Shapeless

by Glenn Bullion

  She didn't wait to see what would happen next. Fumbling with her key, she jammed it in the ignition and started the engine. The agents shouted and pursued. Lily drove so fast to the door she thought she'd crash into the lobby.

  Paula was standing on her own two feet, stumbling outside. Lily was furious at first, but Paula's stubbornness gave them precious seconds. Lily threw the passenger's door open before she even came to a stop.

  "Hurry!" she shouted. "Let's go!"

  Paula fell on the seat. Lily glanced in the rear-view mirror to see three of the four men running toward them. She grabbed the back of Paula's gown and held on tight as she stomped the gas pedal. They both struggled, and Lily nearly hit a pole on the way out, but Paula managed to curl up on the seat and shut the door.

  "Are you okay?" Lily asked, to no response. "Paula?"

  Lily did her best to shift Paula to a more comfortable position. She reached over and reclined the seat. Paula looked about with a vacant gaze. Her hospital gown was soaked with blood.

  Leaving the storage center behind, Lily had to force herself to slow down as she rejoined the busy streets. She wiped sweat from her forehead as she merged with traffic and ran a yellow light. She turned on the emergency flashers, having no intention of stopping for any reason. A group enjoying a night out laughed at the state of her car, but Lily paid them no mind. She had one goal, and that was to get Paula to the hospital.

  "We're okay," she told Paula. "We're on the way now."

  Paula tried to speak, which was a struggle.

  "I'm sorry," she said. "I was…wrong about you."

  "Don't worry about it, Paula. Just rest."

  "Call me Kim. I've missed my name. Named after…my grandmother."

  The tears started. Lily didn't like the tone in her voice. Sad, with a hint of finality.

  "Okay, Kim. But stop talking like that. You're going to be okay."

  "We didn't escape from the hospital." A coughing fit seized her, and she spit up more blood. "They let us walk on out. Followed us."

  Lily felt utterly defeated. Of course, Kim was right. They were three steps behind, fighting a losing battle against armed men trained to hunt. She was an adult entertainment store employee, working with two security guards.

  "He loves you," Kim said. Lily looked down at her in shock. "I've never seen him so happy, and I've watched him all his life. Bouncing around work now. One of the reasons I didn't like you. Just motherly jealousy."

  "Nobody loves anybody, Kim. We're just—"

  "I'm proud of him. Tell him that. I'm proud of who he's become, and happy he found you. Take care of him. Promise me that."

  Lily sighed. She wasn't going to get into an argument on love. But that was an easy promise to make.

  "I will. Always."

  They were in the middle of an intersection when a van sped toward them from the opposite lane. Lily wanted to believe the van had nothing to do with them, but she knew better. She made a hard right turn, nearly clipping the bumper of another car. She wavered back and forth as she lost control for a moment. Looking in the rear-view mirror, she hoped the van would cruise through the light, but it turned as well.

  "Shit! Kim, stay down. They're chasing us."

  Lily couldn't shake the surreal feeling. She gripped the wheel tightly, trying to focus on the road ahead. Weaving in and out of cars, she drove as fast as the surroundings would allow. She even drove on the sidewalk for half a block, narrowly missing a couple as they left a corner store. The streets were full of people and cars, but that didn't matter. The van, whatever country they were from, chased them relentlessly. They didn't care about what was happening around them.

  She turned as frequently and suddenly as possible, trying to lose them. If the van caught them, Lily had no doubt they would be used to hurt Brady somehow. If she could just make it to the hospital, they would have to back off.

  Wouldn't they?

  Another intersection loomed ahead. The light was red, but Lily knew they couldn't stop. Glancing to her right, she noticed another car speeding to intercept. She slammed the brakes, and stopped just in time to avoid being struck from the side. The front of her car wasn't so lucky. Her bumper flew off as the intercepting car squealed to a stop and clipped her.

  She was close enough to see the agents. Angry, frustrated, with a mix of injuries. The driver had a gash above his eye. The passenger cupped his ear. Did Brady get to them, or were they injured in the fight back at the storage center?

