“Thought so.” Now within thirty feet of the bridge crew, I dropped my arms and sighted on the nearest man, letting off a round and hitting him in the shoulder. He spun like a top and slammed into the car behind him. I continued moving up, suppressing the men by firing off two rounds every few seconds.
Behind me, I heard Dave gun the engine and the Ford barreled across the bridge. At the end, a man taking cover behind a car met his end as Dave smashed the car into him, sending the car and the crushed man flying off the bridge. The moment of satisfaction was short-lived, though, as my M4’s magazine clicked empty and I was surrounded. I thought about drawing my Sig, but there were enough weapons aimed at me from both sides that I couldn’t win if I tried. As the men came out from cover and stepped toward me, I shook my head.
“I don’t suppose any of you wants to give me a ride, right?” With that, my world went black for the hundredth time as the butt of a rifle smacked into my head. At least I thought it was a good joke.
Chapter 73
I’ve been writing all of this from memory ever since I was in Dave’s truck, so if I get anything wrong, or you find any typos, I apologize. My head hurts, among other things, and I’m pretty sure I sustained a concussion at some point from the events that took place between then and now, but I’ll do my best to catch you up.
My eyelids cracked open and I expected to be blinded by lights in some creepy medical lab, or hanging from a ceiling. Instead, it was dark and I was lying on cold, hard ground. Between the darkness and my blurry vision, I couldn’t see a damn thing, but at least the darkness was oddly comforting.
“Where am I?” I called out, assuming someone was here with me. To my left, I heard footsteps coming closer and had flashbacks to the cannibals’ game after the fort. Reflexively, I jerked back and slammed into something hard.
“Do I frighten you, Eric?” a deep voice broke the silence, calm and knowing. He sounded like he already knew the answer.
“I was just remembering the last time I woke up in the dark. It didn’t go so well…for the people that knocked me out, at least. As for you?” I heard him step closer and he grabbed something. “It’s hard to be scared of someone you don’t know.” He laughed.
“On the contrary, Eric, that should terrify you. And yet,” the source of his voice lowered, as if he crouched, “you aren’t scared at all. You truly are magnificent, aren’t you? To still be alive after all you’ve endured, everything that has changed on the surface? I read some of your journal while you were unconscious and, I must say, what a story. Of course, as in all good stories, there are heroes and there are villains, and I’m afraid that you and I will be enemies.”
I reached my hand back and felt a cold wall, bracing myself against it for balance as I made to stand.
“Why are you so sure of that? Here I was expecting a tea party at your crazy table.” He let out another laugh.
“Read a few classics, have you? Very interesting to your character, but, sadly, I must attend to other things.” The guy was good, not letting any details about him slip in our conversation.
“Wait, you didn’t answer my question!” I moved toward him, feeling along the wall with my hands. His footsteps stopped and shuffled as he turned.
“You deserve that much, I suppose.” He sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed. “I must set an example, unfortunately.”
“An example? For what?”
“I read in your journal that you knew to stay off my road, and yet you drove on. My men failed to kill you, and, when we attempted to reach a compromise, you opened fire and allowed your friends to get through our blockade.” So, this was the guy who was so big and bad? I know you can’t hear him, but he really didn’t sound very menacing.
“No offense, guy, but you’re not the most imposing person I’ve come across lately. You might want to hand the villain title to someone else.” Okay, I’ll admit it. Sometimes, I can be a little too much of a smartass for my own good.
“Your bravado is frustrating, but I am indifferent. You will respect me, as so many have come to. That is my road, this is my world, and anyone who challenges me will learn their mistake. You are not the first to defy me, but you are the first since I last set an example. I read in your journal that you actually got the chance to see some of my work.”
I tried to think back to anyone I’ve met recently. It wasn’t anyone from the compound, and while I have been wrong before, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Dave. Who was I forgetting?
“In case your injuries prevent you from remembering, I’ll help you out. When you met them, they could no longer talk back. Anyway, I really do have to go. I would say good luck, but I think we both know that would be a lie. Still, I find part of me hoping you’ll survive for a while, as I’ve become a sort of admirer of yours.” His footsteps left the room and I heard them ascend, leaving me alone to make sense of our conversation.
Who had I met that could no longer…oh, shit. Suddenly, I knew enough about this guy to be very afraid. Anyone who sews peoples’ mouths shut and locks them in rooms together to die is one cold, twisted bastard, and I sure as hell didn’t plan to be his next “example.”
While I was busy trying to plan my escape, I saw a crack of light appear at the bottom of my cage. It was still too dark to see anything, but I reached through the bars and felt a curtain. Hearing footsteps and conversation above me, I squinted enough to make out figures across from me on the second floor. Looking lower, I could see cages lining the wall across from me, but I couldn’t tell if they were occupied.
I had a bad feeling about whatever was about to happen, but at least I had an idea of where I was.
“It makes sense that you would end up in a prison, Eric.” I banged my head against the bars, hoping that would make the ghost of my ex-wife go away. “I bet that hurt, but you’re not getting rid of me like that. Besides, you’ve still got a long way to go before you feel the pain you deserve.”
