His clothes weighed a ton. They had never felt so wet. He stripped his jacket off and let it fall into the river. It wasn’t doing him any good at this point. He was shaking so badly that he now realized his plan was shit and he was just going to end up giving Invictus what he wanted.
Jerry stopped his ascent and focused. Rage had brought him this far. Maybe if he stoked the fire inside, it would warm him up. He knew enough about biology to know that wasn’t how it worked but any motivation now, anything that released an endorphin or adrenalin or anything would be helpful.
He thought of Erica. He remembered her standing before him threatening to shoot him when they first met. He remembered her standing before him at the wedding ceremony in New Hope. He heard her voice. He felt her breath on his chest in memories more vivid than he had ever experienced. They’d had plans—dreams that would never be realized. They were simple dreams.
His hands were still cold. But they moved. He climbed the rope and pulled himself over the railing. He didn’t even feel it when he hit the deck.
There was no rush of boots stomping towards him. No one yelled, “Seize him!” He stood up and shivered and looked around. He hadn’t been spotted and that didn’t seem possible.
Invictus was still ranting on the big screen. Night had fallen quickly, and his image cast an eerie glow over his side of the river.
It wouldn’t be long before he was spotted. There were cameras mounted everywhere on the ship. There was surely a producer somewhere who had seen him climb aboard.
Pride and the others were just down the rail. Jerry drew a hunting knife and cut the woman free first.
She pulled the hood off herself. “Thank you, Lib–“
“It’s Jerry.”
“Thank you, Jerry.”
He handed her a second knife and they worked to free the others. Lucas pulled off his hood, looking for a fight. Aside from that, he wasn’t looking good.
“The Legionaries went pretty hard on him.”
“That lying piece of shit Connor took a few sucker punches, too,” Lucas added.
“We’ll deal with him later,” Jerry said, and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Let’s get everyone out of here.”
“Aaah,” Lucas said as he pulled away. “Your hand is freezing.”
“I swam here.”
“I thought you were supposed to be really smart or something.”
The party made their way to the makeshift dock.
“Where do you think they’re hiding?” Lucas asked.
“Other side of the bridge, probably.”
“You only brought the one gun?”
“I told you I had to swim.”
They reached the end of the dock and Invictus’s voice filled the air around them. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint us.”
Lights snapped on and filled the area around the boat. The Praetor stepped out from behind a tree with several other Legionaries in tow. They aimed their weapons at the group and signaled for them to raise their hands.
“You called it,” Lucas said.
“Well, it was obvious.” Jerry raised the rifle above his head.
A door on the boat opened behind them and a cameraman backed out onto the deck. He hastily set up a shot and gave a hand cue toward the door.
Invictus, his armor shining, his cape flowing, stepped onto the deck. “I see the stories of your loyalty are true. That is admirable even if your choice of friends leaves something to be desired.”
The Coyote stepped out onto the deck and tipped his cowboy hat at Jerry. The Skinner kid limped out behind them both.
“You’re one to talk,” Jerry shouted back.
“Hi there, Library Guy,” Coy said with a wink.
“Do you ever take off that stupid hat?” Jerry asked.
“I take my hat off for one thing, one thing only.”
Everyone winced.
“It’s time for your trial, Librarian,” Invictus said, his voice echoing in the loudspeakers on the island.
The Praetor ordered his men forward.
“Will you let the others go?” Jerry asked.
Invictus shrugged. “I could lie and say ‘Yes.’”
Lucas looked up at the rifle in Jerry’s hands. “Look. I’ve been doing some thinking.”
“Good,” Jerry said. “I’d say make it a habit.”
“Well, when you’re tied to a ship’s rail with a hood over your head and you’re about to be sent over Niagara Falls—it gives you a new perspective on things.”
“Oh?”
The guards formed a line in front of the prisoners.
“Yeah. I think you should be the one that gets to kill Invictus.”
“Are you sure about this?”
