Resurrection - Episode 1 (Lost Souls)

by Laurel O'Donnell

  Only three? She was insulted. She turned to Brett, who she knew was the leader of this group. “Don’t do it, Brett,” she warned as he took a step towards her. She brandished the sword before her. “You had your free one.” She backed away from Brett, carefully keeping the other two in her sights. The car was to her back, Brett stood before her, William and Peter on either one of his sides.

  She stared at them. “Come on guys,” she said. “We’re all on the same side.”

  “If we’re on the same side, then lay down your sword,” Brett advised.

  Samantha grimaced at that. “I would. I really would. Except I don’t want to be locked up in the Iron Room.”

  “Then we have a problem.”

  Samantha nodded agreement. “Maybe you guys can think for yourself for once and not blindly follow someone who is wrong. That would solve our problem.” She relaxed her body, preparing for the battle.

  Peter was first. He fazed to her right, but she reacted instinctively, swinging a fist to his face. He stepped back as William fazed to her other side. She ducked his swing and fazed to Brett’s side. She smiled at him. “I thought we were friends.”

  Peter came at her again, materializing just before her. She fazed back a step and then another, out-distancing his strikes. It really wasn’t fair. They were so much younger than she was, with less experience. She knew there was at least one more Soul somewhere around. Daniel wouldn’t be stupid enough to think these three buffoons could capture her.

  It was strange that Brett was not engaging her. It was almost as if he were trying to distract her. Her gaze quickly swept the garage. She spotted them coming, crouched behind her car. Three more Souls. And they were holding what looked like a net. Probably made of iron.

  That was more like it. Six! Wait until Ben heard that!

  She sheathed her sword. She didn’t really want to harm her brothers, but she certainly would make them sore.

  William grabbed her from behind, locking her arms down to her side. “If you wanted to hug me, you could have just asked.” Peter approached in front of her. They knew she would be able to escape. She fazed away from him to beside William. They were just toying with her, distracting her.

  The three Souls huddled behind the car. What were they waiting for?

  “Don’t make this difficult,” Brett advised.

  Samantha shrugged. “I’m not going to let you lock me up.”

  “I think you’re wrong. You can come with us willingly and I’m sure Daniel will be lenient with you, or you can resist and it will be painful.”

  Samantha grinned outwardly, but she didn’t like the implied threat. Painful? What was in that net those three Souls had behind the car? “I don’t think Daniel is going to be lenient either way.”

  Brett surged forward. He seized her wrist, and pulled her against him. There was a dark smile on his lips as he slapped her ass. Outrage soared through Samantha and she jerked away from him, backhanding him. He stumbled back.

  William and Peter materialized beside her, each grabbing one of her arms. Hadn’t they learned? She tried to faze, but nothing happened. They still held her. She tried again as their grips tightened around her arms. But the familiar disintegrating feeling didn’t crest over her. She silently cursed. “Looks like you got me, boys,” she said softly and slammed her heeled boot down on Peter’s foot.

  He howled and loosened his grip.

  It was enough. Samantha ripped her wrist free and plowed it into William’s stomach. She saw the Souls racing toward them from behind the car, the net stretched out in their hands.

  Samantha rammed her knee into William’s stomach and he flew back. She dropped and swung her foot out, kicking Peter’s legs from beneath him. She quickly dodged the flying net, jogging out of its reach.

  Why couldn’t she faze?

  Peter rose to his feet. William stood and raced after her, his face twisted with anger, that perpetual grin gone. Suddenly, Brett materialized before her. She slammed her shoulder into his stomach and shoved him to the ground.

  She began backing to the door. The three Souls were collecting the net. Brett was on the floor, William helping him to his feet.

  Peter still approached her.

  Samantha tried to faze again, concentrating on disappearing, but it wouldn’t work. The feeling of disorientation never came over her. What had they done? Why couldn’t she faze?

  She backed to the door. “Sorry, boys. Looks like you lost this time.”

