Daughters of Death (Postmortem Anomalies Book 2)

by Josiah Upton

  Without Caesar in that picture, it sounds… really good, actually. I nod, and deliberately skip over Door #2, moving to #3. “What about that?”

  “Hunger Hall. Just a live hog inside, with a broken leg. You got to chase it, catch it, and eat it. Pretty simple, but it sounded incredible. I was gonna do that one next, but Ortega got all of it shut down before I could. Dumb.”

  The thought of stalking and eating the warm flesh of a still-breathing pig rustles my Prisoner. The Mortetine cramps my stomach, and muffles his sickly moans. If I were to find myself in the Rage Room or Hunger Hall, I’d make sure not to take any medicine, just to fully enjoy the experience. My eyes settle on the Lust Lounge for a moment, then view the three doors as a whole. “Why did they have these? We’re dangerous monsters that the world hates, locked up forever. What’s the point of rewarding us?”

  “I dunno,” Walt says with a shrug. Unsurprisingly, he hasn’t pondered this before. “Who cares? What really makes me wonder is all of this.” He gestures to the maze, to the containees eager to earn a meal that isn’t liquefied and pumping out of a hose. “Doesn’t really make sense. Unless Tran just gets really bored, and this is what he does for fun. Either way, we don’t really have a choice in it. We just gotta do.”

  “Good point,” I say. It doesn’t satisfy my curiosity, but I’m not able to ponder much longer, because Tran calls us to attention.

  The maze game is about to begin.

  Chapter 35

  Zaul

  One at a time the containees enter the maze, and I take the Red Team’s first round guiding them through. Much to my surprise, Number 1698 follows my instructions. But then the secret doors open, and Freddys start scooting along the tracks. Out of the corner of my eye I see Tran and a technician using tablets to move the fake officers towards the containees. 1698 encounters his first Freddy and gleefully tears it to pieces. And as Tran predicted, he ignores me when I warn him of another coming up from behind. The spring-loaded arms extend, colliding with 1698. He clutches his collar and falls to the floor. Quinn safely directs her containee through, and Green Team gets a point. I grip the railing in frustration, and back up to let Walt take over.

  While the maze is reset, officers find 1698 and escort him out. Walt points at him, and shouts to the remaining Red Team waiting to enter. “You see that? No food! You listen to me, or NO FOOD!” The containees bark back in agreement, and the second round starts.

  While Alice and I spectate, Rigg stands next to me. “What was that all about in the hallway? Why did you lose your temper?”

  I had almost forgotten about that until now. But thanks to him, enraging thoughts of Genny and Dalton reappear in my mind. Thoughts that make me want to jump down there and tear all the Freddys to pieces. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “It’s about your welfare guardianship, isn’t it?” he asks. “I wish I could do more than just apologize for that. But a lot of help that does, right? Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you about it in the first place.”

  “You shouldn’t have told me about Dalton,” I spit, the sound of his name coming from my own mouth sickening. “You shouldn’t have told me about him.”

  “Dalton? Right. I suppose if you knocked him unconscious, you two weren’t on the best of…” He stops himself short, nodding grimly. “No, that’s not it. It’s about him and Genny. You think they’re involved with each other.”

  I neither confirm nor deny, I only give a sideways glance. It’s enough for him. Down below Walt’s containee grabs a Freddy and snaps it in half, and turns just in time to jump on one approaching from the rear. Walt hollers in excitement, while Ezra screams in a fit of frustration, his containee not even listening to him. Two Freddys sneak up from around a corner and take him down.

  “I’m such a fool,” I say. “I keep holding onto an impossible fantasy. How could somebody out there still care about something in here?”

  “I’ve been running the foundation for decades,” Rigg says. “I’ve consulted a lot of family members. I can say with utter confidence that anyone who spends that much money, puts forth that much effort, and risks that much ridicule from society, they care.”

  “So maybe she doesn’t want me to suffer,” I respond, “or in some way I am her friend. She was lonely, and didn’t have any humans to call friend. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t with him. It doesn’t prove that she loves…” I stop myself. “I can’t believe this. What do I know about love? What does anyone in here know about it?”

