{"id":339,"date":"2022-11-05T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-05T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/?p=339"},"modified":"2022-07-28T11:55:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T11:55:00","slug":"mercenaries-tale-4-04-the-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/mercenaries-tale-4-04-the-crash","title":{"rendered":"Mercenaries’ Tale – 4.04 The Crash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Panting filled the air. Doug was lying on his back on the single bed in the tiny cabin that was Blaise\u2019s room. He could hear the far off sound of the cruise ship\u2019s engines and the creaking of the ship as it battled air resistance. The mattress was thin and lumpy, springs threatening to escape their flimsy confines. The mattress was also very cramped.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blaise herself was lying beside him, his right arm underneath her and holding her close, her right arm draped around him, her hand playing with the hair on his naked chest. There was no scar there accept some smaller ones he had received during his PSF days, the one he had received from Abaddon absent.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two were drenched in sweat and out of breath but Doug felt good. Better than he had in a long time and yet there were tears in his eyes, his face wet as they rolled down his cheeks. He was trying hard to stop but they just kept coming, his body shaking as he sobbed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It came as a surprise when Blaise\u2019s pale hand reached up and wiped them away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey now, it\u2019s ok,\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cS-sorry…I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m…I\u2019m so stupid…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo you\u2019re not. This was all so sudden. I can\u2019t believe it happened to be honest…\u201dThere was a flicker of a smile on Blaise\u2019s face.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a bit spur of the moment, yeah,\u201d Doug chuckled, the sobs slowly subsiding, \u201cnot exactly how I thought the morning would go! But then I wasn\u2019t really expecting us to explain, well, everything to each other either… you ain\u2019t regretting it, are ya?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo! No, I…this was nice…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like there\u2019s a but coming on…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI dunno, I\u2019ve just been trying to keep things professional between us for so long…I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m really ready for whatever this is…\u201d she swept her hand over the bed to indicate their current undressed state, the bedclothes being the only thing protecting their modesty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think this can be whatever we want it to be,\u201d he grinned at her, eyes still glistening from the tears. She turned away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoug…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlaise, we don\u2019t need to turn it into a big deal. Lets just take it a step at a time-\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKate,\u201d this threw him off.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy name\u2019s not Blaise, it\u2019s Kate. There\u2019s a lot you still don\u2019t know about me. What happened to my family barely scratched the surface…And I\u2019m afraid you might hate me when you learn the rest of it…\u201d Doug\u2019s features softened. He rolled over and leant in to kiss her forehead, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI could never hate you. Try me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…I was a member of New Dawn for eleven years?\u201d this gave Doug pause.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that it? Just oh?\u201d Kate asked, a brow raised.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean, it explains some things? Being told you just banged a terrorist is kind of a big thing to get your head around…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEx-terrorist,\u201d Kate corrected him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, when you put it like that…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI- Look, I\u2019ll leave if you want me to. My New Dawn connections were probably going to just jeopardise your plans anyway-\u201d she moved to get up but Doug held her in place.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you dare. I don\u2019t care what you used to do, you\u2019re still you no matter what you call yourself. \u2018Sides, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m ever gonna find someone else that\u2019ll care enough about me to lock me in their bedroom and call it suicide watch!\u201d he laughed. Kate frowned.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know sleeping with you wasn\u2019t part of the plan. You were supposed to be on the floor…\u201d Doug glimpsed down at the lack of floorspace in the tiny cabin.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, that was never going to happen though, was it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom what I remember, you kissed me when I agreed to help you kill Silverton…\u201d she trailed off with a smile. Doug laughed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, and I\u2019d do it again too!\u201d he exclaimed, following up by beginning to kiss her neck, causing her to laugh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat tickles! Doug!\u201d his kisses moved up her neck until he was in line with her face, Doug now pinning her to the bed. He smiled down at her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love you,\u201d he told her, Kate\u2019s laughter subsiding as she smiled up at him. Her reply came in the form of a kiss, Katherine using her forearms to lift herself up to connect with his lips and Doug responded in kind, the two slowly sinking back down onto the pillows.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the kiss deepened, Kate slowly became aware of another sound joining the backdrop of engine noises and creaks. She gently eased Doug away from her as she turned to peer at the far wall.