  She heard the door open behind her. Before she could turn, Peter fazed out and then stood before her, seizing her arms tightly. Didn’t they learn? She was about to bring her knee up when something touched her back and volts of electricity jolted through her, zapping her strength, sucking out her energy.

  Peter held onto her, his concerned gaze following her as she fell to her knees.

  Then the agony stopped. Samantha clutched at Peter’s arms, holding his hands for strength. Exhausted, she twisted to see Daniel standing behind her. He held some machine in his hands. “You son of a bitch,” she whispered, struggling to climb to her feet.

  Daniel shoved the machine into her back again and the painful surge of electricity shot through her into every limb, into every hair. She cried out in agony. The electricity receded, draining from her body, and sucking her power with it. She collapsed into darkness…

  ~~~

  “Sam,” a voice called. “Sam.” Someone or something was shaking her world, moving it back and forth.

  She struggled to consciousness to find Ben looking down at her with concern. He shook her gently, but it felt like he was causing an earthquake. Her hazy mind refused to focus and she had to fight her way back from the darkness.

  “Sam,” Ben repeated.

  “If you shake me again, I swear I’ll deck you,” she promised.

  A worried grin slid over his lips. He helped her to sit up and she realized she was lying on the floor. Christian stood just behind him, staring down at her. “What happened?” Ben demanded.

  Samantha slowly shook her head. “Daniel shoved some machine into my back. He drained me somehow.”

  “You let him get the jump on you?” Ben demanded, shocked.

  Samantha shook her head in disgust. “There were seven of them,” she said with a hint of pride in her voice. “He snuck up behind me while I was fighting the others. That damned machine he was carrying zapped my strength.”

  Ben scowled. “Zapped your strength?”

  Samantha nodded. “I feel horrible. I can barely move.” She let Ben help her lean against an iron wall. “It felt like a Changed drained me.”

  “You think Daniel figured out how to harness their power somehow?”

  “I don’t know. It hurt like hell. I need to recharge.”

  Ben nodded. “Why didn’t you just faze?”

  “I couldn’t. I don’t know what they did, but…” Her mind replayed the fight. Brett grabbing her and slapping her ass. “Wait. Brett did something.” She leaned against Ben’s arm for support and reached back to run a hand over her bottom. It was awkward with her hands bound before her in the iron cuffs, and with the first pass she felt nothing but the leather of her armor. But when she moved her hand lower she found something. It felt like a piece of very thin fabric. She peeled it off and fell back against the wall, holding the thin material between her thumb and forefinger. “Son of a bitch.”

  “Iron?” Ben asked.

  Samantha nodded. “He put a piece of iron on me.” She lifted her gaze to Ben. “I couldn’t faze.”

  “Well, this is great!” Christian exclaimed, drawing their stares. “You were our only hope of getting out of here.”

  Samantha slowly climbed to her feet, using the iron wall as support. “I’m touched by your sympathy.”

  “Sam, you’re too weak,” Ben objected.

  Samantha was exhausted, drained and of absolutely no help to them. “I have to recharge.”

  “Well, you can’t get out of here. Looks like rechargin
g is out of the picture,” Christian said, exasperated. He slapped one of the walls. The chains around his wrists rattled. “These are iron.”

  “Oh ye of little faith,” Samantha chided.

  “He’s been banging into them all morning,” Ben said with a grin.

  The image of Christian trying to break through iron walls made Samantha chuckle softly.

  “What do we do now?” Christian demanded. “The longer we are in here, the more danger Aurora is in.”

  Ben glanced at Samantha.

  “Do you have a plan?” Christian asked.

  “They took my sword,” Samantha said. “I want my sword back.”

  “We’ll get it when we’re done,” Ben promised.

  “Aurora is possessed by some demonic Changed monster and Daniel and his group of thugs are on their way to kill her. Why are you so worried about some sword?” Christian asked, flabbergasted.

  “It’s not some sword,” Samantha said. “It’s my sword. And after we save your daughter, it’s the only thing we’re coming back for. Well, that and my car.”

  Ben smiled.

  “You’re as mad as that old man!” Christian exclaimed.

  Samantha reached into the top of her armor, between her breasts, to pull out a tiny, slim cylinder.

  Ben nodded and took it from her.

  “What’s that?” Christian asked as Ben walked over to the iron wall on the far side.

  “It’s our way out,” Ben answered. He uncorked the small cylinder and splashed the liquid on the wall. Wherever the clear liquid struck it began to foam and sizzle. He looked back at Samantha. “Recharge?”

  Samantha nodded her agreement. She motioned to her cuffs and Ben dipped the vial to pour some of its contents onto the manacles. In seconds, Samantha’s hands were free. She quickly freed the others from their bonds by pouring tiny amounts of the acid onto their cuffs.

  A tiny hole appeared in the wall where Ben had flung the acid. Samantha looked at her brother. “Hang onto him.”

  Ben placed a hand on Christian’s shoulder and the three fazed.

