Complicated Complications...

I rushed into the room to see two crumpled bodies and a lot of blood on the floor. Maggot was face down in one corner with a pistol still clasped in his hand and Camisa-Roja was on the other side of the room. Levy was leaning against a wall with the smoking barrel of his rifle pointed in Maggot’s direction.

“What happened?” I demanded.

“Maggot totally went nuts, man,” Levy said. “He shot Roja and was going to shoot me. I had to.”

“It’s OK, I know, I know.”

“I can’t believe it,” Levy whispered. “Shooting bugs is one thing, but a person…”

“You did what you had to do.” I cringed when he said bugs, then I looked over at Roja. He gurgled.

I rushed over and cradled Roja in my arms. He gurgled again.

“I’m not gonna make it.”

“Nonsense,” I answered. “We’ll get you patched up and you’ll be good as new.”

“Coff coff. It’s getting dark.”

“You’ve got your whole career ahead of you. Just hang on. Levy, call Klinger down here!”

Levy ran to the radio while Roja coughed some more.

“Papa? Is that you?”

“Klinger’s gonna be here,” I assured him. “He’s gonna take good care of you.”

“Cough cough… nnngh…” his head dropped back. Over the radio, Klinger said that he was heading down.

“Don’t die, damn you!” I yelled. Roja’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up.

“Tell momma that I won’t be home for dinner…” his head collapsed again.

“You’re gonna tell ‘er,” I said. And you will be home for dinner.”

He hauled himself up to me one more time. “Caff caff! Tell my special gal that I loved her so.”

“Don’t die, damn you! Don’t die!”

“He just barely moved his head to look at me. He coughed again. “Tell Auntie Em I found the rainbow………”

Klinger burst through the door. “Let me look at ‘im.”

I then remembered that we had Huxley upstairs in Baltizar’s room. Quickly I ran to the periscope to see what was going on. Huxley was very carefully picking through Baltizar’s room, looking for the combination to the wall safe.

“Get out of there, get out of there,” I said. She couldn’t hear me.

She picked a piece of paper out of a pair of pants draped over a chair. She looked at it then waved it towards the periscope, hopping up and down with glee.

“I think she’s got it!” I exclaimed.

Then a shadow loomed over her.

(To be continued...)