Strain of Vengeance (Bixby Series Book 3)

by Michelle Bryan

  A grimy hand grabs my ankle and yanks me off balance. I fall forward, my chin slamming into the top stair, the taste of copper filling my mouth as my teeth bite into my tongue. I flip over and try to raise my gun between me and the hovering leech. The smell of old rot and feces envelops me, disabling me with fear. The eyes staring down at me are murky, the life bleached out. My own eyes stick like glue to the leech’s throat as it ripples. The worm-like appendage forces its way out, exploding from the wide mouth and eager to devour. Its head bends, but I yank the barrel of my gun up and force it hard into the thing’s mouth. With no hesitation, I squeeze the trigger and its head bursts like a blood-filled water balloon.

  Hands grab my arms, and I instinctively fight until Gordo’s voice breaks through my fear.

  “We got you.”

  I don’t even touch the top stairs as he and Lewis yank me up over the landing and out of the reach of the dozens of hungry leeches now pressed into the stairwell. I’m back on my feet in seconds, wiping the blood out of my eyes with my sleeve and firing at the slimy bastards.

  They keep coming, climbing over their dead companions with ease. What the fuck? Thought they couldn’t climb? These bastards are having no issues crawling over the dead blocking their way.

  I keep shooting until the clicking of the hammer hitting the firing pin tells me I’m shit out of luck. Flipping my gun around, I start smashing the stock against any head that manages to pop out of the stairwell.

  “Why are they still coming?” Gordo screams over the damn gurgling. “The crew should be picking them off by now.”

  “Just keep shooting,” Lewis grunts back, but he, too, is bashing in heads. No ammo and outnumbered. This is not going to end well.

  The explosion rocks the house, and I swear the floor tilts even more under our feet. I stumble as I look around in confusion. What the hell just happened? Is the damn place about to fall down around our ears and bury us alive? Might actually be the easier way out of this mess.

  Before I can fathom what’s going on, shooting erupts from below, and I get a glimpse of men dressed in army fatigues seconds before someone bellows, “You up top, out of the way!”

  He don’t need to yell it twice. Gordon, Lewis, and I dive to the side as a hailstorm of bullets shred the leeches crawling up the stairwell into chunky salsa. Luke and the others emerge from the bedrooms as the onslaught subsides, and he reaches down to help pull me to my feet. His lip curls in disgust as his hand comes away covered in the gore I wear like a second skin.

  “Looks like you managed to get up close and personal. You okay?”

  “Yeah, but what the hell just happened?” I say, and he gives me a weary smile.

  “It’s Barclay and his soldiers from the research lab. They just pulled up in a fleet of golf carts of all the crazy things and blew the shit out of that horde with a fucking grenade. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. “I guess today is our lucky day then.”

  Sam joins in. “Depends on your definition of lucky. We may have lucked out defeating that horde, but I’m positive they informed the others of our whereabouts. We need to move ‘cause as sure as night follows day, more are on the way.”

  “Of course, they are,” I sigh. “Nothing about this can ever be fucking easy.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I was never so happy to see a shower in my entire life. By the time we arrived at the research facility, got the docs somewhat up to date, calmed down a frantic Amy, and settled her down with Evie and Scruff, the leech’s innards I wore stuck to me like glue. The shower made me feel slightly more human again, even if I did have to dress in the same dirty clothes. At least my jacket took most of the impact. It was a definite goner. I hope I could bum a coat off someone here at the facility before I had to head out again.

  Gordon tracks me down, and we join the rest of the crew already in talks with the docs and the army dudes that saved our asses. They’re assembled in the lab we saw on our first visit here. Doc Roger, Doc H, and Doc Kasina are all gathered around eyeballing Sam while Luke does the talking. Barclay and his men stand at attention around the lab, watching the room warily. I’m not quite sure if their intent is to keep people out or keep us in.

  Gordo and I slip noiselessly to the back of the room joining Badger, Mike, Dom, and Robyn, as they listen to the conversation bounce back and forth.