  “I can’t tell you what they were doing before they arrived in my office,” Rigg says. “And I can’t tell you what they did after they left. But when I saw them, she couldn’t have sat farther away from him. And everytime she spoke about you, something changed in her posture, in her eyes. She was more animated and intentional. I can’t speak of love, but from what I could tell, they weren’t a couple. If this human girl feels anything for anyone, it’s you.”

  He sighs, leaning over the railing. “But you’re right, holding on isn’t helping you. We’re never getting out of this place. And it sounds like it won’t be long before she forgets you, him, and everyone else in the world.”

  My jaw clenches. I want to ask Benjamin what he means, but I already know. The maze has reset again, this time with Alice directing. Once she steps out of earshot, I turn to him. “How do you know about that? Did she tell you?”

  “No,” he says. “I figured it out on my own. I also guessed that you put yourself in here for the money for her guardianship fees. Your sacrifice was noble, and she is clearly grateful for that. But that is the past, which will soon be erased from her mind. You have to think about now.” Rigg looks over his shoulder at the Green team. “What about her? Opha? She seems interested in you.”

  “She’s interested in everyone,” I say gruffly. “Probably even you. And I may not grasp the concept completely, but I am positive that I don’t love her.”

  “I’m not talking about love,” Rigg says. “I’m talking about companionship. Relief and comfort in a cold, cruel place. I’ve heard about the Brains Club – your rare intellect affords you an opportunity that the others can’t have.”

  Rigg points to one of the fresher containees. Somehow, his face looks familiar. “He and another Hybrid came to my foundation at the same time. They were already involved, and one day even asked to be married. You know our kind doesn’t come by smiles too often, but the two of them were ear-to-ear on that day. Now, I don’t believe he’ll ever see his wife again. I told the others to keep feeding him Mortetine, hoping the chemicals will keep his mind off it.” He puts his hand on my shoulder, like he did in the Common. This time I don’t mind. “Don’t waste your thoughts and efforts on something you can’t get back.”

  Just then all the containees on the floor start whooping and hollering, pointing up at our tower. Several officers run into the maze.

  “What’s happening?” Tran asks the officer on the platform with us, but he just shrugs his shoulders, a clueless look on his face.

  “Dr. Tran,” Alice says, a panic in her small voice. “I can’t find my containee! I lost him!”

  “What do you mean, you ‘lost him’?”

  “He passed underneath us, but I didn’t see him come out from the other…”

  She’s cut short when a gray, veiny hand reaches up and grabs her ankle. Another hand rises and grabs the railing, pulling up a stark naked containee. What Alice lost ended up finding her. Once his feet reach the grated floor of our tower, he wraps his arms around her, pulling her against the railing, his naked body hanging over the edge.

  “Shock him!” Tran tells the officer.

  “I don’t know his number!” the officer says. He contemplates for a moment, then raises his rifle.

  “Don’t,” Tran commands, pushing the gun down. “You’ll shoot her!”

  The naked Hybrid laughs primally, and licks Alice’s neck and ear, his hand grabbing at her chest. She screams, and whips her head back against his, knocking hi
m back. He loses his balance, slips and falls – but brings her down with him.

  We all rush over to the railing, looking down to see what became of Alice and her attacker. Hybrid bodies are truly resilient, because they’re already standing up after a twenty-five-foot drop. My eyes travel to the officers that entered the maze, but they have no idea which way they need to go. As Tran instructs them through the corridors, the naked Hybrid jumps on top of Alice, pinning her to the ground. She screams and kicks, but he has the advantage. He snarls and pulls at her uniform, ripping the cloth of her leg, grabbing at the flesh of her thigh.

  The officers won’t make it in time.

  My joints and muscles creak as I mount the railing, protesting this bad idea. But Alice’s cries for help demand my action. At the top I take one deep breath, and jump. I’m flying for only a second, but the sensation is incredible.

