Home

Fiction

Short Fics

Artwork

LinkinBeat))

Links

 

Chapter 13

Chester, gun in hand was hot on the heels of Shifty, running down tiny passages, up steps, through doors. They were heading for the roof. Chester could hear the rain pelting down on the metal and asphalt roofing above him.
Suddenly they were outside. It was raining so hard that Chester was soaking almost immediately. From the roof he could see the whole of downtown LA, but Chester’s sight was focussed on one thing.

Shifty was walking backwards away from Chester, never taking his eyes off the gun Chester held before him. He quickly realised he’d dropped his own gun on route somewhere.

‘Clearly Shifty’s not armed with a gun – he’d have shot me by now’ thought Chester. He had the advantage this time.


Mike was running blindly. He had no idea which way Rhiannon had been taken. He came to a section of the corridor that went off in four directions and stopped short.

‘Which way?’

“Hey, Mike – wait up.” Brad came down the corridor behind him.

“I don’t know what to do!” shouted Mike. He was so angry with the whole situation now. “I can’t find her!”

“Calm down and shut up! Listen…”

A stifled cry of ‘Mike!’ came to their ears.
Mike closed his eyes and saw in his minds eye, Rhiannon being dragged through a door. It was a bedroom.

His body seemed to choose the direction for him. He turned, opened his eyes and ran, with Brad not far behind.


“C’mon then Bennington – shoot me!…” Shifty was taunting him. 

That annoying voice grated on Chester’s nerves. 

“…Or are you too much of a goody-goody!”

“Shut up – God…your voice! It s doing my head in,” shouted Chester pressing the trigger.

The gun didn’t do anything. He tried again.

“Shame, out of ammo?” Shifty teased starting to walk towards Chester.

“I don’t need it,” said Chester grinning. He noticed a glint of metal in the moonlight as Shifty got a flick knife out. 

They ran at each other. Shifty revealed the knife at the last minute, but Chester anticipated this and dodged it, managing to wallop Shifty hard around the side of the head with the handle of the gun.

Stunned he stumbled back and Chester went in for the kill, literally. He kicked Shifty in the stomach, the force sending him flying. Shifty pulled himself up slowly.

“Nice one Bennington,” he said blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, I’m not done yet,” growled Chester.

Shifty continued to taunt Chester, despite the beatings he was receiving.

“Missing you wife are you, Ches?” he grinned through the pain – his face a mess of blood.

Chester had had enough of kicking, now he looked for a weapon. Shifty reached for the knife he’d dropped while Chester’s back was turned. He struggled to his feet. Chester came back with an iron pole in his hands. He advanced towards Shifty again.

Using the little strength he had left, Shifty lunged forward slicing a deep cut through Chester’s shirt to his chest. The blood oozed through, mixing with the rain. Ignoring the pain, Chester swung the iron pole at his opponent, knocking him across the roof.

“Get up you shit!” screamed Chester before throwing down the pole and grabbing Shifty by his coat, he threw him over the side of the building.

He watched as Shifty’s body plummeted about 80feet to the road and became impaled on some railings below.

Clutching his chest, he stumbled back to the stairs and made his way back down to the others.


Back in the main room, Rob, Phoenix and Joe had tied Wes Borland, Sam Rivers and Jon Otto to chairs. DJ Lethal was dead, his skull smashed from the impact of Phoenixs’ foot. Otto and Rivers were bleeding from their gunshot wounds and they were still conscious.

They left the three remaining members of Limp Bizkit imprisoned in the room, and left to catch up with Mike and Brad. They ran into Chester in the corridor, who despite his latest injury, insisted on coming with them.

“I’m Ok – its not as bad as it looks,” he said wincing slightly in pain.

“I think there’s another way down here,” said Joe. He and Rob went that way, while Chester and Phoenix retraced Mike’s footsteps.


Mike and Brad below ground. They were in the basement. They tried several of the doors and found them locked. Mike could not sense any sign of Rhiannon. They made there way through another corridor.

“I can smell her perfume,” said Mike sniffing the air. “She’s around here somewhere.”

He ran to the nearest door but it was locked. He heard muffled cries from behind it. Mike launched an attack on the door, thumping it, kicking it, like a mad man, until his knuckles bled. Then he remembered the gun.

Grabbing the gun, he pointed it at the lock and pulled the trigger. The force of the gun leaving the bullet surprised him, but the door flew open.

They both ran in but found no-one. A door leading to some steps leading to the main road was banging in the wind. They heard the screech of tyres on the wet road and, running outside, saw the tail end of the black Mustang disappearing around the corner.

“Damn, fuckin’ hell – what now?” Mike shouted, throwing the gun down.

There was a commotion behind them and the rest of Linkin Park congregated in the doorway.

