The God Hunters

by Gordon D Lanyon

  Levelling the gun at Jeremy, I said, “Fuck this!” and fired. A bolt of energy slammed into him with gratifying force, flipping him completely off the dock. Moving right, I was about to pull the trigger on Kailex when the office door burst off its hinges, crashing into my back with enough force to send me careening onto the hard packed ground beside Jeremy. Stunned, I saw a massive and very angry Fusto standing in the ruined doorway. Worse, I'd dropped my weapon.

  “Shit!”

  Fusto had almost killed me last time we met, and he’d been calm then. This time he looked angry. Very. My heart skipped a half dozen beats as I contemplated the problems an angry Fusto could create for me.

  “Kill him!” screamed Kailex. Dickens leapt off the dock to obey while a shaky Jeremy staggered to his feet and took a couple of weak steps my way. Fusto's roar of anger cut off in puzzlement as he watched them move to engage me. I suspect he was just as surprised as I was to see enemies become allies.

  “Don't just stand there,” commanded Kailex. “I have control of these morons here. They’ll take care of this one. He's nothing. Get up on the ridge and take out those shooters. I've got them as well but I can't hold everyone forever. In a few minutes I'll have to let go and they’ll be shooting down on us. So move!” Without a word Fusto left, his great weight leaving heavy prints in the grass even though the ground was still fairly dry. For his part, Kailex sat down on the dock and seemed to relax, though the lines of stress running across his face spoke of intense concentration.

  This was getting weirder by the minute. Apparently I was fighting zombies controlled by Kailex now. I started moving backwards to give myself more room. I was amazed to see everyone in the complex, some thirty people, frozen in place, each face holding its own particular grimace of horror. Beads of sweat clung or fell from every brow as they fought to escape the unnatural hold on their minds. Even those helping Kailex pack his trucks were held, some with heavy loads in their arms. The strain on them was the most telling as they slowly crumpled, boxes still firmly clasped in their arms. For my part, I felt a dull probing, worm-like thing moving sluggishly across the exterior of my consciousness searching for a chink, some narrow crevasse it could use to find its way in. This was nothing like the power Kat had used to control me however and though I couldn’t dismiss it, I was easily able to hold it at bay. One slip of concentration however and it would be inside. I started to sweat as I realized a single blow from either of my attackers could break that concentration. Hastily I back peddled towards an even more open area. The two in front of me seemed slow, almost sluggish now. Kailex had a lot on his mind – too much to effectively control all that was going on. I was hoping I could take advantage of that.

  I circled keeping one man in front of the other at all times. I even made a few feints to test their reactions. Then Dickens, snarling like an animal, lunged at me seemingly unworried about any kind of defense. Ducking under his clutching hands, I grabbed his wrist and pivoted. With my shoulder as a fulcrum, I pitched him hard to the ground. Turning quickly I met Jeremy's rush with the same basic move, this time grabbing his out reaching right arm and pulling it across my body so I could use my hip to throw him in much the same manner to the ground. While satisfying, neither throw had much of an incapacitating effect. Both bounced back to their feet more or less unhurt. I'd have to hit them harder if I wanted them to stay down. Stepping inside Jeremy’s right foot, I kicked him to the ground while blocking two heavy blows from Dickens that unbalanced and almost sent me down beside him. Moving to my left I circled Dickens who spun sluggishly to keep me in front of him. Seizing my chance, I caught him with a clean punch that dropped him then followed that with a satisfying knee to his head before I was unceremoniously tackled to the ground.

