As he saw the door to the hospital open, Mace’s heart jumped into his throat as Jade emerged, followed closely by Kevin, who kept a pistol aimed at her head. He could feel his body go tense and he squeezed his fists. He felt a cross between rage and panic, noticing the bruising and swelling about her face.
He looked at Kevin and seethed at the enjoyment that was obvious in his expression, and he fought to keep his features under control. He wanted to appear calm as he tried to figure out his next move. Kevin grinned as he eyed him, and Mace could feel a trickle of sweat drip from his hairline onto the bandage on the side of his face. The bandage was crimson with blood, and Kevin was gaping at it.
“What happened, Mace?” Kevin shouted as they approached. “Looks like you got your ass kicked. I bet you feel like shit.”
Mace just stared back blankly before turning to Jade, eyeing her with concern. “Are you okay?”
She nodded and motioned back towards Kevin. “Considering the host, it could be worse.”
Kevin looked from Jade to Mace, shocked. “You act like you’re in control here!” He pushed the gun against Jade’s head and growled at Mace, the power growing within. “Don’t fuck with me, Mace. You’ll find out real quick who holds the cards.” He looked past Mace and Roy down the street then eyed Mace coldly. “So, where’s the rest of your party?”
Mace tensed his jaw. “Dead. Back at the hotel.”
Kevin smiled and looked around again, raising his eyebrows. “And where are the rest of my boys?”
Mace let a small smile spread across his lips before regaining his icy composure. “They’re dead too. Back at the hotel.”
Kevin studied his face for a moment before taking the gun and clubbing Jade against the side of the head. She yelped and grabbed her head, and Mace could see a small trail of blood trickle down her cheek.
Mace bit his lip as he tried to control the urge to charge Kevin and break his neck. Kevin just grinned as he pointed the gun at his chest. “You shouldn’t lie to me, Mace. Bad things can happen.” He paused a second and searched his face. “Where’s the rest of your party?”
Mace’s lip quivered as he tried to keep himself composed. “I told you they’re dead: Same as the rest of your psychotic little friends.”
Kevin felt the rage build at the words and thought about how satisfying it would feel to finish Mace off and get Jade back inside. He licked his lips in anticipation and erupted at Mace as he bared his teeth. “The last thing you’re gonna see is your bitch getting raped!”
Mace took a small step forward but thought better of it just as Kevin extended the gun and fired two shots into his chest. Mace felt an explosion of pain as he flew backwards, landing hard on his back, sucking for air as he squirmed on the ground. His eyesight grew dim as a black dot started in the center of his vision and expanded. The last image he saw was of Kevin laughing.
Roy yelled out in anger and charged Kevin, getting a hand around the barrel of the gun as he tried to wrestle it out of his hands. They wrestled for a second before the gun went off, blowing Roy’s pinky finger off. Roy screamed and pulled his hand back as Kevin raised the gun and fired again, putting a dark hole in Roy’s forehead that sent him crumpling to the ground.
Jade was in shock, witnessing everything in slow motion. She stared at Roy’s body as it hit the ground then slowly turned towards Kevin, who came at her with a fierce expression as he slammed the gun against her head again. She fell to the ground, blacking out.
Kevin grabbed Jade from under her arms and dragged her through the hospital doors, shouting as loud as he could. “It’s time to party boys! Let’s have some fun before we burn this fucker down!”
The words filtered to the boys who were guarding the back door, and they left their post with a frenzied excitement: lust and violence sending rippling torrents of anticipation through them.
The other members of Mace’s party watched with keen interest as the back door became abandoned. They had heard the gunshots coming from the front and had assumed that things had gone wrong. They crept swiftly but carefully along the edge of the parking lot, keeping low and peering through the windows of the abandoned cars that bordered the lot.
