by G J Ogden
His PVSM sounded another alarm and, wearily, Page checked the display, which was cracked through from the wolf’s bite, but still readable. Four more were approaching… The display flickered and then reappeared. There were now seven… twelve… the number kept increasing. Page pushed himself to his feet and looked to the side streets and dark corners of the city block. The creatures were everywhere, and not just wolves, but the deformed remains of what were once men and women too. He hurdled the barricade and made a mad dash for the door to the engineering complex, as dozens of black eyes emerged from the darkness and set after him.
Chapter 33
Bullets shattered the glass beside Ethan’s head as he raced for cover with Kurren in pursuit. He reached the door that he’d kicked in minutes earlier and dove through it, feeling a sting of pain as a bullet grazed across his back. He scrambled to his feet and pressed himself against the wall beside the door and waited, heart thumping in his chest. Kurren barged through the door like a charging bull, but Ethan was ready and slammed a kick to his midriff, rocking him back against the wall. Kurren’s rigid armor prevented him from being winded, and he bounced back, attempting to strike Ethan with the butt of the weapon, but Ethan dodged and swept his leg, sending the General crashing through an empty glass counter-top. Sharp fragments of glass scratched his armor and slashed a dozen cuts across his face and neck, but Kurren did not cry out in pain, or even appear to be aware of the injuries, and his grip on the sidearm remained vice-like.
Wasting no time, Ethan ran through the archway into the adjoining room, remembering that somewhere inside was Ann Kurren and her two sons. It did not matter now who they were, because the Maddening had taken hold of Kurren, and he would kill anyone that stood in his way. Unseen by Kurren, he ran up a flight of stairs to a mezzanine level overlooking the ground floor, and began his search for the General’s family.
“Ann…” he called out in hushed tone. “Ann, it’s Ethan. We’re in danger, are you here?” but there was no reply. And then he heard a scream. He rushed to the balcony and looked down to see General Kurren, holding his wife by a fistful of hair, weapon pressed to her head. Ethan hadn’t even considered that Ann would remain so close to where he had left them, and he kicked himself for not checking where they had hidden, before he left earlier.
“Salus!” the General roared, as his two sons hammered against his armor, trying to free their mother from his grasp, but it was like trying to crack a walnut with a blade of grass. He kicked them away and repeated his call, “Come out, Salus! You have ten seconds!” He clicked back the hammer on his sidearm.
That Kurren was calling for Maria confused Ethan; had Kurren mistaken him for Maria in the darkness of the side-street, he wondered? Or was this another symptom of the Maddening, slowly eroding his rational mind? It didn’t matter now – all that mattered was stopping him.
Ethan sprinted back to the stairwell to face Kurren, though he had no idea what he was going to do when he got there. But he couldn’t just let him murder his wife, and maybe even his sons, not if there was a hope of stopping him. He reached the foot of the stairwell and heard a loud crash, followed by a single gunshot. He froze stiff as if the gunshot had stopped time. No, I’m too late!
Ethan sprinted to the archway and then time stood still once more. Kurren was lying on his back and Summer was standing over him, clutching a twisted metal bar. Kurren’s weapon, smoke oozing from its barrel, had slipped away into the corner of the room. Huddled behind Summer, embracing her two sons tightly, was Ann Kurren.
“Summer?” said Ethan, not sure whether to believe his eyes. Summer did not turn to face Ethan; she did not even twitch a single muscle. She simply stood over Kurren, staring down at him with hatred burning in her eyes, a look that was unlike anything Ethan had ever seen from her before.
“Get them out of here, Ethan,” said Summer. In contrast to the ferocity of her stare, her voice was level and utterly lacking in emotion.
“Summer, we all have to go, the maddened are swarming into the cave as we speak!” Ethan called back, fighting the urge to simply grab her and drag her away.
Kurren stirred, and tried to sit up, but Summer kicked his head back with a violence that, despite all the harrowing things he’d witnessed, still shocked him.
