Blood of the Forsaken

by David Horrocks

  Sam hadn't noticed it before, but TJ had hidden a long revolver under his baggy sleeves, only now displaying it as he felt threatened by the intruder within his domain. He brandished it wildly, waving the weapon in the air as he aggressively pointed it in Sam’s general direction. The custom barrel of the six shooter was far too long to be practical, only serving as a method of intimidation instead of having any real use. The gun would surely be unwieldy and difficult to aim, likely requiring two hands to steady it in a manner that didn't quite suit the man's style of casual violence.

  “All bark, no bite. You have no guts, boy.” TJ cackled, still waving the gun around as if it was a toy instead of an instrument of death.

  Sam ignored the loaded weapon and began his slow walk toward the stage, biding his time as he savoured the moment. It didn't take TJ long to pull the trigger, the first bullet missing by mere inches as it ricocheted off the wall behind him. Sam wasn't so lucky when the revolver went off again, the hot lead leaving a thumb sized hole through his left shoulder. The man upon the stage didn't have the decency to lay off for a second and wouldn't give him a break as a third bullet imbedded itself in his chest, causing him to stagger backwards as he tried to regain his balance.

  The agony caused by the bullet wounds was immeasurable, but it was still nothing compared to the pain that Sam had experienced in recent nights. It didn't take long for him to regain his composure, continuing the push towards the stage once more with teeth gritted and fists balled up with all the bravado that he could muster. His tenacity caused TJ’s face to twist with horror as the gap between them continued to close.

  A fourth bullet struck Sam in the chest again, burying itself inside one of his dead lungs. It hurt a little less this time, his mind overcoming any physical limitations with sheer willpower alone. Where a mortal would have fallen, the Forsaken continued to drive himself forwards through the pain barrier, pressing on towards a final confrontation with the man who had occupied his thoughts for far too long.

  A fifth shot grazed Sam’s cheek as TJ struggled to hold the weight of the revolver out in front of him, with the sixth and final bullet hitting the ground between his feet. The lack of ammunition didn't deter the man as he continued to pull the trigger over and over, the gun making a metallic clicking sound as his panic overrode rational thought and prevented him from coming to the realisation that it was in fact empty.

  Sam used TJ’s bout of temporary insanity to his advantage and leapt over the row of skulls that lined the platform’s edge. After weeks of planning and biding his time, Christie’s murderer was finally within his grasp and he couldn't wait any longer. He lunged towards his foe with arms outstretched, but instead of wrapping his fingers around the skinny man’s throat, his hands collided with an invisible wall that sent white hot fire through his veins.

  TJ’s look of terror faded and a sly grin crossed his face. It seemed that his fear had all been a ruse, as Sam found that the barrier was impassable. His hands struck against solid air over and over as it continued to wrack his body with a pain that was impossible to ignore.

  “Did you think it would be that easy? Not so observant are you, big man.” TJ gestured down towards a strange circle upon the ground that surrounded Sam on all sides. The shape was formed by a complicated arrangement of runes and symbols that were written in red, the scent of which smelled like dried blood. It wasn't human blood however, as the aroma was a lot less potent and much less appetising. Was this the magic that TJ supposedly dabbled in? Sam knew that the man had a few tricks up his sleeve, as Christie had told him as much, but he had never expected to be trapped within a kind of warding such as this.

  “I knew you would come.” TJ continued, the smug look on his face only serving to infuriate Sam further. “Did you forget that I have eyes everywhere? You are mine!”

  Sam was trapped like an animal in a cage, with no idea of how to escape from this new predicament. He had foolishly stormed into the sanctum without thinking about potential hazards and was now paying the price for his arrogance. “I'll never be yours to control!” He spat out his words, his arms still burning from his desperate attempts at breaking free of his bonds. “You may as well kill me!”

  TJ began a slow walk around the runed trap, circling Sam like a hungry shark as he bared his teeth. “Do not tempt me... Ending your miserable existence had already crossed my mind, but I still have use for a vampire that can walk under the sun.”

