by S. E. Meyer
“Why don’t we just finish them off now?” asked Ben.
“We don’t have time,” replied John. “We have to get back to the control room. Besides, there aren’t enough of us to finish them off,” explained John. “What I just did back there,” John continued as he gestured towards the room behind them. “That was a lucky shot, and probably the only one we’ll get. Now come on, let’s go.”
The group made their way up three flights of stairs then ran down several long corridors. John took a right and led them back to the dead-end hallway, where they had been only an hour before. “Ben and Jason. I need you to stay out here and guard the door. The rest of you come with me,” said John. He placed his hand on the handle and opened the door. The earsplitting hum of the technology inside hit John again with full force. He led Jenny, Frank and Ninti inside and then shut the door behind them. John moved in front of the control panel in the middle of the room. “Okay guys, I’m going to try this, but I might need your help. We’re going to have to hurry,” John added as he looked at the timer. “There’s only twenty minutes left.”
Ninti had wandered to the far side of the room and was looking over the railing. “What’s down there?” Frank asked her.
“Frank, there’s no time for a tour, I need you over here. You too Ninti,” pleaded John. “See if you can help me figure this thing out.” Frank and Ninti moved in close to John and stared at the display. “I understand the symbols, but I don’t know how to operate this thing.” John slapped the screen with his hand in frustration.
“Did you try controlling it with your mind John?” asked Frank.
“Yes, I tried that. There’s something protecting it. I can’t change anything!” barked John and slapped the side of the display again.
“That’s not going to help anything,” said Frank.
John let out a sigh in frustration as he stepped away from the control panel. “It is just so frustrating Frank. Everything we’ve been through. Making it this far, only to fail.”
“Let’s just think this through logically here John. There has to be a way to re-aim this thing before Braedon gets here,” soothed Frank.
John’s eyes grew large as he snapped his head around and looked towards the door in panic. John felt his heart jump into his throat. “It’s too late, he’s already here,” he whispered.
The door flew open with a blast. John watched as Ben and Jason fell to the floor, just inside the threshold. He felt out with his mind and knew Jason was dead with Ben close behind. John readied himself for a fight and once again planted his feet as he placed his hands out in front of him. “John, do you really think that’s going to work, again?” Braedon said inside John’s head. “There is only one outcome to this situation John. Think about it. You are in a room with only one exit. You either have to come out or I’m coming in, but either way, you will have to go through my brother and I,” explained Braedon.
“Bring it on!” John yelled.
“This is a no win situation for you John. Either surrender and join me, or today is the day you die,” replied Braedon.
“Then you better get in here and kill me!” John yelled back.
Frank, Ninti and Jenny watched as John clenched his fists. His eyes once again flashed a bright blue as he waited for the coming attack. Braedon appeared in the doorway. He leaned up against the doorjamb and John noticed the blood dripping from Braedon’s cheek. His face was cut open in several places and his left arm was hanging limp at his side. “So that’s why you were trying to negotiate,” said John telepathically, and then continued speaking out loud. “It looks like I made an impression with that door,” John said through a smile.
“It doesn’t matter John. Even in my weakened state, you’re still as good as dead. You see there of two of us, and only one of you,” replied Braedon.
“Are you blind?” Frank asked. “There’s more than one of us.”
Braedon flicked his wrist and Frank flew backwards, landing in a sitting position against the rail, unconscious. “And just what do you think you’re going to do?” Braedon laughed. He looked at John again. “You see? You’re friends can’t help you.”
John didn’t wait any longer and sent a blast of energy straight into Braedon’s chest with everything he had. Braedon fell backwards out into the corridor then slowly got up as he shook off the attack and re-entered the room, this time followed by Traedon. John could see Traedon was injured too. He was limping, and John could see a large gash in his shoulder, but he was in much better shape than his brother.
John tried to send another shock-wave of energy towards Braedon but all he managed to do was make his own palm glow. John staggered backwards and put his hand to his head.