Lucas nodded slowly and looked back up at the gun. “Yeah. Just make sure and tell him Snaps sends his regards, okay?”
“I will, Lucas.”
“Drop the gun,” the Praetor ordered.
Jerry did, and Lucas caught it. The Praetor fell first. Two more soldiers were struck before the others decided to fall back to the trees.
Jerry spun and drew the pistol. His first shot struck Invictus in the temple and sent Coy and Skinner diving for cover.
Lucas looked over his shoulder as Invictus hit the ground. “You killed him? What about Snaps?!”
“I’m sorry. I—“
“You promised!”
“Not technically.”
Invictus rolled over and got to his knees.
“He’s not dead,” Jerry shouted.
“Good,” Lucas replied. “Go tell him about my dog.”
Lucas pushed forward with the prisoners, firing just enough to keep the Legionaries’ heads in the bushes.
Whoever was working the video feed was covering it all on the giant screens, cutting between the battle on shore and the chaos on the boat. They focused on Invictus long enough to reassure his subjects that he was not dead.
Jerry raced up the dock firing at anyone that dared poke their head up. He was out of bullets by the time he reached the boat. Invictus was still stumbling to his feet. There was a second bullet hole in the helmet now and blood ran down his face, but there was a clarity in his eyes that told Jerry the man wasn’t out of the fight yet.
“Get hi—“
Jerry leapt and planted a boot in the tyrant’s chest that sent him flying back into the cabin.
Skinner jumped out of his hiding place and tackled Jerry into a fishing net and pulled it down on top of him.
He barely felt the impact and realized that his body was either still numb from the swim or that the rage was really doing its thing now. Still, he was tangled in the net and the kid was raining blows on him at will, which couldn’t be healthy.
The Coyote appeared beside the kid and the pair dragged the net to the open deck as Invictus stepped back out of the cabin. He had removed his helmet and Jerry could see where the bullet had grazed him. The tyrant bent over until their faces were inches apart.
“I should thank you really,” he said softly, running his finger along the wound. “You’ve proven once again to these lowly peasants that I am bulletproof. You’ve made me twice as immortal in their eyes.”
He stood up, found his helmet and tucked it under his arm. Then he signaled to the cameraman for his close-up. There was posturing before he nodded and the feed went live.
“Librarian. For your crimes you will be judged. For your betrayal, the Falls will surely find you guilty. You have sought to usurp the rule of the Great Lord Invictus. Now, as you face judgment, you must surely understand that order must rule over chaos, and only I am fit to bring order to the people of Alasis.”
“I guess so,” Jerry said, and nodded toward the casino screen. “It looks like they can’t wait to congratulate you.”
“Uh…Invictus,” Skinner stammered.
“It’s Great Lord In—” The Tyrant turned to scold Coy but noticed the screen. The battle on shore wasn’t going well. The prisoners had picked up the soldiers’
arms and pressed forward. It cut again and showed a crowd of hundreds crossing the bridge to Goat Island. And they didn’t look like a happy mob.
Jerry found the edge of the net. “Looks like they forgot the pitchforks.”
Invictus turned back to Skinner. “We’re leaving.”
Skinner nodded and the two moved toward the dock.
“Now hold on a second.” The Coyote stood at the head of the dock with the Bowie knife in his hand. It was enough to slow the men. “I came to this city looking for revenge on the person responsible for the death of Coy’s friend. I’m not leaving until I get it.”
“Fine,” Invictus said, waving for Coy to move. “Stay. Kill him. It’s your death.”
“You see, the problem is…” Jerry watched any vestige of Coy fade away as the psychopathic The Coyote held up the knife and smiled. “…it wasn’t him.”
This stopped Invictus in his tracks. “Of course it was him.”
“Nope. They killed Willie because Christopher hired us. And you’re the one that sent Christopher to find him. That means you’re the one that started all this.”
Invictus cast a finger at Jerry. “You told me he’s the one that made you eat dick.”
“It wasn’t dick! It was Willie! I—” The Coyote stopped midsentence. “Oh, that’s why everyone kept laughing at me.”
