The Azrael
The Azrael
Tricon
Jesse Gagnon
Table of Contents
The Azrael
Prologue
Chapter 1-The Russian Hero
Chapter 2-Simon’s Plan
Chapter 3-Jason and Giselle
Chapter 4-What’s On Those Cards
Chapter 5-красивая смерть
Chapter 6-Janice Yates
Chapter 7-Finding Jason
Chapter 8-Taliah’s Room
Chapter 9-Karla and Vladomir’s Failure
Chapter 10-Monster
Chapter 11-Laura Flynn
Chapter 12-Secrets Part I
Chapter 13-Secrets Part II
Chapter 14-Samantha Hernandez
Chapter 15-Get Dressed
Chapter 16-David’s New Look
Chapter 17-Agent 133 Update
Chapter 18-Keeping Secrets
Chapter 19-The Duvereaux Manor
Chapter 20-Who the Hell Is Mark Sloan?--Jimmy
Chapter 21-They’re Coming to Get You Taliah!
Chapter 22-Revealed for What They Are
Chapter 23-Catch Up Part I
Chapter 24-David’s Gift to Randall
Chapter 25-Drowning
Chapter 26-Catch up Part II
Chapter 27-Into the Trees
Chapter 28-Where the Hell is François?--Jimmy
Chapter 29-Keystone Township
Chapter 30-Janice and Patrick
Chapter 31-Brickstone Apartments
Chapter 32-Trapped In the Vet
Chapter 33-Where the Fuck Is My Bag?--Jimmy
Chapter 34-Toko’s Plan for Giselle and Jason
Chapter 35-The Fog
Chapter 36-Breaking Back Into Tricon
Chapter 37-The Supercenter
Chapter 38-You in Danger, Girl.
Chapter 39-Steven’s Defense
Chapter 40-What’s Wrong With Taliah Doc?
Chapter 41-Where the Fuck Did They Come From?--Jimmy
About The Author
Other books by this author
Brief Background History of Characters
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Prologue
The contamination alarm had been wailing throughout the lab for over three hours. Dr. Schwinn withdrew deeper into the unfinished portion of the facility when the alarms sounded. He pours himself a cup of tea settled safely behind three airlock doors, steel walls over six feet thick, and half a dozen armed guards. The lights flicker to a cadence in sequence with the contamination alarms because they share the same power source. A distant putter of a generator hums within the ventilation system providing the last remaining power to the facility. It only activates once a day for two minutes while the system switches over from wind-generated power that fuels the facility during the day to the stored energy gathered from solar panels that had been absorbing a hundred yards of sunlight topside.
A 52-inch monitor displays footage of the massive Azrael herd ground level. They are pouring into the facility at a steady rate from all directions. Dr. Schwinn had chosen to stay behind with the last remaining research gathered about the Azrael. The rest of the world has become a wasteland contaminated by a nuclear winter, civilization’s last failed attempt at destroying the Azrael. Although there are about a dozen Chicago Highwaymen left, they are scattered throughout the area in search for survivors. Each Highwayman is outfitted with a level A front-entry encapsulated suit and a radiation detector capable of identifying concentrations up to a one mile radius. The Azrael that roam the land have all been exposed to the contaminant and exhibit a radiation signature that can be identified with this tool.
Some allies infected with the virus have been successful at navigating the land without the use of the suits but are forbidden to interact with humans ever again. The amount of radiation within their bodies can weaken and kill a human after only a few minutes of contact. A 42-inch monitor a few feet from the larger screen monitors a tracking system that follows all allies, human and Azrael. Dr. Schwinn takes note of who is still moving and who has been killed in a logbook nearby. After notating the changes in activity, Dr. Schwinn returns to the journals written by Taliah.
A cardboard box filled with the handwritten chronicles sits just below a table next to a reclining chair. Dr. Schwinn stretches, feels a few knots still lingering across his back and slowly sits in the chair. He sighs and reaches for the box. The books are now water damaged and coated in a thin layer of dirt due to the recent breach. The journals that he had already read through were stacked on the table next to him with several color coded tabs sticking out of them. Notes written in his personal journals were tabbed the same way for reference purposes.
He dusted off the next book in the series. Taliah had copied Tricon’s logo from memory on the cover. As he opens the book, a photo of Taliah and Ethan slides out into his lap. He studies the photo intently as he holds it up so that he can inspect it through the convex lens at the bottom of his glasses. He places it on the table next to his journal, takes a sip of his tea, and begins reading the first chapter. Vladomir’s interactions with the Awakened begin the story.
Chapter 1
The Russian Hero
Just beyond the Chicago gates and into the streets…
The scent leading to the Alpha Azrael had gone cold about a week ago along with the temperature. The morale of Randall’s group had dropped significantly. Assisting and providing the only voice to the herd Vladomir summed up their current situation.
“This is shit.”
