I bought a ticket and hurried into the first open car. Belle followed quickly behind me. I'd told her there was security and we needed to be fast. I wasn't in any mood for questions because I'd started to feel worse. I wasn't just tired now, all my joints ached, even my teeth and I had a headache that was threatening to send me to the bathroom to throw up. I just wanted to get home.
If anyone bothered me now I'd… blinking I pulled back on the thought. What had I been about to say? I'd kill them? My heart rate ratcheted up. Part of me had meant it, would even be glad for the chance to do it. That wasn't me. I struggled to rein in those thoughts. Where were they coming from? It was like a part of me was a whole different person.
There were four people in the carriage with me, three men and a woman. The men moved quickly to the back of the car but the woman came over and gave Belle's head a gentle pat. I wondered what Belle thought of this then relaxed when she gave the lady a sniff and sat down herself, allowing for more pats. The woman was Asian with long black hair, a round face and gentle eyes. She smiled up at me and I noticed something else. She had a light blue aura around her that brightened and dimmed with her movements. The aura was difficult to see without concentrating but every few seconds I saw it clearly. I found it mesmerizing. A part of me wanted to reach out and touch it.
“What his name?” she asked.
“It's a her,” I corrected. “Her name's Belle.”
A moment earlier I'd wanted to be left alone, now I felt a part of me stir. Without thinking I put my hand on her shoulder and she shuddered. I saw that she liked and was even attracted to me. I sensed her body making adjustments, putting out pheromones to attract. She smiled at me, guileless, eyes slightly glazed. Her aura flared blue, much brighter than before and I took a quick drink. At once I felt better. Then I felt something bite down hard on my leg and I pulled away from her.
“What the hell!” I exclaimed. Belle just looked at me. The woman remained where I'd left her, unmoving, in a kind of trance. I took a deep breath and then gave Belle a pat, “Thanks girl. You did well. Feel free to do that again if needed.” I looked up and saw that the doors were opening. It was my stop. I got off and then realized the lady was following me.
“What are you doing?” I asked. I was a little freaked out.
“You want me,” she said matter-of-factly. “We‘re going home together.”
“No! Not happening,” I replied while another darker part of me just laughed. “Stay here.”
I started to walk away but again she followed. She seemed half asleep. Like I was still controlling her. This time I laid my finger against her forehead like Kat had done to me and put force behind my command, “You‘re tired. You want to go home and rest in your own bed. You‘ll remember nothing of this. Do you understand?” She nodded then turned and retraced her steps into the carriage. Inside the car the three men watched me like I was ET recently arrived. They knew something unusual had just happened but weren't sure what. I hurried away. No sense sticking around for questions.
Bad, I thought to myself. Whatever that was that had just happened was bad. Meeta was right, I was dangerous. If I could do that without effort, what else could I do? Something inside told me it might be fun to find out. This was the natural order. The strong use the weak. I could feel it in there, deep inside. Not strong yet, but getting stronger. I shoved the thought down hard and doubled my speed. I was splitting apart. Becoming two very different people. My head felt like small bombs were going off inside it. I staggered along wondering if I was going to even make it home.
My house was an old rancher style with a basement. I lived out on 4th Avenue near the University of BC where I taught Computer Science. Yea Gods! I suddenly remembered I had no idea how long it was since I'd been taken. I hadn't called in sick so they'd be wondering where I was. I didn’t even know how long I’d been away. Maybe they’d already phoned the police when they couldn't get in touch with me? I fumbled with my keys and hurried inside to look at the phone deck. Sure enough, I had a dozen messages.
The first four were from work wondering why I hadn't phoned in. I decided to phone them back when I had a better answer than “I'd been kidnapped by an alien who'd taken possession of my body.” The next was from Sylvia. She had gone straight to the hospital and was letting me know she was OK. She didn't know where I was or what had happened to me and she didn't want to know. She said I shouldn't call her. She didn't blame me for what had happened but she wanted to put it behind her. Way behind her apparently. Just like that, I'd become her ex-boyfriend.
