by Unknown
Michael noticed his earpiece only carried static now. None of the officers spoke anymore. “This is Detective Stamos, is anyone there…copy?�
Trenton’s rasping deep voice answered him. “I’m still here, Detective.�
His voice sent a shiver of fear down Michael’s spine. He had not only heard Trenton Hallowed through his earpiece, he had heard him in the foyer, beyond the open doors. “I’m waiting, Detective.�
Michael breathed deeply, held it, rounding the corner with his weapon aimed in front of him. His shiver of fear transformed into a stampede. The bodies of his SWAT team hung before him in the foyer, from their own grappling cords—a hangman’s dream come true.
His gun almost fell out of his hands. “The best we had—all dead,� he whispered.
“Don’t they make wonderful marionettes, Detective?� Trenton taunted.
Michael searched for Trenton’s voice and found the madman standing on the landing above the open foyer. A silver, metal banister topped panes of frosted glass all the way up both staircases, terminating with a larger pane bearing the Genetic Corp emblem—a double helix. Trenton stood behind it, smiling at his handiwork.
Seeing him renewed Michael’s resolve. He launched himself into the foyer among the bodies, using them for cover as he fired his submachine gun. The decorative glass exploded in front of Trenton. He leaped away as sparks ignited on the metal railing and stonework around him.
Michael pushed his way through the dead team members, trying to track his elusive target. Trenton appeared half way down the right staircase, firing one of the weapons he had taken from his victims. Michael used the corpses for cover. Bullets riddled the bodies, spraying Stamos with blood, but he wasn’t giving up.
Michael returned fire. His better aim sent Trenton on the run again, amid a hail of bullets and shattered glass. The ammo clip ran dry. Michael snatched out the double clip, flipped it, and inserted the other end with fresh rounds. He pulled, released the bolt, then took aim.
Two tear gas canisters sailed away from the balcony, leading trails of yellow smoke. Trenton stood at the point of their origination, cackling. Sirens wailed outside on approach to the building. “I’ve no more time to play with you today, Detective,� he said. “I’ll leave you to explain the deaths of these men to their wives, and children.�
Michael tried to find him—his eyes burning like fire. The cloud of tear gas billowed around him. He stumbled into bodies, causing them to swing like pendulums. One body slammed into him, knocking him to the floor. He choked on fumes. Every mucus membrane in his head screamed for mercy, emptying in a vain attempt to clear the irritant.
•••
Trenton ran from the balcony above the foyer as the tear gas filled the room below, swallowing Detective Stamos. The sirens outside multiplied, growing louder. He had to get to the lab and retrieve his mutagen formulas and the extra gas cylinders.
The lights came on—power restored. They’re coming into the building. It suited his purposes as well—power to run the computers.
Trenton kicked the lab door open, just in time to see the main vault door closing. “No!� He raced across the lab, reaching the door with less than a hand’s breadth of space. The massive door stopped, becoming flush with the wall. Trenton heard the steel bolts sliding into place within the mechanism. He slammed his fists into the door, but it was no use. Not even his new strength could penetrate the vault.
He turned back to the computer terminals which lined the counters, and ran to one of them. Trenton typed in his access code. He could still open the vault, and retrieve the gas cylinders, while he downloaded his formulas onto a jump drive. Access Denied.
“What?� Trenton fumed.
He tried again, but the computer repeated the message. Trenton grew enraged and punched his fist into the flat screen monitor, shattering it to pieces. He moved to another terminal and tried again. The message repeated. He had to force himself not to destroy this terminal too.
Trenton heard police officers entering the building, commands given, and gasps of horror at the carnage left for them in the foyer. He had to hurry. Taking on an entire police force, probably in riot gear, would not do him any good now.
“Come on!� He tried something else—typing in commands to show him why the computer had denied him access. He hit the enter key and waited.
Trenton couldn’t believe the message displayed on the screen. ERROR—ENCRYPTED FILES NOT AVAILABLE—LOCKDOWN COMMAND—JHALLOWED.
“Jonathan!� Trenton screamed. He smashed all the computers left on the counter.
“Up here!� someone shouted.
Trenton turned as two policemen, in body armor and gas masks, opened fire on him from the doorway. He grabbed a rolling chair and whipped it sideways toward them. The chair crashed into the doorway, causing the men to flinch away. Trenton took advantage of their distraction and ran toward the door as the chair hit the floor. He charged forward, grabbing the body armor of both men. Trenton lifted them up and threw both officers over the railing. They dropped four floors to the foyer below, where a host of police officers had assembled.
“Get him!�
More police officers surged after him from the elevator and the stairwell. Trenton tore down the corridor away from them, wishing he had taken one of their flack jackets. He still needed to protect his vital organs from sustaining too much damage.
They followed Trenton, the frontrunners opening fire. He prepared to turn right, but another two officers appeared as he closed on the intersection. Trenton mowed over them and kept going to the left. He didn’t usually work in this part of the building, but he could hear and smell lab animals nearby. He knew if he entered one of the locked doors, he might trap himself. A window came into view at the end of the corridor.