Chapter 71
Mace was confused as he woke to blackness. He could see a small light that appeared down a distant hallway. He tried to stand up, but he wasn’t sure if he had, or even could. He couldn’t feel his body. As he looked at the light, it appeared to move towards him and expand at the same time. He felt like he was in a railway tunnel and a train was moving steadily towards him. As it got closer he saw a figure standing in the middle of it, and it only took a second for him to make out the identity of the figure: Father McCann.
Father McCann seemed to move towards him without walking. He just seemed to move in sync with the approaching light. Mace thought it odd that the brightness of the light didn’t seem to bother his eyes as it drew closer. The closer it drew the more calm and relaxed he felt. Father McCann stopped within a few feet while the light continued to move past, fully surrounding Mace and bathing him in a warmth he would attempt to describe later as being supremely peaceful.
Father McCann seemed to have a soft aura around him and Mace thought he could see a look of contentment and quiet joy in his eyes. As Father McCann stared at him, a look of love crossed his face and he smiled warmly. “It’s good to see you.”
Mace couldn’t comprehend what was going on or where he was. “What’s happening? Where am I?”
A quiet answer followed. “Somewhere you cannot stay. It is not your time.”
Mace felt like he was in a Twilight Zone episode. He stared at Father McCann for the longest time, and then shook his head as if he had just woken up. “Wait a minute. If I’m not supposed to be here then what am I doing here? What are you doing here?”
The surreal episode began to take on a more realistic tone despite the initial feelings of calm and peace. Father McCann smiled warmly and spoke: “I’d served Him all my life and it was finally time to come home.”
Mace stared slack jawed at him. “So you’re telling me that you’re dead? How? Why?”
A smile creased the old man’s face, which now looked years younger and vibrant. “It is of no consequence. There is no such thing as death, Mace. We go on. We continue on.”
Despite the peace that tried to settle within, Mace was recalling the last actions that had transpired, with Jade’s face clear in his mind. “What happened to Jade?”
The serene smile never left Father McCann’s face, although a look of fatherly concern entered his eyes. “I don’t know what has happened with Jade, Mace. You must return to finish what has begun. You must save her. Peace will leave with you.”
Mace could feel the light around him dim as his anger flashed and he answered Father McCann in an almost accusatory tone. “What good is peace if evil wins?”
“I do not know the outcome, Mace. It is not for me to see. You must continue to fight the good fight and put your trust in God.”
“I’ve seen what happens when I just put my trust in God. People I love die. I need to know that won’t happen again. Why can’t he give that to me?”
Father McCann looked at Mace sadly, his love for him clearly showing. “I’ve watched your heart turn colder, Mace. To embrace that coldness would be to plummet into darkness.”
Mace could feel a pressure envelop him as his anger burst through. “How can I love when there are monsters out there? People I love are dying!”
Father McCann shook his head. “They are relying on you to lead them. A leader without compassion will only become a tyrant. You must keep the love alive within your heart.”
Mace was now furious. “I have love in my heart, just not for the bastards that have done this!”
Father McCann placed a hand on Mace’s shoulder. “He has given you the most daunting of tasks. He has placed a gun in your hand and told you to love with it. Do what you have to do to save your family and your people, but don’t forget about what
’s in your heart.”
Looking at the peaceful face of his mentor, Mace felt the anger slowly start to drift away. “I will try,” he said flatly, without any emotion. He stared at the old man and said quietly, “I don’t know if I can.” As he stared at him, a thought crossed his mind. “I’m never going to see you again, am I?”
A warm smile spread across Father McCann’s face. “You’ll hear my voice from time to time. I’ll be watching out for you. Just remember what’s in here.”
Father McCann reached out and touched Mace’s heart and an explosion of pain ripped through his chest. He opened his eyes and he was back on the ground in front of the hospital. He grabbed his chest and threw his head back as the pain continued to sear through it. He could barely breathe. Each breath sent jolts of pain through his chest. He struggled to get to his feet, placing a hand against the side of the building for support. He tried to rip off the protective vest from around him and noticed Roy’s body lying on the sidewalk a few feet away. He stopped for a second, grimacing from the pain, then finished taking it off.
