Invasion: Chapter 3: Highs and Lows
Balto couldn't stop talking about what Mika had to say to him earlier. That entire evening, all he and Jenna were able to converse over was what the Finn had told Balto about his life, how he ended up in Nome, and why he just hated the place. Like Balto, Jenna was fascinated with the details. Even on the way home, there wasn't much either one could say about anything else aside from how the pups were doing. While walking home, both Balto and Jenna passed by Mika's house. They had to in order to get back home. But while passing, they both heard what sounded like someone singing and playing a guitar coming from inside. The voice was unrecognizable at first, but Balto could tell it wasn't Mika.
"Is that him?" asked Jenna.
"No," replied Balto. "That may sound Finnish, but that's not Mika's voice."
The only other sound was that of steam hissing. Up close, Balto could barely hear anything over the steam. He was, however, able to peak in through a small window. Mika and his brother, Kaj, were both taking a bath in a sauna that Mika had added to his house after he moved in. Aside from both of them having a towel around their waists, only Mika was wearing anything else. Namely, a navy blue ball cap that had an Old English "D" on the front. It was a Detroit Tigers baseball hat.
Kaj, who was sitting adjacent to Mika, was holding a black, single-cutaway acoustic guitar on his lap. His hair was the same shade as Mika's, but was styled in a mushroom cut and was a bit shorter. But there was no ignoring any resemblance. They clearly looked like brothers.
Balto had no idea why they were sitting in a steam room wearing only bath towels. All he could see of them was from the waist up. After a minute, he finally got the nerve to speak.
"Mika?" he asked.
Mika quickly jumped to his feet, wondering who had just called his name. He even drew out a Colt revolver that he carried for protection.
"Who goes there?" Mika asked, his voice sounding tense.
"What is it?" Kaj asked.
"Thought I heard something," Mika replied. He then walked slowly to the outside door and opened the window. Balto was out of his line of sight.
"Who are you and why should I care?" asked Mika.
"Mika, it's me," Balto said "Balto. Remember? The dog who came to apologize to you for the tripping yesterday."
"What are you doing here?" asked Mika, who had to look down to see who it was. "And why were you peeking into my sauna?"
Mika had somehow managed to catch a brief glimpse of Balto looking through the window.
"I heard something coming from in here," Balto replied. All he could still see of Mika was from the waist up, and he didn't know what to think. "Uh, Mika? Are you naked?"
"No," Mika responded, waving his ball cap, "I am wearing a hat."
"What are you doing?" asked Balto, sounding very confused.
"Well, Balto," said Mika, stepping outside and shutting the door and window behind him with his towel around his waist, "back home, we believe that to rejuvenate the body and soul, you take a hot sauna bath and then follow that up with an ice cold snow massage."
"What do they follow that up with, a heart attack?" Balto asked.
"No, no," Mika replied, "actually it's quite invigorating. I also use it to relieve sore muscles after a workout. And besides, how else can you be able to walk outside in the middle of winter wearing just a bath towel?"
" I guess that's the only way possible," said Balto. "When did you put in this sauna?"
"Aren't we curious tonight," Mika retorted. "If you must know, I added it after I bought this place. And to think, I wasn't even out of my parents' house for ten minutes before my dad started putting one of these in where my bedroom used to be."
"Man," said Balto, "at least you're parents are cool. I don't know of anyone else who's cool enough to put in one of those."
"Come watch them use it," said Mika, rolling his eyes. "Not so cool. Believe me, one time in there with them, you'll never wanna go into a sauna again. I got extra room if you want to join."
"Uh, thanks, but not now," said Balto. "Say, who's the guy in there that was singing and playing guitar?"
"Oh, that's my brother, Kaj," said Mika. "He took up playing guitar while we were down in Detroit. He's really good at, although he's a better player than a singer."
"Really?" asked Balto. "I don't think he sounds too bad. Granted, I only heard a little bit, but he sounded good to me."
"Hmm," Mika said. "Oh, by the way, he knows you spoke to me. I came over to my parents' house for dinner after you left. It was a specialty night and I never pass those up. And somehow the word leaked out. Kaj especially thinks I've gone crazy."
"How dare he say that!" said Balto, almost exclaiming his choice of words.
"I don't know if he can even hear that," added Mika.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Balto protested. "Are you saying you're the only one of you Kykaliskos who can understand what I'm saying?"
"I didn't even know I could," said Mika.
Balto reached up and scratched his head with his left front paw. Now he was really perplexed.
"Now I'm the one who's entire perception of reality has been thrown into question," he said. Mika didn't even bother asking why. He already knew.
"I hate to barge in, you two," said Jenna, who had been listening in at a slight distance, "but we should head home soon, Balto. It's getting late."
