by Terence West
Couldn't take the chance. Had to know for sure. I jammed my Beretta hard enough into his chin it almost broke skin. “I said, where are they? Answer me, Lucas!"
"They will kill me,” Lucas said through gritted teeth. “Do you understand that? If I help you, Chithula will kill me!"
"I don't think you understand,” I explained with a devilish grin. “I will kill you right now unless you help me immediately. Does that make more sense?” I might just kill him anyway. He was starting to piss me off.
And apparently I was getting on his nerves as well. “That's it. I'm done,” Lucas breathed.
I cocked my eyebrow in surprise. “Beg pardon?"
"I've played long enough. I'm bored of this game,” he said with a sigh.
I felt a blast of energy kick into my chest and knock me back. I hit the concrete wall with a thump and crumbled. Spilling to the floor, I rolled onto my back, took aim, and pulled the trigger.
Click.
I snapped the safety on, then off, and pulled the trigger. The Beretta clicked in my hand as if it were empty. Thumbing the release, I pulled the clip free and stared at the full load inside. Jamming the clip back in, I manually chambered another round and pulled the trigger again. Still nothing. Lifting myself into a sitting position, I stared at the Warlock and shook my head. “Crap."
Lucas smiled. Raising his hand, Lucas then waved it over his chest healing all of his wounds. A dark red substance, almost resembling blood, oozed from his flesh and slithered over his body. It moved with intelligence, pooling around his neck, wrists, and just above his ankles. As it did, the basic shape of a robe began to emerge. Holding out his hand, a pair of smoky black sunglasses materialized in his palm. Slipping them over his crimson eyes, he folded his arms across his chest and drew his hands into the sleeves. He again looked like the Warlock who had abducted me rather than the nearly broken husk of a man strapped to Jared's wall.
I drew my knees up to my chest and rested my arms on them. He had been toying with me, knowing he was in full control of the situation. He used us to escape, and now we had outlived our usefulness. I should've known.
Lucas rubbed below his chin. “That really hurt. Let's play a new game,” he suggested. “Let's see how long you can survive before I kill you. Toby,” Lucas sneered, “would you be so kind as to restrain Rose?"
My eyes widened in disbelief.
Without hesitation, Toby reached down and lifted me easily off the floor. Spinning me around, he slammed me against the wall and pinned my arms behind my back. “Don't struggle, Rosy,” the Werewolf breathed, “I don't want to have to hurt you."
I was too dumbfounded to speak. Was Toby one of Chithula's clones now, or was Toby simply a traitor? I couldn't believe that. No, I would not believe that.
"Hey, puppy!” Karl's shrill voice hit my ears. “What the hell are you doing?"
I looked down to see Karl kicking Toby in the shin. Unfortunately, our situation was not improving.
Karl kicked Toby hard again. “Let Rose go before I kick your furry ass!"
"Karl!” I shouted. “Get out of here!"
"I think we've had enough of you.” Lucas laughed at the Goblin. Pointing his finger at Karl, I watched the Goblin lift off the ground and spin helplessly into the air. A yellowish bubble of energy encircled Karl. The Warlock let the ball bounce to the floor. Karl was tossed angrily about inside.
"I'm a freakin’ soccer ball!” Karl yelled in dismay, though his voice was muffled inside.
Lucas laughed out loud. “I hadn't thought of that! You do look like a soccer ball.” Grabbing his robe, he took three steps and punted Karl. I heard my little green friend screaming as he ricocheted off the wall and sailed off into the warehouse.
"You bastard!” I scolded.
Toby twisted my arm harder. “Shut up!"
Lucas walked around Toby. Leaning against the wall next to me, he chuckled. “You see, Rose,” he smiled broadly, “I was merely giving you the illusion of control.” He paused. “Do you know how difficult it was to bioengineer the Maryut to look like other Inhumans, or set up Cantrix Unlimited to pay off that whining Master Vampire Asp?” He stared at me. “Or how much work I had to do to hide the experiments? That kind of magic isn't easy, you know. You've become a serious pain in the ass, Rose Webb. I'm glad the order has finally come down to terminate you."
I stared at the Warlock. “Chithula wants me dead?"
Lucas nodded. “And it's about time. Do you know how much that bite you gave me hurts?” He pointed to the still apparent wound on his throat. It was the one thing he couldn't heal.