He looked down at his chest, relieved to see no blood, although it was already turning black and blue. He put his back up against the wall and looked towards heaven. “Okay. I’m on your side. Just help me to end this.” He took a deep, painful breath. “I need Jade. Please don’t let them take her from me.”
From inside the hospital Mace could hear a gunshot and a scream and he pushed off the side of the building, almost collapsing from the pain. His eyes were blurry as he looked quickly down the street. In his peripheral vision he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of Gilbert coming towards him, zigzagging like an infected. He shook his head and looked again but Gilbert was gone. Having no other recourse but to go through the front door, he struggled to put his vest back on, cursing at the pain as he lifted his arms.
Mace crashed through the doors with both guns raised, seeing no one but hearing screaming and yelling throughout the hospital. He could smell smoke coming from somewhere. He was almost in a panic until he looked down and saw the black scuff marks on the floor: Jade’s boots where she’d been dragged. He looked upwards and nodded, then started moving as fast as his body would allow him, following the scuff trail.
From the back door, the other members of Mace’s party entered with guns drawn. Jim was staying back with Yvette, trying to figure out what he should do. There was no one in the halls but they could hear screaming coming from one of the first doorways and throughout the hospital.
Shawn Williams, an imposing African American man who had lost everything and had found refuge in the hospital, had taken the lead position. He kicked in the doorway to find two boys attempting to rape Jacqueline on the floor of the X-Ray room. One had her hands held behind her and the other was trying to rip off her clothes. She was kicking fiercely and doing a pretty good job of keeping them off.
At the sound of the door kicking open the boys looked up, but they couldn’t get to their weapons before Shawn fired, hitting the one on top of Jacqueline in the shoulder, knocking him off. The other one let go of her hands and tried to reach behind him for his weapon, but Shawn was able to get a shot off first, hitting him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Jacqueline sat up and punched the first boy in the face as he attempted to rise.
“You can bandage yourself up you asshole!”
Kevin dragged Jade into the lab waiting room where he dumped her on the floor and stood over her, admiring her. He undid the buckle on his belt and felt the rush of sexual excitement building. He would hurt her and he would enjoy it. She was still unconscious and that bothered him. He wanted to see the pain in her eyes as he had his way with her. His eyes darted around the lab, looking for smelling salts. He started throwing open cabinets, rushing as the need became greater.
The door burst open as Mace stumbled into the room, blurry and grimacing from the effort. Kevin had his back turned as he rifled through a cabinet and before he could even turn around Mace got off a shot, missing to the left. Kevin dove for the floor and hit it hard, yelling out in anger at the sight of Mace. “I thought I fucking killed you!”
Through the door behind Mace rushed two of Kevin’s boys, who had seen him enter the room. As soon as Mace saw them he dove for the floor himself, crying out as his chest slammed against the tile. He spun around onto his back and took a shot, hitting one in the stomach, sending him to the floor clutching himself in pain. The second one fired on Mace and sent a chunk of tile kicking up a few inches from his head. Mace returned fire, hitting him in the face. The kid collapsed in a heap on the floor. Mace felt a burst of pain shoot through his head and shoulder and rolled over away from the gunfire as Kevin hit him with a bullet that ricocheted off the floor, ripping into his shoulder blade. Two more shots rang out around him but they both missed. He tried to lift his arm but realized that the damage inflicted prevented it, so he scooted with his legs halfway around the corner of the reception desk to give him partial cover from Kevin.
The kid who had been shot in the stomach was screaming out in pain as he writhed on the floor, adding to the tension of the room. Mace could see half of Jade’s body from where he sat, and as he watched her he could see her eyes begin to flutter. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears as her eyes continued to move, wishing he could motion to her to make no movement or noise as she came to. She seemed to be a step ahead of him as he watched her slowly move her hand inside her vest without moving the rest of her body. He watched as she pulled the tiny derringer out from the top of her vest. Mace watched in awe as he tried to shake a drop of sweat from his eye.