"Yeah, you're right, Jenna," Balto answered back. "Well, goodnight, Mika."
"Yeah, goodnight, Balto," said Mika. "Kaj's probably wondering if I'm still alive."
After Balto and Jenna took off, Mika picked up his gun, which he hid behind a rock, and went back inside.
The next morning, Mika stepped outside, ready for one of his workouts. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and trail shoes. Long distance running was one way that Mika kept in shape during the hockey off season. He even ran during the winter. But during the summer, after the snow had melted, he had little or no alternative.
The warmup consisted of a 10 minute jog from the back door of his house to the beach. There, he did some stretching before starting the real run. The course was one that Mika had setup himself. It started on the beach, went east for half a mile, then turned inland and headed north for a mile and a half. A pole marked the turn. After heading inland for one mile, the course went right-left-right-hairpin left in quick succession. More poles marked the remaining turns. After that it headed west for a half mile before turning north again. This was followed by a hairpin left, and a quick right towards the nearby mountains. The course then went up to a nearby series of hills and then back down the other side before turning south for two miles towards the beach. Then it was another two miles back towards the starting point. The route had not varied since Mika first came to Nome. In the winter, he would attach snowshoes to the bottom of his trail shoes to avoid sinking into the snow. He wouldn't need them today. Just the will to run.
Balto had repeatedly seen Mika on these runs and thought of joining him for one. He was waiting at the pole that marked the starting point.
"Hey," said Mika when he reached the pole. "Didn't expect to see you out here."
"Oh, I always come out here in the morning," said Balto. "Since it's a Saturday, I don't come out at the crack of dawn. I'm surprised you never noticed."
"Well, I usually run in the evenings," said Mika. "But yesterday was an off day for me. This is the one place I can go besides my house and nobody tell me what to do. Besides, I've usually been training alone since I came here. Nobody can keep up with me."
"Maybe I can," said a voice from seemingly out of nowhere. Kodi was standing a few feet away, having come over to do his own practice run.
"Oh, great," said Mika, who had started stretching. "Now I know I'm going insane. That's three dogs that have spoken to me in the last 24 hours."
"What?" Kodi asked, not understanding the full extent of the situation.
"I can answer that," replied Balto. "When I went to apologize for tripping him, I inadvertently blurted something out loud, he heard it, and now thinks he's on the edge of having a nervous breakdown."
Mika gave both of them a cross look. "I never said I was on the edge of having a nervous breakdown," he finally said. "I said I was delirious from being away from home for so long."
Kodi looked really confused.
"Look," he added, "unless you two brought cinder blocks with you, one of you is going to have to sit on my feet while I do some sit-ups."
"Can't you keep your feet down yourself?" asked Balto.
"I've tried," said Mika. "It's not easy. They either keep lifting up or sliding around."
Balto reluctantly walked over and sat down on Mika's feet. After doing 40 sit-ups, Mika got up, ready to run.
"How long is this run gonna be?" asked Kodi.
"Eight miles," Mika replied. "I have a course laid out around the outskirts of town. I use these long runs to build up my endurance for hockey season. For most of the game, I'm skating up and down the ice. To do so quickly, speed is obviously important. But it all means nothing if you can't sustain that speed for very long. That's right, endurance is equally important."
"Fascinating," added Kodi. "I'm hoping to move up to lead dog, so this should help."
"Well, then," said Mika, "let's get started."
Mika and Kodi trudged over to the starting pole and started to run, with Balto following close behind. After a few seconds, all three of them took off down the beach.
For the most part, Kodi and Balto both kept pace with Mika, although the Finn's incredible agility left them struggling to keep up through the turns, especially the quick right-left-right-hairpin left complex. But once on the following straight sections, the two dogs caught right back up. The section with the hills definitely wore all three of them down, especially because it came so late in the run. The best discretion was to not push too hard on the uphill parts, and push the downhill stretches.
After a little less than an hour, the threesome finished. None of them look too fatigued, although Mika was sweating considerably, and Balto and Kodi were both panting.
"That sure went well," said Mika, sounding a little winded.
"Yeah," said Kodi. "That was a good run."
"A few more of these, plus some hill repeats," added Mika, "and that lead dog position is yours for the taking."
"You really think so?" Kodi asked.
"Well," Mika replied, "you kept up with me the whole time."
"True," Balto put in. "Then again, most of the other dogs in town probably could."
"So, what's next?" asked Kodi.
"Well, for me it's a cool down jog back to my place," replied Mika. "Then I take a hot bath in my sauna to relieve any muscle pain, following that up with an ice cold snow massage."
"Cold shock included," added Balto, laughing at his own joke. Mika didn't find it funny.
With that, the threesome jogged back to Mika's house.
