by Jake Bible
Blaze looks over at the surviving cooties and civvies that are starting to form back into a mob.
“And if they come at us again?” Blaze asks.
“Snap necks, break skulls,” Paulo says. “Just hold off on shoving their heads up their asses.”
“Gotcha,” Blaze nods. “Give me a smack if I get out of line.”
“I’ll shout at you,” Paulo says. “I’d hate to give you a smack and end up staring at the insides of my intestines because I pissed you off.”
“Yeah, that would be bad,” Blaze sighs and claps Paulo on the shoulder. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Paulo replies, trying not to flinch at Blaze’s touch. He fails.
“Freaking you out?” Blaze chuckles.
“Yes. A lot,” Paulo says. “That and my shoulder already hurts like fuck all.”
“Can we get a move on?” Collette asks, coming up to them. “The rabble are rousing.”
“Yeah,” Blaze says. “GenSOF is this way.”
“You sure?” Paulo asks.
Blaze points off in the distance where a single, lit building stands amongst the darkness of the others.
“That’s GenSOF Tower?” Collette asks. “They still have power.”
“A bright spot in the darkness,” Paulo says. “Or something like that. Milo would have a better line. He reads.”
“Come on,” Blaze says. “I’m pretty sure I know the easiest route from here. It’s all coming back to me.” He shakes his head. “Man, I really lost it back there.”
Paulo and Collette share a look then follow Blaze as they hurry away from the mob of cooties and civvies that begin to regroup.
31
Weapons are dispersed amongst the crowd of civvies as Nick, Buntu, and Maloch look on, helping those that need it.
“Mine collapses into a baton,” Buntu says as she flicks her wrist and her rifle shrinks almost instantly. “But yours do not. They are standard issue for training purposes and not considered assault class.”
“Way to boost their morale,” Nick says as he helps a woman adjust the sight on her rifle. “These are just as good as ours. When the static blast rips into a cootie, it still kills.”
“Is there a kick?” the woman asks Nick. “It always looks like there’s a kick on the vids.”
“No, there really isn’t a kick,” Nick says. “Those vids are made by people that don’t know how static rifles work. They’re just repeating the same old BS from back in the firearms days and gunpowder was used.”
“You ever used a rifle with gunpowder?” a man asks, pointing his rifle right at Nick.
Nick yanks the rifle out of the man’s hand and almost smacks him over the head with it. He takes a deep breath as Buntu laughs quietly.
“No, I’ve never fired a combustible weapon,” Nick says. “Those were before my day. Too hard to maintain ammunition. Static weapons only need a recharge and they are good to go.”
“You’re a GenWreck?” a young woman asks, staring at Nick with wide, admiring eyes. “You fight out in the Sicklands?”
“Yes,” Nick says. “But it looks like the Sicklands are here now.”
“How many people have you killed?” the young woman asks. “A hundred? A thousand?”
“A thousand? Are you kidding me?” Nick asks. He looks at Buntu. “Is she kidding me?”
“He hasn’t killed any people,” Buntu says. “Only cooties. Same with me.”
“Cooties are people,” Tanya says as she, Red, Ton, and Wallace walk up to them. “People trapped inside their sickness. But there is a way to free them.”
“Why bother?” Maloch asks, double checking a rifle before handing it to an older man. “They are pretty much animals.”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell her,” Wallace says. “But apparently she has some inside scientific intel that says otherwise.”
“It’s too detailed to get into now,” Tanya says. “But let me just say that the Strains weren’t entirely passive. Now with this new bacteria, any hint of passivity is gone. In short, the cooties, as you call them, have been hijacked by organisms that were designed to do exactly that.”
“Designed?” Nick asks.
“Not now,” Red says. “We’re going up top for a better look. It’s time to move out.”
“If we leave these people on their own, they’ll shoot their damn feet off,” Buntu says.
“That’s why my people will be handling the training and supervision from here on out,” Tanya says.
She nods her head towards several men and women that are busy climbing down from the catwalks that hang above the warehouse floor, their own weapons slung over their shoulders. When they get to the floor, they quickly crowd close to Tanya, their bodies rigid and ready.