  Lily gasped when the driver pointed a gun out the window. She accelerated, ramming them, and throwing off the shooter's aim. He shot a round into Lily's hood. She cut the wheel and pushed into the turn, metal screaming against metal. As she straightened out, driving in the wrong lane, she noticed the van was still behind her, and the car was circling to pursue.

  The phone rang in the side pocket of her purse. Her first instinct was to ignore it, but she had a feeling who it was. She barely held it together, nearly running into a sign, as she fished it out.

  "Brady?"

  "Yeah."

  His voice was a relief. Lily couldn't stop the tears. She'd never been so afraid in her life. The adrenaline, the need to move without thought, had kept the fear at bay. But slowly it was making its presence known.

  "We need help," she said, thinking about what road they were on. "They're chasing us, pushing us away from the hospital."

  "Shit. I got as many to chase me as I could. Where are you?"

  "Ninth Avenue."

  "Okay. Head over to Milbourne."

  "That whole street is closed," she said. "They're doing roadwork."

  "I know."

  The line went dead. Lily dropped the phone and did as Brady said. She cut down a side street and an alley. Milbourne had orange cones sectioning off three blocks, but she maneuvered around them. There weren't any construction vehicles nearby, but she still cautiously watched the road. For a moment, she thought she lost the vehicles following her, but the van turned onto Milbourne.

  Lily cursed and kept driving forward. Five large orange barrels blocked the road, and she could see a gap. It was probably two-feet wide, too far to cross. She put the car in park and glanced behind her. The van was stopping, fifty feet away, with men climbing out the side door. She wondered if it was the same van that kidnapped them last night.

  They didn't have much time. Lily didn't know what Brady had in mind, but they had to run. She would carry Kim on her shoulders if she had to.

  "Come on, Kim," she said. "We'll hide in the alleys. Let's go, they're almost here—"

  She went quiet when her eyes fell on Kim. Kim was on her side, facing Lily. Her eyes were closed. Her arms hung at her sides at uncomfortable angles. The stillness was unnerving. Lily shook her wrist gently, trying to stir her.

  "Kim?"

  She didn't want to believe it, but deep down, she knew Kim was gone.

  The driver's door opened behind her, and a pair of hands grabbed under her arms. She saw two men approaching from the other side, throwing the passenger's door open.

  "Get away from her!" she screamed, struggling against the grip. "Don't touch her!"

  One of the men examined Kim while Lily was dragged away. She fought with everything she had. Kicking, screaming, biting. An arm wrapped around her throat and squeezed, cutting off her air. She pulled at the arm, but couldn't even give herself an inch to breathe. Her toes dragged against the street. The men spoke in their own language, whatever it was, and finished up their conversation with a hearty laugh.

  Lily could see the van ahead. The driver still sat behind the wheel, talking on a phone. They made eye contact, and the driver blew her a kiss. Lily wanted to scratch his eyes out.

  No one saw the anvil drop from the sky.

  The huge chunk of iron landed on the roof of the van. Every window exploded, sending glass everywhere. The three men with Lily backed up, dragging her with them. The driver tried to open his door, but the impact from the anvil warped it shut. He climbed throug
h the broken window instead.

  That's when Brady was on him.

  The anvil sitting on the roof melted quickly, flowing forward and jumping like an animal. Brady landed on the driver and engulfed him. Grabbing him by the ankles, Brady swung him like a bat, directly into the ruined van behind them. If the driver had any fight in him, it was gone before he hit the ground.

  The agent holding Lily squeezed tighter. He shouted something at one of his partners, who then tossed him a gun. He'd nearly pressed it to Lily's temple when Brady moved again.

  His liquid mass lengthened and thinned out. He wrapped around the man's body, starting at his legs. His grip finally loosened, and Lily took the chance to push away. She could barely stand; her legs were so weak. Falling on the street, she watched as Brady continued to circle the man, all the way up to his neck.

  His shape changed.