The hot steam bath in Mika's sauna sure felt real good for Balto and Kodi. If they weren't sweating before, they sure were now. Mika wasn't wearing is Detroit Tigers hat this time. He used the same loose-fitting bath towel that he used last night.
"You were right, Mika," said Balto. "This is invigorating."
"How long can you stay in this thing?" asked Kodi.
"Well, my personal record is two hours," replied Mika. "That's all I've been able to tolerate so far. It's also best not to use a steam room if you're overweight or have a heart condition."
"Do you?" Kodi asked.
"No, I don't," Mika retorted. "Why would I even be in here if I did?"
"Just asking," Kodi replied.
All three of them sighed lightly. Mika look out the window from where he was seated. Clearly he looked like he was lost in thought.
"Homesick, Mika?" Balto asked. "Do you ever think about going back home?"
"Not a day goes by when I don't think about going back to Kokkola," Mika replied, sounding weary and depressed. "But like I said, I don't have the money or means to get back."
"You know, Dad," said Kodi, "I kinda see what you mean about him being on the same path you used to be. Are you sure he's having it worse than you?"
"Look, Sport," said Balto. "Even on the Balto scale, this guy's case is a humdinger!"
Even Mika couldn't help but laugh.
"It's not that you brought up my plight," he said. "It's that you said 'humdinger'."
"You've never heard the word before?" Balto asked.
"No, I've heard it before," Mika replied. "I've just never heard a canine use it before."
"Mika, have you really had it as bad as Dad said living here?" Kodi asked.
"You kinda had to be there when I told your Dad the whole story last night,"
replied Mika.
After another 30 minutes, the sauna bath was over. Balto and Kodi sure seemed to enjoy the steam bath. They even enjoyed the snow massage.
"Where do you get snow like this after it melts?" asked Kodi.
"I stockpile it during the winter," Mika responded as he rubbed the snow on Kodi and Balto. "And I keep it in a specially insulated crate to keep it cold right next to my fridge. It has the same cold insulation used in refrigerated boxcars."
"Fascinating," said Balto, shivering slightly as the snow was rubbed on his fur.
After giving Balto and Kodi their snow massages, it was Mika's turn to get his. After dumping some snow on himself, Balto agreed to rub it in. He didn't do too badly at it, despite leaving some marks from his claws on Mika's back.
Mika, however, didn't seem to mind.
"So, what are you gonna do for the rest of today?" asked Balto.
"Well, I don't know about today," Mika replied. "Tonight is what I'm looking forward to."
"Why is that?" Balto asked again.
"Remember how you heard Kaj playing that guitar last night?" Mika replied.
"Yes, I remember," Balto answered back. "What about it?"
"Well, he and some other locals have a band," said Mika, "and they usually play Saturday nights at this one club here in Nome. Kaj is the lead guitarist and does some backup vocals. I'm in it, too, as lead singer and rhythm guitar player on some songs. We had a separate lead singer, but he had a falling out with our keyboard player and left. So I decided to take the position until they find a permanent lead vocalist."
"You? A singer?" asked Balto. "No offense, but I can't imagine you singing."
"You'd be surprised," said Mika. " I'm not the best, but I'm the the best who was available at the time. You wanna come watch?"
"I'm a regular at to these shows," said Kodi. "So, yeah, I'll be there. How about you, Dad?"
"I might come," said Balto. "Oh, and Mika, thanks for the sauna bath and snow massage. I didn't go into cardiac arrest, so I can definitely say I enjoyed it."
"You know, that joke gets less and less funny the more and more I hear it," said Mika said. He then leaned down, glared at Balto, and called him "Shorty."
"Watch it," Balto retorted. "I may be short, but I'm wiry."
"No kidding," said Mika. "So, assuming nothing else comes up, I'll see you both at the show?"
"Yeah, sure," said Balto. "See you then."
"Yeah," said Mika. "See you then."
With that, Mika started for the bathroom.
"You know what the best part about having my own place is?" said Mika as he entered the bathroom. "I can go to the bathroom, and not have to lock the door." He then paused and poked his head out from the doorway. "Or do I?"
"No," said Balto. "I don't go for that sort of thing."
"Me neither," added Kodi.
That said, Mika shut the door behind him without locking it.
All that Mika was able to do in order to pass the day was take a long walk followed by a nap. But even that didn't help him much. Eventually show-time crept closer and he finally made his way to the club. The show was scheduled for 8:00 PM and would feature him and Kaj's band performing a few songs of theirs.
