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CHAPTER 18

“Kat!” Sam whispered in relief.  “Honey! Are you okay?” Sarah asked.  As I took a good look around the room, I realized Sam and Sarah were tied to chairs.  “I’m fine,” I stated, returning my gaze to Levi.  “I’m here, so I think it’s time you let them go,” I replied.  Levi began to walk towards me.  I moved back in fear, my hands shaking, struggling to hold the gun.  “You won’t shoot me, Katarina…  Not after what we’ve been through…” he replied in that seductive tone.  I gripped the gun tighter.  “What is he talking about, Kat?” Sam asked.  Levi was taking pleasure in seeing me squirm.  “Shut up,” I whispered.  “Sam doesn’t know?  Well, Sammy boy, the love of your life, the woman you are trying so desperately to save, kissed me, passionately…” Levi answered showing his devilish smile. 

“What?  He’s lying, isn’t he, Kat?” Sam searched my face for an answer.  I felt so ashamed.  My face was a tint of red that was redder than a tomato.   “No, Sam… He’s not lying… but I did it so I could run away from him!  It was the only way I could distract him… and I succeeded.  That’s what’s killing him inside… I always get away; I always win, Levi.  And I’m going to live to see tomorrow, but you won’t…”  I shoved the gun forward into Levi’s face.  “Don’t be stupid, Kat… I ALWAYS win in the end,” Levi replied, moving forward.  Suddenly, he lunged forward and we were fighting for the gun.  I struggled to get a hold of the gun, when a shot was fired.  We both froze.  I couldn’t tell who was shot.  I didn’t even know what it felt like to be shot…  Levi’s began to weigh heavier as he slumped onto the floor.  I turned around to see Jack behind me, holding another gun.  “I always carry a spare,” he replied.  I looked back at Levi, who was now lying in a pool of blood. 

Jack had shot him; he was dead; it was finally over…  I ran to Sarah and began to untie her.  “Mom, are you okay?” I asked as I got the rope off of her.  “I’m fine, dear.  Are you okay?  It’s been so long!  I was so worried, Kat,” she replied as she pulled me into an embrace.  “I was so scared that you were gone forever,” she whispered.  I squeezed her tight for a few seconds.  “I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to worry you, mom,” I replied.  Sarah pulled back.  “There’s that word again, ‘mom,’” she stated a bit confused.  “I can keep calling you Sarah, if you really prefer it better,” I stated.  Sarah shook her head and pulled me into an embrace again.  “No, I like mom; mom is perfect,” she whispered.  As I hugged Sarah, Jack untied Sam.  He put out his hand.  “Allow me to introduce myself; I’m Humphrey Jack Warren, but you can call me Jack.  I helped bring Kat back to you,” he explained to Sam.

I ran over to Sam and practically jumped him.  “Oh, Sam!  I am so sorry about everything…” I whispered as he pulled me close.  It felt so good to be held by his arms again…  He smelled so good; I just wanted to drink him all in.  It felt like we had been apart for so long.  “Why are you apologizing?  I got you into this whole mess in the first place,” Sam replied, pulling back so he could see my face.  He pushed away the loose strands of hair on my face and just stared at me.  “I thought I might never see you again,” he said.  I looked at his beautiful face and stared into his beautiful brownish-golden eyes.  They were filled with such passion…  I wanted to kiss him fiercely, but considering my mother and Jack were there, I just stared at him.  “I missed you,” I whispered.  Sam pulled me close to his chest.  “It’s almost over, love…” he whispered.  “Not exactly…”  We all turned to the supposedly dead Levi on the floor to see him standing to his feet. 

“Impossible!” I gasped.  Levi began to laugh his evil laugh again.  “It will take more than a bullet to kill me!” he yelled.  Jack stood in front of Sam and me.  “Kat, you and Sam run out the front door and take the Dodge, okay?” he replied frantically.  “Mrs. Volstead, go to Zelda’s and stay there.  I’ll take care of this creep,” he added.  I didn’t want to move.  I wasn’t sure I would ever see Jack again.  In fact, I was almost sure that if he stayed here, he would die.  “I can’t leave you, Jack,” I replied.  Jack turned back to me.  “For once in your life, do what someone tells you to do!” he yelled.  Sam pulled at my good arm and dragged me to the front door.  “Thank you for everything, Jack!” I yelled as we ran out to the Dodge.  I felt terrible about leaving Jack alone with Levi… But he knew how to kill a man in 30 different ways with his bare hands…

I flew into the passenger seat as Sam stepped on the gas.  We headed off into the night towards the highway.  “Where are we going to go, Sam?  Can we ever out run Levi?” I said exasperated.  Sam began to slow the car down.  “You’re right.  There’s no way we can save the future if Levi is around…”  He began to turn the car around and drove back to my house.  When we stopped, he turned to me and put his hands on both sides of my cheeks.  “Kat, I can’t promise that this will turn out happily…  I don’t know if I’ll achieve what I came here for; I very well might die in there trying to bring you to the future…  But you have to know that I wouldn’t trade these last few weeks for anything.  It was worth it just to see your face again…  I love you, Katarina Volstead,” he said in a fury.  “By the way, my last name is Evans… just in case I never get to answer any more of your questions,” he added.

