“What do you want me to do?”
“Go in!”
“What?”
“Go in!” he repeated. “Find out what is wrong with him!”
She tried to catch Gary’s eye but the man refused to look at her and sighed. “And if he attacks me?” She thought about the knife in her pants but reminded herself she needed to avoid using it if there was any possibility of doing so. She swallowed hard and studied the jogger again. He at least didn’t seem agitated. Maybe he would be rational this time? Sydney sighed heavily. What is it they say about famous last words?
Xander
Shay and Xander drove around Humboldt Park for hours. Their optimism wilted as each hour passed. They weren’t even sure what they were looking for, but they kept their eyes open for people running. Strange sounds. Anything unusual. The only thing they saw of note was several police cars and some patrolmen on foot apparently canvassing the jogging path. Deciding that circling the park with all the cops around would draw unnecessary attention, they went to an all-night restaurant.
Xander washed his hands and got a table while Shay ordered them food. He picked at the pancakes on his plate and stared out the dark window. The street was dark and deserted and he wondered what Sydney was doing. Worrying if she was safe or scared, his food became tasteless and hard to swallow.
“You have to just believe she is safe.”
“What?”
Shay gave him a sad smile. “You look like you want to murder someone or throw up.”
“Not far off actually.”
“We have no idea if the park incident had anything to do with Syd.”
“I know.”
Shay sighed. “I hate this.”
“Me too.”
“I want to do something! I hate having to just wait.”
“Agreed.” Xander put his fork down. “What are we supposed to do?”
“We need to find proof. In the meantime…hope ET makes some headway online. Maybe people will at least be intrigued. If he can plant the seeds, maybe even a little evidence will be convincing enough.”
“I hope.”
Neither of them were able to eat any more so they tossed their trash and headed home. ET was the only one awake when they arrived. Zak was asleep on the couch and Rich and Heather were apparently in their room.
“How long has everyone been asleep,” Shay asked.
The glow of his computer lit ET’s face in a soft blue light. “Not long.” He sat back and rubbed his face. “What did you find at the park?”
Xander and Shay got beers from the fridge sat at the table. “Nothing,” Xander grunted.
“There were cops but we didn’t see anyone. Nothing that indicated it was anything…other worldly,” Shay twisted the cap off a beer bottle.
“Have you heard anything on the scanner? I couldn’t get it to install on my phone.
“Maybe. There were a couple more attacks, but there were descriptions of suspects and the police got to the scene too quick for you to even try to go. The suspects, and victims, were reported as male.” He rested his head on his hand. “I’ll try to get the app on your phone.”
Xander wanted to be annoyed that ET hadn’t called them, but he knew that it would have been pointless for them to go. Male attackers and victims meant Sydney probably wasn’t involved. He didn’t know if he should be relieved or not. He opened his own beer and drowned half of it in one gulp. “Were there any arrests?”
ET nodded. “Yeah, apparently there was.”
Xander raised his brows. "I wonder how that's going to play out."
"Meaning if these hosts—"
"Berserkers," ET told interjected.
"Huh?" Shay tilted her head, nonplussed at being interrupted.
"People are apparently calling the hosts Berserkers."
"Oh. Well, I wonder what is going to happen when they discover these berserkers are hosting an alien parasite?"
"I guess we'll see," Xander shrugged. "I highly doubt these attacks are all being committed by normal people."
"Right," ET nodded. "There are too many of them for coincidence.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight,” Xander mumbled.
“Me either,” Shay spun her bottle. “I’m just so worried about Sydney.”
“Me too,” Xander sighed.
“I know we just have to stay positive and trust her though.”
“Right.”
ET watched them for a moment and Xander wondered if he felt left out. “Have you had any luck online?”
The kid ran his hands over his face. “I’ve found some crime watch blogs here in the city. The ones talking about the Berserkers—I’ve commented on them.”
Shay raised a brow. “What have you said?”
