“No it is not my dear. You see, the rapture told a story of God taking those who were good and clean. But in our reality, He took no one but a thousand angels with him to start over somewhere else. A broad representation of the best from all three Spheres. He left the rest here, because he didn’t want them, for one reason or another. I don’t know of your religious beliefs, but he does this often. He is the master of time and space, gone to create a new kingdom while turning his back on another. And Satan? He is the Lord of this world. The folks here in Nuuk have a good idea who I am, and I know you do too. But that doesn’t stop them from following me. And it didn’t stop you. For the same basic reason. You didn’t know where you were going, and I did. You, they, need me; someone, to lead them. They are scared of the dead that walk, and even more terrified still, of those that don’t simply plod about senselessly. No, when I told them of intelligent Deads they were immediately scared shitless. But that was back when we were in Labrador and Newfoundland. Until your, uh, son took control and forced us to run here to Greenland. He is quite powerful. The Viceroy and I have fought quite a bit through history. The weather here is too cold for the dead to walk. Dead people do rise, but they can’t move freely from place to place or house to house, so they are quickly contained and used for fish bait. The virus doesn’t pass through the digestive system when the fish are eaten, but they sure do bite at that dead flesh. Bodies are used mostly for chum, but the irony is not lost on the folks here. They use the dead for food, not the other way around. It is a kind of empowerment if you will. But I go on. What I really want to tell you is that I am going to inform the military here of your plan. When they find out they will chum the waters with you both. I actually like you, but I can’t help it, I thrive on discontent. It’s my nature.”
“Mr. Legoni, thank you for the eloquent speech. Did you get all that, Michael?” I say as I raise my satellite phone up to Legoni’s field of vision. “Michael has been on the line the whole time we have been in the house. Legoni, you won’t be finding any military here in Nuuk. They have been ordered to ship out to Newfoundland and march to Corner Brook on a ground assault on 50 Deads. There will be 500 Deads waiting there for them, from The Cabox. Hungry Deads. Am I right, Michael?”
“Madden this is General Spicer and that order was put through and chatter indicates approximately 200 men, the entire Nuuk Army, is on the way here to take care of the last 50 Deads. My boys eradicated 1000 in an attack and we need Nuuk for cleanup. Pretty easy, so no real firepower is needed. I told them it would almost be a boondoggle. You know there is a code for that Dad? Unbelievable.”
Michael does a great General Spicer impersonation. Chris, meanwhile, has a gun to Legoni’s head in case he tries to disappear. He is good at that. I want to make sure, so I think about cutting his head off. But then I think, IF he were the Devil, or a demon, or whatever--could he then jump to another dying body, possibly one on the boats the Alliance is taking to Newfoundland. No, we need to keep him alive and trapped. I decide to box him like Bob did Spicer. I see a sword on the wall, two in fact. He is talking to Chris and I come behind him and cut clean through his legs. He screams and spits at me. Arms are next and then we tie the torso to a chair. He is now speaking Latin, I think.
We are in constant contact with Michael and listen to chatter on the Nuuk Alliance force heading to Newfoundland. Hours have gone by and Legoni hasn’t’ stopped speaking for a second. It is disturbingly rhythmic. Then it comes over the radio.
“This is Michael, we have contact with the Alliance. They are inadequately armed.” We hear gunshots and screaming for about an hour. Legoni has stopped to listen as well.
“We have defeated them and are now feeding on them. Survivors are being moved to holding areas. We will have food for a while. Legoni! Ego sum iens neco vos quod transporto vos tergum ut abyssus.” Michael says.
“Was that Latin?” I ask. “We are fine and we have Legoni here and under...” I trail off as I look over at him. He is sitting in a chair, limbs reattached. Chris is on the floor, headless.
Legoni smiles at me. “I am not a man to be trifled with, Madden.” Then nothing. Chris is next to me and fine, and Legoni is gone, limbs and all.
“Legoni is gone, we don’t know where! If what he says is true, you just defeated all of the military Nuuk had to offer. Now we have to get by the regular folks here in Nuuk as well as our resident demon/nutcase Gerasene Legoni.”
Michael shoots back “I wouldn’t worry. Something tells me you will be alright. Godspeed.”.
I say “What did you tell him, Michael, the Latin?” Michael says “I told him I was going to kill him and send him to Hell. See you soon!”
Chris and I head out into the streets but see no one. We decide to take that as a sign and we head out. We go to the shore and see if any military boats were left empty. Then we see it. A long line of people walking toward the sea... chanting. There must be hundreds of them. We can’t help but go closer to look. At second glance, we see they are walking into the sea. Walking in until they are under, until they are drowned. A few see us and look at us like they can’t stop themselves and it hits me. It hits me hard.
The Gerasene Demon... Legion... are these the only pigs he could find? Was Legoni really...?
Chris grabs me “I found a boat we have to go now!” I grab a woman from the line, I am getting hungry. We get into an Assault Boat. It is fueled up and we decide to get out on the water rather then trying to get fuel back to the plane.
