Soulless (The Immortal Gene Trilogy Book 1)

by Jacinta Maree

  It didn’t take long for the torrent to overheat and the rebels to peel away from their cover points and run into the streets howling. I managed to keep ahead of their reach when a high scream came from behind. I took cover behind a car on the side of the street, as one of the rebels walked through the centre of the road carrying a decapitate woman’s head by her hair. I instantly tensed at the familiar shade of blood red.

  “Tonight, we take revenge for our fallen brethren. Take no prisoners, boys, for we feast on human meat!!” The leader cheered toward his pack of men as he flung Frankie’s head toward the high-school fence. It rebounded and bounced once on the concreted road, before rolling to a stop within reach of me.

  I stumbled backward, slipped onto my ass and slapped my hand to my mouth to stop myself from screaming. Words failed me. Thoughts failed me. The image was numbing. Oh, my God! No! My body went into shock; unable to believe what I was looking at was real. Her blue eyes were half-lidded; her face slack and her mouth popped open, frozen mid scream. The cut across her throat was clean and straight, suggesting a single swing had taken it off. I felt sick. Really, really sick. Even though I couldn’t smell her, I still held my breath. The rebel group charged toward the high school swinging their machetes and guns above their hands like flags, smashing car windows and setting the surrounding buildings on fire.

  It took all my will power to move, to look away from her pain stretched face. Despite the paralysing shock, I managed to scramble to my feet and crawl under the fence hemming the high school. I knew it was suicidal to go toward the main conflict, but Diesel remained trapped, probably drugged out of his mind. I couldn’t imagine what they’d do once they found him. The gunfire softened as I went around the side building. I struggled to regain focus. Everything felt lopsided as though the open field beneath my feet was as wide as a slim tight rope. Through the front door, the rolling clicks of automatic rifles emptied into the incoming horde. The pathway to the town hall was still clear, but it wouldn’t be clear for very long.

  Stumbling, I ran around the side of the school looking for a window I could smash to get in. Thankfully, there was a small unbarred window a little out of reach from me and away from the main fight. I climbed on top of some bins and hoisted myself along the frame. I used the gun to push open the window as I kicked my legs to propel myself forward. I barely managed to squeeze through as I fell forward onto my hands and stomach into the classroom. The nausea sat with me and I had to give myself a couple of seconds to catch my breath. My heart squeezed tightly as my vision spotted with dark circles. Frankie’s dead stare still sat at the front of my mind. I couldn’t shake her, and part of me feared I’ll still see her face behind each blink. My hands and knees shook to the point I couldn’t push myself up. The classroom I had snuck into was dark and empty, but I could hear the frantic movements of the remaining I.O.S agents out in the hall.

  Everyone was running, barring up the windows, setting up a barricade along the entrance. There were orders to recharge the torrent’s bullet stash and for more grenades. It was Carton’s voice. From where I crouched, I could see him bandaging up his shoulder from a stray bullet. They didn’t notice me come in as I slipped in behind them and went straight to the holding bay where they had Diesel.

  I found him still handcuffed to the bed, drowsy in his sedation. I dropped to my knees and shook him. “Diesel? Wake up!” He stirred as I yanked at the handcuffs.

  “Listen, we have to leave now. Shit, where are the keys? Okay, okay! Don’t move.” I pulled the pistol out and shot at the bed frame, loosening the handcuff. He rolled over as I dragged him onto his feet. He was heavy, but was conscious enough to take slow, sluggish steps. His entire weight pressed into the curve of my shoulder, causing me to buckle slightly beneath him. He tried to mumble something, but it was inaudible. With one hand, I wrapped it around his waist; hugging him into my side and the other, I pointed the gun forward.

  “Okay, time to walk,” I instructed and he grumbled in acknowledgement.

  I made it down the hall with him on my shoulder, but fell short when nearing the winding staircase that would led us back upstairs. Through the echo of the staircase, I heard the rebels break into the bunker and the frenzy of shots. The entire building shook. Grenades popped as the screams of the fallen pierced my eardrums.