“Summer, what are you doing?” cried Ethan. “Leave him, we have to get out of here!”
This time Summer did look at Ethan, and suddenly the cruelty behind her eyes melted and her face became streaked with tears. Ethan had never seen Summer cry before, and the sight of it now made him sick to his stomach.
“I’m sorry, Ethan,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry…”
Ethan ran to her, but Summer backed away, pushing out her hand out to stop Ethan from getting close enough to touch.
“No, don’t…” she said, though her voice was strained and weak. “Just go. Get them out of here.”
“Summer, I won’t leave without you!” Ethan shouted. He was suddenly furious; he couldn’t understand why she was acting this way and putting herself in danger, needlessly.
The door slammed open and Nurem charged though; he froze in the threshold, saw Kurren on the floor and Summer over him and raised his weapon firing blindly into the room, missing Summer by a hair’s breadth. Summer slashed at him with the metal bar, but her vision was clouded with tears and the torrent of emotions that surged through her body had left her unbalanced. Nurem blocked the attack, using his armor to soak up the energy of the blow, then countered with a straight punch that knocked Summer onto her back. Ethan dropped to her side, but still Summer would not allow him to touch her and she slid away, turning her face from his. Ethan stood back up, watching blankly as Summer slithered away from him, numb to the danger that Nurem still posed.
Nurem helped Kurren back onto his feet, though the General expressed no gratitude, and merely stared back at his lieutenant as if he didn’t know who he was, or why he was there. The cuts on his face were red and angry, like a blood-colored tattoo that had gone horribly wrong.
“Sir, are you okay?” asked Nurem, tracing the path of the cuts on his face, but the General simply stared back with no recognition in his eyes. Kurren then flicked his gaze to the others in the room; first to his wife and sons, who had scrambled away into the corner of the room, still embracing each other tightly, then to Ethan, and then to Summer; each time his expression retained the same cold indifference.
“Where is Salus?!” he bellowed, and though his demand was not directed at Nurem, it was he who answered.
“There has been no sign of her, sir. But, it’s too late now, we have to retreat out of this cave. We can’t hold out against these things for much longer!”
Kurren grabbed Nurem by the neckline of his armor, and lifted him onto the balls of his feet. “No one leaves until I have killed Salus!”
The General’s reaction and abnormal show of strength rattled Nurem. “Sir, if she’s in here, she’ll soon be dead!” cried Nurem. “And so will we if we don’t leave!”
Kurren dropped Nurem and stumbled back, almost losing his footing. Then he raised his weapon, but instead of aiming it at Maria or Ethan, he held it at Nurem. Kurren remembered now, albeit only vaguely, that this man should do as he ordered. Why, he could not recall, but it didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was Salus. “You will do as I say,” he roared. “Salus will lie dead at my feet before you go anywhere.”
Nurem tightened the grip on his own sidearm, and for a split second he considered if he could shoot Kurren first. A well-aimed shot to the head would be all it would take, but just as soon as the thought entered his mind, his resolve to act withered and instead he bowed to his general’s will. Cowed, he simply answered, “Yes, sir.”
Kurren flicked his eyes across to Ethan and Summer, and then back to Nurem. A glimmer of his former self asserted itself, along with a need to make sure that Nurem would still abide by his commands. “But, first, kill them.”
Nurem no longer cared if these planetsiders were par
t of their mission or not, and he no longer cared that his general had seemingly gone mad. He simply wanted to get off this hellish planet and go home. If innocent lives had to be sacrificed then so be it; he would execute his orders and kill these strangers. He raised his weapon and aimed it at Ethan.
A sharp crack filled the air. Ethan flinched but felt nothing; he looked down at his chest and saw no blood. Nurem slumped to the floor, blood seeping from a single gunshot wound above his left eye. Ethan spun around and saw Maria standing in the archway and her weapon, smoke trailing from its barrel, was now aimed at General Kurren. Ethan tried to speak, but he could think of nothing to say, and instead just watched, dumbstruck, as Maria advanced into the room, her eyes fixed on Kurren, whose armor was now splattered with the blood of his former lieutenant.