  Christ! Two big arms encircled me and I realized that Robert must have woken up from his brief head butt induced slumber. Together we rolled in the dirt. This was bad. I was in real trouble because Robert wasn't try to fight me, just hold me so the others could finish me off. They were working together now! Like clockwork Jeremy's face swam into view, then his fist. My world exploded into stars. Somehow a part of me, maybe the Beast part, held up my inner barriers. More blows followed but these were to the body and I absorbed them while still maintaining my concentration. Pulling my legs up I kicked out and didn't so much hit Jeremy as fling him away. Another face appeared, Dickens. Wearing a sick grin he hauled back and threw a haymaker at my head. Only through the most extreme writhing was I able to turn away from the blow so that it simply glanced off my shoulder. Panic filled me. I couldn't seem to shake Robert's grip and it was now three against one! Frantically I slammed the back of my head into Robert's nose, hearing the other's startled grunt in return! Once hadn’t done it, maybe twice was the charm! I slammed my head back again and was rewarded with the dull crunch of his nose breaking. It must have hurt because he gave a shrill howl and let go. I immediately rolled to my feet and scrambled away. Breathing heavily from my efforts I watched as they fanned out, forming a loose triangle with me at its center.

  “Stand down Red One. That's an order!” The voice was clear, calm and used to being obeyed. Hell, I wanted to obey it.

  It was Walker. Striding confidently up to me, her red hair flying out behind her, she put a hand on my shoulder while pulling one arm back to cuff me. “Stand down! This man’s my prisoner. I’m taking him in and the Major wants him unhurt.” Abruptly she leaned in close to whisper, “If this doesn't work, get ready to run.”

  While running sounded like a good idea I couldn't stop myself from whispering back furiously, “What about Kailex? He’s the real bad guy here! You can't let him escape!”

  “Not going to happen” she replied through clenched teeth while the men of Red One looked on, frozen in place as if some circuit in their brains had been disconnected.

  “Agent Walker, what an unexpected delight!”

  I knew that voice and was really starting to dislike it.

  “I hope I don't have to explain myself to you again? You seem to make the same mistake each time we meet. As before your men are no longer yours. In fact, you have no allies here at all. You‘re alone, except for him,” Kailex pointed disparagingly at me which I thought was pretty rude. “And he‘s already proven ineffective, much like you it seems.” Then Kailex laughed and I decided dislike was too nice a word. I really hated this guy. Didn't he know? Only insufferable asshats laughed at times like this.

  Walker shook her head, her face wrinkled as if she'd suddenly discovered a bad smell, “Don't bother with your mind games Kailex!” she snapped. “That trick won't work anymore.” I noticed a thin line of sweat on her forehead, however. She was nervous, maybe even a little scared despite the bravado behind her words.

  Kailex sighed then nodded, a stupid smile on his face. “You think you can shield yourself from me but you can't. Not if I ever get you alone and I will soon, you can bet on it. Then we'll have some real fun. Now unfortunately, my resources are stretched a little thin. So many puppets to play with. You know, I’d go easier on you if you‘d let me in now. Think of the fun we could have! You might even enjoy it!”

  Unable to contain her disgust, Walker fired back a furious “Never!” Then pushed me hard into Robert, knocking us both to the ground. Leaping onto the dock she delivered two stinging blows to Kailex who staggered backwards before falling to one knee. Then all hell broke loose. The men who had been under Kailex's control suddenly weren’t anymore. I watched in horror as they began killing everyone around them! Screams filled the air.

  I tackled Robert who was in the process of killing some guy I didn't know. I hit him hard then scrambled away as quickly as possible. He was too big to fight in close quarters. Taking a fighting stance a few feet away I was amazed to see him jump back to his feet and completely ignore me. Instead he grabbed the first person he saw, a young man of about twenty who was running for the trees. Taking him by the shoulder, Robert spun him, then bracketed his head with two large hands. In moments the man s
tarted screaming, “Get out; get out!!!” Then his voice choked off while his eyes rolled back and his skin wrinkled and split. In horror I watched as the body shrunk in on itself and the skin greyed and cracked open. A moment later the desiccated body was tossed aside and Robert moved on to another victim. It had happened in seconds and I'd just stood there. I shook myself awake. I had to be faster!

  Abruptly, I heard a startled yelp and turned to see Walker sailing through an office window. She hit the deck hard and bounced up against the same metal railing that had given me about a dozen bruises already. Fusto leapt through after her intent on finishing what he’d started. He seemed pretty upset and had a wicked gash across his forehead that was bleeding badly. A moment later Walker was swinging in his grip, held high in the air as he began choking the life out of her. I hear the dull “thwack, thwack, thwack" as Walker delivered powerful kick after kick to his ribs and head in an effort to make him drop her. She was hurting him but not enough to matter in the time she had left. I saw her face turn a bright red as her kicks began to lose their power. I needed to intervene quickly. Wrenching a broken two by four from the damaged door jamb I turned to hit him with it when suddenly my world swam out of focus and another one took its place.

