Max Arena Read online

  ‘You mean I might have to kill someone?’

  Peter paused and then said, ‘Yes. You might have to kill someone. Do you think you can do that?’

  Even in the gloom of the moonless night, Max could see the glimmer of Peter’s eyes and he held them in the gaze of his own. He then shifted his attention down to his own hands, holding them out, palms up. Then, clenching them, he looked back up at Peter and said one word.

  ‘Yes.’

  3am, 2nd August (3 days later). Prophecy

  Elsa woke to find Max standing over her. It was dark and she was outside, lying on the ground. Something was not right, but just having Max there made her feel safe. Looking around, she found Millie and Jason curled up together next to her. Max held his hand out and she grasped it to let him pull her to her feet.

  Lightning suddenly ripped across the brooding sky, the luminescent flash revealing they stood on the western lawn of the estate, alone as a family, the time of day impossible to tell, but it was not night. It was just dark. Very, very dark.

  A light, cool breeze sprung up, rippling Elsa's clothes. It was an odd wind, damp and clammy. Max as usual was impervious to the elements, standing there in his black training gear, his orange shoes glowing slightly in the gloom. Her husband. Her rock.

  The breeze picked up. A prick of fear stabbed inside Elsa. Max noted the flinch and he pulled her in tight. The kids woke up and Elsa looked down to see them stir. Impulsively, she bent down and helped them up, pulling them and Max in to her, the family huddling together.

  More lightning rent the broiling ceiling overhead. The breeze increased to a wind and now Elsa could definitely feel wetness in the air. Elsa looked up at Max, his face calm, but firm. His control settled Elsa down a little, but now the children clung more tightly to Elsa and Max's legs, also sensing something was amiss. Max leaned his head in close, resting his forehead against her's. Elsa's nerves settled a little more, but she knew something awful was coming. Something she could not outrun. Something that was going to hurt her and her family.

  Then she felt the rumble. Looking down, Elsa saw her feet shaking on the trembling grass. She looked back up. Max raised his forefinger to his lips and Elsa saw in his eyes that no matter what happened next, they would be alright. He would protect them.

  The rumbling grew. The wind whistled, ripping at their clothes. Lightning sizzled and scorched across the now pitch black palette overhead. Elsa locked Max's eyes into her gaze, his calm the only safe haven in the storm around them.

  Then suddenly, Max started to grow in size. Panic rose inside Elsa, but Max shook his head and smiled lightly. Elsa's panic subsided. She fell to her knees and clutched onto the kids. They were all she had now.

  Max continued to grow in stature, towering over Elsa and the children like a giant. Far over his head, the lightning blistered as the storm intensified. Then Elsa sensed someone else with her. She looked over her shoulder and there was Kris, standing still and looking past her into the distance. Beside Kris stood Joseph, Abdullah and Peter, also with their gazes fixed on the horizon. They were all there, Team Max and then Elsa noticed a crowd of people behind them. Instantly she knew there were thousands, probably even millions or more, everyone looking into the distance.

  The rumbling grew and Elsa turned back to Max who was still looking down at her, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light, like beacons in the night. Then, rising up behind Max, even larger than he, Elsa saw the focus of everyone's gaze.

  On the horizon, a vast, enormous wave surged across the land. White caps frothed on its mountainous crest as it devoured the earth and now Elsa knew what was coming. Death to all. The end of the world. The doom that Macktidas had promised was here. She looked back to Max and now he smiled, really smiled and the warmth of that smile filled Elsa with pride in the knowledge that Max was there to protect them all.

  Then Max turned, his gaze lingering on Elsa for as long as he could. The wave rumbled onwards. Max squared up to face it, the tempest before it raging against him, but he stood firm, immovable and implacable. Max planted his feet and spread his immense arms out wide, his formidable stature now truly god like.

  Humanity cowered down behind him. Doom beat down upon them. Only Elsa stood behind her husband, her children standing with her. Together they would face the end. Together, if fate demanded, they would die as one.

