by J. D. Cavan
“Shush,” Luca said, “let them concentrate.”
It didn’t take Samantha long to get an approximate number. A map appeared in her mind, with little dots indicating Actualized and Potential Ereb numbers. It was quietly tense for a number of minutes before Samantha’s star faded and the search ended.
“Let’s hear it,” Luca asked, impatiently.
She glanced at Pete and hesitated to share the bad news. Pete nodded for her to go ahead and report.
“We’re really low… “Samantha said.
“We know we’re low,” Luca interrupted.
“There are no high status Ereb left but Sam—”
“We all know that already,” James interrupted Pete.
Pete hesitated for a moment and then went on. “There’s only a handful of Actualized Ereb still fighting.”
James threw his beer bottle across the room and it shattered against the wall. “They’re wiping us out!” he snapped in a rage.
“You’re drunk, sober up,” Pete said before James jumped over the bar and glared at him.
“James, snap out of it!” Samantha ordered. Ereb high on strength could sober themselves up any time they wanted. It was a very handy talent; stumbling drunk one minute, stone sober the next.
“We also got a very decent read on some Potentials, down south in the Atlanta area. Who knows, one of them could be high status,” Pete said. “If Sam could Actualize a high status, that would change everything.”
“Come on, Pete, the chances of that are next to nil,” Luca chimed in. “It’s a needle in a haystack finding a high status.”
Samantha knew that Luca had a point. It took a lot of work to find Potentials, and it always alerted Replica—like everything else they did these days.
“My synchronic senses tell me otherwise,” Pete replied. “We should protect Sam and find Potentials like we always do. It’s our only way to build up Ereb up forces and defeat Replica.”
“Yeah, we get the idea, Pete.” James ran his hand through his hair in frustration and then said, “The rare breed synchronic sense Ereb drives me nuts, and my brother’s one of them.”
Samantha knew she had to lead. They would defer to her, but she was honestly stumped. She would usually go with Pete, but her head wasn’t even with him. It was back at the bank with the Original. She kept returning there to him and what he had said to her.
Even one day ago it would have been impossible for her to think that she would surrender to Aion, but now it actually crossed her mind as an option. It wasn’t just Ereb survival, which was in serious question, but that of the entire human race. Things had gotten bad—real bad, real quick.
It was quiet before Dani entered the conversation. She jumped off the bar and strolled over toward Samantha. “Me and James and some of the crew have been doing a couple of runs on the Harleys, and there’s an Aion outpost along the Canadian border. Let’s take it out.”
James and Dani had a small motorcycle crew of Ereb that stayed on the move and had a slightly different idea of how to deal with Replica. They would set up traps, attract them by using telepathy, and then wipe them out. Surprise Ereb attacks, James called it. They had wanted to try a full assault on one of the Replica outposts for some time, but their primary pledge was to Samantha—so even though James ran the crew, they would need Samantha’s permission for an attack on a Replica outpost.
“And then what, we take over the outpost? And then what after that?” Pete asked skeptically.
“We demoralize them, that’s what!” James growled. “Show them that we aren’t just little fish sitting around a small pound waiting to get shot!”
“Fish, sitting?” Samantha whispered to Pete with a grin.
“He’s intoxicated,” Pete replied.
“Yeah, I get you two are so smart,” Luca proclaimed, “but James might be right. I think we need more of an offense, less defense.”
“Leave it up to Ereb high on strength and this is what they always come to. Fists and force,” Pete criticized. Then he ordered, “Would someone go check on Janey and Bags? They can cease the barriers and come back inside.” Dani nodded and Luca went outside with her.
James then stumbled over and sat down at the table with Samantha and Pete. James was bigger than Pete; at six-three, he was strong and lanky. He was probably her age, twenty-two or twenty-three years old. He wore the black cargo pants and boots of the Ereb, but instead of a black tank top he wore a white one under his tight black leather jacket. He had a number of silver chains that hung around his neck, looking like dog tags. He took his jacket off and threw it on the table. His arms were muscle-bound and chiseled, and his hands looked like a couple of catcher’s mitts.