  Everyone, even Lily, gasped as the large snake squeezed. The agent shouted in pain and surprise, then looked at his partners for help. They were just as startled, and it took them a moment to respond. They raised their weapons and fired, hitting their friend as well as Brady.

  Lily cried out as the snake bled. Brady slithered away. The men fired again, their aim sporadic. Brady changed to liquid, and Lily heard the bullets fall through him and roll away.

  Another shape began to take hold. He grew taller, and normal features started to form. Legs, hips, a torso, arms. His head was near completion, and the men readied their guns. Before Brady finished the rest of him, skin, hair, and clothes, metal spikes shot out from him. Lily lost track of how many. Ten, twenty, thirty. They pierced the men in various places. Their wrists, shoulders, legs. Brady had pinpoint control, even grazing their cheeks. They dropped their guns and stumbled backwards, bleeding everywhere. Deciding they were outmatched, they half-ran, half-stumbled away. Brady didn't pursue, and Lily wasn't sure how she felt about that. She wanted them dead.

  The rest of his shape settled in as he turned and approached her. His skin tone, hair, his typical clothes. Last was that smile, but not quite as bright as she was used to. She felt completely safe when he helped her to her feet and held her. She shook in his arms, crying against his chest. Lily had handled it all up until that point. The kidnapping the night before, the mall, dragging Brady to her car, when she didn't know if he would be okay. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. She just needed a break.

  Brady said nothing. He might have been shaking as well. His breathing was labored.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  Lily wiped a tear from her eye and nodded.

  "Is your car running? We have to hurry. Where's Paula?"

  "Kim," was all she could say. "She wants to be called Kim."

  "Uh, okay," Brady said, confused. "Whatever. Where is she?"

  She pointed to the car, and Brady was off and running. Lily tried to warn him, but couldn't. Her legs were frozen, her voice gone.

  "Kim?" he called.

  He opened the door, and Lily jumped when her arm slumped out. Brady paused before reaching out and touching her hair.

  "Kim," he said again, his voice quieter. He clumsily felt for a pulse. "Come on, boss. We've got to get you moving."

  Lily grabbed his shoulders from behind. He shrugged away from her and knelt to scoop Kim into his arms. Lily stopped him, grabbing his wrist and looking into his eyes.

  "Brady," she said. "Kim's gone." Her voice shook with emotion over a woman she knew less than a day and fought with constantly. "She was shot, and lost too much blood."

  "No." Brady shook his head defiantly. "She's just unconscious. We have to help her."

  Lily was clinical, despite everything in her body hurting. She looked over Kim with care, trying to shove aside the memories of Alyson.

  "Her chest isn't moving. She has no pulse, and she isn't breathing."

  Brady touched Kim's cheek, and she knew he'd accepted it. Still, he didn't move. Lily thought of her last words to Kim, promising to watch over Brady. She touched his shoulder.

  "Brady, we can't stay here."

  He didn't stand, didn't speak.

  "It's not safe here, baby." She gently pulled on his arm.

  He laughed at the word.

  "Safe."

  They heard an engine in the distance. Brady finally stood up, and they both turned to see another car approaching from two blocks away. Lily recognized it as the car that chased her earlier. Brady tried to move past her, but she reached for his arm and held tight.

  "Let's just go," she said. "We'll lay low. Hide."

  He shook his head. There was a look in his eye she'd never seen before.

  "Not this time. Stay here."

  Lily was afraid, but not for Brady's safety. She'd seen what he was capable of when he was calm.

  What could he do when he was angry?

  Brady walked toward the speeding car. He moved around the van he destroyed, slow and confident. The car sped up, but Brady didn't flinch. Lily realized that this group of men didn't want to kidnap him, but kill him. Everyone had their own agenda.

  She nearly called out to urge him back when he changed shape.

  He spread across the road, long and thin. Lily couldn't tell what he'd changed into, until light from a corner post reflected off his surface. The driver realized it when Lily did.

