The Last Chronicles of Pete Mersill

by David Millican

the Lessers livelier. But as lively as they were, an M4 on semi-automatic was more than they could handle.

  I didn’t take the time to determine whether they were working with the Fetches or not, I didn’t have that luxury. On the top floor I broke into the conference room, or office, it was hard to tell, and found all ten Fetches waiting for me. They were relaxed, sipping amber liquid out of crystal glasses. There were elven chairs, one of them clearly waiting for me. The nearest Fetch, from an actor I didn’t remember the name of, indicated the chair.

  I shot him between the eyes. I swung the barrel around the room shooting with a precision only twenty years of killing brings. They dove out of the way screaming for me to stop. I did, when there was one left.

  “You didn’t need ten of you to talk to me. That was your mistake.” I said, rifle pointed at his chest.

  He was plain, someone I was sure I had never seen before.

  “We wanted to offer you a chance to join us, to rule ove—.” I shot him in the heart.

  I had heard the pitch before and I had tortured the truth out as well. They would set me up, lull me, and then kill me. Problem for them was there is no amount of comfort or wealth that could convince me to side with them. That wouldn’t make a better world for Marissa.

  Pushing through the glass doors out on to Vine St. I realized my mistake. They, the Greaters upstairs, had been the bait. Alric was the trap. He stood outside, the aura of evil causing the air around him to shimmer. I didn’t know what he’d joined with, or how he had changed so much but he didn’t even look human anymore. Well, he looked human but no one who saw what I saw would say he was human or even a Fetch.

  I emptied my magazine into his chest. Thirty rounds of anti-personnel ammo turned his chest into ground hamburger. He smiled at me and advanced, I took off running to the left. My bike was to the right, but he would have too much of an angle in that direction and could cut me off. He was fast. Fast as me if not a little faster.

  I crossed the street in front of a speeding truck and gained a few steps on him. I didn’t know the area and didn’t know how I was going to escape. I only had one trick up my sleeve and at most, with the demon Fetch on my tail, it would buy me half a minute. We ran for several long blocks, with him pacing me rather than trying to catch me. Like a cat toying with a mouse.

  In front of me, across Sunset Blvd. there was a bank. I didn’t know what kind, the signage had fallen long ago but the dual ATMs set into the wall were clear markers. The glass doors were broken and I hurdled through looking for the vault. I took another ten steps, pulled the pin on my grenade and threw it at the entryway. It exploded as the Fetch appeared throwing him back out onto the street.

  I found the vault, pushed the emergency lock button, and threw myself inside. L.A. was one of the few places to still have a power plant. It was solar and didn’t provide much power but most places weren’t using it anymore. I hoped they hadn’t thought to turn off the emergency power to the vault. It slid closed behind me and the heavy metal posts sunk home into the walls. It would be at least twenty-four hours before it opened again, maybe up to seventy-two.

  It was the safety deposit vault. Everything of perceived value had been looted long ago, all the drawers were open. None of them looked like they had been forced so it had probably been by the bank president. But there were piles of discarded items they hadn’t seen the value in.

  An electric candle that had the picture of a dead loved one on it. One box was filled with dehydrated astronaut food and pictures of the team that had developed them. In a bigger box was a tuxedo worn by Sean Connery as James Bond. It made a great blanket. And there was this empty notebook that you’re reading out of now. And as I write this, the counter on the vault door is falling below twenty minutes.

  This is the end for me. Don’t get upset, I told you in the beginning there was no hope for me. I couldn’t succeed; I couldn’t win. And rightly so. No amount of suffering can help me pay for the mistakes I have made, the misery I have brought into this world. But you’re a different matter. Nobody hates you; nobody is looking to collect a bounty on your head. Unless they do, unless they are, and if that is the case, if this journal happens to end up in a jerk’s hand, realize you’re a jerk and walk away. But if you’re not, if you’re just a normal person, then you have a chance to make it better.

  I’ve left the charm in the back of the journal, it will help you kill Fetches. I’ve also left a map to the camp where Marissa is. She’s been studying magic and hopefully she’ll be able to help you kill Fetches without killing their humans. Take as many people as you can, recruit as many as you can, you need soldiers. I couldn’t lead anyone, but you need to. You are the greatest and last chance humanity has to survive. I messed up my chance, don’t follow my lead.

  Pete Mersill

  Destroyer of humanity, killer of innocents, bringer of doom, undeserving father to the greatest daughter in the world…

  The door is opening now…

  Sorry.

  Thank you for reading The Last Chronicles of Pete Mersill. Years ago, when I was just a kid, I found an old set of collected stories at a garage sell. The ten purple-bound volumes contained such classics as 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Jungle book. One volume was dedicated to old world European mythological tales. This was my first introduction to the Fetch. It took hold in the back of my mind and the Fantastic Creatures was the perfect venue to roll them out. And Pete was the perfect anti-hero to tell the story. He is everything a hero isn’t supposed to be and I loved writing him. I hope you enjoyed him as much as I have.

  Please like my facebook page to get updates about future stories in the series as well as other works I am involved in. https://www.facebook.com/davidmillicanauthor/

  Or visit my website to find my books and short stories. www.davidmillicanauthor.com

  Also please check out Fantastic Creatures: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology where the story was first published. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N8SZJET/

  And the next installment in their anthology series Hall of Heroes. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0736TZ3ZP/

  And if you have the time I would really appreciate a review.

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073VGBFKB