Camacho countered: “We only volunteered out of fear about the assignments we might get fucked with if we declined. And for your information, everyone got tiny doses over a long period of time, not just the volunteers.
“Except what you did not know was that me, Blackhoof, and Fiedler learned what the serum really was. So, we stole some extra bottles of the stuff and began to double and triple down on the doses. It was painful. The shit burns your throat as you swallow it, and it’s like acid to your innards. It literally leaves you feeling like you swallowed fire. But in the long run, we became twice as strong as everyone else, twice as fierce and hungry. We never tired, and we felt no pain. We became something other than human. We were invincible! We became half human, half GOD. Basically, DEMIGODS.”
Confuse d, Jake pondered aloud. “So, let me get this straight. One minute you are crying about me ruining your life and the next you’re telling me how wonderful it is to be this amazing DEMIGOD. So, which is it? Am I here for you to punish me or praise me?”
“Actu ally, you did both of those things to me. Nonetheless, you and your high-ranking official buddies wouldn’t know anything about how it feels to have been experimented on with that stuff. You wouldn’t touch the stuff. You were scared, and justifiably so. It’s not like you all needed it anyways. You don’t need to be strong and fearless to sit behind a desk and push a pencil around.
“And then you had the nerve to have us court martialed and prosecuted. You testified as a government witness against us. You threw us under the bus for that whole Haditha scenario, saying that Blackhoof, Fiedler and I shot up that village, slaying people in the streets for no reason at all. But you know damn well that everyone we killed out there was a fucking Al Qaida operative terrorist.”
Jake interrupted, “Wait just a fuckin’ minute, Camacho. You apparently have become delusional over time. First, we don’t know that those people were Al Qaida or terrorists. And second, you guys made matters worse when you went and injected an innocent family, even the little kids with the ‘Z Serum’. No one told you to inject civilians with the Power Rations. That drug was still highly experimental and classified, not intended to be used on anyone outside of the Zeus Project.
“Hell, I still don’t understand how your role in Al Anbar didn’t get you treason, murder, and war crimes charges. You should have been hung out in public, right outside the Capitol Building or the Pentagon, for all to see.
Jake continue d; “is that why you’re not with the FBI anymore? Did they fold under the public pressure to let such an evil predator as yourself go before causing any further scrutiny? Is that why you are here, hiding underground like the worm that you are?”
Camacho int errupted, “Shut the fuck up, Hathaway, and let me finish. So, then you ended up testifying against us, your own fucking stool pigeons. And we end up getting sent away to lockup. Once again you came out on top, looking like some great American hero - so high and mighty.
“And you made us look like the bad guys, portraying us as immoral traitors. We did what we were instructed to do, and you threw me, Blackhoof, and Fiedler under the bus. “So now Blackhoof and Fiedler are doing twenty years in Leavenworth. I was supposed to be joining them there, but I made a deal with the devil otherwise known as the United States government. They were so worried about their secret getting out, your whole Zeus Project, that they traded me my freedom for my services. All I had to do was cover up their role in the military project and the civilians who got flipped as well.”
“When this whole zombie thing was first starting up, they needed someone to clean up the mess, cover up the loose ends. So, your case, that whole birthday party massacre thing, was one of the first major DEAD incidents to get media attention. It became quite obvious that I should make you be our scapegoat.”
Jake asked, “What are you talking about? How does the Zeus Project relate to my brother and his wife?” “How ironic wa s it that just a few years after you ruined our lives, you would get yours in return. You end up being attacked by your own brother and sister-in-law after they got infected by the very Z Serum you masterminded! Then you end up destroying them and charged with and convicted of their murders! It’s some crazy shit, ain’t it?” Camacho chuckled evilly.
Jake was still not himself, weak and listless but struggled to speak, “What do you mean they were infected by the Z Serum?”
Camacho laughed aloud.
“Oh, you really don’t know. Oh, that’s right, I guess you have been a little out of touch with the news, running from the law and playing mafia badass will do that to a guy.
“Well, it seems that back when your labs were up and running in Cali and Florida, they were snatching up people to test. The homeless, vagrants, runaways, were all being experimented on because those involved figured no one would miss these people or be looking for them.”
“No. I never was advised about or gave approval for any laboratories in the civilian world. And I had no knowledge about any kidnappings or abductions of people for experimentation. The scientists who we were working with said nothing about testing these drugs on anyone other than the Marine Corps volunteers in the Zeus Project.
“And those same scientists told me after the initial wave of tests had been analyzed, that the drugs were showing only positive signs. They were working as planned, making the soldiers stronger, increasing their pain threshold, giving them energy and making them tireless. They said we were creating ‘invincible warriors’, and without any negative side effects. And definitely without any civilians or the public being exposed.”
“Wow, Hathaway, you really believed that shit? You probably think there’s really a Santy Claus too, don’t you? “Anyways, let me continue this fascinating story. So, I guess your brother was in Florida for some reason and somehow got abducted. He ended up in the lab. He became a lab rat for a while until he escaped and disappeared. Sounds like he made it a few years after that but, as you know, the symptoms grow worse with time. He eventually ended up succumbing to the stuff and changing over to one of your zombies. Then he must have bitten, clawed, or scratched his wife and then she ‘turned’ as well. Well, I guess you already knew that part, didn’t you?”
