by Joshua James
Sydal holstered his pistol as he walked away from the glass. Now it was time to wait for the boys in blue to show up. He fidgeted. Normally in these circumstances he’d pull out a smoke cartridge, but Maria had made him stop.
He was so shocked and out of it that he almost didn’t notice that he had an incoming call on his HUD. The red exclamation point in his HUD flashed for almost a minute before he answered. According to the notice, the video call was from his wife. He didn’t know if he was in the best headspace to talk to her, but he accepted anyway.
“Hey, babe,” he said, but Maria’s face wasn’t in the video popup. Instead, it was just a view of the living room with the lights off.
“Detective,” a man’s voice answered.
“Who is this?”
“Consequences, Detective. I’m the consequences of your actions.”
For a moment, Sydal thought he recognized the voice. But trying to figure out who he was talking to was secondary. The pressing issue was where his wife was.
“Where’s Maria? Where are the kids?” Sydal walked away from the bus stop, pushing his way through the crowd so he could talk to this mystery man.
“They’re safe. For now,” said the voice.
“How are you calling me on my wife’s HUD?” All Sydal could think was that this perpetrator had somehow hacked it and broken into his home. He hoped that was the case, because the alternatives were too much to bear, let alone imagine.
“Best to show you. Yes?”
Sydal watched as the point of view from his wife’s HUD moved through his family’s living room. He moved towards the window that looked out on the black of the dark side of the moon. When he got close enough, the detective saw a large man holding his wife’s prone body, pointing her head towards the glass.
Renault?
Sydal knew he recognized the man’s voice. It was the supervisor from the Waterman-Lau docks. That raised all manner of questions that were soon buried by pure rage and concern for the woman he loved.
“I swear to God, Renault, if you touch a hair on her head—”
“What? Do you mean like this?” Renault grabbed the unconscious Maria Sydal by the back of her hair and made her nod up and down, left and right.
“Son of a bitch,” Sydal whispered. He needed to get home as fast as possible.
“Relax, Detective. Please, relax. She’s fine. Your kids are fine. I just gave them all a light cocktail to knock them out.” Renault’s voice was emotionless.
“A cocktail of what, you bastard?” People gave Sydal sideways looks as he yelled into his HUD, trying to squeeze his way out of the growing crowd.
“Don’t worry about it. They aren’t hurt. Not yet. But you’re going to do something for us, though, to keep it that way.”
“For Waterman-Lau?”
Renault laughed.
“What’s so damn funny?”
Sydal watched Renault drop Maria. Luckily there was a rug in the living room; otherwise she might’ve bounced her head off the fake wood floor. He wanted to rip the man’s throat out with his teeth and watch him bleed out while looking directly in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do.
“You, Detective. You’re funny. Like a fly who hasn’t yet realized that he’s already caught in the spider’s web.”
Eleven
Fathers And Sons
“Sorry about your friends,” Tomas said.
Ben watched Ada wince.
That’s what happens you can’t keep people alive. Everyone brings it up.
“Thanks,” she said, her throat obviously dry.
Ben watched as Ada trudged ahead, leading him and the rest of the group back to the safe house where Meryl and the kids were hiding. Her drooping shoulders told Ben everything he needed to know.
She’d lost a lot more than the rest of them in the last few hours. She may have only been with her group for a week, but she’d clearly bonded with them. And she was taking the losses hard.
“What happened back there?” LeFay asked Ben, interrupting his thoughts.
For a moment, Ben considered what transpired back at the Atlas. He remembered running as fast as his tired legs could take him. They must’ve been fueled by pure unadulterated adrenaline because even now, they were sore and extremely stiff.
The Atlas had blown up behind him. He’d been so close, in fact, that he was picked up off his feet and tossed a good ten or twenty yards by the blast waves. He was so close that he felt the effects inside, in his chest and head. There might’ve been internal bleeding, but none of that mattered. What he remembered most was the Pale Man and what he’d offered.
