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One of the guardsmen grabbed Jay around the waist and hoisted him out of the office chair. Nemesis reacted to the onslaught of gunfire as though swatting at bees. He leaped sideways toward the laboratory wall, then sprang back toward the guardsmen.
They spilled out of his way like pins smashed by a bowling ball. Their line of fire now completely disrupted, Nemesis grabbed them and hurled them around the room like rag dolls. Some of them opened fire again, terror written on their faces.
The soldier carrying Jay rounded a corner with him, as another symphony of pain issued down the hall after them. Screams of men resounded with accents of machine gun fire until—once again—silence reigned supreme.
•••
Jonathan and Michael tried to make sense of the chaotic chatter playing out over the squad car radio. Rather than reports of Ming’s men, or even sightings of Trenton Hallowed, the topic concerned only a crazed beast that had been unleashed at the Halo Tech facility.
“I don’t understand,� Michael said. “Where’s Trenton?�
They listened further and made out the phrases: monster, beast, shredded clothing, and blood everywhere.
“I have a very bad feeling,� Jonathan said.
“What is it?�
“I’m not sure what Trenton would have gone after at Halo Tech, but they do research into biological warfare for the government.�
“And?�
“I think Trenton may be the monster their talking about,� Jonathan said. His complexion had gone pale.
Michael looked at him, considering, then back to the road. He punched the gas pedal even harder. “We’ll be there in less than a minute.�
•••
Jay hung in the arms of the soldier who had rescued him. At least, he hoped it would end up as a completed rescue. Nemesis had done away with the soldiers who had come into the laboratory and apparently Dr. Tanner, as well. The beast now chased them through the hallways.
“He’s coming,� Jay said urgently.
The soldier tried to pick up his pace, but it wasn’t easy with a fifteen-year-old boy in his arms. Angry howls followed them through the halls, reverberating around so that it became difficult to know which direction they had come from. Jay spotted a hulking shadow dash along a wall behind them, then disappear just before the creature itself came into view. Nemesis charged around the corner like a bull in a china shop. His bloody, bare feet slid on the tile floor, leaving scarlet skid marks. He slammed into the wall, out of control, and caved in the sheet rock. Ceiling tiles fell around him as he tried to get his body under control.
“Hurry!� Jay shouted, even though he knew the soldier was doing all he could.
Nemesis launched out of the destroyed wall, sending sheetrock, two-by-fours, and a cloud of dust in all directions. He emerged madder than ever, slinging slobber as he ran toward them.
More soldiers ran past Jay to intercept the monster Trenton had become. They opened fire as he and his rescuer crashed through the front doors. Jay saw National Guardsmen attack, but Nemesis did not stop. He plowed right through the soldiers and kept coming.
Jay’s rescuer slowed down when they emerged outside. Military vehicles had formed a semicircular perimeter around the front of the Halo Tech building. “Don’t stop, he’s still coming!� Jay shouted.
The soldier turned in time to see Nemesis explode through the glass facade of the Halo Tech building. The soldiers in the parking lot opened fire with machine guns. It only seemed to make the creature angrier.
Jay noticed Jonathan and Detective Stamos come screeching to a halt in the parking lot, driving a typical black and white police cruiser. They both got out of the car and ran toward the firing line to get a look at the new Trenton Hallowed. “Take me over there,� Jay said, pointing to Jonathan. The soldier complied.
•••
Jonathan spotted Jay in the arms of a soldier who was carrying him through the crowd. He ran to him, keeping an eye on the monster in front of the Halo Tech entrance. Jay’s leg appeared to be broken, but otherwise, he was in good shape.
Jonathan took the boy from the soldier and carried him back to the police car they had arrived in. Michael joined him. “How is he?�
“He broke my ankle,� Jay said. “I’ll be all right.� He turned to Jonathan. “I knew you wouldn’t run out on me.�
Jonathan held up a hand, and Jonathan clasped it. “Never.�
Nemesis wailed under the gunfire, but he only became more enraged. He leaped into the crowd of National Guardsmen. They tried to get out of the way, but some were crushed under him, while he swatted others, ferociously knocking them into the air over cars and into trucks.
One soldier mounted an M60 machine gun turret, set up on the back of a jeep, and opened fire. Nemesis took several hits, hissed at the man, then leaped behind a squad car. He then lifted the entire car off the ground and hurled it thirty feet, into the soldier and jeep, crushing them both in an explosion of glass and metal.
Jonathan stood up. “I’ve got to stop him.�
Jay’s mouth dropped open. “Are you crazy? You can’t stop that thing! Did you see what he just did? Nothing stops him!�
Jonathan turned on his friend. “Somebody’s got to try, Jay!�
Just then, Douglas Tanner emerged from the building by a side exit. Jonathan ran to intercept him, before he wandered into the fray with Trenton and the guardsmen.
“Jonathan, thank Heaven you’re still alive!� Doug said, stumbling.
