by C. M. Owens
I turn to rip his throat out, and his tainted blood covers my hand before drying to dust.
“What the fuck?” I gasp.
Blood shouldn’t turn to dust. What are these mutants?
I slash through more throats to see what happens, and the dusting repeats. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
“What the hell are these?” I yell.
“I don’t fucking know, but-”
He’s interrupted as one knocks him to the ground, and he flips the beast over to snap its neck with his legs.
“Call Clay. We need help,” I scream, and then I continue walking through the hoard that can’t touch me for a little while longer as I fire away.
I keep reloading the rounds I should have packed more of, and then I hear the solemn click of the emptied chamber I can’t refill anymore.
“Shit,” I grumble.
They keep swarming in, and I know no one will survive if I don’t at least try to stop them.
“I’m going to knock them outside the walls, and then you need to get everyone back in case this gets bad,” I yell to him as he tangles with several at once.
“No. We can stop them,” he counters, and then his gun clicks its empty promise as well.
“Not without any fucking ammo. Just do it,” I blare, and then feel the power building as my eyes gauge each and every monster in sight.
I know I’m not strong enough to do this without backlash, but it’s a risk I’ll have to take. I take a deep breath and they’re suddenly lifted into the air as I launch them over the wall. I rush to the edge, and I leap back and forth between the double wall to flip over the side and join the herd.
I’m shocked when I see people standing beside dark sedans, as if they’re watching the show, and an armored truck is sitting idly by as well.
It’s them. They did this.
The armored truck peels out when I come into view, but several of the others stay to aide the monsters now that they see someone is strong enough to stop them. I begin lifting boulders, cars, and anything else I can all at once to launch at the beasts, and then I feel the explosive power building after I exert too much energy.
The objects whirl through the air, and the bodies of the infected turn to dust when my attacks connect. I force out more power, and then I feel the fire becoming unbearable. I can’t hold it back for much longer, and I pray I don’t knock down the whole fucking town I was trying to save.
“Araya, look out,” Brazen screams, and I feel the burn as a hailing cloud of bullets spiral through me.
I scream out, and then I see the tan face of my attacker. He’s not infected. He’s… I don’t know what he is.
More bullets fly through me, and I feel the weary pain consuming me. Then I see the tattoo on his arm that has haunted my dreams for five years. It’s a scorpion ripping a bird to shreds, and I gasp in disbelief. My mind flashes back to the dark memories of a dank, stone room - my hands clasped in chains above my head as electricity burns through to my soul.
They’re still alive. They’re still at work.
I see more of them rushing up as the living infected continue their attacks as well. Brazen is still fighting tirelessly, and I can hear voices behind us as the cavalry arrives. It’s too late now though.
My haunting visions of the excruciating volts of electricity burning through my veins stings my eyes, and the only light I have left is shining on that fucking symbol they all wore so proudly. I showed no fucking mercy when I ripped their fucking hearts out through their throats before lighting them on fire. Now they’re back for more.
My drunken state of mind comes to claim me fully, and I lose myself to my devolved state- my savage emerging to handle the pain my sober mind can’t endure. The explosive promise leaves as I gain control over my abilities, and his body splits into as I use the full strength I only have in this state.
With a small flick of my wrist, heads snap off their shoulders, and I begin ripping limbs off the standing few just for a sadistic sense of pleasure. I smile as I slowly stalk between them, and then I pull my hands down to obliterate the rest into pieces.
I turn to see Brazen and several others rushing toward me, and I smirk as I launch them all backwards.
“You can’t fuck with me,” I scold, and then I see Clay pulling out a vial of that disgusting medicine.
It shatters in his hands with another flick of my wrist, and his eyes widen when he sees how fucking pissed I am.
“You can’t control me,” I scream, my eyes moving toward the disgusting town of the full blood trash just ahead.
Their snarling, loathsome distaste for my kind has crossed a line for the last time. If I’m not allowed in, then I’ll just fucking tear them apart. Then I’ll dance on the fucking ashes. They don’t deserve to live. They deserve to feel pain - tormenting, unrelenting, merciless pain.
Brazen starts running toward me again, but Clay rips him back. Smart move, Commander. Keep them all away unless you want to see them in pieces.
Then I feel a warmth spreading through me as a sublimely painful sensation stings my shoulder from behind. I turn to face the eyes of the most beautiful man there has ever been, and I smile as I sway from side to side like a giddy, inebriated girl falling in love.
“Hale,” I gush, and then I feel an igniting fire from the bite he has left behind.
“You’re going to be okay, baby,” he coos, and I jump on him as my legs wrap around his waist.
“I know I am because you’re here,” I seduce, and my lips close over his as I breathe in his passion. “You want me.?”
“Always, baby. Always,” he soothes, and then I feel the seat of a car pressing against my back as a door shuts.
Just when I’m finally feeling happy, everything goes black, silent, and I’m suddenly terrified of the dark as it takes me captive.
Chapter 8
Savage Hangover
My head is pounding, my body is dressed differently than before I went psycho, and I’m almost sick at my stomach. Oh balls. I hit the second phase. Fuck.