Trenton picked up his pace as the officers got a straight line of fire behind him and took advantage of it. Bullets ripped into his back. Trenton’s white shirt soaked through with blood. He gritted his teeth against the pain. Adrenaline rushed through his body. The window fractured ahead of him, as bullets impacted the shatterproof glass.
Trenton leaped at the window. It exploded outward. He fell four stories, but landed on his feet. He took inventory of himself—no broken bones, but plenty of bullet wounds. Trenton felt the inevitable low coming on him from taxing his body so much. He imagined recovering from tonight’s escapades would dwarf the usual hour or two of extra sleep he needed, since exposing himself to the mutagen.
He ran into the trees beyond the Genetic Corp property line as the police officers appeared at the window, searching the ground below for his corpse. So sorry to disappoint, Trenton thought. But even though he had escaped, he still didn’t have what he needed. As he passed into the trees, he whispered, “Jonathan, I’m coming for you.�
HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME
16 FULL BURN
Jonathan watched the traffic pass, as he sat in rear seat of Joseph’s BMW. The dark, tinted windows hid them from prying eyes, just in case. The Branton sign passed the window as Jay fidgeted with his laptop. “Jonathan, you really need to listen to me.�
He turned from his distraction—a hundred thoughts swirling through his mind. “I’m sorry, Jay. What were you saying?�
“This “Full Burn� document—it talks about one of the side effects of Trenton’s mutagen. It causes a dramatic increase in metabolism, so much it reduces lifespan.�
Jonathan focused now. “I’m not quite following—you mean I’ll die?�
“Sooner than you normally would, according to Trenton’s own research,� Jay said. “Apparently, the harder his lab animals were pushed in experiments, the more they flou
rished—but they also died much faster. It’s like they used up their natural lifespan by using the power the mutagen gave them.�
“Full burn—it makes sense,� Joseph said from the driver’s seat. “Does he talk about lab subjects that weren’t pushed in that manner?�
Jay searched the document on his screen again. “Yeah, he had another group that lived almost as long as his control group that didn’t receive the mutagen.�
Jonathan smiled a little. “Then I just don’t exert myself by using the strength the mutagen gives, right?�
“Not just that,� Jay said, “The mutagen will accelerate healing.�
“That would burn life too,� Jonathan concluded. He looked back through the window, gazing at the sky. Why has this happened to me, Lord?
The phone rang. Joseph picked up the cell phone from the front seat and checked the display. “Jonathan, it’s Trenton,� he said.
Jonathan and Jay looked at each other for a tense moment. “Please answer it, Joseph.�
“Sir?�
“We need answers more than anything…go ahead,� Jonathan assured him.
Joseph hesitated, then pushed the call button and placed the phone to his ear. “Hello?�
Jonathan watched Joseph’s reaction to hearing Trenton’s voice again. After all that had happened over the past few days, things could never be the same. Jonathan thought he saw Joseph’s face grow flush.
“Trenton, don’t you realize Jonathan was killed in your lab?� Joseph asked.
Jonathan heard the voice on the phone grow loud enough for him to hear. “Don’t play me for a fool, old man! Put him on the phone!�
Joseph’s face became hard—a sign he was giving way to his temper. “Trenton—�
“Joseph, I’ll talk to him,� Jonathan said.
Joseph looked astonished and covered the phone. “Sir, I don’t recommend doing that. He doesn’t sound himself at all. The mutagen has—�
Jonathan exchanged a thoughtful look with his friend. “It’s all right.� He reached, took the phone, and placed it to his ear. “Hello, Trenton.�
Heavy breathing on the other end subsided instantly. “Jonathan, I’m so glad to find you alive, cousin.�
“I’m a little surprised myself. As I understand it, your mutagen is the reason for it.�
Trenton laughed. “I told you I was working on something that would propel Genetic Corp far beyond the competition. Now you see what I’ve accomplished—Immortality—the next step in man’s evolution.�
“I already had immortality, as a believer, Trenton.�
“You mean you believe you had it, but I’m talking about something real, tangible!�
“From what Jay tells me, it will shorten our lives, not lengthen them,� Jonathan said.
“Jay? Oh yes, the boy…I wondered how you managed to get into my secure files. That’s actually why I’m calling, Jonathan.� Trenton’s feigned cheer grew icy.
“I thought it might be.�
“I want my files unlocked,� Trenton said.
Trenton’s voice was full of barely disguised malice. Talking to him sent a chill down Jonathan’s spine. “Trenton, I want to know why you killed those people.� Jonathan had no reason to play coy any longer.
Trenton breathed deeply. “Every great achievement requires…sacrifices, Jonathan. I would think you, as a Christian, would agree.�
Jonathan became indignant. “Sacrifices? What you’ve done is nothing short of mass murder, Trenton. If that’s what your research has achieved, then there’s no way I’m going to unlock those files—now or ever.�
Trenton’s breathing grew heavier, but the outburst Jonathan waited for did not come. “Jonathan, let’s be reasonable. Perhaps if we could simply meet and discuss this? After all, we are still family.�
“I hope you won’t hold it against me if I refuse,� Jonathan said.