Kevin began screaming for Mace to throw down his weapon. “Throw it out or I’ll blow that bitches head off! I swear I will!”
The kid on the floor continued to writhe and scream as the pain in his stomach became more pronounced. Kevin slammed his fist against the wall before aiming the gun and firing a round that plunged the room into complete silence.
Mace’s heart was beating rapidly as Kevin’s voice pierced the silence. “He was bugging me Mace. Almost as much as you are. Can you imagine what I’m going to do to you?”
Mace grit his teeth as he tried to quickly think of some kind of move. Kevin moved towards Jade and began to laugh as he pointed the gun at her face. “I’m gonna hurt her first Mace. That way you’ll die knowing how bad it’s gonna get.”
Jade suddenly rolled towards him and placed the derringer against his thigh. Mace heard the pop as Jade’s derringer went off and Kevin yelled out in pain as he dropped the gun. He was hopping around, holding his thigh and screaming. “You bitch! You bitch!”
Jade was trying to crawl out of the way as Kevin felt the rush of pain and anger surge through him and he felt on the verge of an orgasm. He laughed madly at the thought and made a move towards Jade just as Mace used all his remaining energy to swing his body back around the corner, catching Kevin in the sights of his gun as he struggled to keep it balanced.
Kevin stopped when he saw the gun then jumped towards the door as Mace took the shot. The shot missed and the kick back from the gun sent a river of sweat down his body as he groaned from the pain. Kevin disappeared out the door and Mace collapsed back on the floor.
Jade crawled over to him, grabbing him with her hands and arms as she cried out in fear. “Mace, my God, I thought you were dead. Don’t die on me, please! Don’t you dare die on me!” She was looking at the blood that seemed to be everywhere, all over his shirt and beginning to pool on the floor.
Mace opened his eyes and stared at her lovingly, grateful she was alive. If he survived his wounds, he never wanted to have to worry about losing her again. At that moment he knew what he needed to say. He smiled at her weakly as a ripple of pain passed through his body. “J, will you marry me?”
She looked at him and laughed despite herself at the ludicrous timing of the comment. “You idiot! You have to wait until you’re bleeding to death to ask me that?”
“I’d get on one knee but I think I’d slip on my
own blood,” he chuckled weakly. A pained smile spread across his face. “Just say yes. The suspense is killing me.”
“If the suspense doesn’t kill you, this gunshot wound will,” she said as she put pressure on his shoulder. He continued to stare at her in anticipation. Finally she blurted out, “Of course I’ll marry you! Let me just keep you alive first!” She shook her head as she continued to put pressure on the wound, muttering to herself, “Carries a damn ring around for months and waits until now to ask me…”
“You knew,” he asked, a little surprised?
“Of course! I knew I wanted to marry you the first time I met you. I thought I was going to have to ask you myself! For such a big tough guy, you’re still such a pussy!” She was getting herself worked up by his condition and their surroundings.
Mace groaned. “That was a yes, right? Because now I think I could just die in peace.”
Chapter 72
In the hallway on the opposite side of the hospital, Lisa waited anxiously for what was to happen next. She’d heard screaming and gunshots from somewhere close by and knew that trouble was coming her way. She put Chelsea under the bed and told her not to move. Buster had joined her, whimpering and cowering from the sounds of the gunfire. Lisa calmly and methodically put on her protective vest, checking each of her weapons before strapping them in their holsters.
Before she headed to their bedroom door, she stopped and peeked under the bed, getting a big grin as Chelsea saw her. Chelsea was busy petting Buster and whispering comforting words as he held his paws over his head and whimpered.
“He’s just scared, Mommy. I keep telling him we’re going to be okay.”
Mace of the Apocalypse Page 26
