Nefarious Heroes: Malevolent Prisoners Book Two

by Eddie Jakes

  "It's a potent stimulant. I've altered the formula so that each and every one of the restructured troops requires regular dosing. Without it they go into deep withdrawals followed by a loss of strength, exhaustion, and then they will fall into a coma. So even if they decided to run away, they wouldn't get very far until receiving a new dose."

  "How long does it last?"

  "Can't say for sure, but it should last a few days at least."

  Krazek chuckled.

  "What?"

  "A few days would be enough to kill you," chided Krazek.

  "That's why I wanted you with me. Your magic would be the only thing that could possibly stop them if things took a turn.”

  “Am I your partner, or am I your bodyguard?“

  "Well I hope the latter isn't true, but I suppose yes to both.”

  The two men were interrupted by the strained moans of Craig. He was awake but weakened.

  "Good morning, Craig," said Ephrain. "How are you feeling?"

  "My body hurts everywhere. I can't move my legs," Craig replied, his voice vibrating like Ephrain's but at a higher pitch.

  "Not for long." Ephrain motioned for Krazek to hand him the vial. "I need you to try and drink this."

  Craig jerked in his chair a little to no avail. The ropes still held him in place.

  "Don't be afraid, this one will make everything better. Now drink."

  Tilting his head back, Ephrain poured the blue liquid down his gullet without spilling a single drop. Craig was hesitant, but he greedily swallowed it up once it touched his tongue. His eyes started to light up, and he was able to move his neck around without aid.

  "It tastes so good. I feel warm."

  It wasn't long before Craig was more alive and his muscles began to tense up to the point that the rope holding him in the chair snapped. His legs sprang to life, and he was up on his feet walking around and checking out his new physique.

  "Amazing, isn't it?" asked Ephrain.

  "I have never felt so in control of myself before. What did you do to me?"

  "You have been evolved into something superior."

  Krazek could do nothing but watch in silence and hope that the two of them would not turn on him in his vulnerable state. For the first time in his life, he began to actually fear science.

  It could have just been the time of night, or maybe the energy in the atmosphere caused people to sense danger because the streets were virtually empty. It was looking like one of those old westerns that Maddix was starting to remember as a kid. The ones that followed the same formula of the hero and his gang taking off to fight the rival gang all dressed in black. Only this time the good guys didn't wear white. There were no real good guys in this scenario, only different levels of evil thrown together through circumstance.

  Not wanting to cause a panic, Maddix kept his guns tucked in the back of his pants where he could grab them quickly if needed but out of sight to avoid panic. He didn't like leaving himself defenseless like that, but having Tanya next to him gave him the added security of an early warning system.

  There were some small groups of people on the street walking in and out of bars and takeout restaurants. He didn't recognize anyone as a potential werewolf, then again he had never made it a point to get to know each one of them in the prison. Plus, there was the possibility that some of them had been turned after the escape from Malevolent. Tanya would sense any werewolf blood nearby in any case. He just needed to keep telling himself that over and over in his head to stay calm.

  "Thirty," said Tanya.

  "What?"

  "There are about thirty of them surrounding us. They are almost close enough to pick up my scent."

  Maddix took a look at the situation around them. He spotted at least a few dozen people in the area. Not a lot, but if he could prevent as many deaths as possible he would do his damnedest. There wasn't anything useful to use as a cover so it would have to be a straight up fight. The werewolves would have the advantage inside of alleys or small stores anyway.

  "I've got a plan," said Maddix.

  "We get to them first?"

  "No, you take the lead. Cross the street at that intersection and stop out in the middle island. They'll sense you, and it'll draw them out."

  "You want me to allow myself to be swarmed?"

  "Yes. Once the others are on you, I will unload on them and take as many down as I can."

  Tanya smiled. "You are beginning to think like a wolf."

  "Let's just say I've been getting a lot of practice lately."

  Maddix stepped back and casually leaned against a lamp post. Tanya took her cue and continued forward until she got to the crosswalk and began to walk toward the center island. Once there she waited patiently, attempting to act like an average everyday werewolf pretending to be a human. It was almost comical if not for the circumstances.

  A few minutes went by and nothing. Perhaps they had no intention of attacking or making their presence known? Maddix was becoming frustrated by the unpredictability of the scenario. They were out there, and they had to know Tanya was waiting for them.

  The entire street was quiet, and the sun had completely disappeared. Maddix hadn't even noticed that everyone seemed to disperse at once, leaving nothing but crickets and the electrical clicking of the stoplights.

  "You shouldn't have come back," said a voice from the dark.

  Maddix looked around but couldn't see anyone. Instinct was telling him to draw his weapon, but he waited patiently.

  "It's been a long time," said Tanya.

  A figure stepped out into the lights with his fist buried into his palm. Maddix thought he recognized his face but couldn't place his name to save his life.

  Soon more men and woman were approaching Tanya in a circle. They looked like a cliché street gang from some motorcycle movie.

  "Now, Tanya," he said, "I can understand you being a little upset with everyone. Hell, I would be furious. What I don't understand is why you had to do that to poor Denly. He was just a dumb little pup.”