  All around me was sand. It was burning hot. The sun was a red haze above me. I put my hand up to shield my eyes only to pull it away in pain and wonder. My hand was actually smoking! Steam rose from my body and the air I breathed tasted like heat and ash! I fell to my knees, desperate to find a cool breath. A shadow appeared in front of me and I scrambled into it feeling my whole body react as the heat sunk to a manageable intensity. I took a breath, then another, felt my heart slow. Sudden laughter made me look up. Kailex stood in front of me, but not a normal sized Kailex. This one was seventeen feet tall, massive, a freaking giant! My mind spasmed. What was happening? This couldn't be real!

  “You thought you could fight me?” roared the giant Kailex, laughing. “See how easily I crush your defenses? You're in my world now. Time to add your pitiful power to mine!” Then he reached down with a hand that blacked out the sky. As his fingers tightened I heard a distant screaming and realized it was me.

  Suddenly the sky opened and a bolt of sheer power struck me from above. I heard a scream and the hand disappeared. A laser beam of light poured down from above filling me with power so raw it was difficult to contain. My body overflowed with it! The more I took in the greater the pain until all I could see was the light! I lifted my left hand, watched it burst into a golden flame that molded itself into a blazing spear too bright to look at.

  “Throw it!” commanded a voice that brought both relief and fear. Filled with the power Kat had brought me, I hurled the spear without really aiming. Kailex was simply too big to miss. Across from me Kailex pulled back, raised his hands and yelled a thunderous “NOOO!” that shook the world. Then the bolt struck and the world disappeared in a blinding blaze of light. Now everyone was screaming.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I awoke to a nothingness I dimly recognized. I'd been imprisoned here by Kat before. That time seemed so long ago I barely remembered it. This time I was free to act and move. There was light. It drew me, as did the voices; one of which was my own, then Meeta's and Walker's! I felt relief. The last I'd seen, she'd been dying. Somehow she'd escaped Fusto. My admiration for her grew even more.

  “While I'm happy you saved my life, you had no right to take me away! Those were my men we left behind, my men those assholes were killing! I told you to leave me!” It was Walker, her voice agitated and angry.

  "And who was killing them?” responded another voice, cold, detached, the very opposite of angry. “Your own damaged Hunters perhaps? Your Commander let them out when he should have locked them up. Loosening the chains never ends well with monsters.” Kat laughed but it was my voice I heard. “I‘ve no time for fools so I suppose you’re right after all. I should have left you. This “Red One” of yours will be even stronger now that they’ve fed. More dangerous! If I’d left you they'd have killed you. You smell tasty. Fortunately, I have the control they lack. If you continue to annoy me that could change, however.”

  “Red One wasn’t ready,” Walker agreed quietly. She paced back and forth in front of me, one hand riffling her straight red hair. “They were too dangerous to be let out. I told the Major but he didn't listen.” She ground out the last sentence as if it were particularly hard to chew on. “You’re the reason he didn't listen! Because you're dangerous!” She suddenly turned to face me. “And the ones you've brought here are dangerous. The book says that faced with superior power you have two choices - run or bring greater power to the field. Risk balanced against reward. People die when you’re wrong and it’s impossible to be right all the time.” She sighed and tried shrugging the tension from her shoulders, “He sent them in because of you. He thought he needed their strength and he was wrong to do it. Now there’s no going back. I knew them when they were ordinary people; before Medical turned them into monsters. They were my friends. I should have at least tried to save them!”

  Kat laughed, her laughter half snarl. “Your commander dropped wolves in with the sheep! What did he think would happen? The fool! Kailex saw it immediately. Recognized they were starving. To win all he had to do was let them eat.” Now it was Kat's turn to go quiet. “As soon as it’s able, the Beast eats the host. From what I saw, only the bodies of your friends live. What they once were is gone.”

