by E. C. Fisher
“I’ll guide you through the weapons and equipment currently available.” Mordekai hovered over the table. The display ran through some functions automatically. All the shutters opened to reveal an assortment of armaments stashed behind them.
“Have you ever handled a gun?” Mordekai asked.
“No. I never used a sword before, but I handled myself pretty well. Maybe a gun won’t be any different.”
“Then, I think these should work fine.” A drawer slid out from Alex’s right. “They work great for mid-range and close quarters; two birds one stone type of idea.”
Alex walked over and picked up the two weapons inside. They had a blade running from the bottom of the muzzle to underneath the trigger guard. The attachment was a part of the mold of the weapon.
“These are Take—your father’s—guns. He had them specially made. He modeled them after the Glock 17. It comes with an extended magazine for twenty total rounds a clip. The weapon’s made from silver. Next to Eleanor, these were his pride and joy. Now they’re yours.”
“These belonged to my father,” Alex whispered. He rotated them over in his hands. The handgrips on one were engraved with the initials T and E. The other hand grips were engraved with the mark for Goddess Assadarsya, and on the other side, the mark for God Assadar.
“Your parents were the most capable Hunters the two families had ever produced. Their death gave Dr. Frankenstein the means to cripple the organization. Luckily, you survived; you’re the last Hunter, Alex. Being a very inexperienced one at that,” Mordekai said.
“I’ll learn on the job. What else do you recommend for me?” Alex set the pair of guns down on the tabletop.
“How about a change of clothes?” Mordekai glowed for a moment as a set of clothes and boots materialized on the table. “I created them for you. They’ve got a few fortification wards woven inside to protect you. The material is armor against piercing strikes.”
“When did you prepare this?” Alex looked over the clothes.
“I had ample time while you were unconscious at HQ. I was able to complete everything in time,”
He picked up a long black quilted leather coat. The quilted pattern finished at the waist leaving the bottom half smooth. It had seven silver buckles to close the jacket, which left open a portion of the chest area. On each sleeve, where the bicep would be, there were slots to hold two handgun magazines, the hole faced down to make it easy to extract a mag. He flipped the coat around to find the Guardian mark embroiled right in the center. He noticed a small gap near the top right shoulder. “What’s this hole for?” Alex asked Mordekai.
“For the Hunter’s Blade.”
He turned the coat back around and checked the inside lining. He found gun holders concealed on each breast. He wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t feel the texture of the lining. He examined them closer to find they were made for his father’s guns. “Did you already suspect I would choose my father’s guns?”
“The holder can be replaced as needed, but yes, I knew you would once you learned about them,” Mordekai said.
He placed the coat down to look over the rest of the clothes. He didn’t find anything else special; a black shirt, pants, and steel-toed boots. Looks like the coat was the only one with special features.
What do you want, a circus outfit? What more did you need? Mordekai sarcastically said.
“No reason to bite my head off. I just pointed it out. I thought you’ve done this thing before.”
“No. This is the first time I ‘ve done this. The Hunters prepared their own gear. There was no need,” Mordekai stated.
“Well, in that case, thanks.”
“You’re welcome—now put them on. I don’t have all day, boy.”
Alex stripped and changed into the new clothes. He put the coat on last—a surge of blue lightning ran over the entire coat. “What just happened?”
“The wards have been activated. They will provide an extra layer of protection. The degree of protection will vary depending on the amount of damage inflicted. You have two warning levels—yellow and red. When you see red lightning, the ward is almost depleted, and another hit will cancel it,” Mordekai explained.
“Thanks. It should come in handy.”
Alex picked up the sword and spun it in his hand before he sheathed it in the slot Mordekai prepared.
“The sheath is a void space created to preserve its sharpness, to maintain its pristine condition.”
“That’s convenient.”
Alex grabbed his father’s guns and secured them in the gun holders. He removed the loaded magazines from the drawer and inserted them in the pockets on his sleeves. He removed a few trays of bullets and empty mags and started to fill them.
“How many creatures do you think Dr. Frankenstein has under his control?”
“It’s more than any lone Hunter could handle. Even if we find a way to bypass the five gargoyles guarding the outside perimeter. The inside is littered with thousands of undead and a huge pack of werewolves. It would take, at least, fifty Hunters to overtake the place, and even then, the amount lost would be high.”
“Good to know, I need more bullets then,” Alex said as he continued to fill up mags.
“You just don’t—” Mordekai was cut short as an alarm blared. The interior lights dimmed as a red light flashed.
“What’s going on?” Alex screamed over the blast while covering his ears.
The motion sensors have been tripped. Something’s heading our way.
Can you do something about the alarm?
Yeah, give me a moment.
The blare of the alarm cut off as the display on the table came to life. It showed different camera angles of various locations around the perimeter. Alex stared at the display, nothing appeared out of the ordinary, until a few grotesque figures passed by several cameras.
“Great! Undead. Dr. Frankenstein must have sent them when the gargoyles didn’t return. They arrived now of all times.”
“How many are there?” Alex asked.