“Nothing too obvious. I just point out that all this started happening at the same time. And wondering if it was some kind of illness. Maybe like rabies or something.”
“Rabies?” Xander snorted.
“I didn’t want to be too obvious.”
“I get that,” Shay shrugged. “Has anyone responded?”
“Some.”
Xander drained his beer. “And?”
“So much weird stuff has been going on, I think people are being pretty open minded right now.”
“What’s your next move?” Xander got more beers from the fridge and gave one to Shay and one to ET.
“I’m looking for blogs from people who are into the alien thing anyway. What do you call them? Conspiracy people?”
“Conspiracy theorists?” Shay offered.
“Yeah. I want to plant some seeds there about the attacks. See if they pick up the trail on their own.”
Xander rested his head on his fist. “Have there been attacks other places? Not just Chicago?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet. Feel free to look though.” He slid his computer towards them and Xander pushed it closer to Shay and she scowled at him.
“I think I need to get some sleep” ET took another drink of his beer but didn’t make any move to get up from the table.
Shay started tapping at the computer and Xander studied ET. “How old are you?” he asked after a while.
“Eighteen.”
“You shouldn’t be involved in this.” When ET’s fist clenched his bottle, Xander gave him a wary look. “I know Moreno killed your family. But they wouldn’t want you to get hurt too,” he reasoned.
“Don’t do that!” ET snapped, causing Shay to look up from the computer and Xander to lean back. “Don’t think you can run me off like your parents.”
“Whoa!” Xander held up his hands. “You are young. I just don’t want you to get hurt, or arrested.”
ET's anger broke as quickly as it came on. “Sorry,” he lowered his head in contrition. “But…what do I have? My family is dead. I can’t go home.”
Xander realized ET wasn’t much different than Sydney. Their whole lives had been stripped from them because of sick and evil bastards. “Sorry. I get it.”
ET relaxed more and Shay went back to typing at the computer. A short time later Shay leaned back from the computer. “I think I found a pattern,” she announced.
“What kind?” Xander asked.
“There have been an unusual amount of assaults in the past week.”
“Yeah?”
ET remained quiet as Shay looked at them both. “I have to be honest,” she said. “I might just be imagining things. Reading too much into things. But…I think the attacks are coming closer to Chicago.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sydney stared at Moreno for a moment then looked at Gary for last minute help. He still wouldn’t meet her eye.
She sighed. “If he attacks?” she asked again.
“We will be here,” Moreno shrugged.
Syd still wasn’t reassured. “You said that before.” Moreno giggled and the burned part of his face and neck flashed in the overhead lights.
She took a deep breath and stepped closer
to the door. Her feet felt like they were encased in cement. The door had been converted so that the inside was on the outside. All she had to do was turn the handle, but it took a tremendous amount of effort to do so. She watched the jogger through the window and took another fortifying breath. She twisted the knob and when the lock disengaged with a loud click, she jumped. The jogger didn’t even flinch. She opened the door and grimaced. An odor assaulted her nose and it took some effort to not slam the door shut again.
“What’s that smell?” she asked Moreno.
“I don’t know,” he answered thoughtfully. “What do you smell?”
“You don’t smell it?”
Moreno shook his head and she turned to Gary who was finally meeting her eye but it didn’t comfort her any since he was staring at her with suspicion and confusion.
The hair on her arms and neck stood on end. “How can you not smell that?” The longer the door was open, the less intense the smell became—either because it wasn’t shut inside any more, or because she was getting used to it.
“What’s it smell like?” Moreno asked.
“Like rotten…mushrooms…” she trailed off. She realized the smell was similar to the scent of the fluid that had come out from under her nails. Shiiiiit…she drew out silently. What the hell does that mean? A hand on her shoulder pushed her inside the room and shut the door. She heard the lock engage and she turned quickly. She knew it was Moreno who had pushed her inside. Gary was glaring at the door where Moreno must have still stood. When he practically slithered back into view, he was grinning.