  And then my feet hit the ground, and I stumble forward. My entire body aches from the impact, but I don’t have time to assess the damage. Pushing aside the pain, I stand and stalk toward the naked Hybrid. Swinging my fist at the back of his head, I knock him off Alice so she can scramble away.

  It isn’t long before the naked creature recovers and stands, staring me down with burning Rage in his eyes. I interrupted his only chance to get hands on a female, and now he’s going to make me pay. I scan all directions for the officers coming to the rescue, but I don’t see them. I don’t even smell them. It’s just me and him. Will I really have to fight a naked Hybrid?

  He screams and charges, pushing me against a corridor wall. My Rage is now at full boil. I scream back and grab his neck, digging my thumbs into his esophagus, hoping to crush it. Coughing and gagging, his teeth find my arm and bite down, as if I were a live pig. I can’t take it, and push him back from me.

  In my peripheral I see a figure coming around the corner. It’s not a human, though, but Officer Freddy. My eyes glimpse Quinn waving at me from the tower, holding the tablet. She brought it here. I growl, and grapple the Hybrid, pushing him with all my strength. With his back to the robotic officer, he’s close enough for Freddy’s spring loaded arms to pop up and grab him. He clutches his collar, and falls to the floor.

  The officers finally arrive, screaming at me to lie down on the ground. The rush of hand-to-hand combat is over. But with my face pressed against the cold steel of the track, I see Alice peeking around a maze corner. She smiles and nods. I haven’t done many good deeds since my life after death, but this one makes me feel good inside. It was worth it.

  Moments later the remainder of the Brains Club descend the tower and join us outside the maze. I’m given shoulder slaps and verbal commendations by everyone (even a slight nod from the tower officer). But Opha frowns with crossed arms, and offers no praise. When Quinn asks what her problem is, she doesn’t answer. I’ll bet it has to do with the naked Hybrid going after Alice instead of her.

  While the other containees line up to return to the Common, Robert Ortega stalks through the door, so briskly that it seems he only uses his cane every five steps. “What the hell happened in here, Tran?!” he barks from across the Rec Room.

  “I completely understand your alarm,” Dr. Tran says calmly, with a smile that seems out of place for a man getting yelled at. “But everything is under control, Robert...”

  “It’s Ortega!” he shouts. “Director Ortega. I may not be in charge of you, but I am for this entire Facility. Everything that happens in here is my responsibility. And if one containee almost brutally rapes another, that falls on me. When I gave you the go-ahead to conduct this ridiculous exercise, you gave me full assurance that all bases were covered. How could a containee strip down and climb a tower without you knowing it?”

  Tran quickly changes his smile to a blank expression. “You’re right, Director. I apologize for things getting out of hand. If there is any blowback from HQ, I will take full responsibility. Luckily, Zaul was quick to act, and intervened before Number 1720 could traumatize Alice any further.”

  “This part, I didn’t hear,” Ortega says, softening his expression. “Good work, Zaul.”

  I nod, and Alice smiles again. I can’t deny that all this positive recognition feels nice.

  Tran clears his throat. “I promised the participating containees that the winning team would receive a special dinner, but they’re already heading back to the Common, and I have no way of knowing which containee was on which team. It wouldn’t be too much of a disruption to treat all of them, would it?”

  “Why not?” Ortega sighs, looking to Officer Fillinger. “Hell, it is Thanksgiving, after all. Just make sure that Number 1720 doesn’t get one bite. A spot opened up in the Lock, and he’ll be occupying it for quite a long time.”

  “Yes, sir,” Fillinger says, and marches off toward the rear of the departing containee hoard, where two officers stand with 1720. His eyes meet mine, and he smiles broadly. He gets a quick shock, and is shoved along to follow the others.

  “Forgive me,” Tran speaks up. “But I believe Mr. Rigg was next in line for solitary accomodations.”

  Ortega’s demeanor turns cold again. “Like I said, I’m in charge of this facility, and I know what’s best for its operations and inhabitants. If you keep questioning that, this will be the last time you set foot in it. Even Schutzhorne himself can’t let you back in. Not that he gives a damn what happens in here anyway, other than the Brains Club…”

  “I would be very careful,” Tran interrupts, “what motives you presume our agency’s Assistant Director has regarding your containees. His interests go beyond these seven…” He eyes Rigg. “Eight intelligent Hybrids. He has more invested in this facility than you realize.”