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you hear something?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…Sounds like a passing ship?\u201d the soldier replied with a shrug before leaning back in to continue with what they had been doing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMmm, sounds like its \u2013 mmm \u2013 getting really close…\u201d Kate managed to say between kisses. Doug was about to say something else only to be interrupted by the far wall suddenly caving in and what looked to be the hull of an aircraft rushing towards them-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug woke with a start, fully clothed and strapped to a bench inside the Flying Hound. There was no signs of an aircraft having breached the wall, he wasn\u2019t as flat as a pancake and Gratin was present on one of the other benches, meditating or possibly sleeping. It could be hard to tell sometimes, Dark Worlders\u2019 sleeping arrangements being quite a bit different than humans. Gratin always seemed to fall asleep sitting up or mid-meditation. If he slept at all…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wiping his forehead, Doug glanced down to see Kate\u2019s sleeping form resting beside him, the two having been leaning against one another. The music player was still performing its one function, \u201cMister Sandman\u201d currently coming out of the earpiece in Doug\u2019s ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…Mister Sandman, send me a dream, make her the <\/em>cutest<\/em> that I\u2019ve ever seen<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His breathing evening out, Doug reached down and turned the player off to conserve the battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Removing the earpiece, he leant back against the wall and considered his dream. It had felt so real! The uncomfortable mattress with the springs that felt like they were about to break out, the warmth of the desert heating up the ship, the sensation of Kate\u2019s lips pressing against his own…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Deciding it had only been a dream and that he needed to find something to distract himself, he unbuckled himself from the bench and then gently prised himself out from under Kate, carefully lowering her so she was lying across the bench. Now free to roam around, he made his way to the cockpit to see how the Major was getting along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cockpit was in a similar state of disrepair as the rest of the ship; the console had panels missing and buttons so worn that it was hard to believe that they were still responsive, the pilot\u2019s seat had so many repair patches sewn or tapped on that it could have been mistaken for an intentional aesthetic, an attempt to add a splash of paint to brighten the place up had been made but evidentially the wrong kind of paint had been applied leaving the colour thin and patchy at best and out right flaking off at worst. Doug took all this in and found himself internally groaning at the sheer disrespect the Major showed towards his ship. He could guess where the money for repairs and maintenance went\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright Major? How\u2019s it go-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh! Bugger!\u201d the Major clearly hadn\u2019t been expecting anyone to come up behind him, the elderly gentleman jolting forward in shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The open flask of whiskey fell from his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug watched as the little tin flask bounced off the edge of the console, rotated 180 degrees in the air and proceeded to dump its contents onto the exposed wiring that was barely contained within the casing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the bloody hell did you do that for, Sergeant?!\u201d The Major cried as the electronics began to spark. Some of the paperwork scattered haphazardly across the console began to ignite. Doug looked around in alarm, spotted a fire extinguisher on the wall besides him and ripped it from its housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe?! The fuck are you doing drinking in here!\u201d roared the mercenary as he began to spray down what was now kindling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am perfectly entitled to have a snifter of whiskey every now and then! Who are you to barge into a cockpit unannounced? There are protocols for a reason!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, and one of the first ones on the list is don\u2019t bloody drink behind the wheel!\u201d Doug yelled back, finishing putting out the flames. He took a deep breath in an attempt to get his temper under control only to become further agitated when the on board guidance system lazily decided that now was an appropriate time to sound an alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both men glanced over at the instruments, taking in the warning lights and indicators while slowly becoming aware that the ship wasn\u2019t as level as it should have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn and blast!\u201d The Major yelped as he grabbed for the steering column and tried to course correct, \u201cit\u2019s unresponsive!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug wasted no time leaping into the copilots chair and trying to wrestle with the controls found there, all the while very aware that the view out of the window wasn\u2019t just white due to cloud cover but also due to the white snow field rapidly approaching from below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a blizzard outside, the plane being buffeted by gale force winds as it plummeted downwards. Doug was pulling as hard as he could on the controls but the vessel was barely responding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh dear…I think connection to the starboard engines was shorted out. They aren\u2019t registering!\u201d said The Major as he fumbled with various switches and buttons on his section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor Faust\u2019s sake!