“C’mon…” Chester put his hand reassuringly on Mike’s shoulder, “…I’ve got a feeling I know where they’re going”.

“Wait, what about Borland, Otto and Rivers?” asked Brad.

Chester scoured the area, went back into the main part of the building and then came back a few minutes later.

“I need your help guys.”

He led them back to where he’d found a store of full petrol cans. Taking a can each, they spread the contents around the ground floor and basement. 
Running back out to the Chevvy, Chester paused, ignited a cigarette lighter he’d found and threw it into the building.

As they set off again, after the Mustang, Rob, Brad and Chester turned to look back at the factory and saw it engulfed in flames.


Chapter 14

Chester was right. They arrived at the docks and saw the black Mustang parked near the warehouse where Mike had killed Epic Mazur. As they got out of the car, they could see a male figure running from the warehouse. There was no sign of Rhiannon though.

“Mike, me and Chester will check inside the warehouse,” called Brad.

“You four go after him!”

They ran after the man, cornering him on a jetty – his face remained in the shadows, maintaining his anonymity.

“Where is she?” Mike demanded, gun in hand, shaking with anger - and fear for Rhiannon’s safety.

“Why do you care? You’re gonna be six feet under again soon!” said a familiar voice.

Mike pressed the trigger and the bullet hit the man square in the chest.

“Ouch, damn these bullet proof vests!” He raised his arm, so that Linkin park could just make out the gun in his hand.

“I’ve lost interest in all this now – your ‘girlfriend’ is gonna die!”

A muffled cry could be heard from somewhere behind him.

“Are you ashamed of yourself – why don’t you show your face?” asked Chester walking towards the lads, with Brad close behind.

A single street lamp cast a beam of light between them and him. The guy stepped forwards into it, causing all six of them to catch their breath.

“Fred Durst!” chorused Brad and Rob.

“Why?” asked Chester. “Did you mastermind our deaths a year ago as well?”

“Yeah, I did. You guys wrecked our popularity – with you out of the way, we had a chance of success again. Those wankers from Crazytown, also had a personal grudge against you, so they were more than happy to do the dirty work”.

“Well I don’t see the fans queued up to see you now – you’ve just become some sad, pathetic, power hungry dickhead, so your plan failed don’t you think?” Chester continued.

“And now we’re back, and your gonna die” said Brad, attacking with no forethought. He lunged at Fred with a knife he’d picked up earlier.

Fred attempted to dodge the blade, but it grazed his left arm, drawing blood. Brad stumbled and fell.

Fred Durst turned and aimed the gun into the blackness, firing twice. The first bullet hit something wooden, it sounded like. The second caused a muffled female scream.

“Fuck!” Mike breathed staring into the sheer darkness. His legs gave way beneath him in horror.

“Hang on Mike,” said Chester. “We need to finish this…quickly.”

Rob aimed his gun at Fred’s legs and watched as the body gave way with the agony of the kneecaps shattering.

“You can kill me…” Fred spoke through gritted teeth, “…but I’ll win in the end”.

“Chester ran forwards and kicked Fred in the face knocking him backwards. He struggled back grasping the lamp post for support.

“You’ll never win,” said Mike having found his feet, and approaching Fred, ready to attack. 

But Durst was too quick for him. Suddenly Mike felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He stepped back in shock, and saw the blood ooze from a puncture wound, small but deep.

Joe ended it. He came up from Fred’s right side, grabbed his head back and siced his neck from left to right.

Fred Durst fell forward, clutching his throat, writhing as the blood poured from his throat and his mouth. Then he lay still and silent. He was dead.


Phoenix came running towards them from the direction of the car with a powerful flashlight in his hand. He and Mike ran to the end of the jetty looking for any sign of Rhiannon.

Flashing the torch all around, the light caught a body lying in the water, face down, and a small wooden boat just sinking below the surface out of sight.

Forgetting the pain from his own injury, Mike dived into the water and swam out to her body.

As he brought her closer to the shore, Brad and Rob helped Mike to lift her waterlogged body out of the water. They quickly removed her gag and bonds.

Rhiannon was motionless. The water had been freezing. Linkin Park crowded around feeling helpless. Mike’s face was wet, whether from his tears or the cold water, no-one was really sure. He held her, trying to warm her. He could feel her heart beat, so there was a chance.

“C’mon, come back to me,” he whispered as he tried to get her to cough up any water she’d swallowed.

After what seemed like hours, but was really a minute or less, Rhiannon coughed, spitting the water out. She was shaking from the cold as she inhaled deep gulps of air. Brad spotted where she’d been hit by the bullet. It had gone into her upper arm, but from what he could see, only the wound was there now, the bullet had gone.