“Feeling a little weak John?” sputtered Braedon through bloody lips as he slowly limped closer to John. “I wasn’t trying to negotiate. I was merely distracting you while I assessed the situation. I honestly can’t believe that this was all you came up with. Just come on down here and blindly hope that you could change my plans?” Braedon took another step closer. “Plans that I have had in place for thousands of years.” Braedon laughed. “You are a fool John. All you brought down here with you was an old man and a traitor.” Braedon flashed his palm towards Ninti. She flew backwards against the rail and landed in a sitting position, unconscious, next to Frank. Braedon stumbled slightly and then caught his balance. “Of course I do have to thank you. You did bring your beautiful wife with you.” He looked over at Jennifer. “You delivered her right to me John.” Braedon smiled with an evil grin and then began to cough up blood. “But the time for negotiations has long passed John. I don’t need your help. The weapon is fully charged and I have amassed the world’s armies. My Father will fall, and the throne will be mine. Besides, you killed two of my best guards. You also killed one of our elders. He was my Uncle, my own flesh and blood.” Braedon winced, squinting more out of anger than pain. “You have been nothing but a thorn in my side John and you are really starting to piss me off!” Braedon took another step closer. “I should have done this a long time ago John.” Braedon held out his right hand. “Time to die.”
Braedon tried to send a lethal pulse of energy from his palm but nothing happened. He closed his eyes and tried again without success. “What is happening here?” Braedon whispered while shaking his head.
“Feeling a little weak Braedon?” asked John with a smile. “It looks like you’ve used up the last of your strength. I guess we’ll have to do this the old fashioned way.” John raised his fists to his chin and moved into a boxing stance. He took a step towards Braedon. “Let’s do this!” he said and lunged, connecting his right fist directly into Braedon’s nose. John felt the bone crush under his knuckles. “That’s for knocking up my wife, you son of a bitch!” he yelled.
Braedon stumbled backwards and put his hand to his nose. John moved in again and reconnected, this time with Braedon’s jaw. “That’s the thing about only using your mind Braedon, you forget how to use your hands,” said John
Braedon staggered backwards again. “A little help here brother,” he said, still holding John’s gaze.
“Oh absolutely,” replied Traedon with a broad smile. He held out both of his palms towards John. I would be happy to help.” Traedon’s hands began to glow a familiar blue. John winced in response. He held his hands up in front of his face defensively as he prepared for the worst. There was a long pause.
“What are you waiting for?” asked Braedon impatiently. “Kill him!” John opened his eyes and saw the two brothers still standing in front of him. John watched as Traedon turned and aimed his palms at Braedon. “You fool, what are you trying to do here?” Braedon sputtered through labored breaths, his face twisted up in confusion. Traedon sent an explosion of energy into Braedon that threw him across the room where he slammed against the far wall before falling to the floor. After lying still for a moment Braedon slowly raised his head. “You would turn on me? Your own brother?” Braedon sputtered. “I will kill you for this!”<
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Traedon walked over to where Braedon was lying on the floor. He bent down on one knee and looked his brother in the eye. “No brother, you won’t kill me or anyone else.”
“I will invoke the birthright,” replied Braedon. His eyes grew heavy and his head bobbed as he spoke.
“You’re too weak to invoke anything but your own death,” Traedon hissed into his ear. “I can’t believe Enki was right.”
Braedon wrinkled his brow in confusion again. “What do you mean Enki was right?” There was a moment of silence as Braedon processed what he just heard. His expression turned to shock. “So this was the plan all along. You and the elders have been against me since the beginning?”
“No brother, not since the beginning. Just since the beginning of your obsession with that,” Traedon replied as he pointed towards Jennifer. “She has been your downfall. She is why you are lying on the floor in defeat.” Traedon stood up and moved closer to the control panel where Jennifer was standing. He briefly looked over at John and then turned his gaze back to Braedon. He smiled with an evil grin as he walked towards the door and picked up the weapon from Jason’s dead hands. He aimed it at Jennifer. “And now you can watch together, helplessly, while the woman you both love dies right in front of you.”
