Asunder

by Tonnie Johnson

  "You crashed my car." It sputtered through the pain and the blackish blood that flowed from its wounds. "I visited you and Jonathan in the hospital. You said you never should have driven my car. The Sunliner!"

  "Liar!"

  "Stop!" Luc reached out to stop Michael from taking what would have been a close-range head shot.

  In the heat of the moment Michael reached out to give Luc an elbow shot to the face. Luc side stepped and moved to deliver a round kick which Michael dodged, the two went at it fast until Michael grabbed the other man and slammed him to the ground but before he could register anything, he flew back and head slammed against the wall. Lights out!

  The creature limped away as Luc scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the new figure in the room, a lithe figure of a woman standing over Michael's unconscious body.

  "Freeze! Not another move!" Luc shouted ready to fire.

  "Bullets are useless." The woman said, her voice smooth and sultry as soft velvet. She turned to face him and for a moment he thought his eyes deceived him. Long auburn hair, creamy skin, and that same cunning glint in her eyes.

  "Jona?!" He coughed trying to regain his composure. He shook his head and looked away before taking the measure of her features again, like trying to identify a blurry picture he had seen clearly at one point in time. 'This must be her, the woman Michael and Shane mentioned.' his eyes softened and he regretted closing them though nothing seemed to happen.

  "It's me." She smiled wistfully. "You still look good."

  'Look good.' Luc looked at her again. "But why?" he wiped the tear that threatened to fall. "How?" He couldn't bring himself to believe. "No! Who the fuck are you?!" he tried to steel his resolve however fruitless it may be.

  "Jona." She stepped forward. "It's really me Luc." She placed her hand on her chest. "Are you going to shoot me? Like Michael shot Shane?" She gestured to the area Shane was last seen. "Or will you trust your heart the way my brother could never trust his?"

  "I can't..."

  "The last day we spent together, before the blast was under that large oak tree. I made all your favorite snacks, each of them with a theme, it was so silly."

  "Baby."

  "Yeah, that's where I told you I was pregnant."She held up the pristine locket. "You switched them out."

  Dumbstruck Luc staggered back, his stomach threatening to spill the contents of his small meal.

  "I don't know what they did to make you believe I was dead. But I went straight from the hospital to the airport. For the longest time, I had no idea where I was until I escaped."

  Luc lowered his weapon yet did not slip from his defensive posture. His heart pounded in his chest.

  "I was in Italy at first. I tried to get back to you, but they caught me before I could reach the nearest town."

  "Ragweed." Luc said more to himself than her.

  "Just a terrorist group controlled by the real threat."

  "Ambrosia Tech."

  "Erulians." She looked away. "Mutated humans, changed by the virus into something more powerful and dangerous. They won't stop until they control the world. Not from the shadows like they've done for so many years, but in the open."

  "So, they infect Michigan and California? Why those two places?"

  "I think Cali was a mistake. Something must have caused it but not intentional. Detroit was the testing ground. Now there are virus drops planned for every region in the US."

  Luc seemed to breathe again, his mind clearing, and he realized he was talking without grasping how. Like his mouth and mind took over to speak and move without his knowing. He had slipped into the role of an agent as quickly as she had shown up and it filled him with a disjointed sense of unease.

  The vending machine trembled and shifted ever so slight yet enough to cause concern about the Jaggers on the other side.

  "We need to leave now!" The woman picked up Michael like he was a bundle of soft fabric. "We can save everyone by stopping Reiniger from giving the order for the drop, I have friends who can help us." She moved and Luc had to follow. "Reiniger's son has already left. He has no other reason to hold back on his assault."

  Luc pointed to the exit which lead to a private tarmac and in his dazed stupor he didn't realize that the door was ajar this entire time. Most likely that creature's means of escape. He wondered where the creature had gone but he wasn't left with much room to ponder. His feet were moving, following the woman who seemed to show an exceptional amount of restraint, as if slowing down to not leave him behind.

  They ran toward a small private Jet nearby and quickly ran up the flight of steps.

