Lisa parried a thrust and dodged a slash aimed at her midsection. She was trying to lure the Nightmare away from Cade, with little success. The Nightmare held a short sword designed for close-quarter fighting. Sepia could see it was skilled, but Lisa was holding her own against it.
“Where do you want me?” said Xavier. He started to unstrap his rifle.
“No, X, grab the gunman when you can and get as far from here as possible,” said Lisa.
“What? Hell no. I am not leaving you in here alone. Not happening.”
He pulled out two hunting knives and drew closer to the Nightmare.
“You are one stubborn son of a bitch,” said Lisa.
“That’s why you love me,” said Xavier.
Xavier turned to Gan and smiled. It was full of ferocity and something else: resignation.
“I’m going to pull that fucker away from your gunman. When I do, you grab him and haul ass. Don’t wait for us, don’t even look back.”
“Xavier, don’t do this. We can all get out of here,” said Sepia.
“Who said we aren’t? My lady and I have plans later tonight and they don’t involve dying,” said Xavier.
Xavier placed his rifle on the floor and slid closer to the Nightmare.
“Remember what I said. You grab your man and run. Run like every Nightmare in here is on your ass, because they probably will be.”
Xavier jumped into the fray and managed to move the Nightmare away from Cade. Lisa took a step back and circled around, creating more space between them and the bound gunman.
Sepia made a move to draw her sword but Gan stopped her.
“Don’t, not in here. That will bring us more than we can handle, which is not much at the moment.”
Sepia looked questioningly at Gan.
“I’ll explain later. Go get Cade.”
They ran over to Cade. He fell to the ground as they cut his bonds. His shirt was soaked in blood and Sepia couldn’t feel a pulse.
Don’t be dead, don’t be dead, don’t be dead, goddammit, Sepia thought as they carried him away from the fighting.
“He’s alive but barely. Let’s get you two out of here,” said Gan.
They made their way to the edge of the park and Gan turned to go back.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not going to let those two throw their lives away playing hero. Get Cade to the main infirmary. Don’t tell anyone where this happened, not yet. Wait until I get there. Lie if you have to.” He handed her the keys to the bike and headed back in to the park.
Sepia carried Cade back to the motorcycle and strapped him in. She started the engine and it roared to life. Cade stirred on her back and she placed another strap around the both of them, keeping him upright.
“Stay with me, Cade. Stay with me,” she said.
She looked back to see Gan running back into the park. For a moment it looked as if his hands were glowing with the same energy as the wards.
EIGHT
Gan came back into the park and saw them. A few moments more and both hunter and gunman would fall. The Nightmare was growing stronger, its blows faster and more precise. Life and death were measured in these moments. He ran toward them.
Lisa dodged a slash that would have removed a leg, only to be hit by a barrage of black globules. Her right side began to sizzle as she threw off her jacket. Some of the black globules had penetrated her leather and burned her skin.
“Lisa!” yelled Xavier. He saw the black ooze hit her squarely in the side.
“I’m okay. It didn’t get in too deep,” she lied as she switched hands. Her sword arm was useless, the numbness making it dead weight.
Xavier lunged with both knives. The Nightmare parried both strikes, sending Xavier’s arms to the sides and creating an opening and kicking him in the chest, sending him sprawling. Xavier managed to look up in time to see Gan approaching the Nightmare.
I’m getting too old for this, Gan thought as the Nightmare approached his new target. Gan took a fighting stance as Xavier ran over to where Lisa leaned against a tree.
“You two should get out of here,” said Gan. “This is going to get ugly fast.”
“No way, old man,” said Xavier. You stay, we stay.”
Gan shook his head at their stubbornness. I would have stayed too, if only to see if the old man had anything left besides, those two couldn’t leave even if they wanted to.
“It’s your funeral,” Gan said.
