The Bodyguard - Chapter 13: In the Army now

[teamzaylor]

Title: THE BODYGUARD
Chapter: 13
Rating: Nc-17
POV: Zac / Blade
Summary: The death of their parents broke Taylor and Zac apart. Each of them went his own way of life, Taylor became a famous superstar and never thought that his profession would bring his life in danger someday. Blade (Zac) buried the past and lived his life contentedly in his dark and dirty world as a pimp. Because of some unexpected circumstances Blade got hired as Taylor's bodyguard and the brothers saw each other for the first time after almost a decade. How will they find a way to each other again after the past had put thick walls between them?

Authors Notes: Hello guys, good news we have a few new The Bodyguard Chapters finished which we will post in the next 1 - 2 weeks. :) Thanks again everyone for your great feedback last time.
Chapter 13 is partly a Flashback about Zac's past experiences in the army. We decided to include a side story in the main plot which means that we will include more 'past memories' Chapters from time to time and this is the first one.
Hope you enjoy. Chapter 14 will be posted very soon.


previous Chapter 12                                                                                                                                                                next Chapter 14

Zac / Blade:


I groaned in tiredness as I heard the loud morning siren. Finally it stopped.

"6 AM get your lazy fucking asses out of the beds soldiers!"

I was still not used to getting up so early to be honest. Who would get used to it when you don't feel your bones anymore every evening you fall exhausted on your bed...? Once again, I regretted that I couldn't turn my Playstation off at night when I was supposed to sleep.

"Zac, hey Zachary come on, get up." Santiago's voice urged me, and I knew I had to hurry up.

At 16 years and 9 months I joined the army as a special case. I couldn't officially enroll until I turned 17. Since then I have been through boot camp and training. Today was my 18th birthday.

Getting up early is one of the very first lessons you have to learn in the army.

This was my second birthday in the army, but besides my new friend Santiago, no one knew about it. Slowly, I had become used to the feeling of being left out when no one visited during holidays or when I graduated boot camp. Santiago and I were mostly the only guys who were left on those days, while the others got visits from their families, family that Santiago and I didn't have, that's why we usually hung out together and I felt comfortable in his company. He could be a good listener and not once had he made me feel that I was worthless or that I didn’t deserve to get a visit.

In the first weeks I was here, I tried sending a letter to Taylor telling him where I was but I never received a reply. It was shortly before I found out that our old parental home wasn't occupied anymore. I have been waiting years for a sign of life, but no one ever tried to search for me.

So, I finally thought that it was hopeless to wait. Enough tears of a lonely sixteen year old boy were cried without having someone to talk to. I was pretty sick of it.

Only a few years ago, my mother made chocolate cake for my birthday. But those memories were long gone now. I had never thought that loneliness would hit me so early in life.

"Life ain't easy, you have to be able to deal with everything in life if you don't want to fall."
At least that's what Santiago taught me and he was damn right with his preaching.

There were a lot of new tasks in my life that I had to deal with. The army was new and we protected the country, soldiers had to deal with threats. It would have been nice to be able to share them with someone whom you knew cared about your life and experiences. There were other things that I wanted to share, just little things, like the weird feeling of being alone, the changing of my voice or my adjustments to having short hair. Just little mundane things I usually shared with my family, but I couldn’t do that anymore. So I just had to live my life alone with or without anyone’s help.

I don't want to look back anymore! I fucking hated to look back...

The only advantage that I got from standing on my own is that, I was forced to become independent very early.

The army is no fucking place for dreamers like my brother Taylor, you have to be grounded in reality and stay down to earth here.

Quickly, I forced my ass out of the bed and stood up. Major Riley was already standing in front of us; he was standing so straight like a fucking arrow and wouldn't allow any kind of laziness.

"You are the best among them. After all the training, blood, sweat and tears, the fourteen of you stood out amongst the others. By being the best, we expect no errors in your tasks, we expect excellence! Zachary Walker Hanson!”



“Sir, yes Sir!”

“Your code name from now on will be Blade. You’ll lead Team Two.”

Apparently, I was fucking good at bossing people around. It was the first time that I got my own team.

“Santiago, your code name will be Red, you’ll lead team One.

"Sir, yes Sir!" Santiago affirmed his new task with enthusiasm. Apparently the fucking skunk also couldn't wait to order our colleagues around. Damn, I hoped he'd be under me at least once. On the other note, Santiago was also as excellent as I, or maybe the second best in our group, me being the first place of course. I grinned to myself.

"So this time, your teams will be in a special force. You will have some privileges other soldiers don’t have. You will be provided with special education depending on your team's assignment, you will also receive harder training than any other branch, and you will have the freedom to choose your own hairstyles."

