The Shade Chronicles | Book 2 | Predator

by Bradley, T. K.

  “Y-You… you did that?” I ask Lori, and I can just imagine the shock displayed on my face. I can feel how wide my eyes have gotten.

  She pulls her hands back like she’s been burned, suddenly aware that she’s still touching me. She abruptly stands and takes a step back. “Sorry,” she whispers, but I have no clue what on earth she could be apologizing for.

  “But you saved me.” Even I can hear the awe in my voice. Surely she can see how incredible she is. But her shoulders are hunched, her whole body caved in on itself. She looks… guilty.

  “Lori—” I start, but she just shakes her head and turns toward Bob.

  “Long time, no see, Bob,” she says to him, a slight growl in her throat.

  “That’s my line!” he yips. He opens his mouth to go on, but she just holds her hand up to stop him.

  “Kelly told me you were back here.” Who’s Kelly? I feel like I’m trying to put together a puzzle without knowing what the final picture will look like.

  “Ahhh,” Bob gleams, a bright smile widening across his face to make him look almost benign. “We’re all together at last. It’s like a dream come true.”

  “Not all of us.” The look on Lori’s face is dark.

  Bob gives an exaggerated pout. “Yes, Kelly told me about your family. So sorry to hear it. They were nice folks.”

  Lori’s lip raises in a feral snarl, and she’s clearly got a lot to say about his so-called condolences, when something suddenly slams onto the floor, making us all jump. I honestly wouldn’t have believed I had any adrenaline left to expend, but there it is, a fresh wave pulsing through my veins.

  Ellis. Shit. I sag back into the floor. My heart can’t take any more of this.

  “I thought you made a break for it,” Ellis scolds, lips twitching.

  “Yeah,” Lori mutters, addressing Ellis but refusing to take her eyes off of Bob. “I really don’t think there’s any risk of me doing that. You should know better.” Her eyes dart over to me just once, and I wonder if it’s because I’m her only chance at being cured… or if there’s more between us, if her hope extends to more than just reclaiming her humanity.

  Because, if I’m being honest with myself… Lori has always been more than a patient to me, more than a friend. And her being a Shredder has done surprisingly little to change those feelings.

  Lori gives a slow inhale and turns toward me, a look of surprise and confusion on her face. Geez, she can’t hear my thoughts, can she?

  Ellis crosses between us, breaking the eye contact, and I blow out a breath and look away. He leans over Howell’s form and gives him a slight shake. “Wha—” Howell moans.

  “He’ll be fine,” Ellis states with absolute certainty. I don’t think X-ray vision is included in his mutated abilities, but he can likely hear Howell’s heartrate, maybe smell… some kind of hormones? God, I have no clue what kind of limitations he has, if any. It’s both a terrifying prospect, and also incredibly fascinating.

  I wonder if he would allow me to run some tests…

  Oh, wait. Speaking of limitations, we’re currently riding on a train, headed to who knows where. Nowhere to run tests, as if a lab is the most important thing we’re currently living without.

  Another series of shadows glide through the open door. Seriously, it’s getting a bit crowded in here. I can feel the heat from their encroaching bodies, but with the newcomers, it’s now Lori and Ellis who are closest to me, acting like some kind of monstrous barricade.

  “Seriously.” While the voice is entirely unfamiliar, I have no problem recognizing all of what that one word carries—disgust, disappointment, but maybe a bit of surprise and curiosity as well. “You couldn’t have dealt with the situation without killing my guys?”

  I have a prime view of Lori’s back as she’s planted herself between me and the new threat, and I can see the way her muscles are tensed, ready to strike. I wish I could see her face, however, as she says, “Would you have preferred I asked politely?”

  “Hmm, no. If you’re right and that man is the source of the cure, then it’s worth the sacrifice.”

  I lean around Lori to see two Shredders. The one who is apparently the leader of this group, a woman… or at least she used to be. There’s something familiar about the wide eyes, the set of her jaw. “I know you,” I whisper, but of course she hears me.