The Nightmare’s face betrayed no emotion as it squared against Gan. It lunged as Gan shifted his weight to one side allowing the blade to pass beside him. The Nightmare sliced across, but Gan was already under the blade and moving in. Where the hell is she? Gan slammed a palm into the inner thigh of the Nightmare forcing it back. The muscles of the Nightmare’s leg imploded, leaving a palm sized depression. Staggering back a few steps, the Nightmare hissed in pain as its leg regenerated. The Nightmare swiped its blade down in a diagonal arc and then up trying to catch Gan off balance as he evaded the strikes. Gan waited for the last strike to reach its apex and struck the sword arm, impacting the triceps. Switching hands the Nightmare assumed a defensive stance as he circled Gan. This is like spitting in the wind, it regenerates faster than I can do damage, thought Gan.
Xavier and Lisa watched from the side. Xavier kept his knives drawn in case they had more visitors.
“That stance, wait, he’s fighting like a--” said Xavier.
“He’s fighting like a hunter,” said Lisa as she collapsed to one knee. The poison was making its way through her body. Paralysis would set in first and respiratory arrest soon after.
“Hang in there, girl,” said Xavier. “We need to get you the hell out of here. The old man was right,” said Xavier under his breath.
“Don’t think I’ll be going anywhere for a while. I can’t feel my right leg.”
“Shit,” said Xavier.
He moved fast and cut open her pants leg and saw the network of small black lines that looked like an intricate spider web slowly spreading down her leg.
“That thing is a widow, Gan. Lisa’s been hit, and we are running out of time,” said Xavier as he took one of the blades and made a cut below the progressing lines, drawing out the blood that was being infected. Black liquid seeped from the wound.
“I’m working on it, X, but this thing is not cooperating,” said Gan.
Gan circled around the Nightmare. Widows were bad news; this one was at least a T5. No problem, all I have to do is not get hit. Should be a walk in the park. The Nightmare moved in, its arm regenerated. Kicking low, it attempted to shatter Gan’s knee. Gan saw it for the feint it was and rather than stepping back into sword range, stepped forward and jammed the kick. Blocking the sword arm and driving a palm into the Nightmare’s chest, he forced it down. I can’t do this for much longer. Getting tired. The Nightmare pushed up, shoving a shoulder into Gan. It whirled around, blade-first, forcing Gan back out of its deadly circle.
“How can he fight that thing with no weapon?” said Xavier.
“His hands, look at his hands -he’s using the stone palm. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was inked as well,” said Lisa.
“I thought only hunters could use that technique?” said Xavier.
Gan slid into the Nightmare, jumping up at the last second and attacked with both hands in what looked like a shove. The Nightmare brought up its sword in time to block one of Gan’s hands. The blade shattered on impact. His other hand thrown off by the deflection crashed into the Nightmare’s shoulder, pushing it back and out of range.
Lisa’s breathing was becoming labored and her brow was covered in sweat. Xavier looked at Gan’s hands and realized for the first time that they were glowing. The glow was getting dimmer as Gan continued fighting.
“That can’t be good,” whispered Xavier.
The Nightmare tossed away the useless blade and raised its hand. The hand was enveloped with a dark energy extending up the forearm.
“Time to
die,” said the Nightmare as it smiled at Gan.
Gan knew it was over. He was too close. It would be like dodging a shotgun blast at point blank range. He braced for the impact when an arrow shaft appeared in the Nightmare’s hand followed by several more in its body. The arrows were crystalline shafts with diamond-tipped arrowheads. The Nightmare began to howl in pain. Gan raced in, grabbed the haft of one of the arrows and pulled it free. The Nightmare roared at him. Arrow in hand, he plunged it into the Nightmare’s eye. It fell to the ground, clawing at its face as it disintegrated.
“You cut that one a little close, don’t you think?” Gan said into the park. He was breathing hard and his hands were steaming in the night.
“I was busy elsewhere. It would seem this is a battle fought on several fronts,” a female voice answered from the night.
It was Calisto. In her hand she held a power crossbow. Across her back rested a quiver of arrows with diamond-tip arrowheads, each arrow a small fortune. Calisto retrieved her arrows from the dust that was the Nightmare. Dressed in black camouflage, she looked like a living shadow. Knives adorned both her thighs, each blade gleaming in the night.