Jonathan caught and steadied the man. “I was just thinking the same about you, Doug. What’s happened to Trenton?�
Nemesis smashed shoulder first into one of the National Guard trucks, heaving the big vehicle out of his way. He took off down the street away from the fight.
“Where’s he going?� Michael shouted.
Doug walked back to the police car with Jonathan. “He’s attempting to reach Genetic Corp and his mutagen,� Doug said.
“But why? What’s transformed him into this monster?� Jonathan asked again.
Doug bit his lip. “Trenton has had me working, for some time, on an enhancement to his mutagen. I took on the project personally and was glad to do it. Trenton’s work was very exciting—the things he hoped to accomplish—very revolutionary.�
“Yes, I know what he hoped to accomplish,� Jonathan said. “Anyway, what happened?�
“Well, he arrived this morning and was waiting for me in my office with the boy and a bunch of thugs. Trenton forced me to give him the Enhancement Serum. He injected it and started reacting violently to it. I don’t understand what happened. The lab animals never reacted that way.�
“All right, but why is he trying to get back to Genetic Corp now?� Michael asked.
Doug continued. “The Enhancement Serum will not bring about any permanent changes in anatomy, or physiology, unless the mutagen is present in his blood. He has to dose himself up within six hours or the enhancement will revert back to normal—at least as normal as he was before taking it.�
Jonathan and Michael shared a hopeful glance. “He’s on foot—we could catch him easy enough,� Michael said. “It’s a good ten miles to Genetic Corp from here.�
Jonathan considered it. “Yeah, but what would we do when we caught him? I’m beginning to wonder if Jay isn’t right. I don’t know how we can stop him. He’s too tough to get anywhere with bullets. We’d have to have a tank.�
They both examined the mess Nemesis had already made of the National Guardsmen and their equipment. “I
don’t see any tanks,� Jonathan said.
Michael paced back and forth next to the squad car. Some of the soldiers tended to their wounded and dead. Others had already mobilized and were about to take up the chase. Some radioed ahead, expecting to get reinforcements to intercept the creature before he harmed anyone else.
“I’ve got an idea,� Michael said.
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28 DECOY
“Demolitions?� Jay asked.
“Yeah,� Michael nodded. “I specialized in it during my time in the army.�
Jay looked at Jonathan. “Whoa, he’s cooler than I thought.�
“Will it work?� Jonathan asked.
They all three looked at Doug. He sat on the curb, surveying the destroyed front of the Halo Tech building. He realized they had gone silent. “What?�
“If we drop the building on him, will it stop him?� Jonathan asked.
Doug scratched his double chin. “Difficult to say. I’ve never seen anything like this. Trenton picked up a car, for Heaven’s sake. Still, if you dropped a building on him, I don’t imagine he would survive. It all depends on how potent the mutagen is and if he is able to dose himself again while the Enhancement Serum is in his system.
“I don’t think we have any choice,� Jonathan said.
“The only thing is, I’ll need some time to get the charges placed,� Michael said.
“How much time?�
“Better than an hour for a building that size, and that’s moving along at a good clip, and zero safety precautions,� Michael explained. “We can stop at Stonewall Demolition on the way and commandeer the charges I’ll need.�
“Before you do that, I’ve got to get to Trenton,� Jonathan said.
Jay perked up in his seat in the front of the squad car. “What for?�
“Someone has to put some time between Trenton and Genetic Corp.�
“You’ll be killed,� Jay said.
Michael walked over to some of the soldiers who were preparing to depart in a jeep, going after Trenton. Jonathan smiled and knelt down to Jay’s level. “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to help others.�
Jay came unglued. A tear streaked through the dust on his dark skin.
“Do you remember how I told you about the Lord’s sacrifice for all mankind?�
Jay nodded, but the lump in his throat kept him from speaking.
“I’m the only one who can do this. Somehow, some way, this is where the Lord has brought us. I’m the only one who has any hope of standing against that thing Trenton has become. Do you understand?�
Jay’s face hardened. “I’ll say I understand it, if that’s what you want to hear, but I don’t like it a bit.�
Jonathan smiled. “Nobody said we had to like it.�
Michael called out from where the soldiers had loaded up in the jeep. “Hey, Jonathan, these guys will take you to intercept Trenton, while I go after the explosives.�
Jonathan nodded. “I’m coming.� He turned back to Jay. “You stay with Michael until he gets to Genetic Corp, then you stay out of that building.�
Jay tried to lift his leg a little, wincing under the pain. “I don’t think I’m going far on my own, anyway.�
Jonathan walked over to the jeep, where the soldiers waited. Michael shook his hand. “Be careful out there. He won’t hesitate to kill you, if he can.�
“I’m not making any funeral plans just yet,� Jonathan said. “I’ll try to give you all the time I can.� Jonathan climbed into the back of the jeep behind the two soldiers. He strapped in as they pulled away, headed after the Nemesis creature.
