Claire lurches forward as she feels the force that was controlling her abate. She goes back to the booth and grabs her phone, a small island in a sea of synthetic blood. She forces back the urge to vomit as crimson drops fall from the bottom of it.
She holds up the phone to Carlos and records. “Why are you doing this?”
“Not good enough,” Carlos answers. “I need this to be in real time. Please call someone on a video chat. I suggest you pick your boss.”
Claire knows better than to argue and dials Larry. Thankfully he accepts the call.
“What’s up, Kid?” Larry asks around a mouthful of gyro.
“Boss, I’m a hostage in an augment situation,” Claire flatly states.
She sees Larry spit out his lunch and ramble through a bunch of questions. She ignores them and gives Larry a panoramic view of Miss Ery’s. She ends her virtual tour with a shot of Carlos pointing the futuristic pistols at them.
“Mr. Tral, please break into whatever mundane program you have on right now.”
“You want me to air all this live?” Larry asks. “That’s gonna bring Templars.”
“Optimal,” Carlos says.
Larry makes the appropriate adjustments. The hostages sit in terror while Carlos paces the bar.
“Okay, you’re on,” Larry finally says.
“Optimal. ISH of Earth, I want all of you to see what happens when you defy the Malignant Empire.”
Carlos grabs Claire by the arm and yanks her to the clone drone body. Claire films the inside of the head to prove the deception.
“This is a clone drone. It is a robot the Templars use when they feel the need to pretend about being ISH. The body resembles Karen Whitmore, better known as Compel to you people. Actually, a lot of clone drones come here often. Bill Smith has had to pretend to care about this one.”
Carlos forces Claire to film Mitch. Claire wipes away her tears and accidentally leaves blood smears under her eyes.
“So, I would like the Templars to come here. I am going to eliminate the ISH that I know you care about if you do not. My captain wants to speak with you, and now is the time.”
A portal appears at the doorway of Miss Ery’s. Carlos immediately puts a pistol to the back of Mitch’s head and the head of a dishwasher. Their eyes reveal the psychological horror they’re enduring.
“Careful,” Carlos orders as Seal Pup, Compel, Port, and Stitch exit the portal. “One word, and I shoot. Make a gesture and I shoot. We are going to play a game of tell the ISH the truth.”
“I know you’re in here, Jayden!” Seal Pup shouts. “Why don’t you reveal yourself?”
The other Templars glance around the bar as Seal Pup speaks.
“What’s the matter?” Carlos asks. “You cannot find me? Maybe Malignant technology is a little better than your precious Father has shared with you. Then again, what would he know? He has abandoned his own for thousands of years.”
“What do you want?” Seal Pup asks.
“I want you to join us. All the Malignant do. Forget the ISH and help the cause. The animals are at the door.”
“Who are the animals?” Seal Pup asks.
“The aliens who are not human. They constantly encroach in our space. They are not content to stay on their side of the universe. We need you to help. We have studied Earth augmentations and are quite impressed. Something about this planet has bred exceptional powers, better than we can do at home.”
“That should worry you,” Seal Pup challenges.
“It does not. There are not enough of you to stop us. You can either choose to save the real people of the planet at the expense of the ISH or all die together.”
“Come out and face me, Shot Caller.” Compel says the code name with complete contempt. “I’m better than you.”
Carlos laughs. The sound chills Claire’s soul.
“Your augmentation will not work if you cannot focus on me. You have to find me first,” Carlos says. “How many do you think I can kill before you do? Obviously, I can get Mitch.”
Carlos pushes his gun harder into Mitch’s skull.
“No!” Seal Pup says while reaching out a hand.
“Put it down!” Carlos snaps. “One more outburst like that, and I decorate the floor of this ostentatious pub.”
Seal Pup slowly puts his arm back down. Claire continues to film the confrontation, but her hands shake as the probability of her death increases in her mind.
“I’ve got this,” Compel announces.
“Stay there, Compel,” Carlos warns.
Compel reaches up and unlocks her helmet. She takes it off and throws it to the side. Claire groans as she’s obliged to show Karen’s face.
“Do not move, Compel,” Carlos warns again.
“I know you’re in there, baby,” Karen says as she takes a step forward. “Fight it. I know you don’t want to hurt these people.”
Carlos’ hands aren’t quite as steady. He briefly stows the second pistol in his jacket, then rests his hand on the back of a chair. Karen takes a step toward him and speaks loudly and clearly.
“I swear I will kill Seal Pup’s boyfriend if you keep moving,” Carlos says, but the flat voice has more emotion in it now.
Karen clearly focuses on Carlos’ eyes. “I believe in you, baby.”
Karen takes another step. She is two away from arm’s length of Carlos.
“You don’t want to do this. He can’t control you. Listen to my voice. You want to put the gun down.”
Port slowly raises her hand, but Carlos points the recovered second pistol at her.
“You want to see how well your armor stands up to this, Gabriella?” Carlos asks.
Seal Pup motions for her to lower her hand.
“Fight him, baby. Fight that piece of shit.”
Carlos’ hands tremble again. It looks like he’s pressing less hard against Mitch. Karen takes the second to last step.