  ~~~

  Samantha’s knees bent slightly, ready for a fight if there was anyone in the Regenerating Chamber. She mentally scoffed. As if she would be any good in a fight. But the room was empty.

  Christian muttered a curse and shrugged Ben’s hand off his shoulder. “Don’t do that.”

  “I was guiding you here,” Ben explained. He turned to Samantha and helped her into one of the chairs. She put her hands on the arms and closed her eyes, relaxing back into the chair.

  Christian looked around nervously. “Where is everyone else?”

  “They are probably going after the Changed.”

  “Then let’s go!” Christian demanded.

  Ben leaned close to his sister. “Meet me at the house when you’re done.”

  Samantha nodded.

  “It won’t work with two. Especially not with a freshie. You have to be there.”

  Samantha opened her eyes to meet his stare. “Wouldn’t miss it. I’ll be there. As soon as I’m done.”

  Ben straightened, pointing a finger at her. “Get to full power.”

  Samantha nodded in agreement. Ben turned to Christian. “To the house.” He lifted a hand to place it on his shoulder.

  Christian held up his hands and stepped back. “I can do it myself.”

  Ben’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You can faze that far that fast without help?”

  “I’m sure going to try.”

  “Are you willing to risk Aurora’s life?”

  Christian grimaced, then sighed. “Fine.”

  Ben put a hand on his shoulder and the two of them disappeared.

  ~~~

  Christian and Ben materialized in the center of his house, just behind the white couch. There was a body nearly at their feet and Ben quickly squatted beside it, investigating.

  “One of us?” Christian asked.

  But before he could hear the answer, Christian heard a very familiar voice call out, “Daddy?”

  Christian spotted Aurora in the kitchen, sitting in a chair, her head bowed. Her beautiful blonde hair fell in little ringlets all over her head, concealing her face. He instinctively took a step toward her, but then froze. She was not his Aurora. He had to remember that.

  She slowly lifted her head and swiveled her blue gaze to him. “Daddy?” she whispered again and her voice hitched as though she were in pain.

  Christian stood, frozen. He wanted with every fiber of his being to go to her. It had been so long since she had acknowledged his presence. But the fact she could see him made him know for certain it wasn’t his Aurora. He was dead and gone. She should not be able to see him.

  He shook his head and stepped away. “You’re not Aurora.”

  She pushed herself from the chair. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Daddy? Daddy is that you? I saw you in the coffin, Daddy. With Mommy. We both did. I miss you, Daddy. I want to go for some more chocolate ice cream now.”

  Christian scowled. How could the Changed know about that? Maybe it was Aurora. Maybe she had fought the thing off. He took a step forward.

  “No,” Ben whispered. “It’s a trick.”

  Christian looked over his shoulder at Ben. He was still near the far wall, bent over the fallen body, but his gaze was on Christian. “The Changed can read the human host’s mind.”

  Christian looked back to Aurora.

  “Your friends came to visit me,” she said. “But I made them all take a nap.” She took a step forward, revealing three Souls lying unmoving on the kitchen floor beyond the table. “They’re not very smart.”

  Christian could see one of them appeared to be Luke. Part of him was grateful they were knocked out. Serves them right for coming to harm his daughter. He turned back to Ben to find him staring in anger at the motionless Souls in the kitchen.

  And then the body Ben had been investigating suddenly sat up and turned, reaching out for Ben. Its eyes were as black as the deepest pit. It wasn’t a Soul at all, but a Changed!

  Christian opened his mouth to warn Ben, but the Changed thrust his fist forward, ramming it into Ben’s chest. Ben cried out, arching his back. Sparks of electricity seemed to ripple through him.