  Her gaze darts down to me, and she smiles, but there’s nothing happy about that grin, all teeth. I suppress a shudder, and her eyes track the slight movement. She can probably see my goosebumps. “I should hope you recognize me. You made me, after all. So good to see you again, Dr. Kimura. I don’t know that we were ever properly introduced. My name is Kelly Braun”

  She cocks her head to the side, waiting as I scan her head to toe, lets me flip through my memories to find the source of the recognition.

  “You… you’re the girl from outside,” I say, my voice edged with doubt. No. She’d been so tiny, so frail… “You’re supposed to be dead.”

  Howell ordered her to be disposed of after the trial. Trey said he’d taken care of it, dumped the corpse.

  “What can I say?” she offers with a shrug. “Trey is a sucker for a pretty face.” She blows a kiss at me. Trey was more likely looking for leverage.

  Lori shifts to block my view once more. “Now that we’re all reacquainted, let’s set some rules.”

  I look over at Ellis, and he too seems resigned. Why do I feel like we’re making a deal with the devil?

  “Very well,” Kelly replies with a drawn-out sigh. “Nobody ever said I wasn’t reasonable.”

  10

  Lori

  What a clusterfuck.

  I mean, I guess I can’t expect anything less, right? My family is dead, I am literally a walking nightmare, surrounded by a bunch of other monsters that I can’t trust not to stab me in the back. Honestly, what does it really matter if we throw Kelly and her lot into the mix? At least it’ll keep Trey’s attention on her instead of me.

  Except it doesn’t…

  “Hey, baby,” Trey says as he plunks himself down on the lip of the train car next to me. Our legs dangle down, swinging gently with the sway of the train.

  “Don’t call me baby.” I say it so matter-of-factly.

  He sidles closer and nudges my shoulder with his. “Don’t be mad.”

  But that’s just it… I’m not mad. I should be spitting at him, beating his chest with my fists for his betrayal of my trust. Except I never trusted him in the first place. I shrug. “I’m honestly not even a little upset with you, Trey. Just don’t try to call me pet names as if we’re an item.”

  He pauses, and I can almost hear the gears turning. He heaves a big sigh, but I think he’s just scenting the air, taking my measure. He doesn’t know how to handle this version of me. Well, take a seat and wait your turn, Trey, because I don’t know how to handle me either.

  Sunrise is coming, I can feel it. We’ll have to close up the train car and hunker down for the day, and I’m not looking forward to how hot this box is going to get. The train was designed to transport goods, not living creatures. It’s a good thing we’re more resilient than the average human. Makes me wonder, though, how Howell and Kenzo are going to manage. Maybe I should check on them… Both Ellis and Kelly insisted to stay in their car, like the humans are some kind of bargaining chip in the unsteady truce, but that hardly sounds like the safest environment for Kenzo.

  “So,” Trey interrupts my thoughts, “how’s that hunger treating you?”

  I wish I could see my own face right now. I certainly can’t put a finger on exactly how his question makes me feel, and I splutter, trying to come up with a response. “A-Are you serious?”

  He freezes, his body too still. “Yes?” he says cautiously.

  “Are you asking because you actually care, or is this some new kind of small talk?”

  “The first one.” He gives a nod as if he’s pleased by his answer. “I’ve known you for years, Lori. Obviously, I care about how
you’re handling your transition.”

  I highly doubt that, but his offer to chat is like opening the flood gates, and words start to spill out. “I’m scared. No, not just that. I’m overwhelmed, and I’m constantly starving, and I’m terrified that I’ll give in and kill Kenzo. What if I can’t control myself? What if I make another stupid mistake and I can’t take it back? What if I can’t live with myself… with everything I’ve done?” The loss of my family presses down on me.

  I peek across at Trey to see him looking uncomfortable. Nope, he was just making small talk, I guess. This is more than he knows how to handle. His question was the equivalent of asking about the weather, and I responded by discussing the meaning of life. His face narrows as he tries to process the bomb I’ve just dropped in his lap.