Invictus rushed forward and tackled The Coyote against the ship’s rail, nearly sending him into the river. Coy struggled to stay on board while the Tyrant drove fist after fist into the man’s ribs.
During this time, two things happened. The cameraman quietly slipped off the boat, and Coy cut a mooring line that held the ship to the shore. And it happened to be the one that was doing most of the work.
The boat lurched into the stream as the other lines snapped free and the deck tilted.
Jerry pulled the net over his head and rolled free of its hold.
Skinner saw this and raced to stop him.
Jerry came up with an uppercut that snapped the kid’s head back and sent him stumbling to the floor. Invictus was next. He crossed the rollicking deck, grabbed ahold of the tyrant’s armor and sent him falling toward the other side of the boat.
He pulled Coy back from the brink of going over. “Thanks, Coy.”
The Coyote faded and Coy looked up at him. “You’re still not my favorite person. I’m still pissed you killed all them Skinners.”
“Then have I got good news for you.”
Once he was brought up to speed, The Coyote dashed across the deck and kicked Skinner in the ribs as he was trying to get to his feet. Many times. “Your. Fucking. Grand. Pa. Made. Me. Eat. Willie!”
Skinner caught the final kick and pulled Coy’s legs out from underneath him. He hit the deck and the Bowie knife bounced out of his hand. Both men lunged for it, got a hand on the weapon and began to struggle for control of the blade.
Invictus came back with a metal gauntlet across Jerry’s face. He grabbed the Librarian by the shirt and pulled him close. “You fool! You’ve doomed us all.”
The armor was mostly cosmetic but hurt like hell to punch, so Jerry grabbed Invictus’s arm and twisted it away from his throat.
Invictus struck with a right cross, rocking Jerry down the railing. “There is a war coming. And I was the only one strong enough to fight it.”
“We’ll manage it without you.”
Invictus drew his fist back again. The ship struck a rock before he could launch the attack and threw both men to the ground. The sound of rending metal screeched as the current pulled the ship against the force of the stone.
Alasis had blown the channel near the Falls deeper, but Jerry figured it was still going to be a rough ride to the edge.
Coy screamed as the knife pierced his shoulder. Skinner drove it into the hilt and planned to pull it free, but The Coyote grabbed the kid’s hand and held it in place as he tried to pull it free.
This insane action and the crazed look in the eyes beneath the garish cowboy hat caused him to let go and back away.
“You are sick.”
The Coyote grinned as he pulled the knife from his shoulder. “This ain’t nothing compared to you Skinner freaks.”
“It’s a new world, psycho.” Skinner backed into a pile of fishing equipment and knocked it over. “The rules have changed. We do whatever it takes.”
“Even turning people into bacon?”
“Sometimes. Usually it’s a burger. People will tell you anything when you put their bits into a grinder.” Skinner grabbed blindly at one of the wooden poles behind him and lunged at Coy with a grunt. He put his entire force into the swing.
The pole caught The Coyote on the shoulder and snapped. Wood rot had saved his life. And it ended Jonathon Skinner’s.
He plunged the knife deep into the young man’s stomach, twisted the blade and pulled it out. He did this several times as the color left Skinner’s face and spilled across the deck.
The ship struck another rock, sending it spinning. The heaving deck sent Skinner crashing into the rail. Coy followed him with a clothesline and knocked him into the Niagara River. He lost sight of the body almost immediately as it was swallowed by the building whitewater ahead.
Jerry caught Invictus with a combination of blows that sent the man to his back. Getting up so many times with all that armor on had to be wearing him out.
“Hey Library Man!” They were going down the river sideways and Coy was standing on the bow pointing to the shore.
He followed the gesture and saw Lucas and several others running beside them. One of them threw a safety rope into the water and Jerry got the hint.
Coy was way ahead of him and dove into the rapids.
Jerry climbed up into the bow in time to see Coy grab the rope and watch the people on shore pulling him to safety. He put one foot on the bow to jump when another rock spun the bow toward the Falls.
