by A McKay
“Help with what,” Zach now more interested, he was always a sucker for more violence and action.
“Before I left I learned of weapons or a weapon, the other side of earth. They are heavily guarded and no one has ever found it or if they did, they haven’t returned. At least until weeks ago when a group of agents told me that they were thinking of heading to the other side to assist.” Slade figured it was a code of words for some reason.
Zach eyed Slade in a questionable manner, “Okay, I overheard it when I was planning my escape through the vent system, which by the way is the stupidest idea ever.” Zach’s eyes were still on Slade. Something softened though. Now it seemed like they were back to how things use to be. Right there it clicked it seemed, their brains workings together. “These creatures lived in peace on our side with a magic called glamour.” Slade knew he didn’t know everything, but he knew enough to stop them.
“Glamour, like what’s in games,” Zach asked.
“Yes, how do you think the creators invented some those spells seem so real, they have connections, they live in harmony with the others. The Sanctum though thinks that is wrong and needs to be eliminated. Thousands, no millions of these peace-loving creatures are going to die, unless we do something about it. I have slain several of these mythical creatures, and I will tell you the damage that they can do, which is worse than a nuclear disaster is nothing compared to what Sanctum can do.”
“First of all, no one should name themselves Sanctum unless they are the Secret Service. Secondly if this is such top secret, how did you get out?” Zach made a good point, how did Slade escape so easily. Slade wished he could say it was his awesome planning, but no, it was too easy. Did he do the escape too soon? Slade paused as uneasiness crept up.
He started to revisit his mind on the happenings when it was interrupted with hooting and hollowing that erupted outside of the station. “They’re here,” Slade said wondering why the agency was being so loud.
“No, they aren’t it is that stupid gang again,” Zach sighed, “Hey since you’re here and I consider you a crazy person now. I can’t let you leave just yet, why don’t we put the past away. Help me kick these kiddies out of this town and I will help you.” Zach always playing a negotiator in every situation that made the hardness that was in Zach’s face now dissipated, he needed Slade as much as Slade needed him. If the blood bond truly was as thick as he thought it was, Zach knew all along that Rob was alive.
Slade nodded to Zach, and with that single action, they were back working together. Slade knew it would be hard for Zach, and one day Zach would break and show it. That didn’t matter. That day wasn’t now and it wasn’t going to separate them again. Slade would be there as Zach’s brother, until they died, the only problem was it could be coming sooner than later.
Slade didn’t break the human flaw yet though, Zach wouldn’t believe that humans weren’t on top of the food share. Slade knew eventually Zach would break. Something still had Zach trying to protect the old Rob from their child hood imagination.
Maybe the deep scars Slade had on his back from a group of harpies that he slayed would show Zach the truth. He would have to show him sooner than later so they could beat the man hunters from the Sanctum.
That was it, Slade would have Zach see the agents, and then he would believe if, now only if the Secret Sanctum would show up to prove that they existed, to prove he weren’t crazy. Zach was probably right about it being the gang; Sanctum wouldn’t make so much noise.
Zach led the way out of the station and stopped abruptly, Slade quickly stepped past him to see why the best sniper he ever knew stopped. The gang was huge, and they seemed to take the whole street. Homes were targeted with stones and no one was on the street at the moment besides the large group. The town usually had walkers at least, but the gang chased them into hiding hopefully and not death. Zach was looking to make sure no town folks were lying in the street dead before he stepped on the side of Slade.
Slade put his hand on an elongate throwing knife that was on his side, he left his firearms hidden in the woods, which now he realized was a stupid mistake.
“Rob, I mean Slade, I know your insane but there’s too many.”
“They don’t even have guns; this is going to be fun.” Slade snickered out.
“Yo homie, you are going to hurt for what you did to my friends,” a member with a thin body, a baldhead, and three teardrops under his eye said. Slade noticed that two of the teardrops were open which meant he was still looking for two of his victims. They looked to be fresh when Slade and the leader drew closer; he figured somebody was going to die right now.
“Nice make up, I take it you put two of those on just for us.” Slade said with a grin, the lack of lights hid his weapons that he had in his belt ready for the confrontation. They were supposed to be for the agents from the Sanctum not gang bangers. The curve blades made Slade more comfortable, his kind of weapons, you didn’t always know if a gun would kill a demon, but when you stabbed them a hundred times you knew they were dead. The man approached Slade and got in his face only feet away.
“Clever of you to notice,” with that he swung an arm that now seemed to have a knife in grasp. In a swift movement, he blocked the swing, took the knife, and had the guys arm behind his back and the knife at his throat drawing just a little trickle of blood.
Zach stared at Slade for a second, “Where the hell did you learn that?”
“Basic training for the agency,” Slade replied with a smile.
The man stared at his posse and dared not to move or speak. Suddenly lights flooded the ground and every single area was covered in white lights. A group of trained men rushed in with Uzis stood there surrounding the group. Five men with swat team clothes on stood on each side of Slade and Zach. Slade who was still wearing his shades in the darkness eyed his past co-workers. “Son of a Bitch,” is all Slade said still holding his hostage, knowing soon the body would be used as a bullet shield.