“Karen?” Carlos says in his normal voice with tears freely falling.
“I’m here,” Karen says with a smile.
“I was lying. You never won our competitions.”
Karen’s eyes flicker, and Carlos shoots her in the face with both pistols. Karen’s head explodes from the impact, and her armored body crumples to the floor. Blood splashes onto Mitch as she falls.
“No!” the other Templars scream.
“Do not move!” Carlos demands.
“I will kill you.” Seal Pup seethes.
“Doubtful. Now back to our game.”
Another portal appears. Abel exits it.
“Father?” Carlos says. “What are you doing here?”
Abel looks at the crumpled form of Karen. He kneels beside her body. Everything seems to freeze as he looks at her body. When he looks up, his eyes are the hardened ones of a serial killer.
“Father, do not forget the rules,” Carlos warns.
Claire films Abel’s face. His expression fills her with so much terror that she drops her phone onto the floor and covers her eyes.
“Father, the rules,” Carlos repeats.
Abel looks directly at a booth in the corner of the room.
“Abel, no!” Carlos shouts in an unfamiliar voice.
Abel waves a hand, and an invisible shield around Shot Caller disappears. Abel reaches out toward the man and yanks him to hovering mere inches in front of him. Without any motion, Abel disintegrates Shot Caller’s armor and leaves a naked Jayden there.
“Father? You cannot do this,” Jayden begs.
“I can,” Abel answers with complete malice.
He drops Jayden to the ground. The man stands and begins screaming as unseen forces torment his body. Claire and apparently everyone else, including the Templars, cower as Jayden thrashes about. Soon his skin tears from the inside out. Claire is horrified as s
he sees Jayden’s skeleton rip itself free from the inside of his body. This trauma doesn’t end Jayden’s suffering. His screams are deafening, but Abel apparently uses his power to keep the Malignant spy alive. His body still stands, despite the lack of a skeleton.
“Forever enemies,” Jayden manages to say. The words are barely audible.
Sirens wail in the distance. The sound gradually increases.
Jayden’s skeleton systematically rips the various organs from Jayden’s body and eats them. The skeleton chews thoroughly, then moves on to the next organ.
“Abel, stop it!” Seal Pup screams.
Abel doesn’t show any emotion except hate. The skeleton plucks out each eye and chews them. The remnants of each meal bounces along the ribs and falls through the space of the pelvis. A greasy stain forms on the floor beneath.
Jayden is little more than mutilated living skin at this point, but his screams are still quite distinct. The hostages are no longer under Jayden’s control, but none seem willing to move past Abel to get to safety. Port and Stitch appear unwilling to look at Abel.
The skeleton finishes devouring the last of Jayden, and finally Jayden seems to die. Once Jayden’s screams stop, the silence becomes worse. Most of the hostages run past the Templars. Mitch collapses to the ground and sobs. Seal Pup rushes straight to him.
“Don’t touch me!” Mitch screams in his delirium.
Seal Pup takes off his helmet and tries to look Mitch in the eyes. “Baby, it’s me. Look at me.”
Mitch looks into Smith’s eyes with a new perspective.
“Stitch, help Reid,” Smith orders before turning his attention back to Mitch.
Stitch runs over and quickly ends the suffering Reid was in from the wound to his arm.
“Are you okay?” Smith asks.
“Don’t touch me,” Mitch rasps. “Just leave me alone. That wasn’t natural.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Smith starts.
“Don’t touch me!” Mitch screams and runs out the door.
Abel cradles Karen’s headless body and weeps. He rocks back and forth as he holds her. Carlos, apparently back to his senses, tries to limp to Karen, but he’s tackled by a recovered Reid.
“I hate to do this to you, Carlos. But I don’t know what the hell just happened, and I have to take you in.”
Carlos fights as the handcuffs slap around his wrists.
“No!” he screams as he struggles to get free. “I need to be with her. Let me go. I need her!”
Tears stream down his face.
“Sorry,” Reid repeats and drags Carlos out the front door.
Claire looks at Smith and the other two Templars.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
Claire picks up her phone and finds Larry screaming from the other end. Claire turns it off and moves toward the door. She stops at the entrance and takes one look back at the left leg of Brock. It’s all she can see of his lifeless body in the booth. She briefly considers walking over to look at him one last time, but the thought alone produces tears. She also runs out the door.
All who remain inside of Miss Ery’s are Abel, Smith, Port, and Stitch. Abel still rocks Karen’s headless body.
“I’m sorry, Sister. I hope you know how much I love you.”
Stitch and Port seem beyond terrified of Abel and don’t know what to do. They both look to Smith for guidance. Smith picks up his discarded helmet and locks it back into place.
“Get Compel’s helmet,” Seal Pup orders.
Port promptly retrieves it with her power. Seal Pup rests a hand on Abel’s shoulder.
“We have to go,” Seal Pup says. “We’ll deal with all of this at The Lair, but we must leave now.”
Abel doesn’t respond.
“Abel, we need a portal!” Seal Pup screams.
Abel waves his hand. Stitch, Port, and Seal Pup find themselves standing in The Lair’s living room, without Compel’s helmet. Most of the other Templars stand there with solemn faces as reports of the hostage situation plays on a dozen different screens.