  Max leaned forward and braced himself. The wave slammed into him, the force of the water pummelling him back, but only a few steps did he retreat. Digging his orange-clad feet into the earth, Max challenged the power of the wave and tamed it. The wave surged up against him, but failed to pass his colossal form.

  Elsa could see the strain on her husband's face. The enormity of his struggle was palpable and it ripped at her heart, but pride overwhelmed the pain knowing her husband was the only thing standing between doom and the rest of the world and Max was winning.

  Still the wave surged, but still Max held it back. The titanic struggle seemed to endure forever as the world watched on. Then, the wave slackened. The water started to slide off Max's frame and recede. He had done it. He had beaten back the tide of death and saved them all.

  The people of the world rose together as one, behind Elsa and the children. Elsa smiled down at Millie and Jason and they smiled back, joy binding them together now. Their father, her husband had saved them. Elsa looked back up at Max and instantly her smile faded.

  Max was caught in the water and it was dragging him away. The boiling tide clung to him like glue, pulling him into the mass. He struggled, but failed. Max’s footing faltered. He stumbled and then he fell.

  Elsa stepped forward, her arms reaching out to try and grab Max, a silent scream issuing from her mouth. Max fell into the tide, his head disappearing beneath the turmoil. Elsa screamed again, her cry still soundless. Then Max surfaced and he turned to look at her, his blue eyes brighter than ever. He did not cry out. He did not smile. He merely looked at Elsa as he washed away, as the tide stole him away.

  Gradually, Max's gleaming blue eyes grew more and more distant. Elsa let her hands fall to her sides. The children rushed forward and held on to their mother and together they watched Max slip further and further away. Finally, the light of Max’s eyes winked out and he was gone. They stood there alone, Elsa, the children and all of humanity, their saviour taken away, but their lives saved.

  10am, 2nd August (later that morning). Evacuation

  The western lawn of the estate lay bathed in the warming light of the midmorning sun, the rays soaking the vast green turf with energy and promise. Parked on the far side of the lawn sat Kris’ training truck, it’s freshly painted orange exterior emblazoned with giant, black “X” logos on all sides. The Pain Train as it was now labelled, had its back and side ramps open with various bits of training kit spread across the lawn around it.

  From where Max and the kids stood in the kitchen, Elsa and Kris could not see them, but they could watch the ladies as they went through their own dual fitness session. In their fluorescent nylons, both Kris and Elsa lunged their way over the grass and through the sunshine with weight laden barbells across their shoulders. Even from this distance, Max could clearly tell they were doing it tough. He could also hear Kris shouting at Elsa, and herself, to go harder. Max couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face.

  ‘Daddy?’ Millie asked. ‘Is Mummy feeling okay today?

  Max looked down at his little girl and said, ‘She’s okay, sweetheart. She said she had a nightmare last night. That’s all and we know dreams can’t hurt us don’t we?’

  ‘I’m not talking about that, Daddy,’ Millie replied, pointing out to Elsa. ‘I want to know why she’s walking funny?’

  ‘Yeah, Daddy,’ Jason chimed in, pulling a face. ‘What’s Mummy doing?’

  Max chuckled. ‘Mummy is getting smashed by Kris.’

  ‘But Kris normally smashes you,’ Millie added.

  ‘Yes, she does and she’s very good at it,’ Max answered, ‘but ri
ght now it’s Mummy’s turn to get smashed and besides, it makes her fitter and stronger.’

  ‘Why does Mummy need to be fitter and stronger?’ Millie asked. ‘Is she going to fight aliens like you?’

  Max hesitated and then squatted down to turn and look his five year old daughter directly in the eye. His smile faded, but his expression remained soft. ‘Darling, Mummy will be safe, just like you and Jason. I’m the only one who has to fight the aliens. No one else.’

  ‘I don’t want you to fight aliens,’ Jason said as he came up to Max and hugged him from behind.

  Max smiled and half turned, gently pulling Jason round to stand next to his sister. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and asked with a mock sternness, ‘Is Daddy a big strong man?’

  Both children nodded.

  ‘And is Daddy fast?’

  Two more nods.

  ‘And is Daddy brave?’

  ‘Yes!’ Millie half shouted.