James slid a chair over close to Samantha and smirked at her. “I’ve got a good solution. How about you and me make a super strength Ereb baby, and set it loose on the entire Replica army.”
He put his hand on her knee and she felt it run up her thigh. She snatched his hand and slammed it on the table. “Kind of a long-term solution, wouldn’t you say, James?” She tolerated James because he had balls, and when push came to shove, he was there for the Ereb cause. But he was so high on strength she could feel the aggression pouring out of him.
“Yeah, but we could have a lot fun working on it,” James moved her hair away from her face and touched her cheek. She could feel his eyes all over her.
“Cut the nonsense, James!” Pete snapped, while James quickly shot him a sidelong sneer.
Samantha calmly twisted his hand back and held it. James grunted in pain. “Need I remind you, James, that I’m just as high on strength as you?”
James grimaced at her, but it almost seemed as if he were enjoying the pain. “And that’s exactly why I think we’d fit so well together,” he said before she let go of his arm.
“Let’s attack the outpost, go out with some dignity,” James murmured to her before Luca and Dani came back into the tavern.
“The crew just pulled up outside—” Dani announced before James cut her off.
“I thought I heard the sweet sound of Harleys!” James said to his own delight.
“They said Replica are in the city,” Luca said, anxiously. “And headed this way.”
“Barriers aren’t working?” Samantha questioned.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Pete said.
“How’s that even possible? Unless someone’s paying them off. Traitors on the inside,” Luca said with suspicion in his voice. It was never proven, but there had been speculation that some Ereb could be bribed by Replica to give away Ereb locations. “Do you trust all of your crew, James?” Luca asked.
James walked over and got into his face. “If anyone is tipping anyone off to Replica, it would be your girlfriend over there. She’s the one making friends with them.”
Luca glared at James, and they were likely moments away from a fight. Both of them had hair-trigger tempers, and it wasn’t uncommon for Ereb high on strength to settle difficulties with quick blows.
“That’s ridiculous, James!” Pete stood between them. “We can’t have your self-destructive behavior spilling over on us now. We need to get moving.”
Luca nodded his head, agreeing with Pete.
“I’m not moving anywhere,” James replied slowly. “I don’t run from them anymore, brother, if you haven’t noticed.” He walked away toward the bar. “Plus, I need another drink!” He leaned over and grabbed a can of beer and cracked it open, shooting foam everywhere.
“We need to protect the one thing we have left.” Pete motioned toward Samantha.
James glared at Pete and then at Samantha. “I’m tired of keeping you alive,” he snapped.
“So don’t,” Samantha said nastily. “I never asked you to.”
“He doesn’t mean it,” Dani said to her, touching her arm.
James gulped his beer down and slammed it on the bar again. “Yes I do!”
Samantha glared at him and felt her own rage kicking up. She was getting sick of h
is crap.
“Listen!” Luca raised his voice, interjecting. “We’ve got more news.”
Just then Bags and Janey walked back into the bar, interrupting him.
“Bags is tired, and so am I. Making us sit in the parking lot while you get drunk and fight is very bad on your part,” Janey scolded them. “And we’re supposed to be the evolved ones?”
James burst out in laughter. “That’s why I love you, Janey! You cut through the crap, because they’re no better than us— “
“Everyone, shut up! Luca has something to say,” Samantha said sharply. The Ereb were a notoriously rowdy bunch, but she could see they were falling apart.
There was a pause. “They have General Zim with them,” Luca announced. “That’s what the crew said, and I believe it.”
Everyone went silent.
“Zim,” Samantha muttered to herself. Her body tensed. She knew General Zim well. He had killed Lilith and Noah, the only other high-status Erebs besides her. The strength part of her wanted serious revenge against Zim, particularly for Lilith.