Ben wasn’t considering taking the Pale Man up on his offer. Not at all. But what he offered was intriguing. Could it be done? Was there a way to stop the Shapeless while getting his parents back? It was a thought he couldn’t shake.
“So where’s this ship you claim we can take to get off this hellhole?” Tomas asked.
“Not far,” answered LeFay. “I’m pretty sure.”
Tomas spun around. “You’re only pretty sure?”
LeFay kept walking right past him. “Yeah, pretty sure.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna kill you if we don’t get a ride off this rock.”
“I’m pretty sure we’ll all be walking dead at that point, so what’s the rush?”
“Can you believe this?” Tomas said to the others.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” Clarissa said. “How is it this ship didn’t get taken down by the same electromagnetic pulse attack that took out the citywide HUDs? You sure it works?”
“One hundred percent? Nope. But I’m pretty sure it’ll work.”
“Back to ‘pretty sure’,” Tomas said sarcastically.
“Let’s just say I know a guy. He’s got a ship well off the grid. And I’m completely sure he’s still around.”
“I have a couple guesses,” Clarissa said.
“I can’t wait,” LeFay said. “This should be fun.”
Ben left the bickering among LeFay, Clarissa, and Tomas behind. They’d either find LeFay’s ride or they’d figure something else out. He wasn’t ready to worry about it just yet.
Instead, he came up alongside Ada. Like Ben, she had no interest in the quarrel behind them.
“Hey,” said Ben.
“Hey,” Ada replied flatly.
Ben coughed. It was a wet cough. When he looked down at his hand, it had blood splattered on it. That’s when he silently realized that he may have taken more damage than he thought from the Atlas’ explosion. But as far as he was concerned, that was his problem to deal with, his problem to keep to himself.
“You okay?” Ada asked.
“Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. But I feel like both our answers are gonna be ‘no’.”
Ada didn’t reply.
“Losing people sucks. You remember each one. I still see every face when I try to fall asleep. I think it only fades with time.”
“You’re wrong,” said Ada. “I can’t remember any of them. Not one face. Not even those we just lost. Why? Why can’t I remember them?”
“You need to stop being so hard on yourself. They knew how dangerous this was going to be.”
“Is that supposed to make it easier?”
“No,” Ben said. “Not easier, just…my dad, he used to tell me there was a price attached to leadership. And in war, that price is often blood. There’s no way around that. That’s the price you pay for wins. And in war, wins are all that matter.” He shrugged. “He was a heartless bastard, and I think that’s pretty damn clinical. But it still keeps popping into my mind when I think about what I’ve seen.”
Ada was silent for a moment. “What are we winning, though? There’s no victories here. We blew up a ship that was already downed. Big deal. Is that a fatal blow to the Shapeless? Will it make any difference? Or did we simply do the equivalent of kicking the side of a tank as it went by? A goddamn waste.”
“We’re still alive,
aren’t we? We’re still going,” Ben said. “That’s the victory. As long as we’re sucking down air, we’re still in this fight.”
“You say that like the fight isn’t already over.” Ada sped up a little bit as the safe house came into view. Then she transitioned into a full jog.
Ben sighed as he watched Ada run ahead to check on the last of her group of survivors.
Real quality comforting there, champ. And quoting the old man’s bullshit? Please.
“Where’d she run off to?” Clarissa asked when she and LeFay caught up with Ben.
“To check on the old woman and the kids,” said Ben.
LeFay pointed to his lip. “Either you’re going for the ‘full red lip’ look, or you got some blood there.”
Ben wiped his mouth again with the back of his sleeve. LeFay glanced at the red streak that was already there. “Rough day?”
“Yeah.”
“She went in alone?” Tomas asked.
“She was pretty upset,” Ben said. “I figured it’d be best if she told them what happened to the others.”
“I’m gonna go check on her,” Tomas said.
