plateau, Meryl instantly noticed something was amiss. “Where is he?” she asked, slightly breathless, while stepping up to the ledge that overlooked the city. He wasn't anywhere to be found.

 

“I don't know,” the redhead answered at a loss, while panting as well. “Vash said that he was coming out here because he knew we were leaving in a few hours.”

 

“That idiot!” Meryl growled as she placed her hands on her shapely hips. “Knowing him he probably got sidetracked by a bakery or something.”

 

“Maybe,” Mac muttered, as she started to walk toward the open desert that lay behind them. She tilted her head, positive that she could hear the sound of a truck approaching them. She shot a look at Meryl who hadn't heard it yet, since her PNc levels weren't as high. Then the next thing she knew, the redhead heard the crunching sound of multiple pairs of heavy boots coming up the trail they had just climbed. Suddenly, right before them, three men with drawn guns charged out onto the plateau. “Meryl!” she yelled, immediately catching the attention of the petite beauty behind her prior to contacting Knives to tell him that they were in trouble.

 

Hearing McKenna cry out her name, Meryl quickly spun to find three men with their guns trained on them. Her eyes widened upon the realization that she recognized the men, especially the blonde one, Snider. `Oh shit,' she thought desperately as she reached for her cloak only to notice that she wasn't wearing it, again. She knew in that instant they had absolutely no way of defending themselves. McKenna wasn't armed and she could only blame herself for their predicament, because she ran out of her room in such a hurry to find Vash that she completely forgot about grabbing her cape. `Vash where are you?' she thought frantically, praying that he would show up at anytime…

 

“Well, well… look at what we found boys. Luck must be on our side today!” Snider announced just as matching billowing clouds of dust signaled two vehicles were fast approaching from the open desert. With a nod of his head, he motioned for the two other men to grab their captives.

 

“What do you want?” Meryl spat out as a burly man with close cropped red hair and a goatee grabbed her and pointed his gun at her head to keep her from trying to run. Glancing over at Mac, she saw that the other man, just as big and ugly, had his gun pointed at her head as well.

 

“Isn't it obvious, Miss Stryfe? We want you,” Snider laughed cruelly, just as two large all terrain vehicles came to a stop less than three yarz from them.

 

Meryl was just about to tell them that they couldn't have her without a fight, until she felt a familiar presence in her mind. It was Vash. “Vash help,” she telepathically cried.

 

“I'm coming, where are you?”

 

“Where you said you would be!” she sharply replied, as passenger side door on the first vehicle opened. A moment later, a man in a grey trench coat stepped out. He pulled down the matching cap on his head just enough to keep the sun from reflecting off of the metal mask covering half of his face right before he started to walk toward her. “Hurry Vash, its Keele!” the wide-eyed insurance girl added desperately as gravity of the situation dawned on her. They were in big trouble!

 

“Just hold on, I'm only a few minutes away!”

 

“Ahhh… Miss Stryfe, you are looking just as lovely as ever,” Bardeaux commented, as he stopped to stand next to the blonde man, while his eyes glowed sadistically and the uncovered portion of his face revealed a wicked smile. He then looked over to Snider and asked. “Who's the other woman?”

 

“Not sure, sir,” Snider answered before adding. “Today was the first time we ever saw her.”

 

“And the taller woman?”

 

“She went out earlier this morning with Walker.”

 

“Hey, you're not going to get away with this!” Meryl screamed, while Vash just told her that he was almost to the base of the cliff.

 

“Oh, but Miss Stryfe, we are!” Keele laughed before ordering his lackeys to knock the two women out.

 

“I love you, Vash,” the short-girl mentally whispered, pouring her heart and soul into the words sent to her would-be-savior. She was desperately afraid that he might be too late and she would never have the chance to utter those words to him ever. Then before she could say goodbye, she felt the blow to the back of her head, sending her to oblivion.

 

“Okay, let's get them loaded up, boys,” Snider yelled, while Keele walked back to the automobile.

 

“Uhhh… boss,” called out the henchman who was in the process of picking McKenna up, but stopped once a Silver Star fell from her coat pocket and stuck into the sandy soil. “This one's a Federal Marshal,” he quickly added, making Keele stop in his tracks and turn around.

 

“Leave her, then,” he commanded and, once again, started for the vehicle. It was one thing to abduct an insurance girl, but a Federal Marshal was a whole different story. One he didn't want to content with. And he was certain that Arturo Cruz didn't want the feds poking around into their dealings, either. Therefore, they simply left the woman marshal on the ground as they loaded up and rapidly drove off. One vehicle headed to Espoera and the other in the direction of the city so they could deliver a message regarding their recent acquisition to the Bringer of Chaos.

 

Little did they know, but luck was truly on their side that day, because if they would have hesitated, even for a moment, then they would have been greeted with the devil's helper himself. An enraged Humanoid Typhoon charged up the last few feel of the incline just in time to see the vehicles speeding on their way, completely out of reach.

 

“MEEERRRYYYLLL…”