\u201d to say Doug was angry would be an understatement. This was one of the few times where he hated being right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the hold, the alarm caused Kate to stir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNnngh, Doug?\u201d she slowly lifted her head and realised that her friend was no longer besides her. She was alone on the bench, a klaxon blaring over head and a red light flashing above the door. Her heart skipped a beat as panic set in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoug?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn here Love!\u201d the soldier\u2019s voice sounded strained as it called out from the cockpit, \u201cDo us a favour and wake Archie up! Bit of a rush!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate jumped to her feet and stumbled across the hold, the floor sloping at an alarming angle. As she passed the door to the cockpit, she caught sight of the scene beyond; Doug straining himself to even out their flight and glimpses of the frozen wasteland below beyond the swirling snowstorm raging around their vessel. Kate swore loudly at the sight and scrambled to reach the mage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratin was notorious for being a heavy sleeper. He was still sleeping soundly now despite all the shouting and alarms. She began to try and shake him awake but only received a light snore for her troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship gave a violent lurch as the winds continued to buffet it. The sounds of Doug\u2019s swears bellowed out of the cockpit followed by some whimpering from the Major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere the hell is Archie?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cScrew it\u2026!\u201d Kate raised her hand and struck the mage hard across the face, Gratin jolting awake. Greenish light could just about be seen through the blackened glass that covered the mage\u2019s eyes as flame wreathed around his arms, the mage instinctively raising them to defend himself only to realise his attacker was one of his friends. The flames immediately extinguished themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat in the name of-\u201d he cut himself off as his senses took stock of his surroundings. Odd lights. Klaxxon. Turbulence. Shouting. The feeling of panic and terror filling the vessel. Something was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Kate was lost for words, taking in the scene around her with wide eyes and no time to cohesively answer the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDunno? Bad?!\u201d she gestured vaguely in the direction of the cockpit, Gratin standing up and making his way over and becoming very aware of the angle they were leaning towards as he did so, bracing himself against the doorway and expanding his senses outside of the ship. It felt like an infinite cold void out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug caught sight of the mage\u2019s arrival in his peripheral vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArchie! Shield!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratin followed the order, gripping the door frame and focusing. He couldn\u2019t create a barrier big enough to engulf the whole ship but he could at least cast it wide enough to envelop the cockpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMistress!\u201d he bobbed his head to indicate that she should get inside, the red head rushing past him and gripping tightly onto the back of Doug\u2019s seat. Gratin tensed, green light shining around him momentarily before expanding towards the walls and solidifying the moment everyone was inside. The mage\u2019s voice began to echo around them as Gratin began to chant, putting all his concentration into maintaining the shield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The snowy landscape rapidly rose to meet them…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug let out a roar as the ship\u2019s nose began to tilt\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship began to pull up but not enough to avoid a snowdrift, the vessel bouncing, slamming back to the ground and skidding a good twenty feet forwards before crashing into a rock, the nose crumpling. The sound of screeching metal was deafening as the inhabitants of the plane were violently thrown forward. Gratin and Kate hung on to their anchors for dear life whereas the two military men were held in by their seatbelts. The glass of the window was smashed in by the rock but bounced harmlessly off of the shield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a moment once the plane had stopped for the occupants to feel safe enough to move. Doug was the first one up, the soldier rushing to Kate\u2019s side to check on her. He helped her to her feet and started inspecting her for injuries, first brushing her down and then cupping her face and brushing her hair out of the way to check for concussions or so much as a cut. She was too shaken to object, her brain working over time to figure out what series of events had led to them being now on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once he was satisfied that Kate was healthy, Doug kissed her forehead and dragged her in for a hug, gripping her tightly as he waited for his own heartbeat to level out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank Faust\u2026 dunno what I would\u2019ve done…Shouldn\u2019t have happened\u2026\u201d he was rambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did happen?\u201d this came from Gratin who was in the process of wiping blood from his face, his nose bleeding due to the amount of power he had needed to put behind that spell. He was shaking, bracing himself against the door for support. He looked exhausted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doug turned to glare at The Major, who flinched at the sheer force of emotion behind the look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow see here! If you hadn\u2019t barged in here unannounced and startled me, I never would have-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?! Spilt alcohol over the controls?! Left the electronics exposed?! Started a fucking fire and cut power to the engines?!