by J.J. Bonds
**********
Anya and I approach the front gate quietly, staying to the bushes for cover. There’s no sign of Nik or Blaine. Either they’re late or they’re well hidden.
“What do you think?” I whisper. I’m not sure we should proceed until we know they’re here.
“I think Nik always keeps his word. He said ten minutes. He’s here somewhere even if we can’t see him.” She shifts, twisting around to face me, as we huddle in the shrubbery. “Be careful tonight. Aldo will never forgive me if anything happens to you. Hell, I’ll never forgive myself.” She hugs me showing an unusual amount of emotion.
“We’ll be fine,” I promise crossing my fingers behind my back. For once I hope I’m not lying.
“It’s show time,” she says shoving me deeper into the bushes and stepping onto the path. I watch as she approaches the gate, gaining speed as she goes. Anya’s running at a full sprint when she reaches the gatehouse. The Pazitor come out to meet her, and she skids to a stop.
I can’t hear what she tells them, but she’s waving her arms and pointing to the eastern border of the campus. The three of them take off and run past me in a blur. Once they’re out of sight, I step from the bushes hesitantly and head for the gate. I see two dark figures approaching from the west. Anya was right. Nik was true to his word.
“Let’s go.” He’s got my bag slung over his shoulder. It’s full to bursting. Nik reaches into the gatehouse and presses the release for the main gate. It swings open silently, and we slip through.
I steal a glance at my companions. Nik looks focused, confident. Blaine on the other hand looks a little green. Good, I think. Maybe he’ll think twice before stealing another computer. Besides, it’s reassuring to know that I’m not the only one scared out of my mind. I remind myself that this is what I’ve been preparing for, but this isn’t training and the stakes are so high. Although I fear it, failure is simply not an option.
We go straight to the woods and don’t stop until we’re in a mile deep. It’s much darker here in the woods than it was on campus. There is only natural light, and the stocky trees block most of the moonlight that spills down from above. Nik drops the duffle to the ground and unzips it.
He looks expectantly at Blaine and me. “We shouldn’t go any further unarmed. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ll take the crossbow,” I tell him, quickly claiming my preferred weapon. He hands me the bow, and I feel marginally better about this endeavor with its hefty weight in my grasp. I check to make sure it’s fully loaded and discover that Nik’s already filled it with Annihilators. He hands me additional bolts, which I stuff in my jacket pocket. Just in case.
I watch as he hands Blaine a pistol. Nik quickly reminds him how to remove the safety and reload. Blaine pockets two spare clips looking miserable.
“We should start where the last body was found,” Nik tells us, loading his own weapon, also a pistol. He tucks it into the waistband of his jeans. The weapon is hidden by his jacket. “Damian has been making his way closer to town. I checked the map, and I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of where we’ll find him if we hurry. He’ll be looking to feed soon.”
“Lead the way.” I’m glad to have someone who’s less directionally challenged to chart our course. I’d probably get lost on my own.
Nik slings the bag of remaining weapons and ammunition over his shoulder and takes off running. Blaine and I exchange uneasy looks and follow. I’ll have to keep an eye on him tonight. I still don’t trust him. Why would I?
We run for a while without stopping, and I gauge the distance to be more than ten miles. I’m reminded of the story Anya told me about her own nighttime trek through the woods with Nik. The run is easy. I haven’t run this kind of distance since I played soccer. I’ve never run this kind of distance at these speeds though. We navigate the terrain with ease. Our eyes are meant for this type of hunt.
I feel the thin line between reality and my nightmare world begin to fade as the trees fly past, their branches reaching for me as I pass. The smell of pine and sap are in the air. I do my best not to let the fear control me. My body is performing well, and I fly over the ground without stumbling. Mostly, I’m comforted by the fact that I’m not alone. This knowledge allows me to stay the course.
Nik slows up as we approach the edge of the forest.
“What now?” Blaine asks.
“We hunt,” Nik says simply.