  "Jona! Thank God!" A man with a thick Italian accent ushered them inside and detached the stairs.

  "These are my friends." She plopped Michael in nearby seat. "Tell the pilot to go, now." She turned to the man who rushed to the front.

  The small crew closed the hatch and strapped themselves in the plush seats.

  "Jona..." Luc said the name instinctively, the frog in his throat lingered.

  She sat in the seat across from him to keep a respectful distance though she leaned toward him desperately wanting to close the gap yet unable to know how.

  "Talk." Luc restrained himself as best he could. They looked human, all of them, that much was certain but ... what's underneath? That was the question which plagued him and now he and Michael were on this plane with them. "Are all...?"

  "No. David is human." She points to the salt and peppered haired man in the gray sweater. "Anne is one of us." She gestured to a redhead who looked like she never left 1985. "That's Tony." She then directed him to a lanky Asian man. "He's one of us." Then last, a blond haired Russian named Vadim. "But we have others helping out, a mix of humans and Eurlians. They'll be meeting us there."

  "They aren't monsters." David crossed his legs and unbuckled his belt once they were in the sky. "Contrary to what you might think. Whether we like it or not, the world will never be the same after this. It's important for us all to work together, or there may be a war."

  "One we can't win." Jona swallowed hard.

  Anne lifted herself with ease and leaned over the seat staring hard at Luc and yes, it was there, the reddish eyes, pools that reflected light so easily. "We didn't ask for this, we have family and children we want to go home to, and keep safe." She smacked on her gum before taking the gooey pink mass out her mouth and tossing it on her table. "Reiniger and his Subject Zero project will ensure a 100% turn rate."

  "What is Subject Zero?" Luc asked, his face contorted in confusion.

  "Most of our dormant DNA isn't junk, 15% of it is capable of much more. Then when you take into account that some parts of it are non-human and are carriers for ancient viral codes that affected us hundreds and thousands of years ago...."

  "So people are being turned because of some sort of ancient non-human virus?" Luc wanted to laugh in disbelief.

  "Yes." She replied simply, unable to give him the chance to snigger. "When you consider the fact that Earth is made up of two planets, not just one and things get even weirder. Two planets within the Goldilocks Zone, both capable of sustaining life, now fused together."

  "Are you saying we have alien DNA?"

  "Not really alien to us, it's a part of us, just not from here."

  "And this Reiniger person discovered this?"

  "I don't know." She shrugged. "No one knows how old Reiniger is. But we know he was the first. I was part of one of his research teams, brought on back in 1955. I was thirty." she remained quiet to allow the truth to sink in. "We live for a very long time. Though I don't have an exact number or if we are immortal. I just don't know. When I learned of Eurlians, I was so eager to learn, eager to change."

  "Why are you trying to stop it?" Luc asked curious.

  "Don't look at me that way." She glanced away to avoid those praising eyes. She felt a hunger inside when she looked at him and choose to divert her attention out the nearby window instead. "I'm no saint. I got curious as to what my family had be
en up to. If my son was still alive, things like that. Perhaps human sentiment taking over? Maybe I fell on my head. I have great grandchildren. Don't get me wrong, if it was guaranteed they would turn into Erulians, I would chance it but they could also turn into those toothy bastards, or some other monstrosity."

  Luc twisted his lips in a sneer. "What do you know of this Subject Zero?"

  "Over the years, lots of people were named precursors. People with very rare blood types. We experimented on them, creating and using the virus in a variety of ways."

  "Rare blood types?" Luc whispered to himself. "Jonathan.... is that why you took him?

  "Hey!" Anne held her arms up like a suspect getting arrested. "I took no one!"

  "Jonathan is missing?" Jona exclaimed.

  "He has RH-null blood."

  "Fuck." Jona breathed. "I think I might know where he was taken. There's a secret row of labs on the lower floors. he's most likely there. Now wake up my brother."

  Varick leaned back in his seat, first class was nice, real nice except for the smiling spokeswoman staring at them. "I can’t believe my father has the money for this shit. When I think of the life I had, it was rough."

