“Food. Existence.”
That’s it? No big take over the universe plot. No Star Wars fight for the galaxy reason. Just the simple fact that we were an overpopulated chicken farm in their eyes. Ripe for the picking.
As if to emphasize the point, its hand curls at Amy’s back and digs into her shirt. It lifts her from her feet and pulls it up close to its mouth as she screams in holy terror.
“Food,” it says again, mouth opening and the oversized teeth emerging.
“No!” I scream as both Luke and I fire on the beast’s lower extremities. Chips of bone scatter at our gunfire, but not a single bullet penetrates the thick armor.
Amy flails wildly, trying her best to stay away from the ginormous teeth.
“Sammy,” she screams in desperation, but Sam shows no reaction. He truly does belong to the beast.
A loud boom pierces my eardrum as the creature flies backward off its feet, dropping Amy in the process. It crashes back into the bookshelves, taking out three in its mad slide as they tumble over on top of it.
“You guys okay?”
Barclay and his fucking elephant gun. I’ve never been happier to see him. I run to Amy and pull her up. She wraps her arms around my legs so tight she nearly knocks me over.
“Come on, sweetie; we gotta go.”
I glance over at Sam. His face distorts like he’s sneering at Luke and Barclay, his eyes full of hate. Before I can utter a warning, he runs at Luke and leaps, bringing them both crashing to the floor. I scream as they roll dangerously close to the edge of the platform. Even though Luke has thirty pounds on Sam, Sam’s fueled by the thing in his head. He flips over on top of Luke, straddling his chest. His hands circle Luke’s throat, squeezing tight. Luke’s desperate gasps echo across the room even as he retaliates with a powerful right hook, but Sam stays attached. I run at them, dragging Amy behind me and not quite sure what I can do, but Barclay beats me to it. He coldcocks Sam with the butt of his gun. Sam topples over, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.
“Come on,” Barclay yells at me as he helps Luke to his feet. “We need to get out of here and blow this damn place now.”
“The others?” I yell at his back as we make a mad dash for the stairs.
“Out already.”
The creature appears out of nowhere, dropping to the floor in front of Luke and Barclay. We skid to a stop, trying to redirect our terror-fueled momentum. The super mind lunges forward. Barclay stumbles, trying to raise his gun, but he’s too late. With a swipe of its hand, the creature stabs its claws into Barclay, lifting him into the air. Luke fires on the beast, but the bullets ricochet off its head like it did the rest of its body. As if he’s an insignificant mosquito, the beast swats at Luke with his free hand. Luke tries to leap out of the way, but the hand connects with his back, slicing it open and sending him spiraling across the room into a pile of chairs. He slumps to the floor, unresponsive.
Amy’s screams mix with mine as I pull her into my body, trying to shield her from the grisly sight. We stumble backwards as the hybrid tears into Barclay’s stomach, shredding the soft flesh and pulling out his innards. The contents of my own stomach rise to the back of my throat, but I can’t tear my eyes away from Barclay’s death dance. He looks like a possessed marionette. His jerks and screams finally taper off as his eyes glaze over and blood bubbles from his mouth. His head slumps forward on his chest.
My throat raw from screaming, I stifle my shrieks as the hybrid tosses Barclay to the side like a child with a broken toy. I push Amy behind me between me and the wall as it turns to stare at us, head tilted to the side. I raise my rifle to my shoulder, trying to control my trembling and my bladder, as it comes our way.
Suddenly, it stops moving and I swear it smiles as Sam comes to stand beside it. They look at each other, and like some decision has been reached, Sam moves toward us.
“Sam?”
He shows no reaction to his name, his face a blank mask. It scares me more than the super mind.
“Stay back,” I growl at him, leveling my gun. He keeps coming.
I move sideways, tiny steps, my body pushing Amy as well, all the while never taking my gun off Sam. I inch us toward the edge of the platform. Maybe we could jump for it. Be lucky enough to hit some scaffolding on the way down and break our fall, along with a few bones most likely, but it’ll be damn better than having our innards ripped out through our belly buttons.