The three of us spread out and start combing the forest. It doesn’t take me long to get frustrated. “We could be here all night.”
“Patience,” Nik cautions.
Screw that! I’ve got a better idea. I take off into the forest at a breakneck speed leaving Nik and Blaine behind. My new prey is much easier to track and find. In a matter of minutes I’ve taken down a whitetail doe. Even with four legs the creature doesn’t stand a chance against my speed. I break her neck in one swift motion and carry the carcass back to where Nik and Blaine are still hunting.
They both stare at me in shock. Little do they know the best is yet to come.
I rip off the head in one fell swoop and watch as the blood pours out. Pushing aside my revulsion at such an unnecessarily violent kill, I race along the forest edge spreading the blood over the foliage. When the body runs dry, I discard it in the woods and return to where Nik and Blaine wait.
“Interesting approach.” Nik is amused at my impatience. It doesn’t matter. It’ll get the job done.
“Now we wait.”
We spread out again, casting a wider net this time in which to ensnare Damian. I sit in my perch unmoving with only my thoughts to keep me company. I wonder how my life has come to this. I wonder if I’ll see Aldo again when this is all over, if I’ll have a chance to apologize to him for my earlier outburst. I wonder if I’ll even survive. I told Nik that I’d only stay for Damian, but deep down I know there’s no way I can leave with Luka still on the loose. After all, he’ll never stop hunting me and there’s only one way to break the connection between us.
It doesn’t take long for Damian to catch the scent of fresh blood. As expected, he shows up within the hour. He’s wary, but it doesn’t deter him. He approaches slowly. I can hear him although he’s not in my line of sight yet. I signal to Blaine and Nik to stay put. I don’t want them spooking the kid. If he senses danger, he’ll run. I get up slowly and retreat deeper in to the forest confidant he’ll follow. He doesn’t disappoint.
He moves noisily and makes no effort to hide his presence. I’m not sure if it’s lack of skill at hunting or overconfidence. Probably the latter, I decide. He’s been killing adults for days with no problem. The very thought of this child taking innocent lives sickens me. I take a deep breath and force the thought from my mind. I have to keep moving. I can’t afford to humanize Damian. I can’t afford to feel anything for him. Not if I’m going to do what has to be done, what I’ve come to do.
When I find a clearing I stop. This will work. The clearing is large and relatively circular in shape despite its natural formation. The earth is carpeted with lush green grass, and there are a couple of fallen moss covered trees, which on a different day might provide a nice spot for a picnic lunch. My senses take it all in. I bask in the moonlight which is brighter here without the cover of trees. There are so many stars in the sky tonight. They illuminate the entire clearing and reveal early spring blooms fighting their way through the earth. It’s as good a place as any to die.
I stride to the center and wait. He’s got my scent now and is following closely. It won’t be long until I am reunited with Damian. Will he remember me?
He bursts into the clearing, wild eyed and twitching. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for this. I couldn’t have imagined this Damian in my wildest dreams. There is nothing left of the sweet eight year old I remember. The boy from the newscast, the one that Rutland will mourn, is gone.
Damian’s once happy face is contorted into that of a monster. His lips are bloodstained. Dried blood is
caked on his face and his clothes. He’s filthy. His Sponge Bob sweatshirt is a grotesque reminder of what once was. Damian’s eyes are crazed with bloodlust. He begins to salivate at the sight of me.
“Damian?”
He gurgles in response and shows me his teeth. He licks his lips and smiles at the taste of the old blood which coats them. It’s difficult to look at him without disgust.
“Damian? Do you remember me?” I try again as a wave of nausea sweeps over me.
Once again, he gurgles incoherently in response. It’s futile. There’s no reaching him. As sure as I’m standing here, I know that he’s beyond help. He’s delirious with the sete de sange. The bloodlust has destroyed him. His gaze is fixated on my throat, the desire to kill obvious. He’s consumed by it. There’s not a trace of the real Damian left. This monster has taken his place.
I know what I have to do. I steel my conscience and throw the crossbow aside.