I heard Marco, my new comrade standing on my left swallow loudly. He was an eightteen year old boy like me, but he was one of the new recruits who had no idea how hard special training could be. It was written all over his greenhorn face. I smirked; I give him one week, maybe two.

Those special privileges sounded good to me, specially the last one. They cut my long hair on the very first day I joined the army. My reflection wasn't what it used to be anymore, my hair is short now and darker. I wondered if my parents would even recognize me if they were still alive.

I wasn’t bothered by having more training in the next days. Anything that will distract me from the pain of looking back couldn't be bad! Difficult training? Hell, yeah! The harder, the better. It will be no walk in the park for my team, that's for sure!

“We will give you specific tasks and all of them are highly delicate tasks. In each job you do, always think that the US government is depending on you!”

Major Riley gave all of us one serious long glance before he turned around. Finally, he walked away from us and we heard him shouting through the next dorm.

"You’ll bring back the long hair you had before, Blade?” Santiago was already using my code name.

“Sure, I will. I’m sick of this hair. How about you?”

Santiago studied his face into the mirror, “do you think,” he scratched his chin and tilted his head to inspect the stubs of hair on it, “long hair would look good for me?”

I laughed so hard, Santiago always knew how to cheer me up. He gave me light punches on my stomach in return. Hurriedly, we got ready for another day of routine training...

Our team is good at getting dressed real quick, because we're the type of team that wears their uniforms all day.

By the end of the day, I felt exhausted. I even forgot that it was my birthday until Major Riley made his usual round to distribute the mail. Internally, I was still hoping to receive a letter to be honest, but like usual I got disappointed again. I sighed; I should finally stop fucking hoping! I was about to lay on my bed when Santiago sat down opposite me.

"Still no letter?" He asked sympathetically.

"No, surprise surprise." I stated sarcastically, avoiding looking up at him. I didn't want him to be able to read my emotions in my eyes, but he had already stood up and came over to sit down next to me.

"I know it's hard for you that you lost your parents in that young age, Blade. You know that I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

Santiago was the only person whom I didn't feel uncomfortable opening up to and I appreciated that he was there for me. Since my parent's death, he was like a father and best friend to me at the same time. His own family died while he was young and like me, he was also forced to stand on his own very early. As if that wasn't enough, on top of that I knew that Santiago lost a very close friend years ago. Sometimes I wondered if he was also in a state in which he was trying to forget painful memories.

"What do you do when you think about the friend you've lost before?" I asked him quietly.

"You mean Kurt?! I listen to his music which keeps him alive."  A weak smile rushed over his lips.

"Hmm." That was not the answer I had expected.

"Didn't you tell me once that your brother is a musician as well?" he asked.

"Yes, but that's different," I shrugged, "your friend is dead, he can't come and visit you anymore. My brother is alive and he hasn't even bothered to find out where I am. I'm not fucking interested in his music anymore."

My tone became angrier, the more I thought of Taylor.

"You have swallowed a lot of anger Blade, so you're definitely here at the right place to riot."

That caused me to smirk.

"But someday, you will surely see him again and then you have to face him."

I rolled my eyes. I should have known that he couldn't leave it at that. Fucking smart ass!

"He is the fucking coward who ran away, not me! If there's anyone who has to face someone, then he has to face me, not the contrary!"

He laughed at that.

"Whatever! I have something for you, come outside with me," he suddenly said.

"What the fuck do you have that you can't show me here?"

He rolled his eyes and gave me a push. "Get your lazy ass up now Blade and follow me I said!"

I sighed again; he wouldn't leave me anyway until I gave in. So I stood up and we went outside in the back yard. He pointed down at a box on the ground.

"This is for you, it's a birthday present."

"Hmm... a new family doesn't fit in that box, Santa Clause!"



I complained jokingly and began to scratch my chin like he did before.

"Stop your stupid jokes unthankful bastard and open it!"

I squatted down as the box suddenly began to move. What the fuck?!

I carefully took the lid from the box, unsure what might be expecting me, then I suddenly looked into two curious little puppy eyes.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Five years later

I heard car engines from afar. The syndicate members were coming up close. My fingers gripped my rifle tightly. We had no choice but to make a trap. We manipulated their route; it was the only way we thought we would be able to survive this battle. I served as the bait, using the last armored vehicle that we could use. We were outnumbered and we had to be clever to be able to finish this battle alive. But that wasn’t the worst part. Because we were not just outnumbered, base on my observations, my friends and I didn't have enough ammo either. It had been three days since this never ending war started. Our enemies were able to detect where our hideout was and destroyed everything that we had. Good thing me and my team decided to bury some of our weapons in random locations in case of emergencies like this. Red’s advice had never failed and it had saved my ass countless times.