  The others grumbled in unison.

  I only count fifteen, thought Maddix. He trusted Tanya's instinct so there had to be more out there. None of them seemed to notice him or pay him any mind so he just kept acting casual and listened.

  "I did it to show you what happens to cowards that betray me. Are you a coward, Jurgen? Because the stink of it is all over you. All of you!"

  That's his name …

  Tanya could not contain herself and began to attack the group surrounding her. Her fighting skills were amazing, even in human form, and she made short work of everyone. As she took one down, two would transform and jump into the fight. Soon she was completely covered in a mound of fur and teeth.

  Jurgen simply watched and laughed before whistling for reinforcements. Now there were twelve more in the fight, and Maddix decided it was his cue to engage.

  Whipping his pistols from behind him, Maddix began to fire into the massive blob of werewolves on top of Tanya. There was an expression of shock on Jurgen's face when the first shots rang out and hit two of the monsters in the back, killing them almost instantly. Before he could turn and run, he let loose a couple bullets toward Jurgen and managed to score one hit on his shoulder, sending him backward.

  The rumble in front of Maddix exploded into a geyser of werewolves being launched in all directions. Tanya was in full wolf form, and her eyes were glowing brighter than he'd ever seen. She began to tear through her brood like a savage.

  As they landed on the ground, Maddix would send each one of them to hell with his gun. The two of them engaged in a symbiosis of death and dismemberment, with Maddix being the bringer of mercy to Tanya’s deliverer of pain.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Without Tanya there to put the fear of God into their new guest, he began to get a little ornery about where they were headed. He didn't try to escape, but he was concerned that the end game was to put a bullet in his head and leave his body in the sewer. Tara tried to re
assure him numerous times that it wasn't the case, but it did little to soothe his fears. Eventually, a few strategic threats by Javier did the trick and Brice was a lot more cooperative from then on.

  He wasn't the only one on edge, though. Tara had been distracted by the knowledge that they had abandoned Maddix back in town. Sure he had Tanya with him, and she was more than a formidable companion to have, but every time their little group split up it felt as if they were less efficient. It made her think about the entire time she laid in bed, suffering from her withdrawals that had been suppressed while in the prison. Why would Maddix need her now when she was useless up until this point? She still didn't feel one hundred percent, and perhaps she would have just been another burden for him to look after.

  Tara tried to shake the negativity from her head, but it was hard to forget who she was. She had been a junkie that neglected her own child, and she had neglected her friends because of it.

  The thought of just ending it kept popping up in Tara's brain as they continued down the tunnel. Once back at the hideout, she could grab another gun, and no one would hear her blow her own brains out. Yeah, she thought. Quick and painless, then I won't have to deal—

  Letting out a grumble of frustration, Tara shook her head in disgust.

  "Mademoiselle?"

  Javier was looking at her in confusion. Tara didn't have a good explanation so she brushed it off as if it were a mosquito or some other insect annoying her. They continued on for another ten minutes.

  "That wasn't really a bug bite, was it?" asked Brice.

  "Nothing you should worry about."

  "You have so much shame on your soul. It must be eating you alive inside."

  "I think you should stop now."

  The door to the hideout was dead ahead, and Tara quickened her pace to get to it. Brice compensated his walking speed to catch up to her.

  "It would certainly eat at me if I let my own child die."

  Tara attempted to ignore him, but his words stung like a wasp.

  "Must be worse knowing that it was because of how weak you were. To not be able to control your own appetites. Not be able to deal with your own insecurities and emotions head on."

  "Monsieur! I advise you to be quiet."

  "That's funny," laughed Brice. "The werewolf-loving coward trying to stand up for the junkie. Trust me when I tell you that this child killing dope fiend is not worth your—"

  "Shut the fuck up!" shouted Tara.

  He couldn't even respond quick enough before Tara smashed Brice's head with the back of her left fist then followed it up with a knee to his chest. He fell backward coughing and gasping for air, but Tara wouldn't give him a second to breathe before raising her leg up straight into the air and dropping the heel of her foot into his stomach. Brice let out another huge gasp followed by a painful scream.

  Stepping in, Javier wrapped his arms around Tara before she could unleash another attack on him. She screamed for him to let go and kicked her legs in the air like a woman possessed.

  "No," shouted Javier. "It's not worth it! Calm down!"

  The kicking stopped, but her lips were pursed, and her eyes were still filled with rage. She was angry, but she felt secure again and more focused.

  "Let me go, Javier."

  "Are you calm?"

  "Yes. Let go."

  Javier released his hold on her, and she marched toward the door.

  Grabbing him by his collar, Javier dragged Brice the rest of the way. He was still trying to catch his breath and gain his bearings.

  Waiting at the desk behind the door was Shepard, who turned to welcome the two as they walked in, but stopped when he saw Brice.

  "Who the hell is this?" asked Shepard.

  "Long story. We'll let Brice tell you when he can talk again."

  Tara immediately grabbed another gun and started to load up with ammo. She also grabbed a shotgun from the wall as well as shells and proceeded to load it.