The others nodded and provided various grunts and sighs. Weeks into the hunt, the group had been identified and assigned names from Randall and was delivered as gestures to Vladomir. Each enjoyed their new nickname. Randall and Karla were the only two to keep their original names. However, nicknames were brought up and shot down by the two. King and Queen didn’t quite fit their personalities or roles. Jack and Diane almost stuck since both monikers were middle names for the two but they weren’t a couple nor did they like their middle names. The aroma of decaying flesh carried in the breeze and caused each member of the group to stop in their tracks.
“Feel like buzzard chasing corpse. Instead of meal we find disappointment.” Harry entered a sprint and the others followed. As they neared the building, an upper torso of a man was speared on top of an aluminum post that once held a stop sign. The octagon shaped sign was located thirty feet away near a parked car. It was warped and appeared torn from the bolts that held it.
The corpse was all but eaten to the bone, minus a few patches here and there. A strand of intestines hung from the body and was torn a foot below the cadaver. Remnants of organs were found beneath the body but most was eaten or taken away.
“Look like sign of Alpha.”
The others agreed. The building on the corner had its door open and an assorted level of decay escaped its interior. Nothing about it was inviting. Harry sniffed the air and jogged over to it. A subdued scream escaped the building.
“Someone need help!” Vladomir cried out. The others entered the place hastily. Vladomir was left outside. He made sure his pistol was fully loaded and charged in after them.
On the walls of the hallway, pieces of corpses were hung by broken off pieces of bones. As they neared the first open room, the floor became slippery and sticky. Hundreds of pounds of intestines were piled in the left corner just by the entrance to the room. The stench was overpowering as it slowly fermented. The
room was a massive lobby to a hotel. More bodies decorated the walls in various level of disfigurement. Upon further investigation, Azrael bodies were also pinned to the walls.
The scream returned, this time it wasn’t restrained. It carried on for over a minute. After that, a weak whimper followed. It was coming from the second floor just beyond the steps that ascended in two locations in the lobby. They climbed a flight of stairs, hurried down the hall and found the source six doors to the left. Randall took the lead and pushed the door in gently. A woman hung on the wall by jagged shards of bone. She carried a faint aroma of fish and her clothes were in decent condition despite the recent blood and tears from punctures. She moved slightly and her heartbeat was weak. Vladomir broke through the group.
“It is Highwayman from city. I know that smell, masking agent.”
The woman’s eyes opened and she belted a horrified scream as a group of Azrael was inspecting her intently. She was going to turn into them, she knew it.
“Wait, wait minute. We are here to help young pussycat.”
The woman ignored his words, fought the bones that held her and lost. She eventually passed out from the stress and hung limp.
“Is this normal reaction?” Vladomir asked Randall. He nodded.
Other than the obvious sadistic artwork on the walls, there was no sign of the Alpha. They removed the bones that impaled the woman and Vladomir administered basic first aid, cleaning and wrapping her injuries. Astonishingly, there were no bite wounds. The structure was about a mile from the Paul Simon facility. It was probably where the Alpha caught the young woman.
Randall, Vladomir and the others found a safe place a few blocks from the structure to allow the woman to rest. Harry and Bear went back to the building to try to find where the Alpha might have gone and waited to see if it returned.
The woman’s current injuries were not life threatening but the risk of infection increased with every hour she didn’t receive full medical care. There wasn’t sufficient equipment or doctors at the Paul Simon facility. Yet, if Vladomir dropped the woman off there, he would be allowed to continue the hunt for the Alpha with the Awakened group. His mission was far more important than this woman was, but his conscious wouldn’t allow him to risk her life when he had the means to save her. He consulted Randall.
“If we take to safe house, she will die from infection. Still, I could keep tracking Alpha with you.”
Randall shook his head.
“Only alternative would be deliver to hospital in Chicago. This is no good for mission.”
Randall agreed with the plan.
“We are close to Alpha, Randall. We find hideout, no?”
Randall agreed.
“When woman wake I ask questions about Alpha. Get information and then bring to Chicago. You still have tracker?”
Randall nodded.
“This good plan, not good overall plan but good plan for woman.”
They waited a few hours and the woman’s condition worsened. Vladomir managed to steal a vehicle from the Paul Simon facility and brought it to the building. They needed to get to the hospital quickly and couldn’t’ wait for her to wake up. Vladomir brought her to the car, laid her in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. He waved to the group as he drove off.
The woman slept peacefully despite the fact that she was running a fever of 104. He wrapped her in a blanket that he found in the trunk to keep her warm. He studied her face and body as he drove. Her long blonde hair and sharp but feminine features reminded him of Tatiana, his late wife back in Russia. She was strong athlete. He remembered her performance in World Olympics when they were in their twenties. In practice, before her most powerful event, the rings, she lost grip and struck a balance beam that had been moved over for reasons Vladomir couldn’t remember. Her left knee was shattered and her right forearm broke in two. He brought her to hospital and she slept in passenger seat next to him. She had a fever and was wrapped in a blanket as well.
