Armageddon Hyde in The Chosen and the Damned
Page 15
"It might. But I think, with a little care, it could be okay," Hellfire said. "We would want suitable protective gear. The compound is skin-soluble, as I recall - so as long as one was properly outfitted..."
"I guess that could work," Violet said. "Really, though, what do you think you'll find down there? This doesn't sound like the most stable compound, you know. The chances of finding any that survived the storm and still be usable..."
The wind howled fiercely, gusting and blowing droplets of water at them. Both Violet and Hellfire took a step back, wiping their eyes. "I'm not expecting to just pick some up off the ground," Hellfire said. "But if I could somehow retrieve just a small sample..."
"You're dreaming, man. You're never gonna - "
"Maybe not," Hellfire said. "Werner/Roberts had a storage area, you know. They kept a number of their products in lockers: strong, high-tensile steel, and quite resistant to damage. I don't know for sure, but I think there's a good possibility that some might have survived - " he cut off with a sudden gasp as Armageddon's hand descended on the back of his collar.
"YOU!" Armageddon roared, and slung him bodily back into the cave. Hellfire went down, but he recovered quickly, rolling lithely to his feet and putting up his hands as she approached. He tried to fend her off, but she knocked his lanky arms aside and shouldered into him, driving him backwards. You always were a wimp, she thought. Just a skinny surfer's body with well-etched abdominals...
She let her good left hand go, driving deep into his side and setting his liver singing. All the fight - and there hadn't been much to begin with - went out of Hellfire. He doubled over, groaning, putting his hands up in the 'time out' sign. Armageddon grabbed him again, two handed this time, one by the collar and one by the seat of his overly expensive pants. She hurled him into a corner and then drew her trusty .357.
"All this - " she roared. "All this, and you have learned nothing!! You want to go right back and do it all again!!! You wicked, shameful, willful, venal, sinful, godless WRETCH!!!"
"Armageddon! No!" Violet shrieked. But Armageddon barely heard her: she had that fat blond head in her sights, and she swore she could hear the angels singing as she sighted in. "Cousin," Hellfire croaked. He was sweating, a terrified grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Can't we talk about this?"
Armageddon took a fistful of his shirt and put her gun to his head.
"Miss Armageddon!" Todd cried. "Wait! Wait!"
Not this time, brother, she thought. I may have failed the test - but by God I'm gonna go for the extra credit! Hallelujah, praise the Lord! She tightened her finger on the trigger.
"Amy!" Cherry cried. "Stop!" She grabbed Armageddon's arm, coming perilously close to discharging the gun as she did so. "Auntie, no! Killing is a sin!"
"Armageddon, stop!" Violet shouted. "You can't just murder people for... for pissing you off!"
"Please, Miss Armageddon, don't let the devil take you!" Todd wailed.
Armageddon paused, looking around at them. All three were staring at her with identical expressions of horror and dismay on their faces. She lowered her gun, hesitating.
"The sixth commandment is rather a biggy, cousin," Hellfire wheezed. "Please - I'd hate for you to put your soul in jeopardy for the sake of a wretch like me..."
She shoved her gun in his face. Cherry, Violet and Todd all squealed in dismay, but Hellfire himself barely flinched: he had seen the fire go out of her.
She lowered the gun, but she did not release her grip on him. "You will pay for this, Hellfire," she breathed. "You - Peterson - your entire twisted tribe. All of you are damned."
Hellfire looked solemnly up at her. "No, cousin," he said. "We are the chosen."
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ARMAGEDDON HYDE
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