The God Hunters

by Gordon D Lanyon

  He charged. I back-peddled, pulling the gun up I continued to fire over and over, only stopping when he stopped. It was like watching a small building topple. Without the vest, my gun was much more effective. He tottered in front of me. I moved hastily to get out of the way. It would have been too ironic to be killed by this monster falling on me. He hit the floor, then his whole body gave one last shudder before it stopped moving altogether. Immediately, my Beast clambered for attention. Its hunger crested in me. I shoved it back in disgust! Where were you when I needed you, I asked. Then, because I was pissed, as well as for safety reasons, I blasted Fusto two more times. He didn't even quiver but the smell from his burnt skin suddenly became pretty obnoxious.

  Warily I looked around. Where was everyone? I limped off in the direction I'd seen Walker run. I'd heard lots of shouting and roaring earlier but now there was nothing. As I passed the God Hunter he didn't look up. He was so intent on what he was doing I guessed he was in his own little science world.

  “You're next,” I said quietly. I probably should have kept my big mouth shut because suddenly he looked up and frowned.

  “You're still alive?” He seemed genuinely surprised, so I knew I'd been correct about him being out of it. Figures. When scientists did their thing they usually went all in. But now he was out of that world and back into mine. I braced myself for something really scary to happen.

  All sorts of unpleasant sounds were coming from behind me. Clearly Walker was ruining someone's day in a major way. It came to me I might have that thought backwards and I squirmed, a little uncertain whether to run back to help her or face off with Kailex. Then it came to me, I had no choice. He was the one who had to be stopped. I fired point blank and got the expected result. Much of the force was being absorbed. He grimaced then waved a hand at me and suddenly I was floating in the air right before he slammed me into a tall bank of machines. They were very well constructed and didn't bend. My back on the other hand screamed in protest.

  “What have you done to Fusto?” he shouted, anger reddening his face.

  I felt the energy building as he held me and knew he was about to cream my mind. Desperately, I put up all the blocks I had and prepared for the worst mental beating I'd ever taken. When it came it was like an army of sledgehammers pounding at my defenses, chipping away, forcing me to give ground. I was pushed back but only slowly. Abruptly, there was a lull and I hastily rebuilt everything, rushing my wall forward, almost to the point I'd started. Again he came at me, this time with greater force. I felt a part of me rip and screamed as a tongue of fire broke through, licking at the edges of my mind! I tried but couldn't close the opening. He was coming through! Suddenly another part of me gave way and I felt a different power flow through and up to the battle front! The tongue of burning fire disappeared and a calm strength pervaded and fortified me. Kat! A switch in my head turned and our link snapped fully into place. If anything, it seemed stronger. All the pressure I'd felt dropped away and I opened my eyes, not realizing I'd closed them earlier. Kailex looked at me with disgust and hatred but also frustration. I’d pushed him out. Now he seemed uncertain about what he wanted to do.

  “You're a bothersome insect, hardly worth the time it takes to destroy.” Looking to where Fusto lay he grew even angrier. “And you've injured Fusto.” He frowned and I could almost see the energy he manipulated as he reached toward the downed giant. He turned back to me, eyes black with anger. “He dies because of you! I can‘t allow that. I could bring him back, but he would be... diminished. I need his strength for the next world! I must heal him and that will take power. It seems you get to live a little longer.”

  I started forward. “I don't think you get it. You‘re not going anywhere.”

  Suddenly my link with Walker came back to life. I staggered. She was hurt! Badly hurt. Something was after her. Bragg! She needed me! Now it was my turn to feel frustration.

  Kailex smiled and nodded. “Ah. How interesting! Did you feel that? She’s not doing so well”. His lips curled. “Maybe you can save her? Might as well since you can’t get to me. Your weapon‘s useless. You'd need an army of such weapons to cut through my force field.” He waved his hand gently in front of his face and I saw a strange disturbance in the air.