  I turned around, heading to the back entrance when I nearly collided head first with a rebel sneaking in from behind. He swung his blade at me, catching my cheek as I immediately dropped Diesel. I barely managed to dodge his second swing as he stepped forward and I jumped back. He swung again and tried to plunge the blade into my chest when I caught his wrist. He was stronger than I was and managed to pull me off balance and threw me against the wall.

  He pressed himself on top of me, the blade inches from my throat as I used my forearm to hold him off. Below his eye line, I aimed the pistol and shot twice, ripping into his stomach and lower intestine as he shuddered and collapsed.

  Immediately, I dropped my arm and rolled my head back to clear my airways. The two second confrontation exhausted me. That was too damn close. Through the adrenaline, the cut on my cheek felt dull. I hadn’t noticed the second rebel come into the hallway until he fired twice at me. One of the bullets tore through my right thigh. My knees snapped inwards and I slammed my back against the wall before slipping to the ground. Blood spurted out from the wound, quickly staining my pants. I screeched and cupped my leg. The world spun. Pain overwhelmed me as I plummeted into shock.

  I knew I had to move, but couldn’t. I was stunned. Paralysed beneath the shock. He ran at me just as I lifted my gun and fired at him, hitting him in the chest. The man stumbled backward and clasped at the wound. My finger kept squeezing the trigger until the chamber emptied into his torso.

  As the shock subsided the pain that lifted was indescribable. I gripped my leg with both hands and grit my teeth, screaming internally. I took three sharps breaths before reaching over and taking the bandana off the dead man’s head. My hands wouldn’t stop trembling as I struggled to tie the fabric over the wound. I took three more sharp breaths, preparing myself for the agony. Slowly, I eased myself up on the wall and stiffly stood. My leg curled underneath me, and with every subtle movement, a new wave of nauseating pain speared up from the wound. I dry retched, spitting out bile.

  “Fuuuuuuuuuuckkk!” I punched the wall behind me. “You little fucking, fuck fucker!” Each breath trembled from my chest in sobs. I couldn't give up; at any moment, more deranged rebels could be coming down that hall with guns and bullets. I had to carry Diesel out, gunshot or no gunshot. We had to leave.

  “Diesel?” I called out, my voice begging and scared. He had managed to sit himself up but he couldn’t lift his head. From where he slouched, I saw the injection bruises running up his arm. Using the wall, I hobbled over to him. “Can you hear me?” Diesel grunted and sluggishly nodded. “Can you stand?” Again, he grunted. I carefully eased down and grabbed his shoulder. “Okay, you have to stand for me. Come on, stand.”

  I pulled on his shirt, and Diesel, very slowly and on unstable legs, eased into a stand. I caught his waist and rested his body weight back onto my shoulder. Using the wall for support, I limped toward the back door.

  I made sure to pick up the rebel’s gun as I checked and rechecked behind my shoulder for any more ambushes. As I stumbled forward, my arm slipped and I accidently applied pressure to my sore leg. Agony tore through like a fresh tear as I dropped Diesel and gripped my hand around the spasming muscle.

  This wasn’t going to work. I could barely walk. The blood running the length of my leg had pooled at the bottom of my shoe. Diesel was too drugged up to even stand. If any rebels were to catch us, I couldn’t protect us both. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I could protect myself. My mind numbed underneath the toxic panic. Despite any conscious effort to stay upright, I slipped down the wall and eased my leg out in front of me. The only good thing in this situation was the gun. Unfortunately, the chamber only had five bul
lets left. Five rebels I could blast a hole through before I became a sitting duck.

  “Nadia?” I jerked the pistol around but quickly dropped my aim.

  “Vance?” The blur of Vance ran toward me and dropped to his knees.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “I’ve been shot.”

