Salazar

by Chariss K. Walker

  He turned to rush Miki, ready to attack the mother of the man he hated so much; however, his mind was still filled with the life leaving his mother's body. The images had excited him and he was blinded by the ecstasy he felt from the recollection. He didn't notice that Joshua was in the way.

  "Stop!" Joshua warned, and when Phillip didn't cease moving, Joshua blocked his way with both arms outstretched to keep him away from Miki.

  Phillip blindly ran directly into Joshua and the impact threw him backwards. He tried to break his fall; however, he landed on the already injured hand and screamed to high-heavens. The excruciating pain took the fight out of him and, except for his loud moans, everything once again grew quiet… and tense.

  27| Dead Bodies

  In the meantime, Jesse had taken off to find Salazar and Sam. The two men hadn't gotten very far from the place where they had previously parted company with him and Joshua.

  Only a couple of blocks away, Jesse could see their heads bob into view every few seconds. Even though he waved his arms, he couldn't get their attention. He knew better than to call out to them. That might give away their position to any nearby threat.

  As he got closer, he could see that Sam and Salazar were investigating something lying in the street. Jesse knew that Sam was a tracker. What he didn't know was that Sam Lightfoot was the best tracker in his village.

  Sam's tribal name was Apenimon or 'worthy of trust' because he always put his people first. He was the son of Chief Avonaco Lightfoot, also known as Chief Lean Bear. Lean Bear had been so named because, although he was indeed the top of the food chain in their tribe, he also only ate root vegetables, berries, and nuts. He was loved and respected by all the people of his tribe and it was well-known that he never showed favoritism.

  Sam's keen instincts and acute sense of hearing and eyesight ensured he was a valuable member of his Native American society; however, there had always been more to him than those talents alone. He followed a higher guidance when dealing with the white leaders in August City. He had a natural intuition about their intentions and, because of this ability, he was selected to interact with them. Sam was the only one of his tribe who ventured into August City.

  Now, Jesse hurried to catch up with the men. Before he could reach them, however, several men and women stumbled out of the rubble behind Sam and Salazar. When those people spotted the two men, some ran away as they pulled at their hair and clothing while some of the others didn't really look like people. They had changed but Jesse wasn't close enough yet to understand that change.

  Those were the ones who focused on Salazar and Sam. They showed raw, irrational anger as they made threatening gestures with their fists. Gnashing their teeth, they rushed forward to attack.

  With lightning speed and agility they bounded over burned out vehicles and piles of shattered building debris. Jesse watched in horror as the ape-like creatures were upon Salazar and Sam before he could utter a warning.

  In reality, neither Salazar nor Sam needed forewarning. They both sensed the danger before it reached them and turned to meet the threat head-on as if they were synchronized.

  Salazar inhaled deeply. Following the instructions learned as a child, he directed all his power into his right arm. When his fist swung out, it was with such strength and intensity that it splintered the creature's ribs and punctured both its heart and lungs. The powerful blow knocked the assailant back over the vehicle it had crossed. It was dead before it fell to the street.

  Salazar had always been strong; however, even he was amazed at the force that had surged through him. It was surreal and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

  Likewise, Sam's knife, always at his side, majestically flew through the air and embedded squarely and deeply into the other creature's forehead. Sam had acted on instinct. He had not been aware that he had even taken aim when the sub-human also fell lifeless to the ground at his and Salazar's feet.

  The other creatures hung back. They intended to attack until they spied Jesse heading towards the other men at a rapid pace. Some part of their rational minds didn't like the odds anymore; they suddenly turned and ran away.

  "We can't help them, Commander," Sam consoled as his eyes followed his leader's gaze. "They are no longer men and women. I can see that you want to assist them in any way that you can. It's in your nature; however, even if we could capture them, we can't take them back to the shelter. They're far too dangerous."

  "I know," Salazar sadly admitted as he leaned over to look more closely at the creature at his feet. "It's a shame that we've been hit with every imaginable weapon the bastards could throw at us. Even those who survived the air raid and managed to crawl from the ruins aren't guaranteed to live if this is called living. Take a look at this, Sam… His eyes are blood-red."

  "What the hell is going on?" Sam asked as he too examined the once human being.

  "I think I'm beginning to understand how these fumes affect people," Salazar waved his hand around indicating the floating pink-colored gases. "I believe I'm beginning to see a pattern."

  "Explain it to me," Sam encouraged.

  Before Salazar could respond, they spotted Jesse coming towards them at a rapid pace. When he was close enough, he called out in a low voice, "Hey road warriors, hold up."

  "Over here," Sam called, waving his arm. His voice traveled some distance and anyone within range grew quiet and listened. Those who heard Sam held their breath, hoping that those outside were friendly and not some military team sent in on foot to finish them off.

  "What do you think happened to them?" Jesse asked when he caught up and noticed the many dead bodies lying in the street. He had yet to see the half-human-half-creatures that were also dead.

  "It is peculiar that some of the dead don't have any visible injuries," Sam allowed. "They somehow survived the air raid and died anyway. The other bodies we found were burned, crushed, or torn to hell from shrapnel. It's really odd that some bodies have no apparent cause of death. As for this poor creature with my knife in its head, well… I can't even imagine what is going on there."