The current name of the group was Lapp Attack. They were basically an early version of an 1980s new wave/mainstream rock band, like Cutting Crew. The current lineup was as follows:
Mika Kykalisko: Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Kaj Kykalisko: Lead guitar, backing vocals
Keith Black: Keyboards
Colin Stevenson: Bass guitar, backing vocals
Ryan Andrews: Drums & percussion
Mika, at 19, was the oldest member of the group. Kaj, at 13, was the youngest. Keith, Colin, and Ryan, were 16, 15, and 17, respectively. The latter three were considerably more clean cut and much shorter as far as their hair was concerned. Mika, with his blonde mullet, had the craziest hairdo of the five. Kaj's mushroom cut was only slightly more extravagant. All five were clean shaven.
Other performers were there that night to put on their own acts, each one beginning half an hour after the previous act began. There were five others, starting at 8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, and 10:30.
Kodi and his teammates had already taken their seats in the audience. Interestingly, dogs were allowed in this club.
"Say, Kodi," said Kirby, "word has it you and your dad took a run with one of those Finns."
"Oh, you mean Mika?" said Kodi. "Yeah, Dad and I went for a run with him earlier today. Apparently, we're the only beings in this town that have been able to keep up with him."
"Really?" asked Ralph, who sitting next to Dusty. "How did it go?"
"It went well," said Kodi.
Soon afterward, Balto and Jenna arrived and took up seats nearby. Jenna had never been to one of Lapp Attack's shows before. And Balto's attendance record at the club was sporadic at best. He wasn't a regular, but this wasn't his first attended show.
"So let me get this straight," said Jenna. "Not only is Mika an athlete, but he's also a singer and guitar player?"
"I'm just telling you what he told me," said Balto in response. "I've been here before for their shows, but not since I knew who the front-man is."
"Hi Dad, hi Mom," said Kodi upon seeing his parents sit down nearby.
"Hi, Sonny," said Jenna.
"Hi, Sport," said Balto.
"First time here?" asked Kodi.
"For me, yes," Jenna replied. "Not for your dad, though. He's been here before."
Eventually, Kodi's siblings, Dingo, Attu, Kiska, and Saba showed up, although not all at once. They took up seats nearby as well.
Also there were the band members' parents, including Mika and Kaj's own folks. Numerous other dogs were there, too, including some that Balto knew for a long time. Yes, even his old enemies Nikki, Kaltag, Star, and yes, even Steele were there, although they weren't all sitting together. Balto apparently heard that Steele had managed to stop Ryan from quitting the band, but didn't believe it. Apparently what happened was, at a show back in March, Steele took a lighter, held it up in one paw, and shouted "LAPP ATTACK RUUUUUUUUUUUUUULES!!"
Backstage, Mika, Kaj, Keith, Colin, and Ryan were doing a sound-check before their show was scheduled to start. The set list was as follows:
Any Color
Fear Of Falling
Sahara
Life In A Dangerous Time
I've Been In Love Before
(I Just) Died In Your Arms
"Okay, we're all set," said Ryan.
"Yep," added Mika, pumping his fists. "Time to tear this place apart! Yeah!"
The quintet walked out onstage at roughly 7:58, with time to set up. All their equipment was already in place on stage, so all they had to do was take their places, and for Mika, Kaj, and Colin, strap on their respective guitars. Mika donned a headset mike, while Kaj and Colin took up their places behind two different mike stands. After checking to make sure his microphone was on, Mika did the usual introductions and Ryan gave the signal to start playing. Each song had a instrumental intro before Mika would start singing. For four songs, Mika donned a black double-cutaway electric guitar, while Kaj used a double-cutaway electric with a Finnish flag design for all six songs. Colin's bass guitar was also a double-cut electric.
Any Color
I dream, dream of a lonely girl
Who sleeps, lost in her lonely world
Any sunset I'd give to you
Any color that you like, all for you
She sleeps, wrapped in her naked room
The air filled with a sweet perfume
Any rainbow I'd save for you
Any color that you like, all for you
I've waited, I've waited so long for you
To show my true colors come shining through
I dream, dream of a distant girl
Who sleeps, lost in her lonely world
Any diamond I'll shine for you
Any color that you like, all for you
I've waited, I've waited so long for you
To show my true colors come shining through
Fear of Falling
Midnight, feels like it's shining on me
Moonlight, taxis roll in from the sea
Shots in the dark, slaves to the big city beat
Heroes, toasted and sent to the wall
Zeroes, bleed you and laugh in your face
My kind of town is anywhere else but this place
But who can walk on the water?
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
Hold on, check out and check out the fools
Don't you, forget the, the golden rule
Don't let them win
Start making plans of your own
'Cos you can get what you wanted!
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
(Kaj and Colin sing the next four lines themselves)
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
(Mika returns at this point)
I can help this fear of falling
I can help this fear of letting go
For this next song, Mika switched to the same acoustic guitar that Kaj was playing with last night.