“No, I’ll go,” Ben said. “You stay here and keep pumping LeFay for information. You’re so good at it.”
“Screw off,” Tomas said as Ben wandered over toward the safe house. It was a lower level apartment whose only entrances and exits were off an alleyway, and the backyard, which was concealed on all sides by concrete walls. She might not be high on herself as a leader at the moment, Ben thought, but she sure did do a great job of picking a protected, hidden, safe spot for her group.
All the alarm bells were going off in Ben’s head soon as he entered the alleyway. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was, but an almost overwhelming sense of dread overcame him.
Rifle raised, he scanned the wall along the safe house. Something caught his eye. Sticking out from under a cardboard box was a pair of tiny shoes.
He slowly walked forward, dreading what he would find. He used the barrel of his rifle to shove the cardboard aside. The two children Meryl was supposed to be protecting were lying there, face down, their bodies broken and askew.
Ben felt bile rise up the back of his throat, and had to choke it back down. He could only imagine how this would affect Ada.
Ada!
Ben spun around and headed for the safe house door. Before he could approach and enter, it was kicked open. He backed up, rifle held at the ready, as his heart raced.
“Ada?” Ben asked.
He waited for a second. Then another, and a third. Finally, he started forward toward the door, which had slowly creaked back closed again. He began to open the door with the barrel of his rifle when a hand jutted out and grabbed the edge of the door. It was half human-colored, half black as night.
In that moment, he knew what was behind the door.
No, not now. Not here. I’m not ready.
Ben kept backing up until he was in the street. All the while he kept his eyes trained on the safe house door, which slowly opened the whole way to reveal the disgusting thing that was his father, Lee.
Saito’s eyes were as black as obsidian, mouth spilling a black oily substance. His body looked as if there was something underneath his skin, bulging and struggling to break free. Describing his state as grotesque didn’t do the view justice.
Saito held Ada by her shirt, in one hand. Her limp body dragged on the ground.
“Let her go,” Ben said.
Saito smiled. It was the same sick smile as the Pale Man, but only for a moment. Then the smile turned into a grimace of anger.
Ben turned to see LeFay, Clarissa, and Tomas come into the alleyway. They quickly spread out, weapons raised.
“No,” answered Saito in between very heavy breaths. “I’m definitely not letting her go, son.”
“Is she dead?”
Saito smiled. “Not yet.”
“What are you?” Ben asked. “And what do you want? I know you’re not my father.” He didn’t feel that way, but he said it. Anything to learn more about what was happening.
“This?” Saito stood up straight. Ben heard popping and cracking noises like bones breaking when he did. “This is potential fulfilled, my son. What I want is for you to come with me. Come with me, with your mother, become the family I lost.” Saito raised his arm, palm outstretched. “Or I’ll slaughter you and your friends.”
Saito raised Ada up with his other arm. Whatever had been done to him, it gave him inhuman strength. “Starting with this one. You care for her, no?” He licked the side of her face with a long, serpentine tongue, covered in the same black oil that his mouth struggled to keep in.
Ben shook with rage at the monster his father had become. “You did die, didn’t you? And they replaced you with this…whatever you are. Do you even know?” Ben aimed his rifle directly at his father’s head. “And if you’re dead, well… I guess I’m too late to save you.”
“Dead?” Saito laughed. Ben had never seen his father laugh so hard. “Boy, your father is more alive than he’s ever been!” For that last sentence, Ben noticed it was the Pale Man’s voice, not his father’s, which gave him pause. Maybe, just maybe, his father was still in there, being manipulated by that otherworldly demon.
Ben was distracted. He was so distracted that he didn’t notice the two dead children, bodies broken and sliced, rising up off the asphalt of the alley. Their eyes were obsidian, like Saito’s. One of them opened their mouth wider than humanly possible and let out an ear-piercing shriek, much worse than that of a normal Shapeless.
Then they charged.