“My people are trained for security in the Burn and throughout Caldicott City,” Tanya says. “They’ll make sure these folks are proficient enough with the rifles not to shoot themselves or others while we move to the roof and plan our attack.”
“Attack?” Buntu asks. “What are we attacking?”
“GenSOF Tower,” Wallace says. “Ms. Crouch has shown us recon vids of it being breached by the affected.”
“Power is still running, though,” Ton says. “So someone is keeping the lights on. We’re hoping GenSOF has cordoned off the lower levels and is holed up in the top. Our job is to get to them.”
“Uh, can we get back to that offensive thing?” Nick asks, raising his hand.
“When we get on the roof,” Tanya says. “Follow me.”
The operators move past Tanya’s security people, none of them saying a word to each other. It takes them a few minutes to work through the crowd and to the stairs that lead to the roof. When they finally reach their destination, they see Jersey standing at the edge of the roof, her eyes locked on the lit up GenSOF Tower that stands nearly half a city away.
“They’re making a stand,” Jersey says. “You can see static blasts from the upper levels.”
“They’ve opened the walls then,” Ton says. “Things must be rough if they’ve done that. Protocol is to keep everything sealed no matter what.”
“Systems must be compromised,” Wallace suggests. “Ventilation is probably down. No windows in GenSOF Tower, so they had to open the walls.”
“Idiotic design,” Tanya laughs. “You can seal up that tower all you want, but bacteria will find a way in.”
“You mean out,” Ton says. “The tower is sealed off to protect the rest of the city, not to protect GenSOF from the city.”
“The tower is sealed so that your bacteria and the general population’s bacteria do not create new strains,” Tanya counters. “You are in isolation not to protect the citizens of this city, but to protect their bacteria and vice versa. The world you think you live in, Lieutenant Lane, is vastly different from the realities of the world you actually live in.”
“It’s all about the bugs,” Jersey says, glancing at Tanya. “It always has been. Ever since the Strains stopped responding to antibiotics it stopped being about people and became solely about bugs.”
“Not solely, but in essence, you are right, Jersey,” Tanya nods. Jersey gives her a harsh glare. “My apologies. Ms. Cale. I shouldn’t assume the familiar with you even if you have been sleeping with my son.”
“About Blaze,” Ton says. “If we leave here now, he may not catch up with us.”
“He knows where he’s going,” Tanya says. “He always has.”
“Yeah, that right there,” Nick says. “That predestination shit is creepy.”
“Worm alerted the GenWrecks to Blaze’s special bacteria,” Red says. “Are you the one that alerted Worm to it?”
“Possibly,” Tanya says. “Possibly not. I will say that Worm has taken on quite the life of his own. He has gone far beyond what I had envisioned.”
“So you did create Worm,” Ton says.
“No, not at all,” Tanya says. “Worm is a creation of himself, just as we all are. I merely released him
from of his restrictions in order to keep an eye on my son.”
“You people are all fucked in the head,” Wallace snaps. “Listen the fuck up. I am GenSOF. GenSOF’s job is to kill cooties and keep the city safe from the Sicklands. The Sicklands are now in the city. All this other resistance and Blaze’s special bugs and an AiSP that thinks he’s a real boy shit needs to wait. Our objective right now is to get to GenSOF Tower and help the operators there survive this shit. Then we lock down the city, repair the Static Shield Generator, and put the Sicklands back where it is supposed to be, which is outside the wall.”
“I agree one hundred percent,” Tanya says. “Which is why we are up here, to strategize those objectives properly. Of course, once we achieve those objectives, there will be new ones, but I will leave informing you of that to your superiors. Far be it for me to go over heads during a crisis.”
“You are one strange broad,” Jersey says. “It explains a lot about Blaze.”
“It explains nothing about Blaze,” Tanya says. “But that is a conversation for another time. Right now, I’d like to hear your ideas on how best to use our numbers to get from here to the tower, so GenSOF can get back to doing its job.”