Gathering his strength, Mike picked Rhiannon up and carried her back to the car. Chester got in the driving seat and Brad got in next to him. Mike held Rhiannon in the back seat. He explained to Chester how to get to Rhiannon’s place. Rob, Joe and Phoenix decided to walk as it was not far. They followed as the car drove away.


Back at Rhiannon’s apartment Chester ran her a hot bath. The lads waited in the lounge to make sure she was alright before they left her.

Once she was warm and dry, Brad took a look at the wound. He dressed it for her with a first aid kit she kept in the kitchen.

Rob made her a cup of tea, while Mike sat on an armchair near her, with his head in his hands, apologizing profusely.

“Its not your fault,” said Rhiannon sleepily. She put her hand on his knee.

“You saved me – you all came to find me and for that, I thank you. Now Mike, where’s that smile I remember?”

Mike looked up at her, managing a weak smile.

The sky was beginning to lighten – it would be daylight in about two hours.

Rhiannon closed her eyes for a moment.


Chapter 15 – In the End

Rhiannon opened her eyes. Had she dozed off?

Looking at the clock she noticed that only about 30 minutes had gone by. She also noticed that she was alone.

Suddenly Rhiannon felt an overwhelming loss. She hadn’t said goodbye. She hadn’t thanked them properly.

Getting up off the couch, and pulling some clothes on, as she was still in her bathrobe, she grabbed her keys and shot back out of her apartment. The traumatic events of the past couple of days seemed a distant memory.

The rain had eased off although a fine drizzle still fell. As she ran through the streets, she felt her hair curl up with the dampness in the air. She knew where they were headed, and she hoped she would catch them in time.


Linkin Park had returned to the cemetery from which they came.

“What happens now?” asked Rob apprehensively. “Do we have to re-bury ourselves?”

“Pass,” said Chester, as puzzled as the rest.

They sat down on the ground hoping it would just swallow them up and solve all their problems.

The sky was lightening rapidly. Chester’s thoughts  were with Sam, and Sam alone now – they would have been married for six years now if they had been alive.

I love you and I miss you so much

His eyes watered and he removed his glasses and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Mike started at a sound. He heard feet running along the wet sidewalk. Rhiannon

Getting to his feet he went over to the gateway. She was running towards him and he went to meet her.

“I had to say goodbye!” she was out of breath.

Mike caught her in his arms and hugged her tight. Her heart was racing.

“You were hero’s all of you. I’d have been killed if it wasn’t for you guys”.

The rest of Linkin Park came over and Rhiannon let go of Mike who released her with some reluctance, from his arms.

“I wanted to thank you guys properly. I adored you music when you were alive – I still listen to it now.” Rhiannon blushed furiously. “I just wanted to say thanks, again.”

Chester approached Rhiannon and gave her a bear hug. The other guys followed suit. Although they hadn’t known her very long, they felt like they were saying goodbye to an old friend. Rob and Brad kissed her on the cheek. She turned to Mike and the two of them caught each others eye.

A tear slid silently down her face as she knew this would be the last time she would ever see them. Chester, Rob, Brad, Joe and Phoenix all move quietly away, leaving the two of them staring at each other without a word.

Mike moved towards Rhiannon. He took her face in his hands and slowly lowered his lips to hers. They kissed slowly and deeply, they’re arms wrapped around each other, bodies moulded together almost as one being. For a split second, Mike thought he felt his heart beat again, in time with hers. Neither wanted it to end, but both knew that it had to.

They separated slowly, forced by time and fate. Rhiannon turned and started to walk away. After a few feet she turned and looked one last time at Mike. His eyes were trained on the ground, but sensing her eyes on him, he looked up and smiled that smile she had never forgotten.

“I’ll never forget you Mike Shinoda,” she spoke sadly, although smiling back at him.

Then she turned and left the graveyard.


A strong wind blew up bringing with it heavy rain. Chester sat down on the ground, his head gripped tightly in his hands. He didn’t even notice he was suddenly alone. The other five men had vanished. They’re graves lay undisturbed as though none of the previous events had ever occurred.

Chester felt familiar eyes on him and looked up. He stared straight into the face of his beloved Samantha. She looked beautiful wearing a long dark red gown, her blonde hair shimmering.

Chester was so shocked he couldn’t move. Samantha bent down to him and took him in her arms. He had never felt such love, relief and protection. He allowed her spirit to fill him with warmth and love.

“We’ll always be together now,” she whispered.

“I love you,” Chester whispered back as their spirits vanished, leaving the graveyard an empty place, completely undisturbed. The only thing remaining was the rain beating down on the gravestones as the new day began.


THE END | Fiction

 

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

TOP   |   Last updated 15 February 2002 19:42 (AUS EST / +1000 GMT).