For a moment I considered phoning her anyway. Maybe I could reassure her? Like that was going to happen. "Sorry Sylvia, but the parasite that was in your brain is in mine and now I'm a killer? So, don’t worry." Too much explanation required. And frankly, just too weird. I deleted her call from the service. Better for her if she stayed away from me. I still had feelings for her but they felt distant now. She was a friend. Had been a friend.
The next call was from my parents wondering if I was ok. They'd heard about the earthquake and knew it had been bad with a lot of the surrounding area severely damaged. Was I hurt?
Earthquake? I wondered. I went to the coffee table where I had my iPad plugged in and brought up the Google News app. I went right to the local news section. The first headline I noticed read “Shake, Rattle and Roll” with a tagline “Massive Quake Kills Hundreds”. There were many similar articles; all full of stories of heroism and sadness. A lot of people had died and were still dying. Rescues were in progress. I sat down heavily on the couch. I'd been unconscious when it hit, fighting for my life. I could thank Kat for that.
I tossed the iPad aside to look at in more depth later and tried the next few messages on the machine. The university where I worked had experienced extensive damage. Everything was in shambles. Students and staff were still being pulled from the wreckage. The chaos was so bad they didn't want anyone coming in until they had things sorted. If I could, they wanted me to call in. They needed a tally of those still able. So many had been hurt it was going to be some time before classes resumed. I winced, hoping the students I taught were ok. I phoned in as asked and left a message. The quake hadn’t gotten me and I wasn’t hurt.
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. My life was seriously screwed. Another wave of fatigue rolled over me, followed closely by numbing pain in my head. I stumbled shakily to the bathroom where I kept the extra strength Tylenol. I popped three and a Sleep Ease hoping the combination would knock me out. Then I made sure the door was locked, turned out the lights, and fell into bed clothes and all. I was asleep in seconds.
Chapter Nine
She woke slowly. Everything felt fuzzy but in a good way; more natural. Yes, she definitely felt more relaxed. The strain of living out of body was gone. She was home. Her eyes opened to darkness and she sighed, melting into the thick cushions beneath her. She was back in her own body. Already she could feel her strength returning. Sudden anticipation snapped her eyes open. There were three humans in the room with her! She frowned. In her weakened state three would not be enough. She needed a major feeding to recover, unless... She clamped down on the thought. Grimaced as her Beast beat angrily at its confines just beneath the surface of her mind. The GateKeeper was playing games with her again. He was probably angry with her. She’d made too many mistakes and the hunt was progressing slowly. With a wave of one finger she signalled her bed pod to open.
Bright clear light illuminated the small room as she stepped out. She pushed the lid down and rested against it. Her sleep capsule was black, like her soul the GateKeeper had told her. Her room was empty, devoid of furniture and mementoes. All her pictures were gone as well, the walls blank. They’d collected everything she had and taken it. More punishment. He enjoyed treating her like a child. It made him feel powerful. She sighed. This was not unexpected. As long as she didn’t react, it would all be returned. Eventually.
Staggering towards the wall she made a gesture. A water basin materialized. She
ducked her head to scoop handfuls of cold clean water against her face, relishing the shock and refreshment it brought. She wished she had time for a shower but understood that would have to wait. She looked to her left and signalled. A full length mirror appeared. She saw herself, emaciated, lips pulled back from strong white teeth, hair thin and ragged. Skeletal thin, ribs protruding. It was amazing she could walk at all. She threw back her head and laughed. Steadying her mind, she looked again and this time saw a tall woman with an elfin face and long black ringleted hair that fell to her shoulders. She looked pale but in no danger of dying from starvation. Her Beast. That's what she'd seen first. The demon buried inside was telling her it was starving… that it needed to feed … For the second time she looked across to the far wall, let her mind reach out. Three. Yes, there were three behind that wall. Her pulse quickened and no matter how much she tried there was no quieting the demand this time. Food! Her Beast clambered forward, anxious to be let out.