  "Poor lad. Your father searched everywhere for you. But now you're found and through him, you will learn to one day inherit all of this."

  "Right." Varick said in disbelief. “I’ll believe it when it happens."

  "You will understand in due time. Your father’s work is changing the face of mankind, and now you will too."

  "I find that hard to believe... again." Varick settled in his seat for the full flight, he didn't know what to expect when he finally reaches his so called 'father' but right now he would focus on the here and now and the increasing intoxicating scent next to him.

  No more than an hour passed when the plane rocked, little by little before increasing.

  "I'm sure it's just turbulence." Veronica assured them though there were no fear in her eyes. she was either very confident or just fearless. The latter was proven false when a massive hand smashed the metal of the floor from the lower cargo hold causing the plane to dip deep and veer off course.

  The guards were on it, firing at the muscled arm which reached out, snatching guard after guard dragging them through the twisted metal hole.

  "Protect them!" Veronica yelled, charging into business class.

  "Get back." Hans ordered the two.

  "What the hell?!" Veronica hollered.

  "What is that?" Hans said after the curtains which separated the sections tore away exposing their very large problem. Huge and muscled beast with long dreads... Riddick.

  "Fuck! Him again!" Varick groaned.

  "How?" Hazel stared wide eyed at the beast emerging from the torn and twisted metal.

  Riddick burst from the floor slamming the guards and attendants around like flies. The plane rocked and swayed with each step.

  "Kill it!" The pilot yelled desperately trying to keep the plane from crashing.

  "Ew, it stinks!" Veronica held her nose. "Get him off the plane!" she shouted more indignant than anything.

  The remaining guards opened fire while Hans stood at the door way blocking Hazel and Varick from the chaos.

  The plane tilted low and fast fast slamming Hans into Varick and Hazel.

  "What's happening?!" Hazel screamed.

  Varick looked at the bullet hole piercing the cockpit. "Shit!"

  The plane righted itself once more and Hazel climbed over the others and opened the door to the cockpit to see one dead pilot and the other wounded gravely.

  "Fuck!" Varick passed Hans to reach the second row of seats. He had dealt with Riddick before and he would do it again, not hide in first class while others fought his battle for him. He charged down the aisle like a bull sending Riddick wheeling back but the hulking monster gave as good and he got knocking Varick back into the window, cracking the first layer of protective glass.

  Veronica knew she needed to get rid of this nemesis before they wouldn't have a plane left. Drastic measures were in order. Veronica kicked open the door, the blast of wind threatened to pull them all out to the clouds and a lengthy drop. Varick grabbed the nearest handle at the sudden suction and the last of the guards flew out the plane into the clouds. Veronica charged Riddick sending him and herself flying into the dark abyss. Hans slammed the door shut and locked it as much as possible. The inside was stable as much as it could be and now one problem transformed into another. The injured pilots.

  Varick rushed down the aisle toward Hazel who stood and straightened her dress. "You okay?"

  "Yeah, this guy isn't though." She breathed noting the pilot who coughed up a string of bloody mucus.

  "I can't..." The remaining pilot coughed up a stream of clear vomit.

  "You need to land us now!" Hans ordered.

  "The city, people will die..." The pilot gasped.

  Hans looked out the window, they were low enough to see the city lights shining in the dark. "I don't give a damn!"

  "He's going." Hazel saw the light of his eyes dimming.

  "Listen, what do you need us to do to help you land?" Varick snatched the dead co-pilot from his seat.

  "We're getting way off schedule!" Hans whined.

  "He's gone!" Hazel yelled grabbing for the wheel to steady the dipping vehicle.

  "Fuck! We're going down!" Varick yelled.

  "Let it crash!" Hans ordered.

  "What?!" Varick and Hazel replied in shock.

  "We're not humans, we will survive it! You want to know what you are, we'll now is as good a time as any to find out!" Hans stepped away and strapped himself into his seat in first class.

  "Oh my God!" Hazel's heart raced.