“You’re thirsty?” I ask, dropping to my knees in the grass. His face lights up. He starts gurgling again and dances around in anticipation of his next meal. Still, he holds back. His instincts are intact for all the good they’ve done him. He senses that I’m a danger to him even though I’ve discarded my weapon.
I pull back the collar of my jacket and reveal to him what I know he wants most: my throat. He stares at it hungrily. My heartbeat roars in my ears. It cries out to him, to Damian.
He lurches forward then, a greedy smile playing across his thin lips. He can almost taste my blood. He reveals his teeth as he draws closer. I watch as his fangs drop, waiting patiently, although I want desperately for this to be over. As he leans in for the kill, prepared sink his teeth into my throat, I pull a knife from my boot. It’s the knife Nik gave me for Christmas. I’ve worn it every day since. With my other hand I grab a fistful of Damian’s hair and pull his head back. There’s no hesitation as I draw the blade across the creatures’ throat detaching the head from the body.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper as the body drops to the ground devoid of life. It twitches in a short-lived death spasm, and then he’s gone. I sit the head on the ground carefully and sink back into the grass. I contemplate tasting his blood. There’s a good chance I could learn something valuable from Damian’s last memories. I stare at the blood pooling in the grass but can’t bring myself to do it. Damian’s been used enough, and I’m not sure I could stomach the twisted workings of his deranged mind.
Instead I wipe the knife’s blade clean on my jeans and put it back in my boot. My hands are covered in blood. I’m covered in blood, I realize. I feel it trickle down my face and try to wipe it away with the sleeve of my jacket. The leather does little to absorb the sticky fluid. I probably look like just as much of a monster as Damian had.
I look up to discover that Nik and Blaine have joined me in the clearing. I wonder how long they’ve been watching, how much they’ve seen. I was so absorbed with Damian that I hadn’t been aware of their presence. They stand motionless. I guess they saw the whole thing.
I rise to my feet, and this seems to be just the prompt Nik needs. He springs to action, collecting kindling from the nearby trees. He quickly builds a pyre and prepares to burn the remains. I stop him before he can light the fire.
“I’ll do it.” He begins to protest, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand. “I’ll finish it.”
He reluctantly hands me the matches. I crouch by the pyre with my arms wrapped around my knees and say a silent prayer for Damian, hoping he’ll find peace in death. Once that is done, I strike a match and drop it onto the pile. Even as I do this, a solitary tear escapes from the corner of my eye and slides down my cheek. I wipe the traitorous tear away with the back of my hand and growl with fury. No one says a word.
The fire catches quickly and the smell of burning flesh is upon us. Thick gray smoke funnels into the sky, a signal of Damian’s death.
“He’ll come now. Somewhere out there Luka is watching. Waiting.” I pause looking at both Nik and Blaine. “This is what he wanted. You should go now.”
“And leave you out here alone? Are you out of your mind?” Nik asks raising his voice. He’s upset at my suggestion. It’s counter to his protective nature and I know this is an argument I’ll never win. Not with him anyway. “Forget it, Katia. It’s not happening. You need us. Your odds are much better with our help.”
I turn to Blaine. “You’re under no obligation to stay. You’re free to go. Neither of us will stop you.” I may not like him, but that doesn’t mean I can condemn him to death. I have no idea what we’re up against with Luka. If he stays, it has to be his choice.
“I’m sorry,” he says turning to Nik. “I never wanted any part of this.” Without another word he disappears into the forest. I can’t really blame him. In his shoes, I might do the same thing.
I walk over to where my crossbow lies and pick it up. “If you insist on staying, at least stay out of sight. I doubt we’ll have an advantage, but let’s try. I think he’ll be expecting me to be alone.”
Nik nods his agreement and hands me another weapon from the duffel bag, a gun, which I tuck into the back of my jeans. We’re heavily armed, but I’m not sure how much good it will do us.
“Ready to die?” he asks grimly.
“Every day.”