  “I can see that.” From his backpack, Vance pulled out a small container of pills. He popped the lid open and offered me a handful. I didn’t care to ask what they were. I just shoved the tablets into my mouth. “It’s a bloody mess up there.” He sat back on his heels, gripping his hair. “This is so fucked up. Those cannibal freaks must’ve found the deserted truck…”

  I shook my head and swallowed heavily. “It was Walter.”

  “What?”

  “Walter led them here hoping to distract every one long enough to sneak him and me out. He was planning to use the town hall’s underground tunnel as an escape route. He kept going on about some bullshit about Carton not believing him.”

  “That fucking traitor.” Vance punched the ground. “I’m going to kill him myself.”

  “You still can. He won’t be running anywhere any time soon, not with that bullet I left in his knee cap.” I gripped my leg and shuffled myself into an upright position. “Looks like I was served some karma, huh?”

  “Why was he trying to sneak the both of you out?”

  A snap decision made me choose against telling Vance the truth. “Maybe he fancied me. I don’t know. I got out of there as fast as I could.”

  “I’m going to make that son of a bitch pay for what he’s done.”

  “That’s great and all but do you have anything to counter act the drugs in Diesel? He’s useless like this and I can’t carry him on my injured leg.”

  Vance shook his head as he unlocked Diesel’s handcuff. “No, they’ll wear off in a couple of hours. If you’re heading toward the town hall, I can help you get there. I’ll just need to get Frankie first. Where is she?” My heart picked up speed. Vance looked at me more sternly. “She did bring you here, didn’t she? I mean, that’s why she ran off…”

  I gently shook my head. “I escaped when Walter opened my door.”

  He checked over his shoulder. “So she must be still out there. She went back to get you, that’s what she said...”

  Guilt dried my throat. Was this the right time to tell him? “Vance…” I started when a loud explosion ripped through the second storey above us. Vance covered my head from the shattering debris before checking over his shoulder. Flames ate through the ceiling as the walls groaned in their struggle. I grabbed Vance’s sleeve. “You have to help us. We can’t stay in here.”

  “Okay.” He nodded quickly. “Okay, I’ll get you guys out.”

  He hoisted me up first and propped me against the wall. Without Diesel weighing me down, I was able to hop faster. Vance dragged Diesel up, and together, we made our break toward the back door. Smoke sat above our heads in hot shifting fog as we hit the back entrance doors and out into the field outside. We moved away from the shattering high school as the eruption of orange flames and soot overtook the air above us. Chutes of flickering black smoke vomited out from the windows and roofs, quickly blanketing the sky. We sheltered behind a large tree, using our elbows as masks and shielding our eyes from the floating soot.

  Once we were clear from the structure, Vance turned away. “Wait here. I have to find Frankie.”

  “Wait.” I grabbed him again. “You can’t.”

  “I can’t leave her behind.” He tried to pull my hand off. “Let me go, Nadia. What the hell is your problem?”

  Desperation painted me in sweat. I needed Vance to escort Diesel and me to the hall. If he ran out there, he wouldn’t be coming back. My throat was dry and tight. Almost as though he could read my thoughts, Vance’s face tightened. He shook his head while leaning away, not wanting to hear. “You can’t go back for her.”

  He shook his head again. “Let go.”

  “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, but you can’t. She’s dead.” The words sat above us just as thick and poisonous as the smoke bellowing from the school. I dropped my hand back to my side as Vance stumbled out of reach. He looked back toward the town, more determined than before to leave. “If you go back, they’ll kill you, too,” I tried to reason.

  His eyes jumped from my face to his feet in denial. “No, you don’t know what you’re talkin-”

  “She’s gone, Vance. I saw it myself.”

  “No… No!” He grabbed his hair. “No! You’re lying!”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “She can’t! No, she just can’t be-” he bent down with his head between his knees, gasping for breath, holding back his anguish. Sounds of heart ache ripped up his throat. He lifted his head up. Rage curled his lips. “Who killed her?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  He turned, pulling the knife from his pocket and pressing it against my chin in a fast, violent sweep. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter!” he snarled. “Tell me, who?”