  “Look, Lori… I’m not exactly a big thinker.” You don’t say. “But… I like what I’ve become.”

  I feel my jaw drop a little. Is he serious?

  The sky is lightening into a rosy pink, giving his face a blurred appearance to my sensitive eyes, but there’s no mistaking the way his eyes soften. “My whole life, I have been praised for one thing. I rose through the ranks because I was strong. That’s it, nothing special, just some muscles. Not because I was smart, or clever, or funny. Not because I was good with my hands or had any usable skill whatsoever. And you know what? It felt good to get that attention. I’m all for using what I’ve got, and this just happens to be what I got.”

  He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I can see his pride in the way he squares his shoulders. “Have I made the best life choices? Well, no, obviously not, but I’m still proud of how far I’ve come. This right here?” he says, lifting an arm to flex a muscle. “I earned this.”

  I’m not sure that’s true. It’s likely just a total fluke that he somehow got attacked by a Ripper and didn’t die, but whatever. I’m not going to clue him in to this fact. Who am I to pop his bubble?

  As much bullshit as he’s spewing, there’s one thing I know for certain. He has control of himself. “What’s the secret?” I ask.

  “What do you mean? Secret to what?”

  I look away, take a final breath of fresh air in an attempt to hold it in my lungs. Might be my last taste of clean air for a while. “You didn’t seem to have any problem restraining yourself around Kenzo and Howell. Most of these Rippers are borderline feral, but you… you’ve got it all locked down. You make it look easy.” The flare of jealousy rankles.

  My words give him a bit of swagger. Remind me never to praise the guy again, it goes straight to his head. “Well, the trick is to nip it in the bud. It’s like, if you don’t listen to what your body is telling you it needs, then it’ll quickly plow straight over you, no stopping it. Then you won’t be able to help yourself.”

  I nod slowly. It’s not that he doesn’t make sense… because he does, but… “How am I supposed to give in to my needs?” I ask. “My monster half wants human blood.”

  “Yeah, and?”

  “Seriously?!” I slap his arm, except I’m sure it’s a lot harder than your average slap. It manages to give Trey a decent shove and leaves my fingers stinging. “If you haven’t noticed, there are only three humans on board this train. If we all gave in to these urges, we would soon find ourselves with an extinct species and no cure!”

  “Hey!” he says, rubbing where I’ve slapped him. Good, I hope it hurt, though I know for sure it totally didn’t. There are other ways to satisfy that hunger, you know. I wasn’t saying you should go find yourself a nice human steak or anything.”

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and stand up. The sun is getting bright enough now that I can feel it against my skin. It’s not direct sunlight, but even the glow is uncomfortable, like tiny, pinpricks. I motion for Trey to get out of the way before sliding the door shut with a metallic squeal.

  I wait until Trey settles in at one end of the car before I position myself as far away as I can, at the opposite end. The look in his eyes says he’ll give me my way for now, but I suspect he’ll be encroaching on my space in no time.

  “Alright, oh great and mighty know-it-all. Enlighten me. What other ways are there to curb the cravings?” I try not to be snide, but I’m finding it harder and harder to be patient, as the hunger pushes me closer to the brink of insanity with each passing minute. I’m going to snap, I can feel it. An elastic band, stretched to its limit, the rubber beginning to tear.

  “Okay,” Trey says, propping his arms behind his head, “there are a few things that’ll help. I mean, obviously, human blood and meat is the only sure-fire way to deal with it, but even that isn’t a long-term solution. As you said, only so many humans to go around, and once they’re gone, well…” He shrugs as if the extinction of the human species is as casual as running out of bread when you’re in the mood for a sandwich.

  “Second-best option is another form of meat.” He gestures with his arm, I can only assume to the world at large. “Any mammal would work, though maybe reptiles too? Haven’t tried snakes yet, but they’re mostly so small that it wouldn’t be worth the effort of hunting them. Same with insects, I guess.”