Zach stood there eyeing the group that looked like Slade. “Ro..., Slade who are these men, I order you to stand down,” A gun was raised to fire at Preston. Slade took the knife that was against the man’s neck and flung it hitting the man in the throat knocking him down and the bullet fired over Zach’s head in the air. The man’s blood gushed out of his neck as he tried to fight it but soon the blood left his body and his eyes stared at the lights above. He flung the soon to be dead gang leader back to the group and walked back to Preston.
He stared at the group and was again for the second time in the night unbuttoning his jacket. The agents pointed their guns at Zach and Slade. The gang was watching both parties like a hawk looking for a mouse.
One of the agents was in a jacket like Slade’s with red on the inside that would show he was second in charge behind the captain. “Hold your fire,” the leader of the group said. Slade knew he was getting orders from the captain.
The gang members looked at each other; one stood out and said, “Well, I see you guys are busy with these two, we will just…” The group was cut off by rapid gunfire. Lead was demolishing the gang member, and soon they all were shaking on the ground as their life drained away into the sewers. The streets looked to be a river of blood as silence took over the surroundings again.
“That takes care of your gang problem,” Slade said to Zach who was just staring at the scene in front of him. Everything Zach stood for and everything he now saw was going to change his life forever.
“I would think so,” Preston replied back his eyes and mouth wide open. Just being able to say something back surprised Slade but to joke back meant he had outstanding mental strength. “I take it this is the group called Secret Sanctum?” All the men stared at Preston in unison. “Did I say something wrong?”
“See,” Slade turned to Zach, “no one is allowed to know of them, so yeah they want to kill you now, and just waiting for confirmation from the captain who is watching this whole fucking thing with a big fucking grin.” He knew why th
ey waited, they wanted them probably both to join. Captain Robertson would get his soon enough he thought. Right now, though he had to get them out of here without Zach being shot and hopefully him in one piece also.
“I see,” He took a deep breath, “this day is starting to suck,” Zach stated.
“Yup,” Slade said nodding his head.
“If it makes you feel better I believe you about the Sanctum now”
“Nope, not really; have any ideas on how to get out of this, I usually don’t get trapped like this, I could escape but you would die.”
“I don’t like that plan, but I do have my own surprises.” Zach said eyeing the doorbell on the wall on the station.
“What do you need,” he asked
“I need to get to the door bell,” Preston said backing up slowly to his objective.
“Well I say you got about ten seconds before the captain orders our extinction.” The captain was probably getting his feedback from his superiors whoever they were.
“Should we run?”
“When I give you the cue,”
“I don’t like the tone in your voice,” Zach said with a smirk on his face he caught in the corner of his eye. It probably reminded him of the good old days. The days they fought for the country and what he soon would realize the world.
“Well don’t worry, we should be good.”
With that he went for a specialized gadget in his pocket nice and slowly. He knew that one day they might get the drop on Slade, so he had a back up. It was something that would cause a high pitch squeal in their head set. Which when activated would give them about three seconds of freedom. Secret Sanctum agents were required at all times to wear a communication device that connected them with headquarters and each other.
“Now,” Slade yelled the agents about to pull their trigger as Slade hit the remote, hoping the batteries were in it. All of the agents went down and held their ears trying to remove the pain desperately. Zach hit a button under the doorbell and a hole opened up by the mat. Preston jumped down it. Next Slade joined, falling, and sliding down the chute. “Why and when did you make this,” he screamed sliding down the steep slide landing on his feet on the basement floor that would even make batman jealous.
“Well when you have a gang trying to take over the town, and you’re the only officer here, you have few choices. I thought this was a good place to put it.”
Slade was surprised by Zach’s intelligence for making such a wonderful escape route. “When did you find this?” Then he saw the Jeep sitting down there with an escape route.
“Well you see, this use to be a bomb shelter, and when they built the station, they never removed the solid concrete walls. So I decided to make a garage for my vehicles and what not. Then one of the workers that did construction found a hole that was made by natural limestone. So we made it a chute, for garbage.”
“So you didn’t decide to make it an escape route,” Slade said now figuring it wasn’t a genius action, it was just the luck of Mother Nature, and bomb scares.
“Well, sort of but, hey I put the Jeep down here.” Zach said defending himself.
“Where does it come out,” he asked seeing the trail going further then light could carry.
“By the river, well actually in the river, Sort of couldn’t make it anywhere in town so we just kept digging till we hit soft soil.”
“We don’t have long; they will find a way in here,”
“I forgot my keys,” Zach said, Slade stared at him hard, “Just kidding.” Zach laughed and pulled his keys off the utility belt. “You’re so serious all the time now.” Slade just stared at Zach wondering if Zach was going crazy also. Slade jumped into the driver seat, and put his hand out for the keys.