  A feeling of hopelessness set in. One that Sam hadn't felt to this extreme degree since the day he had watched Christie die. He had no knowledge of the mystic arts or how to break such enchantments, and the more he struggled, the more the barrier resisted with intense pain that hurt him far more than a simple bullet to the chest.

  Both of them were caught up in the finality of the moment, and neither Sam nor TJ had heard the door open at the far end of the room as someone else slipped inside. In fact, Tommy’s presence had gone completely unnoticed until his handgun blew a hole in the wooden boards that made up the stage, leaving a large gap where some of the runes had once been. Sam wasn't sure if the act had been carried out due to actual knowledge of the arcane or if the hunter had simply taken an educated guess, but he instantly felt a great weight lift from him as his invisible prison was destroyed. The energy from it dissipated in a shockwave that almost snuffed out the brazier's flames.

  “Don't just stand there, you fuckin’ moron!” Tommy yelled offensively from the shadows just out of reach of the brazier’s flickering light. “Let's finish this douchebag!”

  Sam didn't hesitate for another second as he dashed towards the stunned gangster who had already lost the smug look from his face. If he had any other tricks up his sleeve, he better use them soon as there wasn't going to be anymore holding back. Sam was about to unleash the beast that he had kept locked up inside of himself for so long and he was sure that there was no going back after that.

  **********

  Aaron checked his clip, having already discarded Tommy’s shotgun after running out of shells. The amount of ammo he had expended made it hard to believe that anyone could still be standing, yet the Huntsman had barely lost momentum and Matthew was still clearly losing ground to the gargantuan man who had gotten the upper hand some time ago.

  Nothing seemed to hurt Akoni at all. Not the sledgehammer blows of Matthew’s fists, nor point blank shots from the business end of a firearm. Aaron had considered trying his machete, but their adversary moved far too quickly to make a decent strike, and his wounds seemed to heal almost instantaneously anyway. The well dressed man was nigh invulnerable and could apparently withstand any punishment that was thrown at him.

  Despite his obvious shortcomings, Matthew still tried his best to go toe to toe with his opponent, continuing to trade blows as his body was gradually beaten to a pulp. It was impressive that he had lasted so long, but from the look of him he didn't have much fight left in him. He was battered, broken and bruised, and yet he still continued to swing at the Huntsman with all his remaining might. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that physical force was completely ineffective against the man whose suit was now in tatters.

  As for Alice, she had tried to intervene, but as fast as she was, the Huntsman was faster. Aaron had begun to wonder why they had even brought her along as she hadn't contributed much to the fight. She mostly waited at the edge of the room in between her weak attempts at assisting her large companion. He couldn't work out if she was actually waiting for a specific moment or if she was completely useless in a combat situation.

  Matthew took another blow to the face and then another, with the Huntsman moving his head to dodge Aaron’s bullet with an ease that was sadly no longer surprising. He fired again, trying to distract the man long enough to buy a few seconds for Matthew to break free, but once again he hit nothing but air. Aaron began to realise that he felt as useless as he believed Alice to be, but that didn't mean that he would give up the fight. He never gave up.

  The Huntsman continu
ed to pummel Matthew's skull as if it were a punching bag and showed no sign of relenting as he held his opponent in place with his other large hand. Once again, Alice rushed in to help but was swatted away like a pesky fly, her small frame ceasing momentum as it struck one of the crumbling pillars. Aaron went to fire his pistol, but the resulting click let him know that his clip had been emptied. It was too late for him to assist anyway, as Matthew was lifted into the air and his broken body was tossed through the boards of a nearby window and into the street far below.

  “Matty!” Alice gasped, rushing over to the shattered window to peer down at whatever was left of her friend.

  The Huntsman took the opportunity to dust off his torn suit jacket and adjust his shirt collar, taking his time as if his victory was assured and the battle was already over. Aaron knew that he didn't stand a chance against the giant, but he wasn't about to surrender. Whatever he chose to do, it seemed that his death was assured and he would rather die on his feet than on his knees begging for his miserable life. He unsheathed his machete from when it hung at his waist, knowing full well that it was his only option left despite the fact that he probably wouldn't be able to land a single blow.

