“What the?” I gasped as I was now close enough to see that the large veins inside his body were not veins at all, they were chains. Huge metal chains surgically implanted into his body, under his flesh and skin to make a coat of armour. “Oh crap”, I hissed just as he raised an iron pumped fist and punched me square in the chest, sending me flying across the street and into a brick wall, or should I say a plasterboard wall and a brick wall wallpaper to disguise the cheapness of the build. My body tore through the wall, splintering wood and covering me with dust as I landed hard on the floor. I felt a rib crack as I landed and immediately put my arm up to it. The pain ached and hurt like hell but I had no time to feel sorry for myself as heavy duty footsteps thundered through the floor.
Looking around I saw I had landed in a kitchen, a polish and unused cooker sat to one side along with a sink and shelving units. Seeing this made it look like the old world had never died, not until I heard the Tyrant beast roar!
Scooting backwards I hid behind some of the kitchen units, I could feel the vibrations as his huge legs and feet slapped on the wooden floor as he entered the house. The ceiling above me sprinkled down dust and cracks appeared. An idea appeared to me and I stood up to face him. He growled a low and animalistic sound in his metal throat, raising one iron arm, then I jumped.
He looked around before him confused as I didn’t land back down in front of him. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling over him and then he finally looked up to see me clinging to the ceiling with my claws before I dropped down onto his neck and rammed my claws into his face. He roared which shook the building around us, reaching up he grabbed my jumper and flung me across the room, I hit the sink with such force that I broke the pipework and water spewed out like a fountain, flooding the kitchen and pooling around the monster’s mammoth feet.
I rolled to the floor and into the water seeing two glinting kitchen knives which had fallen to the floor, grabbing them I then ducked as the huge hulking creature burst at me sending wooden plasterboard splintering around the now unrecognisable kitchen. He stood and turned to face where I ducked, I stood up and charged running at full speed, he lifted his arm to bring down upon me but as he did I dropped to my knees and skidded under him stabbing one of the kitchen knives into his legs. But instead of stabbing into him the blade simply snapped off.
Turning his body with a swift quickness I hadn’t anticipated he encase my skull in one of his huge hands, his whole palm covered my face and he squeezed. I could feel his whole strength in his hand and the pressure as I felt my skull fight to withstand the crush. Using the one blade I had left I slashed his wrist to bloody spaghetti, but it had no effect on him.
“No, no, no”, I screamed panic stricken. This can’t be happening, I need to help Kaley! I could hear a slight cracking of my skull and a whoosh of blood as panic sent it to my brain. Using the blade and my own talons I slashed, thrashed and slashed some more but still it was no use. I could hear myself screaming, in anger and panic.
“KALEY!” I screamed louder, but it wasn’t for help, it was out of anger and the need to get her to finish what it was we brought her here for.
The floor began to shake around me and the monster, the walls began to wobble, the water from the sink slowed its flow and began to drift in droplets up to the ceiling. The pressure continued to taunt my brain and my vision blurred, “ARRRGGH!” I screamed finally knowing this was it, this was the end for me.
Flex, Whoosh…BOOM!
His grip let go of me so suddenly the force made me fall face first into the falling puddle that rained back down over me.
BANG, BOOM!
I turned to see that the great behemoth was impaled on some support beams, somehow the force had been enough to force the beams through the chains.
CRUNCH…
I spun my head to see Kaley entre the broken house, her eyes wide in shock. She had done it, a large burst of power and she hadn’t collapsed again this time. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost?
“Grrr”, the creature murmured trying to move to get the beams out of his body, but she moved her fingers and bent the beam, with one final push she crushed his whole chest cavity and he fell slumped on the beam, the beam the only the only thing holding him up.
She fell to her knees holding her hands, maybe hope was lost after all… “Stop using it Kaley”, I said rushing to her, my cracked rib making me wheeze at her.
