by Jeff DeMarco
“No.” His voice grew irritated. “I made a promise. Besides, we need Fort Sill. Otherwise we lose our link to the southwest.”
“I just…” Her eyes shifted. “I don’t want to see you end up like Luca.”
“Right…” He smiled sarcastically. “I’m stronger than Luca. I’ll be fine.”
They approached the gate, a deep trench lined on either side with razor wire extending each way. A large dirt berm towered behind it, topped with more razor wire. A .50 caliber machine gun and MK 19 grenade launcher both stood on tripods within a sandbag bunker. A Sergeant filled sandbags along with his Soldiers; he threw his entrenching tool into the ground and walked over.
Jacob leaned over the driver. “I see they’ve put you to work.”
“We’re Airborne, son.” His tone was confident, bordering on arrogance. “This here’s a walk in the park.”
Jacob sneered at him. “Tell us where we can find the officer in charge and we’ll be on our way.”
The Sergeant pulled out a map and pointed out the Corps command building. “Lieutenant General Nichols.” He waved the Marine convoy through, then flipped his radio to the Corps command channel.
The Soldier keyed the mic. “Dragon 6, this is Bulldog 23.”
Lieutenant General Nichols picked up his hand mic. “Go ahead, Bulldog.”
“Commanders critical information requirement, Sir. Two children are en route to your location, escorted by Marine convoy.”
“Understood. Thanks much. Out.” The General walked out of his office to alert the Command Sergeant Major and his security detail.
“That was odd,” Kristen said. “Think they’d at least ask some questions.”
Jacob turned to look at her. “Maybe I should go in alone.”
“You’re not good with people…” She touched his shoulder. “Don’t need you making my job harder than it needs to be.”
He looked back at her cockeyed. “Not good with people?” He noticed a maze of razor wire as they passed the Forces Command Headquarters.
“You’ve assigned me Fort Bragg… Let me do it my way… Remember Scott Airbase? Slamming that Major up against a wall?” She studied his eyes, waiting for consent. “Build bridges, Jacob.”
He grimaced. “If he’s part of The Order- “
Her smile, saccharine. “I’ll kill him myself.”
They parked in front of the Airborne Corps command building, a three-story brick building that resembled a prison. Unguarded, she walked in alone; the walls echoed with the sound of her steps. Up a flight of stairs, she turned into the command hall and found the General’s office. She walked inside, and he was seated facing her. The door shut behind her. ’Something’s wrong,’ she thought and noticed the lattice of intersecting pipes lining the walls. “What is this?”
He[WU3] smiled. “Your prison, if you like.”
Jacob felt the connection sever. He readied his Marines for an assault. A Soldier walked out the front door, a rucksack in hand, the antenna of a radio sticking out the top.
Her[WU4] head cocked. “You’re not part of the- “
“No.” He stood. “I’m not part of The Order. Damned cult… I’m not what you would call a God-fearing man.” He walked over and pulled the chair out for her. “But I wanted to see you up close. See for myself.”
She tried to reach out to Jacob. Her connection was gone. Her eyes narrowed on the general. “I will kill you if you don’t free me.”
“That’s fine.” His smile was benevolent, almost father like, his tone like that of a southern gentleman. “My Soldiers outside will kill you right back, pump chlorine gas inside the office till you die of asphyxiation. If that doesn’t work, they’ll shoot you, electrocute you… and so on. Whatever works. You’re all powerful in the confines of this room; maybe you can hold on for longer than most. I’m willing to bet you won’t.”
Her head cocked. “How do you know all this?”
“Never mind that. There was a boy with you. Where is he?”
She glared at him. “This isn’t going to work.”
“Your stay here can be a pleasant one, if you like.” He sat back down and pulled a rucksack out from behind his desk; a long whip antenna ran outside the confines of the room. He handed her a hand mic. “Call him.”
She listened over the radio, a frantic voice. “Kristen, are you there?” She picked up the hand mic. “Jacob, I’m trapped… run!”
“No!”
