by SD Tanner
Three people were hard on his six. Two men and one woman. All were heavily armed, and their M4’s were clunking against their tactical vests. Sparing a moment to glance behind him, the lightest of them was a woman, and she was only six feet from his position. He didn’t figure she could do much even if she did catch up to him. Her helmet was too large and had slipped slightly on one side of her head, only staying in place thanks to the strap under her chin. It gave her a jaunty look, while she puffed heavily wearing a determined expression.
Ahead of him was a small dip with a narrow creek running through the middle of it. His knees wouldn’t like it, but he’d need to jump the space. The extra fifty pounds he was sprinting with wouldn’t do him any favors. Preparing to leap, he launched from his right foot, placing all his weight on his left. The wet, muddy terrain played against him again, and his foot slipped awkwardly, landing him heavily onto his not so well padded ass. The impact sent a sharp shock from the base of his spine to the middle of his back.
Lying crumpled in the mud, the woman finally caught up to him. She was flushed and winded, but she leaned down and grabbed a dirty, one eyed, and raggedy teddy bear from his shoulder strap.
Triumphantly holding the bedraggled toy aloft, she screamed. “We got it! Woo hoo!”
It must have been the last of her energy, and she collapsed onto the mud next to him, blowing a stray strand of hair from her eyes.
Casually throwing the bear at his head, she said, “We deserve a better prize.”
She wasn’t wrong. The bear’s stuffing was leaking through its neck, it stank of sweat, and missing half an ear. Playing chase to win a tragically wounded bear wasn’t the sort of tactic he would usually use to train his squads, but they performed better when he made it fun. He couldn’t motivate them through the fear of an immediate enemy, and it took him a while to understand how to get them moving. It was BD who suggested he should try being less dogmatic and add the element of joy to their work.
They might live in Eden, but they were still people. Like all humans, they craved acceptance, a sense of belonging, teamwork and fun. One of the hardest things to teach a soldier was to move in the face of danger. When confronted with a problem, people tended to freeze while they assimilated the risk and planned their next move. Good soldiers relied on their training and moved first, confident they would take the right action instinctively. Free the body and the mind will follow. The point of their mad game of chase was to teach them to move quickly and adapt without stopping.
It had been two months since they’d attacked the convoy of a thousand Crusaders heading to their bases in Florida. The towns had been left with the problem of their enemies fleeing the area in all directions on foot, horseback and trucks. Not really having an army to help them, there’d been considerable fighting in the region. The surrounding towns reported a few people in the outlying areas had gone missing and were presumed dead. Some Crusaders had staggered into the towns, only to be shot or welcomed. It still stunned him to think they would care for people who would kill them without hesitation. Eden was a confused mess of some people living like hippies, and others entrenching their territory with their guns drawn, ready to kill anyone who looked at them funny.
Gears was still determined they’d have an army and he didn’t disagree, but he still didn’t know what they wanted one for. In his case, he worked as a soldier more out of habit, and he supposed the same might be said for Gears. Since they’d ousted the convoy, they’d lacked a mission. Ip had shown them Eden’s future in hell and it wasn’t good, but she had no idea why it was going to happen or when.
The rest of the squads had caught up with him, and they made their way to a clearing on the outskirts of the Axe’s base. There were fifty men and women standing around the truck he planned to drive back to town in.
Climbing onto the hood, he said loudly, “Good work today, troopers. Head back to the town with your squad leads. We’re done for now.”
More people had joined the town after the attempted attack by the Crusaders, and since half of Axe’s original three thousand soldiers had deserted them before the battle, he’d gained the same number back. The current head count for their fledgling army was still three thousand, but they were better motivated than their predecessors, so he considered it a step in the right direction. Tonight he was meeting Gears, TL and Ip to discuss the current state of play. He, Ted and Jack were busy with the training, and Cutter had the Marine supply base operational again, but without a clear mission it felt like they were treading water.
Walking into the house they lived in at the base, everyone had already arrived, and Faith, BD and her shadow, Ashley, were also waiting in the large lounge.