Then he leaned in and kissed me with such passion, I thought I might faint.  I was so lost in his kiss, lost in his body…  I grabbed his hair and kissed him back.  It was the kiss of death; the kiss that every man gives his woman before he goes off to war, knowing he won’t be coming back.  I felt tears streaming down my face as his lips brushed lightly on mine.  He finally pulled away and looked at me one last time.  “I love you, Kat…” he whispered.  “Don’t; don’t do this, Sam.  Please…” I whispered as he opened the door.  “I have to, Kat,” he replied.   At that, he got out of the car and went back into the house.  But I couldn’t just sit there and wait as the love of my life died.  “You are not going to die; that’s not what you came here for…” I whispered.   I followed after him, in a crime of passion, and watched the deadly scene unfold before my eyes.  I watched as Jack struggled against Levi, and Sam came in between them.  “This is going to stop right now, once and for all!” Sam yelled.  Levi threw up his hands.  “Then let’s finish this, shall we?” he replied.  Suddenly Levi pulled out a gun and pointed it at Sam.  “NO!!!” I yelled.

As the shot was fired, I witnessed Jack jump in front of Sam.  He took a bullet for a man he didn’t even know.  As he fell to the floor, I ran to his side.  Sam took the chance and leaped onto Levi, trying to get the gun out of his hands.  I pulled Jack onto my lap.  “Why did you do that, Jack?  That was stupid!” I scolded.  Jack rolled his eyes.  “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if the love of your life died, and I could have stopped it from happening,” he replied through fits of wheezing.  “You’re going to die, aren’t you?” I asked through my tears.  Jack nodded slowly.  “Yeah; Levi has a good aim… What can I say?”  I shook my head as the tears continued to fall.  “You can’t die; you don’t deserve to die…” I whispered.  “Hey, kid…  I all ready told you that I don’t regret anything I’ve done since I met you.  Don’t grieve for me…  I died doing the exact thing your brother would have wanted me to do…  Thank you for everything, Katarina…”  As I looked into his eyes, I saw something that I didn’t expect.  For the first time since I met Jack, I saw him with tears in his eyes.  Oh, macho man…  “Thank you,” he whispered again.

And at that, Humphrey Jack Warren passed away, in my arms.  I began to sob into his chest.  He was dead… I felt like I lost another brother…  Jack had done so much for me; he had done things that no human being would have ever done for a stranger.  His body felt limp under my arms.  He was now dead weight.  The tears could not be controlled.   Bless you, Jack…  I’ll never forget you…  As I was jolted back to reality, I realized that Levi was now on top of Sam, and he was ready to end another man’s life.  “Face it, Sam.  You just don’t have what it takes…  You came all this way for nothing; you’re going to die in vain… You never even saved your beloved Kat…” Levi said, taunting poor Sam.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  All the sadness had been filled with such rage.  “I don’t care what you do to me, but you’re not getting Kat,” Sam replied.  He struggled, pushing his hands onto Levi’s neck.

“It’s over, Sam…” Levi taunted.  “No, it’s not over until I say it’s over!” I yelled.  In the heat of the moment, I hit Levi over the head with my mother’s favorite blue vase.  He fell on top of Sam in a dead heap, except he wasn’t quite dead; just unconscious.  I grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him outside.  “What are you doing, Kat?  I have to finish what was started,” Sam replied in confusion.  I shook my head as my tears continued to fall, drenching my face.  “I can’t let you die, Sam!  If you die, I die!  You have no idea what it’s like to live without you!  I don’t think I would be able to breathe without you, Sam.  I can’t, and I WON’T live without you!” I yelled with passion.  I began to sob as Sam pulled me into his arms.  He put one of his hands on top of my head and rubbed my back gently with his other hand.  “Oh, Kat…” he whispered.  “What are we going to do?” he asked.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “Run; just run,” I replied.  Sam didn’t know what to do with my answer.  Of course, it wasn’t the best thing I could come up with.  In fact, it was the same exact plan we had used earlier, and the last time, it didn’t work so good.

“Let’s go, Sam.  Let’s go save me from death,” I begged.  Sam just stood there.  “What?” I asked, exasperated.   Sam threw up his hands.  “Kat, I have to tell you the truth.  I’m not exactly sure how to save you…”