Love Bug

by Goodhue, H. E.

  “Report, Captain!” Eldritch’s voice barked through the radio in Ortiz’s helmet.

  “Tracking…damn it!” Ortiz cried as a Red clamped down on his arm. He pulled his pistol from its leg holster and shot the Red in the temple. It fell to the ground, but not before leaving a bloody ring of holes gaping on Ortiz’s arm. “Sorry, sir,” Ortiz continued. “We’re tracking the signal now.” Ortiz paused to fire a few rounds. “We’re close. Within fifty feet of the source, Mr. Eldritch, sir. Still no sign of your family members, sir.” A few more rounds chewed into the side of another Red who wildly swung a gnarled club.

  “Carry on, Captain,” Eldritch’s voice commanded, “find that source!”

  “Understood, sir,” Ortiz gasped as he flexed his injured arm to bring up his machine gun. Blood streaked down Ortiz’s arm, soaking into his uniform and sticking the material to his side.

  The Reds finally began to fall back, their attacks becoming intermittent. Ortiz was thankful for the break, but something about the Reds’ behavior worried him. They were acting as if they had a plan, some idea as to what they were doing. Ortiz, like all citizens, had been taught by the ERC that the Reds were mindless animals, capable of little more than violence and the basest instincts. The Reds pulled back, regrouping near the smoldering remains of a circle of vehicles.

  “Signal, Lieutenant?” Ortiz grunted as he picked off a few of the retreating Reds.

  “It’s coming from somewhere near that building, Captain,” the soldier responded, “or at least what’s left of it.”

  Ortiz nodded and began moving towards the remains of what looked like it had once been a shed of some sort. A boy ran from the ruins with a girl close behind. No, not just any girl, it was Cora Eldritch and a ghost followed close behind. Another boy hesitated near the wreckage, as if unsure of what to do. He eventually turned and followed behind the others. It was Xander Eldritch.

  “Mr. Eldritch,” Ortiz panted as he chased after Cora. “We’ve located the source of the signal. I’ve got eyes on your children, and well, I’m not sure how to say this, but what appears to be your father as well, sir. There’s also an unidentified boy, sir.”

  “My father,” Eldritch responded, his words more of a statement than a question. “Follow your orders, Captain. Collect my family members, alive. Everyone else is expendable.”

  “Understood, sir,” Ortiz snapped and then turned to his soldiers. “You know the orders. Collect the members of the Eldritch family. Anyone else is expendable.” As Ortiz finished his words, a soldier cried out in pain.

  The Em-Pak could prevent or erase numerous feelings, but pain was not one of them. The soldier bore a ragged wound on his right side. He desperately tried to stuff his spilled innards back into the gaping hole, but to no avail.

  “Captain?” the soldier asked before his eyes rolled back and he tumbled to the ground with a sickeningly wet slap.

  A small Red, no more than ten or so, crouched behind the now dead soldier. The Red chewed slowly, her pointed teeth jutting out at odd angles from her mouth. Ortiz momentarily thought that at one point this girl probably would have been a prime candidate for braces and then shook the idea from his head. He fired.

  More Reds were approaching. A young girl, or at least what had once been a young girl, appeared to be giving orders. The Reds split into two groups, the larger of the two closing in on Ortiz and his men. The smaller group of Reds, including their apparent leader, broke off and trailed after the Eldritch family.

  “Engage the Reds!” Ortiz ordered. “Keep our exit clear! I’m going after the Eldritch family.”

  “Alone, Captain?” one of the ERC soldiers asked, not out of concern, rather just as a point of clarification.

  “We need a clear exit. That means every able gun is pointed at the Reds,” Ortiz barked. “I’ll get the targets and then we’re gone.”

  Ortiz turned and sprinted after his targets. His lungs burned from the heavy clouds of cordite that hung in the air. The smell coated Ortiz’s mouth, drying the inside and filling it with a taste similar to blood. Ortiz’s Em-Pak chirped loudly, but the sound was lost beneath that of countless machine gun rounds and the screams of ERC soldiers.

  -48-

  Remmy’s ears still rang, but the red spots no longer swam through his vision. Cora pulled him from the floor and yanked him out of the shed seconds before it disappeared in a hail of bullets and splinters. The scene that awaited Remmy felt surreal, almost impossible. Countless Reds attacked ERC soldiers while three black helicopters darted back and forth like angry wasps.