  “We expecting trouble?” I ask as I nod toward Barclay and his armed crew.

  Dom snorts. “With leech McKinley around, there’s always trouble.”

  “Hahahaha, funny, but if I wanted to hear from an asshole I woulda farted.” I turn from Dom’s glare and direct my next question to Badger. “What I miss?”

  “Nothing you don’t already know. Though I think Doc Roger would like nothing more than to dissect Sam right about now.”

  “I bet. We better keep an eye on Sam, else he’ll end up locked in with that hybrid they keep in the cage.”

  Badger shakes his head. “No, that thing’s dead. That was the first thing Sam asked about since he couldn’t sense it. Seems Sam’s the new guinea pig now.”

  Badger’s words rest uneasy with me because I know that the same scrutiny will fall on Amy. As if she hasn’t already been through enough. They better treat her with kid gloves or there’ll be hell to pay.

  “Let me get this straight,” Doc Roger says as he steps around Sam, regarding him like he’s some sort of specimen in a petri dish. “This fellow was held alive in a pod for months? And he isn’t mutated?”

  “Not physically, no,” Luke answers. “But mentally, he is connected to the hive mind. You were correct in that aspect. You were also correct about the super mind. Sam has confirmed it does exist. And not only exists, but controls any leech that’s spawned from it, plus it has awareness. It knows us and how we’ve killed so many of its kind. It wants to return the favor. We’ve been targeted for elimination.”

  Doc Roger shakes his head like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Fascinating.”

  Right. An alien creature wanting us dead is fascinating. I forgot how messed up the doc’s views were on this whole cluster fuck of a situation.

  Doc R glances at Doc H, his eyes glittering. “Jules, why do you think he didn’t mutate? The other hybrids look nothing like him. He still looks human. We must run some tests on him immediately. Find out what sort of connection he has to the superior mind. Do you think he’s dangerous?”

  “Only to assholes who talk about me like I’m not in the room,” Sam says dryly. “I can hear every word you’re saying, guy. I’m not a hybrid, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me like I’m one of them.”

  Doc Roger flushes under the accusation. “I’m sorry. Yes, you’re correct. It’s just that I’m perplexed as to how you were in a metamorphosis stage for months but still look human.”

  “Because I am still human.”

  I can tell Sam is losing his patience.

  Luke, too, as his response is tinged with annoyance. “We don’t know why. We don’t know the answer to a lot of things. We also don’t know why the young girl we brought with us, Amy, hears words from the hybrids when we hear low-pitched noise. We don’t know why Sam is connected to the one in control. We don’t know why the last few batches of hybrids we ran into looked more human than alien. We don’t even know why those bastards are here in the first place, or what they want from us. What we do know is that there is one definitely in control. That it’s biding its time in an unknown facility waiting for god only knows what. And Sam is seeing images of this facility and is fairly certain it isn’t that far away.”

  Doc Roger narrows his eyes. “What makes you think the super mind is close?”

  Sam shrugs and pauses, as if he’s searching for the right words. “I can’t explain it. It’s like… it’s like the closer we get to Ottawa, the more I feel its presence. The farther away I am, the images in my head are like a fuzzy TV signal. There,
but hard to see through all the static. The closer we get to the city, the clearer the picture becomes. This alien big bad is quite real and uses telepathy to connect with any leech in its hive.”

  “Makes sense,” Doc Howarth speaks for the first time. “If our research has told us anything, it’s how powerful their collective mind is. But it’s been eight years. Why has this being not shown its presence until now?”

  Sam shrugs again. “That I can’t answer. That’s why we’re here. We were hoping you could help us. The most important answer we need is this: if we can find this super mind and if we can destroy it, does it destroy the colony?”

  “Ellen?” Doc H throws Doc Kasina’s way. The lady doc arches a light brow.

  “Possibly. We suspect it controls all aspects of the workers and queen leeches. Everything they do seems to be centered around this enigma. But if they are similar to bees, then by taking out the one in control, we may only confuse them long enough until they replace the super mind, like the workers will replace their queen.”

