“Michael. What?”
Michael’s rage subsided as the guilt took over. He gritted his teeth and tried his damndest to hold back the sobs.
“He killed one hundred thirty thousand people. One. Thirty.”
“You saw the security evidence, Michael. They surrounded him. They were going to execute him and Rayna.”
“So why didn’t he let it happen? Two lives for a hundred thirty thousand. He killed them because he loved what he was, he loved Rayna, and he didn’t care about the rest of us anymore. He wasn’t just sending a message to the Chancellors about how powerful he was. He was thanking you and me for making him possible.”
Her eyes narrowed into vicious slits.
“Michael, do not put this on us! Jamie did this. He is responsible.”
“Jamie did nothing. It was James Bouchet, or whatever the hell he’s out there calling himself. Look, we’ve been dancing around this for four months. People like Agatha Bidwell were right – he needed to be killed. They realized what these hybrids were. So did Jamie. He wanted to die. He went into the woods alone to kill himself. The Mentor stopped him, but when Agatha got her shot, he surrendered. She put eight bullets in him.”
He fell to his knees. “It should have ended there. But you and me couldn’t let that shit go. We had to protect him from the Queen Bee. He was dead when we showed up, but he came back to save us from the Shock Units. He broke every rule about life and death. And now, he controls it all. Why? Because of you and me. We followed him here. We believed in him. We fought for him.”
Sam joined him in the sand. “We didn’t know. How could we?”
“We knew because Jamie knew. Every day I get two images stuck in my head. First, the tidal wave destroying New Stockholm. The second one, I made up. We’re sitting by that creek after he came back to life. I see myself pull out a pistol and blow his brains out.
“I knew, Sam. You, too. We brought that monster here. We took down SkyTower as sure as he did. We set him free on the galaxy. We started a civil war about controlling the future of hybrids and immortals. He knows it, too. And that message? He’s thanking us.”
The last slice of sun dimmed over the western horizon as she tried to kiss him. “Please stop. Michael, I love you. Please stop this.”
He kissed her. “Sam, I love you more than I can ever say. If anyone tries to hurt you again, I’ll kill him. I’ll die for you. But I ain’t gonna shake this. Trust me, I been trying every damn day.”
“Let’s go to the house. We can talk. Make sense of it. I promise.”
The waves lapped at his feet. The water was brisk, just the way he loved it when they skinny-dipped. Michael didn’t think he’d make it back without losing his dinner. He leaned on her for support.
“They won’t be able to kill him. He’s too smart now. He’ll build an army, no matter how many years it takes. Hybrids and immortals. They’ll kill millions, Sam. Billions. There’s only one thing to do.”
Even in the settling dusk, he saw the tears and terror in her eyes.
“He told us how in the message. You read part of it out loud. Maybe they will figure out how to kill me before the dark drowns them all.”
“You are wrong, sweetie. No. You are wrong.”
He kissed her on the forehead.
“The only ones who can kill him are the ones who created him. He’s waiting for us to try. Somewhere out there, he’s laughing and waiting.”
He wiped her tears. They sat down together, the surf nipping at their heels. The breeze faded. Soon, the night draped them in a sky full of endless stars. He had no idea where to start, but Michael understood what his heart was telling him.
He thought back to the old days. To Albion. To the boy he used to love as a brother. To Jamie.
“I’m coming for you, dude. Get my speed?”
THE STORY DOESN’T END HERE
Book 3 of The Impossible Future saga continues in early 2020, as James, Rayna, and Valentin begin their crusade for a new future, while Michael and Sam steer the turbulent waters of the Chancellory civil war on Earth. Don’t miss the continuation when The Reversing Tide debuts exclusively on Amazon.
If you enjoyed this second chapter in the four-part saga, please take a moment to write an honest review on Amazon. Your comments are greatly valued.
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FIND OUT HOW IT ALL BEGAN
What led up to the cataclysmic events that set the stage for new breeds of hybrids and immortals? What are the secrets built up over 3,000 years that threatened to bring the Chancellory to its knees?
This sweeping story – an epic saga of father and sons, their ambition, obsessions, and frailties – is told in The Father Unbound, also available on Amazon.
The Risen Gods Page 34