The memory stung badly and her face performed a frown all on its own, bitter tears forming in her eyes. She had Actualized Lilith at the Ereb camp in Arizona, and Lilith’s powers outmatched hers. Lilith’s brilliance would have led the Ereb forward and changed the world. That light was snuffed out when Zim gunned her down in cold blood.
“I’ve been waiting for Zim.” James smirked wickedly and eyes lit up for a moment, but his face was dark. Noah had Actualized James, and James had always looked up to him—and he didn’t admire anyone. James had been his Primary Protector and went even further downhill after Noah’s death.
Dani put her hand over James’s. It was obvious that he still suffered over the loss, his inability to prevent Zim from killing Noah. He pulled his hand away and his rage seemed to infect the room.
“Let’s load up and get to the bunker. I can taste Replica blood,” Shark joined in while James slapped his hands together.
“Now is not the time to go on offense, James. I wish I could help, but I have to get Sam outta here now,” Luca replied. “Particularly if they have Zim. He’s a high-status Ereb killer.”
James grabbed a hold of Dani and yanked her close. Dani grinned and gazed into his eyes. “For good luck!” James announced before they kissed each other, a hot make-out moment before he pulled his lips away from hers.
“Oh God James,” Pete cried, while Janey shook her head. Her face looked like she was seeing something gross.
“Thanks for the show, James, but we gotta go. Truck’s in the back.” Luca always parked in the back of places for this exact reason.
James slurred his words. “Give me Shark and we’ll take them in the parking lot. You clowns can slip out the back door into your clown car.”
“You won’t make it,” Samantha declared.
Dani gazed into her eyes. “It’s okay, get going.”
Pete said, “Sam, if you go down, this is the end for all of us, right here.” There was another pause as Pete pointed out the obvious.
“Then it ends here,” Samantha finally said, before it fell silent. She had been leaning toward fleeing, to finding the Potentials and trying to build numbers. But it was clear now that James, Dani and Shark would stay and probably die. It became a simple decision—her only option was to stay and fight. To lose more Ereb only to run and try to find more didn’t make any sense. Plus, if she was completely honest with herself, this was her best chance to kill Zim.
Luca dropped his head and Pete put a hand on his forehead and rubbed it as if he was thinking about a plan B.
“Pete, stay here with Bags and Janey,” Samantha said as she holstered her pistol blasters. “We have enough weapons in the bunker. Now is the time to take them down.”
4
THE WIND WHIPPED and swirled, and the clouds overhead darkened as a storm approached.
The enormous parking lot outside of the tavern was dirt and stones. Gusts of wind kicked up dust into swirling funnels when ten black vans pulled in and formed a half circle around the perimeter.
Part of James’s Ereb motorcycle gang appeared to flee. All four of them climbed on their Harleys and rode out of the main exit, leaving just James, Dani, Luca, Shark, and Samantha. She watched them disappear down the road, then looked at James and shook her head in confusion.
“I figured at least two or three of the vans would go after my crew,” James said out of the side of his mouth to her. He had taken a six-pack of cans out from behind the bar and had one of them in his hand. She watched the condensation drip off of it in the heat.
“Brilliant,” she said to him sarcastically.
The back doors opened and Replica poured out of each van. Eighty or so of them appeared, plus General Zim, who finally emerged from the van closest to the exit. They were heavily armed with assault weapons and they spread out along the edges of the parking lot, waiting for Zim’s command. A misty rain started blowing and the temperature seemed to be dropping.
Samantha cleared her throat. “I’ll go first. Send their rounds back at them before they block my telekinesis, cut Zim to pieces—” James put his arm out in front of her, cutting her off.
“I’ll handle this. Move aside, you’re taking up all my air,” James mumbled as he stepped forward, nudging her out of the way. She rolled her eyes and glanced at a very worried looking Luca. She would have put James in his place, but he wanted Zim badly for what he’d done to Noah—she could sense it. So she gave it to him, like a gift. One he better repay her for.
