The Scourge (Book 5): The Eyes of Darkness

by Maxey, Phil

  The man to his left kept repeating over and over. “Praise be to the scourge… Praise be to the scourge.” While his head appeared to involuntarily bob up and down.

  The enthusiastic person giving the sermon continued. “But I have sad news to report to you, which is why we are all here tonight. One of our saviors, king Tyror is no longer with us. Struck down in the heat of battle, but not before sending hundreds of our enemies to their deaths!”

  Despite the chill from the icy droplets falling on him, Amos felt a rush of warmth which produced a smile. “Good.”

  “Sshh…” said the elder man to his right.

  Amos looked up at him and frowned.

  “So we will stand here for one hour—”

  “One hour!” The volume of Amos’s voice got away from him, and he immediately tried to shrink into the muddy hole that was opening up beneath his feet, hoping his outburst was not heard behind the downpour.

  “Alkron number four-two-one-zero-eight!”

  “Shit,” said Amos under his breath. That was his new designated number, newly imprinted near the scar of the old one. The sound of heavy boots splashing through puddles made those around him suck in some air. He looked along the row of drenched men, at the black uniformed individuals walking towards him.

  “You need to keep your mouth shut, kid,” said the older man. The babbling from the Alkron to his left intensified.

  Two guards, standing at least a foot taller than Amos grabbed him under his shoulder’s and dragged him away through the mud.

  *****

  Kizzy stood under the blankets of rain with the other females and sighed. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on a beach, the sun beaming down but not hurting, and muscular tanned men on their knees, each one happily offering their wrists and necks to her. Amos was on a giant pink inflatable on the ocean, waving at her. She smiled. It was kind of nice not having your boyfriend be able to read every one of your thoughts.

  It had almost been an hour since she was told the glorious news that one of the kings had died, and that the inmates should stand in silence in the prison yard. Most around her were struggling to stay upright, but her muscles and tendons were as fresh as the moment she walked out. She hadn’t been born a natural athlete but the scourge had transformed her into one, and she would forever be thankful to it for that.

  Her first few sessions of ‘Re-education’ had been a bore which she just about managed to stay awake through. Something about the scourge being sent from a higher power, and the kings being the keepers of the message. Or something. Most of it she tuned out.

  A screech rang out, seemingly waking most in the prison yard up. “And so we offer our thanks to king Tyror, for his tireless efforts to fight for us, and all that come after us…”

  “Right…” said a stout middle-aged woman to Kizzy’s left. The younger woman looked at her. “My names Margery, what’s yours?”

  The person on the loudspeaker continued. “Praise be to the scourge!” A clunk rang out from the exit to the yard and people starting shuffling in that direction.

  Everyone in Kizzy’s row turned in that direction. “I’m Kizzy.”

  “What’s your ability? I’m a tracker.”

  Kizzy looked briefly over her shoulder while moving forward. “I knew a kid like that.”

  “Really? I’ve never met anyone like me. So what about you?”

  “I can change my body… get larger, smaller…”

  The woman laughed. “Now that’s an ability I would like to have! You can eat as much as you want!”

  Kizzy giggled.

  “If we wanted anything other than blood that is…”

  Kizzy nodded. The blood supply had been sparse, even compared to the rations she used to get in Jankle. It felt as if the corporation wanted their minds to be preoccupied with the thirst. And it was working.

  They walked through the double doors which led to the various blocks that contained the cells.

  Margery walked to the right. “Stay strong, Kizzy!”

  The young woman walked in the opposite direction. “You too!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Anna moved her head slightly out of her passenger’s window and looked up to the infinity of stars, the sky being as large and expansive as the flat landscape they were driving through. She enjoyed the wind in her face for a moment, before ducking back inside. Joel sat to her right, driving the black pickup, while Corine was in the green version and Dalton in the RV with Barry. They had all agreed that they needed to take the two pickups in case anyone from the previous small town moved through that area, and left the banged up SUV with Shirl, just outside a section of the fence which she could easily get to if needed.

  “You see any helicopters… or… anything else up there?” said Joel.

  “Just lots and lots of stars.”

  “Be happier if we could get off these open roads. Even with our head headlights on low, we can probably be seen from miles around.”

  A silence returned to the cab.

  “I wonder if they have gotten to the island yet…” said Anna.

  “Not for a few more days, if the seas are calm, which at this time of year they’re probably not.”

  She looked across to him. “Do you really think we will find them?”

  He glanced at her. “Amos and Kizzy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We have too.”

  After a few more hours of driving they arrived at a junction, their headlights lighting a series of green signs, one of which mentioned that Salt Lake City was a hundred miles west.

  Joel clicked on his radio. “Do a right here, we’re go north of Salt Lake.”

  He and the woman next to him knew that Haven was half that distance away, but kept the thought to themselves.

  Miles of flat sand and dirt, occasionally interrupted by dark barren bumps, which then became mountains with shimmering lakes, before returning to desert passed by outside. After eight hours of traveling the eastern sky was tinged with pink and orange, highlighting the silhouettes of distant hills.