Sahara
Don't let love let you down
It's been fine up to now
Sahara, I just walked into your world
Sahara, don't walk out on me now
Don't let time tie you down
It's been fine up to now
Sahara, there is life in the desert
Sahara, let the sands run away
But in my heart and in my head
I know that she'll wait for me
Oh, Sahara brings me down
She will take up all your time
Then she'll laugh and cut you down
Do you still hold a light... do you still hold a light for me?
Don't let fires burn too low
Wild-eyed winds they still blow
Sahara, I just walked into your world
Sahara, don't walk out on me now
But in my heart and in my head
I know that she'll wait for me
Oh, Sahara brings me down
She will take up all your time
Then she'll laugh and cut you down
Do you still hold a light?
But in my heart and in my head
I know that she'll wait for me
Oh, Sahara brings me down
She will take up all your time
Then she'll laugh and cut you down
Do you still hold a light... do you still hold a light for me?
For me
For me
For me
For this next song, both Mika went back to his electric guitar.
Life In A Dangerous Time
Put it down to the fighting
Put it down to the fools who play in the game
I'm picking up second sight
I'm picking up tired ways
But you better believe it
Oh you better believe before it's too late
I'm feeling like letting go
Of living in a dangerous time
It must've been lonely, it must've been cold
It must've been something
Life in a dangerous time
Is there life in a dangerous time?
Coming out of the shadows
Coming out of the darkness into the light
It's bright enough to show the way
Enough to face another day
It's a curious feeling
It's a feeling of reaching up to the sky
I'll never think of letting go
Of living in a dangerous time
It must've been lonely, it must've been cold
It must've been something
Life in a dangerous time
It must've been something
Life in a dangerous time
For the next song, Mika switched to the same acoustic guitar that he used for Sahara.
I've Been In Love Before
Catch my breath, close my eyes
Don't believe a word
Things she said, overheard
Something wrong inside
Once you won't admit it, ooh, then you know you're in it, oh
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
The hardest part is when you're in it
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
Just one touch, just one move
A dangerous dance
One small word can make me feel
Like running away
You can't say you're in it, no, until you reach the limit
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
The hardest part is when you're in it
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
The hardest part is when you're in it
I've been in love before
I've been in love before
I've been in love
The hardest part is when you're in it
I've been in love
I've been in love before
For Mika, it was back to the electric guitar for the last song on the set.
(I Just) Died In Your Arms
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
I keep looking for something I can't get
Broken hearts lie all around me
And I don't see an easy way to get out of this
Her diary sits by the bedside table
The curtains are closed, the cat's in the cradle
Who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should've walked away
I should've walked away
Is there any just cause for feeling like this?
On the surface I'm a name on a list
I try to be discreet, but then I blow it again
I've lost and found, it's my final mistake
She's loving by proxy, no give and all take
'Cos I've been thrilled to fantasy one to many times
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should've walked away
I should've walked away
It was a long hot night
She made it easy, she made it feel right
But now it's over, the moment is gone
I followed my hands not my head, I know I was wrong
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight
Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must have been some kind of kiss
I should've walked away
I should've walked away
All and all, it was another great show. This was the one time when Mika seemed to get any respect from anyone who didn't treat him like an outsider. He was well-respected by his fellow band-mates, and became their most influential member, although his voice was noticeably muffled by his thick Finnish accent. Lapp Attack may not be the most popular band in America, but considering that they were relatively new to the music scene, they always drew a good crowd. They also had a very distinctive sound that was far ahead of its time.
Considering that this was her first show, Jenna really enjoyed it. She couldn't help but sing along with all six songs, even though she didn't know all the words. Balto usually had to help out with that, which was okay with her. They both liked "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" a lot.
"Great show, eh?" Balto asked.
"Yeah!" replied Jenna very enthusiastically. "I loved it! You were right. Mika does make for a good singer."
After the show, the stage was cleared for the next act, and Lapp Attack headed backstage to relax and watch the next act from backstage.
When the last show ended, everyone in the audience was free to go and meet the performers backstage. Most were there signing autographs, and Lapp Attack didn't pass up a chance to meet with the fans.
Jenna was particularly excited about going backstage for the meet-and-greet session, and she almost couldn't contain her excitement as she and Balto headed to the backstage area where the performers and fans were gathered.
"That's one small step for a new fan," she said.
"And one giant line for an autograph," said Steele, who was in line ahead of them.
The happy look faded from Jenna's face when she saw how long the line was. It was as if her spirit had been put through a meat grinder.
"What brings you here?" asked Balto. He had never seen Steele at a show before.
"I'm a huge Lapp Attack fan," replied Steele.
"I see," added Balto. "Word has it you kept a member in the band, am I hearing this right?"
"Yeah," said Steele. "Ryan was on the verge of quitting because he didn't think they were cool. But a certain action I performed at a show back in March kept him in the band."