  I cuss under my breath. There goes that idea.

  “But you aren’t sure?” Luke is like a dog with a bone. He refuses to give up on the idea.

  “No. The only way to be sure is to do it. Take out the super mind and see if the others follow its demise.”

  Right. Like that will be so fucking easy.

  “Then that’s what we do,” Luke says with decisiveness. “We’re running out of options here. With this target on our back, we may not live through the next attack.”

  “Umm, newsflash,” I interrupt, waving my hand. “I know you’re right, but in case you all forgot, we don’t know where it is. Sam says it’s a big warehouse, or stadium, or some shit. You do realize how many of those there are in Ottawa and the surrounding areas, yes? It won’t be easy to find.”

  Doc Kasina narrows her eyes at Sam. “Is there anything significant you can recall about this place? Anything that can help us locate it?”

  He crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. “I’ve wracked my brains trying to remember something that will give us a clue about this place. Bix is right. I’ve recounted everything I know. It’s big and dark and filled with hundreds of pods. That’s all I see. Every time. Nothing stands out.”

  The lady doc tilts her blonde head. “Maybe it’s because you’re trying to remember with the wrong part of your brain. Maybe your subconscious mind holds all the answers we need. Have you ever been hypnotized?”

  Sam’s snort holds a little more sarcasm than necessary. “You being serious right now?”

  She doesn’t even crack a smile. “Completely.”

  “Listen, doc, not to be rude or anything, but I think hypnotism is a crock of baloney.”

  I totally agree, but what have we got to lose?

  “It’s worth a shot,” I say, and Sam glances over at me in surprise. “We need to find this bastard, Sam, or else we’ll never have another moment of peace. Like Luke said earlier, we may not survive the next run in with its horde of assassins.”

  Sam grins and runs a hand through his hair in resignation. “Since you put it that way. Okay, doc. Let’s do this thing. As long as you don’t make me act like a chicken or some shit. And fair warning, I’m pretty stubborn, so it’ll probably be a struggle for you to put me under.”

  “Can you hear me, Sam?”

  Doc Kasina’s voice is smooth and melodic as Sam slouches in the chair, his head lowered to his chest, and his hands limp in his lap. She put him under with ridiculous ease, even with us all watching. Impressive. I had to learn how to do that shit.

  He mumbles, “Yes.”

  “Good. Okay, Sam, we’re going to have a little talk. On the count of three, you will be in the presence of the super mind. Don’t worry; it won’t be aware you’re there. But I need you to look around at your surroundings. You need to tell us everything you see. Do you understand, Sam?” He mumbles yes again.

  “One. Two. Three.”

  Sam’s head stays lowered to his chest, but he sits up straighter like he’s no longer as relaxed.

  “Don’t be afraid, Sam. Relax. No one can see you. Are you in the building?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me what you see, Sam. Tell me everything, even the slightest little detail.”

  He takes a couple of deep breaths, and I suck in air along with him.

  “It’s dark. Cold. So cold.”

  His voice is sluggish.

  “Can you see any light, Sam?”

  “No. No light.” He tilts his head and his brow furrows. “Wait. There’s light shining through a hole in the roof. I see it.”

  “Good. Let your eyes adjust to the light, Sam, so you can see everything.” She waits for a moment. “Can you tell me what you see?”

  “There are pods. Everywhere. So many.”

  Icy fingers tickle up my spine. I’m so afraid of what he will say.

  Gordo shuffles next to me and I glance over. The freckles on his face stand out against his pale skin as he watches Kasina and Sam. “I got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Shhh,” I shush him and turn my attention back to the doc as she keeps up her questioning.

  “Are the pods filled with hybrids undergoing metamorphosis?”

  Sam’s head moves slowly back and forth like he’s trying to understand.

  “No. I don’t think so. Some are just people being held in stasis.”

  Okay. Stasis. This is something new.

  “Held for what?” Kasina asks what I’m thinking.

  Sam takes a moment to answer. “Food I think.”