“Jacob, you need to get out of -” The radio squelched as the General ripped the mic from her hand. Kristen stood. Nichols pulled an object from his cargo pocket, black and cylindrical. He flipped a switch, flush against the device. She extended her arm, while a force emanated from within her, stopped short at her fingertips.
“An unfortunate position you’re in.” He grinned at her. “… powerlessness.”
A slat opened from the adjoining wall. “You ok in there, Sir?”
“Fine, Sergeant Major. Go get the boy.”
He turned his attention back to Kristen. “I tried to be nice.” He opened his desk drawer and pulled out another object, wide and black. She looked at it, a stark realization of what it was. She thought of her mission to Russia many years ago; she remembered the silent little boy and his collar rigged with explosives.
“Here.” He slid it across the desk. “Put this on.”
Sergeant Major Scarsdale ran out the building, five Soldiers in tow. “Clear out!” he yelled to the Marines. “If you want to live!”
They lobbed a black cylinder at him; the Marines scattered.
Scarsdale opened fire.
Jacob’s mind tried to reach out to him, to his Marines. His powers ineffective, he ducked behind the Humvee, as bullets ricocheted off the hood. He jumped into the passenger seat.
The Marines ducked for cover, confused by their new surroundings. Jacob climbed over, into the driver’s seat, slamming on the accelerator. He circled back. Scarsdale’s Humvee followed close behind. Jacob stopped, weighing his options.
Scarsdale yelled across a bullhorn, “Come with us, if you want your friend to live.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” His voice was assured, yet fear crept up his spine.
“Want to test me, boy?” The voice emanated the same arrogance as the gate guard.
Hopeless, he wondered if he killed these men, whether it would cause them to kill Kristen. He couldn’t attack the building, for fear of accidentally killing Kristen himself. He spun the Humvee around and drove further, then grabbed the radio in the passenger seat. “Let me talk to her.”
“Sorry, son,” General Nichols said. “She’s alive, but she’ll be in a world of hurt until we have you. Speaking of…” His voice turned nonchalant, almost sarcastic. “When can we expect you back?”
Rage boiled inside Jacob. “I will end you.”
“There’s no need for that, son. We can all be friends here.”
“I know what you want to do to us, General. You can go to hell… and so help me, if you hurt her, you will beg for death before it’s all over.” He drove east for miles, planning his next move.
CHAPTER 3
“It was you, then?” Gloria’s voice was raspy, a nearly inaudible whisper. She sat, motionless in the hospital bed, her hands gripping the railing. “You created the virus?”
Doctor Bariac buried his face in his hands, and his stomach turned in revulsion at her realization.
“My husband,” she whispered, her dark face and darker eyes dead set against him. Her hatred grew with his weakness, as he cowered into his chair. “My friends… all of bloody humanity.” She lunged, grabbing onto his collar.
He recoiled, pushing the chair back, pulling her from the bed. The dead weight of her lower half slapped onto the cold hard floor as she fell. “I’m sorry…” His Mediterranean accent stronger than it had once been, true regret issued in his voice. “I didn’t mean for- “
“Bullocks!” She climbed up over his bloated frame; her teeth gritted as she wrapped her
hand around his throat. “Your words mean fuck-all.” She looked into his eyes and saw fear and shame, as she began to squeeze; his face turned from olive to red as she pressed into him.
He didn’t fight it, rather closed his eyes and exhaled.
She gripped tighter, watching the life leave his body.
His eyes opened in a flash. He pushed her off of him, then inhaled deeply, struggling to his hands and knees. “I can fix this…” His eyes were wild as his mind spun.
She stared at him from the floor, coldly.
“You’ve every right to end my life… I assure you, it’s what I deserve.” He gripped the chair to stand. “No one hates me more than I hate myself, but I need your help now… I need your mind to help me salvage what’s left of their humanity.” He extended his hand down towards her.
She glared at him, the rage in her eyes remaining. She turned over and crawled towards the wheelchair, then lifted herself into the seat and wheeled around, rage piercing into him. “Show me.”