We are at sea listening to this woman babble nonsense for hours.
Chris says “That’s Glossolalia. It’s called speaking in tongues. People in our church when I was a little girl would go into trances and do it.”
I take a huge bite out of the woman’s face and neck but she doesn’t scream or flinch.
“You’re really eating that!” Chris says astonished. “Weren’t you awake for the last few hours? Were you not watching? Legoni, Legion, whoever he is may have just reenacted a scene from the Bible and you don’t think the flesh of that woman might be, I don’t know, tainted, possessed? Where the Hell is he anyway? I didn’t see him there, and isn’t it about time he shows up here in the boat?”
I stop eating for a second to answer and the woman rolls into the water.
“I guess we’ll never know if she was possessed...” I say.
“I hope not...” she counters. “We have seen some pretty strange things up here in the North, and now I think we are both wondering if your son is in fact half angel... and you eat a devil pig woman. Think, Het, think!”
With that statement I look forward at the sea ahead. In a few hours we will be back to Newfoundland celebrating with Michael. After a bit the radio clears.
“Dad this is Michael. Where are you exactly?”
I answer “We are on our way in a Northern Alliance Assault Boat. We are about an hour out of Nuuk. ID Numbers are 53J44, repeat, 53J44.”
“Got it.” He says. “Try and hurry, we need all the help we can get. Legoni is here. He slowly walked out of the ocean followed, single file, by a whole lot of recently dead. Very dramatic and shocking. And Dad... They want a fight and it’s going to happen. I need you to get here and help. The army Legoni brought is very powerful. Walked right out of the water behind him, singing or chanting something. A lot of my folks joined in, like they couldn’t help it. Don’t know if it was the chanting or not. But it was hypnotizing and rhythmically resonant. The whole thing is disturbing to say the least. It is going to be him or me, I know it. Dad, I love you...”
I look at Chris and we both know the implications of what may be happening. Then again, it may just be within the realm of possibilities for the undead like us.
“Our boy needs help.” She pushes the throttle to full speed then says in half disbelief. “We have an apocalypse to get to...”
21
Coda
The beginning and the end reach out their hands to each other.
-Chinese Proverb
It has been hours and we are moving west along the south side of Newfoundland and will head up the west side to Corner Brook. Speaking to Michael over the radio regularly, we know the fight hasn’t started yet. Legoni and company simply disappeared. Not into thin air, but Michael doesn’t know where they are.
“Dad, you there?” Michael calls out.
“Yes what is it?” I answer.
“We see fires up in The Cabox Mountains. Lighting up the night and they are spreading. I think Legoni is up there organizing and trying to get in our heads. You are about an hour or so out I estimate, so I will see you soon.”
I call back “Roger that, Michael”.
I look over at Chris with the moonlight coming off her. She has been driving the boat the whole time, never flinching. I would do anything for this woman, and I know she would do anything for me. And deep inside I know we will defeat Legoni. He can’t win. I have a trick up my sleeve.
“Chris, these folks up here have never seen a Frenzy, and I think we need to show them one...”
She answers excitedly “Frenzy, yes! But how do we start one and not have all of us get taken by it?”
I say “I remember Maslow telling me that Frenzy is caused by close proximity of approximately 50 or more of us for greater than 20 minutes. They have at least 300, probably more with the defectors from Michael’s group. Up here in Newfoundland there is so much open space close proximity doesn’t happen a lot. Now if we could take the battle inside, the airplane hangar, or a cave or valley. We can ask Michael about the terrain when we get there.”
As we motor into shore, Corner Brook dawn is breaking. Michael is at the dock to meet us and I look to The Cabox and the fires Michael spoke of.
“So, still up there?” I ask.
“Yes but I can feel him, inside.” He says. “He’s coming soon. It’s like we have some sort of a link, we know what the other is thinking.”
I immediately look and Christine is looking at me. We only lock eyes for a millisecond but we also have a link. We cannot involve Michael in any planning. If they have a mental commonality, Legoni would know about our Frenzy plans. We keep quiet for now.
“Come on, let me show you what we have to work with. Legoni’s group looked sharp when they came to shore. It was right over there. I would have expected them to come ashore on the east side of the island, maybe Bona Vista, but they must have come up here to spook us. And it worked. Most of my folks just stared. And about half have headed into The Cabox to join them. That, combined with the losses we had to the Allianced, and we number about 100. We cannot take them with 100. No way.”
I then say “Michael, Chris and I have a plan, but we are hesitant to tell you because Legoni and you are linked. Trust us that we have a plan and be ready to execute. It will work, but you have to be on.”
“Got it.” He says.
I look over at Bob, and he nods. He is ready.
“Maslow, what say you?” I ask.
“I think your plan is brilliant and I will not divulge. Why do you think I originally gave you that necessary piece of information?” Maslow begins.
I knew he would get in my head.