  “A protective field,” he explained. “Much stronger than those pitiful vests you wear.” He gestured at a lever next to him. “In two minutes I throw this switch and leave. This world will die a few hours later taking you with it. So you see insect, you were never a threat. All you ever were was an annoyance.”

  Ok, that put a new spin on things. I didn't doubt a word he’d said. I needed Walker and I needed her within the next two minutes. I turned and raced back toward the sounds of fighting.

  My leg slowed me so I had a brief window where I could do nothing but watch as she leapt, parried, growled and clawed at her opponent. She was magnificent but Bragg had somehow turned into a bigger, faster Walker and he was winning. Without slowing I hobbled forward firing over and over. Apparently Bragg hadn't been given any armor because it didn't take more than a half dozen blasts to put him down. He shrieked, then collapsed into a large ball that looked like it was made of steel. Enraged and still in a killing mood Walker slashed at it over and over with her katar, but the blade barely bit into the outer shell. At last she stepped away, panting.

  “Shit!” she screamed in frustration, “God damn it! I - want - this - thing - dead!” She punctuated each word with another slash that did little damage.

  I pulled her away. “Leave it! In another minute we're going to be dead! Kailex’s about to leave and I need you to help me stop him!”

  Walker staggered back, stared at me with eyes that were green again. She noticed that I noticed and smiled. “What can I say, my Beast is a bit of a wuss. When it looked like I was going to die, it ran. I'm back.”

  “Yeah, great story with a happy ending but we have to move!” I shouted at her, a little breathless, already on my way back. So back we ran. We got there just as Fusto staggered up to Kailex's launching point. He was being helped by Kailex who looked like he’d just expended a lot of energy to get him there.

  “He’s weakened.”

  “You're back!” I shouted through the link at Kat, probably a little too loudly because Walker blanched.

  “Easy,” she admonished, “My head’s on fire right now. Actually, every part of my body is on fire,” she groused.

  At that moment Fusto keeled over and disappeared. Well most of him disappeared. One huge foot stuck out before it suddenly tucked in and I realized he must have fallen into Kailex's SHIP. It wasn't fully powered yet but it must have had some juice because I could feel the energy from it. Once he‘d brought it fully to life his SHIP would take him where ever he wanted to go and there‘d be no one to stop him at the other end. Two worlds were at stake here! No pressure, I thought.

  Walker shouted and leapt forward stabbing at Kailex with her katar. Energy surged and sparked and she was thrown back to fall heavily on her wounded side. She let out a loud bark of pain. I helped her up.

  “He‘s got some kind of field protecting him,” I explained. “Your gun?” I suggested. “Maybe we can overload the field?” She rolled her eyes at me. “Don't you think I'd have used it by now if I still had it? Lost mine in one of my fights, don't even remember which one,” she admitted tiredly.

  Kailex smiled, but his face showed lines of strain. He’d used up a lot of power making zombies and then getting Fusto back to their SHIP. “Wish I could stay and watch you die but my instruments tell me it's time to leave.” He moved to throw the switch.

  “Wait,” I yelled and he hesitated. “Aren’t you wondering why you’re so tired?” I asked. “Haven't you asked yourself where all that delicious energy you were getting from your zombie friends went?”

  Kailex shook his head in annoyance then paused, lifting his head like a dog sniffing the air. “They‘re gone?” He announced puzzled. “That can't be. I must have made fifty or more! Your
barbarian police force could never have stopped them this quickly.”

  I laughed. “You're beginning to get the picture. Check the door you built to keep this place safe from us barbarians.”

  We all looked behind us. The door to the basement made of indestructible material was turning a bright red. Smoke was drifting around its edges. It was under fire and about to give way.

  “Impossible,” whispered Kailex.

  “Not impossible if I had SHIP make a lot more of these weapons and then hand them out to Finney and his men. Actually, he has the deluxe models. Rifles. Much more powerful than these pistols. That's him and his men knocking at your door right now. With weapons like those your zombies weren’t much of a problem for him. You told me earlier I'd need an army of these energy weapons to take you down? Well, that’s what I have. An army! And it’s coming through your door! It's over Kailex. Time to give up. You’re beaten.”