  ‘Then don’t worry about me fighting aliens. It’s the aliens you should be worried about.’

  Two more nods.

  Max smiled and pulled them both in close to squeeze them. With his eyes shut, all he could feel was unconditional love. When Max was jumping as high as he could, running as fast as he could and pushing himself to limits he didn’t know were there, it was this feeling that drove him. Not desperation. Not anger and certainly not fear. It was love and it was moments like these Max needed to keep himself fuelled.

  More shouting floated in from the lawn. Max let the kids go and stood up to look back outside. Now Kris and Elsa were down doing burpees and box jump combinations. Kris was clearly the fitter of the two women, but Elsa was pushing herself hard. Kris had been on a few model shoots for fitness magazines before, but Max had to admit, Elsa could just as easily get a gig like that if she kept up this pace.

  ‘Hey, kiddies?’ Max said, looking down at his two children who looked back up at him. ‘Want to have some fun?’

  Both children beamed back, their heads nodding vigorously.

  A few minutes later, Max had both children off the ground, tucked up close against his chest, one in each arm and peeking around the corner of the mansion to the western lawn. Kris and Elsa were currently doing some skipping, with Kris pushing Elsa on. All Max had to do now was wait for the two of them to turn their backs and he could make his move. Just then, Kris and Elsa finished skipping and threw their ropes off to the side.

  ‘Come on!’ Kris urged. ‘Sprint time!’

  Elsa straightened up from resting. ‘You’re evil.’

  ‘Yes, I am and that’s why you love me,’ Kris returned. ‘Now let’s go!’

  Elsa trudged over to where Kris was now standing. Elsa stopped and put her hands on her hips. Kris was also breathing hard, but she held her posture a little firmer than Elsa.

  ‘Fifty metres!’ Kris barked. ‘Go!’ and with that, the two women lurched forwards, running as fast as their weary legs would allow them, heading away from Max and the kids.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Max whispered and launched himself into his own sprint. He also had about fifty metres to go to get to the cover of the Pain Train and hide behind it before either Kris or Elsa turned around.

  To be fair, it was not really much of a challenge. Max was fresh and the ladies were beat. Even with two kids under his arms, Max easily made it to the Pain Train before either of the women turned around. Then as Kris and Elsa sprinted back, he and the kids shuffled around the bulky truck to stay hidden from view, the kiddies being helpfully quiet.

  Now Max knew Kris would finish the session with some core work like she always did with him and sure enough, she got both herself and Elsa down to push out some planks. Max held a single finger up to his lips to indicate to the kids to remain quiet, which they did, despite the big, fat smiles on their faces. Max carefully opened a side cabinet on the Pain Train with the label “water hose” and inside found a length of hose attached to a regular tap. Uncoiling the hose, Max pulled a generous length out. Closing the spray nozzle on the hose, he then turned the tap on and watched it go taut as pressurised water filled it. Turning back to the children he held his finger up to his lips again and first picked Millie up to perch her on his shoulders and then picked up Jason and cradled him in one arm against his chest. Then squatting down, Max picked up the hose.

  Silently, he crept towards the back end of the Pain Train, the hose unravelling as he went. Once at the end of the truck, Max turned around and flicked the hose out to make sure it wasn’t caught up. Then listening to hear what the two women were doing, he confirmed they had finished their planks and were now just sitting around talking, the session over.

  Max whispered, ‘One. Two. Three!’ and he charged out from round the back of the truck. As he did, Max unscrewed the nozzle and water burst from the hose. Running right at the two women, Max managed to hit both of them with the first initial spray, not hard enough to knock them over, but definitely drench them.

  A combination of shrieks, squeals and kiddie laughter filled the air. Elsa and Kris split up, so Max followed Elsa and he doused her some more. Meanwhile, Kris stopped and started shouting at him, so Max turned the spray back on her and chased after her as she scrambled away. With his back turned on his wife, Elsa grabbed Max from behind and tried to wrestle the hose from him. Kris saw her struggling and charged in from the other side.