“We need to move”, she whispered trying to stand. I grabbed her and leant her on me to walk, as we stumbled out of the ruined house we were greeted by more creatures.
Leaning her against a wall, I moved and slaughtered a group as they moved towards us, I took out their knees and left them fumbling at the grass, some tripped over the fallen so I sliced them as they went down. One tried to grab me from behind but as I turned in its grasp I sliced the thing in half from the waist up and as its legs and bottom half fell to the floor I threw the upper half at a female who charged for Kaley. It knocked her down and I had just enough time to jump and pierce her skull so she was down and out. As I finished with the ones here I turned to see more running towards us from another street, I called my claws away and took out my rifle and took aim with the last of my bullets, I hoped my dad was onside with me today, they were far enough away that the rifle would mean not having to fight too physically, I had a feeling we would need as much strength as we could muster up and especially after that last huge fight.
BANG, BANG, BANG! From beside us bullets flew and I turned to find what looked like what was left of the security team shooting at them.
“Who the hell are you two?” A man with a short grey beard and a bandana asked shooting down a group from the side street.
“We’re friends of Kian’s”, I told him, “He sent us here to help”.
“Kian? He’s alive?” The man looked astounded, “We thought he went down in the chopper, it was hit pretty bad”.
“Made it all the way to England”, I smiled.
“And Candice, she with him too?”
I looked down, “Um no, she didn’t make it”, I didn’t go into detail but it was all he needed to know.
“Shame, nice girl she was”, he said shooting down more creatures, “Glad to have back…”
But he never got to finish what he was saying as his head was blown to pieces right in front of me, his brains sprayed out like confetti and rained down on my already bloodied clothes. The other security people went to shoot in return only to be taken out in seconds.
Kaley gasped in shock at the sight of the man holding a high-powered rifle from across the street and my heart fell as he strolled on over towards us, another crazy doctor, another goddamn crazy ass doctor.
“I have been waiting for you”, he said to Kaley totally dismissing me. He took a step towards her with a syringe in his hand.
I hissed at him, “Back off buddy”, and went to summon my claws but didn’t get to as she called me down, “Stacie don’t”, she said pushing past me, “It’s fine”.
I looked confused.
“Well, what do we have here”, he smiled, he had wide eyes and a rather squared face and jaw. He was slim but well fed. His hair was mousy and a few inches long and slick back. He wore a checker suit with a colourful tie and square rimmed glasses but the main feature that screamed doctor was the white lab coat that swished at his ankles as he moved, “A little companion for my infected pride and joy. A toy to play with later on?” he laughed, “I can’t moan about that”.
“How did you know I was coming?” Kaley asked.
“I saw you, talking to Kian and Candice in the old communications room. I knew you were infected by the brain waves I managed to study whilst you were actively talking. I recorded the whole thing on one of the security cameras and your power is…Astonishing”.
“Ah”, she miffed.
“Ah indeed and now you are here I would very much like to study your brain”.
“You will not touch her”, I said.
“Aww don’t be jealous,
I will study yours too once I infect you”, he mused.
“You will be studying no one”, I told him, almost laughing at the fact that he didn’t realise I was already infected.
“See that is where you are wrong, I will do as I wish because I am in charge here”.
“Who are you exactly?” Kaley asked.
“Dr Aksel Enok”.
“Well I thought Russel Enok was in charge here”, I hissed.
“He is no longer well enough to run the place so I am now in charge”, Aksel told us.
“Well Aksel nice to meet you an all but we will not be going anywhere with you”, I smiled politely.
“Actually we will”, Kaley told me.
I looked at her, her eyes were glossing over, she looked so ill. In just a few seconds she had gone from looking like Kaley to an almost creature, “Kaley?”
“You will understand in the end, why I have to do this”.
“Do what?” I asked a cold feeling flooded through my veins.
“This”, she whispered, then she howled and lunged at me. Her teeth tore into my shoulder and the shock and the pain took my breath away. I tried to push her off but she used the last of her power to flush my body to keep me still.