  Kailex looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes but shook his head. “You've forced me to run. That’s true. But this world will be rubble soon and you‘ll be dead. I suppose this little victory might make you feel like you accomplished something but you’re still going to die and I’m still going to escape!” He reached for the switch. ”Time to leave.” Behind us I heard a loud explosion followed by several bangs as the door into the basement ricocheted down the hallway.

  “Hold him!” Kat words came from nowhere.

  The words didn't come alone but with a surge of power that pulled me deep inside myself. I felt our old link strengthen, gather in Walker, become a single merged force that pushed against the void. Suddenly, I stood beside Kailex. He had hold of the switch and I saw it start to move. Reaching down I put my hands over his and held the switch in place. He looked up, his black eyes snarling into mine.

  “Fool! You can‘t hold me!” Then his power surged and the link wavered while I struggled to hold the lever from moving.

  “Walker!” I yelped. “Some help here!”

  And then I felt her. Her strength ran through me like a cold rain and then it got hot. Very hot! Together we held as Kailex poured more and more of his power against us. His eyes were black but swirls of white had appeared as well. He was tiring, but so were we. I felt Walker stutter, then heard her scream as she sent me more power. I took all she gave, and all that Kat gave. I poured it all into our battle of wills. I don't know how long we held because time lost its meaning. Then abruptly our link shattered and I was thrown out.

  When I opened my eyes I was on the floor. Beside me Walker sobbed quietly. I struggled to my feet and bent to pull her up but she brushed my hand away with an animal growl that set me back. Her eyes when she looked at me were jet black. She turned away quickly, struggling through her injuries to regain her feet on her own.

  “I've won!” Kailex was on his knees barely able to lift his head. “Your world dies now,” he wheezed. I saw he‘d thrown the switch. Lights all over the display in front of him were flashing. I felt the ground rumble beneath me. The end of the world was starting just as Finney ran up to me with a few dozen of his men.

  “Got here quick as I could!” he shouted over the growing noise. “Those creatures were everywhere, killing people. Took some time to hunt them down.” He looked around, eyes wide. “What's happening?”

  A particularly bad rumble rocked the building, raining plaster down on us. I pointed at the machine holding the plutonium canister. Earlier Kailex had crowed this was the key to his machine working.

  “Fire at that and keep firing until there's nothing left. After that,” I shrugged, “Pick the next closest machine. Take out as many out as you can. We'll just have to hope it’s enough!”

  Before I'd finished my instructions his men were firing. Kailex gave a startled “No!” as he saw what was happening. Moving forward he tried playing with the controls, hoping I guess to bolster his protective field. The trouble was he’d never anticipated it would have to withstand so many hits from advanced weaponry. The field crackled, then puffed out with an audible "pop". A moment later the machine holding the plutonium caught fire and exploded in a blast that sent everyone to the ground. Something hit me while I was falling and for a time I just drifted.

  I awoke to fire and smoke. Parts of the building were raining down around me. I could hear voices shouting instructions. I struggled to my feet and tried to get my bearings. In front of me a sheet of flame erupted and a crack snaked its way across the floor of the room. Where Kailex had last stood there was only fire now. And debris. Lots of it. The building shook, then picked itself up and shook itself harder, knocking me down one more time. To the left I heard swearing and more shouting. Something about helping move the injured. I started in that direction then stopped. I'd heard a sound to my right and moved cautiously towards it. Walker! She lay pinned under a wooden beam, not moving much. Muttering to herself. As I got closer I realized she wasn't talking, she was growling. She had a wicked gash across her forehead. I grabbed the beam and lifted. Somehow I picked it up and put my knee under it. Grabbing the back of her shirt I pulled her out with enough force to spin her from under the beam. I let it fall back and picked her up. She'd didn't look big now. Or dangerous. She just looked hurt. Together we stumbled toward the door. On the way there I found Finney. He lay unconscious with sparks raining down on him from above. Now, I had two injured people to get out of here. I carried Walker in a fireman's lift, but him I dragged behind me, his head bumping along the floor. “Oops,” I thought whenever I heard a particularly meaty "clunk". He’d been late. He deserved to have a headache when he woke up. Once I got outside I saw that a number of Finney's men had made it out, but, certainly, not all. In front of me the building rose and fell in a series of increasingly powerful shocks. When the dust settled not much was left, just rubble really. I watched it for a while, trying to process what had happened. It was over. Finally over.