“How are the troops?” Gears asked, without even bothering to say hello to him.
“I think ya takin’ me for granted. Where’s the love?”
“I reserve that for Ip, so stop askin’.”
Throwing himself onto the sofa next to BD, he asked, “Before ya nag me about the goddamn army we don’t need, how’s the mission?”
Looking confused, Gears asked, “What mission?”
With a dour face, he replied, “Exactly my point.”
“Well, the young Horsemen are fine,” TL replied amiably. “Isn’t that why Ip woke us up from our graves? You know, to fulfil our promise to Max to protect baby Mac.”
To say the kids were fine was an understatement. They were living at the Ranch with Ted, Angel, Mom and Pop, and were having an idyllic childhood. He failed to see how they were supposed to learn what it was to be human while being raised in such a perfect world. His own life had been filled with hardship, as had his brothers. Gears didn’t even know who he really was, and there was a good chance he’d witnessed the death of his own parents. He’d been found covered in their blood, and rescued by a nun who left her order to care for him, only to die of cancer when he was five years old. TL’s life was equally as tragic. His father had unexpectedly died in an accident, and his mother was institutionalized with mental health problems. His own past was just as bad, and he’d witnessed his father murder his mother when he was just a toddler.
Giving TL a filthy look, he asked, “We’re supposed to be the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, but accordin’ to you, we should pat ourselves on the back for bein’ good nannies?”
“What the fuck do you expect us to do?” TL asked irritably. Sounding frustrated, he added, “Gears said we should wait for the dynamic to change, and that’s what we’re doing.”
“It’s been two months, Gears. When’s the dynamic gonna change. It’s never taken this long before.”
Gears didn’t answer, but his scarred mouth was set in a straight line. With his meaty arms across his chest, he was staring at his legs that were stretched out in front of him.
“The problem is we don’t know whether Ip’s right or not,” TL complained.
“Whatdaya mean?” He asked. “About what?”
TL leaned forward until his elbows were resting on his knees, and he tilted his head. “She says she’s showing us Eden’s future, but she doesn’t know why or how it happens, so it’s hard to know what it means.”
“It means Eden’s gonna be lost.”
“Yeah, I get that, Pax, but how, when, for how long and why?”
“Nah, we saw the young Horsemen were kidnapped by someone we assume was Cain, and they were around the age they are now.”
“Sure, but it’s possible that happens and Eden isn’t lost. It could just be a single, trivial event, and not the reason Eden is lost.”
“TL!” BD said sharply. “Since when was the kidnapping of children by a psychopath a trivial event?”
TL held up his hand in acknowledgement. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that it's trivial. Lydia would expect me to protect them all, particularly baby Bob. He is sort of our son. What I mean is, maybe that’s all we’re here for, so why do we need an army? Why should we get involved in the politics of the towns? What do we care if man dumbs himself down and lives like
a monkey? Are we just complicating the situation to keep ourselves amused? Is it possible the only thing we’re needed for now is to protect the young Horsemen, and maybe we’ll come back later to sort out why Eden was lost?”
Ip was curled up with her head against Gears arm, and she didn’t seem to be paying any attention to their conversation. She was the one that woke them up, but all she’d say was they had a promise to keep. It was almost by accident they became aware Eden would one day be lost and hell would reign. Being telepathically connected to them, Ip had shown them the world she saw in hell, but they had no idea when it might happen, and only her word that it would. It would mean either they had lost to Ruler, or they changed their ruling that man deserved another chance. Even if it did happen, it was possible it was a future that wouldn’t happen for decades.
“So, Ip, have ya gotta little more detail for us yet?” He asked.
She huffed irritably. “I show the future, I give you the path, and all you do is continue to ask.”
“Stop annoyin’ her, Pax. She’s told ya what she knows. Askin’ her the same question over and over just pisses her off,” Gears said dourly. He uncrossed his arms and sat forward on the sofa, forcing Ip to sit up straight. “I get that it’s frustratin’. I don’t like sittin’ around in paradise either, but the lack of action is our own fault. When we were here last, the problems came at us thick and fast, faster than we could deal with them. What we’ve failed to understand is the problem is hiding.”
