Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

  “Fuck you,” he growled, then tried to spit in my face again. I raised the hammer above his head. Just as I started swinging down, something stopped me. Henry. Damn that man. He was ruining my moment, and I was less than pleased.

  “Hold on, love. I’m not done with him yet, but when I am, he’s all yours. All right?” I nodded, letting the head of the hammer rest on the floor. My breathing was rapid, my body still feeding on the adrenaline.

  Kellan worked hard to get out of the restraints, still eyeing Claire and the bag she was happily filling. Henry grabbed him by the throat. “I have one more question. Give me the information on Sophie’s children.”

  I dropped the sledgehammer on the floor, startling Kellan. Everyone, except Nick, turned and looked at one another, mouths open.

  She’d never said anything about having kids. I found it rather bizarre. I spun around. She hid her eyes with her hands. Kellan quieted down and stopped trying to free himself. He seemed to have conceded, knowing his true death was near.

  “They’re safe.” His gaze kept flickering to Sophie, as if he were trying to tell her something.

  “You know that’s not what I’m asking.” Henry was stern.

  “They’re not like us. The youngest is mine.”

  I was surprised about what was pouring out of his mouth. I could only imagine the child was the result of rape, which would explain why Sophie was so terrified of him. And to hear him speak sorrowfully about his child was rather odd. Kellan and compassion were like oil and water.

  “Now, tell me where they are.” Silence filled the room. We all waited with an intensity I had never felt before.

  “Shortly after Sophie left, he put them in the custody of Anne Richards.” Henry stumbled back. “Roger was sure Sophie wasn’t coming back. He gave it a while, then sent me to collect both your sorry arses.” Kellan rolled his neck a few times. He tried arching his back, but he was bound too tight.

  “Did you say Anne Richards?” Kellan didn’t answer him. Henry stepped right up to him. “Answer me, motherfucker!”

  “Yes,” he mumbled, acting as if he had given something away that he shouldn’t have. Henry ignored his pain, grabbing Kellan by the throat again. He squeezed so hard, he was having trouble breathing. I had no idea what set him off.

  “Where is she?”

  Kellan could barely breathe, let alone talk. He struggled to speak. “Safe…house.” He let go of Kellan’s throat, shoving him backward, leaving him coughing. Henry paced the floor, mumbling to himself.

  “Henry…who is Anne Richards?” I tried to ask him with a gentle voice because I saw his emotions building. He flailed his arms, grumbling to himself. It was like he didn’t hear me, so I reached out and touched his arm. “Henry…?”

  “What!” he snapped, and I jumped back. I really didn’t like “Angry Henry” because he scared me. “Love, I’m sorry.” His graying eyes were wet with tears.

  “Henry, are you okay? What’s he talking about?” I stepped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders.

  “Anne Richards…” He repeated the name softly several times.

  He snapped out of it when Kellan spoke again, a adrenaline rush carrying his words. “She didn’t want you anymore.”

  “Shut up.” Henry’s voice was low and coarse.

  “Oh, my god,” I whispered, putting my hands over my mouth.

  “After your father grew tired of her, he walked away. She needed money.”

  “Shut up,” Henry repeated.

  “She sold you into the program. It paid her handsomely then, and continues to do so. They staged her death, then dropped your sorry arse off at the orphanage. They offered her safety in case you went after her. So you see… Luke, was it? She knows you are out in this big old evil world somewhere, but she has never once tried to contact you. Delicious, isn’t it?”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Henry’s mother sold him into this life? How could a mother do that to her own child? Kellan laughed through his pain. Henry pushed me out of the way, pulled his gun out of the back of his pants, and crammed the muzzle into Kellan’s ear.

  “Where is she?!” he screamed. Kellan looked grayer, life visibly draining from his face. All of us were terrified of what was happening. Kellan grumbled. “Tell me now, or I will kill you.”

  “Fuck…” Before Kellan could say anything else, his body slumped in the chair.