“No time for talk, since that was just a distraction. More will be coming. She was of no use to them,” she said as she pointed to Lisa with her chin. “I can hold them for a short time, but they will come,” said Calisto.
Gan shook his hands to get the feeling back in them, pins and needles shooting up his arms.
“You used the palms,” said Calisto as she looked down at Gan’s hands. “You know the risks.”
“Didn’t have a choice, it was either that or they died,” he said as he looked at Lisa and Xavier.
There was a crash in the distance.
“That sounds angry,” said Gan.
It sounded like several trees being uprooted and thrown at once. Xavier lifted Lisa up and helped her limp her way out of the park.
“Who the hell is that?” Xavier said as he glanced at Calisto.
“I don’t know. All I know is that she saved all our asses, even Gan’s,” mumbled Lisa clearly in pain.
“Go. Ursa and I will keep them busy here. You must not let them get to Sepia,” said Calisto.
A large silver bear padded over to where she stood eyeing Gan warily. Gan bowed his head to the bear. The bear sat on its haunches and stared at Gan before giving a slight nod. They were at the edge of the park now and the noise was getting closer. It sounded like the earth was being ripped apart.
“Why Sepia? What is so special about her?”
Gan said as he placed an arm under Lisa to speed her along.
“That is what you need to find out. These breaches are not an accident. They are getting more frequent and are leading up to something. Find out why her blade goes dark when she wields it,” said Calisto.
The noise was threatening to deafen them. Calisto turned to face it. With a gesture, a wall of earth and stone rose before her, slowing the sound.
“Now go,” she said.
Calisto started walking toward the wall she erected. She faded into the night trailed by Ursa. The bear moved without making a sound as it bounded after her.
“You need to get her to the infirmary,” said Gan.
“The one in our sector is down. A Nightmare trashed it two nights ago. We have to go to the one over in sector nine. I can get us there in fifteen,” said Xavier.
Gan helped Lisa into their vehicle. It was a sporty two-seater, built for speed.
“I would drop you somewhere, but…” said Xavier.
“No need. Go get her some help. I’ll make my way back.”
“Thanks, old man,” said Xavier.
“Get moving,” said Gan as he slammed the top of the vehicle. Xavier took off, tires screeching as he headed down Sixth Avenue the wrong way and made a turn to the sector infirmary several blocks away.
“I have a few stops to make in either case,” Gan said as he took off at a run.
NINE
Sepia hated motorcycles. Moving coffins is what they are. Behind her, Cade grunted. The only benefit these things have is that they could move fast when needed. Why would Gan want me to take him to the main infirmary, when each sector has one and I’m going to have to go through several sectors on my way there?
Cade shifted again and her heart lurched.
“Don’t die on me, Cade. You hear me?” she yelled over the roar of the bike’s engine.
The high pitched whine of the engine was the only response she received. Getting to 82nd and Fifth took twelve minutes. She didn’t stop for red lights or traffic, using sidewalks when she could. She drove the bike right into the waiting room where medical personnel removed Cade from the bike and placed him on a gurney.
“We got him, Miss. Blue. Can you please take the bike outside?” one of the nurses said.
“Huh, what? Oh, I’m sorry, yeah. I’ll do that.”
Her eyes followed Cade as they wheeled him away. She still held his bloody shirt in her hands. Tucking the shirt into her jacket she grabbed the bike and began rolling it to the garage. She found a parking space near the entrance.
“That was your fault, you know.”
Sepia turned to face the woman speaking. She was a tall figure, all legs in dark red leathers, leaning against one of the columns. Her piercing blue eyes were bloodshot. Cigarette smoke floated lazily from her hand. She gazed at Sepia with a mixture of hatred and pity. The hat she wore kept most of her face in shadow, but Sepia could tell what she was--a hunter.