  “Remmy, we need to go!” Cora shouted as she shook his shoulder. She grabbed his wrist and pulled. Remmy, his head clearing, suddenly seemed to comprehend Cora’s words and began running. Her hand began to slip from Remmy’s wrist, but he twisted his hand and grabbed Cora’s, their fingers intertwined.

  “I’m not losing you twice,” Remmy grinned, his words sounded rough, his throat choked with dust, but the look on his face spoke of nothing but love.

  Samuel and Xander were outside, both looking like they had passed through Hell to get here. Only Xander appeared unfazed by the killing and chaos. Remmy chalked it up to the influence of the boy’s Em-Pak, though he couldn’t truly be sure.

  “This way!” Samuel pointed to a narrow path that disappeared into the woods. Remmy and Cora ran to keep up, but Xander hesitated near the ruins of the shed.

  “Xander!” Samuel cried. “Xander, we must leave now! Please, come with us!”

  Xander remained still. A massive pack of Reds streamed towards the ERC soldiers he stared at. Xander appeared to be weighing his options. With no apparent way to reach the ERC soldiers, Xander turned and ran towards the woods.

  “How did you find me?” Remmy panted as he willed his legs to move faster. His fingers remained locked with Cora’s.

  “Samuel,” Cora gasped. “He found you, but can’t we discuss this later?”

  “Good idea,” Remmy agreed.

  “Cora!” Xander screeched, his voice momentarily panicked and laced with pain.

  Remmy, Samuel and Cora skidded a few steps before turning to see Xander pinned to the ground by a young Red. The girl’s face was badly burned on one side, her white teeth appearing to glow against the blackened skin.

  “Leaving so soon?” Jessica grinned as she loomed over Xander.

  “Jessica stop! Please!” Remmy shouted. He turned to run back, but Cora’s grip on his hand remained steadfast, her fingers strong and unyielding as steel bars.

  “Jessica?” Cora asked. “Remmy? What is going on?”

  “I knew her,” Remmy answered. “I know her.” Cora’s grip weakened ever so slightly. “I’ll be okay, Cora, I promise. You need to let me help Xander.”

  “You know her?” Cora asked, feeling jealousy for the first time. “How could you know her?”

  “Cora, please,” Remmy pulled away. “Later, right?”

  Cora hesitated. She wanted Remmy back, needed him back. Xander was her brother and Cora didn’t want anything to happen to him, but Xander refused to change. Would Cora really risk having Remmy back for Xander? Remmy brought joy and love into Cora’s life. He made her feel complete. Xander was the antithesis of all of these feelings, but he was still her brother.

  “Jessica, let him go,” Remmy demanded. Cora let go of his hand, a decision that felt harder than any she had ever made before. Remmy turned, locking his eyes with Cora’s, and smiled. It was a small smile, little more than a curl of the corner of Remmy’s lips, but it made Cora’s heart tighten and flutter.

  “Be careful,” Cora whispered as she watched Remmy slowly approach the snarling Red named Jessica.

  “You could have had it all, Remmy!” Jessica cried. “You could have been a king! My king! Look at what I did for you! I killed Hatch to keep you safe and you try to run away? What kind of thanks is that for all that I have done? For keeping you safe for so long?”

  “Jessica,” Remmy said softly, “I’m not like you. I’m n
ot a Red. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be a king.”

  “What!” Jessica shouted. Xander squirmed beneath her. Jessica opened her jaws revealing rows of wicked teeth. She dragged a few dagger-like points across Xander’s cheek, carving ruby red lines into the soft flesh. “Be still food,” Jessica threatened. “Keep fighting and I might just get hungry.” She licked Xander’s blood from her teeth. A predatory smile, like a cat toying with a bird, stretched across Jessica’s face as she returned her gaze to Remmy. Xander stopped moving, his eyes fixed on the Red’s teeth.

  “I appreciate what you did for me, Jessica,” Remmy began. He slowly moved towards her and Xander. “I really do, but you can’t force that life on me.”