  Max knew he could fend them off, but instead he feigned a struggle. Holding the hose with the same hand that held Jason, he reached up and pulled Millie off his shoulders with his other hand. She was giggling like mad. Then with Millie safely down on his chest, Max fell backwards and the spray from the hose went straight up to shower down over them all. Within seconds, everyone was wet through. Max was on the bottom, while the kids, Elsa and Kris held him down as the hose continued to rain down and then Max felt it again. Love.

  This was what he needed. This was Max’s fuel. Kris was as good as family for him and right now, all the people he cared about were with him, safe and happy. Life, no matter how many more days of it they would have, could never get better than this.

  And then, the sirens sounded and their world suddenly changed for the worse.

  Max was instantly on his feet, his head turning from side to side, his senses going berserk. Elsa and Kris both froze on the ground, looking wide eyed at each other. The children were oblivious as they continued to fight over the still spraying hose. Then a voice called out.

  ‘Stay there,’ Peter yelled from a side door of the house. ‘We’re coming to you!’

  On cue, Peter’s team scrambled into view from out of various doors and from around both sides of the house. All of them had their pistols drawn.

  Max turned and shepherded the two kids into himself, while Elsa and Kris, with their wits now intact, also rose and clustered in close. Looking around, Max noted that every military patrol within sight was running towards the front of the estate. Perhaps the dam wall had finally broken and the outside world had broken in?

  Peter and his team reached them, immediately clustering around in a tight circle, facing outwards in all directions, weapons drawn, but not aimed.

  ‘Time to go,’ Peter said, his eyes skitting ceaselessly.

  ‘Go where?’ Elsa shot back.

  ‘Eastern lawn. Choppers are already firing up for evac.’

  ‘Evac?’ Kris shot back. ‘We’re leaving?’

  ‘Yes. All of us. Right now,’ Peter returned. ‘My team will escort you out while the troops hold the boundary line.’

  ‘And we’re not coming back?’ Kris continued. ‘Just like that we’re out of here?’

  ‘Just like that,’ Peter replied without looking at her. ‘We’re no longer safe here and we have to go now.’ Then Peter flicked a hand up to his ear microphone. A pause ensued as he listened. A few seconds later, Peter said to his team, ‘Eastern patrols have confirmed another raiding party on their line. We’ve now got two fronts. The front gate and the eastern perimeter.’

&n
bsp; ‘Which is where the choppers are,’ Max added.

  Peter nodded. ‘Yeah. That’s where the choppers are,’ Peter confirmed, ‘so let’s get moving. I’ll take the lead. My guys will ring you all the way, so stay inside the circle. We’re going to go fast, so get ready. Are we good?’

  Just then, the first shots rang out. Automatic gunfire sounded from somewhere near the front gate. The two children shrieked. Elsa and Kris shot glances at each other. Max picked up both kids and murmured in their ears to comfort them. Then he looked up at Peter.

  Peter nodded once and led off.

  The pace was hard and fast. Peter and his team all carried their guns in two-handed grips, muzzles pointing down to the ground as they ran. Peter’s focus was in an arc directly in front, while the rest of his team covered all other angles. Elsa and Kris hustled to keep up, while Max fluidly jogged along inside the mobile cluster, unencumbered by the weight or bulk of both Millie and Jason. Both children stayed quiet, not struggling or crying out, but rather frozen in place.

  As they approached the front corner of the house, more gun fire sounded. Peter raised a flat palm indicating everyone to stop as he pressed up against the wall. Cautiously he peered around the edge. A pause.

  Then without turning, Peter waved his hand behind himself and stepped around the corner. One of his team said, ‘Go,’ and they were all in motion again, following after Peter.

  Once around the corner, they were all confronted with a sight they had never expected to see up close and in real life. Soldiers everywhere and on the move. Army jeeps full of armed men in camouflage, revved away down the main road towards the front gate. More gunfire sounded in the distance, accompanied now by shouting, some of it clear military orders, but most of it just panicked yells.

  Peter led them quickly into cover under the main portico. Again he held up a flat palm and they all stopped behind a large stone column. Peter’s team kept the circle tight around them, guns still pointing down and eyes scanning the surrounds.