"Maybe as much as a Gargoyle bite?” I asked.
"You met my Gargoyle?” Lucas snickered. “Isn't he cute?"
"As a button.” I grimaced.
"You want to know the best part?” Lucas asked with a smirk.
I nodded. “What?"
Leaning close, Lucas placed his hand gently on my face. “Jared was right about everything."
Shivers ran down my back as his lips brushed against my ear. I gritted my teeth. That's what I was waiting to hear.
Throwing my head back, I crushed the bridge of Toby's nose. With a yelp, the Werewolf stumbled back, releasing me. Grabbing Lucas, I flipped the Warlock around and slid my arm around his throat. I had to act quickly in order to remove his chance to retaliate.
Pressing my hands to the sides of his head, I ripped my arms away and broke his neck. The Warlock stood wavering for a moment with an odd air of numbness, then crumbled to the ground. Lucas Nash was dead.
Standing over the Warlock's body, I saw several Trolls appear at the end of the machinery. With a war whoop, they started toward me. Great.
Before I could react, I felt Toby's hands grab me and slam me again into the wall. He was powerful and extremely strong, but I had one advantage. He couldn't wolf out due to the TS-1138 still in his system. We were on equal footing.
Once I wedged my foot against the wall, I kicked hard and sent both of us crashing into the machinery. As we hit, Toby twisted my arm angrily behind my back. I swallowed a scream as I felt muscles and tendons tearing. I threw my head back again hitting nearly the same spot on his nose. I felt his warm blood splatter on my neck and shoulders. Snaking my free hand down his body, I then grabbed hard between his legs ... and twisted. Toby howled in agony.
As his grip loosened, I pulled my other arm free and spun to face him. Blood was splattered across his face and running freely over his mouth from his broken nose. His eyes shifted to bright yellow.
Oh crud.
I took an uneasy step back. This wasn't my Toby. It was a pod person and he didn't have any TS-1138 in his system, and I just knew he would shred me. When Jared's commandos had rescued us, they had taken the clone instead of the real Toby. No, it was well before that. The syringe my clone had given me hadn't been TS-1138; it was probably just a mild sedative. I remembered the gold cross dangling from his throat that first appeared the night of the raid on the Vampire nest. He had been replaced then.
How did I not see it? I had been betrayed from the very beginning. Toby's behavior had changed drastically, but I hadn't seen it. They shot him on purpose during the raid to gain my sympathy. Lucas hadn't abducted me out of my apartment; Toby had given me to him. For every step forward I made in the investigation, he had somehow taken us two steps back. Toby was Chithula's inside man. The whole time, this whole investigation, my partner, the one person I trusted, was a copy.
He lurched toward me as the transformation took him. His hands became massive weapons with three inch claws while his mouth altered into a muzzle full of razor-sharp teeth. Hitting me full force, we fell back to the floor. He snapped at my throat barely missing as I held him back. Pulling away, his lips drew into a terrible sneer as he let out a guttural growl.
I threw a nearly ineffective punch into his nose, but realized the transformation had healed the break. Snapping my own claws out, I jabbed my hand into the soft flesh of his belly and pulled as hard as I coul
d. Hot blood spilled onto me as I tore him open. As his flesh and muscles ripped, my claws hit the bony Maryut exoskeleton beneath. Toby snapped his mouth around my arm in retaliation and bit hard. I felt my skin and muscles tear and rip under the force as his teeth hit bone. Yelping, I slapped my opposite hand to his face and dug my claw into his eye. Puncturing the organ, I watched yellowish goo mixed with blood burst free.
The Werewolf roared and reared back with his hand over his eye. Rolling forward, I dropped my shoulder and shot up like a piston. The force of the blow knocked Toby backwards onto the floor and brought me to my feet.
Trolls surrounded us, but kept their distance. I think they were more interested in watching a Vampire and Werewolf battle than stopping us. Hooting and cheering, they wanted a fight to the death. And that's apparently what they were going to get. Toby wasn't interested in capturing me anymore. He was going to kill me.