  “How do you force freedom on someone, Remmy?” Jessica sneered. “That’s just stupid. I offered you the freedom to live without fear. But you’d rather scamper off with her? And what, Remmy? What will your life be like? I’ll tell you what! You’ll live every day in fear of infection, fear of the Reds and fear of the ERC! How is that living?”

  “I don’t know, Jessica,” Remmy answered, “but that’s my life. It was yours too. Remember the camp? Remember my parents? Remember your parents, Jessica?”

  A look of true sadness crept into Jessica’s eyes. The insanity seemed to waver like the dying flame of a candle. She looked as if she were trying to force back her emotions and bury the memories. Jessica snapped her teeth one more time, but all threat was gone. She stood, looming over Xander, her teeth bared.

  “Get up, food,” Jessica growled. “You’re lucky Remmy was here. Lucky that I still have some memory of who I was. Lucky that I’m not hungry.” Jessica paused and turned her gaze to Remmy. She appeared sad. “I do remember, Remmy. That’s why I was trying to keep you here. I remember everyone, especially you. I miss them all the time. I’m lonely all the time, Remmy. It’s awful. I just wanted some of those feelings to go away, even just a little bit.”

  “Jessica,” Remmy began. He had no idea what he was going to say. Could he really tell her to come with them? What was he expecting?

  “Leave, Remmy,” Jessica snarled, a claw-like finger pointing towards the woods. “Leave now before I change my mind.”

  “Thank you,” Remmy nodded. Jessica’s shoulders trembled slightly. Remmy couldn’t tell if it was from rage or tears. Maybe it was both.

  A shadow moved behind Jessica and Xander, something large and menacing. Thoughts of Tam flooded Remmy’s mind, but Tam was dead.

  “JESSICA!” Remmy screamed as the soldier leveled his gun with the back of her head. Remmy dove forward, not knowing what he planned to do, but determined to save someone who had once been a friend, no matter what she had become.

  -49-

  Eldritch watched with as much pride and satisfaction as his Em-Pak would allow. The battle raged on his video monitor and in every home, in every city controlled by the ERC. The citizens would now see first-hand and up close, what they were up against. Sure, the fake Emo attacks had shaken some citizens up, but this was something different. This was real.

  Now citizens would see what waited for their children if they refused to follow along with Eldritch. Now they understood the gravity of the situation. Their children were hostages of the ERC, of Eldritch, and he alone would decide who lived and who died.

  “Mr. Eldritch?” Ortiz’s voice whispered through the radio. The Captain was silently creeping towards a Red that loomed over Xander. This would make for amazing footage. Hopefully, the camera on Captain Ortiz’s helmet would capture it.

  “Go ahead, Captain,” Eldritch grinned. His Em-Pak beeped and the smile faded.

  “Sir, the Red has Xander pinned,” Ortiz reported.

  “I can see that, Ortiz,” Eldritch snapped, returning to his characteristic unpleasant demeanor. “What is it?”

  “Should I fire, sir?” Ortiz questioned. “Your children…and your father are within the kill zone.” Ortiz still found it hard to believe that he was reporting the fact that Samuel Eldritch Sr. was alive and well.

  “Oh, just kill that nasty creature and get on with it,” Eldritch demanded. “As long as I have one child left and my father is brought back alive, I will consider this operation a success. Cora would be ideal, Xander is…well, Xander is acceptable.” Eldritch said the word as if it tasted foul. He had invested so much time and effort into Cora’s future. She was simply the more logical choice. But if he had to start over with Xander then so be it.

  “Understood, sir,” Ortiz answered and moved forward. The Red was busy, unaware of the proximity of Ortiz and the promise of death carried in his hands.

  The Red gnashed its teeth near Xander’s face and Xander froze.

  “Smart boy,” Ortiz whispered. “Fighting that thing won’t end well. Just stay still a little bit longer.” Ortiz raised his gun, preparing to fire, but the Red suddenly stood up. It looked down at Xander and spoke, and released the boy to whoever the other boy was.

  Ortiz lined up the shot and prepared to end this, to achieve his objective and get the hell out of here before the Reds did anything else strange.

  “JESSICA!” the unknown boy screeched and dove towards the Red.

  “Jessica?” Ortiz mumbled, his face pressed against the stock of his gun. Who would name a Red Jessica? Who would bother naming a Red anything? No matter.