“What do you want from me, Samantha?” I turned from the bars and yelled at the darkness. “I tried everything to get to you! I fought as hard as I could, and it still wasn’t enough!”
“You weren’t there, Eric. It’s your fault that our son is dead, that I’m dead, and you’ve barely given us a passing thought. It’s all your fault, and you don’t even care. Maybe this will do you some good, being all alone like we were.”
I was about to respond, but the man from earlier cut me off from somewhere above.
“Before all of this, I was nothing, a nobody, but I promised you all that I would find us a place to settle and here we are. After weeks and months of blood and violence, we took what we had to and now we can reap the reward of our efforts. This prison is ours, the road is ours…” A cheer arose that reverberated throughout the building, but he cut them off. “But it’s not enough, because apparently people still seek to threaten our territory, our safety. We have worked far too hard to get where we are! When we claimed this place, I promised you that I would make it like things used to be. Now, I know that we usually wait a week before our next installment of entertainment, but this is a special event.”
He sounded like he actually believed what he was saying, like he really was the hero of their story. Hell, maybe he was, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the villain of mine.
“Tonight, you will witness a rare, brutal fight to the death, the likes of which have never been seen. Below me is a man responsible for the death of a dozen of our group, good men and women that were simply trying to make it in this new world. He took their lives without remorse, without hesitation. This man ignored our warnings, refused our help, and spat in our faces. However, despite all of his indiscretions, we are still civil. This man has survived countless fights out there and, therefore, deserves to fight for his survival in here. I am not without mercy. Of course, a man that awful could only be faced with someone his equal, or, rather, something.” The crowd inhaled as one, and they weren’t alone in their impatience.
“Our task force was a
ble to round up a vile creature, a beast whose very nature is violence, something new to our world and guaranteed to entertain. I give you all,” I heard a howl from across the way as something was forced into a cell, “a feral.”
My adrenaline spiked, recalling Dave’s story and his advice. Weaponless, knifeless, I was about to go against an unknown enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
“A monster worse than you? Who knew that was possible?” Samantha’s sarcastic encouragement came at a horrible time, but I had no time to address my mental deterioration as the crowd went silent and a loud buzz filled the room.
My cell doors slid open and I pushed through the curtain to see how far mankind had fallen.
Chapter 74
The light hit my eyes and I was momentarily blinded, but it faded quickly and I was able to see the crowd of twenty gathered on the second floor. They were watching me with mixed looks of fear, hatred, and intrigue. The feral howled again and, as one, the crowd’s gaze shifted across the arena.
Following their looks, I saw something come out from behind the curtain and wished that it hadn’t. Dave was right about the chill of fear, but he failed to mention how ugly the fucking thing was. It was a grotesque image: Its skin, covered in scars and cuts that I could barely make out from all the blood, was pulled tight against the bones, its fingernails were broken and chewed up, the hair on its head looked like a toddler’s Barbie, with patches missing all over, and its eyes were blood-red, the veins pushed to the surface for oxygen. Most disturbingly, though, it shook uncontrollably, whether from hunger or an effect of ingesting zombie flesh.
“Tasty…meat…” it muttered, saliva dripping from its cracked lips. This thing was still human somehow, and the look in its eyes was truly menacing. I glanced up at the crowd again and found the man in charge, meeting his look with determination.
My moment was broken up, though, as the feral went into motion across from me and the fight began. The feral was fast, closing the distance between us without hesitation, and lunged at me when it got within five feet. I jumped to the left, out of its path, and pushed down on its back, hoping to keep it face-down on the ground.
It thrashed around as I drove my knee into its back and kept my forearm on the back of its neck, shoving its face against the concrete. I couldn’t get my arm around its neck, as it might bite me and I didn’t want to find out if a feral was contagious like an actual zombie, so snapping its neck wasn’t an option. Instead, I moved my forearm back and placed my hands on the back of its head, smashing it into the ground. Its face collided with the concrete and, the third time, I heard a wet smack and saw blood spurt out.
The feral stopped moving and I waited a full minute, expecting a bigger fight for some reason. I kept my knee on its back and sat up slowly, still in disbelief at the anticlimax of it all. After another minute, I was about to get up when it jerked.
It rolled to create momentum and, when it came back to my side, swung its arm backward. I brought my arm up to block it, but the feral was stronger than I expected. The hit sent me to the ground and, before I had a chance to get up, the tables turned as the feral jumped on top of me. Being way too close for comfort, my nose caught the putrid scent coming from its drooling mouth, and I could make out details I really want to see. Its nose was broken and blood covered its face, blood seeping from a crack in its skull. I brought my knee up between us, but the feral threw a body shot against my ribs that caused me to yell in pain.
When it raised its arm to take another swing, I rolled to the side and kicked out, sending the feral a few feet away and creating enough separation for me to get to my feet. It was on its feet just as fast, though, and already coming at me again. Clearly ferals did not get tired, which meant I needed to end this fast.