  Fuck me. A gasp echoes around the room. I mean we shouldn’t be surprised. We already knew we were the main food supply for these bastards, but to know they were smart enough to create a human pantry is a whole other level of shock.

  Gordo pinches my arm. “I told you I had a bad feeling about this.”

  “Button it, kid,” Mike warns as Kasina sends a glare of irritation at us.

  “Is the super mind there?” The doc reins in her irritation and continues.

  “Yes. It’s here. The pod is bigger than the rest. Thicker layers.” His hand lifts as if he’s touching something, then he pulls it back to his chest. “I don’t want to touch it. It’s in there. I can see it. There’s a pulse coming from it. A vibration. Just being near it makes me sick to my stomach.”

  “Then don’t touch it. Just look. What else do you see?”

  “Metal walls. Concrete floors. Barrels?”

  “Is there any furniture?”

  “No. I think I’m in a warehouse.”

  Great. A warehouse. Like there weren’t a million of those around.

  “Is there a window?”

  “Yes. A window on the other side.”

  “Go to it. Tell me what you see.”

  He falls silent for a moment. Finally he says, “There’s another building outside. A taller one with a round roof. A silo.”

  A warehouse with a silo. Now, we’re getting somewhere.

  “Is there a sign, or a name you can see?”

  “No. No sign. But there’s a bottle of wine.”

  “There’s a bottle of wine outside the window?” Kasina looks over at us in puzzlement.

  “No, not outside. On the silo. I think it’s painted there.”

  “Holy crap.” Doc H sits on the edge of his chair, his eyes lighting with excitement. “I think I know what he’s talking about. The Taylor Winery and Vineyard outside the city limits.”

  “Yes.” Kasina nods, a smile lifting the corner of her lips. “You’re right. I saw that painted bottle of wine every day on my commute to work.” She turns back to Sam. “Okay, Sam, you did good. I’m going to wake you up now. On the count of three.”

  “Wait.” Sam surprises her into silence. “It’s calling to me.”

  What’s calling? The big bad? Not good.

  “What’s calling to you, Sam?” Kasina echoes my thoughts.

  “Who cares, Doc? Bring him back,” I whisper urgentl
y.

  She ignores me as Sam keeps blabbering. “The pod is glowing. So pretty.”

  Pretty? A minute ago he was complaining being near it made him ill. Something isn’t right.

  “Sam, you need to wake up now. One…”

  “Not yet. I need to know,” Sam interrupts her again, and the earlier chill I felt escalates into a full body tremor. His eyes start flickering back and forth underneath his closed lids like he’s watching a kaleidoscope of images, and his hand reaches out as if he’s reaching for something only he can see. Luke takes a couple of steps toward Sam and Kasina.

  “Doc, it’s probably a good idea to wake him now.”

  The murmuring is so low at first, I can’t quite hear what Sam’s saying. His voice raises in pitch and the tortured ‘no’s’ become quite distinct.

  “Doc,” I urge in panic.

  Sam’s face suddenly contorts, as if he’s in excruciating pain. A last mumbled “no” falls from his lips seconds before he starts convulsing like he stepped on a live wire.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Gordo yells as we all surround him, unsure what to do.

  “Sam, on the count of three, you will awake.” Kasina’s words are strained but calm. She leans over Sam, her face hovering above his. “One. Two. Three.” She snaps her fingers under his nose. Sam stops convulsing as his head falls to his chest, but his eyes don’t open. I rush to his side, Luke on my heels.

  “Sam.” I reach out for him, but Luke holds me back.

  “Wait. We don’t know what’s happened to him,” he says.

  The crew’s faces are etched with concern, even as some of them rest a hand lightly against the knives sitting on their hips. Preparing for anything. Sam still doesn’t move.

  “Doc? What’s wrong with him?” I whisper. “Is he awake?”

  “Yeah, I’m awake.” He groans and lifts his head. “Man, I can’t believe this bullshit actually worked.”

  I let out my pent-up breath. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. No. I guess so. That was fucking intense.”