  “I might have saved them,” repeated Walker stubbornly.

  “You would have died,” countered Meeta, “and made Kailex stronger in the process. You saw what happened to your fighters. Their minds were weak. Their deaths were fast. Your mind is strong. You'd have resisted. Death would have come slowly. We couldn't leave you to that.”

  “I could have,” contradicted Kat bitterly. “She's not an ally, not a friend. Not even trust worthy. She was there hoping to pick up Nick as well as Kailex. If her plan had worked this body would be in a lab picked over by men in white coats. We owe her nothing!”

  “That could still happen!” snarled Walker.

  “And I could still decide to eat you,” snapped Kat. “To me, you‘re just a better breed of sheep! You smell so tasty I can hardly hold myself back!”

  I decided to make my presence known before they killed each other. For a brief moment Kat refused to give me control, then she acquiesced with the equivalent of a dismissive shrug.

  "If you wish her to live, get rid of her," she advised me.

  I saw now we were back at the lab. Meeta sat quietly on a tall stool not two meters away in front of a sparse looking console. Her fingers moved with dizzying speed across its surface, sometimes pinching, sometimes twisting dials that appeared and vanished as if on a whim. Belle lay at Meeta’s feet snoring gently, right leg bandaged. On closer inspection I could see the ragged edge of a wound that traversed the top of her forearm to the base of her right paw.

  Meeta followed my look. Somehow sensing it was me she explained what had happened earlier.

  “When you stunned Kailex, Fusto dropped her,“ she nodded briefly at Walker who was fidgeting nervously with a wicked looking knife I'd last seen being driven into the wood between my knees, “to protect his master. You were unconscious so Kat took control though she was pretty dazed herself. She used the knife to fend Fusto off but as I said, she was shaky herself and Fusto took it away from her. He was just about to skewer you with it when Belle charged him and they both tumbled off the dock. Fusto tore up her leg with the knife and she tore up his back and face with her claws. Belle could have finished him but with those four crazies from Walker's company around it was too dangerous to stay so Kat called her off. Fusto‘s hurt but lives. Belle sleeps, gathering her energy before another healing change.”

  Meeta turned and caught Walker's eyes, “Resign yourself little one. Your friends are no more. Kat has not lied. They were badly damaged by the treatments they received in your human labs. Whatever they once were is now go
ne. All that remains is the hunger and the need to fill it. They‘re too dangerous to walk free and they must be destroyed. I do not say this to you lightly.”

  Walker listened quietly but her eyes were big and bright with tears. “Those are my friends you’re talking about. I’ve gone through terrible things with them. It doesn’t feel right to just give up on them.”

  “They were your friends,” corrected Meeta gently. “They've been subsumed by their Beasts. Given the technology used to create them, they had little chance from the beginning for survival. That you‘ve done so is truly remarkable.” She reached out and gently pushed back a lock of Walker's red hair. “What was done to you is unforgivable.”

  Walker jerked away from the touch. “Hands off!” she snapped. “I don't know you.” She pointed at me. “And what's going on with him? He's been pissing me off since I woke up. Acting like he has all the answers. Now suddenly he needs you to explain things to him? He feels different to me. Smells different. What’s his deal?”

  Meeta smiled. “Despite all the things they did wrong, you're not like the damaged ones. Your Beast lives in you. Without training you talk to it. You know what it knows. That Nicholas hosts another. He is two beings, himself and a Hunter from my world he calls ‘Kat’. She seeks Kailex for the benefit of your planet.” Meeta's face took on a more troubled look. “You walk a dangerous path little one. Your Beast was born close to the surface. Like your name it walks beside you and that is very dangerous.”

  “My Beast?” questioned Walker irritably. She didn't like this talk of something ’alive’ inside her. Unfortunately her gut agreed with what Meeta was saying. There was something inside her. And it was always on the verge of breaking free, fighting her for control. From the beginning she'd fought to control it. Keep it in its place. That had been easy at first. Now though, it was a lot stronger.