“Then there was that nosey neighbor lady, Mrs. Torrence. She saw exactly what happened the day you got attacked by Rich and Holly. She was in her house, watching through binoculars intothe open windows of Holly’s house.
“I contacted her the night of the incident and she told me she saw you go in the house without your dog, saw you looking around. Then you found Austin tipped over in his highchair, and you set him back upright before being attacked by Holly, who was now a zombie. You finished her off, then went outside with the baby and got attacked by the Rich-monster.
“Gladys drove a hard bargain when it came to us bribing her into testifying the way we wanted her to. But I guess the five grand we offered her could feed all of those dogs for quite a while and pay for a lot of Bingo games.”
Jake remarked, “I heard someone killed Gladys.”
“A funny thing happened to her on the way home from court. Seems like someone had punctured her car tire while it was in the court parking garage and she got a flat while driving home. She pulled over to look at the damage, and I just happened to be driving behind her. Being the nice guy that I am, I drove the smelly old broad home and escorted her inside.”
Jake recalled the horrid details of the condition in which Mrs. Torrence’s body was found. “So, you are the one who tied her up and carved out her eyes and tongue? You’re a sick fuck, Camacho.”
“Hey, she was just a crazy, nasty hoarder woman with a bunch of pathetic stinky mutts. I did her a favor by putting her out of her misery. Besides, that old lonely biddy was dying to be relevant. So, I granted her wish. Now she’s famous! And she would be glad to know that after she died, her little dogs ate pretty damn good. They snacked on her big body for a couple weeks to follow!
“Now this whole ‘Infection Armageddon’ as they are calling it
, is spiraling out of control. It’s like a landslide. We can’t possibly cover everything up anymore, so we started to put a new spin on it. Now we are reporting this to be some unknown bacteria or strain that’s causing the outbreak. People are so gullible; they seem to be falling for it,” said Camacho.
“Oh, by the way, your hot girlfriend Amanda; if it’s any consolation for you, she still had some feelings for you even after you went to the pokey. She was the one who funded your escape from the prison bus, too. Well, it was her new rich husband that paid for it. You will find out why soon enough. Boy, she wasted no time in getting remarried, huh? Hooked up with some wealthy oil man from Texas. You know she got an upgrade there!
“So, my boys and I set your punk ass free. As much as I hated to do it though, because I so much loved seeing you imprisoned, your freedom taken away, caged up like an animal. “Oh, by the way, hope I split your skull open when I gave you that little love tap, before shoving your bitch ass out of the van back in Louisiana. And don’t feel like you have to say thank you because we freed you, but you’re welcome anyways. It was my pleasure, because if we hadn’t released you back then, you wouldn’t be here today.”
Clapping his hands in a slow, steady rhythm, Camacho continued... “Oh, by the way, let me congratulate you for following all of the clues me and my friends put out there for you. And for successfully overcoming a few obstacles we put in your way. Not that I had any doubt that you would. I knew you would find your way here to me.
“Oh yeah, sorry I got sidetracked. I just hav e so much to tell you, old friend. So, after we saved your sorry ass from death row, I told Amanda you got killed in a shootout with the troopers. She has no idea you’re alive.
“I wonder why she didn’t wait to verify the reports of your death before mov ing on and seeing someone new? Maybe she had been screwing around with him all along? Maybe she was hooking up with other people too. Like me.”
“Fuck you, Camacho.”
“What’s wrong, Jake? Just telling you the truth about your lovely Amanda and how she couldn’t keep her hands off me. She said she should have chosen me from the start, way back in our San Diego days. She just loves my long sexy hair.
In a fit of rage, Jake yelled, “I’ll fuckin kill you!” and struggled, flexing his muscles and rocking back and forth on the cold galvanized steel floor. Jake was attempting to break free of the titanium restraints that were restricting his movement.
“You probably thought she had no idea you were fucking that cute little blonde cop chick either. Am I right? You’re such a moron.” Camacho said, grinning. “Or maybe Amanda was ready to forget about you because of the story the prosecutor fed the jury during closing arguments at your trial. Before the trial started, Ferron told me that we would need to come up with a motive for which you slain your own brother and his wife.
“So, I came up with the idea that Ferron used in court. We made up those allegations that in the months leading up to the birthday party massacre, you had been screwing Holly. That you decided you were going to leave Amanda to be with Holly, and you went to the birthday party with the intentions of killing Rich to get him out of the picture. When you got to Holly’s place that day, you told her of your plan, and she wanted nothing to do with it. She tried to stop you. Pretty convincing story, wouldn’t you agree?”
Camacho continued. “But it gets even better. I’m not sure if you know this yet or not. But the person who was really bangin’ Holly was your old partner and best buddy, Mack. Sometimes real-life events are even better than fiction!