Sydney assumed he could hear her through the walls and window since neither were that thick or reinforced, but she just flipped him off instead of trying to speak. Moreno gave her his shark smile and shrugged. She turned slowly towards the jogger and took a step back when she saw he was staring at her. His nostrils flared as he took in her scent.
“H-hi,” she croaked. “Are you OK?” The jogger didn’t speak, but he raised his head and sniffed harder. “Uh, my name is Sydney. What’s yours?” He still didn’t answer but there was a flash of something in his eye. “Do you know what happened to you?” More nostril flaring. “Are you in pain?”
Sydney waited for the jogger to do anything other than sniff the air. The longer they went without moving, the calmer Sydney grew. She crouched down until she was eye level with the young man in front of her. “I’m sorry for what happened to you,” she whispered.
A loud bang on the window caused her to jump. She turned to glare at Moreno who was motioning towards the jogger. “Ask him what happened to the Dyian!” he called, his voice muffled by the glass.
Sydney wanted to punch Moreno in the face so bad she could taste it sour and thick on her tongue. She turned back to the jogger and flinched. He was glaring at the window with the same feral look he had given her last night. She lurched to her feet and took a step back. The jogger didn’t even look her way. He climbed to his feet and continued to glare at Moreno, letting out a low growl. Sydney’s eyes grew wide and she took another step towards the door. Moreno raised a fist and tapped it against the glass, right in front of the jogger’s face.
The young man slammed into the glass so hard she was surprised it didn’t crack. Moreno jumped back but his fright only lasted a second before he tossed his head back and cackled. “It is still there. The Dyian! It is alive. It wants to come out. Help it!”
Sydney gave him a look that clearly said he was crazy. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”
Moreno obviously thought she was being purposefully obtuse. “You are the way. Lead him.” He rapped a knuckled against the glass to emphasize his point. The jogger slammed his face into the window followed by his open palms. It caused Moreno to go into fits of laughter again. “Little dios, come. You are welcome here.”
The jogger continued to growl and snarl while drool slipped over his bottom lip and smeared on the glass. “Hey,” Sydney said softly. The jogger didn’t turn away from Moreno, but his glassy eyes flicked towards her quickly. “Let me try to help you.”
“That’s it!” Moreno called. “He is listening!”
The jogger growled again. “Just shut up!” Sydney warned Moreno.
Sydney dared to take a step closer. She had no plan, she was just trying to calm the man down. “It’s OK. It’s going to be OK.”
When the jogger spun away from the window, Sydney flinched. The man bent his knees and crouched into a fighting stance. Realizing she had crossed some line, she stepped back. The jogger stepped forward. His eyes were wild. Whatever stupefied calm that had held him before was gone. Her heart slammed in her chest and she stumbled back towards the door. Without turning she fumbled for the knob but it didn’t budge.
“Open the door,” she called. Her voice seemed to spur the jogger forward again. He stepped close enough for her to smell the strange odor emanating from his pores and even his breath. Her throat closed involuntarily, trying to block the stench. She twisted the knob again but no one unlocked it.
“Unlock the fucking door,” she heard Gary snarl on the other side.
If her voice caused the jogger to have a mild reaction, Gary’s set off a tidal wave. The jogger lunged forward, slamming her into the wall. Her teeth clacked together and she turned her head as the jogger’s mouth came towards her face. She could hear Gary and Moreno arguing but she couldn’t focus on what they were saying. She could only focus on the damp, foul breath that pressed itself against her face. She risked opening her eyes and saw that the young man was nearly nose to nose with her. The jogger’s teeth were bared and he held her against the wall. Despite his aggression, Sydney didn’t think he was going to bite her.