  It wasn't clear if Akoni had noticed the blade in Aaron’s hand, as he paid it no heed and stared straight ahead with a deadpan look that held no hatred or malice. “You cannot hope to defeat me, for I am death incarnate.”

  It was now or never as Aaron began to charge, lifting his weapon in a desperate attempt to swing at his enemy. Perhaps he would get a lucky hit, but then what? He wouldn't get a second chance to cause any damage as the Huntsman wouldn't let him. His doubts clouded his mind, but he did his best to push them aside as he focused on the moment at hand.

  Aaron didn't see what happened next, but he must have been stunned by a severe blow, as when he came to his senses he found his sore body slumped against the cracked plaster of the far wall with his machete lying a few feet away from him. As he looked up into the room he saw Akoni still standing, but his focus wasn't on him, it was on the smaller, skinnier form of the blonde haired girl who stood up to him as if she was his equal in both size and strength. The pair faced each other across the open space in a standoff that left Aaron feeling baffled. He couldn't believe that she had the guts to face a man who could crush her in an instant as if she were nothing.

  Aaron watched as the Huntsman began to stride towards Alice with certainty, yet she still didn't back down. She didn't move a muscle as his massive form approached her like the unstoppable juggernaut that he was. Akoni wouldn't even make eye contact with her as his steady pace stopped just shy of where she waited. The girl's will remained unbroken as she craned her neck to look up at a man who had declared himself to be death itself.

  No words were exchanged between them as Akoni widened his bloodshot eyes and curled his mouth into a sneer. Alice on the other hand looked saddened, as if something truly upsetting had happened or was just about to happen. Her own eyes were full of regret, for a reason that Aaron had not yet been made aware of. She looked so small and fragile next to the Huntsman, who was a mountain of a man in comparison.

  Raising a massive hand into the air, the giant of a man prepared to strike her with a powerful backhand that could shattered her bones like ice, but Alice didn't try to move out of the way. Instead she raised a hand to lightly touch the man’s face, an act that had resulted in an outcome that neither Aaron, nor Akoni could have predicted as he suddenly dropped to his knees.

  Oddly, Alice towered over the Huntsman now as he cowered by her feet, both hands now resting upon either side of his face. His mouth silently pleaded with her as his expression of abject horror displayed only part of his inner turmoil. He appeared weak and pathetic as his body quivered while he was emotionally drained by her slightest touch. From the look of it, she too was feeling the effects of whatever she was doing to him, as her mental strain was clear and easy to read. Who was this girl that she could take down a man so much bigger than her with ease? And why did Aaron get the feeling that she was holding back the full extent of her true power?

  Aaron felt his stomach churn as Alice turned her head to look at him, her face a disturbing image of blood rolling over her porcelain cheeks. Red tears streamed from the corners of her hauntingly blue eyes in an unnatural sight that sent chills down his spine and made it hard for him to breathe. Her thin lips called out to him as he recoiled with a fear that overwhelmed his senses. “Finish it… Now…” She looked back at the debilitated form of the Huntsman who was no longer intimidating in his pitifully helpless state.

  Aaron felt his own strength return as Alice turned away from him, his mind regaining control over his body as he scrambled for his machete. He plucked it from the floor, grasping the leather binding of the handle tightly as he picked himself up and made his way over to them with unsteady legs. Turning his wrist to adjust his hold on the blade, the light reflected along its polished finish. In that moment, the weapon became an extension of his will and all he wanted was for the chaos to end.

  As Aaron approached the wretched form of Akoni the Huntsman, the man still didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. He was a broken creature who begged to be released from his torment, his twisted expression praying for it all to end. Whatever Alice had done to his mind, he was but a shadow of his former self. It seemed that the hulking man had picked a fight with the wrong vampire and had finally paid the price for his transgressions.