Sam is closer now. Close enough for me not to miss.
“This is your last warning, Sam. I’ll fucking shoot.”
He halts and just stands there, staring with his blank eyes. Then without warning, he leaps forward and pushes the gun down. I manage to squeeze the trigger before he yanks it away, but all I do is shoot a hole in the damn floor. The gun skitters across the wooden floor as he tosses it aside and towers over me. Yanking his knife from his sheath, he holds it underneath my chin and digs the tip into my neck.
“Sam, stop. Don’t do this,” I whisper, staring into his blank eyes.
Amy starts crying. “Sammy. Don’t hurt Bix. Please, don’t be mean.”
He glances her way, and I swear I see a tiny flicker of recognition.
“Sam, you don’t want to do this,” my whisper is more urgent now. “It’s me. It’s Bixby. And Amy, your sister. You don’t want to do this. You don’t want to hurt us. Please, you have to remember us.”
The knife’s point pulls away a little, and the pain eases off. I think I’m getting through to him. The hybrid emits a low growl, and I feel Sam stiffen. The knife digs in again. I suddenly realize what it’s doing. It’s testing Sam’s willpower. Seeing how much control it has over him.
“Sammy, you can fight it,” I say. “Kick that bastard out of your head. I know you can do it.”
The thing growls again, and Sam starts to turn, but I reach up and grab his face, keeping his gaze connected with mine.
“Look at me. It’s me. Bixby. Bixby and Amy. You remember us. I know you do.”
His eyes stare deep into mine, and I swear I see the moment he pushes that thing from his head. It’s like a cloud lifts and leaves nothing behind but the clear blue sky.
“Bix?” he whispers just as I catch movement out of the corner of my eye.
Luke hurtles toward the super mind holding one of Barclay’s grenades to his chest. He leaps and jumps on the hybrid’s back.
“Luke. No!” I scream in absolute terror. I know what he’s fucking doing. He’s going to blow up the super mind, sacrificing himself in the process. He glances at me for a split second as I scream his name, his ebony eyes filled with apology. The creature staggers under his weight and stumbles close enough to the edge of the platform that one leg goes over. Luke pulls the pin and shoves the grenade inside the damn things boney shell. It jerks and twists, digging a claw into Luke and preventing him from jumping away.
“Luke,” I cry again, my voice twisted with fear. Sam reacts instantly. Plunging toward them, he drops to the floor and slides straight into the creature’s other leg. The creature falters for a moment, letting go of Luke as it tries to catch its balance, before going over the side and taking Luke with it.
“Grab my hand,” Sam shouts as he reaches out, seizing Luke’s wrist. Luke leaps as Sam pulls, and they manage to get the big guy back onto solid ground. They smash into the platform and scramble backwards, trying desperately to move away from the ticking timebomb still hanging onto the ledge. The creature’s claws scrape across the floor, digging into the wood and trying to climb back up. But it starts losing traction. As if it knows its time is up, it growls in pure frustration as it lets go and reaches out, latching onto the legs of its enemy. I stare in shock as it falls backward, taking Luke and Sam with it.
“No!” my agonized scream resonates around the platform seconds before the explosion rips the air. A shower of gore rains down over Amy and me. My legs buckle, refusing to support me any longer. I sink to my knees screaming, as my heart shatters into a thousand tiny piece
s.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Fourteen months later.
It’s surprisingly warm for December. The sun sits high in the clear blue sky, heating the top of my head and cheeks as I climb the path between the mountains at the back of the farm. I glance up. No sign of snow whatsoever. Amy will be so disappointed. She desperately wanted snow for Christmas. But if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s we can’t always get what we want.
I pause at the top of the pathway and unzip my jacket and take off my scarf and gloves. I’m dressed way too warm. Jessica’s fault. She was always fussing over me lately, ever since the bedrest episode. Like I’m some fragile china doll that needs to be treated with kid gloves. Even as I berate her in my head, my heart knows exactly what I’m doing. I’m stalling. Trying to avoid the inevitable sadness.