“Don’t give up pussycat.” He comforted the woman and recalled saying the same thing to Tatiana. His wife survived and made full recovery. She competed in next Olympics and took gold with much adversity. A year later, she died from blood clot in brain. It was traced to injury she endured five years before and was never discovered until then. His uncle was in KGB and after losing his wife Vladomir joined to help him cope with his loss. He figured that it would keep him busy enough so that he could eventually move on.
Vladomir placed some sunglasses on, parked the car in front of the hospital and exited to retrieve the woman from the back seat. A security guard hollered over.
“Hey, sir, do you need help?” The man in uniform asked.
“Just get doctor, woman needs attention now. Go!” He responded as he delicately lifted her out of the back seat. He laid her head on his left shoulder and held her beneath her butt with his left hand. He hurried over being cautious as to not cause any further injuries to the woman. A woman and two nurses rushed out with a gurney to retrieve the woman. Vladomir carefully placed her on the gurney and the nurses strapped her down.
“What happened to her?” The doctor asked while doing a quick once over to assess the woman’s injuries.
“She was captured by Azrael beyond your walls. She had bones stuck through chest to pin her to wall. I did not find bites. It look like Alpha was saving her for something special.” Vladomir explained.
“That doesn’t make sense, sir. Who are you? Do you even live in this city?” She scowled.
“Do not concern yourself with Vlad. Help woman.” Vladomir turned around, jogged over to his car and sat in it. He drove off and noticed the security guard running towards the car reading off the license plate into a handheld radio. Good thing car is from Paul Simon facility, he thought.
Chapter 2
Simon’s Plan
After a few weeks of tracing the corpse they found in Taliah’s apartment to Tricon and speaking with John and Mario, Simon knew something had to be done about the organization. He still wondered why they would go to such great lengths to kidnap Taliah.
Mario and John made full recoveries and were deemed fit for normal activities. Mario made a quick trip back to Chris’ place of death and searched for another smaller female corpse. There were no other cadavers amongst the tattered debris of the outpost. In order to keep hope alive, Mario assumed that she had been given to the suits before the Azrael sacked the mobile outpost. He brought back Chris Murphy’s remains to be cremated and placed within a Highwaymen Urn. His ashes were scattered across Lake Michigan carried by the swift breeze following a heartwarming funeral given by Mario and John.
Simon used his resources and the Veil of the Five Daggers to provide intelligence on Tricon while they recovered. Now that they were fit for duty, Simon was ready with a plan, location, and work force to execute a possible extraction. Both Savanna and Taliah were victims in all of this. Simon took the mission personal and decided to tag along to make sure that he brought his people home.
An eager new Highwaymen recruit, Justin Patterson, was also assigned to the mission due to his prior knowledge of the area and dedication to the cause. His training included several ride-alongs with veteran Highwaymen and confirmed Azrael confrontations. Although he lacked real world experience and had never killed an Azrael, Justin was one of a very few to volunteer to help. At the Highwaymen Station Simon, John, and Mario met up for a pre-mission brief in the conference room.
John disagreed with Simon in taking the young man along.
“He’s just gonna get in the way Simon.” John suggested.
“You were there once. There’s no better way to train a new member of the Highwaymen.”
“This isn’t Azrael we’re potentially engaging here Simon. He may have to kill another human being. He could freeze.” Mario explained.
“Come on. I figured you would embrace the opportunity to train someone. You taught Steven to shoot pretty well. He shoots even better than me now.” Simon admitted while jabb
ing his thumb at his own chest.
“He can shadow me, but we take the lead on these engagements. He’s not ready for what the world has become.” Mario insisted.
“That’s fair. But you can admit that his knowledge of Shelbyville is priceless though.” Simon explained.
“It’s convenient for us, yes. But at what cost?” John asked.
“He’s willing to give his life for the cause.”
“Do you believe that? You really believe that boy gives a flying fuck about Savanna or Taliah? Huh?”
“We need the bodies John. We have nothing. Our recruitment level has dwindled, we’re losing confidence since two of our most important residents have been taken hostage and we’ve done nothing about it.”
“But you have.” Mario interjected.
“They don’t see that, Mario. They see the cold hard facts. I can’t protect my people. This is why I’m coming and why Justin is joining us. True, he may not give a shit about Savanna or Taliah but he does have fire in his heart. I see it. He wants to make a difference no matter the consequences. The best that you can do is get to know the kid. Teach him what you know. You can’t expect to be a Highwayman forever. When this is over, you and Savanna may want to settle down and have a family of your own.”
“I get it Simon. I’m sorry about that. It’s just I’ve been on edge ever since...”
“It’s okay John. I expect you to challenge me from time to time.” Simon interrupted.
“What the fuck else am I good for?” John laughed.
“You are the most loyal friend someone can have.” Mario added.
“Thanks Mario.”
“I mean it, man. We’re all family to you and it’s hard to let someone else into that circle. It turns into someone else to care and worry about.”
“Next thing you’re gonna offer me a tampon. Shit, you think I’m that much of a pussy?” John asked.
“Just callin’ it like I see it John.” Mario admitted causing John to laugh.
The Azrael (Book 4): Tricon Page 1