  ~~~

  Samantha looked at the meter above the regeneration chair. Almost full. Almost recharged and ready to face those damned Changed. She cursed Daniel for pegging her with that machine. It had drained her heavily. She didn’t have time for this. She fidgeted in the chair and watched the needle as it slowly, slowly inched toward the ‘F’. She knew her brother and Christian were putting themselves in grave danger. The Changed would do anything to keep its human host, including setting traps for the lost Souls to render them helpless. She couldn’t wait any longer. Close enough.

  Samantha got up out the chair and fazed.

  She appeared across the street from the house, near the alley. It was the place she had first seen Christian. She lifted her gaze to the window she had seen him in.

  Lightning lit the sky, followed by a distant boom.

  The window was black now, empty. She stepped toward the building, looking left and right. Where was everyone? She moved slowly toward the house. She was ready, fully charged, and ready to test her and Ben’s theory.

  “Sammie,” a voice called from behind her.

  Chills peppered her arms and she froze. It couldn’t be. She must be hearing things. It couldn’t be his voice. She turned. Her mouth dropped open. She recognized his shoulder length dark hair, his square jaw, his sensual lips. Her heart ached at the sight of him. Damien. It was Damien. Her husband. But his eyes were different. They were black. A deep, bottomless well. A Changed. Remorse and disbelief swirled through her, holding her immobile. She opened her mouth, but no words came to her lips.

  She reached out for him. But he was quicker, shoving his fist into her chest. Painful shocks bolted through her body, bringing her to her knees. She clutched his arm, staring at those black eyes. She ope
ned her mouth in a silent scream of denial and pain. She didn’t want to take her gaze from him. Tears rippled her vision.

  Damien, her mind cried. Her energy flowed through her into his fist knotted in her chest. She shook her head slightly. She knew she should fight him. She knew she should try to escape. A tear rolled over her lashes and down her cheek. She couldn’t. It was Damien. She would rather give him all of her power than have him disappear.

  He leaned in very close to her. So close that his lips almost brushed hers. “You have to get out of here,” he whispered.

  She shook her head again, never wanting him to vanish. Her freshly renewed power drained from her body.

  Then, he disappeared. Samantha fell forward onto her hands.

  Damien.

  ~~~

  Energy drained from Ben, sucking out his power. The pain was excruciating. Every fiber of his being tried to repel the fist in the center of his chest, but it clung like a bright hot poker of pain.

  Suddenly, it was gone. Christian stood before him, delivering a second kick to the Changed’s face with enough force to knock him back. Christian glanced down briefly at Ben, locking eyes. Ben was glad they had taken the time to teach Christian how to fight. He quickly got to his feet.

  The Changed materialized right in front of them. They split up, going in opposite directions. It pursued Ben, matching his fazing from spot to spot. The Changed materialized right before him, but Ben was waiting. He lashed out with his fist, hitting him in the face, propelling him across the room. But the Changed disappeared in mid air. Ben grit his teeth. Damn it! This was no new Changed. It was experienced in battle. He chanced a glance at Christian.

  Christian backed defensively away from a swing from Aurora. She now held a fireplace poker in her hand, swinging it wildly. Ben cursed. He knew Christian had no intention of harming his daughter. He wasn’t going to be much help in that battle.