32
Low growls and snarls from behind make Collette, Paulo, and Blaze turn quickly.
“Man, those things are fucking big,” Paulo says as he stares at the pack of sick mutts that stand shoulder to shoulder from one side of the street to the other. “I’m never going to get used to how ugly they are.”
“Makes me miss Gorge,” Blaze says. “I wouldn’t mind having my dog by my side right now.”
“Your dogs are fine,” Collette says. “They’re with Jude. He’s great with canines.”
“If the kid is still alive,” Paulo says.
“The kid is with Milo and Hoagie,” Blaze says. “They’ll keep him safe.”
“Or he’ll keep them safe,” Collette says. “Don’t underestimate the boy. He’s Red’s son through and through.”
They all stand there, dogs and humans, a face off in the empty street.
“So…what now?” Paulo asks. “If we run, they’ll chase us down. If we fight, they have the upper hand since we don’t have working rifles anymore.”
“Why haven’t they attacked?” Collette asks. “That’s the real question.”
One of the sick mutts steps forward and opens its mouth wide.
“Hehhhhhhhlllllloooooooh,” a raspy, echoing voice says from the dog’s throat. “Maaaaayyyyyy weeeeeeeeee taaaalllllkkkk?”
“Anyone else just shit their uniform?” Paulo asks. “I really don’t want to be the only one.”
“I peed a little,” Collette admits. “Blaze?”
Blaze doesn’t respond, just takes a few steps closer to the sick mutts. Their diseased eyes watch him carefully, but they stay right where they are.
“Who are you?” Blaze asks. “Why do I feel I know you?”
“Man, don’t say shit like that,” Paulo says. “Get your ass back here.”
“Shut up,” Blaze snaps.
“Ssssssssiiiiimmmmmooooonnnnn,” the dog says. “Sssssssssiiiiiimmmmmooonnn Crrrrrrrooooooouuuuuuccccchhhhhh.”
“That’s me,” Blaze replies. “Who are you?”
“Thhhhhhhhheeeeeeee Ooooooooottttthhhhheeeeerrrrr,” the dog says.
“Other what?” Blaze asks. “Other asshole making my life hard?”
“There we go,” Paulo says. “Now that’s an appropriate response.”
“Shush,” Collette scolds.
“You want to tell me what is going on?” Blaze asks. “Why the hell are you things in my city?”
“Weeeeeeee cccccaaaaammmmmeeeee foooooooorrrrrrr yyyyyyoooooouuuuu,” the dog replies.
Its body begins to shake uncontrollably then it collapses to the ground, green pus oozing from its mouth and nostrils. A second dog steps forward and its mouth opens.
“Yyyyyyoooooouuuuuu bbbbbbbbeeeeeeelllllooooonnnnnggggg ttttttttooooooo mmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeee,” the second dog says. “Mmmmmmmmeeeeeee.”
Blaze takes a couple steps forward and the rest of the dogs start to growl so low that Blaze almost feels them more than hears them.
“You want me?” Blaze asks. “Then come and get me.”
He squares his body and raises his fists.
“Seriously, you scruffy fucks,” he smiles. “Come and get me.”
“And we’re back to inappropriate responses,” Paulo sighs, looking around for some cover. “Good one, Blaze.”
“Go,” Blaze says. “They want me, not you.”
“Wwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeee wwwwwwwiiiiiiillllllll kkkkkkkkiiiiiiiilllllll yyyyyyooooouuuuu aaaaaaaalllllll,” the dog says.
Then the second dog begins to shake and shudder as ooze pours from its eyes and ears. It flops to the ground, a massive seizure convulsing it so hard that its spine snaps. It finally stops moving and its eyes go glassy.
A third dog steps forward.
“Submit,” the dog says without the long, drawn out speech of the other two. “Submit and join us.”
“Join you?” Blaze asks then shakes his head. “You know what? I don’t fucking want to know what that means.” He starts running towards the sick mutts. “I’d rather just kill you.”
“Man, he is quick with the killing today,” Paulo says. He looks at Collette. “Should we help him?”