“Help!” Jacob yelled inside the white infinity of the void. “Anyone! Can you hear me?” He collapsed to his knees. “Please, can you hear me?!” His scream turned a sob. “Kristen… Luca… Michael… Cole… Julie… Taylor… Brie… ANYONE!” He pressed his forehead to the bare white surface. “If you can hear me,” he whispered. “Kristen’s been taken hostage and I need your help.”
Just then, Michael appeared into the void. “What happened?”
“Thank God,” Jacob said wiping his tears. “What about the others?”
“They can’t hear you.” Michael lifted Jacob to his feet. “Out of range… what happened to Kristen?”
“They’ve trapped her at Fort Bragg… They’ve figured out how to counter us. You’ve got to- “
“What makes you think I give a shit about saving Kristen?” Michael’s tone was flat, unsympathetic. “Or helping you for that matter?”
Jacob looked at him, awestruck.
“Here’s the thing…” Michael looked at him, revolted. “Being apart from you, from The Order after all these years… It’s like being liberated, not that I didn’t realize what a psycho you were from the beginning…”
Jacob’s fists clenched as his face grew red.
“… It’s just, finally having some distance between me and you, I can really tell you what’s been on my mind all these- “
Jacob charged, driving Michael to the ground. He straddled Michael, beating him in the face.
Michael looked at him straight faced, taking each punch as it landed. His arms recoiled; he drove a force into Jacob’s chest, knocking him off. Michael rose to his feet with a groan. “You’re powerful, no question.” He rubbed at the pain in his face. “But now you’re alone.”
“I will kill you, Michael.”
“And die in the process. You’re more than welcome to try, Jacob… You should know that I don’t wish you harm.”
“If you don’t wish me harm,” Jacob circled for another attack. “Then help me.”
“Nope…” Michael pursed his lips in a painful sneer. “but you can help yourself.”
Jacob glared at him.[WU5]
“Leave.”
Jacob drove his fist into Michaels chest.
Michael’s body flew back, limp as he skidded to a stop. “I didn’t want to do this,” he strained, as he stood once more. “I’ll tell the others it was you…”
Jacob stopped in his tracks.
“… I’ll tell them it was you that released Crimson Sky and not The Order.”
Jacob’s eyes widened, shocked. “How?”
A change occurred in the air, now uncharacteristically hot; a sudden wind blew. “I was there…” A rage emanated from Michael now. “… you killed Flynn. You didn’t know, but I was there; I saw you kill him… You’re a monster.”
“I didn’t- “
“He was like a father to you!” Michael yelled. “To all of us, and you killed him, and you destroyed humanity with those creatures.”
Tears started to form in Jacob’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to- “
“Leave this place!” Michael screamed. “You don’t deserve it! You’ve driven away anyone that’s ever cared for you, anyone that’s ever loved you, anyone that you could call friend… And for what? Power? To rule over the ruins of a crumbling existence? I am no judge, but let’s be honest with ourselves, you don’t deserve to be part of this hell you’ve created!”
Tears streamed down Jacob’s face now.
“Leave,” Michael whispered. “And let us piece back together what we can.”
Jacob closed his eyes and in the slightest of motion, he nodded.
CHAPTER 4
“Where will he go, do you think?” Major Teegs asked. He drove the Humvee west, across the bridge from East St. Louis, Illinois, into St. Louis Missouri, passing combat engineers rigging it with explosives.
“I don’t know,” Michael said. “He’s beyond my sight.”
“Hmmm,” Teegs eyed him curiously, a question on the tip of his brain.
“Different electromagnetic wave frequencies.” Michael stared down at a map of the city. “Something in my mind, something ancient, advanced. Used to be that I could use communication towers and satellites, transport my consciousness almost anywhere.” He marked off locations where he had felt the presence of people. “Since they disabled the network, I’m limited to the horizon, line of sight, varying degrees of capability.”
Teegs scowled, then turned towards the southwest. “Think he’s crossing the Atlantic?”
