The Monster Hunter Ch. 41-50

Ch. 43

Michael was frozen in place, shocked by what Angel had just done to him. She called him 'Mister Johnson' and ordered him out of her home and her life.

Angel didn't stick around to say anything more; she took off like a shot, running up the stairs and into her bedroom. He heard her door slam shut. In his mind, it was a gavel slamming down as the judge proclaimed his sentence.

Banished.

Disowned.

No longer welcome.

His head was spinning with how quickly his life had fallen apart. Michael closed his eyes and went through his confession and her reaction again and again, trying to figure out what he could do to fix this. Ten minutes later, he concluded that he was fucked. Angel didn't throw him out, but she wanted him out of her life as soon as possible. What would he do next?

Could he crash with Amber and her roommate?

Get a hotel room or apartment?

Or maybe he should blow his brains out and end his tortured life before he hurt her even more?

"FUCK!" He swept everything from his bed, the phone, tablet, and remote clattering across the wood floor. "Oh fuck." The angry outburst had consequences beyond the spidered screen of his iPhone lying face up under the television. He'd ripped open his stitches, and he could feel the blood seeping out as he gritted his teeth against the stabbing pain. He let his head fall to the pillow as he waited for the worst of the pain to pass.

He deserved the pain.

There was nothing he could do now to change what he had done.

There was no use in calling for help about his wounds, either. Michael knew her temper was not one of an Angel, and Amber wouldn't be back for hours. If he screamed for help, she'd call an ambulance for him. If he had any chance to salvage his only family, he'd have to do it on his own.

Doing so would not be simple with the heavily bandaged wounds on his butt and left leg. "Suck it up, Marine," he said to himself as he rolled onto his right side. When he had help available and needed to use the bathroom, one of the girls would support his legs as he slid over until his hip was at the edge of the bed. They could keep his left leg straight and supported as Michael pushed to a sitting position. Once both feet were on the ground, they could help him to his feet without bending his left leg. Once standing up, he'd use crutches to keep the weight off the injured leg. It took him several minutes to make his way up and over to the bathroom, but it was better than a bedpan.

Doing it alone was much harder. Michael tossed the blanket aside, revealing his nude form underneath. It took him a full minute to shift his way sideways, an inch or two at a time, until he was laying along the edge. He could somewhat support the weight of his left leg with his right, but now he'd have to commit. He moved his arms and twisted his upper body so he could push himself upright, then moved his legs over the edge.

"SHIT, that hurts," he said after his heels hit the ground. Any muscle movement in his legs or butt set off stabbing pains as the shrapnel injuries tugged at stitches and pulled apart healing tissue. Michael tried not to move, riding the wave of pain until it broke on the beach. "And that was the easy part."

Without someone to help him stand and his crutches out of reach on the floor, he'd have to spin around and push himself to his feet. He let out a scream as he did it, the pain bringing tears to his eyes as he stood upright on one leg.

And that was when he realized his plan to go upstairs on his crutches had a fatal flaw. The crutches were on the floor in front of the couch six feet away. Even if he walked there, how the hell would he pick them up? He looked around and considered his next move. While standing there waiting for the pain to subside, he thought about how to save his relationship with his sister. He'd hurt her badly, and it would take spectacular groveling to get her to listen now. He moved his left leg forward six inches, shifted his weight, stepped his right foot forward, and almost went down from the pain.

It took him ten minutes to travel the twenty feet or so from the bed to the stairs. He couldn't take a straight path, as he needed to use furniture or the wall to aid his motion. By the time he reached the first step, his body was in constant agony, and his bandages soaked in blood. Hey, it was only thirteen steps, he told himself. Michael leaned forward and pushed up with his arms as his right leg did a little hop up to the next step. He would grit his teeth against the pain, wait until he was ready, then do it again. He could hear the shower turn off upstairs and held out the hope that it had relaxed her.

With three steps to go, everything went to shit. Michael didn't get his foot high enough, but his weight was already forward, and it wasn't coming back. His right foot slipped on the carpet, then didn't find purchase on the next step either. His right leg wasn't going to stop him. Michael was falling onto his face and had to let go of the handrail to break his fall as his body slammed down onto the stairway with a loud thump.