\u201d Doug let go of Kate and took a step forward, clearly seeing red. His breathing was uneven, hatred in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was surprised to feel a tug on his arm, Kate having grabbed it as he stepped away. He turned back to look at her, the red head moving forward and placing her hands either side of his face, forcing him to stare her in the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBreathe,\u201d she instructed, starting to breathe deeply herself to set a pace. He took in the look of determination in her eyes, the hint of worry on her brow and he began to follow her lead, their breath syncing up and the crimson fading from his vision before the full PTSD attack could consume him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy escaping, Doug rested his forehead against hers, hugging her once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe could\u2019ve killed you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot on purpose and you saw to it that he didn\u2019t,\u201d she forced a smile, \u201cthank you,\u201d Doug didn\u2019t say anything, closing his eyes and deciding to just focus on her for the moment. Kate slowly turned her head to look at The Major, a stern look on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be expecting a reimbursement to say the least. That was hardly what I would call a professional landing\u2026\u201d she pointed out. The Major felt like he was lacking a significant amount of context for the exchange he had just witnessed but it was clear that he was lucky to still be on his feet. He cleared his throat and bowed low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNaturally, my dear. If there\u2019s anything I pride myself on, it\u2019s customer service!\u201d he straightened up, \u201cthe return flight will of course be free as well! I can only apologise for the unfortunate series of events that led to that particular unscheduled landing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate and Gratin shifted their attention onto the front of the ship. The nose was crumpled around the rock it had hit and \u2013 now that Gratin had dropped the shield \u2013 a mountain of snow had poured in through the broken window with more entering by the shovelful as the blizzard raged on outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSurely you do not intend for us to fly this contraption back to Centrissal?\u201d Gratin queried. The Major waved his concerns away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is merely a patch job. I shall escort you into town and as you three enjoy your holiday, I shall look to find a mechanic up to the job!\u201d he beamed at them proudly, \u201cI swear to you on my reputation as an officer of the Crimson Chests and former major of the PSF that I will see that you aren\u2019t stranded out here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a scoffing sound from Kate\u2019s shoulder, Doug\u2019s head currently resting there, followed by an unenthusiastic \u201chooray\u201d. All Kate could do was pat her friend on the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe appreciate the gesture but perhaps we should look into other ways to travel home-\u201d she began, trying to be as diplomatic as she could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNonsense! I insist! I can\u2019t help but feel, on reflection, that some of what occurred here may have, perhaps, been partially my fault\u2026\u201d there was a sharp intake of breath from Doug, the soldier clearly becoming agitated again. Kate tightened her grip on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…Great<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Major had stopped paying attention to her and so did not notice the tension in her voice. Instead, he was reflecting on everything that had just transpired, a small detail coming back to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait, what did you call Mr Galvison a bit ago? Doug?\u201d The Major\u2019s brow knotted together as the feeling of something not quite being right over took him. Kate\u2019s mind began to race, an excuse forming on the fly as she realised that during her rude awakening she may have accidentally blown their cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI…I said\u2026 Dough\u2026 because he\u2019s my… cuddly Dough Boy?\u201d she had turned bright red as she cobbled together this lie out of the first thing that came to mind. Doug slowly rose his head to give her the most confused and outright bewildered look she had ever seen grace his features. Gratin began to cough, clearly struggling to keep his composure in the face of Doug receiving a taste of his own medicine. The mercenary in question slowly glimpsed down and gave his stomach an experimental prod in a self-conscious effort to check for any truth behind the lie. The Major merely shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell I suppose we all gain a few pounds once no longer under the thumb of the PSF\u2019s dietary requirements. Almost inevitable, really. Shall we press on?\u201d the old man wandered away to find his coat, leaving the two human mercenaries awkwardly standing in the middle of the cockpit, both looking flushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a moment that felt like it stretched out into eternity, Kate leant in towards Doug, speaking softly to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re even.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panting filled the air. Doug was lying on his back on the single bed in the tiny cabin that was Blaise\u2019s room. He could hear the far off sound of the cruise ship\u2019s engines and the creaking of the ship as it battled air resistance. The mattress was thin and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[32,31,121,33,120,112,119,114,9,44],"class_list":["post-339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-mercenaries-tale","tag-blaise","tag-doug-mccracken","tag-dream","tag-gratin","tag-kate-odonnell","tag-major-stanley-morrison","tag-polaris","tag-the-flying-hound","tag-the-mercs","tag-vehicles-and-transport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}