Hyde's Lament

by L. N. Denison

  After a few minutes of trying to wake her by force, Hyde began to revive. Still groggy, she made a meagre attempt pull her way out of the jacket. Her movements were slow at first, but it seemed that the realisation of her entrapment fuelled a steady growth of violence, and soon she was thrashing around in such a way that she needed to be stopped before she did any damage to herself. The two men tried to wrangle her into a corner and bring her under control, but her animalistic nature was strong.

  It reached the stage where they would have to tackle her to the ground. Smithson knew that another way to suppress her urges was to reintroduce the black canvas bag that had once hidden her from view. This would calm her senses enough to get her out of the bunker. Smithson pulled a bag out of his side pocket. He had brought it as a precaution. He placed the bag over her head and tightened the cord. It seemed to work. Her senses were calming, evident by the slowing of her breathing and the lack of thrashing. She was now ready to move.

  SMITHSON AND JORDAN pulled Hyde along. Her feet dragged behind her as she half-heartedly tried to resist them. She was too weak to move on her own, and she found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other. The men whispered to her, saying that she would be free soon.

  Hyde perked up. The drugs were wearing off. The thought of leaving the bunker spurred her on.

  The dorm was mere feet away, and Hyde’s friends would be there to greet her. It was most unfortunate that she had to remain restrained, but she knew it was for her, as well as everybody else’s, safety.

  Smithson and Jordan pushed the doors open, and John came forward as they entered.

  “Let me take her...please.” John held out his arms to take Hyde in. He started to lift the bag from her head, with Jas and everybody else watching from a distance. Once the black bag had been lifted, John took Hyde’s head in his hands and lifted it, so their eyes met. His eyes began to well up.

  “Oh, my poor girl. What have they done to you?” He took her in a hug

  ONLY A FEW FEET SEPARATED Scott from the group of survivors. The doors were open, ready to swallow him as he entered. A welcome party stood feet away from the entrance, all ready for the journey ahead. Hyde was being held fast by the two private’s, Smithson and Jordan. John and Matt each had a rifle slung over their shoulders, and a bag full of ammunition. Jas and Aggie had the food, and Marcus had two different sets of drugs for use on Hyde. One was deadly to her. The other was to curb her moods; a kind of sedation. The rest of the group stood in the foreground awaiting instruction.

  “Come on people, we need to go,” Scott said as he began to usher everyone out.

  .

  CHAPTER 22

  Stepping over the threshold into the street outside, Scott took the lighter he had commandeered from the major’s desk and lit the long fuse. He threw the lighter down in the dirt and ran toward the waiting ATV. In the distance he watched some of the survivors running off. We’ll be back for you, I promise. He told himself as he headed to the rear of the vehicle. John and Smithson pulled him in, and Jordan revved the engine.

  “Get going, private,” Scott shouted at the driver. He felt a sense of relief that it was nearly over as he sat down in the only space available... next to Hyde. “We need to get out of range of the blast.”

  As the ATV sped away, Scott watched through the rear windows as the first explosion took place. It was heard, but all that was seen was a plume of smoke. The second explosion came soon after, causing the ground to sink from the force. He watched as what was left of the barracks that stood just behind the bunker, disappeared into the earth.

  HYDE HAD KEPT QUIET, but that hadn’t stopped eyes from watching her every move. Although they were her friends, and she was restrained, they would remain on edge all the time they were in her vicinity. Marcus was the only one who didn’t seem to be worried about her.

  Scott looked upon Hyde’s scaly face, and the loss of hair on one side. Her transition had been halted, which sent a wave of relief, but also regret shooting through his body.

  “I never meant for this to happen to you. I was only a pawn in a bigger game. I hope you can forgive me?” Scott looked sad as his head hung low. “I couldn’t show you kindness. They would’ve known something wasn’t right. I had to stay on track, but it was always my intention to get you out. You’ll have nothing to worry about from now on. Anyone who would’ve been after you is either dead or part of this team now.” He waved a hand to emphasis the added support of the men who had followed him.

  Hyde lowered her head as she took in his words. She looked back up at him, her eyes searching his. Scott took hold of her arm and squeezed it gently.

  A tear ran down her scaly cheek. The mouth guard had rendered her incapable of saying anything... she had a look that spoke the words for her.

  Scott smiled and looked at her again. Happiness shone in his eyes.

  “I have a surprise for you when we get to our destination. I think you’ll appreciate it,” he said.

  The rest of the trip went on in silence. Not even Jas said anything. Everyone was too emotional to bring themselves to speak.

  THE JOURNEY TO THE encampment, just outside Wakefield, had taken a little over three and a half hours to complete. Everyone in the ATV, apart from the driver, had closed their eyes to rest, as each of them knew that the day was going to be a busy one.