  Ortiz’s moment of hesitation gave the boy time to reach the Red. Ortiz squeezed the trigger, but the boy’s momentum carried the Red out of the line of fire. The shot caught her on the corner of her shoulder, a painful injury, but far from fatal. Ortiz prepared his next shot, lined it up perfectly on the Red evenly between the V of his sight. Click…click…click. Ortiz had lost count of his shots in the insanity of the battle. He dropped his machine gun and began fumbling with the clasp that held his sidearm in its holster.

  The Red pushed the boy off her and turned to face Ortiz. She looked at her shoulder. The injury did nothing beyond anger her.

  The Reds were animals, Ortiz had been taught that. But these Reds had shown something very different. They had shown intelligence. At this moment though, those thoughts mattered little.

  The Red snarled, small pillows of foam in the corners of her mouth. Her eyes narrowed, the pupils constricted to small coal pinpoints that bore into Ortiz. She clashed her pointed teeth together and glared at Ortiz. Right now, this Red was very much a wild animal, an injured one at that, which meant she was far more dangerous.

  Ortiz’s Em-Pak began its frantic electronic tittering as the Red dropped low to the ground and launched herself towards him, her jaws stretching open to an unbelievable width. Ortiz’s hands were slow and clumsy, fumbling with his sidearm. The weapon slipped from his grip and clattered to the ground, the noise resonating in Ortiz’s head like the tone of his own funeral bells.

  -50-

  The Red was going to die, or at least should. Xander really couldn’t have cared less. That thing was filthy, disgusting and it had put its grimy hands on him. It had threatened him, cut him with her teeth and called him food of all things! Xander wanted that Red dead on the ground, riddled with bullets and slowly bleeding to death. He wanted all the Reds dead and the Emos too for that matter.

  What Xander did care about was the soldier that currently fumbled with his sidearm, trying to stop the Red from peeling his skin like a banana. That soldier looked familiar. He looked like someone he had seen with his father, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that this man was an ERC soldier and surely would take Xander back to his father, and back to the life he was born to live.

  “Xander, let’s go,” Cora’s dirty little Emo pet shouted, pulling at his clothes.

  “Get off of me!” Xander snapped.

  “Xander please,” Samuel pleaded. “We need to leave.”

  “I am leaving,” Xander responded, “leaving all of this garbage and insanity. I’m returning to father.” Xander snapped an arm around Remmy’s neck, pulling it into a tight hold. “Listen very carefully, Remmy. Don’t do anythi
ng stupid. You even think about something I don’t like and that’s it.” Xander pressed the barrel of his wrist gun into the side of Remmy’s head. “One flick of my wrist and your head is gone. Got it?”

  “Xander, what are you doing?” Cora cried and started forward. Samuel’s hand shot out and grabbed his granddaughter.

  “Cora, don’t,” Samuel warned. “Xander will kill him.” It was clear that his grandson had made his decision.

  “Samuel,” Cora said weakly. She had come so close to saving Remmy and now her own brother was going to kill him.

  “Hey! You, the disgusting Red!” Xander shouted. “Don’t or Remmy dies!”

  The Red stopped. She had knocked the soldier to the ground and was circling back to finish the job.

  “Jessica,” Remmy gritted, “her name is Jessica.”

  “Fine,” Xander sneered. “Jessica, let that soldier up or I split Remmy’s head in half.”

  Jessica snarled. Her teeth clashed together with such force that it sounded as if they had cracked. The pearly rows of gleaming bone daggers remained intact.

  “Remmy,” Jessica growled, her voice low and full of violence. “Remmy, this is getting to be old.”

  Xander could see more Reds heading towards them.

  “Get up!” Xander snapped, glaring at the soldier. “What is your name?” The young boy’s voice carried all the authority of his father’s.

  “Ortiz,” the soldier answered, “Captain Ortiz. Your father sent me to rescue you.”

  “About damn time,” Xander sneered and yanked Remmy towards the soldier.

  “Xander please,” Cora shouted. “Please stop this. Remmy saved you. Saved you twice! Just let him go! You don’t have to stay, but let him go!” Cora could feel the hard, cold barrel of her own wrist gun pressed against her arm. She had one shot left. Would she really use it to kill Xander?