  Aaron couldn't bear to see anyone this way, even a monster such as the Huntsman. He believed that even evil beings such as this should be shown some form of compassion and should be killed as humanely as possible. Akoni’s misery had to be ended, and so he placed the edge of his sharpened blade against the base of the man’s neck and took a mighty swing. If he was lucky it would be a quick and a clean death. If not, it would be an unpleasant experience for everyone involved, and one that wasn't wise to dwell on.

  **********

  “The throne is yours. You can have it… All of it. Just spare my life...” TJ whimpered between strained breaths.

  Almost snarling in anger, Sam looked down at the skinny, tattooed man who grovelled before him and his fury quickly faded. The blood that leaked from his open wounds had no trace of the supernatural in its scent, meaning that TJ was mortal through and through. He wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as he pretended to be and was just a regular human being who had learned a ritual or two. Sam still hated the man for what he had taken from him, but killing him now would only turn him into a monster. In his rage he had beaten TJ within an inch of his life and the thought of that sickened him.

  “End it, Mitchell. What the hell are you waiting for?” Tommy stood close by, his hatred emanating from him in waves. He had kept his distance as Sam let his bestial side take over, only coming close once he deemed it safe enough to do so. It seemed that the raw savagery on display was enough to keep even a hardened hunter at bay.

  “I can’t…” Sam said as the last of his anger left him. “I'm not a killer.”

  The tone in Tommy’s response was that of surprise. “What? You're a goddamn bloodsucker! You're meant to kill... It should be easy for you!”

  Sam glanced over at the hunter who was looking more than a little confused, as if the very nature of his existence had been challenged. He frowned at him, disappointed that anyone could presume to know who he was based off so little information. “Well it isn't easy and I won't do it.”

  The trembling lump on the floor that was TJ reached out to touch Sam’s leg, a gesture that caused Sam to take a step backwards as Tommy studied his reaction with peaked curiosity. “You're a strange one, Mitchell. I can't figure you out.”

  Sam wanted to smile at that statement, but found that he couldn't as he looked down at the man by his feet and felt pity for him as if he were a homeless beggar in the street. “That's one way of putting it…”

  There was a brief silence, with only the sound of crackling fire and pained whimpering echoing throughout the d
ark room. Tommy seemed to ponder for a minute or so before speaking up again, his words honest and true. “Take your friends and get outta here before Aaron comes lookin’ for you.”

  Sam turned to look the hunter in the eye, feeling sceptical at first until he could see how genuinely sincere he was. Tommy continued. “I'll deal with this asshole. You really don't want to see what happens next, as it's gonna get ugly...” He gently patted the handle of the machete that hung from his belt, turning his attention back to TJ who was still a mess.

  Tommy was right. Sam didn't want to see what happened next, nor did he linger there long enough to think about the hunter’s exact meaning. He turned to leave, with TJ’s pleading only growing louder as he hopped down from the platform and made his way to the exit.

  Before he could reach the door, Tommy had some final words of warning. “Oh, and Mitchell?” Sam stopped for a second, but didn't dare turn to look back. He couldn't look at TJ’s face without feeling guilty for leaving him to this dreadful fate. “If I ever see you again, I'll fuckin’ kill you.”

  There was no response required as Sam knew that Tommy meant everything he said. He instead pushed open the door and squeezed his way through into the room beyond. Somewhere behind him in the darkness, a blood curdling scream was soon silenced by a wet hacking sound that echoed out as metal met flesh and bone in a gruesome display that wasn't meant for the faint hearted. The deed had been done and it was all finally over. Sam’s vengeance had come, but at what cost?

  Chapter Twenty Eight: Life after the fall.

  The battle between the Locos and TJ’s crew had taken the news by storm as the fighting spilled out from the building and into the streets. Without TJ to lead or the Huntsman to back them up, the Loco’s sheer number dominated the fight, leaving little remaining of the rival gang that had given them so much trouble for so long. With their bloody victory achieved, Sam’s promise to their leader had been upheld and his debt to them was paid. The gang quickly reclaimed TJ’s territory as their own, allowing them to increase their control over the city streets. Even though the change over was noticed by those living within the local area, the exchange of power was barely noticed by the rest of Miami’s population as a whole.