  The ATV pulled up next to the other vehicle and stopped. Jordan turned off the engine, got out and opened the rear doors. Each of the survivor’s jumped down from the transport. Hyde and her escorts were the last.

  Jenkins and Kirk had come to meet them as they arrived, ready to take charge of Hyde as Smithson and Scott lifted her to the ground.

  “Took your sweet time, didn’t you?” Jenkins jibed as he and Kirk reached the rear of the ATV.

  Scott flashed him a look of contempt as he and Smithson lowered Hyde down.

  “Take her to the holding pen and be sure to swing by to see Judd on the way. That might cheer her up.”

  The two privates marched the subdued Hyde away from the others and headed toward the stake where Judd was hanging by his wrists. Hyde’s expression told of her contentment on seeing her nemesis in such a state of distress.

  The next destination was familiar. Hyde tried to pull away from Jenkins and Kirk in panic, but they held her firm.

  “Oh, this is where the scavengers held her and the others,” Jenkins said as he turned to face Kirk. “The poor thing’s petrified.”

  JUDD HEARD THE VOICES as if from a great distance.

  “Wake him up, will you, Kirk?” Scott ordered, “we need to get him in the pen.”

  Kirk held Judd around the waist, while Jenkins unchained his wrists and feet. Kirk dropped the former captain’s semi-conscious body to the ground and detached the cuffs. His naked body was lifted by both men and dragged toward the holding pen.

  Judd was dropped to the floor on his stomach, so Jenkins could open the pen up. Jenkins pulled a piece of rope from his pocket and walked over to Judd. He tied the rope around the man’s feet and pulled him into the pen before hog tying him with the leftover rope.

  The cold chill bit as Judd opened his eyes to face his new situation. He shivered violently as he had nothing to cover him. The stretching had pulled muscles and he was finding it difficult to turn. What he really wanted to do was turn on his side, but the ropes were restricting his movements. He couldn’t say anything, as he had been gagged. He’d never felt as helpless as he did right then. The memory of what he did to Miller had hit him again, and the fear began to show. In the face of it, this brutal, merciless man was human after all.

  MARCUS CLUTCHED A BAG containing Hyde’s best hope for salvation, feeling Scott’s anxious eyes boring into him. While he worked in the lab he had formulated a drug that may reverse the caver process, but he wouldn’t know if it would work until he could get to Hyde to administer it. He was still silently struggling to come to terms with what he had seen in the training room the day Miller died and needed to ri
d her of her curse. As far as Scott was concerned, Marcus was formulating a suppression drug, something to steady the need to feed on raw meat. He watched as Hyde tried to pull away from the two men holding her. Even from where he was standing, he could see she was distressed.

  “I need to get to her now,” He said frantically, turning to Scott. “Please... I have something that might help her.”

  Scott said nothing, but he didn’t stop Marcus either. He gestured for him to go about what he needed to do with a slight flick of the hand. Marcus respectfully nodded and ran toward the pen.

  “Wait! Don’t put her in there yet,” Marcus shouted across. “I need to give her something that might help her calm down.”

  He loosened his grip on the bag and opened it. He pulled out a rectangular shaped box and lifted its lid in full view of Jenkins and Kirk. Marcus pulled one of the needles out and primed it ready to inject.

  “Hold her steady. Try and keep her head still,” Marcus said as he aimed the syringe toward Hyde’s Jugular vein. There was little resistance. She was too weak for anything other than a feeble gesture. He could see the drug starting to take effect almost immediately, made even more evident by the painful expression in her eyes.

  “Remove the mouth guard, please,” Marcus asked as he watched Hyde’s body sagging to the ground. Slowly and warily, Jenkins took the mouth guard away, only to be hit with an ear bleeding scream as the drug worked its way through her system.

  Scott ran over to Marcus and swiped the bag out of his hand. “What the hell did you give her?”

  “It’s something experimental, and I need to see if it works before I turn to other means to suppress her. Get your men to put her in the pen with Judd and remove the straitjacket. I want to see how she acts around his body.”

  Scott nodded. “You heard the man...get her in there.”

  HER LIMP BODY SET DOWN close to Judd’s hogtied carcass, Hyde found it difficult to breath. The drug coursing through her body caused her pain. The screams alone made that all too clear. She pushed herself up, trying not to fall back down. She watched Judd’s breathing get heavier. Her caver side could smell his fear, and her cannibalistic tendencies were trying to force their way to the surface, but the drug wouldn’t allow it. A shooting pain passed through every muscle, almost paralyzing her. Frustration mounted as she fought her inner demons. Screams turned into growls of frustration with every move she tried to make. Her focus remained on Judd.

  I need to do this. He needs to pay.