I finally managed to step back from her when her power flicked out and she collapsed by my feet. Hot pain burned through my shoulder at where she had bitten me, but why? I was already infected?
“Looks like your friend wanted you to join her ranks”, the doctor laughed, “At least I will be able to study how the infection will affect you, at least once I’m finished with her that is”. Then he rushed me and being in shock from what Kaley done I didn’t move, he gripped his hand around my neck and stabbed something into my flesh. Within seconds I could feel unconsciousness coming, the darkened spots flashed in my vision as he pulled away a syringe.
“You won’t get away with this”, I told him in a hoarse voice, “I will kill you”.
“I don’t think so… You will become her newest playmate, wouldn’t that be fun”, he giggled before I collapsed beside Kaley.
Chapter Eighteen…
“Stacie…Stacie…Wake up! Wake up…Wake up…”
Doctor Aksel Enok tapped away on his computer in the now sealed lab that was just mere floors away from the horde of his people. They were all his pets now, crying and baying for blood… His blood. But they would never get it for he was in charge here, he was in control, he would rule over them all and be their King, the new King of Enliven and he would rule with his new Queen once she awoke from her slumber.
He tapped a few buttons and brought up the security screen for the incubation room, Kaley, the holy miracle was asleep inside one, her stats on the screen revealing to him that the infection was fully submerged in her body, that she was no longer human but that didn’t matter. He had managed to operate on her when she was asleep and implanted a revolutionary device in her brain, something that would let him tell her what to do and with her telekinesis and telepathic powers she would be able to command his army of creatures. He no longer wanted to let the virus free over the lands, that was his uncles dream, oh no, he wanted to walk the lands with his army and recruit more creatures until he had the largest monster army possible. Only then would he then go to the surviving countries and defeat their pathetic human armies. His didn’t need guns or weapons to kill, they had speed, they had anger, they had the hunger to drive them on.
He then tapped away at more computer keys and brought up the other incubators. The girl he had captured with Kaley was also asleep, the infection working through her veins but he wasn’t really taking any notice of her stats, he didn’t need to… She wasn’t special… She wasn’t the One… She would soon awake and fight Kaley and then Kaley would feast on her flesh becoming stronger and faster. There was also two other occupied incubators, a young boy who looked a little like Kaley’s friend and Kian, the run-away security operative, Kian had been so handy to have around, bringing to him what it was he so desired and he would be duly rewarded for his service, for once he was finished with the awakening of Kaley and the girl and their fight was over he would then inject both the boy and Kian with the new virus and get them to be Sargent’s in his army. To lead small packs of hordes to victory!
Beep…Beeep…Beep.
A note appeared on the screen telling him that Kaley’s brain waves were growing stronger and it wouldn’t be long until she awoke.
“Best get ready to greet my Queen”, he hummed, pushing away from his chair and leaving the computer screens. He didn’t notice as he left that the other girls stats were high, flying off the chart, the infection in her so far gone that she was riddled with it but it hadn’t changed her fully into a creature, she had moulded the infection to suit her bodily needs. A spike in her brain waves would have also told Aksel that she was waking up, but he was too preoccupied thinking about his Queen to notice the impending threat.
~
Kaley was already awake inside the incubator, her brain sending out her feelers to scan the area. She found this method highly amusing and strange as she knew this was how Stacie scanned around her for threats all the time but now she was doing it, it felt… strange, un-human… But she had to remember Stacie was the more human one of them both, Stacie’s mind was stronger and more resilient and would hold off the virus until this was over.
Her feelers twisted and moved around the incubation room, licking over all the instruments and equipment the last crazy doctor on Earth kept in the labs. She found the first incubator and sighed, he had indeed found Cain and Kian, although she had known that he would she knew they wouldn’t be harmed, she had told Stacie they would be safe and it wasn’t a lie, they were safe in their glass houses… Just as long as Stacie won this.
