The Book
I normally don't release clean, so this might get an add-on later. Tosh and Callen were life long friends, but things took a twist. The terrible end would scar Callen forever.
Tosh's heart hammered under his rain-soaked trench coat as his shoes splashed through a puddle. Coughing hard, he glanced back as he shot pass the old ruined library. It was no accident that he decided to take this very street.
"They bullying you, again?" Callen asked as he held onto the library return cart.
"Yeah, let's hope that political party full of thugs doesn't get into power, but," Tosh looked up to the clear lenses of the Doberman's glasses. "it lets me catch up on my reading."
Callen laughed, his fingers walking over the returned books. "This," he said pulling out The Mysterious Island, "was rather hard to get a hold of because the other libraries don't like renting to us."
"Callen, you didn't have to order it for me."
"I had to, after you told me that you already read 20,000 Leagues." Callen shrugged, and flipped through the pages. "The ending wasn't what I expected, I think you'll be surprised," he slid it across the table to Tosh, "I loved reading it, and you will to, so take it."
"Did you check it out?" Tosh opened the book and his nose filled with the smell of old paper.
"No, I'm gonna report it missing." Callen laughed, "I'm gonna run this library some day so I give you permission."
"You wonder why they don't like to--"
Outside, a chorus of random whistling had caught their attention. Both walking up to the window, they saw the first flashes as the old brick apartment collapsed like a tower of blocks. More flashes followed: the laundromat, the quickstop, the park, then they realized the bombs were coming for them.
He never knew what happened to Callen, but he kept that book close to him. He thought of this as the close to his story, as well as his life, and wanted the ending of it to be something to remember. Gingerly touching the burnt book in his pocket, lovingly wrapped in plastic, the moment was ruined by the rise and fall of approaching sirens.
He sprinted into the warehouse as he heard the squeal of tires and the slamming of two doors. Breaching the roof, his trembling hands and their trembling fingers pulled a pigeon from the coop as the other reached into his pocket with the small note.
With the sounds of footsteps clamoring up the stairs behind him and his trembling hands, the scared bird flapped its wings. The sudden jerk caused his fingers to lose grip on the note, and as he watched the ink run, swirling around in the puddle, the door flew open.
Three tall canids came bursting through with their assault rifles trained on him as they cleared the area. A third one dressed in a dark green officer's uniform crossed the threshold, and even though it had been four years, and a wicked scar across his maw and face, it was Callen.
"Callen," he said breathlessly, "you're alive and one of them?"
"I survived and stayed away from you for your protection, but why are you doing this?" He asked, as he walked between his men. "The military has brought peace and order to the countries we've taken."
"Peace is not when people disappear from their homes at night because they say something your government doesn't like. I may be late in taking a stand, and I may die tonight, but others will replace me."
"You aren't going to be killed, you didn't do anything too bad. I'll take you back with me and everything will be okay, and as for those other people, they won't succeed and everything will be better someday for all of us."
Tosh's hand slid into his pocket, clutching the book and drew from the words he had read, "I can undertake and persevere even without hope of success. If this is the world, you want, " he locked eyes with Callen, "have it without me."
He pulled the book from his pocket.
He heard one of them yell, "Gun!" and he watched his chest as each bullet sent bursts of his warm blood into the air and the pain passed quickly into shock as he felt himself falling to the ground.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Callen snarled, tearing his side arm from his waist and firing into all three comrades. Tears poured from his eyes as he went to Tosh's side, clutching him closely.
"Callen." Tosh's voice gurgled a bit as he talked.
"God, why Tosh? You could've left with me, and could've lived with me, and it would've been alright!"
"I loved you."
"I knew all along, but if they found out about us they'd kill us both. I joined up so I could protect you. I--" Tosh didn't hear it. Whatever life he had left was bled out upon the roof, swirling in the water as it ran down the gutters.
Callen's hand still held the gun, and stuck it under his chin. He inhaled sharply, clamping his eyes shut; his finger trembling on the trigger.
He heard the coo of that pigeon, and it brought him back to Tosh's words: "Others will replace me."
"Fine," he muttered, as he lowered the gun. He pulled from his officer's jacket the written communication and wrapped it around the leg of the pigeon, and sent it off. Turning, he picked up the book that still had the bag wrapped around it. "Tosh, I promise I won't stand on the sidelines anymore, and I won't help them."