•••
Michael climbed into the police car. Jay was sitting in the passenger seat. “I don’t suppose you care to sit this one out, kid?� Michael asked.
Jay reached over his shoulder, grabbed the seat belt, and buckled it into place.
“Suit yourself, but I’m no babysitter, kid.� Michael started the engine. “No matter what, you’re staying in the car.�
Jay started to protest, but Michael cut him off. “Dr. Tanner, are you coming with us?�
Doug walked over to the window. “No, detective. I think, if your plan does work, we’ll still need a safe way to dispose of Trenton’s remains. The mutagen, plus the Enhancement Serum, will attempt to repair the damage once he’s out of the rubble from the building. I’ll see if I can mobilize one of my cryo teams. If we can freeze what’s left, then at least we have a real chance at doing him in for good.�
“Sounds good, Doc. We’re outta here.� Michael put the cruiser in gear and pulled out of the debris laden parking lot. “Next stop, Stonewall Demolition Company, kid!�
Jay stared out the windshield and whispered, “Don’t call me kid.�
•••
Ten minutes later, Michael’s police cruiser squealed into the parking lot of the Stonewall Demolition Company. Some of the work crew watched as the police cruiser barreled into a parking space sideways, sending up puffs of white tire smoke. The men, wearing hardhats, murmured among themselves as Michael sprang from the driver’s side door and ran into the foreman’s office.
The small brick building housed only a few old metal desks, one very obsolete personal computer, and an even more obsolete owner. The old codger sat at the desk farthest from the front counter, apparently watching television. He evidently had not heard the bell on the door when Michael came in, for he remained seated with a blank look on his face, staring at the screen.
“Hello!� Michael called. The man still did not acknowledge him. Michael waved his hands in the old man’s direction until he looked up from the screen. “Hey, old man, I need some help!�
Instead of getting up, the old man smiled and waved back. Michael shook his head and motioned for him to come up to the front. The old man reached over and turned down his television, then said, “Do you need some help, young man?�
“Yes!�
“Be right there in a jiffy,� the old man said, getting up out of his chair. He began walking toward the counter, but stopped, turned, and searched for something next to one of the other desks. He pulled a walker out, placed it before him, and began shuffling toward the counter. Michael sighed, “I don’t believe this.�
The old man took over a minute to walk twenty feet with his walker, despite Michael trying to hurry him along.
“Just hold your horses, young fella—this isn’t a Ferrari, ya know,� the old man scolded.
When he reached the counter, he set the walker aside. Michael began explaining the situation only to be stopped by the old man’s upturned finger as he completed the task of setting the walker aside. Michael sighed heavily again, reading the man’s nametag—Fred Stonewall.
When Fred turned back to the counter, he tapped a little bell. “Next!�
Michael understood why cartoon characters often slapped themselves in the face, trying to rub away their exasperation. “Look, Mr. Stonewall, my name is Detective Stamos. I need to get some—�
“Say you’re a police officer?� Fred asked.
Michael stopped, sighing again. “Yes sir, Detective Stamos and I—�
“My oldest son wanted to be a police officer, but I told him what a dang fool idea that was. Who wants to get shot at for minimum wage? Yes, sir, I says, a smart man would take over his daddy’s business and make good i
n life.�
Michael felt like walking back out of the building. “Mr. Stonewall?�
“That’s me.�
“Mr. Stonewall, I need to commandeer some explosives. We’ve got to demolish a building. It’s an emergency, lives are at stake.�
Fred looked puzzled. “Commandeer explosives? Are you a dang fool? I can’t just give away explosives willy-nilly!�
Michael grabbed his police badge and shook it at the man. “It’s an emergency. I’m a police officer and I’m trained to use this stuff. If you could just—�
“I don’t care who you are, boy. I’ve been working with explosives for over fifty years and I can tell you—�
The door chimed, and another man in a hard hat opened the door. “It’s all right, Pop! I’ll take care of this guy!�
The man jerked his thumb at Michael. He looked at the old man. Fred seemed pleased that his son was throwing him out. Michael complied, following the man out into the yard.
Before Michael could explain, the man interrupted. “The kid told me what you need and why. My men are getting some stuff together now, Officer.� He laughed. “You don’t want to talk to Pop about anything. He’ll drive you nuts.�
Michael looked at Jay, still sitting in the car with a big grin on his face. “Yeah, I got that.�
•••
Jonathan examined the wake of destruction left by Nemesis through the streets of Imperial City. He’s not in so big a hurry that he can’t destroy everything in his path, Jonathan thought.
Early morning traffic had been in full swing when the monster came through. Now, cars lay on their sides, or smashed and beaten out of the way. People were yelling, while multiple alarms squealed in the early morning air. The beast had even kicked a few fire hydrants out of his way, just to keep things interesting. The geysers of water rained down steadily on the pedestrians and drivers.