“Back!” She shouted into the silence of the room, then added more quietly, “There's time for that later.”
"Never enough" was the Beast's quick reply. "Never, ever, enough." She turned to the mirror and saw jet black eyes staring back at her, round, full of a frightening emptiness.
Ok, so maybe it was time. She liked to treat her Beast like an animal in her care. If it needed food, she fed it. It helped them to work together better. She turned back to the wall, readied herself to clear it. Without the barrier between her and them, it would rule. Needed to rule, for the two images in the mirror were both her. She was healthy but she was also sick. If one died both died. She had to feed if she wanted to live.
Before she could act, the wall in front of her lit up to reveal a face. Wispy dark hair, tiny ears, thin lips pulled into a half smile. Close-set hazel eyes surrounded by wide chubby cheeks. The face filled the wall and was easily seven feet high. Its size was meant to intimidate. The Keeper thought he was clever but she wasn't fooled. All that size couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. She licked her lips and let her Beast do the smiling. Her eyes would be jet black, she knew. That always put him on edge.
“Katal-Tik, or should I call you Kat like your new friends? You don't seem well. Perhaps the problem is with your Beast. You haven't been treating her well. By now she should have eaten two or three shadows. I'll bet she’s hungry.” There was an edge to his voice, a whisper of the same anticipation that raged inside her now. As usual he was going to make the feeding an event. He’d always been a sadist.
“A joy to see you Keeper, as always,” she replied icily. “For my Beast especially. She whispers of you often. Begs me to schedule an evening together. She wants to teach you about us. She knows you yearn for her. Why not put your mind to rest and come to us! Come to her!” She poured power into the command. He was far too distant for her to reach properly but she still felt a slight tug. The face on the wall blanched, then changed to one of fear and anger.
“I thought we’d taught you not to do that anymore!” he replied nastily. “Good to know you still have a little of the old Tik in you.”
Unseen on the screen his hands moved in a familiar pattern. A powerful electrical charge surged up from the flooring. She tumbled breathless to the floor, her body arching to the current's powerful rhythm. Five seconds exactly and it stopped. She lay there for a long moment gathering herself before she started laughing.
Rolling to her feet she looked directly at him so that he could see her eyes. “You always set the table too far for me to reach you Keeper, but I can smell your fear, even from here and it makes my mouth water!”
This was a dance they'd done before. The GateKeeper grimaced then said, “You truly are a monster! I see it in your eyes every time I look at you.” His eyes shifted to a nearby screen. “The Community loves your eyes Hunter. Up ten points just from that one outburst.” He licked his lips, “that and because they know it's feeding time for their Vat pet from the long dead past.”
In response Kat's head snapped back to the wall and what lay behind it. Her Beast was getting pushy. The GateKeeper gave a satisfied laugh. “Ah, there's my little Hunter now. Hungry? You look hungry.”
“I am hungry,” Kat agreed. But she was also tired. “I need to feed and since you‘re too far away, let's get this over with.” She gestured and the wall disappeared to reveal another room containing three sleeping capsules similar to her own. These had glass tops so their contents were clearly visible. Kat walked over to them, letting her hand slide across their tops as she passed. Absently she noted her fingers had sharpened, her nails becoming more hooked so they scrapped across the top of the pods. The Keeper's face had moved to the wall in front of her. She beckoned to it with a taloned finger. “Last chance to join us,” She whispered with power.
“No more games Hunter. Time on the channel is valuable. Your fans wait. Time to feed and please don’t disappoint them.” It was a command she'd heard before and she knew what would happen if she disobeyed.
Turning to the first capsule she relaxed her guard and received a rush of thoughts and impressions from her Beast. Startled she clamped down viciously on it. Its angry backlash buckled her knees. For a long moment she fought for control and almost lost. She was weak and had to be careful. Fortunately, it was also weak. Concentrating hard, she pushed it back. For a while it resisted, but once it realized she was not letting up it stopped struggling and gave in. She waited a moment, solidifying control before turning back to the face on the wall.