"What exactly did you do?" Balto asked.
"Watch and learn, wolf-dog," Steele replied.
"This I gotta see," said Balto.
"How long is the wait?" Jenna asked.
"Well," said Steele in response, "wait time varies. The lines are usually long, so it helps to get here as early as possible."
"So I see," said Jenna.
The line eventually moved along, albeit rather slowly. After about fifteen minutes, Balto and Jenna only had Steele in front of them. Behind them, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were still raving about the show. Kodi and his team were behind that trio.
Mika noticed them approaching and thought, "Oh, man, now my band mates are really gonna raze me about my newfound ability." Apparently Keith, Colin and Ryan had found out backstage before the show and had been razzing Mika about it.
"Hey, Mika," said Keith. "Don't look now, but you got a ton of fans waiting in line right now." He started laughing to himself.
"Shut up, Keith," Mika retorted.
Before going up front for the signings, all the fans waiting in line could pick up a lithograph picture of their favorite performer(s) to sign. Balto, Jenna, and company didn't hesitate to get one a piece. Finally, their wait was over and nobody was in front of them in line.
"Well," said Mika, "I can tell the fan base has clearly crossed the species boundary."
"Hey, hey," said Colin. "I thought we only played to human fans. Real fans."
"Oh, I'm a real fan," added Steele. "Remember this one, guys?"
He grabbed a lantern, balanced it on his nose, and screamed "LAPP ATTACK RUUUUUUUUUUUUULES!!!!!!!!!!"
"What did he say?" asked Colin.
"He said 'Lapp Attack rules!'" replied Mika.
"Oh yeah, I remember that," said Kaj. "March 9th, Row C, Seat 10."
"And to think I was about to quit the band until I saw that lighter," added Ryan.
"So, were signing all of these lithographs for you?" asked Mika.
"All of them," replied Balto.
"Get ready, boys," said Mika. "We might all get a bad case of writer's cramp after we're done with signing all these."
Jenna was carrying them under her bandana so nobody would get teeth marks on them. Mika, Kaj, Keith, Colin and Ryan all signed them, though not exactly in that order, and gave them back when they were done. Afterwards, they all headed home for the night, each carrying their own respective signed lithographs tucked under their collars. Jenna carried hers' and Balto's under her bandana.
"Did you have a good time?" Balto asked Jenna.
"Oh, yes, definitely!"Jenna said sounding very excited. "Remember when we last had this much fun together?"
"How long ago was that?" asked Balto.
"Before the pups were born," Jenna answered back. "Oh, baby, I've been waiting for this moment." She then nuzzled lovingly under Balto's chin and said, "I could just die in your arms."
"Hey, hey," Balto answered back. "Don't actually die on me, missy."
They both laughed and again nuzzled each other as they walked home. They even couldn't help but start singing their favorite tune from the show, none other than (I Just) Died In Your Arms. Jenna sang the first half of the verses and where Kaj and Colin sang backup. Balto covered the first vocal lines, the second half of the verses, the chorus, and the filler. He even tried to imitate Kaj's guitar sound from the sections where the vocals and guitar didn't overlap. It wasn't that great, but with all due respect, he was clearly no electric guitar, nor was his name Kaj Kykalisko. All and all, they clearly had a great time.
Back at the club, Lapp Attack was packing up their equipment for the night and congratulating each other on a great show.
"Alright, fellows," said Mika, "that was one great performance."
"Yeah, definitely," put in Keith.
"Definitely awesome!" added Kaj.
"Rock solid!" interjected Colin.
"Man, we sure tore the place apart tonight!" finished Ryan.
They all agreed. With that said, they left the club with their equipment and headed home. Kaj, however, stayed back to take care of some last-minute business. After about ten minutes, he started for home. But he wasn't out the door for ten seconds before three strange figures tackled him and started pounding him. One of them even pulled out a knife and slashed Kaj's throat. It didn't bleed, but it was still a fairly deep cut.
Kaj immediately recognized the trio that was assaulting him. They were another group that had been ousted from a show earlier in the year after Lapp Attack rose to prominence. Angry, they had sought to sabotage Lapp Attack's performance. Kaj, however, got wind of the attempt and ratted them out. This resulted in the three being banned from playing at the club indefinitely. Now they really wanted revenge, by any means necessary. They were all a few years older than Kaj, and they easily overpowered him.
"What do you want?!" Kaj screamed, gasping for air.
"Revenge!" the knife-wielder replied.
Mika was already home by now, but he could clearly hear his brother screaming for help. Immediately, he picked up his Colt, loaded it, and ran off to help his brother.
By the time he got to the alley behind the club, Kaj was unconscious on the ground with the three punks still wailing on him. Overcome with rage, Mika pulled out his gun and fired a warning shot that almost hit one of them in the head.
