Lister took the proffered devices and made his way outside to the ATV. It was getting full and they had four people to fit in as well. He was worried about the weight at first but he thought Karak would not give chase once he had taken the village.
“Lister… there is more I need to tell you about Talcho.” the tone in Merrill’s voice bespoke the seriousness of the matter.
“What is it?” Lister was truly curious.
“Now might not be the best time. We got those sensors going just in time.” Merrill said as they lugged the last of his most valuable possessions out of the workshop.
“Yeah, I can’t believe he followed us.” Lister was feeling sick to his stomach. He had wanted to do something to keep these people safe and all he had done is brought terror down upon them.
“Who is he?” Merrill looked at him quizzically.
Lister had forgotten they had not told Merrill about the Karak part of their adventure. They had not wanted to worry him and at the time it seemed like a good call but now their chickens had come home to roost.
“We had a little problem at the caves.” Lister looked away from Merrill as he answered. He did not want to see the disappointment he was sure would be there.
“I knew it.” Merrill said as he thrust the throttle forward sending them into immediate motion which forced Lister back into the seat.
They drove into the village and all was quiet. Vita and Donovan were in the middle of the road at the far end of town waiting for them.
“Everyone is gone. They are headed for the shelter. They won’t find them will they Pappy?” Vita was worried.
“No girl. Those mindless creatures are after property and that’s all. They won’t be rooting around too long before they head back to their nest.” Merrill tried to reassure her.
“Then why are they coming here? What do they want.” Vita asked.
“It’s Karak leading a swarm of those damn bugs.” Lister spat. Vita was stunned at the revelation.
“He’s after us isn’t he?” Vita asked. The idea was something Lister had not considered. He did seem the type to carry a grudge.
“Let’s go.” Lister shouted.
“Where to?” Merrill was not looking at him and Lister could tell he was angry.
“To the portal. He can’t follow us through there.”
Vita had vaulted into the bed of the ATV with her usual grace and agility then helped Donovan who was anything but. They were moving as fast as the overladen cart could go as the last houses on the outskirts of the the village passed by. They were not going fast enough and Lister knew it. They exited what had once been a thriving community where now only ghosts waited in the windows. Lister could not help but feel this entire mess was his fault.
The bandit vehicle came into view careening around the last house in the village. They looked like they were out of control but Lister knew better. They had to stay ahead of the insects otherwise the bandits would be their next victims. The vehicle straightened out and came barreling toward them. Though there was still quite a bit of distance between the two vehicles they were closing fast.
Lister looked at his watch. The bit of luck they did have was the fact the portal would be opening about the time they got there. The bad news was Karak would be upon them before they made it.
“We have to lose some weight. Start ditching the machinery.” Vita said as though she were reading Lister’s mind. She looked at him with a furrowed brow, worry scrawled on her youthful features. Her glance told him all he needed to know, she blamed herself for the turn of events.
Donovan and Vita began to throw out the heavy items Merrill had wanted to keep. As they were doing so Lister kept his eyes on their pursuers. He could make out Karak in the passengers seat and Lister could swear, even at some distance, he could see a cruel smile exposing his too white teeth. The swarm was behind and it seemed the workers had found other things to interest them as some lagged back and scuttled about pillaging the empty village. It was mostly the large warriors following the bandits now.
They entered the forest and bore around a curve losing sight of the crazed bandits which were obviously on some kind of suicide mission. The ATV had been made lighter by losing most of what they had brought but with four passengers they were still slower. With their head start Lister hoped they could win the race.
“Here! Through here!” Lister shouted into Merrill’s ear.
Merrill cranked the wheel and they were off road. The trees blurred as they passed causing a kaleidoscopic effect which would have made Lister ill if not for the adrenaline. They narrowly missed a pair of trees as Merrill jerked the wheel to avoid them but another one appeared right in front and they plowed into it. The fleshy nature of the tree was not enough to stand up to the mass of the ATV. It exploded into messy, wet bits, barely slowing their out of control pace.
He looked back to make sure they had not lost anyone. Even if they had there would be nothing to be done, as this was a race for their lives.
Donovan had apparently kept a secret from them as he liberated a small revolver from his ankle holster. He looked to Lister, his secret out but he made no sign of apology for it. Lister realized then Donovan could have killed them at any time if it had indeed been his intent. He nodded to the heavy man and tried to spot the bandit vehicle behind them. He saw no sign and a glimmer of hope ignited in his chest. All at once the trees gave way to the clearing Lister knew was coming.
“Stop!” Lister yelled. Merrill’s mechanical arm slammed the throttle back and the vehicle slid sideways to a stop. Lister looked up and the portal was open directly over Merrill’s head.
“Thank…” he did not get to finish his appreciative comment to whatever deity he was thinking of as the bandit vehicle slammed into the side of the ATV, sending them skidding out of the way and into a thicket.