  An officer walks into the Rec Room, and pulls Ortega aside to speak with him. What is said has quite the effect on him, because he grips his cane tightly with gnarled hands, his arms shaking. I can sense his blood pumping faster. “What? Are you sure?” he asks in a hushed bark. The officer nods, and walks away briskly. Ortega hobbles back to us quickly, his posture heavy with concern.

  “There is one more thing,” Tran continues. “I would like to reward these seven for their outstanding performance today with a visit to one the three rooms of their own choosing.”

  “Fine,” Ortega says sharply. “Do whatever you want. I have much more important matters to see to.”

  All the Brains members smile, and Opha is brought out of her sulk, eyeing me now with a suggestive look. I sigh.

  Robert grumbles, “Benjamin, you’re coming with me.”

  “What’s going on?” Rigg asks.

  “There’s one more opening in the Lock,” Ortega says gravely, and glances at me. “Somehow, my son checked out of his cell early.”

  And now it feels like my heart devoured itself. Caesar is no longer contained.

  Chapter 36

  Genny

  I’ve used different mediums to illustrate with over the years. As a young child I swore by my favorite box of twelve crayons, bought from the Mart on Sunday mornings (I burned through an entire pack every week). Then when I turned eight I decided to take my art in a more sophisticated direction, and started using colored pencils. In my tweens I dabbled with paints and watercolors, but it was too messy, and I kept ruining my clothes.

  When I was thirteen my dad got me a charcoal set for Christmas, and it’s been my go-to ever since. Easy to use, but great for making dramatic impressions. And the simple black and gray shades on white paper seemed perfect for these past few years of my life, which have been mostly colorless in spirit. Sitting at my desk, I sketch lines around what used to be the Grest family: My father, mother, and a three-year-old version of myself. I’m replicating one of the portraits that once hung in our entryway, which I smashed in my fit of Rage. I so regret that now.

  Not taking my eyes off the sketchpad, my fingers search in the plastic bucket on my desk, picking up a lamb’s eyeball. My taste for raw animal organs has expanded over the last ten days of being a Hybrid, and I’ve begun to n
otice the subtle differences in flavor and texture. I lift my eyes to meet its lifeless gaze, then pop it in my mouth. My new diet made for a very interesting Thanksgiving yesterday.

  I chew, and a bit of blood and eye juice squirts onto my drawing. “Crap!” I hiss, using my sleeve to wipe it off, creating a nasty smudge on my drawn father’s shirt.

  Through the newly installed bars over my windows I see his Jeep come down our street. He’s home early. But what’s more concerning is that he has a passenger. While he backs into the garage, I can see Dalton’s face in the window. Great. Why does he keep ending up back here? Looking once more at my ruined portrait (which was almost finished), I grab a cyan colored pencil from a repurposed coffee can and scribble over my face, then go downstairs to investigate. At least something is happening today.

  After a moment of disengaging all the locks on the door from the garage – which requires a key on both sides – my father and Dalton step into the entryway. His masculine pheromones reach my nose, and start toying with my Lust. I really hoped that nuisance would have died down by now, but it only seems worse. I breathe through my mouth, and focus on my dad. “You’re home early.”

  “Has anyone come knocking today?” he asks, quickly relocking the door. Usually he only does that when he leaves, or right before bed.

  “No,” I say slowly. “Was someone supposed to?”

  He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even look at me. He’s too busy peering out through all the windows, and sliding the curtains closed. This is starting to scare me. I look to Dalton with a questioning look. He shrugs, but his stature is more tense than normal, and his eyes keep darting around the room. Something is going on.

  “Dad…”

  “Get your things,” he says, finally looking at me. “Take one suitcase and put whatever you can’t leave behind in it. We’re leaving in fifteen minutes, Genny. And you won’t be coming back.”