I looked around and saw my best buddy instructing his team carefully to the other side.
To sit on the high cured grass was the only way for us to hide.

I readied myself to face the enemies, my armalite was loaded and I had six grenades left.



My extra ammo and handguns were safely tucked on my army uniform that I’ve been wearing for countless days. In the middle of a war, changing clothes and being clean weren't necessary. What we needed are weapons, clear heads and bravery.

I looked over to my team; all of them were ready like I was. I knew that we had the same thoughts at the moment and it was to defeat the enemy, no more, no less.

Three of my men already died and one was injured, he was sitting beside me and tried to suppress the pain from the wounds he got from the bombs that killed his team mates. His name was Anderson, one of my best men. He was my age and I knew that he had a little son at home.

Even though he was already injured, I could see the determination in his eyes to fight back, 'vengeance is mine, I will make them pay!' was what they're saying. He was ready to fucking shoot his machine gun to blow our opponent’s heads off.

There were only four of us left. But fucking hell, no one would die anymore. I would never let that happen! Those syndicate members would all be killed. I didn’t care if the US government would choose to punish me for doing that. All that mattered to me was to take revenge; I would kill all of them if I could.

At that moment, I couldn’t bear to look at my friends lying on the ground lifelessly. It felt fucking horrible to see them like that when moments ago; we were sitting shoulder by shoulder, fighting our enemies together. Meanwhile, Red’s team still had five. I was lucky to have his back.

We were able to collapse the branches of this international syndicate in different countries in Asia, and this location was supposed to be the final battle of this mission. Unfortunately, their local members were bright enough to challenge us. They prepared cautiously for our attack. But they wouldn’t win. I wouldn’t let the death of my friends to be for nothing. I would fight until my last breath!  I would fucking make them pay for every innocent life they took away.

When the first armored car was about 15 yards away, I signaled my men to start the death party.





*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was supposed to be a grand vacation. After months of being in the battle field, we surely deserved a break. It was past 1 am when we both decided to drive back to our hotel rooms. The pub that we went into was apparently filled with hot chicks. We enjoyed playing around but somehow, both of us decided to not take any of the girls with us which we realized eventually was a good choice.

The pub owners had provided some instruments which were supposed to be as entertainment products for the soldiers on vacation and Santiago used the opportunity to drum his ass off on a drum set to the rhythm of Nirvana’s "You know you're right".



Have I mentioned what a fantastic drummer he was? I sat there watching him; it was incredible how he was so full of life and energy. I've never seen anybody else before with so much drum power like Santiago. He was the coolest of the cool, like a true rock legend. His great vibe and awesome energy was contagious. For me it was the night in which I decided that one day I would ask him to teach me play drums.



I will never bother you
I will never promise to
I will never follow you
I will never bother you
Never speak a word again
I will crawl away for good

I will move away from here
I won't be afraid of fear
No thought was put into this
I always knew it would come to this
Things have never been so swell
I have never failed to fail

Pain!
Pain!
Pain!

I couldn't help but to think of Taylor again while I listened to Kurt Cobain's lyrics which boomed out of the Pub's speakers. The song was like a message of what I would tell him if he was here now.
How long would it take to forget him finally...

A few drinks later, Santiago who preferred to get called with his real name when we were not on an official mission was sitting in front of the wheel of his car. It was cool for me to drive with Santiago; I have loved roller coaster rides since I was a little kid, unlike Taylor.

I was enjoying the music from the stereo when we suddenly heard gun shots coming from the back. Evidently, we were the target of some gun men driving behind us who were getting closer every second and were shooting in our direction.

Santiago and I didn't need to communicate, both of us understood each other without words and we knew what to do in situations like this. Hastily, I climbed on the back seat where Santiago had a box with a few guns which he had began to collect, which was the biggest fucking luck for us at this moment! I took one of them, shot out the back window and followed it with a hard kick from my yellow doc martens, to kick away the rest of the broken glass bits which unnecessarily impeded the sight to the enemies.

No one could mess up my grand fucking vacation!
My rifle was targeting the front wheel of our mysterious attackers when our car swerved uncontrollably, one of its wheels was already shot. Santiago tried to control and maneuver the car expertly on the side of the road while I fired calmly to the fast approaching car. Those fucking twats wouldn’t get away with this!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I convinced Santiago to continue our break even though we knew that some syndicate members where on a nationwide haunt for all of us. I should have listened to him. Because of my irrational decision, we were in this state. But after all that I’ve done wrong, he still didn’t hesitate to half carry me and bring us to safety. He succeeded as usual, but he needed aide as soon as possible. My thoughts ran a hundred miles per hour, as I tried my best to tie torn fabric to his injured shoulder. My heart beat so fast that it felt like it was banging up to my ears.