“Come on boys!” Karak shouted joyfully as he stood in his seat directly beneath the portal. He smiled at Lister and winked. Then with a quick hop he was gone.
The other two were ready to follow their leader but Vita was on them before they could even stand. Her amazing speed was a wonder to see as she traversed the twenty feet in two strides. Donovan was the next to exit the vehicle moving as quickly as his size would allow.
As Lister and Merrill were exiting the ATV they saw Vita’s blade come across the throat of the driver stopping short the scream frozen on his face. He clutched at his throat trying to stem the flow of blood spurting from between his fingers.
The other stood in the back seat and was drawing two knives from his belt a look of fury twisting his face. Vita’s head thrust forward and up, into his nose as her feet left the drivers seat where she had been standing. A thick crack of bone echoed through the clearing. He immediately dropped like a loose sack of manure, his face a gruesome mask of crimson.
Vita looked up into the portal ready to jump through but remembered her duty. She looked back to Lister and Merrill as they made their way to the vehicle.
“Come on!” Vita shouted, her eyes blazing with fearsome fire.
Donovan crawled up into the vehicle, his bulk slowing his progress but soon he was up and standing looking down at Vita.
“I will get that son of a bitch!” Donovan assured her as he pulled himself up through the portal with some effort.
The last two made it to the bandit vehicle as the skittering of the soldier bugs could be heard tearing through the trees like a fire set to blaze. They were close and would be on them soon.
“Go Lister.” Vita nodded to the portal. He paused for one beat. Some chivalrous notion was worming it’s way to his attention. With a whispered obscenity he pulled himself up and through.
“Pappy, your turn.”
“Oh no. You first baby girl.” he said in a tone that would brook no argument.
“But…”
“No buts. If you don’t go now neither of us is going to make it.”
“Fine.” Vita jumped through the portal.
Chapter Twent
y
Donovan knew his only chance of catching up to Karak was his familiarity with the surroundings for he was not nearly as fast or as agile as was the demon man. He stumbled as he hopped off the table and not for the first time in his life he cursed his two left feet but he quickly regained his balance and barreled after him. Soon he was out the door and making his way down the hallway. It was dark outside and the streetlights did not do much to illuminate the exterior but he could see Karak’s limp form being carried between two men as the screen door slammed in front of him.
He was lit by the dim hall light and immediately he realized his error. He heard one shot then another as the wood paneled walls began to exploded around him. Covering his head and crouching he stumbled forward and dove into the covered porch which fronted Lister’s apartment. The hail of shots slowed then stopped as he hunkered down, his arms over his head for protection.
Donovan took a moment before he dared peek over the sill and out of the large plate glass window under which he found himself hiding. Parked outside the building was a box truck and a squad of goons. They were falling back when one of them saw him and opened fire again. The glass shattered and Donovan ducked back down, a shower of shards raining upon him slicing multiple areas on his exposed hands and head.
“We have it! Let’s go!” the voice was one Donovan knew and he stood up quickly aiming his weapon. He began firing shots which were returned by the others though they were too busy retreating to aim. A couple of his shots impacted one of the goons but did no damage as the man continued to the truck.
“Alton!” he screamed with rage. Donovan barreled out the doorway down the steps as the rear doors of the box truck closed. His weapon empty he saw his nemesis looking out the passenger side widow at him. If it had been anyone else he would have been worried about getting a bullet put into him but Alton had a different way about him. The man was a sadistic and cruel being whose mission was to create as much chaos and cause as much pain as he was able but guns were not within his understanding.
Lister came crashing through the door just in time to see the truck disappear around the corner.
“What the hell happened?” Lister asked completely confused as he surveyed the damage to the building. The multitude of shell casings glinted in the light of the street lamps.
“They got him.” Donovan’s hands were shaking. Not with fear or adrenaline but an anger which threatened to overwhelm him.
From inside issued a loud low wail of grief which made them both turn to the sound. They paused for a moment not knowing what could have happened but they feared the worst. Gathering his senses Lister ran full speed back into the apartment, Donovan on his heels.
Vita popped up through the portal and turned in the air. She landed without a sound waiting for Merrill to come through. After a moment which seemed like an eternity his metal right hand came through. She grabbed it and pulled.
“Come on Pappy!” she urged as she yanked. Merrill’s head and torso came through but his progress through the portal was stopped as a tug of war began.
“They’ve got me girl.” Merrill was looking back down into the portal but all that could be seen was the static which made up the face of it. After another yank and he sank back into the portal to his chest.
Vita remembered Donovan’s coat and knew if she did not pull him through he was going to be cut in half. Terror gripped her as she began to pull harder.
“Calm down girl.” Merrill said looking directly in her eyes. She could feel the waves of fire breaking fiercely and knew the danger which lurked there.
“Alright.” she was pulling but Merrill was slowly being drawn back through the portal. Her eyes began to well up with tears. She was fiercely strong due to her demon blood but she was not strong enough to pull him from the grasp of the insects on the other side. If only…
“Vita, you are going to be alright.” she was horrified at his words but what was worse was the smile he had on his face. It was one of resignation and Vita could not contain her fear of what the peaceful look meant.