Ignoring the newly gathered crowd, I turned and spotted my weapon. I hoped with Lucas dead, it would work again. There was only one way to find out. I charged for it, but the Werewolf hit me squarely in the back just as my fingers brushed the metal. I felt bits of concrete explode around us as we impacted, then his teeth digging into my back. He shook me hard while his claws tore into my sides. Pushing off the floor with every ounce of strength I had left, I then spun and slammed Toby repeatedly into the concrete. I heard bones crack under the force, but it simply wasn't enough. If a Vampire is built like a sports car for speed and power, then a Werewolf is a tank. As his teeth cracked several of my ribs, I stumbled forward.
I was going to die.
Then I saw him.
Atop the machinery like a samurai warrior, Karl the Goblin was ready for battle. The ball Lucas had contained him in had apparently burst when I killed the Warlock. He stood with a long rod of metal in his hand that I hoped to God was silver. Holding it like a bo staff, he spun it around his body in a display of speed and grace I didn't know he was capable of.
I felt another rib crack and Toby dig his teeth deeper into my back. My knees suddenly turned into pudding and I crumpled with the wolf on my back. My face smacked the concrete hard, bloodying my nose. I saw stars twinkle in my eyes and pure pain raged along my body. Toby was digging for my heart...
Then there was a howl and release.
I felt his claws retract and suddenly the pressure on my back was gone. Summoning every last ounce of my strength, I wrenched myself forward as the gaping wound in my back screamed in pain. Blood pooled around me quickly, but I could tell by the scent it wasn't all mine. Grabbing my pistol off the ground, I rolled onto my back and couldn't believe my eyes.
Karl stood proudly with his staff buried deep in Toby's back. Once again in human form, Toby lay twitching on the ground, dying. Apparently the staff was, or had, silver in it. Toby tried to reach for the Goblin's weapon, but didn't have the strength. Dark blue veins appeared in his flesh as the anaphylaxis spread.
Leaping off the Werewolf's back, Karl roared and charged toward the Trolls. To my amazement, they stumbled back in fear, then turned and ran. “That's right,” Karl shouted after them, “call me Green Thunder!"
Turning back, Karl skittered to my side. “Get up, Rosy. Please don't die on me.” He was nearly begging. “Don't die."
"Karl,” I breathed as he helped me into a sitting position. I felt blood gurgle deep in my lungs. “How did you find the silver?"
The Goblin smiled and tapped his nose. “A Goblin can smell precious metals. Come on, we need to get you out of here."
"No.” I held my hand to the wall for support and slowly stood.
"No?” Karl shook his head. “What do you mean?"
My body felt like it was about to fail at any moment. I couldn't remember hurting this much ever before. Every pain sensor throughout my entire body was turned on full blast. Every movement caused the wound in my back to ripple pain over my body. Holding my face against the cool concrete, I whimpered. It was nearly too much. Pulling my damaged arm to my side, I staggered toward Toby.
My stare settled on the twitching body. Death by silver must be a truly horrific way for a Werewolf to die. Basically a violent allergic reaction, the wolf's body goes into anaphylactic shock. As blood pressure drops and tissue begins to swell, his lungs were shutting down. I wasn't sure why, but I felt a deep sense of pity for him. I knew it wasn't my Toby, but it still looked like him. Raising my Beretta, I stared into his open eyes. “Sorry, T."
I pulled the trigger. A single bullet ripped into his skull. He twitched one last time, then fell quiet. Toby was dead.
Biting my lip, I fought a sob trying to break free. Wiping a single tear from my eye, I turned back to Karl. “Come on. We have unfinished business,” I grunted. “Have to find the other Seekers."
Chapter 32
With Karl doing his best to support me, I staggered ahead. I was a bloody wreck of a vampire and fading fast. I didn't know if I would make it to the end of this investigation, but I had to keep on trying anyway. Scraping against the wall as I stumbled, I saw a crimson smear on the concrete behind me. I was bleeding to death. The Toby pod person had inflicted too much damage. I didn't know how much time I had left.
A single Troll appeared at the end of the walkway. Lifting his axe with an angry growl, he charged toward us. With just enough strength to lift my Beretta, I tried to stop shaking long enough to take aim. As the Troll drew closer, I felt Karl's grip tighten on my leg. I squeezed the trigger and the Troll crumbled to the ground, his axe clattering to my feet.