“But over the years I decided that it wasn’t fair for me and all the other low -ranking Marines to have this advantage over you. You deserve to have the power too, to be indestructible and godlike. I knew we would be running into each other again. It was our fate. And that way you will have no excuses when I still kick your ass in our rematch!”
“What the hell are you talking about -rematch?” Jake asked.
“So, when we had your ass knocked out unconscious in the back of our van in Louisiana, I gave you a dose of your own medicine. Iused a syringe to give you two vials full of your ‘Zeus Juice’ shit.
“Have you been feeling weird lately, Jakey boy? Making any irrational choices? Having any anger management issues? You sure look strong though. You been feeling power hungry? Or are you hungry for something else? Like, say…human flesh?
Camacho went on … “you know you’re turning into one of thos e things that your scientists warned you about. They told you there was a high risk that these experiments could go awry. But you insisted they continue to inject us with this stuff. And now the public has been contaminated by your diabolical doping and the whole country is in the middle of an epidemic. It’s all your fault.
“About the only vindication all of your victims can receive from this is the satisfaction of knowing that you yourself are turning into one of those things. So how does it feel to be a freak? I know how it feels because I have been there since the start, back when I was getting all those daily doses of the Juice back at camp. Every little drop tearing away at my humanity, changing me into what I am today. A freak. But also, a DEMIGOD!!!
“I have you to thank for that. I have become a divine, supernatural being. E ven after we are long gone, I will be remembered as a mortal. Much like the offspring of a god and a human, “Camacho said.
“You haven’t been taking the stuff as long as me, so you can’t relate. And very soon you won’t be in any state to remember any of this conversation, because all you will have on your mind is the desire to eat someone.
“Well, let me explain what we have going on here. Every Saturday night for the last couple of months we have been having these ‘Fright Fights.’ It’s like a combination of two different events. It's one-part circus side show and another part cage fighting, all rolled into one huge party.
“I am like the animal tamer under the tent, and each week I battle an assortment of dead ones with my bare hands. With no weapons or assistance whatsoever I enter a locked cage with those malformations and destroy them while being showered with applause and cheers.”
“You’re so vain, Camacho. So…. you avoided the question earlier. What happened to your fulfilling FBI career?” Jake sarcastically queried.
“Fuck the F.B.I. with all their rules and policies and dress codes and shit. I left on my own so I could be free again.”
“Yeah, right. That means they shit-canned your ass.”
Camacho ignored the comment and continued his utterance.
“But this weekend will be extra magnificent! This stadium is going to be rockin '! The richest, most relevant, celebrities, politicians, kings, and business owners from around the world have gathered here in Vegas this weekend to celebrate the ‘Fright Fights’! Fuck the Super Bowl. They are here to see us!
“Anyways, prior to our big fight, the audience members will be encouraged to walk thr ough the backstage area here. They will be able to observe the vast selection of combatants we have on display in these glass cells, just like the one you are in now.
“They will then place their wagers on their selection. And when the show starts, they will watch the fights and cheer on their favorites. “Now let me tell you what is going to make tonight’s showdown even extr a special! As tonight’s highlight, YOU are going to be the main attraction! The once great American War Hero turned Super Cop turned murderer and escapee America’s Most Wanted - will be battling several of the backstage participants.
“You can see some o f them from here. They have already received the first few injections in the series of the Z Serum that you were so proud of. But before the fight they will get their final, large doses. This will make them even fiercer, hungrier, stronger, and faster for the big grand finale death match. The last person, or creature, to remain in the ring wins.
“I sure hope you survive that fight, Jake. It’s been a blast having you as my personal plaything. You were like my little pet bug that at any time I could grow tired of a
nd squish. I would occasionally reach down and snatch you up from your own little terrarium and put you in a new one to see how you would react. Like when I set you free from the prison bus and put you in that swamp.
“Then I watched you do your little thing up north, acting like Mafioso and shit. And now I’ve brought you here. All good stuff. “I’ve enjoyed playing God with y ou, like you did with us in the corps. You let me, Blackhoof and Fiedler dabble with dangerous drugs for the betterment of your beloved corps and the government, only to eventually be turned into freaks. Every one of us.
“But now I control your every mov e. Until I get tired of playing with you. Then you will be of no further use to me. I will be bored and just end your miserable existence. But I will make damn sure that in the end, any loved ones you left behind will get to see you suffer. And then, I will kill them too. After I am done playing with them of course.”
Chapter Thirty-Five - Fight or Play Dead
Jake sat on the floor, still groggy from what they had done to him. He was chained to a pole and unable to roam more than a couple feet away. Jake began to size up the glass-encased, zoo-like cage in which had been imprisoned. He was looking for a weakness, some possible way to escape. He could see that Camacho and others were escorting several well-to-do-looking people throughout the holding cells area.
These fight fans began to look at all the evening’s contenders. They were, pointing at certain specimens and having meaningful conversations with one another about who they should put their money down on.
One of these wealthy gamblers was a man named Chad Tillinghast. Jake was not privy to the fact that Tillinghast was a rich oil man from Texas. Or that he was Amanda’s new husband.
Wicked Awake Page 37