She licked around the other incubators locating Stacie, “Stacie… Stacie… Wake up… Wake up…Wake up,” She told her. She didn’t need to speak openly she knew Stacie would hear her. “It’s almost time, wake up”.
She could feel a movement, Stacie’s hand flexing.
It was time…
~
“Stacie… Stacie… Wake up… Wake up…Wake up. It’s almost time…Wake up”…
I heard the dreamy and floaty voice of Kaley filter in my mind. I wanted to say almost time for what, but something was in my mouth, a tube, helping me breathe.
I opened my eyes slowly and flinched as they stung in the liquid that surrounded me in the incubator. They slowly came into focus and I could see that I was in a lab of some sort, locked behind glass. I could also see… Cain and Kian, both of them asleep and locked behind glass too. I tried to reach out to them with my feelers but something else happened, something unexpected.
My mind opened up with ease and I jumped into Kian’s mind. He was dreaming, recalling a memory.
“Cain come here quick someone is coming”, he said ducking down behind the old hotel reception desk. He knew exactly who it was coming, Doctor Enok, which meant… “No…no, he couldn’t have won!”
“They’re not coming back are they?” Cain asked, his voice strong and not childlike.
“I…I don’t think so”.
Footsteps crunched over the hard frozen snow and then a man appeared, Doctor Aksel Enok. Kian jumped out from his hiding place and aimed his gun at the doctor, “Where are they?”
“Hmm, their fine for now, they’re sleeping like dark angels, just like you will be too”.
“What?” Kian said, putting his arm out behind him to protect Cain. “Asleep. So they are still alive? Or do you mean eternal sleep?”
“Still alive”, The doctor nodded, “But only if you come with me”.
Kian smiled, “Then they still have a chance to win”, he turned and winked at Cain. “We will see them again but for now do as the doctor wants”.
Cain nodded, “Ok”.
“Wise man Kian, very wise man”, The doctor laughed taking out two syringes and stabbing them both until sleep took over…
I came back into my own mi
nd, my whole body shaking. What the hell had just happened? What had I just done? I couldn’t do that, only her… Only Kaley could… but where was she.
My senses flushed on high alert and I felt something or someone move in the room. Placing my hands on the glass to steady myself I peered out and saw nothing. Another flash of movement crossed my vision, someone running and vanishing behind a… Broken incubator. Looking around I noticed how Kaley wasn’t here, she wasn’t in an incubator like the rest of us.
“Kaley… Are you out there?” I said in my mind but I knew if she was awake she would hear me.
“Hello Stacie, nice of you to finally join us”.
“Us? Who’s us?”
“Me and the Doctor… We have some games we want to play so why don’t you come out and join in?”
“And if I don’t?”
In a flash of movement she was there by Cain’s incubator, holding a syringe and stabbing it into the main oxygen feeder tube. Suddenly a flashback hit me of Ollie, his little hand in the incubator, the infection spreading up the tube where the mad doctor had injected it in. I only had seconds to save him and I smashed the incubator by knocking it over…
“NOOOOOO”, I roared in fear but the fear took over and the glass before me began to crack, trickles of the life liquid spat outside of the glass and dribbling to the floor. “AHHHHHH”, I screamed and thumped my fists on the glass trying to smash it but it only cracked a little more.
“You can do better than that, use the gift”, she whispered into my brain.
Fear gripped me tighter as she pushed the syringe down and the virus pumped out, racing up the tube to Cain. “NOOOOO”, I cried out again, my brain hurting now from the fear and BOOM! Like a supersonic wave the glass shattered and I fell out from the incubator onto the hard tiled floor, shards of glass stabbing into my naked body. I reached my hand out for Cain and focused on the virus in the tube and stopped it moving, then using whatever it was I now had I forced the virus back out of the oxygen tube and back into the hole from the syringe, I watched amazed as the syringe rose back up filling with the liquid form of the disease then I left it to clatter to the floor.
One (Alone Book 3) Page 24