  The car's tires popped when it crossed the spike strip. It lost control and turned over twice before slamming into the back of the van. Brady resumed his normal shape. The only exception were his hands, which were made of steel. Lily ran forward to intercept him. She passed the overturned car and saw the condition of the agents inside. They were in no condition to fight.

  Not long ago, Lily wanted to kill them herself. But she didn't want Brady to kill.

  She stopped him, putting her hands on his chest.

  "Brady, stop," she said. "This won't bring Kim back."

  "If I don't, they'll just keep coming. They won't stop."

  "We'll think of another way." She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. "Please!"

  His eyes softened and his posture relaxed. His hands changed back to normal. He blinked a few times before a tear ran down his cheek.

  "This way," he said, taking her hand in his.

  They ran down a side street to the next block. The streets again had life. They weaved in and out of crowds, drawing looks and startled shouts as they nearly knocked people over.

  Brady led her down a dark alley and stopped. Lily bent over to catch her breath while he checked behind them. Satisfied they were alone, he looked to the sky.

  "Where now?" she asked.

  He pointed up. "I left my phone on the roof. That's where I called you from."

  "Are you going to use your bird trick—?"

  Her breath hitched as Brady reached above him, feeling along the wall. But his arms didn't stop when they should have. They stretched and grew, running over the brick. She watched as his hands unnaturally danced toward the roof. His fingers looked like a spider's legs.

  His hands scaled over the edge, then his arms changed. They became two sturdy pieces of rope. His shoulders shifted, and a new pair of arms and hands sprouted.

  He signaled for her to approach. She stepped closer, and he scooped her up by the back of her legs. Lily wrapped her legs around his hips and held on tight.

  "Sorry," he said. "I know this is weird."

  She wanted to smile, but didn't have the energy. Despite her entire body being one knot of tension, she had some sarcasm left in her.

  "You? Weird? No way."

  She had to stifle a small scream when they lifted from the ground. The rope ran directly into Brady's back. He slowly pulled it back within himself to scale the wall. He braced his feet against the brick to stabilize them as Lily gripped tighter.

  She felt for the roof behind her as they neared the top. Brady's rope ended in two hooks that were dug into the brick. She found her footing first, then reached for his arm to help him. His breathing was labored as well, and his g
rip felt weak.

  "Brady?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah. Just…tired. A lot of shape-shifting. And getting shot takes a lot out of you."

  The comment would have been hilarious any other time. He collapsed against the ledge and leaned his head against the brick. Lily was at his side, resting on one knee. When she realized he'd be fine, she settled in next to him.

  Lily didn't know how long the silence lasted. She was numb, with an occasional stab of grief whenever she thought of Kim. Surprisingly, she wasn't crying. She thought the tears would have overcome her by now. Maybe her ducts were dried up.

  "Paula…Kim was safe," Brady finally said. "In the hospital. They were treating her. And then I went in there, took her away. Now she's dead."

  "You didn't do anything," Lily said. "We did. We're in this together. It was a trap. And Kim wanted out of there. They just thought ahead. We didn't. You can't beat yourself up over it."

  "They," he said. "I'm getting sick of they."

  "Kim…she wanted me to tell you." Her voice started to shake. "She's proud of you."

  The tears finally started. She leaned her head on Brady's shoulder and clenched her eyes shut. He held her hand. Silence took over again as they got lost in their own thoughts. The traffic from the neighboring blocks kept them company. Lily looked to the clouds as they slowly moved through the night. The sight was relaxing, and she wished they could watch the sky until the sun rose.

  A phone rang. She instinctively reached for hers, but she didn't have it. It was back at the car, along with her purse and credit card. She had nothing. Brady winced as he leaned across her, reaching for something in the shadows next to them. He held up his phone.

  The caller ID read Unknown.

  "No one has this number," he said. "Shit, I don't even know what the number is. We just got it today."

  "Should we answer it?"

  He hesitated a moment before hitting the green button and setting it to speaker.

  "Hello?"

  It was a man with a thick accent, who didn't mince words.

  "Come to 200 Winters Parkway. At midnight. Or we kill your friend."