"Get away from my brother, or the next shot won't miss!" Mika exclaimed.
"Back off, you, or your brother gets it again!" the knife-wielder yelled back.
"Don't even think about it, you shit-ass punk!" retorted Mika, his voice overflowing with rage. He also instantly recognized the perps.
Eventually, the rage finally set Mika off. He charged the attackers while waving his revolver. One of them knocked Mika's gun loose when he got to them, but Mika fought them off and went to his brother's aid. But the knife-wielder tripped him up, sending him to the ground.
But Mika got back up, and it was now a hand-to-hand battle. Mika eventually made a run for his gun, but was again stopped short by the knife-wielder. Knocked to the ground again, Mika tried a desperate kick to fend him off. His right foot connected with the attacker's chin, whipping his head back, knocking him over unconscious. Mika finally picked up his gun, and, seeing the others making an advance towards him, fired four shots, each one hitting them in the shins. They limped away in pain.
Mika immediately went to his brother's side and tried to revive him. He put one hand on Kaj's throat to stop any air from escaping his windpipe. Mika then picked up Kaj and made dash for the hospital, fearing the worst.
Balto was startled awake when he heard the gunshots go off. He jumped out of bed and ran to a nearby window, trying to listen in on where the shots came from and what was making them.
"Did you hear that?" he said, panicking slightly.
"Hear what?" asked Jenna, sounding tired.
"That 'bang, bang'," Balto replied. "It sounded like gunfire."
"What?" Jenna asked, not believing a word Balto had said. "Gunshots? Are you serious?"
"I call it as I hear it," Balto replied. "And besides, I know a gunshot when I hear it."
"Look, don't worry about it," said Jenna. "Come back to bed, dear."
Balto reluctantly walked away from the window went back to sleep, knowing something had to be wrong.
Mika burst through the front door of the hospital, still carrying Kaj in both arms.
"Emergency! Emergency!" he yelled.
"What's the matter, Mika?" said one of the doctors who was on call at the time. This was the same doctor who had treated Mika two days ago after Balto inadvertently tripped him.
"My brother got attacked by three goons in an alley," said Mika. "One of them slashed his throat with a knife."
"Oh my god, this looks bad!" said the doctor. "I'll get him into the ER. Where are your parents, Mika?"
"Probably at home asleep," Mika replied. "I'll go get them if you want me to."
"Go ahead," said the doctor. With that, Mika tore out of the hospital and down the street towards his parents' house.
When he got there, he started pounding feverishly on the front door, calling for help. Because they lived next door to Rosy and her parents, Balto and Jenna both heard the banging and screaming and were startled awake. Now they knew something was wrong.
"Now you know something's wrong when you hear Mika banging on a door, screaming for help," said Balto after he and Jenna were both awakened.
"What could have happened?" Jenna asked.
"I don't know," Balto replied. "But I'm sure it had something to do with the gunshots I heard."
After about thirty seconds, Toni and Erja Kykalisko reached the front door. By this point, Mika was almost totally drained of energy.
"KAJ HAS BEEN HURT!!" Mika exclaimed.
"Oh my word!" exclaimed Erja. "What happened?!"
"He got attacked by three goons in the alley behind the club," Mika responded, sounding winded. "On of them slashed his throat with a knife. I got there just in time to stop them from possibly killing him. He's already at the hospital."
"For heaven's sake!" said Toni. "Let's hurry!"
With that, they took off for the hospital. Mika practically kicked the door down on the way in. He managed to recover some strength back.
"Would it have killed you to use the doorknob?" the head nurse said.
"When I want in, I want in NOW!" Mika snapped back. "Now, where's my brother?"
"He's still in the ER," said the nurse.
While Mika and his parents waited for Kaj to come out, the two who had been shot in the shins were brought in by their own parents. Mika panicked slightly when he saw them. Both pointed him out as the one who shot them.
"Uh, Mika," said Toni. "Did those two attack Kaj?"
"Yes," Mika replied. "But neither one of them slashed his throat."
"Who did?" his dad asked again.
"Some other kook," Mika answered back. "Last I saw him, he was still lying in the alleyway, and...oh, crap!"
It suddenly came to him what might have happened to the third guy. He realizied the kick he delivered that connected with the knife-wielder's chin may have killed him. It wasn't easy explaining to his parents what happened, but he finally did.
"I don't know for sure if he's still there," said Mika. "I'd rather not know."
Ten minutes later, Kaj walked out of the ER with a bandage across his throat. His parents and older brother were relieved to see that he was O.K.
"Are you alright?" Erja asked her youngest son.
