Made to Suffer (Journeyman Book 3)

by Golden Czermak

  Additional blasts echoed through the woods, two more men materializing behind Gage, following closely on either side. The burly sentries stood taller than him by a few inches, the one on the right broader with messy blonde hair and the other crowned with jet black, split by a bleached Mohawk. The two of them looked across at each other, obviously excited to be there.

  They happened to be brothers, Seth and Kyle respectively, from the latest sleuth of beast shifters that had joined the Journeymen in the fight against the Noctis.

  To say their attire was unique was an understatement. Each wore a sleeveless top, stretched way too tightly across their upper bodies while jean shorts, way shorter than Gage's were snug, rode up their thighs. It had to be a shifter or family thing, Gage suspecting it was likely a bit of both. Shifters in general were peculiar by nature and these two brothers lived up to that without fail.

  Due to their size, Gage bore no judgment whatsoever as the trio trudged ahead, down a small embankment until the way was split by a ridge of rock. Beyond it, more trees swayed, setting loose a peaceful yet ominous storm of needles. It wasn't long before the reason for all of the added muscle became clear.

  Four figures moved beneath the dappled canopy, the Head Vampires from the remnants of the last great Texas covens striding out to the edge of the shade. Behind them, a host of biters heckled, safely under the shadowed branches.

  Gage inhaled deeply, each breath loud and focused. He could swear the vamps were salivating and was convinced that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. He looked back, hoping to see Adrienne and Evans approaching but there was nobody else coming down the hill. He wondered where they had gone, his head pounding with the hope that neither of them had lost control, killing off the other. Of course he would leap to the most pessimistic conclusion, now of all times.

  Okay you two, Gage thought apprehensively. You can zap yourselves in now. The clock is ticking…

  As he expected, there was no answer from the hilltop and he entertained the idea of pulling out a dagger or even using his pistol, already armed with a UV clip. Should the need arise, either weapon would work and he knew that he had sufficient skills to see it through.

  Yet that time was not now.

  “Let's begin this discussion, shall we?” the eldest of the vampires said, saving Gage from making that decision.

  Stowing the thoughts of slicing necks for the time being, Gage answered sternly, “Very well then. I’m here to discuss an alliance.”

  The response from the elder was cold, his words like a wall of solid ice, “We are not…”

  Gage was taken aback, having gotten two sentences out, but the conversation wasn’t over just yet.

  “We are not here to discuss this with you, slayer,” the wrinkled creature finished, vile snarls backing him up. “Where is Evans? He is the one who summoned us here and so, he shall be the one we talk to directly about this outlandish proposal.”

  “He is still on his way,” Gage replied, hoping beyond all hope that he was right.

  Another vampire stepped up, no older than sixteen. He moved beside the elder and spoke in a voice refined beyond his apparent years. “So they have sent you, along with these things to keep us occupied; to what end? While I cherish the notion of whiling away my eternal clock with the likes of a murderer and his two pets, we really should be getting on.”

  The shifters growled at the insult, their hair seeming to bristle with a life of its own.

  “Oh,” the refined vampire said with surprise. “They can speak instead of just reek. Where do you hail from, beasts? Your scent is rank and thankfully, I'm not familiar with it.”

  Seth answered him crassly, “It's the bold smell of manliness and of strength, something we shifters have and you'll never achieve, boy. But I'll entertain you blood sucker, we’re from the Smoky Mountains.”

  “Ah,” the vamp acknowledged, thin lips upturned to show the tips of his fangs. “I do happen to know of several litters there. Quite the reputations if I recall. Which of that rout might you be?”

  Kyle responded, stopping Seth from dropping to all fours. “The Fullers. What's it to you?”

  “Nothing at all…” the snide teen continued, a nefarious glaze over his eyes. “Let me explain it a little better, as I forgot shifter brains were slow to comprehend. I think that you all taste the same, but I'll be sure to pay a visit once we are done here to find out for sure.”