“Ethan, are you alright?” she asked calmly as she reached his side; but her eyes never left Kurren.
“Yes,” Ethan managed to say after a delay; his head was spinning. “I think so. How did you know?”
“I didn’t. Just chalk it up to luck. It’s about time we had some.”
Ethan looked at Summer, who had got back to her feet, but it was as if Maria’s arrival hadn’t even registered; she just stared in the direction of Kurren, avoiding Ethan’s eyes.
“We have to get her out of here,” Ethan said, again addressing Maria. “The maddened are everywhere, and we’re running out of time.”
“Just head behind me and follow the open doors back through this building; it will take you most of the way there. Then, you’ll just have to run for it, okay?”
Ethan saw Nurem’s sidearm on the floor just in front of him; it had slid there after the soldier had fallen. He picked it up, while keeping a careful watch on Kurren, who appeared to be in a trance, looking at Nurem and then at Ann, and then back at Nurem again.
“What about you?” asked Ethan, feeling the heft of the weapon in his hand. He recalled that the last time he had held a weapon like this had been in similarly dire circumstances. “You’re coming too, right?”
“I’ll follow on soon.”
Ethan began to protest, but Maria shut him down. “Don’t argue, Ethan. Just do it!” and then, with a touch more softness, added. “Please, Ethan…”
“Killing him won’t change anything, Sal,” said Ethan, facing her. “Everyone on that space station will still be dead. Diana will still be dead. All it does is make you more like him. You don’t have to do this.”
“We can stand here and argue or you get them to safety,” said Maria, unmoved by Ethan’s speech. “Make your choice, planetsider. I’ve made mine.”
Ethan shook his head and cursed. He called for Ann Kurren to join him and, shakily, she got to her feet, helped by her sons, and made her way towards the archway into the next room.
Ethan turned back to Maria as gunfire echoed outside and the distant cries of the maddened seeped into the room. “None of this is your fault, Sal,” he said. “You didn’t have a choice, now you do. Make the right one.”
Then without letting Maria answer he rushed over to the archway, spotting the open door that Maria had entered through moments before, and ushering Ann and the boys towards it.
“Summer, come on!” Ethan called, realizing that she was not with him, but Summer did not move. “We don’t have time for this, Summer. Come on!” he repeated.
“I’ll come back with Maria,” said Summer, over her shoulder, still careful not to look Ethan in the eyes.
Ethan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He started back towards her, but a window smashed at the far end of the room, closest to the main street, and Ethan halted as shapes moved past. None of them wore the radiant blue armor of the UEC; the maddened were getting closer.
“I’ll get her back,” said Maria, also looking anxiously at the shapes moving outside. “I promise I won’t leave without her. Now go!”
Ethan again turned to Summer, but she had her back to him now, and was facing General Kurren, who remained in a stupor, looking down at Nurem’s corpse.
Another window smashed and Ethan could hear the guttural growls of the maddened seeping ever closer. He cried out in frustration and ran for the open door, calling to Ann to keep close behind him.
For several seconds after the hurried footsteps of Ethan, Ann and the boys had faded, Summer and Maria did not speak, despite both of them being well aware that the maddened could break into the room at any moment.
“So, what’s going on with you?” said Maria stepping to Summer’s side and half-expecting an acerbic, defensive repost, or a punch to the nose, but to her surprise Summer did neither of these things.
“Elijah is dead. Katie too,” she said, flatly while still fixed on Kurren. Maria looked at her, mouth agape. Then, pointing to the General, Summer added. “He killed them.”
“What?” said Maria, utterly flabbergasted.
“It’s my fault,” Summer went on. “Elijah only stayed because of me. Katie only stayed because he did. I should have made him leave with the others. I should have left with the others. And now they’re dead, because of me.”
“No, they’re dead because of him,” said Maria, jabbing her sidearm at Kurren. “This is all because of him!”