  "Damn! What is that?" Jesse exclaimed as he moved closer to take a look and then jumped back in alarm.

  "Your guess is as good as mine," Sam answered.

  "We'll find more dead bodies," Salazar predicted, "and we'll also find survivors."

  "Hopefully they won't be mutated like this one," Sam said as he pulled his knife free, wiped it off on the creature's clothing and then returned it to its sheath. "At least we know they can be killed."

  "What did you use to hit this one?" Jesse asked as he noticed the huge hole in the second creature's chest. "You don't have any weapons. What gives?" Sam chuckled and nodded at Salazar in answer to Jesse's question. "Are you saying that Salazar did this?" Jesse asked in surprise.

  "He punched him," Sam shrugged his shoulders in response, "and that was the results."

  "This damage was caused from your fist? I guess you don't know your own strength," Jesse scratched his head.

  "I do now," Salazar acknowledged.

  "What makes you say that there will be more survivors?" Jesse grumbled. Convinced that they were out of miracles, he doubted that Salazar's statement was accurate on that account and added, "Except for Sue Ellen, everyone I've seen is dead."

  "Did you run across anyone who looked like this?" Salazar asked as he pointed to the partly human creature that lay at their feet. Jesse shook his head and was grateful that he hadn't.

  "I'm glad Sue Ellen made it," Sam acknowledged the good news. "Salazar was just about to tell his theory about the gases."

  "Let's hear it," Jesse urged, hoping for something encouraging.

  28| Side-effects

  "Since Winterhaven was the least targeted of the four parts of August City," Salazar explained, "the residents would have a better chance of surviving the air raid than those in other parts of the city. However, almost the entire population of Winterhaven had some type of problem that labeled them as unfit – they had il
lnesses of all kinds, some were mental, some were physical. Those who were sick or old were also the most susceptible to the fumes effects."

  "You think all this stuff in the air is some type of targeted gas attack?" Jesse interrupted. Astounded he continued, "You're saying that this is biological warfare? That's all I needed to hear… as if it wasn't already bad enough."

  "That is exactly what I think," Salazar confirmed. "The bombs that hit Winterhaven were never intended to destroy city structures like they did in the other three parts of the city. Mainly, because there weren't any true city buildings in Winterhaven. The bombs were meant to unleash the toxins. Some Winterhaven residents were terminally ill and could no longer work. Regardless of their former contributions as tax-paying citizens, our city officials considered them derelicts and moved them to Winterhaven to die. Although they survived the shelling, they died from the fumes. It was the intention all along."

  "Why didn't we die then?" Jesse asked.

  "What about those we saw run away?" Sam added.

  "Like I said," Salazar explained, careful not to mention the visit from Henry, "most of the residents of Winterhaven suffered from some kind of illness and inhaling the fumes emphasized their disorder. For those with mental problems, it caused a lot of them to go berserk. For those with medical problems, it accelerated their disease. It's only a theory, so bear with me. I think the gases act as a catalyst that attacks a person's most vulnerable cells or DNA. That can also mean 'susceptible' like my instincts or Sam's acute sense of smell."

  "I don't know, man," Jesse gulped, "this seems a little bit too sci-fi for me. Are you sure about this?"

  "Not completely," Salazar admitted, "I'm working on it. For example, take those people who ran away. They were tearing at their own clothing and hair even though they didn't want to attack us. If they had hallucinations before this began, those symptoms are now far more severe."

  "There's no telling what they saw," Sam interjected.

  "That's true," Salazar continued, "and I bet it was terrifying. The people without apparent injuries that we have found here were most likely terminally ill before the attack and the fumes finished them off. As for this creature," he added as he bent over again to look more closely, "I believe that the humans who turn into this mutated being had violent mental tendencies and predispositions already."

  "Are you saying that they were already psychopaths?" Jesse asked. He was surprised that it made sense to him. From his own personal job experiences, he had often found that real criminals, especially the violent ones like murderers and rapists, were either sociopaths or psychopaths. Then again, so were some of the most powerful people in the top positions at the police department.

  "It could possibly explain why they mutated into this creature so quickly," Salazar replied. "You two are the first to hear about this. I haven't yet had a chance to discuss it with my mother even though I began to suspect this the night Sam suggested that Sondra was pregnant. As for us, Jesse, we are young and healthy or at least healthier than most. I am sure the fumes influenced us too. If you recall, everyone had coughing-fits and achy feelings the very first night we gathered in the alcove. We were all affected in some way."

  "Then, what can we expect?" Jesse asked.

  "As for me, I believe it enhanced that part of me that society never understood, such as my natural intuition," Salazar replied. "It also improved Sam's tracking abilities. His sense of smell and his hearing are now more acute."

  "Sounds like it did more than that," Jesse grunted. "From the hole in that guy's chest, it also gave you superhuman strength. He looks like he was hit with a .50 caliber at close range. How did you do it?"

  "Honestly, I'm not sure," Salazar admitted. "I focused all my energy into my right arm and… well, that was the results."