It was silent as James strolled toward the center of the parking lot. “General Zim, it’s truly an honor!” he shouted. The wind kicked up and the mist began to turn into a light rain.
“What the hell is he doing?” Luca said to her.
“I have no idea, but get ready. They’re going to start pumping rounds at us any second.”
Zim and the Replica stood motionless.
“You have us out numbered, again.” James waved his hands at the line of Replica. “And you’re always taking your advantages, and why wouldn’t you? We certainly do!” He seemed to have almost stumbled as he walked. “But this time I’m asking you to be the man you used to be, and fight me, right here, right now!” He put a fist up and stroked at his nose with his thumb.
The Replica raised their weapons, but instead of fire blasts, stunningly enough, General Zim spoke. It was the first time Samantha had heard him speak a word.
“You lost half your army and you’re drunk, which I consider a surrender.” He paused for a moment. “Only we don’t take prisoners.” He appeared to give the order, but James jumped back in again.
“You don’t have any of that valiant DNA left, do you? It’s been all watered down with Replica fake blood, hasn’t it?” James shook his head in disgust. “You were a famous solider once. You would never back down from an honest fight! I’m challenging you!” James shouted. It was silent but for the whipping wind. “What have you become? Just a weak machine of Aion, no brains of your own?”
General Zim craned his neck slowly and stared at James. “I know you. You attack my soldiers.” He searched James further. “That’s right. The high-status Ereb known as Noah, he was a trophy for me,” Zim declared. “If the Ereb weren’t so diseased, I would have taken his head and hung it on my wall.”
Samantha’s compassion trait could feel the suffering inside James as Zim went on. “Where were you when Noah needed you? He was begging for his life.” The rain began to fall harder.
James clenched his fist, and he growled, “Drunk, and still I’ll beat the Aion out of you.” He stepped closer, encouraging Zim to engage.
It was quiet for a long moment before General Zim handed his assault rifle to a Replica. He took his eye-gear off and rolled the sleeves of his collared military shirt up to his elbows. James smirked and threw his can down to the ground, the remaining beer sloshed up into the air and all over him. He moved into the center of the lot just as Zim came toward hi
m.
“Okay Ereb, you get your wish. It will be more enjoyable to destroy you myself,” Zim said calmly
The two met and Zim threw two massive strikes at James, which he dodged, before the third punch buried deep into his gut, doubling him over. A lightning-fast uppercut tagged James under the chin, sending him careening backward into Samantha and Luca.
Luca caught James and held him up on his feet. The fight seemed to be over before it started.
“Sober yourself up already,” Samantha blurted out to a half conscious James.
James’s eyes were spinning in his head. “I’m lulling him into a false sense of confidence,” he slurred and coughed his words out. A trickle of blood came from his mouth.
“You’re going to be lulling yourself into death if you don’t wake up,” Luca replied, pushing him back into the fight.
The next couple of minutes were difficult to watch as James took a series of devastating blows from Zim, before he finally fell to one knee. Zim stood over him, and then reached around his back and pulled his Glock out of his belt. Luca, Dani and Shark were about to open fire when Samantha stopped them.
“Wait,” she said, putting an arm out.
“I’m not enjoying this anymore,” Zim announced as he cocked the gun. He aimed it at James, who unexpectedly sprung up and swiped Zim’s leg out from under him. He then landed a series of quick strikes to Zim’s body and face. Stunned, Zim fell backward and dropped his Glock.
Samantha found herself cheering inside. Watching Zim get beat by James was so gratifying.
The Replica appeared jittery as James and Zim squared off, exchanging blows. Clearly James had sobered himself up and the brawl became evenly matched before Zim started to get the better of him. The big general landed right-hand punches, over and over again, until James collapsed again to one knee.
James put his hands up. “Wait, wait, wait!”
Zim held his fist in the air, waiting for the last pulverizing blow.
“Do you hear that?” James muttered, laughing strangely as more blood poured out of his mouth.