  The rabble laughed and Kyle was on the ground before Seth even realized, the two of them roaring while their clothes tore to thin shreds. Their angry bodies grew larger and hair flowed out of their skin like a furry river. The sound of snapping bone took over, viciously contorting them into the shapes of enormous Kodiak bears. They breathed heavily for a moment before rising to their hind legs. Ten feet tall they stood, then, bellowed – the deep sound and imposing sight ushering fear into the masses.

  Well that explains the cheap clothes, Gage thought in awe.

  Kyle stared down the head vampires, his still human eyes darting to each of them in turn. “Just try it… I beg you.”

  Abruptly, air rushed over the crowd, booming in a cacophonous racket at the top of the hill. Evans had appeared, the scattering light between the treetops making him look almost angelic. Adrienne was also there with him, standing confidently beside him.

  “That's enough!” he cried out. “What do you hope to accomplish by this?” The two of them proceeded down the hill, Evans never removing his eyes from the elder.

  Reaching Gage, Adrienne broke off and wrestled her hand into his; it was clammy, but Gage closed his tightly around hers.

  “About fucking time,” he whispered with a cocked eyebrow. “Y'all two making out up there or something?”

  She rolled her eyes over his way. “Don't even…”

  “I need you to be ready, just in case,” Evans muttered as he passed by Seth. “Until then, by all means stay in that form. The sight of you and your brother naked would certainly derail the conversation.”

  Seth started to protest, but Evans carried on toward the rocky outcropping, sun beating down hard. It was uncomfortable, heat and sweat collecting beneath his skin, but he would endure. He had to for this.

  The elder addressed him before he got too close, “Evans, the question that should be asked is, what do you hope to accomplish by all of this?”

  “Hamilton, always a pleasure,” he replied. “Quite simply, I hope for our survival.”

  “How deliciously ironic,” the teen retorted. “The very survival of our species is now dependent on allying ourselves with those that have been killing us. Heartlessly, lest you've forgotten. We vampires are strong and can weather this storm, by ourselves.”

  “Owens,” Evans groused, placing his hands in his pockets, “don't let your pride overtake simple reason like it has for the elves. Everyone's survival is hanging in the balance here. We vampires, the humans, and others who call the Earth home are now facing an enemy that threatens to swarm across it and consume us all. Remember that a stick may be strong, but never as strong what it can weather in a bundle.”

  Owens didn't have a response, instead shrinking away; there were truths in Evan’s words that he couldn't counter.

  “All that sounds well and good, but what comes after?” asked one of the other leaders. “Do we fall right back into the slaughter? By Lamatsu, would it not be folly to ally with the humans, bringing them closer to cutting our throats?”

  “I cannot answer that, Reynolds,” Evans said truthfully. “Yet, I think should we manage to get to that point, it will be a good problem for us to have – knowing that this current threat of extinction is behind us.”

  From behind, the company watched as Evans continued his conversation with the delegation, their muted voices rising while their arms flailed about in fits and arguments.

  “You think he's making any progress?” Adrienne asked Gage quietly.

  “With the amount of gesturing going on, he best be,” Kyle replied, his keen ears overh
earing what the two of them had said. “If not, I have my claws ready for a date with that little runt’s face.”

  “Easy now,” Gage said, scanning the throng of at least fifty vampires. “Careful what ya wish for; there's plenty of biters to go around should things go south. It ain’t gonna be a cakewalk out of here.”

  “Well, truth be known, I really like cake,” Seth chimed in, laughing at his own joke. “I'm ready, as we all are.”

  Gage couldn’t deny that.

  Some time later, the furious conversations ahead of them began to slow down. The sun had moved far to the west on its way toward the horizon, indicating the passage of hours.

  Evans backed himself away from the group, who in turn had done the same. He approached Gage and Adrienne with a solemn expression, lips drawn into a thin line across his face. Seth and Kyle lumbered up beside them and they all huddled together.