Turning left on the worn path, I approach the small markers I saw only once before, even though they’ve been here well over a year. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to visit. The memory of burying them still too fresh. But it’s time to let go.
The cemetery is quiet. Not a breeze rustles the bare branches above my head. All I hear is my footsteps crunching on the dead leaves. Dead leaves. Dead trees. Dead people. Everything here is dead. I swallow the lump in my throat. Passing the older graves, I reach out and touch the first of the three wooden crosses I’ve come to see. A tiny smile tugs at my lips even as I’m overcome with heartache.
“Hey, Barclay. Thanks man. I never got a chance to tell you that. You saved the day.” I give the cross a tiny salute before turning to the next grave.
“Hi Badger,” my voice a broken whisper. “I know it’s been a while, buddy. I’m sorry I took so long to come say my goodbyes. I hope you’re cheating at poker and making all the angels laugh. Or demons. Wherever you ended up.” I kiss my palm and lay it gently against the cross. My eyes move slowly to the next grave in the line. I don’t want to acknowledge it. I don’t want to go anywhere near it. But I have to do this.
Anguish swells in my chest, making it hard to breathe as I step toward it and carefully kneel, so I’m facing the cross with his name. The sun’s warmth stands out in contrast to the chilly horror of the grave in front of me.
“Hey,” I squeak. My voice breaks and I gulp hard. Clear my throat. “Don’t be angry at me for not coming to see you sooner. I just couldn’t. It was too painful at first. Then it was just too hard to get around, as you can probably see.” I rub at the large belly hanging between my knees. As if the little one inside senses it, it kicks against my hand. “I hope you understand.”
Just seeing his name written there crushes me.
I didn’t think it would be this hard. Not after all this time. I look away since the crudely written letters feel like daggers sticking into my chest. Tears squeeze from my eyes and trickle down my cheeks. I wipe them away with the back of my hand and steel my heart. I can do this. I pull my eyes back to the simple cross and talk to the grave as if he’s standing in front of me.
“I miss you. I miss your smile. I miss your laughter. I miss your kindness.” The tears threaten to choke me, and I stop talking until the crying subsides. I swallow the lump in my throat and try again, rubbing absently at my belly. “This little one is due in a month. Amy is confident it’s a boy. I’m not sure about that, but whatever it turns out to be, she says it’s got to be named after you, boy or girl.” I smile through my tears. “Can you imagine? I’m going to be a mother. Crazy right? Never would have believed it. Never would have let it happen a year ago, but things have changed so much. The ravagers have all but disappeared, slunk off to god knows where as soon as the leeches left. Once we got the word out about the frequency on the radios, it was like they knew they no longer stood a chance, so they just up and left as mysteriously as they came. Sad part? No host bodies survived the evacuation. They all died. The leeches mangled their insides too badly. I guess it’s for the best. Can you imagine having memories of tearing people apart?” I shudder as my own bad memories come flooding back to me. I push them aside. Today is a day for healing.
“It’s been 415 days since we lost you.” I nod at the cross. “Yeah, I count the days. It’s almost Christmas again. Amy is so excited. This will be the first time we’ve celebrated Christmas since this whole shit storm happened ten years ago. Kip says we’re going to go all out. Christmas trees, presents, baking, the works. She says we need to celebrate taking back our world. I don’t know how much celebrating I’ll be up for. And yes, I’d know what words of wisdom you’d say if you were here. Some shit like, ‘Don’t let my sorrow stand in the way of my happiness’ or ‘Life’s got to be lived, no matter how long or short.’ You were always full of shit like that.” I try to laugh but a sob erupts instead. I place a hand over my mouth, trying to contain the wail threatening to erupt. “I miss hearing your crap… I mean wisdom. You always could talk me down.”
The tears flow harder now, but I keep talking. I need to get this out. I need to do this, so I can continue to heal and move on. I wipe the tears away. Choke back a few more sobs. I rest my hands on the grave and dig them into the dirt. Like doing so would take me closer to him.
“I came here today for a couple of reasons. First, I want you to know I’m sorry. I’m sorry I never told you I loved you back when I had the chance. I did. I loved you unconditionally. I always will. You’ll always be a big part of my life, and I’ll never forget you. You saved my life, in more ways than you will ever know. I’m sorry I wasted our time together.”