Gravity always wins in the end, and Michael slid down four more steps before he was able to stop himself. He screamed in agony as his left leg bent and twisted, ripping apart the recently-repaired wounds. "DAMMIT! FUCK! FUCKING STAIRS!"

He heard the door open, then the sound of running feet as Angel ran from her room to the top of the stairs. "Michael? JESUS, MICHAEL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT OF BED!"

He looked up at his sister in time to see the towel fall from around her. Her mouth was open as she looked down at his naked body, bleeding and twisted, stuck halfway up the stairs.

In the military, falling on your face would get you a good ribbing from your buddies unless you had a good line when you sat up. Michael couldn't think of a funny way out of this. "Ow?"

"Don't move," she told him as she moved down the stairs until she was even with his legs. Angel helped move his injured leg straight again. "No point in trying to stand up in the middle, Michael. Roll onto your right side, and I'll control the leg as you slide back down."

The two worked to ease his body down the stairs until his feet were on the living room carpet again. Angel got under his left arm and threw it across her shoulders, helping him stand up. He was shaky and pale with tears streaking his face, and blood was starting to trail down his leg. "Stay here," she told him after she retrieved his crutches for him. "I've got to take you to the emergency room because you've ripped all your stitches apart. What part of 'rest and only move with help' did you not listen to?"

She ran upstairs, quickly pulling on clothes and grabbing her purse plus his bathrobe. Michael didn't care about the pain; Angel's talk and touch, even if it was to tell him he was a fucking idiot, was an improvement. He could take anything he said as long as she didn't write him out. She helped him get the robe on, then walked ahead as he moved through the kitchen to the garage.

She got him into the back of her SUV, and they left for the drive to the nearest emergency room. "What were you THINKING, Michael?"

"I had to apologize and try to make it right, Angel. I love you, and that will never change. I got so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't stop to think how much it would hurt you if you found out."

She couldn't believe it. "My brother is a serial killer, and you didn't stop to think it would hurt me? How is that even POSSIBLE?"

Michael knew that only the truth would have a chance. "When we were back there, I hated the people who hurt us. I couldn't believe God would let them go free and have their lives while we got hell an hour at a time. I killed the ones who abused me, and that was good. Taking out the ones that hurt you was far more satisfying because I'd finally made good on my vow to protect you from them." Angel didn't say anything to that. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to suffer the weight of their deaths on your conscience. You're a better person than me, and you always have been. There's something wrong with me, something they broke long ago in that room. I've accepted that I can't get it back because it freed me to do this. I'm a killer, Angel. No regrets, no remorse. I take them out like I take out the kitchen trash."

"And you'll keep killing?"

"The Monster Hunter idea is bigger than any one person now, Angel. He's a celebrity, with a Facebook page, a fan club, and a YouTube channel. In one poll I saw, over half of the American people thought he was right. Twenty-three predators dead. Multiple trafficking and prostitution rings shut down using the information I left behind. Three of the five on my list are off the street, and all I did was point a finger and tell them what to do. Thulsa Doom was right; you can't buy that kind of power! Imagine what I can do after it becomes five of five? They'll be running to the cops to confess!"

Angel shook her head as she made a turn at a light. "You have to stop, Michael. You'll make a mistake, they'll catch you, and I go down with you. Walk away from it! STOP! You don't need the money, and you can make a life for yourself with Amber! We can have our happily ever afters, raising families and getting together on holidays. The ONLY way this ends well is if you can leave it in the past. Make a clean break, find your new path, and go forward from there. Stop now, and I won't say anything to anyone. Today will be the last time we ever speak about it."

Michael understood her plea, but she didn't understand him. It was such a RUSH! No drug in the world, no adrenaline-fueled adventure, no near-death experience could compare to how it made him feel. He was Judge, Jury, and Executioner. He held the very power of God in his hands as he took VENGEANCE! "And if I don't stop?"

Angel wiped the tear from her face. "Then I'll arrest you myself, Michael. I'll watch as they lock you up, then put you down like a rabid dog." She pulled in front of the emergency room doors and went inside to get help as Michael tried to decide his next move.