Karl's grip slowly loosened. “That was cool! Just like Indiana Jones!"
I let my arm fall to my side, unable to hold up the weapon any longer. “I'm too old for this shit."
"That was a different movie.” Karl shook his head. “Didn't Danny Glover say that in Lethal Weapon...” His words trailed off as he looked up at me. His face was long and drawn.
Barely able to hold myself up, I closed my eyes. Blood was still gushing from my nose down my chin, painting my pale flesh a deep red. My arm felt like a shish kabob that had the middle chewed out exposing the skewer inside. I didn't know what my back looked like, but I was certain it was much, much worse. I couldn't think of any Seekers who had ever survived a Werewolf mauling, and I don't think I was about to buck the trend. “I'm just so tired,” I admitted. I started to slide down the wall. “I just need to rest for a minute."
"No!” Karl skittered up the wall like a gecko and grabbed onto the collar of my shirt. Somehow holding me in place, he stared into my eyes. “Don't do this, Rose! You can't die!"
"I'm not going to die,” I assured almost drunkenly, “I just need some rest.” I'm not even sure I believed that myself.
"I need you, Rose,” Karl argued. He paused. “Toby needs you."
Toby...
"Do you need blood?” Karl asked with a quiver in his voice.
"Blood,” I repeated, enjoying the oddness of the word as it rolled off my tongue and snapped at the end with a hard consonant. As shock set in, I was starting to lose cohesion in my thoughts.
"You can take some of mine,” Karl offered bravely. “If it will help, take it."
I opened my eyes and looked at the Goblin with a snicker. “You're like a little green hors d'oeuvre.” I laughed.
Karl laughed uncomfortably, but I'm certain he was secretly relieved I didn't want to feed off him. “Come on.” He tugged on my collar. “We need to keep going. We need to save Toby."
Toby. His name hit me hard and somehow made me focus. Thinking about the dead pod person behind me, I saw the bullet hole in his forehead and the blue veins chewing through his flesh. I would not let that happen to my Toby. I fought against the pain and darkness settling over my brain. I took one step, then another. I had to keep going.
Coming slowly around the end of the machinery, I spotted the door that had been blown open by Jared's commandos. Black scorch marks were heavy on the walls and floor, but the debris had at least been removed. Peering inside, I saw the chair I ha
d been chained to. Bits of the device they used on me were still scattered on the floor, as was the body of one of the Maryuts.
The captive Seekers had to be here. It made sense they would keep the original genetic material on site in case of emergency. As I turned away, my vision blurred. Slapping my hand to the wall for support, I did my best to remain upright.
Sliding along the wall, I limped past similar doors. I could hear the clamor of activity ahead of us. The troops were mobilizing. I knew we were in a bad place. Out in the open and severely wounded, it wouldn't require much to take me down. Holding my damaged arm across my body, I moved as quickly as I could toward an adjoining hallway. Each step brought another shock of pain through my body. Stepping inside I realized it simply wasn't possible to hide. The trail of blood was pretty much a dead giveaway. Stealth was no use here. I had to stop them now.
It was the endgame.
I could hear the heavy footfalls of Trolls. They were getting closer, and there were a lot of them. Hitting the first door, I grabbed the handle and rested my forehead against the cool metal surface. I shook the handle but it was locked. Despair started to set in. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball on the floor and cry. I could hear the buzz of electricity behind the heavy door, and something more. Life. I could feel Toby. I had found him by accident. “Karl,” I moaned.
I felt his hand on the side of my face trying to comfort me. “Come on, Rose. Keep going. We're almost there."
"We are there,” I corrected him. “Unlock this door."
Karl understood. “On it.” He moved down the wall and perched just above the handle. Working his tiny hands over it, I watched him snap a single, slender claw from his index finger and slide it into the lock like a pick. “Give me a minute,” he grunted.
An angry roar turned my head toward the mouth of the hall. “We don't have a minute,” I urged him as four Trolls stared me down.
Shielding Karl behind me, I turned and lifted my Beretta. I fired, hitting one of the Trolls, but couldn't control the recoil. As the barrel lifted, my second shot hit the concrete above their heads. The Trolls, trailed by the one I had apparently hit in the stomach, charged. Each was carrying a melee weapon ranging from axes to heavy broadswords.