It continued its assault, lashing out with kicks and swinging blindly at me. Each time, I landed a counter attack, but the thing didn’t seem to feel pain. I ducked under a swing and threw a left hook into its ribcage, feeling a bone crack from the impact. The feral growled, but I don’t think it was from pain. The look in its eyes as its head came around was pure anger.
It punched against my arms and pushed me back until I felt my back hit the wall. I had time to think, “Oh, shit,” before it followed up with a swing at my head. I pushed out with my right forearm, but the force of its blow sent my head into the concrete behind me. My vision flashed stars and I slipped to the side, which allowed it to get in a shot on my back and send me to the ground.
I coughed and blood spattered across the grey floor, but I had the coherence to roll over and bring up my arms before another punch went unblocked. The impact landed on my right shoulder, and I let the force push me into a roll to my feet. Don’t hesitate to kill it. Dave’s advice went through my head and I knew what I had to do as I watched the feral lash out at me once again.
I caught its punch, absorbing the strike even with a surge of pain through my arm, and rolled it under my shoulder. With the feral bent over, I kicked into the back of its knee and sent it to the ground. I pushed my left hand onto its shoulder and put my other hand under its forearm, snapping it up and hearing the bones break with a sickening crack. I smashed my hand against its elbow and broke its arm in a second place. The bone burst from the skin in a compound fracture and the audience gasped, but I was far from done.
Keeping pressure on its back, forcing it to stay down, I moved around the feral and repeated the process on its right arm, rendering its punches useless. Even with its arms broken, though, the feral fought back and tried to swing at me. The motion caused blood to burst and bones to grind against each other, pushing further through the skin. I blocked the hit, causing the joint in its elbow to completely rupture, and I kicked the feral back.
Unable to catch itself, the feral fell to the ground and I stepped in closer. It tried to kick at me, but I caught its left foot and snapped its leg inward with my elbow, breaking the femur. With its limbs unable to cause damage, I stepped on its nearest arm and stomped my other shoe into its skull. Its head smashed against the ground and, as a hush fell over the crowd, the wet smack of meat on concrete was the only sound.
I brought my heel down repeatedly until I saw brain matter splash out like a perversion of Gallagher’s watermelon act. Grunting with the last blow, I stood there for a moment, catching my breath, letting its hand fall to the blood-drenched floor. Dave had said I wasn’t a monster, but looking down at the horrifying image below me, I couldn’t help but wonder. Rather than let it sear into my memory like so many other pictures I’d never forget, I looked up at the crowd and observed their horrified faces. The man in charge seemed perturbed at my refusal to die, seething anger in his eyes, but he still smiled and clapped.
“You see, everyone, this man is so awful that not even the worst creature could kill him!” The crowd exploded, shouting curses and sending numerous gestures my way. This guy really knew how to manipulate them to his will. “And yet,” he held up his hands to calm the noise, “he is the victor and, as such, we will congratulate him on his survival and let him rest. Thank you for that incredible display of savagery, Eric! That brings us to the end of our evening, so let us all return to our block and relax.”
The crowd shuffled out and I watched them leave, not sure what to do. Was I free to go?
Three men came into the cell block in full riot gear and pushed me back into my cell, sliding the door shut and locking it. I leaned against the wall and collapsed, letting the darkness engulf me once more. Just as I closed my eyes, though, a familiar voice chimed in.
“That was very impressive, Eric. I’m afraid I may have underestimated your will to live. And against a feral of all things! You certainly are a fighter, which means I can use you. You see, I have many others that we have…acquired, people who refused to follow our rules, and I think you might be their punishment. If you survive against them, I have one less person to punish and have set an example. Of course, since their incentive to kill you is freedom and forgiveness, it should prove interesting t
o see how long you last.”
“You know, you paint me out to be this horrible monster, but what makes you so sure?” He laughed.
“It takes one to know one, Eric. The only difference is that I can weave this story any way I want and my people will follow me. You are awful because I say you are, as you have no one to say otherwise. Given, you truly have done some questionable things in your life, what with the whole family issue and torture, even admitting that it feels good to be a monster at the conclusion of the courthouse. Can you really say that you’re still a good man, if you ever were?” His hands came together. “Don’t let it get to you, though, Eric. Embrace the feeling. You’ve got a lot of company in this new world.”
The light went out beneath the curtain and his lips smacked together in frustration.
“It seems as though our time is up for today, but I want you to consider something for me. You’re capable of dark things, Eric, just as I am. You can fight the impulse and die on that concrete, or survive each day and hate what you’ve let yourself become just a little more. Either way, I get what I want.” He started to step back and stopped.
“Oh, and I know I said we do this once a week, but you’re a special entertainment, so be ready to do this tomorrow. Kill or be killed, Eric. It’s up to you.” His footsteps faded and left me alone with my thoughts. Tomorrow I would fight someone that was possibly just trying to survive and got captured by this group. Knowing that if they failed they’d die, or have their mouths sewn shut and be locked in a room with zombies, they would try to kill me, especially with freedom as the upside.
Assuming that I made it through tomorrow, how long could I keep this up? And how long could I cling to my humanity?
A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise Page 10