“What, just because you use to drive doesn’t mean you get to drive this baby, I don’t…” The hatch that closed itself after Slade jumped down fell to the concrete flooring, agents soon followed landing on their feet with ease. “Ok, you drive.” He said jumping in the passenger seat and throwing the keys to Slade. Bullets soon sprayed chasing Zach where he slid.
Slade stepped on the accelerator and spun the tires turning the Jeep in donut to the exit. He saw the bullets flying and hitting the vehicle and bouncing off with the comforting ping sound. “What the hell, did you make it bullet proof?”
“I had a lot of free time.” Zach said staring behind him, then seeing something being set up. “I didn’t however make it rocket proof.” Slade looked in the mirror and saw the missile flying towards them.
He quickly spun the Jeep in a circle making the missile fly over the hood and hitting the wall of the garage. The garage started to crack and soon the weight of earth started to take the hole, boulders falling and dirt filling the hole.
“Nice Rob, I mean Slade,” he nodded and gunned it again.
“This is why I always drive.” He felt the engine roar in excitement of being driven fast. “What else did you put on this?”
“I took out the engine that could only push out about five hundred horses not even and put in Ferraris, didn’t know how it would work until today, very impressive I must say.”
Slade laughed and gunned it even more, using the shifter with precision, and was cruising about one-hundred and twenty down the dark narrow road to the exit. The simple building of things like this, that Slade didn’t realized he missed until it was gone.
Slade was happy they tried to hit him with the rocket back in the garage, and not on the narrow trail with concrete walls that with one missed inch could break their mirror. “Yee-haw” Zach yelled as he reached over and turned on the lights that were built on top and in the front of the Jeep. Slade already had the headlights on.
* * *
The lights from the street lamps made the streets glow orange in spots. He drove a good hour or so in the modified Jeep smelling the humid air instead of the gunpowder. This was the second town he was driving through since they had left the small village. He was doing pretty well, but now he felt hot, and could feel the sweat forming on his face.
“Slade, you okay? Pull over let me drive.”
“I’m fine,” he said starting to feel his stomach clenching and his eyes getting really heavy. He wanted to inject the shots now, but he knew he couldn’t, he knew that even if he had them, he didn’t want them. The images in front of Slade blurred and he quickly pulled over. He’d had enough. He had to switch, even if he didn’t know where he was going. It was weird for him to except help from somebody after five years of defending for himself.
He opened the door and switched seats with Zach who was still in his police uniform. He sat in the passenger seat and laid the back down a little. He let his eyes close and listened to Zach, he could feel his constant staring from him.
“Zach, I know, we are brothers, but I betrayed you.” He said not knowing if what he was saying made any since, it had to be the fever that made him seem almost drunk.
“You said it, you’re my brother.” He heard the engine starting to pick up speed. “I’ll kick your ass, when you are recovered.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“What is it then?” Zach asked with impatience creeping into his tone.
“I don’t know what they called it,” he said his voice sounding even weak too himself. “We had to take injections every day,” he opened his eyes and saw Zach staring ahead, his expression straight. “It was to give us faster healing abilities. I was stronger and faster than any human out there.”
“Yeah, now look at yourself.” He knew Zach hated hearing that especially because both of them were trained better than most police officers when they were thirteen.
“I know,” his eyes closed again and he turned to be on his side and to bring his legs up trying to ease the pain from his stomach.
“Why did you do it?”
“I told you,” he said knowing he’d told him why he had joined.
“No, why did you come back?”
The question surprised Slade, his mind
as foggy as it was couldn’t really think of the answer at first. He had to concentrate to make sense of it.
“One day, we had a mission.” He closed his eyes to bring the mission back.
The sun was beating on Slade in the hot warmth that only a desert could bring. He was dropped off by the plane and parachuted to the middle of the place. He was told that there was a clan of half scorpions, half women. They would lure humans in and eat them.
Slade walked the dessert for days it seemed not able to find the victims. The injections keeping his body temperature normal, the sun not boiling him as it would to normal people, his sunglasses on keeping his eyes safe besides the normal uses that the agency intended them for. He then hit a dune that had something made from stone under it. The sand tried to disguise it but he was able to see through it. Mother Nature made its own glamour you could say, and that glamour so strong that not even sunglasses could see through it. He didn’t see it as much as feel the presence before he physically saw it.
He pitched a camp on top of the stone and watched, waiting for whatever lived there to return. He watched for two more days not sleeping just watching. Then one night this group of normal looking women appeared. As they got closer though he could see, they were the ones he came for. The ones he came to killed. He knew he could kill them, he remembered how to kill a person from all of his training.
Nothing felt different, but for the way they wanted for Slade to kill them, something about chopping off their heads. He couldn’t just shoot them. Therefore, he stumbled off the hill the lady scorpion things watched as he fell and rolled down the mountain. Their tails hissed and they looked at Slade. They circled around Slade and he could see their identity with their glamour on and through their glamour at the same time. He could understand why they could lure any of man in, but he knew he had a job to do. As the acquaintances started to walk to their cave he withdrew, his elongate throwing knifes that he had on under his coat and attacked. Two of them were decapitated before they could even defend themselves.