Summer shook her head, though she wasn’t angry. “It makes no difference.” Her muscles tightened and her jaw hardened, and her words could have cut stone. “But before I die, I’m going to make him pay.”
Maria looked back at Kurren and felt the anger swelling inside her again. On top of all she had already lost, losing Elijah and Katie too was more than she could bear. Summer may have blamed herself, but the blood was on her hands too, because she had led Kurren planetside. It all started with Maria Salus and would end with her too, one way or another. She had considered giving Kurren a quick death – a soldier’s death – but not any longer. Summer was right; he needed to pay. She glanced at Summer and said, “Then we will make him pay, together.”
There was silence again for a few moments, and then Maria breathed in sharply and bellowed at the General at the top of her voice. “Kurren! General James Kurren! I am Maria Salus. I’m here! Come for me!”
The General looked up at her, wearing the same slack expression, but said nothing.
“Maria Salus, General. Can you hear me? I am Maria Salus!”
The General’s eyes narrowed and he peered at Maria through blackened eyes, until, finally, he recognized his enemy. Kurren’s jaw clenched tight, bearing teeth like a wolf’s snarl; he threw down his weapon and balled his hands into fists. “SALUS!” he cried, and then he charged at Maria.
Maria let him come and at the last moment she stepped aside and spun around, hammering the barrel of the sidearm onto the back of his head. Kurren fell heavily, his armor grinding a deep groove into the wooden floor of the building. He immediately got up, showing no sign of pain despite his face being bloodied and torn, and charged again at Maria like a frenzied bull. This time Summer intercepted, punching him in the throat before he had closed even half the distance to Maria. He gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his neck, before Maria kicked him in the face knocking the General flat on his back. He lay there momentarily, still struggling for breath, before turning over like a stranded beetle, and crawling back towards Maria. Summer watched as the man dragged himself forward, eyes locked on Maria as if nothing else existed but her, and then kicked him in the head until he collapsed, blood spilling onto the floor from his mouth and nose.
“Get up!” screamed Summer. “Get up you coward, I’m not done with you yet!”
Kurren pushed himself onto all fours and then, slowly, rose to his feet, still locking eyes only with Maria. Summer grabbed hold of Kurren’s armor, drew back a fist and then lifted the General’s blood-soaked chin so that he would be forced to see her when she struck, but as Summer stared into his eyes, dark and soulless, she suddenly understood that he was already gone. She released her grip on his armor, lowered her fist and pushed him away.
Maria scowled, confused as
to why Summer had backed down, but her own anger was still raw; she would kill him, with or without Summer’s help.
“Kurren!” shouted Maria, and the General’s eyes flicked to Maria again and instantly burned with fury. He tried to cry the word again, “SALUS!”, but all that came out was a broken, curdled croak. He staggered forward, but his body was weak and still struggling for air. Maria drew back the hammer on her weapon and pressed it to his head. Her finger added pressure to the trigger. “This is for Diana!”.
“Wait!” It was Summer.
“It has to be this way, Summer,” said Maria. “He can’t walk away, not after what he’s done!”
“Look into his eyes, Maria,” replied Summer. The grit in her voice had gone. “Look at them and tell me what you see.”
Maria removed the barrel of the weapon from Kurren’s forehead and pressed it under his chin, and then peered into the General’s eyes. What she saw was no longer human, but a creature driven only by a primal need for murder and revenge; a monster. But, worse than this she saw herself reflected back in his black eyes, and to her horror and disgust, her own eyes burned with the same vengefulness. “No…” she spat, lowering the weapon. “I will not become like you.”
“He’s already turned,” said Summer. “It won’t be long before his body starts to change too. Whatever there is left of Kurren will soon be gone, consumed by the Maddening.”
Maria flipped on the safety and backed away from Kurren. The General’s legs failed him and he dropped to his knees, growling and murmuring the word, “SALUS… SALUS…” over and over again through his crushed throat.
“So what now?” said Maria, staring down at what was left of General James Kurren.