  “Damn it!” Henry grabbed the end table and threw it against the wall, smashing it into pieces. He growled in agony. I wasn’t sure if it were emotional or physical pain, but he was in agony nonetheless.

  “Henry!” I screamed. “Henry, calm down.”

  “Calm down? You want me to calm down? Did you miss what just happened here?”

  “No. No, I didn’t. I understand what happened. But you have to calm down so you don’t hurt yourself.”

  He ran his hands through his hair, over and over again. His jaw started to tremble. Within seconds, he dropped to his knees, leaning onto the sofa and he let go. He let go of it all.

  I didn’t know what to do for him. I didn’t know what to say to him. I had never seen him that emotionally exhausted before. I couldn’t handle seeing his agony. It was sickening to watch. The others just stood and watched the horror before them.

  With extreme force, Henry rammed the couch into the wall. He raged…throwing things, breaking stuff, punching, kicking, screaming. It was a solid display of raw emotion. My strong Henry had shattered in front of me. I grabbed him, trying to get him to stop.

  “Henry! Henry, please! Henry! Stop!” I yelled, trying to grab him while he continued to rage. Panting, he turned around and stared at me, his eyes dark and empty. I grabbed his face with both my hands, whispering, “Henry, I am so sorry.”

  “She threw me away. She sold me.” When he fell into me, I brought us down onto the floor. I sat and rocked him, consoling, telling him how much I loved him, that I would never leave his side, that it would be okay and we would find the closure he desperately needed.

  Sophie walked over and knelt next to us. When he looked at her, the pain in his eyes cut through me. “Henry.” She took his hands. “I’m so sorry.” She reached for him, looking for my permission to hug him.

  I nodded and backed off, allowing her to comfort her friend. Sophie kissed him on the cheek, and whispered in his ear. I couldn’t hear most of what she said, but she did her best to calm him. If he weren’t lost before, he surely was now.

  I heard a grumble from Kellan’s direction. I looked over and he had opened his eyes. They were glazed over. He snapped his jaw a couple times, biting the air. Then he snarled.

  Claire had removed herself from the IV and now scrambled backward. Kellan sniffed the air, sensing fresh blood close by. His instincts surging, he raged in the chair, pulling and tugging at the restraints.

  Nick yelled, “Let’s get him outside!”

  Without hesitation, Thomas grabbed the back of the chair, Nick grabbing the front. When they picked him up, Nick growled in pain. His arm still hurt.

  “We can switch!” Thomas yelled.

  “No, just go!” They ran out the door, Kellan snapping and snarling at the two of them. I headed to the door, but Claire grabbed me.

  “Don’t. Let them take care of it.” She was crying.

  “But Nick is hurt.” I was worried Kellan would overtake him, even though he was tied up.

  “He’s got—” Before she finished her sentence, we heard a gunshot. It was the end of Kellan’s torturous reign over Henry. After all the years of being subjected to his brutality, Henry was one step closer to getting the revenge he sought.

  Minutes later, we heard footsteps coming up the stairs of the porch. I ran to the door and pulled it open. Nick stopped when he saw me.

  “Are you okay?” It seemed like a silly question.

  “As good as I’m going to be.” He walked past me and over to Claire.

  Henry had quieted down for the moment. I returned to the floor beside him
and Sophie. He was gazing down with a blank expression.

  “Hey.” I touched his face. “Let’s get you cleaned up. Claire filled a bag. You’re in need.”

  When I grabbed his hand, he winced in pain. On top of the injuries Kellan caused and his stiffness from the virus, there were cuts all over his hands. I guided him to the kitchen, then dragged a chair in. I sat him beside the sink. Claire brought in the antiseptic, bandages, gauze pads, and a bottle of water.

  He stared at the floor, lost in thought, hissing through the cleaning. Claire helped me bandage his hands.

  I knelt in front of him. “Henry…I love you so much.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap to hold me tight. “I love you, too. Please, don’t ever throw me away. You’re all I have.”

  My heart ached for him. “That’s not true. You have us all. We are all here for you.”

  “I don’t feel worthy. I’m a throw-away.”