Ch. 44

Amber helped the manager close up the furniture showroom at nine PM, then clocked out in the employee break room and grabbed her things. "Walk me out?"

"Sure," William said. He was the other salesman working her shift tonight, another college student making extra money. He loved the job, as he wanted to work in interior design after graduation. They walked out the side door to the employee parking area backed by low fencing and dense woods. It creeped Amber out as she walked through the empty lot, a single security light casting long shadows. After her near-miss at the bar, she was vigilant about threats around her. "Are you all right, Amber? You look distracted."

"I'm just anxious to get back to my boyfriend," she told him. That was part of her problem, but the only part she wanted to discuss. She didn't know for sure yet, but she'd stop at the drugstore so she could find out. Amber hadn't told many people about her relationship with Michael, but William was gay, discreet, and always gave good advice. He was the first to notice she was in love. "He needs to rest and heal, and Angel can't take care of him alone."

"Take care of yourself, too," William replied. "You've fallen hard for this guy, and love is messing with your head. It's all right to take a breath and make sure of your feelings. You've never even lived on your own. It's better to take it slow and enjoy some freedom before you commit to him."

They'd talked about this while the store was empty; William was worried about the age difference between them. After all, she was a 21-year-old college student, and he'd been out of school for a decade. They weren't at the same places in life. They reached her car. "Michael's a good guy, and right now, he can't even turn over in bed or go to the bathroom without assistance. I think that any virtue I have left is mostly safe with him," she said with a giggle. "Thanks."

She got into her Ford Taurus and started it up, waving to William as she pulled out. Amber had a short drive to the closest drugstore; going in, she went to the aisle and bought what she needed, paying at the pharmacy in the back. She took the box into the bathroom nearby, and three minutes later, the plus sign told her what she feared.

Her period was a week late for a reason.

Dammit! She tossed the used test into the garbage, washing her hands as tears started to fall down her face. Single motherhood wasn't in her life plan right now, and how would Michael react to the news? Would it bring them closer or drive them apart? Would Michael insist she get rid of it?

What would her parents think? She hadn't even told them she HAD a boyfriend, much less that he was thirty years old. What would they say if they found out she was pregnant and alone? Would they insist on abortion so she wouldn't ruin her life?

Amber knew she couldn't do that. Something had changed in her, even before the positive test. When she reached seven days after her period should have started and nothing, she knew she was a Mom. As shocking as it was, she already loved her child.

She walked out, her left hand unconsciously resting on her flat-for-now stomach. The pharmacy tech saw her face and knew instantly what the answer was. The woman didn't have a ring on, and you only buy that test late at night if you're worried. She almost ran out from behind the desk to talk to her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm in shock," Amber said. "I'll be fine. Thanks." She kept the bag with the two remaining tests and bought a Coke before leaving. Sitting in her car, she fished her phone out of her purse and checked messages while she tried to stop crying. She didn't have any from Michael since shortly after she left, but she had one from Angel.

"CALL ME YOUR BOYFRIEND WAS AN IDIOT"

Amber laughed at that, wondering what he had done. Michael could be a cold professional when needed, but at other times, he was a goofball. She touched the number to call. "What did he do this time," Amber asked when Angel answered.

"We got in a big fight, and I stormed off to my room. Michael decided he had to come up to apologize NOW instead of waiting until I'd showered and calmed down."

"He's not supposed to get out of bed without help! He can barely stand up!"

"Yeah, but he's one stubborn fucking Marine. He made it three steps from the top of the stairs before he slipped and fell. Now he's torn out most of his stitches and set his recovery back a week."

"Oh, no!" Amber couldn't believe it. Angel was right; her boyfriend was an idiot. "What was he going to do, tell you to calm down? Was he doubling down on stupid?"

"It wasn't just him. I said some things in the heat of the moment that hurt him, and he was worried." Angel didn't say what the fight was about, and Amber wasn't about to get between the siblings. "I don't know what he planned to say, and it doesn't matter now. Don't go home because we're at the hospital." She told him the name so she could set her phone for the right place. "They've taken him back to the operating room to repair the internal stitches and clean it out again. He won't be going home tonight, so you should stay home tonight and drive down in the morning."