Instead, he was staring at her with confusion. Almost fear. Before she could do anything to get the jogger out of her face, the door finally burst open and Gary pushed his way past Moreno. The jogger launched himself away from her and met Gary with a snarl. Both men were large and strong and neither of them budged and they struggled to gain the upper hand. It looked like they were trying to hug each other. The jogger twisted, throwing Gary off balance and they fell to the floor. Somehow, the younger man got his hands around Gary’s throat and was choking him, all the while snarling and drooling.
Sydney could hear Moreno laughing and knew he wouldn’t do anything to help. She couldn’t believe Gary had even tried to help her. She couldn’t let him die. While she knew he wasn’t her friend—and he would, in fact, kill her friends in a heartbeat—she couldn’t let her only ally here die. Her hand twitched towards the knife at her back. If she used it, she would be showing her hand--ruining her chances to keep her friends safe. Fuck!
“Hey!” she yelled at the jogger, hoping she could get him calm again. Moreno continued to laugh. “Would you shut up?” she snapped at him. He covered his mouth sarcastically but his eyes continued to sparkle with laughter. Her heart slammed against her ribs in panic and she nearly swayed on her feet. White spots sparkled before her eyes but she forced herself to take a deep breath.
“Hey!” she yelled at the jogger again. “Calm down, OK? Just stop!”
The fact that the jogger stopped growling and turned towards her nearly shocked her off her feet. He still held Gary by the throat, but it didn’t look like he was putting as much pressure on the older man’s windpipe anymore. “Let him go," she demanded. And the jogger let go.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When the jogger crawled off Gary, everyone froze—both surprised and wary of another attack. Moreno’s cackle broke the stunned silence. “He listened to you!”
“Uh…” Sydney was at a loss for what to say. Her eyes were watering and her head pounding. Bright flashes, orbs, blinked on and off across her vision. Did he actually stop because I told him to? The jogger had crawled back to his corner and he huddled there, angry and scared. “I just calmed him down.” Right?
“No, no. It was you. He stopped because you told him to.”
“That’s ridiculous.” She wet her lips and loo
ked to Gary for help. He didn’t agree or disagree, he just watched her through narrowed eyes. Wanting to break the tension, she held out a hand to help him to his feet but he ignored it and rolled to his feet on his own. She dropped her hand and wiped it on her pants self-consciously.
Moreno was staring at her as if she glowing with divine light. “You are coming into your Dyian.” Sydney couldn’t bring herself to speak. She didn’t know if she should agree with him or continue to deny what may, or may not, have just happened. Her breaths were shallow and she couldn’t work up enough spit to swallow. Not knowing which answer would bring her more trouble, she said nothing. Another thought occurred to her. Why hadn’t the Dyian hatched? If Moreno was right, it should have hatched overnight. But, the jogger’s head was still intact. Did her actions stop the Dyian from hatching?
“I think that’s enough,” Gary’s hoarse voice caused Sydney to jump and Moreno to glare at him angrily.
“I think I need to lie down,” she finally found her voice. “I’m really drained.” And she was. Her limbs felt hollow and numb and she was pretty sure she was going to throw up the popcorn she had eaten.
“I’m sure you are!” Moreno grinned at her. “That’s enough for today.”
Gary scowled at him, but simply pointed to the doorway for Sydney to leave. It didn’t escape her attention that, for once, he didn’t drag her around by her arm. Moreno clasped his hands under his chin childishly. He rambled on about ascensions and powers and Sydney wished she could pay more attention to him but her brain tuned him out. She was still stunned over what had happened. Could the Dyian still be inside her? Could it have caused the jogger to do as she said? Moreno didn’t follow them to the lobby, instead he waited for the elevator to come back to take him higher in the building.
Gary didn’t speak or touch her as they made their way back to the closet. She wanted to say something to him, but had no idea what the right thing to say was. She could feel Gary’s “friendship” slipping away and she felt like she was falling. He had been helping her. Without him she had no buffer from Moreno’s insanity. He opened the door for her and stood back to let her enter, but, she turned before he could lock her inside.
Show No Fear (The Dyian Series Book 2) Page 16