“Excuse me, do I know you?” Sepia said, the edge in her voice a clear warning. I don’t have time for pissing contests tonight.
“I lost my gunman tonight, hunter. He was a good friend.”
“Listen, I’m sorry for your loss, but I don’t know you.”
The hunter pointed a finger at Sepia as she spoke.
“Did you hear me? I lost my gunman and yours is in there fighting for his life because of you. You are a sorry excuse for a hunter. How did a class two nobody get a named blade anyway? Think I would take my chances with the Nightmares than have you watch my back,” she said and then spat on the floor. Sepia clenched a fist. I don’t have time for this shit, she thought.
The figure stepped off the column and drew close to Sepia. Sepia put a hand on her holster. The woman laughed, it was full of grief.
“I wish you would try. You think because your mother was some famous hunter, that you get a free pass? That there won’t be consequences? I had to earn my class. It wasn’t given to me because of Mommy.”
“Fuck off.” Sepia turned and started to walk away.
“Something asked for you tonight, Sepia Blue.”
Sepia stopped midstride and turned to face the hunter.
“Look, I don’t know you and frankly I don’t want to know-” said Sepia.
The hunter drew close to Sepia.
“My name is Jen. My enemies know me as Red Jen and you? Well you’d better watch your back.”
The woman crushed the cigarette in the wall, turned and walked off as a nurse was coming to get Sepia.
“Doctor Clark would like to see you, Miss. Blue,” said the nurse.
“What a bitch,” said Sepia. The nurse turned and looked at the figure walking away.
“Oh, that’s Jen Rodriguez. They call her Red Jen. She always wears red leathers when she is out on patrol. Dangerous Hunter I hear.”
“What is her problem?”
“Rough night on patrol, lost her gunman and she almost died too. Her gunman was killed while she was covering another hunter’s sector tonight.”
“Which sector was she covering?”
The nurse looked down at her clipboard and turned a few pages over.
“It says here she was covering sector thirteen.”
Oh shit, my sector, thought Sepia.
The nurse entered the infirmary and pointed to the door where the doctor waited for her. As she made her way to the door the nurse grabbed her by the hand and placed a small
piece of paper in her palm. It was done so fast she almost didn’t notice. Sepia turned back to see if she could see the hunter, but Jen was gone.
She was about to open her hand when the nurse signaled her not to.
“The doctor is waiting for you, Miss. Blue,” the nurse said as she clasped her hand around Sepia’s.
“Not here,” she whispered. “You have eyes on you.”
She put her hand on the small of Sepia’s back and guided her to the doctor’s office.
The doctor turned as Sepia entered his office. He was a balding older man, who was once physically fit, but was seeing a bit of bulge in his later years. He adjusted his bifocals as Sepia entered his office.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Clark. You can call me Arthur. I am the chief of the floor tonight. I need to know how your partner,” he paused to type a few keys on his computer. “ a Mr. Kincade, received his injuries?”
“Cade. He hates Kincade. He got his injuries during our patrol,” she lied.
“Miss. Blue, may I call you Sepia?” She nodded.
“I am a doctor who treats hunters. That means I have seen it all. Lying to me is not going to help your gunman.”
“We were on patrol when we were ambushed. I managed to get him away, but not before he was hurt.” Why am I lying to this man? Gan, I hope you’re right.
“I see. It seems that the injuries he sustained indicate he was restrained for a prolonged period of time. Do you have any idea how long?”
“No, I don’t.”
Doctor Clark tapped away at his keyboard.
“You understand that withholding information is only going to make my job harder, right? I already lost one gunman tonight. I don’t want to make it two. Can you tell me anything?”
The doctor looked weary. His eyes were bloodshot and only reminded Sepia that she needed sleep. The exhaustion suddenly caught up with her and she sagged in her chair. She had no reason to distrust him.
“He, we, were in the park. A Nightmare had him. It was a setup, to trap me.”
The doctor remained calm as he made some notes, and continued typing on his keyboard.
Rise of the Night (Sepia Blue Book 1) Page 4