  I cringed and lifted my chin up, away from the curved point. “Even if I told you there’s too many of them. Please, come with us. We can still go ahead with the plan.”

  “You think I care about the bloody plan?” Tears streaked through the dirt on his cheeks. He held the blade closer to my neck, his hands trembling.

  “Please… Vance. We saved your life once. You’re indebted to me, remember?” His eyes widened, but I wasn’t sure what thoughts crossed his mind. Beyond the scrunch of his nose and the blood shot eyes, he was unreadable. “Help us. Frankie wouldn’t want you throwing your life away.”

  Weakened beneath his misery, Vance dropped his hand from my throat. He then took Diesel’s arm and carried him across his shoulders. His hard expression didn’t lesson and I didn’t let my guard down. The knife was gripped tightly in his white knuckles, and I walked carefully aware just how much distance his arm needed to reach me. Most of the rebels took to the street. They fired their guns into the sky as the crack receded like fireworks, celebrating their victory as the town burned. As Vance helped escort Diesel and me to the perimeter of the town hall, we watched the rebels search each building and drag out any survivors. The whole town sunk into an orange and smoky ball just as we hit the town hall door and ran inside the foyer. The click of the closing room dulled the cheering and the crackle of the fire. I limped in and latched onto the railing. The town hall opened up to a high ceiling bombed with webs. The rafters cracked from past storms and neglect as decades of dust painted the marble to brown.

  “Down this way.” Vance waved me forward as we made the descent to the lower level where the musk of abandonment was thick.

  “Thank you, Vance,” I said, trying to bring some comfort.

  Vance didn’t say anything as he led the way down the chamber and stopped by lone door set up with a security pad. Diesel now had enough strength and mobility to stand himself up as Vance rested him against the wall. Vance then turned to me with a look of withered pain. The hard sheen that glazed over his eyes looked inhuman, like a monster was sitting just below the surface.

  My anxiety sunk deeper into the pit of my stomach. Vance then shrugged out of the backpack and forced it into my hands. “You will need this to continue.”

  “Vance-”

  “Follow the tunnel straight out. There is a creek that will lead you up to a secluded town. There should be people there. Just tell them you’re with the I.O.S” He then proceeded to take off his jacket and handed that over too. “This should be proof enough.”

  “Vance, please?” I begged as Vance’s hands curled into fists. He typed the passcode into the security lock and the door unbolted and popped open. I took a step forward. “Come with us...”

  “One last thing I need you to do for me. Tell me who killed her.”

  Before I had a chance to speak, the door down the corridor was booted open followed by a loud, echoing bang.

  “Well…” A figure stepped into the
room. “Here I was looking for that rat Walter, but instead, I stumble upon the main attraction.” The leader of the rebels stepped into the low lighting of the corridor, followed by twelve of his men, all covered in the blood of the I.O.S. They smeared it over their faces purposely, and around their lips the blood had been licked clean. It was sickening. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving so soon?”

  Vance slowly turned. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  The leader stretched his head back into a croaking laugh. “Oh no, no you’re not, none of you are. I’ve been looking for the little shits who killed four of my best men and then had the balls to take my truck.” He stepped forward, curling his lips into a snarl. “You almost made it too easy, especially with that moron spilling all of your little secret entrances for us. I will not kill you, not yet. I have much bigger plans.” He turned to the men beside him. “Bring them to me. Alive.”

  My back hit the door as the gang members advanced. Between Vance and me, we had one pistol with barely enough bullets to take down half of the group. I turned and looked at Vance, slipping him the pistol. “You want your answer. That’s the guy.”

  Vance nodded in his thanks, all soul and emotion vacant from his eyes. “Go.” He stepped aside, blocking their path, which allowed Diesel and I enough space to slip behind him. After two gunshots, the rebels crashed into Vance so fast I felt their bodies ram into me too, shoving both Diesel and I through the door as it slammed shut behind us. Diesel landed on top of me as the dirt scratched up my back in my skid. I pushed him off and scrambled backward, momentarily blinded by the heavy shadows pooling over the corridor.