“Give me a moment.” Mordekai glowed for a second before the screen switched views to show a 2-D representation of the house and surrounding area. In the middle of the house were two yellow dots, and in the surrounding woods it showed—the entire wooden area was red. “Seems like he might have sent all of them to us.”
“Can you tell me what their weaknesses are?” Alex hurried and loaded more magazines.
“They’re awfully slow and daft. Destroy the brain, even if they lose an arm or their legs, they will still keep coming.”
“What about a concussion blast? Would the force of a blast be enough to stop them?”
“They would have to be—yes, that should work, but there’s no guarantee.”
“How far are they?”
“Five hundred yards.”
“Did my parents keep any explosives around?”
“Yes.” Mordekai glowed as a large drawer in the table opened.
Alex found sticks of dynamite taped up in stacks of six. Blocks of C4 with the charges already placed. He grabbed a few handfuls of dynamite and placed them atop the table. He withdrew a few blocks of C4 as well.
“I don’t like where this is going,” Mordekai said.
“It’s only a little fireworks display.” Alex had a sly grin on his face.
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile, Vali was being held captive in the dungeon at the castle in the Bermuda Triangle.
The castle's position took advantage of sheer cliffs, three hundred feet high, on seaward sides. The stone curtain wall provided extra strength with the addition of six round towers at even intervals. The gateway consisted of battlements protected and flanked by two half-circular towers that lead to the inner bailey. The keep was located on the west side where the wall was thickest. The building stood one hundred feet tall with a flat roof and four towers. There were several windows along its length. The corners had ornate rounded moldings.
Vali woke to find her arms and l
egs shackled to a chair. She attempted to break herself free, but she couldn’t muster any strength. She glanced around to find she was in a stone-walled room with an iron door.
The sound of a key being inserted into the metal lock was heard with the audible click of the lock being opened. The iron door screeched open as the silhouette of a man stood in the entryway.
Vali instinctively knew the person standing before her. “You’re not taking over my body. I’ll die before that happens,” Vali struggled with her bindings.
“Now, my dear little vamp-princess, I have no aim for your body. That was never my intention when I attacked.” A suave English voice spoke
He rocked on his heels, unsure if he should enter the room. She could tell he wore a white lab coat.
“What do you mean, Victor Frankenstein? All my life my father has hidden me from you. Are you saying that was all a lie?” Vali gritted her teeth as her anger slipped into her speech.
“Don’t forget to add Doctor. I didn’t spend all those years in medical school for nothing. And no, it wasn’t a lie. He believed in something that was never true, to begin with. Vladimir was merely—”
“Don’t you dare speak my father’s name!” Her voice resounded and vibrated throughout the narrow room.
“My apologies. Your father merely believed in something that he felt convenient—to make the loss of his wife and friends bearable.”
“So then why? Why did you do what you did? Why did you continue to track and hunt us all these years?”
“I needed information. I had to find it.” Dr. Frankenstein clenched his fist in front of him.
“And what is it?”
“The Key.”
“How do you know about it?”
“From Alexander’s parents—Take and Eleanor, of course.”
“They died in the explosion.”
“I brought them back. They obey me now. How do you think the Hunters organization was destroyed? I did it with the help of his undead parents.”
“You turned his parents into the undead and then used them to destroy their families and friends. Unbelievable! You’re a monster.”
“No, my dear, your kind are the monsters. I’m a visionary. I did all this for humanity. To find a path to immortality.”
“How does any of what you’ve done bring immortality?”
“My research has found a way to bring the dead back to life. I was able to create life from just pieces of mismatched human body parts. This creation led to a new life; a soul created by man, not a God. I found a way to cheat death and, in the ultimate act, I performed this miracle on myself. I was born over a century ago, I should be dead and dust, but here I stand, alive and kicking, still providing humanity with my massive intellect.”
“You’re an arrogant, egotistical monster. You say you’ve done all this for humanity, but in truth, you only did it for yourself. I don’t see what the Key has to do with any of this.”
“The Key has access to a realm beyond anything available to us on this planet. With his access to that knowledge, I may be able to find a way to move into a realm where death is nonexistent. The Hunters have the Key to aid in their efforts against my forces, but they failed to see its true capabilities.”
“They see you more as a hazard to this world than anything the Key may have to offer.”
“Mordekai is much more than anything the Hunters or you can ever understand.”
“How do you know his name?”
“As I said before, Take and Eleanor are under my control, and we’ve had a lot of time to talk. I’ve learned so much from them. They should be having a wonderful reunion soon.”
“What do you mean reunion?”
“They escaped so they could meet their son. They and a horde of undead should be reaching Alexander very soon. If everything goes the way I have planned, they should tell him how to access my castle and bring Mordekai to me in the process. If they fail in killing him themselves then I will be ready to complete that task myself and take Mordekai then.”
“Monster. Monster. Alex won’t give you what you want.”
“Call me whatever you will. I know for a fact he will show up.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because I have you here. He’ll come to save you. I’ll let you think about that. The reason Alexander dies is that he came here for you.”