“So, you do think there’s a problem?” TL asked.
Leaning forward on his seat, Gears said intently, “I summoned ten thousand Wars from the earth to win a battle against the Devil and his demons. I was buried in the ground for five years, and dug my way outta my own grave. Inside I might feel like a regular guy, but I’m not one. We’re a force and not a life. The universe didn’t just put us here to do anythin’ trivial. We’ve got too much power for that.”
“You might have a cute trick with your Immortal Army,” he said unhappily. “But me and TL didn’t get nothin’ special.”
“Hey, I have a great smile,” TL objected.
He chuckled. “That’s your super power, TL? A cheesy grin?” Snorting happily, he looked pointedly at Faith. “I hope that ain’t all he’s bringin’.”
BD slapped his ear. “Don’t be vulgar, Pax.”
Sighing deeply, and tiredly rubbing the scar on his face, Gears said, “Just for once I wish you dumbasses would stay on point.”
Interrupting, he asked abruptly, “Well, if ya gotta point, Gears, it’d be real handy if ya made it.”
“I was, Pax, until your Attention Deficit Disorder kicked in and ya wandered off subject. My point is, when the hunters took over the world and Ruler took the piss, we had the luxury of a clear and visible enemy. We’re not a trivial force in the universe. We have a purpose.” Looking pointedly at Pax, he added, “And even if ya don’t have a super power, you still died, were buried and dug your way outta your own grave. It means somethin’, Pax. It means we wouldn’t be here if we weren’t supposed to be. It means there’s a problem somewhere and we ain’t doin’ enough to find it.”
TL nodded. “The army always told us what to do, not on a day to day basis, but they set our missions. When the hunters turned up we set our own mission, but it was a no brainer.”
“Exactly,” Gears declared decisively. “This time we need to use our brains.” Waving his hand dismissively at him, he added, “Except for you, Pax. You ain’t got one.”
BD rolled her eyes. “Intelligence is based on the ratio of the size of your brain to your body size. An elephant has a big brain, but an even bigger body, that’s why it’s not smarter than a human. Given the size of you, Gears, your brain to body ratio isn’t that great either.”
Chuckling, Gears replied, “That’s the most complicated insult I’ve ever had. Why do ya hang out with someone as dumb as Pax?”
“What’s the plan, Gears?” TL shouted.
Still smirking, Gears replied, “We can’t sit around waiting for the problem to come to us. We have to actively hunt for it. I’m gonna head to the UK and find out what’s happened to the survivors we sent there. If I can find ‘em, I’ll see if they wanna come home. Pax, get on with building the army. When I get back we’re gonna hunt that asshole, Cain, down. TL, get the Council of Eden to behave themselves. They need to team up. Tell ‘em we’ll be their army.”
“What? We’re gonna work for the Council of Eden?” He asked in surprise.
“No, Pax. We don’t work for anyone anymore, but we need to keep buildin’ the strength in our army, so we need the towns to give us troops.”
“But we still dunno what we’re buildin’ the army for.”
Gears nodded. “Forewarned is forearmed, but if ya can’t be forewarned then at least you can be armed.”
CHAPTER THREE: Cain
He was a short, slightly plump man with small, pudgy fingers, which he was jabbing himself in the eye with. Dropping the fine, brown-colored lens on the floor, the man bent down and poked at the ground. When he stood up, the lens was hanging from the end of his index finger, only now it was covered in dust and grit. Unperturbed, the man returned to poking himself in the eye with it.
Watching the man, he found it impossible to hide his contempt, and he turned to Troy and said conversationally, “They’re not as scary as I thought they’d be.”
“They’re a bit too stupid to be scary.”
The pudgy man turned to them. “It doesn’t stay in. I don’t think it works.” In an accusing tone, he added, “You’ve given me a broken one.”
Ignoring the man’s protests, he grabbed the top of his head and forcibly tilted it back. “Try and look at your own forehead.”