  Bloodlust rose within her and with a supreme act of will she drove it back.

  No, I won’t! This isn’t me...I can’t do it.

  Tears began to flow, and all the strength she mustered to push herself up had gone. Her body fell back to the ground, her face hitting the dirt. She released one final guttural scream before passing out from the drug’s effects.

  MARCUS, WHO HAD WATCHED the effects of the drug play out from outside the cage, now turned to Scott to explain what had occurred.

  “What I gave her was something I formulated to try and reverse the caver process. I’m not sure if it has worked, but from what we have just seen, I’m hopeful. But we won’t know for sure until she wakes. If she wakes.”

  “I truly hope it has,” Scott said, his vision set on Hyde’s limp body.

  “As do I...” The thought of everything Hyde had been put through turned Marcus’ vision to Judd. The pathetic piece of shit was already as good as dead. Give me your gun.”

  “What? Why?” Scott’s reluctance was to be expected.

  “I’m going to do what should have been done ages ago.”

  “If you intend to kill Judd, I suggest you take him somewhere out of the sight of the younger people in the group. Something like this could scar them mentally. Better still, why don’t I do it?”

  “No, I need to be the one to do it...now, please hand me your gun.” Marcus held out his good hand, and Scott handed over his Glock.

  “Remember? Out of the way.”

  Marcus marched over to the pen and gestured for either Jenkins or Kirk to open the door for him. Jenkins obliged.

  He looked down on Judd’s filthy, naked, trussed up body in disgust, then headed over to Hyde’s body to check her pulse; it was weak but there. He sighed in relief.

  “I’m so sorry, Catherine, I didn’t mean for this to happen,” he whispered close to her ear, wondering if she could hear him or not. A tear made its way down to his chin and dropped to the floor. Sorrow gave way to anger as he got up and made his way over to Judd.

  He hovered over the piece of filth for the briefest moment.

  “Jenkins. Kirk. Help me get this piece of crap into the clearing beyond those woods.”

  Jenkins and Kirk just stared at each other and shrugged then did as they were asked. Judd’s bound body was hauled off the ground, a man behind and a man in front, carrying him like a heavy piece of wood underarm, and with every step came a muffled groan from the barely conscious man.

  THE TIME HAD COME FOR Judd to atone for his crimes. Jenkins and Kirk had very little resistance on their short journey, and his body remained limp after they’d tossed him to the ground. With menacing speed, Marcus entered the clearing, engaging Scott’s weapon as he headed straight toward Judd. The force of the Glock connecting with Judd’s temple woke him. A muffled, weak cry of fear tried to push its way passed the gag that remained in his mouth.

  “I should’ve left you to rot in the caves, but no, Corporal Hyde insisted on dragging your sorry carcass back to London with us. Against my better judgement, I agreed to let her bring you. What I’m about to do is for every one of your victims,” There was no mercy attached to his voice as he looked at the heap on the floor in front of him.

  “What I really want to do is leave you here for the vermin, but I’m going to do this properly, Judd...humanely. You’re practically dead anyway.” he said as he looked on Jenkins and Kirk’s faces and waved his hand as a gesture to leave. “Go back to the others. I’ll follow in a few minutes.”

  Marcus waited until Jenkins and Kirk had moved out of sight, and without hesitation he pulled the trigger. Blood began to pool on the ground under Judd’s head, and his eyes were fixed in terrifying death stare. Marcus walked away remorseless from the death scene, and never looked back. As far as he was concerned, that was the end of the nightmare. All he wanted to do was rejoin the people he knew and loved... and the new allies he’d made at this point. Life was about to begin again.

  EPILOGUE

  Six months had past. Hyde had been in a drug induced coma for most of that time. It was only two days ago, that she awoke properly. Her physical appearance had changed slightly. It was as if the caver process had gone into reverse. Her scales had become dry and flaked off, and her talons had shrivelled and become brittle. Whatever Marcus had given her had started to normalise her body. It would take time, but she would become human again without the caver cells being added to her system daily as they were in the bunker. What remained of the cells in her body were slowly dying. Until the change back was complete, she would have to remain in the pen. Each day from that moment would be spent weaning her off the need to feed on raw meat.

  Jas had been charged with keeping her clean, and Aggie with feeding her. Marcus kept her under close watch. The four privates were charged with that task, and Mason oversaw the interchanges.

  Every day from then on would be a challenge, and continued fight for survival, but at least now they had some means of defence against the remaining scavengers. The encampment had been built up into a community. Makeshift homes had been built and more would go up as their population grew.

  Seeds had been planted in the hope that they would begin to thrive in the small patches of damp earth. Everything that remained was utilised for use in everyday life...and most importantly, they were happy.

  THE END

 

 
<
br />