  “No, you’re not. There must be some reason she did that. It wasn’t because of you, Henry. Maybe they forced her.”

  “You heard Kellan.”

  “Yes, I did, and I don’t care what he said. You are not a throw-away. You are not trash. You are an amazing, loving, and deserving man.” He shook his head. “Yes, you are. You have to trust me when I say that.” I leaned in and kissed his forehead.

  He dug down into his pocket, pulling out my ring. “If I’m so deserving, why did you give this back to me?” His eyes welled up again.

  “I was stupid and wrong for doing so. I’m sorry. I was just so angry with the entire situation.”

  I held out my hand and he placed the ring back on my finger where it always belonged. He wrapped his arms around me. “I can’t go on without you,” he whispered in my ear. We held one another for a few moments.

  “Come on, lover. Let’s get you some blood.” An odd statement, but it was what it was. I got up and headed into the dining room, stopping as I passed Claire. “Thanks,” I said. I grabbed the bag off the table and when I went back into the kitchen, he was rummaging through the cabinets. “What are you looking for?”

  “Mugs, cups, glasses…”

  After I guided him to the correct cabinet, he pulled out three mugs. I handed him the bag, which he emptied evenly between them. He walked back out and handed Sophie and Nick their share.

  “Cheers,” Henry said glumly. He held up his mug for a brief second, then tipped it back. When he set it down, he had to hold onto the table. He leaned over, his head hanging in a temporary state of euphoria. Nick sat and sipped away, enjoying every drop of Claire’s blood. Sophie stood in silence, not even looking at her mug. My stomach protested.

  “How can you think that tastes good?” I asked in disgust.

  “It’s not that it tastes good. It’s euphoric.” Each word Henry spoke came out breathy and relaxed. I guided him to a chair before he crashed to the floor. He looked up at me and licked his lips. I knew exactly what he was thinking, but we had other matters to be concerned about at the moment.

  Without looking at her, Henry commanded Sophie to drink. She broke out of her trance and grabbed her mug. Ashamed and embarrassed, Henry surveyed the damage he had caused. His cheeks flushed through the bruising.

  I grabbed his hand. “It’s okay.”

  “No. No, it’s not. I destroyed your mother’s things.”

  “They’re just things. Since all this started, I’ve learned the only thing that matters is us. All of us. These are just objects. They don’t hold the memories. Our hearts and minds do. Nothing is more important than the love between us. My mother would understand.” His face never changed. I couldn’t tell if he heard what I said.

  “I’ll clean it up.”

  “I will help you.”

  “No. I need to do this.”

  Claire cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go lie down for a little while. Nick, can I use your room?” She sounded somber. There were enough bedrooms for her to have her own, so I didn’t know why she needed to use Nick’s.

  “Yes… Yes, of course.” Nick sounded a little shocked, but excited. “Is it okay if I come up and speak with you for a minute?”

  Claire smiled. “Yes. That would be nice.” I watched their exchange, smiling as they walked up the stairs.

  I looked over at Sophie. She twisted her long, bleach blonde hair in her fingers, staring off into space. I didn’t always have the best timing, but I had a question burning me up on the inside. “Why didn’t you tell us you have kids?”

  “Elaina, don’t. Not now.” I didn’t think Henry wanted to hear more.

  “Now is as good a time as any.”

  “Don’t push it. It’s a long story. I didn’t know until she showed me a picture back at our flat.”

  “It’s all right, Henry. I really should talk about what happened. It may help me deal with it.” Sophie looked over at me. “When Henry was at the complex, he was my protector. He saw Roger looking at me one day. From that point on, he was my guardian. I ended up falling in love with him.”

  Henry shifted in his chair, looking very uncomfortable. He decided to get up and clean the mess he made.

  “Shortly after he left, Roger called me into his office. He overpowered me, raped me, then sent me on my way. The whole time his disgusting arse pounded into me, he kept asking where Henry was. I lay there, hoping it would end sooner rather than later.” Sophie choked back a sob, having a difficult time holding back her emotions. “When I made it back in my room, I wept for hours. Every night, he would visit. Some nights were more brutal than others.”