When the man complied, using the fine fingered hands he usually saved for surgery, he slid the contact lens into position across the front of the man’s eyeball. Once he’d let go of his head, the man had one blue on blue eye, and the other eye had a brown iris in the center of a white colored eyeball.
“Is it in?” He asked, while blinking madly and looking around the room.
Troy snorted. “You shouldn’t have to ask.”
“What?”
“Never mind. You now have one brown eye.”
“Oooh, goody, do the other one,” the man replied, practically bouncing from one foot to the other.
Wincing at the stupidity of the creature, he poked the second lens into position. Standing back to study the effect of both brown eyes, he asked, “Are you absolutely sure you’re a demon? You seem a bit…” Hesitating, he searched for the right words. “…childish…immature…”
Troy finished his sentence for him. “And outright stupid.”
The demon super hunter became alarmingly still. Even through the colored contact lenses, he detected the coldness of its stare. In a dull voice, it said, “You wouldn’t say that if I owned your soul in hell. It is my role to do harm.” Leaning closer, it added, “One day you’ll belong to me, and don’t underestimate how much I enjoy my job.”
As if a switch had been flicked, the demon super hunter picked up the mirror from the table. Staring at its own reflection and preening, it said with delight, “Oh, I like it.” Looking at them triumphantly, it declared, “We should all have these.”
It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate the demon super hunters. On the surface, they appeared easily distracted and more than a little manic. He sort of understood their mentality. After the outbreak of the virus, once he no longer had to worry about being caught enjoying his vice of human vivisection, much of his life-long anxiety had disappeared. With a victim strapped to his table, and no fear of being caught, he’d learned a whole new way of living. He took his time, savored the moment and was almost jubilant. It was freeing to know he couldn’t be stopped and nothing would distract him from his pleasures. He supposed that was the existence of a demon. They were indestructible, couldn’t be caught or stopped, and they enjoyed their victims as much as he did. That
sort of freedom did bring a little giddiness of mind and heart, and their lightheadedness might be less about stupidity and more about having absolute power.
“They’ll only work if you curb your natural tendencies to behave like idiots,” Troy remarked dourly.
The demon super hunter snorted. “I don’t think we can behave any dumber than a human.”
Waving at the demon to be seated, he sat at the head of the table in the meeting room. “We need you to infiltrate the bases and towns without tipping your hand. You will each have a hunter, but keep it hidden in the forest.”
“How many of us will be living in the bases and towns?”
“We only need one demon super hunter and one hunter per location. You’ll be located at four sites.”
“Why so few?” The super hunter asked.
He glanced at Troy grimly. “You’re not useful without the hunters and we only have five of them.”
The super hunter sniffed derisively. “Can’t you make more of them?”
“Yes, and we have plans for that, but for now we only have five fully matured hunters. There’s no reason we can’t have you infiltrating their sites now.” Smiling indulgently, he added, “It gives us a bit of a head start.”
“That’s it?” The super hunter asked dourly. When they nodded, he added contemptuously, “It’s a very simple plan, and to think you call me stupid.”
After the short super hunter had waddled imperiously from the room, he turned to Troy. “What the hell went wrong? How did the hunters get out?”
Shaking his head, Troy shrugged. “I don’t know and anyone who did know is dead or gone.”
Since speaking with Ruler, he’d used the hunter his men had captured to infect over sixty people. The results were patchier than he expected, and at least a third of them had died instantly. Another third became immobilized and refused to eat, and the remainder became the vicious killers he needed. He’d been in the cages a few days earlier to inspect the hunters. The ones that wouldn’t eat were starving to death, and many of them were already too weak to be force-fed. He wasn’t happy with a thirty percent success rate. He didn’t want so many hunters they couldn’t manage them, but he didn’t want so few they weren’t of any use. Now all he had left were five vicious killers, and all the others had escaped, including the ones that wouldn’t eat. Some of his men who were infected during the attack were in a coma, and they didn't know what was going to happen to them.