  "Fuck it!" Varick said, it was now or never, they either die or they don't. He grabbed Hazel taking her to the back and strapping her in the seat. The plane tilted completely and Varick slammed against the seats and struggled to buckle himself in until Hazel grabbed him holding him tight before their limp bodies twisted and bounced in the fiery metal heap.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Then there was darkness. Varick was sore but in one piece. He yanked a piece of the plane from his chest, thankfully away from his heart but he was alive or at least he thought he was. The thick smoke and gas overloaded his senses and his first instinct was to pull and tug at the metal until Hazel was seen— strapped in her chair which had come loose and she was unconscious but alive and breathing. He tore her from the chair and lifted her up carrying her from the wreck. He wanted to go in after the older man but the fire grew bolder. Now Varick wanted to take Hazel and run away that perhaps this was a sign to skip Montréal altogether and flee somewhere else.

  "We're not human. We're really not human." he mumbled in disbelief fear gripping him. He traveled away from the smoking wreck through what looked like a heavily wooded forest path until he saw nothing but the black smoke rising in the distance. He hoped he didn't run into anyone, heavens knows what they must look like to others. Covered in blood, red orbs for eyes… but he felt stronger, almost rejuvenated. Hazel… he couldn't tell how she was doing, but her fever seemed to have grown worse and that intoxicating sweat covering her engulfed him. She groaned showing signs of life besides her breathing.

  "Don't speak." Varick said watching her open her eyes.

  He spotted lights in the distance and an overwhelming sigh of relief filled him. If he had to he would do whatever it took to get inside and keep it. He rushed as fast as he could until he came closer and closer to a sizable cabin situated away from the others.

  He sat Hazel by the door and looked through the windows. There were no signs of anyone inside. He placed his hands on the knob surprised it was unlocked. He stood at the threshold. It was one neatly decorated room with a small eat in kitchen, living area and a wooden narrow staircase going up to the open loft. It looked like one of those mountain cabin resorts you'd see in some nature magazine. Varick headed upstairs, his movements swift yet rough almost as if to signal
his entry into the property and his intent to not hold himself in check. Nothing. Just a small suite with a King-sized bed. 'Good, the place is empty and there's no luggage inside.' He retrieved Hazel from outside, and after sitting her on the sofa he closed the blinds and locked the door.

  He looked about the room and wondered how long they could stay before the owners found them. He had to keep reminding himself that they were safe and in no danger. Behind him Hazel stirred as she shifted into a comfortable position.

  His breathing, her breathing. His heart beat, her heart beat. His smell, her smell. Varick watched her a long time before turning around to face her, he needed to hear words, any words, he didn't care. Hazel opened her eyes, the sunglasses were long gone and the dark red cat eyes stared back at each other.

  "You must be mixed with something."

  'What an odd statement.' She thought. "Huh? Not that I know of. My mother is black and I’ve never met my father."

  "You’re an odd woman."

  Hazel lifted her head from the arm of the sofa. "I’m odd cause I don’t know my father?"

  "No, well that’s common for your people… I mean it’s something that happens a lot." he corrected as best he could. "Besides, we both have that in common."

  "But you were taken away from yours."

  Varick laughed. "Yeah, so he says."

  Hazel sat up indulging the strange conversation starter. "How old are you?"

  "Twenty-two, I might as well be twenty-three, my birthday is in a few weeks. Why?"

  "Just wanted to know..." she sighed. "We've been through a lot yet when I think about it I barely know you." after a beat. "I don't think you should stay here. I don't think I feel well enough to go on."

  "Stop that. I'm not leaving you. I don't give a shit what you say." He fired back but not angry. "We're safe now, let's focus on that. If anyone comes through that door, they're gonna fucking wish they hadn't."

  She rested her head back on the sofa arm and Varick stood, walking over to the table in the kitchen and sat down, he didn’t know why but this place was a little too intimate for him. He reached for a lighter on the table flicking it open and closed but no fire would come but it made him feel productive to do… something.