Amber's stomach dropped; the last thing she wanted was to spend tonight alone after what she just learned. "No, I'll still come down. I want to see him when he's out of surgery, and I need to talk to someone tonight."

"Fine. I'm in the surgical waiting room. Maybe you can bring me some food because I'm starving. My stupid brother made me miss dinner."

"I'll pick up some Thai food on the way. I'll see you in an hour and a half." Amber hung up and set her phone for directions, then headed for the freeway. She got some pad thai, chicken satay, and cream cheese wontons from their favorite takeout place and brought it to the cafeteria, where Angel was waiting alone. "Hey," she said as Angel looked up at her. "How is he doing?"

"He's out of surgery, now FEED ME!" They attacked the takeout food as Angel filled her in on the events of the day. "They had to open up three of the wounds and re-stitch him, but healing had just started, so it isn't as much of a setback. The nurse said I could see him briefly after he wakes up, but then we have to return in the morning during visiting hours. I asked if they could put him in a full-body cast to keep him from moving, but they said no. I'm still pissed at what he did, Amber. I told the nurse I'd break his right leg and use a garden hose for a catheter if he pulled this again."

"Oh, don't do THAT," Amber replied with a giggle. "I like that part."

Angel rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you're staying. I'm still furious with him, but I don't want him to hurt himself over it."

"What was the fight about?"

Angel thought about what she could say. "Michael looked at some things in my office that were private. I was pretty mad; I told him I couldn't believe my brother would look through my stuff without asking first. I told Michael he could stay until he healed up, but then I wanted him out. That's when I ran upstairs." She wiped away a tear. "I told him he was no brother of mine if he could do that to me."

"Shit. No wonder Michael wanted to apologize so bad." The siblings were close, far closer than Amber was to her much older brothers, from her father's first wife. Both of them worked in Pittsburgh and rarely called. Amber only wished her family had blood bonds as strong as the adoptive ones she saw with these two.

"I just might have overreacted." Angel finished cleaning up from dinner, and they returned to the surgical waiting room just in time. The recovery room nurse led the pair back to where Michael lay alone on his stomach.

He looked at them and smiled. "I'm sorry," he said, still a little groggy from the anesthesia.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Angel replied.

Amber leaned over, holding his hand and kissing him softly. "You were a naughty boy, and now you are back in the hospital instead of home with me."

"Three more lousy steps and I would have been fine," he complained.

"Ten more minutes and I would have come down," Angel replied. "You know my anger burns hot, but not long. You didn't have to bleed all over my carpet to talk to me." Amber stepped back, and Angel leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I told her you looked in my office, nothing else," she whispered.

There wasn't much more time to talk before they had to leave. When the pair arrived home, Angel had one thing in mind. "I need wine and the hot tub," she said as she peeled off her clothes in the living room. "Grab the wine from the fridge?"

Amber opened a bottle of white zin and grabbed a glass and a bottle of water. She stripped off her clothes and joined Angel in the hot tub, groaning in pleasure as she sank into the warm bubbles. Angel poured a tall glass and looked over, confused. "No wine for you?"

Amber took a drink of water. "I need to talk to someone before I tell Michael," she replied. Amber told Angel about the pregnancy test and her fears of how her family and Michael would react. Angel listened without interrupting, finally pulling the crying girl into her arms as she broke down crying.

Angel turned off the hot tub and helped her out. "You're pregnant, so you shouldn't spend too much time in here," she told her. "Michael loves you, and he will love your child without condition. You have no idea just how much he needs you in his life right now."

After she settled Amber into Michael's bed, Angel sat in the dining room with her bottle of wine, thinking about how this all might play out. Fatherhood changed people, and maybe it would give Michael the push to give up his past and start anew.

Ch. 45

Michael smiled as the two ladies left the recovery room after their short visit. He'd had the chance to apologize to Angel, and he was sure she hadn't meant it when she said she wanted him out of her life. "I probably should move out," Michael mumbled to himself. He thought about his options. Michael didn't want to live too far away, but both of them were changing now. He finally had a steady girlfriend, and Daniel was serious about Angel.