Dr. Frankenstein slammed the iron door closed and locked it. Vali was left to wallow in her dimly lit room as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Please, don’t come, Alex.
He will. He failed to protect you.
It was my fault, not his. He shouldn’t blame himself.
He probably does, but that isn’t the reason.
Then what reason would he come here?
He loves you.
Meanwhile, Alex returned to the hidden room after he finishes setting the explosives around the outside perimeter of the house in anticipation for the horde of approaching undead to arrive.
“We’re all set upstairs. Do you have any advice for me before trying to take on a horde of the undead?”
“Bring enough ammunition and make sure your blades are sharp,” Mordekai answered with a sarcastic tone.
“We’re going to have to work on your pep talk.”
He had found a few accessories to help carry the extra magazines. A tactical belt with four double mag carriers outside his waist and two drop leg mag carries, one for each thigh. He strapped the accessories on before loading them with the full metal jackets he prepared ahead of time.
“How did you lay out the explosives?” Mordekai asked.
“I set them around the perimeter of the house, when the first of the undead reach it’ll go off. That’ll be my signal to let loose.” Alex loaded his gun with a mag and racked the slide to chamber a round.
“You do recall I can teleport, right? We could escape instead of risking your life,” Mordekai said with a soft tone.
“I’ve thought of that. However, considering my prior performance, and the fact that I have to challenge Dr. Frankenstein. The chances of facing a predicament like this will be high. I can use this time to train and figure out how to use these powers. Also, I want to see if I have what it takes to be a Hunter.” Alex racked the slide to chamber a round in the second gun. He holstered it inside his coat.
“If you can back up your words with actions, I believe you already have what it takes to be a true Hunter. Your parents would be proud of the young man you’ve grown up to become.”
“I’d like to hope—” The rumble of explosions above them reverberated in the safe room.
“That’s my cue. Stay here and keep me informed using the monitors. You’ll be my eyes and ears. Can you do that?” Alex placed a Bluetooth earpiece in his right ear.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back here.”
“Transport me in the middle of the smoke,” Alex withdrew his guns. Dad. Mom. Give me some of your strength. Alex closed his eyes as Mordekai glowed. He felt the change in the environment and opened his eyes to find himself in the smoke cloud.
His sight adjusted quickly through the thick smoke and concealed him from the remnants of nearby undead. The explosion had worked as Alex had planned. Though, he wasn’t ready for the reek of rotten and burnt flesh; the odor prompted a coughing fit.
“Now’s not the time for that. Focus on the mission,” Mordekai said.
You don’t know how bad it smells up here.
Alex could hear the moans and groans of the undead around him as he readied himself; the smoke started to clear. Silhouettes started to appear, and he raised his guns aiming.
How many in front?
“They’ve gathered en masse near you. It’s hard to determine.”
The explosives must have taken out a significant amount of them.
The first undead appeared from the smoke. The half-scorched flesh of its face sloughed. The left arm hung by muscle fibers and the right leg was disjointed. It must have gotten hit by the e
xplosion, it just wasn’t enough. Alex aimed at its temple and fired. The bullet pierced through, brains and fragmented skull blew out the back. As soon as it hit the ground, more appeared. Alex kept his distance from being overtaken as he fired rapidly until his mags ran dry.
“Careful, they’re surrounding you,” Mordekai cautioned.
Thanks for the heads up.
“Don’t forget, you’re a Hunter. You have abilities at your disposal. The weapons are merely an extension of yourself. Stop thinking like a human.”
Alex took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He focused on the words Mordekai said. Stop being human. A change occurred inside his head; his awareness enhanced as the world outside faded away. Details around him sharpened and he could visualize where the undead were in relation to himself.
While he kept his eyes closed, he ejected the spent mags and reloaded. A moment later, undead were upon him. He turned the blades out and severed their heads from their necks. Alex weaved in and out of the horde, chopping off heads as he went by. He spun around and brandished muzzles toward the rest. His accuracy and precision were deadly as he mowed the undead down. Without pause, he ejected the empty mags and reloaded.
Alex didn’t relent his assault until he spent all his spare magazines. He let out a deep breath before he opened his eyes. The horde had to be whittled down to a few hundred. He secured the guns in their holsters before he unsheathed the Hunter’s Blade. The moon that had been concealed behind cloud cover peeked out; its rays reflected over the gleam of the blade.
How many are left, did I make a dent? Hey, are you there, Mordekai?
“Oh, sorry. I’m here. I’m stunned at how suddenly the monitor cleared up. What did you do?”
I took your advice. I stopped being human.
“There are only a few hundred. Also, I’ve spotted two of them hanging back from the others. They’re out of camera angle so I don’t know what they’re up to.”
I’ll deal with these first and then head on over to see what’s up with them.
Alex dashed between the undead as he decapitated them with ease. The keen edge of the blade sliced through the rotten flesh and bone as if cutting through paper. With his increased strength, speed, and eyesight, he made short work of his task. He didn’t break a sweat or find it hard to breathe after the exertion he put his body through. To believe a few days ago I couldn’t run away from a werewolf without gasping for air.