“Some new horror for me?” she spat. “These lives are not from a Vat. Their memories are real, their lives real. They, are real! You’ve locked me in a room with three citizens. Is this some greater depravity you wish to show to my fans? You know I’m allowed only to feed on the mindless the vat has rejected.”
Despite her words she felt her control slipping.
"Just a taste," suggested her Beast. "I'll take only a taste."
So tempting to give it what it wanted. What they both needed. What harm could there be in a taste? Her eyes dropped to the man with the red hair in capsule three. He looked strong with a set chin, plebeian nose and broad shoulders. She turned away knowing her Beast wouldn't stop at a taste.
“You eat what's provided!” thundered the GateKeeper, his words loud enough to break the connection forming between her and the sleeper. She stepped farther away from the capsule. That had been close!
Blinking she said, “These are citizens. I‘m not allowed to hunt them on pain of termination. I can hunt the convicted and the rejected. It's the law. Are you looking for an excuse to terminate me?”
The GateKeeper smiled with delight and nodded. “Citizens they were. Not Council like Kailex but important in their own way. They’ve been convicted and sentenced. As for you, it seems you still have value.” He pointed and a constantly changing number flashed on the wall. “Lucky you. Your numbers are still high. Your fans pour into the channel to see your latest work. They approve of the judgment and look forward to watching you carry it out. No law is being broken. You‘re safe, for now.” He smiled broadly down at her. The smile never travelled to his eyes which were light brown, flecked with a pretty green. Lifeless though. Nothing behind them but indifference. In all the important ways she decided he was more of a monster than she.
Still, what he’d said shocked her.
“So it's true?” She stammered. “Kailex was Council?” She‘d wondered, but thought it impossible. Council members were untouchable. What could he have done to make himself one of the hunted?
“Why do I hunt him?” she asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
The GateKeeper seemed lost in his own thoughts but eventually nodded.
“It seemed impossible to me as well,” he said at last, his voice taut with emotion. “As a member of the Council he had everything. To be one of the Ten and then lose that position?” In disbelief he threw up his hands looking for the moment as confused as she felt. “Personally, I think he went insane. That's the only rational answ
er. His own words lend my theory credence. He told people he was working to become a God through science. Everyone thought he was joking but he wasn't. He wanted the power of life and death over everyone, without rules, even over the other nine and that was his mistake and why he’s hunted now.”
The Keeper shook his head, amazed, “I'm told he admired you. A Tik?” He looked down on her from above, eyes filled with questions, “Watching you hunt he decided to cross the one line no one can cross without repercussions. He wanted to be feared, like you are feared and there was only one way that could happen.” The Keeper's eyebrows raised waiting for her to ask.
“What line did he cross?”
She asked, but already knew what it was. The Keeper was correct, Kailex was mad.
“He wanted to evolve or rather devolve; regress his DNA back to a pre-human sub-species he admired. Humans were never the apex predator on our world. Hunters were. It’s the reason our citizens find you so interesting. He wanted your power. Envied your ability to get into the minds of others and force them to your will. You heal quickly and are almost impossible to kill. He especially liked the idea of feeding. He thought taking the lives of others was the ultimate power. He wanted these ’gifts’, that's what he called them.” Now the Keeper's disgust was plain, as if he were speaking of some secret perversion. “With them, he could make the other nine do what he wanted. There’d be no more rule of law. There’d just be him and what he wanted.
“You know he's an unparalleled genius? If we made a list of our greatest minds, he be at the top. He’s the originator of the science behind Tik genetic manipulation. It’s not surprising he was able to refine the process so it could be applied to himself. What is surprising is that he convinced other gifted scientists to help him. They should have known better. This form of genetic manipulation has been forbidden for centuries. Kailex promised them positions on a new Council. Foolish thinking, I know. But they looked at his science and decided it could be done. And in a way that allowed him full control of his Beast. He’d be like a God then. Unstoppable. He could manipulate the other nine and fulfill his promise. And so they helped him.
The God Hunters Page 14