  I must have suffered a slight concussion myself because time passed, ambulances arrived, doctors and nurses were everywhere tending to the injured. One came to me but I waved her away. “I'm fine,” I told her though I was clearly not fine. “Help the others.” I frowned as I remembered Walker. How could I have forgotten her? “Where's Walker?” I asked.

  “Who?” she asked. ”You keep asking about her.”

  She was a tall woman, serious. She had a no nonsense approach. She whipped her phone out and consulted it. “We've found no one here with that name. And you're the last.” Then she sighed and pulled herself straighter. “And I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist you come with me. Major Finney would like a word with you and he isn't able to come to you at the moment.”

  “Fuck him,” I said, then began casting my mind about for Walker. The link was still there but faint. It felt broken, like the connection was draining away a little at a time.

  “The Major told me you might say something like that so he gave me this,” she pointed an energy weapon at me. “He said to inform you that you could come on your feet, or off your feet.” She smiled but there was a strength in that smile that told me she wasn't kidding and I should decide quickly. Grumbling, I decided on option two. I needed to stay awake so I could find Walker. I could sense her now, but she wasn't close anymore, and was moving swiftly away.

  I was escorted to a truck that looked like a small train with two carriages. I went in through the back passing rows of seated men talking hurriedly in low voices. The sergeant who led me inside was quite banged up. I recognized him from an earlier encounter, glad he’d made it out. He knocked on a door and announced me in a firm voice. The door swung open. I waited for him to go in but he just looked at me and shrugged. This was to be between me and Finney.

  Finney's office was cramped. Probably because he‘d chosen a desk that was the size of the office. I wondered how they'd gotten it in through the door. The desk was piled with paperwork. No doubt he was expected to explain all that had occurred, in triplicate. I didn’t envy him. It wasn’t a job I'd have taken. He had a bandage around his head an
d both hands were taped up. He looked like he‘d just gotten out of the hospital after a bad beating. We stared at each other. I decided I wasn’t in any hurry to talk.

  “You know what these are?” He held up a sheave of papers.

  I sighed. “I'm not in the mood for twenty questions. You came, we won. The Bogie Man is dead. What do you want?” I had my suspicions but I wasn't going to make it easy on him.

  Finney nodded and stacked the sheets carefully back on his desk. “I hear you. No one likes paperwork. Just lists of names anyway. All the people that were killed in this latest fuck up!” He let his voice rise. There was genuine anger and genuine sadness in it. I couldn't fault him. I felt the same way.

  “What do you want?” I repeated. I was so tired of this. I just wanted to go home. Maybe get some rest. Then find Walker.

  He made a show of rearranging his desk. There was something he didn't want to talk about but had to anyway. “I have to explain this,” he said simply. “And all I have left is you. Walker‘s gone.”

  My eyes narrowed and I felt Kat move deep inside me. “You're not going to let me go are you?” I asked him.

  He had the decency to look away. “I can't. You have something inside that makes you, not you.” Then he added. “I've been given my orders. They wanted me to take you apart but...” he waved his arms, “that seemed pretty unfair under the circumstances, so instead I’m placing you under house arrest. You can go home but you’re not to leave for any reason. We’re putting a monitor on you. You’ll be getting regular visits from our lab techs. They’ll want to run tests.” He shrugged. “I'm not sure what they hope to find, but you need to cooperate.” He looked away. “There’s a lot of powerful people who’re pretty upset. They want answers and don’t care how they get them. You’re the only one left they can get answers from.”