  “I believe I have them convinced the alliance is a good thing,” Evans told the group, though his tone was downbeat as if it had secrets to tell.

  “No offense, but that didn't sound convincing at all,” Adrienne called out. Of course, she was right, Gage looking across to her and catching the concern in those eyes.

  He returned his attention to Evans when Seth grumbled. “What is it you aren't telling us?”

  “Right now,” Evans started, though it was evident he didn't want to, “they are on board with this idea of an alliance, barely. Truth be known I think the only thing stopping that mob from coming at us is the Odyssey and the threat of its weaponry being brought to bear.” He glanced over to the each of the brothers. “’No pun intended.”

  Kyle chuckled at the joke before looking up to the airship, hovering effortlessly above the treetops.

  “So come on, what's the catch?” Gage demanded, knowing there was more to come and that it was undoubtedly about him. “They want me to do something in order to sway them over to our side, don't they?”

  Evans let out another sigh, much longer than the previous one. “Yes. They do. Their eyes and minds are shut to reason, clouded by thoughts of blood and revenge. Against you.”

  “So, they want him dead?” Adrienne gasped.

  “No,” Evans replied succinctly. “They want both of you dead. But by the grace of the Mother, I have brokered an alternative solution, if you will.”

  Gage and Ady did not like the sound of that at all.

  “If we will?” Gage probed. “Depends on what you’re fucking askin’.”

  “Reluctantly, they have all agreed to join for now, until the artifacts have been collected or destroyed.” Evans dropped his tone several levels and his voice became a nervous whisper. “Look, the primary condition of this agreement is that each of the four Houses will seal the deal in blood… your blood. There is no need for those faces, it’s not about your deaths, though this is no less painful. The deal will be finalized with four strikes from a whip, one for each of their houses, two lashes apiece.”

  Adrienne squeezed Gage's hand tightly.

  Evans averted his eyes, continuing, “They say it is a small price to pay for those who have brought so much death to vampire kind. I do not agree with this, but the group insists. It is your call, one that I will not make for you.”

  Adrienne’s mind was spinning, unsure of what to do. She was angry, scared, and so tired. Yet, she needn’t fear a thing, as Gage had made the choice for her.

  He lifted her hand, kissing it firmly with his lips. Lowering it, he let go and swaggered toward the vampire mob.

  “Gage?” Adrienne cried out at a loss. “What… where are you going? Gage?”

  “Stay put, gorgeous,” he told her, refusing to turn around. “Boys, can ya please take her up top so she doesn't see any of this?”

  Evans was perturbed. “Gage, they require both of you…”

  “They require jack shit!” he spat. “They'll be gettin’ me. Take it or leave it, I really don't give a fuck, but nobody is touchin’ a single hair on that woman’s head.”

  The leaders watched as the beasts drew Adrienne away, her tears visible even from there.

  Evans fell in silently behind the big man, marching in step with him toward his fate.

  Gage addressed all four Head Vampires as he stepped over the rocky ridge. “Alright ya pulse-challenged freaks, I'm here to take those lashings ya want, all of ‘em, but ya fuckers better keep up your end of this bargain.”

  The quartet murmured; truth be known they were banking on a slaughterfest. Hamilton debated with himself, but time was ticking and he ultimately chose honor over desire.

  “Very well,” he responded, motioning to the crowd. The gathering parted and a single person stepped forward, carrying a leather bullwhip by the handle. Its long tail snaked along the ground, a threatening hiss rising out of the silence.

  Gage moved himself over to the nearest tree, setting himself down on his knees.

  “Gage Crosse,” Evans said with admiration, approaching slowly on his right. “You're full of surprises aren't you? You managed to give this old vampire a glimmer of hope during the Assembly and now, burning brightly, for the future. For whatever it’s worth, especially from the likes of me: thank you.”

  “You're welcome, David,” Gage replied as he removed his jacket, then shirt, setting each in turn on the ground. The amulet clung to his neck via the chain and the rusted Seal of Solomon sat innocently on his finger.