I got shit scared when I realized that Santiago might die to my arms. So with renewed strength I didn’t know I still had, I carried him to the nearest car I could find and drove with blurry vision...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My eyes opened, searching for the familiar sight of my room in my shabby apartment. The area was strange but known at the same time, although not in a familiar, comfortable feeling way for me. I had laid myself on a couch in the hallway in front of Taylor's bedroom in hope to shake off the memories from the past. I thought it was easier here than in my old room. But with the nightmare I just had, I realized now that it doesn't make any difference where in the house I sleep. I sat up, what the fuck could I expect from this house? A good night sleep? You’re a damn fool, Blade!

Those nightmares wouldn't improve for sure. My mind was killing me already. This house could only give me nightmares at night and shitty faggot moments all day long.

I raised my hands and looked at them. These hands will never be able to shake off the guilt I carry.



I hated my palms, I hated my sweat, scars of guilt have marked my lost soul for eternity and nothing will ever be able to take that away from me. No matter what I'm fucking doing here.

I slapped my palm to my sweaty forehead and gave it a scratch. Then as if my hands have a mind of their own, my fingers reached to the rubber band around my wrist, and worked on tying my hair.

I didn’t know what else to do at the moment; I had no choice but to stay awake until in the morning. I knew that sleep would be so difficult after the dream I had.

The pictures were so clear to my head.

Dying friends to my arms, heartless people taking innocent lives, me and my friends fighting until the end, and then Santiago. My best friend who never hesitated to save me.

A lot of people became victims of many crimes that existed. Some of them were just bystanders, some were kids, mothers, students, office clerks, businessmen, fucking etcetera. And some of them were soldiers.

Like Santiago and me.



The dream was just one of our common experiences. Both of us didn't know at that time that someday, his life would be changed forever because of me...


previous Chapter 12                                                                                                                                                              next Chapter 14

Chapter Overview: Link

Comments

[zacharygirl.livejournal.com]

wow this has taken me by surprise! I like the idea of a side story and I thought the descriptions of Zac's army experiences were excellent! I've never read anything comparable to this before. The pictures really lighten up the story!

Looking forward for more! :)

[teamzaylor.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for your amazing feedback!!! ♥♥♥

We're very happy that you guys like and enjoy the story, we've just updated a new Chapter. :)

[eleflowerpot.livejournal.com]

This was fantastic! Love all the background info on Zac, goes someway to explain his reasons for hating Taylor and their childhood home. I enjoyed Santiago as well, good to see how his friendship with Zac was formed and where Zac got his name Blade from. Loved the addition of the Nirvana info and Santiago being a drummer and Zac wanting to be taught by him :)

Brilliant graphics as always.

[teamzaylor.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for your amazing feedback!!! ♥♥♥

We're happy that we managed it to reason Zac's behaviour and that you guys also like our additional characters and their friendship bonds. :) Thanks for the appreciation about the graphics we highly appreciate it!!

We just updated another Chapter. :)

[zacgirl1.livejournal.com]

It's good to get to know more of Zac' s past...more in detail. That way we can understand him even more, we can see see and feel his pain somehow. It's so sad that he had to go through so much shit and be all alone. I also can't believe Taylor didn't try to find his little brother. I see why Zac "hates" him so much.
I'm glad he had Santiago by his side and he still has thou. His only family for so long.

Awesome chapter ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[teamzaylor.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for your wondeful feedback!!! ♥♥♥

We're happy that we managed it to give reasons for Zac's behaviour, we will try to balance it for both sides as best as we can. And more details about Taylor's past will also be told very soon.

Thanks again, it makes us happy to see that you enjoy the story.
We just updated another Chapter. :)

[tondada.livejournal.com]

I'm playing 'catch up' with this story today. . .

Blade's memories were pretty intense. I can't even imagine what it would feel like to be in those situations for real!

I'll be curious to find out from Taylor the reasons for his disappearance from Zac's life. I felt so sorry for 18 year old Zac on his birthday. Feeling rejected by Taylor and not wanting to admit it hurt him! :(

I'm so curious about the last line and it's meaning!

Love remembering Kurt Cobain! A real genius . . . a real tragedy!! .

[teamzaylor.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for your kind feedback!!! ♥♥♥

We also love remembering Kurt Cobain, glad you guys like the mention about him.

We will clear up the secret of the last line in a later Chapter, first we will tell some more army adventures every night when Zac sleeps. :)

And Taylor's reason for moving out will be told very soon.

Glad you enjoy reading, thanks again for sharing your thoughts! We highly appreciate it. ♥♥♥