  "Maybe next time, focus only half your energy," Sam advised.

  "What about you, Sam?" Jesse asked. "How did you kill yours? I didn't even get a chance to warn either of you and from the looks of things, you didn't need a warning."

  "I picked up the sense of danger and turned to face it," Sam acknowledged. "I wasn't really aware of a change in me. I allowed my natural instincts to take over. It felt very much like a dream or me watching me in a dream as a conscious observer."

  "You can do that?" Jesse asked not even sure what it meant. Still, his thoughts returned to his own situation and he didn't wait for an answer. "I wonder if it did anything to me," Jesse pondered aloud. However, what he really wanted to know was whether he would get a superpower like Salazar and Sam had gotten. He sure hoped so.

  "Have you noticed anything different?" Sam asked.

  "I feel more discouraged as we go along," Jesse admitted, recalling his earlier morose feelings in the street clinic while with Joshua and Sue Ellen. He hadn't been able to shake it either even though he had found Salazar and Sam.

  "Is there anything we need to be worried about?" Sam watched Jesse closely. "I mean, depression can escalate into something more very easily."

  "I don't know," Jesse acknowledged, "If I start pulling at my hair, promise me that you will put me out of my misery."

  Salazar patted Jesse's shoulder to reassure him and offer encouragement. When he did, he immediately saw the reason the man was so down and out. Jesse was afraid that he would never find his mother or that he would find her crushed to death under a collapsed roof. Either way the conclusion would be difficult to handle. Salazar's vision went even further and he also had a glimpse of Jesse fighting off some of the beasts with swords.

  Swords? Salazar mused. For the first time, he questioned his gift and wondered about its accuracy. Swords? Who would have ever guessed that?"

  Jesse was apparently a master swordsman. Salazar watched as Jesse's blades flashed in all directions, hacking and cutting the creatures to pieces. It was quite amazing to watch the display. It was so intriguing that Salazar had a difficult time pulling himself away from the images.

  Jesse had admitted that he was good with weapons yet Salazar had never imagined that anyone from the police department or military had much use for blades of steel. He put the image aside for the time being to concentrate on Jesse's present issue.

  "Feelings are important, Jesse. What we are experiencing about our new world should be processed rather than bottled up. Not to sound too much like a mama's boy, however, my mother always said that you have to first feel it, whatever it is, then let it go so it can let go of you." Salazar gave the message as if talking to himself, but Jesse got the meaning loud and clear.

  Sam didn't know the reason for Jesse's sadness. He chuckled and replied, "We promise that if you start tearing out your hair, we will put you down. OK?" Sam's expression was comical as he teased Jesse and tried to keep a straight face. Jesse finally laughed with Sam and some of the tension he had felt released.

  Salazar went on to add, "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Jesse. We should keep these trips short and to the point. Right now, we need to find more torches and get back to the others. We will search for your mom the next time we come out."

  Jesse nodded that he understood. For him, it was hearing Salazar acknowledge his concerns and the reason for his grief that helped most. Jesse was finally able to put his worries aside for the time being and focus on the tasks at hand.

  While the three men scoured through the debris and what was left of some buildings, they gathered up every available lantern they could find and continued to discuss Salazar's theory in more detail.

  29| Survivors

  Meanwhile, a group of men and women who had heard Sam's loud call to Jesse watched from a safe distance as the three men calmly talked in the street. The fearful survivors needed to be certain that these men were not a threat before they made their presence known.

  However, before they could do that, several of the mutated beings found them in their hiding place and began a vicious attack. The survivors screamed in agony and terror as the creatures bit and clawed at them.

  Jesse p
icked up two ends of a broken, sharp-ended pipe from the debris and raced into the fray. Just as Salazar had seen in the vision, Jesse wielded the metal pieces like swords. He slashed, jabbed, and parried with the sharp ends. He single-handedly cut the head off of one of the attackers and killed two others while Salazar and Sam battled the last two. The mutated humans were easy to fight but incredibly hard to kill.

  After the fighting was over, the three men examined the injured survivors and field-dressed the worst of the bite and claw marks.

  Anxious to get back to the tunnel, Salazar encouraged the newcomers, "Come with us. We have a safe haven under the city."

  This particular group of men and women had sheltered behind a collapsed roof that had fallen at an angle against a support wall. Instead of being crushed, the angle had made a protected space where they had fearfully huddled together during the terrifying three-night ordeal.

  While in that secure pocket, they had bared their souls to each other as they tried to imagine what they would do and where they could begin to rebuild a world that had been blasted back to the dark-ages. Most of them were in their late teens and early twenties and had held menial jobs. Almost all of them were gamers. They had wondered about a lot of things as they whispered to each other during those terrible first few days and nights in hiding.

  They had discovered that none of them were computer specialist or engineers or medical professionals… none of them had a trade such as carpentry, plumbers, or electricians either. They had been fry cooks and bartenders, baristas and wait staff while living at home with their parents. Taking that into consideration, they had wondered what life might be like for them without wifi, cell phones, computers, running water, electricity, coffee, pain killers, and drugs to take the edge off.