“Do we have a choice anymore?” Collette asks.
“Not really,” Paulo says then sprints at the sick mutts.
The lead dog charges at Blaze, its hackles raised, its mouth open wide to show its long, jagged teeth. Blaze reaches the beast and leaps into the air, jumping over the dog just as its jaws snap shut where his left leg had been a second before. Twisting in the air, Blaze comes down behind the dog and kicks out hard. But the dog has already jumped to the side, anticipating Blaze’s attack.
Loud snarls fill the street as Blaze suddenly finds himself surrounded by sick mutts. The mangy canines smell like open sewers and coagulated blood, their sore-riddled muzzles dripping with pus and bloody drool. Blaze looks from one side to the other, calculating the distance between attacks. He knows they will strike all at once, he can feel it in his bones.
“Last chance,” the lead dog says. “Submit or die.”
“You can submit to my dick,” Blaze says.
The lead dog shakes its head back and forth. “Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“Yeah, it was,” Paulo says as he brings his empty rifle down on the back of the lead dog. “Stupidest comeback ever.”
The lead dog yelps and whips its head around, snagging the rifle in its mouth then twisting and yanking it from Paulo’s grip.
“Shit,” Paulo says.
Collette shoves him out of the way and jabs the barrel of her empty rifle into the left eye socket of the lead dog. The beast yelps and stumbles back, trying to shake the rifle loose. But it can’t get it free and the movement only seems to wedge the rifle barrel deeper until its legs begin to shake and wobble and it collapses onto the street.
“That’s how you stop one of these things,” Collette says. “If you don’t have any static left.”
“Would have been good to know before I attacked,” Paulo says.
“Should have asked,” Collette replies and snatches her rifle from the dead dog’s skull.
Paulo retrieves his rifle and holds it like a short spear, ready to pierce some sick mutt eye sockets.
A few feet away, the rest of the sick mutts split into four groups, two still focused on Blaze with the other two separating out to take on Paulo and Collette.
“I can handle these six,” Blaze says. “You guys got the rest?”
“Going to have to,” Paulo says, watching three sick mutts come at him.
“I got ‘em,” Collette says. “Be sure and use your surroundings. And don’t let them get behind you!”
“Too late for that,” Blaze replies as he looks from one group to the other.
He turns sideways so he has a gro
up on each side of his body, but the sick mutts just keep circling, forcing Blaze to spin about in order to watch both groups at the same time. In seconds, he’s slightly dizzy from the constant motion and turning.
“Nothing more to say?” Blaze asks. “You puppies gone mute all of a sudden?”
They are hardly mute as they growl and snarl.
Two from each group leap at him and he ducks down then stands up quickly just as they reach him. Blaze snags one dog by the throat and spins, slamming it into the two coming at him from the other direction. That leaves one dog undefended and it rams into his shoulders, sending him stumbling forward.
He falls onto his knees and tries to stand up quickly, but a pair of jaws clamp down on his right shoulder and shove him all the way forward, smashing his face into the street. The asphalt tears into his skin, but he ignores it as he uses his momentum to twist and roll up over the dog.
There’s a yelp as Blaze throws an elbow back into the dog’s belly with enough force to rupture more than a couple of internal organs. The dog releases Blaze’s shoulder and tries to pull itself clear of the operator, but it only gets a foot away before Blaze has it by the hind legs and is pulling.
Two dogs come at Blaze from the side just as he makes a wish and splits the dog he has in hand into two pieces, tearing it straight up the middle. Without losing a second, Blaze whips out a dog half in each direction, catching the two dogs coming at him across their snouts. He brings the dog halves back and smacks the others again across the snout, treating them like bad puppies being hit with a rolled newspaper.
He gets a leg under him and lurches upright, spinning around like a windmill, using the severed dog to keep the others back long enough for him to regroup.
“How you guys holding up?” Blaze shouts.
“Still breathing!” Paulo yells.
“Two down!” Collette responds.
“What?” Paulo yells from behind a sidewalk incinerator. “Shit.”