“No!” John and Braedon both cried as Traedon fired. The shot ripped through Jennifer’s shoulder, throwing her backwards to the floor. John jumped towards Traedon, but missed and crashed to the ground. Traedon released a blast from his palm that sent John spinning along the floor next to where Jennifer was lying. Traedon moved closer to Jennifer and took aim again, this time with his palm. A bright blue flash hit Jennifer in the chest and her body went limp. Braedon laid his head on the floor and closed his eyes as a trickle of blood flowed from his lips. Traedon walked over to where his brother was lying on the floor and bent over him. He straddled Braedon from behind and lifted his head up by his ears, pointing it in Jennifer’s direction.
“No brother. You will watch this. You will watch her die,” Traedon spat. “And you can watch all of your hopes and dreams die along with her.” Traedon sneered as he pulled Braedon eyelids back. “Then I will finish you and I will claim the birthright, as is my privilege upon your death.”
John rose up on one elbow and slowly dragged himself next to Jennifer. He managed to sit up and rolled her over with the last of his strength, pulling her up onto his lap. “No. No. No,” repeated John in a hoarse whisper as he rocked her in his arms. Jennifer opened her eyes as John brushed a bloody strand of hair from her cheek. The world around them melted away as they made eye contact.
Jennifer slowly licked her lips. “I-I’m so sorry John,” she stammered as she stared into his crisp blue, tear-filled eyes. “I’m so sorry for everything. For the way I’ve treated you. I’m sorry for the terrible things I’ve said.” Jennifer took a deep breath and continued. “Most of all John I’m sorry for what I did. I’m so sorry I hurt you that way,” she apologized as a tear rolled down her cheek. “And the baby.” Jenny shook in his arms as she wept into his chest.
John bent down and kissed the tears away, only to be replaced by his own that were running down his face. They dropped onto Jenny’s bloodstained cheek and continued to the cold floor with a quiet rose-colored splash. “Shh honey. Don’t talk now, and don’t be sorry. I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m sorry I left you down here all alone. And I’m sorry that I failed you. I tried Jen, I really did. And I really thought I could do this, but I was wrong. I never should have brought you down here. You have always been the voice of reason and you’ve always been smarter than me.” He kissed Jennifer’s forehead as she slowly slipped away. “Please forgive me Jen,” John begged as he cried into her soft neck.
“Of course I forgive you honey bear.” Jennifer lifted a hand up to John’s face and touched his cheek. “None of that matters anymore. It’s all over now. I’m going to a better place. I can see it. Remember when we first got together? The first night, when we stayed up and talked until the sun came up?” She gave John a weak smile.
“Yes,” he whimpered as the tears continued to steadily drip from his jaw.
“We talked about the house we would buy. A little house that’s not too big for us to get lost in. A house where we would have to touch each other when we passed by in the hallway, or when we made breakfast in the morning. Remember that?”
“Yes,” John repeated into her neck as he began to shake from the emotion that was overwhelming his senses. He could hardly breathe and the lump in his throat was making it impossible to swallow as he continued to listen.
“Well, I can see it, just as we pictured it John. I can see the white picket fence that runs along the front yard that’s keeping the puppy from wandering over to the neighbors. There are two kids swinging on the swing in our backyard. I want to go there now John. It’s bright and beautiful just like you have always been John. You have always been an amazing husband. I love you honey bear, with everything, with all of me. I love you with every ounce of my being.” Jenny finished as her body went limp. Her hand dropped to her side as she took her last breath.
Basement Bar-B-Q
“Human flesh?” Nathaniel repeated in shock. “Why in God’s name would anyone do such a thing?”
“It’s amazing what people are capable of when driven by starvation,” replied James. “Anyway, we need to get going. They already have quite a lead on us. I’m sorry I can’t do much about the pain in your shoulder. Are you feeling well enough to walk and carry a weapon?”