  Joel clicked on his radio. “We don’t want to get stuck out here when the sun’s up. Next small town or ranch, we’ll stop. Over.” Agreement came back through his speaker.

  Twenty minutes later as the sun’s rays broke over the horizon, white trailer homes appeared nestled amongst trees.

  “We’re stop somewhere here. Over,” said Joel.

  They passed a bar which looked as if it had been forgotten for a hundred years, more single story homes surrounded by construction equipment, than a convenience store. Joel noticed the motel sign nailed to a tree, and they all parked in the lot, back from the road.

  Each person got out and stretched.

  “Everyone get plenty of rest. We’ll be back on the road, late afternoon. Another long ride tomorrow, then the fun really starts.”

  Dalton grunted and headed towards a paint-chipped door, one of five entrances to the ground-floor rooms, while the others did the same.

  Joel threw the full backpacks on the floor, and placed his rifle near the top of the bed, then heavily sat and leaned back. Despite it still being night, he was exhausted. A combination of fighting for their lives earlier in the day and ten hours of driving proving enough to force him to lay down.

  Anna walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She traced her fingers over a network of tiny groves beneath smears of blood, and wondered how old she was, for she looked ten years older.

  The end of the world really takes a toil on your skin.

  She wanted to smile but felt unable too, the future being too uncertain. She turned the faucet which argued by producing a distant chugging noise for a few seconds before water started to flow, then removed the dry crimson from her face and arms.

  She looked again in the dusty reflective pane in front of her, and nodded.

  That’ll do.

  Returning to the single room and the double bed, she climbed under the sheets and wrapped her arms
around a sleeping Joel.

  *****

  They all stood or sat in Joel and Anna’s room, the space being dissected by slithers of light being cast through the blinds.

  On the bed was a large fold-out map of the western states.

  “Roughly fourteen hours’ drive gets us to the coast. And we got to expect corporation to be on most of the main roads.”

  “And after that?” said Dalton.

  “Find the facility. Observe. Distraction, get inside and leave with Amos and Kizzy.” He looked around the silent response. “No one said this is going to be easy, but the two we are rescuing risked their lives for me, for Anna, for the people of Jankle and other places. And they will again if we get them out… Each of us has a role to play.”

  “Even me?” said Barry sat on a chair in the corner.

  Anna responded before Joel did. “Not you! You stay in the RV, where you’ll be safe.”

  “But I can help. I stopped all those people from hurting Shirl.”

  “And one day, when you’re older, maybe you can help protect people again, but not right now.”

  The boy looked down.

  Joel looked around the others. “You both clear on the route?”

  “Head towards north Cali. Got it,” said Dalton.

  “And we keep to the small roads. Hopefully, we’ll get lucky and not bump into anyone. If we get split up, you know the points to head to, depending upon where we are along the route.”

  They nodded.

  “Get your gear and lets get out of here.” Joel gave a smile to Barry but the boy avoided seeing it, and left with Dalton and Corine.

  Anna waited for the footsteps to fade, then looked a Joel. “You promise me, he won’t be any part of what we’re going to have to do? He’s still a kid.”

  “We’ll leave him far from any trouble we get into, then circle back around and pick him up. But I’m going to need the four of us to get this done. Amos and Kizzy are counting on us.”

  She nodded. “I know.”

  They were soon heading through a landscape being drained of color by the setting sun.

  Joel looked along the two-lane road and thought about where it ended. His home state. When he left California, he fully intended never to return. Too many memories, and sure enough, as the sun completely died for the day, images of happiness which he presumed would last forever forced their way into his mind. His son’s reaction as he opened his final Christmas presents, his wife’s tears as she said ‘yes’ to his proposal, and finally his parents’ pride in their son graduating Quantico. The last vestiges of the previous days injuries became subdued by a new pain, the pain of loss.

  He swallowed. “So, you spent much time in—” Before he could finish his attempt to distract his mind his hybrid eyes caught tiny pinpricks of light on the horizon. He clicked on his radio. “I’m seeing lights up ahead. No idea if they’re on this road or nearby. Over.”

  “What do you want to do? Over.” said Corine.

  Anna was looking through a set of binoculars. “Maybe… a vehicle. Still too far out to see.”

  He scanned the surrounding darkness, trying to make out any irregular shapes which could be buildings, but couldn’t see any. “What do you think the chances are, that they didn’t see us?”

  She continued to push her vision into the night by the lenses. “If they are moving in this direction. Zero chance.”

  He held his radio to his mouth again. “Keep going. If they’re on this road, maybe they’re not corporation. Over.”

  “And if they are? Over,” said Dalton.

  “Then we’ll deal with it. Over.”

  He glanced at the woman next to him. “Can you see any details?”

  She shook her head slightly, biting her lip. “It’s too dark. Even with my hybrid eyes. But I think… they’re on this road.”

  He clicked on the radio talk button. “They could be on this road. Everyone be cool, and if they’re just—”

  “It’s a heavy vehicle…” interrupted Anna. “headlights are spread out… but… low roof… could be a pickup…”

  “Or a humvee.” A blanket of disappointment landed on Joel.

  Too soon.