“That’s what I’d do. There’re others like us, in Russia for sure. Maybe some in Europe, the Middle East.”
“How do you- “
“Stop.” Michael put his hand up, sensing the creatures now, as well as a pocket of humans. He closed his eyes. “There’s too many of them.”
Teegs looked at him through his periphery. ‘Where?’ he wondered.
“The hotel,” Michael said. “Ahead of us.” He pointed out to the high-rise building, many of its windows broken out, a box truck crashed head on into the lobby. “12th floor, creatures scattered below. More survivors further back, three blocks down.”
“Stop that.” Teegs tone sounded annoyed.
Michael cocked his head.
‘Reading my mind,’ Teegs thought.
“Really?” Michael raised an eyebrow.
Teegs looked silently down at the map.
“What’s up your ass today?”
“I ought to have my thoughts to myself,” Teegs growled looking down at him. “If nothing else.”
Michael’s lips pursed as he considered the request, then shuddered at his own consideration. “You’re still in charge.”
“Am I?” Teegs said, a sarcastic tone in his voice. “Doesn’t feel that way.”
“So that’s what it’s all about?” Michael rocked back in his seat, his words equally as sarcastic. “Would it help if I called you Sir?”
Teegs rolled his eyes and picked up the radio. “Extraction team, this is Aries 6; proceed to building Delta 117; survivors on 12th floor. Hostiles on floors 1 thru 11.”
“They’re going to kill them all?” Michael looked at him in a frown.
Teegs nodded.
Michael rubbed at his forehead.
“What?” Teegs voice was sharp.
“It just…” Michael shook his head, staring blankly out the window. “seems like we were on the same page.”
“This is how we do business, Michael.”
Something in Michael snapped; he felt oddly uninhibited. “How you do business is wrong,” he responded glaring into Teegs’ eyes. “Violence is only necessary when it’s necessary. I could think of a dozen ways to get them out that don’t involve slaughter… Fly in a helicopter on the roof or bring the creatures all down to street level, move them away from the building. Maybe move doors to block the creatures in place- “
“Fine.” Teegs glared back at him. “We’ll do it your way.” He picked up the radio. “Extract
ion team, Aries 6. Standby on my last transmission.” He looked back to Michael. “What the hell is your problem, anyway? Some newfound-bleeding heart love for the creatures?”
Jacob’s words ran through his mind - ‘They don’t deserve the life they’ve been given.’ He wondered at whether Jacob may have been right about that. “Do you know what it feels like to die?”
Teegs raised his eyebrow.
“Well?”
“No.” His jaw tightened. “I don’t know what it feels like.”
Michael opened the door and stepped out. “You’d tread a little lighter if you did.” He slammed the door and walked towards the building.
CHAPTER 5
“I miss you, Cole.” Julie’s eyes and ears were eager to hear the words returned. Her side of the void, a library, had been built of every book she had ever read. It was a place within her mind - all her own, yet she had sought to share with Cole.
“I’m getting worried.” Cole sat down on his side of the void - a sparsely furnished workshop, a match to that of his childhood bedroom in the facility; it had been constructed so that all components would abide the laws of physics. “Been weeks since we’ve heard from anyone.”
She gave a snubbed look as she stood. “That’s ok.” A note of hope arose in her voice, nevertheless. “I sort of like it this way… Just us. It’s quieter.”
Cole rolled his eyes. “You’d think we’d have heard something.” He busied his hands with a circuit board. “You in Arizona, me in Washington state, we should at least be able to range Taylor or Michael. Something must have happened to them.”
She leaned up against his workbench, forcing eye contact.
” Matter of fact…” He looked out into the void. “Taylor! Michael!” A nervous shudder went up his spine.
She leaned in closer.
“There’s an option.” He looked up at her, briefly, then back down at his circuit board. “Bring the satellite network back up.”
“Jacob had his reasons,” she whispered.
“And?” His voice was demanding.
She smiled faintly. “He swore me to secrecy.” She kissed his cheek.