“I-I think so,” replied the priest.
“Good, then let’s see if we can figure out where they went.” James handed Nathaniel the pistol while James checked the rifle over. They slowly crept through the doorway and down the hall in the direction Chad and Cliff had escaped. James poked his head around the corner then retreated.
“You see anyone?” asked Nathaniel. He was still wincing in pain, but a new rush of adrenaline was keeping him going. James shook his head in response. They made their way to the end of the hall when James stopped. “What is it?” whispered Nathaniel.
“Shh,” replied James and placed a finger to his lips. James pointed to the door next to them that led into the stairwell. Nathaniel nodded and aimed his weapon at the door. James moved closer, holding the rifle to his shoulder then stopped only six inches to the left of the doorjamb. He waited several minutes as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead, then in one swift movement James turned the knob and kicked the door as hard as he could. He ran through the doorway yelling. “Let me see your hands. Let me see them!”
“Whoa, whoa. Chill all right?” Nathaniel looked through the doorway and saw who was speaking. He was a pale faced, young man, sitting with his back against the stairwell wall. A fresh trickle of blood was running from his nose where the door had hit him. He put his hands in the air.
“He’s just a kid,” muttered Nathaniel.
“That’s right,” the young man responded as he pointed towards Nathaniel. He nervously spoke fast and his eyes were wide. “Yeah, yeah, listen to him, yo. I’m just a kid.”
“Put your gun down James, he’s just a baby.”
“Hey now, I wouldn’t go that far. I’m like nineteen. Totes not a babe, yo.”
James looked at Nathaniel with a wrinkled expression. “What wrong with him?”
“A broken nose, that’s what wrong with me. You totes broke my nose with the door,” the young man said. James glanced back at him, still sitting on the floor and holding his hands in the air.
“What’s your name kid?” James asked.
“Brandon. Can I put my hands down now, my arms are getting tired.”
“What were you doing spying on us through the door?” asked James.
“I totes wasn’t spying, yo. I was just checking to see what was up. A guy has to keep an eye on things if he’s going to survive these days,” replied Brandon.
“If you’ve been keeping an eye on things then maybe you’ve seen someone we’
re looking for. Two men passed by here, maybe ten minutes ago. Did you see them?” asked James.
“What’s it worth to you?” asked Brandon.
James moved closer and pointed the rifle at Brandon’s head. “Look kid, you’re not exactly in a negotiating situation here. Did you see anyone or not? They would have had a woman and a little girl with them,” said James.
“Maybe. Maybe not,” replied Brandon and then looked away. James swung the butt end of the rifle around and smacked Brandon on the top of the head. “Whoa, whoa. Totes chill, okay? I’m just saying that I have a hard time remembering things when I’m hungry. If I was a little less hungry, then maybe I could remember where they went.”
“So you did see them,” confirmed James and then aimed the barrel of the rifle at Brandon again. Nathaniel reached into his pocket and threw a packet of beef jerky in Brandon’s lap.
“There, will that help refresh your memory?” Nathaniel asked.
Brandon tore into the package and stuffed several pieces into his mouth. James and Nathaniel waited as Brandon continued to devour the dried meat.
“Well?” asked James. “We’re waiting.”
Brandon stuffed several more pieces of meat into his mouth before answering him. “Your talking about the Clark brothers from twelve B, and yeah I saw them. I saw them a few minutes ago. What do you want with them? Those fellows is hella cray cray, know what I’m say’in? I mean I’m all for yolo as much as the next guy, but eat’in peeps? Hash tag, not impressed. That’s just gee-ross, yo.”
James glanced over his shoulder at Nathaniel and looked back at Brandon. He raised his eyebrow high up on his forehead and paused as he stared the young man down. “Are you retarded or something?”
“What do you mean?” asked Brandon
“I mean, are you like touched in the head or something? Why are you talking like that?” asked James