“Pappy, no.” her voice cracked as she pulled. She could not slow his inevitable backward slide.
“You be calm. You be safe.” he said as his head slipped beneath the portals surface.
“No, no, no.” she was frantically pleading for whatever help the universe could offer. Just then the portal winked out severing the metal arm. The pulling force she had been applying from her side sent her flying from the table to impact the wall. She slid down and ended up in a sitting position, Merrill’s arm laying across her lap. Her arms dropped to her side and she raised her head. A low, mournful wail of loss poured from her throat.
Lister and Donovan entered the dining room to see Vita sitting against the wall, eyes closed. Lister saw Merrill’s arm in her lap and felt a long absent pang of loss he knew too well. He did not need to be told the old inventor had not made it. His shock stopped him in his tracks for a moment but a moment only. He went to Vita and crouched down beside her. Even with all of his wit and intelligence he could not think of a single thing to say.
He took her hand in his as a comforting gesture. He was not used to doing such a thing so when she did not squeeze his hand back he did not think it odd. Her hand was hot to his touch but he chalked it up to her being shocked and grief stricken. He looked at the severed prosthetic and found he was glad it was merely metal and not flesh and bone.
Vita was breathing deeply and steadily. Lister could have sworn as he held her hand that her temperature began to decrease markedly. He looked back at Donovan who was standing under the archway to the living room his hand against the wall for support, head down. His breath was coming in ragged gasps as he tried to calm himself.
He had to reactivate the portal and get back to save Merrill. Lister looked around the room thinking something was not right. It was not the same feeling he had when he thought someone in his apartment, this was different. Something was missing. He let go of Vita’s hand and stood.
“My computer!”
Chapter Twenty-One
It was not such a stretch for the police to believe it was a gangland shooting. It would not be the first time such a thing happened in the neighborhood. Donovan had prepared the scene before they arrived. He knew what they were going to be looking for at a crime scene. He had been a detective before he had been recruited by The Temple. He did not disturb the scene but made sure it fit with the narrative he had worked up.
Donovan knew he could contact Magda and she would be able to clear up any pickle he might have found himself in. Being an agent of The Temple had it’s uses and he had used those services in the past but this was different. He did not want them to know what had transpired for if they did his mission would be over and the three of them would be locked up and interrogated.
The police were not too interested in what had transpired. Philadelphia was a large, dangerous city and this type of thing was all too common. It did not take much convincing or lying to get the police to believe the story. Donovan had always been a good teller of tales and people seemed to trust him for some reason which made it all the easier.
Once Donovan had dealt with the police he returned to Lister’s apartment. His face a mask of empathy and loss. One which he had worn many times and never enjoyed. Lister came out of his bedroom where he had put Vita down to sleep.
“We have to go back and get him.” Donovan said as Lister came out of the room. Lister had been through this same conversation with Vita and he did not want to go over it again.
“We can’t. They took my computer.” Lister said, anger and frustration evident in his tone. He plopped down into one of the chairs. He raised his head and locked his eyes on Donovan. Judging by the look on Lister’s face Donovan knew it was time for truth and to hell with Magda. He was going to tell the tale. It was the least he owed Lister after what they he been through. After what they had all been through.
“It’s a long story.” Donovan said without having to be asked the
obvious.
“We have time.”
Donovan worked for a group of people who considered themselves enlightened. At least it was what they had told him and he knew better than to argue the point. They had taken him from the depths of his despair and had made him more than he had ever dared dream he could be.
At one time, which seemed so long ago, he had been a detective in the New York City police department. He was from a long line of law enforcement officers and it was all he had wanted to be, at least before his fateful meeting with Alton Tremont. He knew the world spawned evil and he had seen it’s vile machinations though what he had seen was marked by humanity. One night though all had changed and had thrown him past the brink of insanity.
He and Andy Watts, his partner had been following a missing persons lead. It had lead them to and old but still operational industrial uniform cleaning facility. He was still a new detective and it was not his place to second guess his mentor but he had a bad feeling about the place before they had even arrived.
Around back they found the door was unlocked. Donovan was sure they were not prepared for whatever lay beyond those doors but Andy would not listen as he spoke his fears. As they made their way between the large washers and dryers the shadows seemed to grow darker as the weak moonlight from the windows bathed the scene in monochrome. They cleared the first floor and came to a door labeled “Authorized Personnel Only”. The two of them listened and could hear raised voices coming from the other side. Donovan had steeled himself as Andy opened the door slowly and carefully.
They crept down a metal staircase not making a sound. Though Donovan was not graceful nor was he agile he could move with purpose when he intended to. The voices became louder. The words were not something Donovan had heard before and the inflection made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. There was dim candle light at the bottom of the staircase, flickering in an oddly comforting way Donovan had thought at first.
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