  I heard Henry’s sharp intake of breath. I felt like he still had unresolved feelings for her. He grumbled to himself and tossed a book off to the side, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Her story upset him greatly.

  “If I refused my vials, I would be beaten into submission, then raped again and again.” She took a deep breath, fighting her tears. “Sometimes Roger would allow Kellan to have me when he was done. A reward for a good beating, I suppose.”

  The tears trickled down my face.

  “I ended up having two babies. A boy, Samuel, and a girl, Anna.” She pulled a tiny picture out of her bra and handed it to me. “When I got the call that I needed to bring Henry home, I didn’t hesitate for one second. I knew that if I could get him back to the complex, he would protect me again and it would all stop. But he refused to leave you. He loves you so much, Elaina.”

  She took my hands in hers. “Do not take him for granted. He never loved me the way he does you. The night you kicked him out of his room and gave him that back…” She pointed at the ring, “he was absolutely devastated. I have never seen him that defeated before…until today.” She leaned in close and whispered, “He feels like he’s nothing without you. He feels he isn’t worthy of anyone’s love.”

  I hung my head in shame, feeling like a complete ass. I peeked over at Henry sitting on the couch again, his face in his hands, tears running between his fingers. He pulled his hands away. When he spoke, he was full of sorrow and regret. “I should have taken you with me, Sophie. I am so sorry I let all that happen to you.”

  “Henry, it’s not your fault that happened…or what has happened now.” Sophie got up and sat next to him. She took his hands in hers. “Do not blame yourself. I’ve come to the conclusion they would have eventually gotten rid of you somehow.”

  “I thought you would be okay, that another recruit would stand up for you in place of me.” He was beating himself up, so I decided to go sit with him, as well. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him in any way I could. When he looked over at me, his beautiful eyes were full of guilt.

  “Don’t do this to yourself. You cannot rest other’s actions on your shoulders.” He nodded as I wiped his face with my fingers. I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “You were so noble and strong, doing what you did for her. You risked your own life to defend hers.”

  Sophie agreed. “Yes, he did. Thank you,
Henry. You did all you could do for me.” She smiled. “Please, forgive yourself. I forgave myself ages ago. I used to think it was my fault, but I now know it was just a power-hungry, disgusting animal who just wanted to assert more dominance over the ones he broke.”

  We sat in silence, staring off into space for what seemed like an eternity. Then I had a thought. “Henry?”

  “Yeah…?” His voice was soft.

  “What if what Kellan were lying? What if he said all that about your mother just to get to you? He knew he was turning. What if he said all that just to get in one last jab?” He looked at me with a blank expression.

  “You know… I think she has a point, Henry. It makes perfect sense.”

  “I don’t know. What advantage would it give him?”

  “This!” I stood and gestured to the mess in the living room. “Henry, listen. What if he did it just to break you completely? What is the one thing they know would tear you apart?” I could see him rolling it over in his mind. “He knew you have never been at peace about your mother. I don’t think you should accept what he said until you can get proof.”

  Henry laughed. “And how do you propose I do that?”

  “Once this madness comes to an end, we’ll find out the truth. We’ll go over there and find her.”

  Henry shook his head in disbelief. “Elaina, are you mental? Do you not see that this madness will never end?”

  “It has to! There’s an end to everything. You will see. It will end, and we will find out the truth.” Then I mumbled, “If it’s the last thing I do.”

  Thomas, who we had forgotten about, walked in from the dining room. “When do you want blood from me?” he asked.

  Henry cleared his throat, trying to rid it of the sounds of sorrow. “Tomorrow morning okay with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Henry looked at his forearm. “Let’s cut these things out and rid ourselves of the past. It will give us the freedom we have been craving.”

  I got up and grabbed the knife Henry used on Kellan, his blood already dry on it. I took it to the sink, poured bottled water on it, and soaped it up with my mom’s favorite dish detergent.