He dropped down and ran along the rail, looking for the best place to make the leap. He reached the stern without finding it and realized this was his only chance. He dove out over the water.
Invictus grabbed his ankle and all but stopped his momentum. The safety line fell in the river behind him, well out of reach. He watched as his would-be saviors fell into the distance, then he turned around and headed back to the ship.
His only hope now was to survive the Falls.
25
The mooring line was almost literally a frozen rope, but he pulled himself out of the water and onto the deck of the ship.
Invictus was waiting with a club.
Jerry dropped out of the way and saw the metal pipe crash through the cabin window.
“You’ve ruined everything!”
Invictus swung again and once more Jerry dodged the strike.
“Why did you have to come here?”
With the third swing the club became entangled in a panel of nylon webbing and Jerry moved in with frozen fists.
“You brought me here!” He didn’t even feel the punch but he heard it crack off the tyrant’s face. “We were half a world away. All we wanted was to be left alone. And now this? We’re both going over. But I’m going to be sure to kick your ass the whole way down.”
The beating and lecturing went on until the boat dragged along the bottom of the riverbed and ground to a halt. The two men were thrown forward. Jerry hit the metal deck as Invictus stumbled toward the bow. He’d lost the club and his temper. He howled as he dove for Jerry with hands outstretched like the talons of a bird of prey.
A drum, cast about by the boat’s perilous journey, rolled by his foot and he kicked it at the madman’s leg.
Invictus tripped on the barrel but fell on top of Jerry anyway. He wasn’t even using words now. Just grunts and strings of vowels that garbled in his throat.
Jerry felt the world growing dim as Invictus closed his hands around his throat. He struck back but couldn’t find a way past the armor.
An invisible hand freed the ship from its perch and sent them downstream o
nce more, but it did nothing to loosen Invictus’s grip. He could barely feel the knife handle in his hand. If he somehow lived, he wondered how many fingers he’d lose to the cold. There was no tactile sensation left, just the pressure of the handle.
He thrust the blade under Invictus’s arm between the armor on his chest and shoulder. Once, twice and a third time the blade plunged in clean and came out red. Blood ran down Jerry’s hands. That, he could feel. The warmth felt almost unbearable.
Invictus screamed and rolled away from the fight. He stood, his hand under his arm, checking to see what his enemy had done. Given time, it would be enough to kill him. Before the realization could set in, Invictus’s eyes grew wide and his face pale. He began to desperately claw at his armor, pulling the pieces from his body.
Jerry got to his feet and saw past the bow of the ship. They had almost run out of river.
Invictus stripped off his shin guards and turned to run.
But there was nowhere to run to. It was too late. Going over was the only thing that was going to happen.
Jerry grabbed Invictus by his cape and dragged him back into the fight.
“Let me go!” Invictus said between getting punched in the face. “We have to swim.”
Panic had taken him completely. He wasn’t even fighting back now, just doing his best to pull away and run from the inevitable.
“You don’t get the easy way.” Jerry laid into his opponent. Kicking at his knees, punching him in the ribs—with most of the armor gone there were so many new places to choose from.
Beaten and bleeding out, Invictus collapsed to his knees.
Jerry pulled a length of rope from the deck and wrapped it around the dictator’s neck. He pulled the man to his feet, gasping, and walked him toward the bow. “C’mon Great Lord. You don’t want to miss this view.”
They were just about at the bow when the ship reached the Falls and shuddered to a stop. The momentum threw the pair into the peaked railing at the front of the ship. Jerry leaned into the man as they both looked over the edge into the black mist below.
The current pushed at the boat, but it was ground into the edge and only the rear end lifted up, giving the pair a once-in-a-lifetime view of the plunge pool and mist below. Jerry idly wondered if Gatsby was still in the pile of boats below. Part of him—most of him—really hoped so. And he hoped they landed on it.
Revenge of the Apocalypse Page 19