  “Just what? Over.” said Corine.

  “Looks like it could be the corporation. Over.”

  “Good,” said Dalton.

  Anna nodded to herself. A distinctive dark outline of a vehicle she had seen many of over the past weeks made itself obvious in her eyepieces. “Yup. Humvee.”

  “Let me take the lead Dalton. That goes for you as well Corine. If we can talk ourselves out of this, that’s the best result. Over.” Joel placed the radio by his thigh. The fact that the military vehicle was coming towards them, was now clear.

  “Shit,” said Anna. “They’ve stopped. Looks like they parked across the road.” She looked at him, concern across her face.

  Joel eased off the gas. “That’s fine.” He looked at the assault rifle by her side. “Cover that up.” Reached down he picked up the Glock near his feet and placed it on his lap, making sure his jacket covered it, then held the radio to his lips. “Hide your weapons. Don’t give them an excuse… Here we go. Over.”

  The convoy stopped about a hundred yards from the humvee. He strained his eyes and from the shadows two soldiers started walking towards them, while another two stayed with their vehicle. He could smell the scourge on those approaching.

  Don’t be like Amos…

  They were both dressed in black uniforms with scarves across the lower half of their faces, and had assault rifles. The taller one walked on, leaving the other within the pickup’s headlights, and stood alongside the driver’s door, raising his rifle. “Get out of the vehicle, real slow!”

  Joel slid down his window, producing his best false smile. “Hi! What can we do for you?”

  “You can get out of the vehicle! Put your hands up where I can—” A rush of wind was followed by a spray of blood across Joel’s face, and the clatter of automatic gunfire from the soldier in front of the pickup who was trying to aim at the roaring figure in the dark. Joel slammed down on the gas, the pickup surging towards the soldier, but just before the fender would have made contact, the hybrid shifted to the side.

  “Look!” shouted Anna pointing ahead. “They’re leaving!”

  Joel kept on driving. “We can’t let them get away.”

  As the pickup accelerated there was another burst of gunfire from behind, but this time it was cut short by a scream.

  He concentrated on the rear lights of the vehicle ahead. “Get the M4 ready. I want them to know we’re armed.”

  Anna pulled it up, slid her window down and rested the rifle on the seal. “Why do you think they’re running?”

  “Maybe they know what we are, who knows.”

  They were now almost at ninety miles per hour and still not catching those trying to escape.

  “Can’t we go any faster?”

  “I’m all the way down on the gas. Are they in range?”

  Anna held the rifle and looked along the sight. “Lets find out.” She fired off a volley of shots, sending neon streams into the night, which ended with sparks coming from the humvee. It veered off the road onto the desert. Joel swung the steering wheel, the pickup bumping over a small mound, crashing back down on the flat dry surface. “We’re gaining on—”

  The humvee suddenly dipped as if it had fallen into a hole, then flipped, trunk over hood, flying into the air, then landed, tumbling over and over until it crashed into a small rock outcrop.

  Joel’s pickup skidded to a stop narrowly avoiding the crevice.

  “They have to be dead,” said Anna.

  Joel pushed his door open as did she. The engine of the military vehicle still whirred, and in the glow of its headlights what remained of a broken soldier was obvious against one of the larger boulders, but then he heard it. A scraping noise, coming from about ten yards to his right. He looked at Anna across the hood. She nodded and they moved across the sand an
d dirt until they came across the second soldier, his hands trying to pull his broken legs forward. He rolled over on his back, groaning in pain, then held his hands above his chest.

  “Don’t kill me! I’m like you!”

  Anna raised her rifle at the man’s head. “You’re nothing like us!”

  “Wait,” said Joel.

  She looked at him, her eyes full of hate.

  “We need him.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “I…” The soldier forced another breath into his lungs. “I need blood. Give me some and I’ll say we crashed in the desert. We never saw you!” He was reclined on the wide padded seat in the RV, his face unmasked, but blood was trickling from his mouth, and his legs were still positioned at awkward broken angles.

  Joel held up the military radio he had taken from the wreckage. “You tell anyone you saw us?”

  The man shook his head. “No…” he swallowed. “We were out of range. That’s why we left Mitch and Ford. We were trying to get closer to our base…” His eyes widened. “Are they?”

  “Dead,” said Dalton with a smirk.

  “Were you looking for us?” said Anna.

  The man looked confused. “Looking for you? Who are you? We were on our way to Salt Lake. To the blood—” He stopped, realizing he had said too much. “Give me some blood and leave me at the side of the road. I’ll heal, even in the daylight. I can make it back. I swear I won’t say anything!”

  Joel looked at the soldier’s name tag on his chest. “Private Hines?”

  “Yes, sir… Are you in the military? You got that way…” He looked at Anna. “Please I need blood to heal. The pain…” His eyelids lowered briefly, then sprung open.

  Joel looked at Anna. She pulled open the small refrigerator, and pulled out the last blood bag they had.

  “You’re giving some of our stash to him?” said Dalton.

  Joel ignored the question, took the bag, pulling the stop off then held it above the soldier’s mouth, which was open, and let a drop fall.