The words break as another sob racks my body. I wait a moment. Get myself back under control. “Secondly, I want you to know, I’m going to be okay. We all are. Me. Amy. The whole unit. You don’t have to watch over us anymore. I know that makes you happy. You were always so much more caring and loving than I ever was.” I smile at his name through my tears. “You’ll be happy to know I’m working on that. One day at a time. I’m hoping this little one will help me accomplish that.”
I stop talking as a slight breeze picks up and whistles through the hills. It lifts my hair and whips it about my face, caressing my cheeks with its soft touch. I close my eyes, enjoying the wind in my face, imagining it’s my forgiveness. Him telling me he’s glad I’m moving on and living my life. He’d want that for me. For all of us.
A shadow falls over me, and I realize I’m no longer alone. I open my eyes and stare up into Luke’s chocolate gaze. He drops a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it tight. I lean my cheek into his hand.
“You okay?” The love in his soft voice immediately starts to heal my bruised heart.
I nod.
“Sorry to intrude, but I was worried about you.”
“No, I’m glad you’re here. I don’t think I can get back up.” I point to my massive belly as Luke softly laughs, pulling me to my feet. I lean back into him, and he wraps his arms around me, laying his big hands on my stomach.
“I still think you’re carrying twins.”
“Bite your tongue,” I growl over my shoulder. “I’d rip my hair out. Never mind the fact that Amy would then want to name them both Sam and Sammy.”
He chuckles in my ear. “Yeah, she would. He would like that.” He nods at Sam’s grave.
We fall silent for a moment as Luke rocks me gently back and forth, staring at the resting spot of our friend and giving me the time to pull myself together.
“I’m glad you came and made your peace.” He breaks our silence and kisses the top of my head. “You needed to do that for both our sakes. He may have lost himself under the super mind’s control, but in the end, he was Sam again, and I’ll be forever grateful for that. He sacrificed himself when he pulled me back in. I would have gone down with that beast to save you and Amy. He could have let me. But he chose to intervene. Why the scaffolding stopped my fall and not his, I’ll never know. But he made that choice to help me clearly as Sam. Your Sam, Bix. He was a hero. We owe him our lives and the life of this little one.”
He rubs my belly as I fight ag
ain to hold back my tears.
“I’m sad that he’ll never know how grateful I am.”
“He knows,” Luke whispers as he drops a kiss on my neck. I take comfort in his touch.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For what?”
“For never giving up on me.” I turn in his arms and stare deep into his dark eyes. “I love you. I always have.”
He smiles. That smile makes my belly quiver in anticipation and my heart fill to capacity.
“I know.”
And as his lips meet mine, the tiny breeze blowing over us brings with it the promise of a new and happier leech-free future.
Epilogue
The man’s screams bounce off the walls as they drag him through the hallway, one ravager on each arm, making his struggle useless.
“Please, let me go. Please, I beg you. I can give you food. Water. Whatever you need.”
His pleas fall on deaf ears. The ravagers haul him into the room at the end of the hall and toward the light of the huge fire burning in the center of the area.
A man sits by the fire on a raised platform, surrounded by a bevy of others, almost like royalty. His green mohawk lists to the side as he picks at the scar on his cheek. A leftover from a piercing that long ago had been ripped from his skin. His eyes shine bright in the firelight as he stares eagerly at the new offering standing at his feet.
“What do you want done with him, Gunner? Throw him in with the others or string him up?”
Gunner pulls his knife and studies it before jumping down from his chair. He stands directly in front of the prisoner, staring up at the taller man in silence.
“I can give you things,” the man pleads again, his eyes bulging with his terror. “Whatever you want. You don’t have to do this.”
Gunner tilts his head to the side and studies the man. “But that’s where you’re wrong my friend. I do have to do this.” He points the knife at the man’s throat, and the Adam’s apple bobs up and down in fear.
Strain of Vengeance (Bixby Series Book 3) Page 21