  "Tara," said Javier, "what are you doing?"

  She didn't want to answer him because she knew he would try to talk her out of it. Tara continued to load weapons.

  "Maddix told us to stay here."

  "Go ahead."

  "No, all of us. We have to wait for Tanya to get back."

  Tara tried to ignore him. She wasn't going to just sit and wait anymore. Maddix needed her, and Tara needed him. She was tired of being selfish and wallowing in self-pity. She couldn't let anyone close to her die because she wasn't strong enough. Not again.

  "Tara!"

  "Aren't you sick of it yet?" yelled Tara.

  "What?"

  "The truth! About who we really are. Aren't you sick of learning about what you've done? Tired of being a coward?"

  Javier said nothing but swallowed hard.

  "Ever since we've been back, it's been nothing but a cold slap in the face. We were better people back in Malevolent, and I intend to be that person. Not this disgusting, vile woman he says I am."

  Still silent.

  "I'm going back out there, and I'm going to help Maddix fix all of this, ’cause it's my job. Our job!"

  "Then what?" asked Shepard, from the sidelines.

  "I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to that prison and hopefully I can forget again."

  "You're not leaving," said Javier.

  "Dammit! I just told you—"

  "Until I get ready."

  "What?"

  "I'm a better shot than you anyway." Javier grinned.

  Tara pulled the slide back on her pistol and let it go. "That's true."

  When you are an ordinary human, fighting a lone werewolf can be an extremely dangerous but not impossible task. Fighting more than one is almost certain suicide unless you have one fighting by your side. Your chances for survival tend to increase exponentially. All these thoughts raced through Maddix's head while he fired off one round after another.

  Luck must have been on his side because every bullet he unleashed managed to hit a kill spot or wound them in such a way as to render them immobile. Getting a silver bullet to lodge into the bone of a werewolf was tricky, but once pulled off it could cause intense pain until it was removed.

  This is good, Maddix thought. We don't need to kill them all.

  Tanya was on the warpath, however, and there were no survivors when the battles ended. They came at her in twos, threes, and sometimes fours. Her agility and power were incomparable to anything that was thrown at her. Tanya had the grace of a dancer and could catch her opponent’s throat from every standing position and bring them crashing into another with high speed.

  After a while the two of them seemed to be working in an almost choreographed fashion. Tanya would stick, move, and toss. The unlucky ones that she threw towards Maddix would meet a barrage of bullets that would stop them mid-air. It was an intense fight, and it was having a psychotic effect on him. Maddix found himself becoming more aggressive as it went on, sometimes even putting himself in harm’s way on more than one occasion. Tanya would always be there with a save, and another werewolf body would fall to the ground.

  "Where's Jurgen?" growled Tanya, as she buried her teeth into the chest of a fallen lycanthrope.

  Maddix looked around; he was nowhere to be found. "He must have slipped out after I shot him!"

  Tanya ripped the heart from the fallen beast who howled into the night air. "That coward!"

  The suffering moans of the injured wolves echoed in the street.

  "I think that's the last of them."

  "Can't be. I can smell more all around us. Someone has sent the entire clan to hunt us."

  "Definitely sounds like Krazek is pulling the strings."

  "It has to be."

  "I gotta say, Ketter, you've certainly outdone yourself with this stuff. I feel like He-Man!" proclaimed Craig while flexing his biceps.

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "Never mind. So what's your plan? Your wish is my command."

  Ephrain was enjoying his newfound authority over Crai
g and looked forward to building his army. Ephrain had expected that Craig would be outraged at the transformation and would put up some resistance, but he seemed almost grateful to be a part of something so glorious. The idea of a new world order with himself at the top of the food chain was more important than his own humanity. It was so fascinating to Ephrain just how weak humanity had devolved into.

  "The first thing we are going to do is introduce you to some old friends."

  "Friends, huh? Will these be more vampires and wolf-guys?"

  "No," Krazek replied. "These are people who could make life tough for us."

  "Yes, then we must find them, and kill them."

  The three of them were distracted by blaring sirens out the window.

  Craig stuck his head out to get a closer look. "Wow, that's a lot of cops. Something big must be happening in town."

  "Benbrook," muttered Krazek.

  "How do you know?" asked Ephrain.

  "I sent the dogs to hunt for them. They must have found them."

  "Well then, it would be rude not to offer our assistance. Craig, are you ready for your first task?"

  Craig did a backflip off of the windowsill and landed perfectly behind Ephrain and Krazek. "Can't wait to meet the public."

  There were less people on the streets save for a few them cowering behind whatever they could find to give them a false sense of safety. Many were left catatonic from the shock of seeing a real werewolf in the flesh. Maddix tried his best to usher them away for their own good, but being the armed sidekick of one of those monsters was terrifying in of itself.

  Not wanting to waste too much time, Maddix and Tanya continued down the street expecting to engage in another fight, but it was quiet. She sensed that they were near and surrounding them; possibly on the roofs of buildings or in the endless number of seedy looking alleyways. They would come out again, they were just waiting for the command.

  In the distance, Tanya could hear a wailing sound that was getting closer to their location by the second.