“What do we do about Abel?” Darsh asks.
“What do we do when Votary finds out?” Seal Pup asks back.
Jillarni sits on his command ship, anxiously tapping his finger on the armrest.
“Commander Guntho,” he says.
“Yes, sir?” Guntho replies.
Jillarni lowers his voice. “Has Agent Cooerloo checked in? He should be ready for extraction.”
“Sir, Agent Cooerloo equals failure.”
“What?”
“Please regard.”
Guntho interacts with her tablet and brings up the various news reports of the Miss Ery’s hostage situation.
“I understand,” Jillarni says through clenched teeth.
Guntho ends the transmission. The whole crew looks at Jillarni.
Flaimeson cannot hold his tongue. “Captain Jillarni, what does this mean? Father, he–”
“It means that Father no longer believes in the rules of Our Contest. We will have to ask Mother how to proceed.”
“Do you want me to send the message?” Guntho asks.
“No. This is my duty. You are responsible, Commander Guntho.”
“I am responsible.”
Jillarni slowly rises and leaves the bridge.
Benji doesn’t even wait for his pickup truck to stop moving before he jumps out and bursts through the front door of his mansion.
“Claire!” Benji screams. “Are you here? Claire!”
Benji races through the massive home. He finds Claire huddled in the shower of their master bedroom. The ice-cold water hits her in the face as she sits huddled in the corner. She hugs her knees and pulls her legs into her naked body.
Benji switches off the water and tries to get Claire to look at him.
“Claire, I’m so sorry.”
“Karen’s dead,” Claire mumbles.
“I know, poor Carlos, but how are you right now? Talk to me.”
“I’m relapsed,” Claire states. “I got Lou killed, and now I got Brock killed.”
“I heard about him, too. Let’s go see Dr. Cameron. I know he’ll take you. Come on.”
Benji tries to stand her up, but Claire refuses to budge.
“Not now,” Claire says. “Maybe later, but I need to get clean.”
“You need to see Sam,” Benji responds.
“You think that I’d be used to this by now,” Claire jokes. “Death must like me.”
“It isn’t your fault.”
“I already knew Karen was Compel. Smith’s Seal Pup, did you know that?”
“I figured it out,” Benji answers. “Don’t worry about that right now.”
“Save yourself,” Claire cries. “If you stay with me, you’ll die.”
Benji holds her face in his hands. “No, I won’t. I love you. I want to marry you!”
Benji regrets blurting it out like that as the words spring forth.
Claire looks at her shivering naked body and Benji sitting on the tile of an oversized shower. She laughs hysterically. It unnerves Benji.
“Classic Benji!” Claire screams. “You try to make the worst day of my life better by proposing. That’s not how you fix things!”
Claire stands and charges past Benji. She grabs a towel and wraps it around her body. Benji follows while she screams at him.
“You can’t stop by a store and get a ring to make this better!”
“I didn’t,” Benji protests.
“Get out of here! I don’t want to see you right now.”
“I can’t leave, Claire. Not like this.”
“I hate you! Get out of here! I don’t want to marry you! I never did. That’s not who I am.”
Benji tears up, but tries to ignore the barbs.
&n
bsp; “I’m not leaving, Claire.”
“Get out of my room!”
Benji stands. He opens the nearby drawers and cabinets. He grabs all sharp objects and pills.
“What are you doing?” Claire demands.
“You can have the room. I’ll sleep in the hallway, for all I care, but I’m not leaving this house, and I’m not leaving things like this with you.”
Benji shakes a pillow out of its case and pours the contraband inside it. He slings it over his shoulder as Claire screams more.
“Suicide? You obviously don’t know me. That’s what a pussy like you would do.”
“I love you, Claire,” Benji says with fresh tears on his cheeks.
He walks out the door and shuts it behind him. Benji leans his back against the door as he hears Claire huffing and puffing inside.
Wynona curls up in her bed and cackles at the news reports of the violence at Miss Ery’s. A part of her feels bad for the other victims, but that part is in the minority compared to her actual glee for Claire’s misery.
Wynona grabs the phone next to her bed, an actual landline, and dials a number. After several rings, the other end picks up.
“Gabe, have you seen how our favorite media whore’s day went?”
“I’m enjoying it right now,” Gabe answers.
“I know. It’s great, isn’t it?”
“A shame some innocents had to die, right?”
“Of course, of course, but that’s what Claire Kennedy does. She gets people killed.”
“Listen, Wynona, I’ve got things I’m working on.”
“Wait,” Wynona says. “I may have more work for you. What do you say you come on over here and I pay for it the more fun way?”
“I could probably swing by. What’s the job?”
“I need you to come over and screw my brains out first. Then, we’ll talk about the job.”
“This is shaping out to be a wonderful day. I’ll be there soon.”
“The door will be open. Come on in and see what else is open.”
“You’re naughty. I’m already out the door.”
The phone goes dead. Wynona looks back at the television. She laughs when she hears replays of Claire’s terrified voice as she reports.
Sleepers and Scouts Page 20