I jump out of the bed, and my head slams into an overhead bunk I didn’t know was there.
“Fuck. I wish I had been invincible,” I grouse, and I hear chuckling from the back room as Clay walks in.
“Where the fuck are we?” I huff.
“This is an RV. We took several from Metropolis. It was their way of thanking us for saving them from the fucked up things that attacked. Although, it was only you they should have thanked.”
“Well they should thank Hale more than me. If it hadn’t been for him-”
“I know,” he sighs out. “I knew it when I saw your eyes. That was some damn strong power.”
“Brazen took out several too, and… oh shit. Did I fuck him up?” I panic.
“He’s fine. He was more beat up from the fight than you. You were barely alive. You apparently didn’t feel a thing when your sanity was gone because you were almost bled dry by the gaping bullet wounds. Hale had to break the skin to give you medicine, and then he gave you his blood to help you heal.”
“Really? I don’t remember any of that,” I huff out.
“I didn’t think you would. He said you were there, but it felt like you were disconnected while the two of you… finished,” he snickers out.
“Where is he?” I say while inspecting my bruises I shouldn’t have. “I didn’t heal the way,” I gasp.
“No. Hale could barely get you to take any blood at all. You would spit packaged blood back out, and you would only break his skin once,” he huffs out. “He’s out by the fire we’ve got going. We decided to try and track the cars Brazen saw outside the walls when you threw the fight out there.”
“I saw them too, and that’s not all I saw. The reason I lost it was because of the tattoo one of the men had. I thought they were all dead,” I choke out, and the walls of the fragile mobile home begin to shake.
“Easy girl,” Clay coos. “I saw the remains of the men, but only the one had the t
attoo. It’s possible he was just a stray. These men are not the same group from five years ago, or they would have all had them,” he says reassuringly.
“I need to go check on Brazen. I know he’s probably freaked out right now,” I grouse.
“I think it was harder to hear what you were doing in the car as opposed to seeing you go berserk.”
“Fuck. I wish I could remember some of that.”
He laughs a little, and then I stand to walk out to the lowered eyes of the crowded gathering. A car pulls up, and this sexy blond struts out with her hips swinging very deliberately.
“Commander Jude, Sir. Alex Emmerson reporting for duty, Sir,” she says in salute.
“As you can see this isn’t a very formal gathering, Ms. Emmerson. Have a seat. We’ll leave out at dawn,” Clay says dismissively, and she smirks before strutting straight over to Hale.
“Hey sexy,” she seduces, and his eyes flash over to me before speaking to her.
“Hey Alex. How did you end up on this mission?” he murmurs without so much as telling her he’s taken.
Fuck. Now I get it.
“The Metropolis Interpol sent me to represent them. This attack pissed them off, and they want in on the revenge,” she smolders out, and then she sits dangerously close to him before continuing, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
I feel the ground trembling beneath me as her lips brush over his shoulder, and he rolls his eyes.
“Stop,” he cautions, and I feel some air entering my lungs.
“Seriously? You can’t possibly still be hung up on that Area chick,” she scoffs, and I almost smile.
He’s told her no before. He told her about me.
“Yes. I am, and she’s the girl that just ripped the fucking army in half. She’s also standing right there listening to every word you’re saying,” he almost chuckles out while his eyes point to me.
She swallows hard when her full blood eyes meet mine, and she scoots over from the close proximity.
“Are you two together?” she whispers, and he smiles because he knows how acute my hearing is.
“No, but you still should keep your distance,” he whispers back, and then he smirks smugly before returning to his conversation with another guy.
I roll my eyes, and then I feel a cold touch strolling up my back. I turn to see Brazen’s soft eyes bearing concern rather than fear. I hug him instantly, and he gently returns the embrace.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I murmur with tears filling up in my eyes.
“I’m fine. I was more worried about you. I thought you were going to die. You’re still bruised,” he murmurs softly while examining my face.
“I’m fine. I just need a little more blood,” I murmur softly. “I can still feel the burn of the uranium in my blood preventing me from healing on my own.”
He walks over to a cooler, and then returns with two packs of blood. I would prefer to heal off of Hale’s blood, but I suppose this will have to do since he still looks like he’s not wavering on his stance. Alex is still sitting beside him, and she’s laughing at everything he says.
“The infected were too easy to kill,” a guy murmurs.
“How the hell would you know? The girl killed them all,” another follows, and I shiver slightly.
They were easy to kill. One shot of uranium bullets was enough to bring them to a fold. It shouldn’t have been that easy.
I sip on the cold pack of diluted blood, and Brazen’s lips stroll over my shoulder just as Hale’s eyes find me again. He rolls his eyes, and then stands to join a new crowd of men.
“Brazen, I need to tell you something,” I mumble.
“You can tell me anything,” he coos as his hand trails up and down my back.
“I know this is going to hurt, but I’m back with Hale. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you upset and distracted. I still care about you, and I never want to see anything happen to you,” I quickly babble out.
“I know you care about me, and I know you’re with him,” he murmurs against the top of my head as his body nears even more. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop. It sure as hell didn’t stop him.”