"I'm okay," Kaj responded. "Say, did anyone notice that two of the guys who attacked me are in here?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Mika replied. "They were quick to point me out as the one who shot them in the shins."
"You didn't try to kill them, did you?" Toni asked his second-youngest son.
"No, I didn't," Mika answered back. "But they rushed at me with their own knives drawn, and I had no other choice if I wanted to protect myself." He then sat down and groaned before saying, "What have I done?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," said Kaj, trying to cheer his brother up. "Don't beat yourself up."
"Alright," said Mika. "Come on, let's get out of here before somebody finds out what happened to that third punk."
With that, the foursome left the hospital.
Mika wasn't out of the woods by time the next day rolled around. The body of the third one of Kaj's attackers was found dead in the alley. Cause of death was deemed to be a shattered cranial base. When the victim's relatives found out, Mika suddenly became a hated enemy of theirs. He had already been threatened by them several times that day before noon. Even though he was only protecting his younger brother, Mika was still being labeled as a heartless, cold-blooded killer. He wasn't even able to leave home that day because he was in mortal fear that someone might make an attempt on his life if he set foot outside. He spent most of the day hiding in his bedroom. His coworkers, John and David, were especially surprised. They couldn't believe that Mika was even capable of doing such a thing.
It was only by morning that Balto got wind of the full extent of what had transpired last night. Concerned, he crept over to Mika's house, taking the long way past a mob that had formed outside, and reached the back door and started pawing at it. Eventually, Mika came down and open the door.
"Oh, hi Balto," Mika said.
"What happened?" asked Balto. "Did you actually kill soemone?"
"Not on purpose," Mika replied. "I didn't even know about it until this morning. All I was doing was protecting Kaj. I told them if they hurt him again, I'd would use force. I was clearly provoked!"
"No kidding," added Balto. "So let me get this straight. Kaj got attacked, you fought to save him, killed one of the attackers by kicking him in the head, by accident no-less, and they have the nerve to say it was deliberate malice? Unbelievable!"
Across and down the street, Kaj saw the whole mob scene play out in front of his brother's house. He was especially outraged over the whole incident. He wanted to do something about it, but was also fearful for his life.
By that evening, the mob had been forced to disperse and Balto had gone home for the night. Mika, however, wasn't fully relieved. He had come to the realization that, despite having some friends - his band-mates, his boss, Balto - he was clearly not welcome in this town. Between that and the death threats he had been receiving, he felt he had no other alternative.
He then sat down at the kitchen table with a pencil, a sheet of lined paper, and a fifth of Drunken Czar Vodka. He started writing a note addressed to anyone who sympathized with his plight. The note read as follows:
To Whoever May Care,
I have been accused of a crime I didn't intentionally commit. Accused by people I thought I could trust. You say I am a murderer. I say, the only thing murdered around here today, was justice. Oh, yeah, that should grab your attention.
But that's not the only reason I am writing this. All things considered, I have not enjoyed living here in Nome. Apart from performing with Lapp Attack, I have been viewed as a innate outsider with no purpose here, except to be looked upon in a negative light. I see now that I am no longer welcome here.
Therefore, to make a long story short, I will spare you all from having to put up with me. As of now, I will have officially left this hellhole behind me, in an attempt to start over somewhere else. Perhaps I'll find a way back to a place where I'm at least welcome. Wherever that may be. I will search relentlessly, only pausing for sleep, eats, and when nature calls. You know what I mean by that, right?
Now I must go. Goodbye, all of you, since I'll probably never see you again.
Yours till Jyvaskyla,
Mika Kykalisko
While writing, Mika downed a few swigs of vodka. After he finished writing, some of it dripped on the note.
"Whoops," he said.
After patting it down as best he could, Mika added one last line to the note:
P.S. These are teardrops.
Mika didn't cry much, but emotion still gripped from inside. He didn't care whether or not he was doing the right thing right now. It didn't really matter.
He then went to the closet, gathered some extra clothes and supplies, packed them up in his hiking backpack, and went out his back door. He didn't take his hockey gear with him. It would have been too much to carry. He only looked back once at his house, possibly for the last time. He wondered if anyone cared at all, if anyone would miss him. "Probably not," he thought.
With that he wandered off into the night, heading west. By daybreak, Nome was out of his sight. He had made it past the nearby mountains, slipping on an ascent of a farther one.
"Man, I hate this place!" he said. After picking himself up, he exclaimed "WHY AM I HERE?!?!?!?!". His voice echoed across the surrounding landscape.
Where will Mika go? Will he find what he's looking for? What will the reaction be to his disappearance? Find out in Chapter 4: Finn on the Run.
Any Color, I've Been In Love Before, Life In A Dangerous Time, Fear Of Falling, (I Just) Died In Your Arms, and Sahara originally performed by Cutting Crew.