They ran right through Ben’s gunfire, past him, and directly at the rest of the group. Clarissa and Tomas hesitated to fire on them. Neither wanted to accidentally hit Ben. LeFay, however, had no such reservations, and started peppering the area around them. But they were squirrelly little things, hard to nail down.
“So your friends can be entertained,” Saito said. He threw Ada’s unconscious body away like a toy. She landed awkwardly a dozen feet away. “While we talk!”
He rushed Ben.
After all he’d been through, it was probably understandable that Ben’s reaction time was a bit slow, but that didn’t make what came next any less painful. His father’s closed fist connected squarely with his face.
Ben had been in his share of fisticuffs before. He was never one to shy away from the occasional barroom brawl or scuffle, but he’d never been hit this hard in his life. The impact was so powerful that it took him off his feet and dislocated his jaw.
Saito tried to pounce on top of his son, but was stopped by Ben’s robotic arm. Its artificial strength was able to flip his father off of him, even though his back was on the ground.
Ben flipped over on his knees in time to see LeFay try to shoot one of the alien zombie children as it zipped by, but it was too nimble. As she reloaded, Ben watched it climb up the walls of a blown-up building like a damn spider, turn and shriek at her, and then jump off, aiming for her head.
“Screw this,” LeFay said. She grabbed the tiny Shapeless. It clawed at her arm, removing artificial flesh and exposing the metal mesh over carbon-fiber muscle and metal bone. She let loose a huge electric shock, frying the alien zombie child until it turned black and began to melt in her hand; then she dropped the organic ooze to the ground. “I hate kids,” she said.
Ben was back on his feet, but when he looked around, his father was gone.
Where’d he go?
His question was answered when he felt something wrap around his head, cutting off his air and leaving him blind. Panicked, he dropped his rifle and tried to claw it off. Ben was twisted partially around in midair, enough so he could see that a tendril protruding out of his father’s stomach was wrapped around his head, suffocating him.
Just as Ben started to see blackness creeping into the edges of his vision, bullets exploded around him. His father roared in anger as he watched the gunfire concentrate on the stem of the tend
ril suffocating him.
The tendril ripped away, and Ben fell.
“Move!” screamed Tomas.
With the tendril weakened but still wrapped around his neck, all Ben could do was roll away as fast as he could. A moment later, he saw why Tomas was screaming at him. He’d thrown a phosphorus grenade right at Saito’s feet. The only problem was, he didn’t account for this version of Saito’s many abilities.
Before the grenade landed, another tendril flew out of Saito’s stomach and grabbed the erupting phosphorous grenade, tossing it back at Tomas so fast it was a blur. It slammed into Tomas’ chest, throwing him backward and setting his clothes on fire.
White phosphorous was dangerous not only because it reached high temperatures, but because it was also impossible to put out. Knowing this, Tomas ripped off his jacket and the shirt underneath. Though he managed to get the clothes off before too much damage was done, Ben saw that he’d still suffered burns to his chest.
Saito charged Tomas, shoulder-tackled him, and sent him flying ragdoll-style into a wall. The impact must have knocked him out, because he slumped down and didn’t move.
Saito quickly planted one foot, spun around, and hit Clarissa with another tendril, sweeping her feet out from under her. Seeing downed, vulnerable prey, the remaining alien zombie child jumped on top of her and tried to bite her throat out. Clarissa managed to kick it clear, but it created more than enough of a diversion for the same tendril to smash into her again, this time in the center of her back, and slam her violently against the same wall that Tomas was slumped against. Clarissa, too, was knocked unconscious.
LeFay wasn’t spared. As the cyborg tried to reach for a grenade of her own, Saito picked up Tomas’s gun and fired the remaining bullets at her. She managed to block her face and chest, her most vulnerable parts, with her arms, but the artificial skin over them got shredded. Before she could recover and put her arms down, he was already right next to her. Ben had never seen speed like that before. Saito grabbed LeFay by the back of her neck and slammed her face-down onto the street.