“I was thinking the same thing to be honest and have some ideas. Legoni thinks he has a divine right to win this battle. In his twisted head he already rules what is left of the world and will for a thousand years. Sound familiar? Anyway his bravado is his weakness. His desire to believe that he is something he isn’t will be the key to his defeat. Those that follow him now aren’t the same as they were when they lived, we all know that. He, however, believes they are more in tune with him, and they may well be, but they are not intelligent soldiers. They are fodder waiting to be beaten--not by might, but by intellect. All the people we have left were too smart to be drawn in my chanting and uniform movement. We have Class B’s at the least. And yes, I find your classification system intriguing. You have a capable mind Mr. Madden. That’s why I always admired you, even when I was trying to kill you. Now why don’t we go over by that large hangar and join the rest.”
“Uh, the hangar, sounds good, Dimitri.” I answer.
We all huddle near the hangar and prepare to do some planning. I have a few of the others retrieve all the Healthies from the holding area and put them in the hangar.
“Alright, we will keep our food here so we can protect it.” We don’t want them to get to it. Understand Michael?” I say, hoping he will “get it” and clear his mind, save for the fact that there is food in this hangar. He smiles and I know he does. I look at Chris and she is ready.
Then we hear it. It starts as a murmur, an auditory cadence. It is seductive and I could see how someone would find it attractive. Coming down the mountain, and amassing on the tarmac, are what look like 500+ Deads led by Legoni. They are all completely naked and branded with a strange symbol. A lot like the ones so many of us that were forced into the containment centers have on our foreheads, arms, wherever. These are different, a combination of the BioHazard symbol and a religious epitaph which I am not familiar with. Each individual has this burned into their torso, front and back. This is what they were doing in the fire. Almost a communion.
“Michael!” Legoni screams. “Michael it is time! I have come with my army to destroy you, your family, and mine. Father, have you told them who you are, who we are?!?! I know they have an idea, but has it come from you? I am more powerful now and will kill you Father. I will kill you last and Michael first. I will show you!!! I am the Lord of this world and now I will take my rightful place!!!”
We all look at Maslow.
“I assure you, I don’t know what he is talking about. He must be insane. The Devil having a father is ludicrous.” He says.
We don’t have time to weigh in on the implications, or whether this is indeed Armageddon, but it is twisted to say the least.
“Michael.” I say. “On my mark, we move everyone inside this hangar.”
I am not out to save anyone but Chris and Michael. The others are expendable, even Bob. I don’t trust him.
Not one of Michael’s people has a containment camp brand so for all I know, they sat up here hiding while I and others rotted. They were only turned after they ignored the lives of the initial wave of the dead.
“I don’t know why you want to do this but EVERYONE INTO THE HANGAR!” Michael shouts.
Inside the Healthies start to scream as we come in. With the screams, the chanting has stopped. These are hungry Deads, maybe they never felt the hunger for a Healthy before. They rush into the hangar, and I hear Legoni screaming at them to attack us and not the Healthies. This does not work.
I grab Chris, Michael, and yes, Maslow, and we exit the rear door. The last of Michael’s people feed and then I hear the sound I haven’t heard in a long time. The screams of Frenzy! None of them want out of the hangar, they are too busy tearing into the Healthies and each other.
Michael looks at me and says “Those are my people. You used them? Like they meant nothing... Brilliant tactics, but soulless in the end, no?”
He was right, but all I could do was stand there as he looked away from me in disgust. He knows I saved him, and his people would have perished up against the shear numbers of Legoni’s forces, but it doesn’t sit well. We listen as the sound gradually comes to an end.
Michael kicks open the door and views the carnage of Frenzy. Alone, in the middle of twisting, writhing bodies is Gerasene Legoni holding a large sword.
“Madden, my piggies are dead! Haaaa ha ha ha! You killed them. You are inside my head! You fooled me! I told you I am not a man to trifle with and you ignored this. Now I will have to kill your son, then your woman, and then you. And I haven’t forgotten about you father, wherever you are. I can’t see you, but then again you can’t see me either. Even blind, you disappoint me.”
At that moment I see Bob, who obviously survived the Frenzy, behind him ready to strike. He creeps slowly as Legoni rants about his rightful place in the new order. Bob then leaps at Legoni. Before he can touch
him, Legoni spins around and swings the sword near Bob’s head. Bob lands, gets up wobbly, and his head slides off to the ground.
Legoni steps on it like a melon, crushing it.
At that moment I see Maslow move behind Legoni. Before I can say a word Maslow’s fist comes out the front of Legoni’s chest, heart in hand. He takes Legoni’s sword and takes his head off at the neck. He throws the sword to Michael and picks up the head, still alive.
Michael catches the sword by the handle.
It is not lost on us that these are amazing feats for a man with no eyes.
With the head in his left hand and the heart in the right, Maslow “looks” Legoni in the face and screams “False Idol! I am true! I orchestrated this and you watched and came late to lay claim!”
He bites into the heart and spits it in Legoni’s face. He is still alive, gasping to speak with no breath.
Het Madden, A Zombie Perspective: Book One: WRATH 2012 (Volume 1) Page 19