  Gage looked to each of the three treasures as Evans bent down to pick up his clothes, tucking them under his arms as he stood back up. The vampire nodded politely, then withdrew from view.

  Exhaling, Gage lifted his arms above his head, placing them against the trunk before resting his forehead on the rough bark. Perhaps he was just zoning out, but everyone and everything seemed to hush at that moment. Blissful in an odd way, he muttered to himself and it was soft like a calm breeze.

  “You are…”

  Hamilton grabbed hold of the stubby handle, wringing it between his palms before rearing the whip back to send it cracking. The sharp tongue of leather rushed out toward Gage, cutting through the air until it struck his exposed back. With a deafening snap his soft skin was split wide open, his tattooed wings clipped, never to look the same again.

  The elder dropped his arm, the sight of Gage's blood and destroyed flesh surprisingly unsatisfying. Regardless of feelings, they were now committed and had to follow through. Holding the weapon to the side, Owens hesitantly grabbed it for his turn.

  “The brightest…”

  Numbness had taken over Gage’s senses, except for a prevalent smell like uncooked meat. An itch formed that he could not scratch, spreading out across his back like raging hellfire. His face locked in an intense scowl, the hot sear of a second lash soon racing across his skin. Gage let loose a scream as his flesh peeled, sniffing hard before letting out a cry-filled laugh.

  “Star… in…”

  He collapsed back into a wince as the third lash hit him, Ady’s face appearing in the cold flashes that stung his eyes. His head whirled, unable to focus as his lacerated back wept, streams of blood and sweat gushing down into his soggy jeans.

  It was almost over, just one more unbearable slash to go. Just one.

  Despite what he was feeling that very moment, he clung to the fact that Adrienne was safe and unharmed.

  She truly was the brightest star in…

  “… my sky.”

  HENRY WALKED ALONE down a stark corridor on the seventh floor of HQ, devoid of windows except for a few circular ones at the end. Beyond the glass was a clear view of the morning sun, climbing between the neighboring skyscrapers.

  Having just completed his next to last medical check up seven floors above, Henry rubbed against the shiny skin of his automaton, adjusting to the latest tweaks just as the large doors slid open. He stepped through without delay, entering the newly upgraded data center.

  It was a large room and though early in the day, operatives were already there busily working on banks of computers that
gleamed between the sterile gray walls. Some had never left from the night before, working their hardest to keep ahead of the Noctis.

  Hovering in the very center, above a cubical slab of black, was a curved screen that streamed live video, still images, and data from different missions going on around the world. Off to the left, another busy passage led to some of the famed research labs, while the right opened up into a large conference area, another dark slab – this time rectangular – splitting the table down the middle.

  Henry marched up to it and sat down in one of the sleek ergonomic chairs. He touched the slab and it shifted like a ferrofluid, spiky ripples propagating down its entire length. From within it a pale light shone, collecting in the air above as it took the shape of another display screen.

  His eyes widened eagerly as he reviewed the latest updates on lab projects, falling thin again when sadly, no progress had been made on reactivating the dormant compass. Sighing, he pushed back from the table just as a tiny flashing icon caught his attention, nagging to be pressed.

  “What do we have here,” he said, swiping a finger through it. The display shifted, warping into several field reports that had been forwarded to him overnight.

  As he read, there were updates on a recent attack at a California hospital, investigators confirming that hellhounds had indeed killed everyone inside before they just left. Henry then wondered if Keli was out of commission, maybe even dead. He wasn't the only one that thought it, the report suggesting a new person had stepped in to fill that role. If true, that was bad news no matter what. What was worse is nobody knew who it was, believing it to be one of the Hell Knights. Something told Henry they would find out soon enough.

  As he continued to read, he found hope in the other reports. Apparently the vampires had joined the Journeymen, meaning Gage and the others were successful. The vamps were spreading out to rally additional houses and monsters to the cause and a joint mission was already planned around Seattle, the first of many to come.