  His clinical evaluation of the hunger is… well, it’s actually helping. It takes the overwhelming itching I feel and breaks it down into manageable pieces. “Deer?” I offer. “Cows, pigs… yeah, I think I can handle that.”

  Trey’s eyes slide over to where I’m sitting against the wall. “Sure… not much different than burgers and bacon, right? But…”

  God, why do I hate that but? “But what?”

  “Did you see any farms out there? Any pens of livestock? Any deer running around?”

  Any hope I’d felt evaporates. The dread is back. I dig my claws into the metal boxcar, feeling a puff of air as I puncture through the metal.

  “Then why the hell did you bother telling me to eat animals, Trey?” I snap.

  “Animals come in all shapes and sizes, Lori.” The way he says it has my skin crawling. I wait… and he waits… until he says, “Did you happen to notice what happened to those Shredder corpses?”

  I gasp. “No!”

  “Waste not, want not.” He shrugs again. I’m really getting tired of this casual attitude he has, doing unspeakably awful things in the most offhand way possible.

  There’s no gratitude in my voice as I say, “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass on the dead monster meat.”

  He holds his hands up in defense. “Hey, I just said it was an option. I didn’t say it was the only option.”

  I swallow, but my throat feels parched and scratchy, sticky. If I were human, I would ask him for a drink of water, but I know with absolute certainty that no amount of water will quench this thirst. In fact, I don’t think I could even stomach water if I tried. Yet another aspect of this virus, I suppose.

  “What else?” I snap at him. “What else works?” I need something to cling to, and I need it now.

  “Wellll…” he drawls.

  “Tell me!” I have to stop myself from stomping over there and giving him a shake.

  His lip curls up in a smile that can only be described as a leer. “Hunger comes in many forms. It’s easy enough to trick your body into feeling satisfied.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He runs the tip of his tongue along one of his fangs. “You know what I’m saying… another kind of hunger?” When he waggles his brow at me, I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me. He stops short, looking offended. “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m not having sex with you, Trey.”

  “Aw, come on. It’ll help with the cravings.”

  “Trey. No.” End of story. I turn my back to him and lie down next to the holes I’ve punctured in the floor. The speed of the train forces a small breeze through the gaps, and I place my face next to them, letting it relieve me from the steadily heating space we’re trapped in.

  I close my eyes and attempt to sleep. The rocking of the train is almost soothing, bringing to life a long-lost memory of
traveling, of cars and planes.

  I hear Trey scuffling around trying to get comfortable. My predator’s instincts urge for me to face my enemy, but the human part of me—the part still fighting to stay alive inside me—tells me that being petty is obviously the better option. Trey is going to get the silent treatment.

  But of course, then he starts talking, and sometimes being petty means refusing to let him get the last word. “Would it be so bad if we didn’t have a cure?” he says, coaxing.

  “Yes!” My voice is too loud, and I have no doubt that every other Ripper on this train heard me. I lower my voice to a whisper and rasp, “I need that cure, Trey. Do you understand me? I can’t live like this. I won’t.” I look over my shoulder at him, and a glimmer of something dark passes over his eyes.

  “Look, I’ll help you get the cure, but it’s not for me. You get that? You’re going to this research facility to change yourself back… but I’m going because I want a way forward.”

  “Forward?”

  “Yeah. You’ve seen Hill. Stronger, faster. I want what he’s got.” He stretches out his fingers to examine his claws. “Those scientists at the lab are gonna help me get it.”

  I roll away again. I could tell Trey what Ellis told me, that he feels the hunger just as much as we do, maybe more. That he suffers every single second of the day. That the added strength isn’t worth it.

  But in this, I know that Trey won’t listen. He’s made up his mind, just as much as I’ve made mine. Our paths aren’t the same… but for now, they intersect. For now, we can work together.

  I have no clue how much progress we’ve made on our journey, or how much farther we have to go, but the daylight hours feel like an eternity. Trapped in this box, rocking on its tracks, just me and Trey. I try to keep my sights set on our destination, the cure, my humanity.