“A public place, Jonathan. I’m not going to harm you. I just want to talk about this. It’s true. The mutagen in its present form will greatly shorten our lives, but I’ve come up with a modification to counteract that effect. I can save both our lives, Jonathan. Surely that’s worth at least hearing me out.�
Jonathan considered it. “The Branton Mall. I’ll meet you in the food court at 10 a.m., okay?�
“Perfect, cousin. I look forward to it.� He hung up.
Jonathan closed the cell phone as Joseph pulled the car over to the side of the road. “How can you agree to meet him?� Joseph asked. “He’s become a cold blooded killer.�
“Trenton told me he’s modified the mutagen formula to counter the Full Burn effect. He needs his files to complete the modification and save both our lives.�
Joseph stopped short of saying anything more against it.
“What’s to stop him from killing us when we meet him?� Jay asked, closing his laptop. “Joseph is right, that guy is crazy now.�
Jonathan smiled. “In case you’ve forgot, you know computers, but I know fighting.�
“He’s killed gang members, even cops,� Jay reasoned.
“Hey, I’ve got the same power he does,� Jonathan said. “I think I can handle him. Besides, if he killed us, he would never get his precious research. At this point, I’ve got nothing to lose by talking to him. If I’m lucky, I might just talk him out of going through with anything that might lead to more deaths.�
•••
Trenton hung up the public phone and spat on the sidewalk. Now it was clear. The boy living with Jonathan was the key to getting his files back. The little delinquent had hacked his system and encrypted his files. Bad decision.
Trenton looked at one of the advertising displays until it showed him the time—midnight.
The streets were virtually deserted in Hilton this time of night. Trenton surveyed his shabby, bullet ridden attire. “I need some new duds.�
Trenton walked down the street until he found a clothing store. He jerked the security gate open and kicked the glass doors in. An alarm shrieked at the intruder. Trenton walked inside and filed through racks of men’s clothing, until he found something appealing to him.
He stripped off his tattered, blood-soaked clothing and dressed in a pair of black leather pants. He pulled on a black, short sleeve, spandex shirt, then retrieved a black leather trench coat from a nearby rack. A pair of Gortex boots completed his new look, just in time.
He watched a police cruiser pull up outside the front of the store. The officer stepped out and retrieved his pump shotgun. Trenton wasted no time. He leaped through the front window, catching the officer by surprise. The policeman tried to aim the gun at him, but Trenton outmaneuvered him and seized the weapon. The officer went for his pistol as Trenton smashed him in the side of the head with the butt of the shotgun. The officer went down like a sack of potatoes. Trenton aimed the gun at the unconscious man, then reconsidered messing up his new outfit. “This is your lucky night, Officer,� he said. “It wouldn’t do for me to meet my cousin with blood on my clothes.�
Trenton walked around to the driver’s side of the police cruiser. The door had been left open and the keys left in the ignition. How convenient.
Trenton started the car, put it in gear with a smile, and closed the door. He pulled forward in a sharp turn, hitting a large bump in the parking lot. “Oops! Sorry, Off
icer!� He cackled and spun the vehicle around in the street, then gunned the accelerator in the direction of Branton.
•••
Michael Stamos sat stunned inside the police surveillance van. A paramedic gave him oxygen through a mask, like a fussy mother hen. “I don’t believe it.�
“It’s Jonathan Hallowed’s cellular line for sure, Detective. We’ve been monitoring it just like you said,� the surveillance technician said.
“Jonathan is alive,� Michael pondered. “That explains the break-in at the morgue.�
The technician nodded. “What now, Detective?�
“Now we get everyone together in Branton and go after Trenton Hallowed.�
HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME
17 BRANTON MALL
Meeting Trenton at Branton Mall, almost twelve hours later, had given Jonathan, Joseph, and Jay a little time to prepare. Jonathan spoke into his hidden receiver-transmitter. “No matter what happens, Joseph, you have to keep Jay away from Trenton. He’s the only one who can unlock those files.�
“It would have been helpful not to have mentioned the boy’s involvement,� Joseph scolded.
“I blame myself, but Trenton knows I’m a dunce when it comes to that sort of stuff.�
“I’ll guard him with my life, sir. Don’t take any risks with Trenton. There’s no telling what he’s capable of now.�
Jonathan took a sip of his soft drink. “I’ll be careful.�
He noticed there weren’t as many people in the mall as he might have thought, but then Jonathan rarely went to such places. Joseph always did the shopping for his clothes and any other needs—he only need request something and his longtime friend attended to it. Joseph had even seen to his attire today—one of Jonathan’s Ivy League tee shirts, a pair of jeans, and sneakers. Jonathan wanted to fit into the middle class Branton scene, and just in case Trenton started trouble, he needed freedom of movement.