I turn to face him, and I can feel the stupefied stare on my face.
“How do you know?”
“I’m a little insulted, Araya,” he chuckles out. “I’m one of the best detectives in the United. I’ve known since day one. Every time I talk to you too long or touch you, your eyes dart to him with worry etched in them. If you’re touching him when I walk up, you drop your contact immediately. Not to mention, you always smell like him. The list goes on and on. I’m not an idiot. I just don’t give a fuck if he’s with you or not. Eventually he’ll fuck up, and I’ll be here to show you how much better I am for you. He may understand your species better, but I understand you better,” he seduces, and I exhale a breath of relief.
“I wish I had known you knew sooner,” I grouse. “Now I feel stupid.”
He snickers lightly, and then his hand grazes mine.
“You don’t care about him, or you wouldn’t have tried so hard to keep it from me.”
I stare at Hale with his back turned to me, and I then I take a deep breath before facing the pale eyes I’m about to hurt.
“I do care about him. I’ve just been a shitty girlfriend,” I grumble, and then I kiss Brazen on the cheek as a farewell offering before walking toward Hale.
He doesn’t turn to face me until the eyes of his group acknowledge I’m almost right behind him. He smiles softly when he sees me, but he doesn’t break character when he refrains from touching me.
“I see you finally got some more blood. I struggled getting you to heal,” he says so gently, as if I’m some fragile piece of glass.
“I heard,” I mumble, and then I look down shamefully at the ground.
“You don’t remember? I was worried about that,” he sighs.
“Thank you for stopping me,” I grumble, and he tilts my chin up so that my eyes meet his.
“I’m always here for you,” he says so genuinely, and I take a step closer so that my body is just barely touching his.
“I know,” I murmur before wrapping my arms around his neck.
I tug lightly to bring his lips to mine, and it actually surprises him. He pulls back quickly and looks around like a child that has just done something wrong.
“Araya, people are watching,” he cautions, and then he checks my pupils.
I smile as I kiss his chest through his shirt.
“I know. Let them watch. I told Brazen,” I murmur softly, and he jerks me to his body to kiss me so much deeper.
“I love you,” I mutter into the kiss.
“I love you,” he returns, and then he starts pulling me away from everyone.
I halt the retreat, and he looks at me curiously.
“I just want you to hold me right now,” I say too pitifully. “Nothing else.”
He smirks, and his lips fall on mine again before pulling me to the dusty ground to sit in his lap beside the fire.
“I’m perfectly fine with that. You may not remember our exhausting tousle, but I’m still recovering,” he playfully exasperates.
I grin a little, and then I snuggle into his body as Clay walks out holding photos. He starts passing them around, and everyone seems to be studying them very intensely. Hale pulls me tighter against him, and his lips caress my forehead. Brazen smirks lightly at me, but then the photos reach him to draw away his attention.
“Captain Mordel has already familiarized you with the details he and Araya learned during the interrogation as well as the fight. These infected are not like the normal vermin we deal with. The mutated virus could possibly be the reason for this, we just don’t have enough information to clarify any concerns just yet. Please look at these pictures and see if anything stands out that we might have missed,” Clay says very formally, and Hale investigates each piece of the pictures as they’re handed to him.
I lo
ok at them with him as he holds me in his arms, and his jaw clenches when he sees the photo of the tattoo that makes me worry I might relapse. His grip tightens on me, and then he hands the pictures to the guy beside me.
“Are you okay?” he whispers.
“I don’t know,” I mumble, and then he pulls me even closer.
“These infected have yellow nails as opposed to the black nails we’ve grown accustomed to,” Hale says to Clay. “We know black represents the poison that gathers in the nails, and it has the capability of killing us if we go for too long without fresh blood to treat it. Do we know if these yellow nails do the same?” he asks.
“I honestly hadn’t noticed the nails,” Clay says, and he rips up a photo from a guy’s hand to study the new detail.
“Did you get cut by one of these?” he asks me.
“I was invincible while going hand-to-hand with them,” I answer.
“I did,” Brazen says, and he stands to reveal his perfectly smooth shoulder. “No poison introduced itself into my veins. Why would they be so much milder, and why use a milder army of infected to attack?” he asks curiously.
“I don’t know. So far everything has seemed bizarre and wildly planned as if there is no strategy at all,” Clay huffs.
Another picture falls in front of Hale’s eyes, and he tilts his head curiously. He scoots out from under me, and he walks over to another guy to take his picture while holding the two side by side.
“What is it?” Brazen asks while coming to stand beside him.
“What do you see?” Hale asks while handing him both pictures.
“The same fucking gash on the arm, but this can’t be the same infected,” Brazen scoffs, and they exchange a worried look.
“What?” Clay prompts, and I swallow hard as the suspenseful silent conversation continues for a moment longer.
“My uranium tipped blades sliced through them effortlessly, but some of them didn’t get hit in the right place to die. This one has an angled gash, and here he is again with the same angled gash, only the reddened eyes have melded into black - the same as a recently turned full blood or a freshly changed hybrid,” Brazen finally says to end the suspended heaviness, and everyone holds their breath as they try to process the impossibility.