Escaping Madness: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Live Free Or Die Book 3)

by Hayley Lawson

  Leandro had left Pops on Level Two. Leandro glanced over his shoulder and saw the Mad he’d leaped on stumble onto Level Three to search out its next meal, the other Mad following it.

  Leandro wanted to go make sure there were no civilians on Level Three for the Mad to snack on, but if he did he’d have to leave his Pops for even longer with Afana. Leandro made his decision. He would save his Pops.

  When he got to Level One, he could hear equipment crashing to the floor before he could see what was causing it.

  Massimo and Afana were having one hell of a fight. Leandro sprinted over to his Pops. A scalpel flew toward Leandro and landed in his thigh. Holy schnikes! Why is everyone attacking my thighs?

  Leandro turned to face the direction from which the scalpel had come and dragged the scalpel out of his thigh as the advisor threw more at him. Luckily for Leandro, none of the others hit the target.

  Leandro ran at the advisor and knocked him to the floor, then leaped on top of him and sunk his teeth into the man’s neck, stopping him from harming anyone else.

  Leandro sprinted to Massimo, who was fighting Afana in the lab. The place looked like two Tasmanian devils had been in there. The lab was trashed; beds were flipped over, and other pieces of equipment were bent and scattered around the room.

  Leandro jumped at Afana and sunk his teeth into Afana’s flesh. The vampire’s skin was tougher than a normal person, so Leandro couldn’t get a grip, and Afana swung around and threw Leandro off him. He landed on his paws and went for Afana again, this time at his ankles. He pulled at Afana, unbalancing him.

  Massimo used this weakness and swung at the other vampire, landing a punch on Afana’s chin.

  Afana spat blood. “Is that the best you’ve got?” He laughed at Massimo. “You should have stayed forgotten.” Then Afana breathed in and out deeply. He was out of breath and appeared to be weaker than Massimo.

  “Why couldn’t Bethany Anne have found you and killed you before the WWDE?” Massimo replied.

  “I would have killed her as well,” Afana said happily.

  Now it was Massimo’s turn. “Don’t make me laugh. A pissant like you couldn’t have killed Bethany Anne.”

  Afana laughed. “She’d just be another addition to my cattle, a toy for me to experiment on.” Afana looked at Knuckles, who thrashed around in his restraints, and Tank’s headless body, which was on the floor after the vampires had slammed one another against the bed. “Now I have a new test subject. You!”

  Afana quickly turned and sprinted out the door, and input the codes on the keypad. The door slid closed before Massimo and Leandro could get out.

  Massimo pounded his fists against the door and Leandro clawed at it, but it made no difference; it was made from unbreakable glass. They had to get out of the room.

  Advisor Robert came up alongside Afana from wherever he’d been hiding while the fight had been happening. “What would you like to do next?” Advisor Robert asked Afana.

  Afana didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at the wall. He wasn’t looking at anything, which concerned Advisor Robert. He scanned his immortal leader and noticed rips in his clothing that revealed bite marks. Fear flooded through Advisor Robert’s veins at a frantic pace, just like the Madness in Afana’s veins.

  Advisor Robert stepped away from Afana. “Were you bitten?”

  It took a moment for Afana to answer. “Yes, and I can feel the Madness inside me.” He growled. “I need blood.”

  All this running up and down the stairs was way more exercise than she’d planned on doing and Ryder was knackered. The adrenaline kept her moving forward, and she wasn’t going to let anything happen to Massimo or Leandro.

  When they got to Level Four, where all the chaos had broken out, there were body parts all over the floor and blood coated everything it touched. Ryder saw a spear on the floor, and some of the Merry Men were helping Koda to his feet. He looked like he’d taken a beating, but he was alive.

  Ryder wasn’t going to let any more of the Merry Men end up like her and Koda. She needed to bring this fight to an end.

  They moved up to Level Three, where they’d had another breakout of the Madness. Ryder couldn’t leave the Mad alive since everyone from Level Six would need to move up through this level.

  “Maxwell,” Ryder started. But before she could finish, he did.

  “We’ve got this level,” he told her. Andrew and Louis nodded, and the three of them entered Level Three to take on the last of the Mad.

  Ryder and Carter made their way up the next flight of stairs, “I bet when we get to Level One, Massimo will have killed Afana and he’ll be singing his favorite ABBA song. What was it again?” Carter asked.

  “Dancing Queen,” Ryder told him, remembering her dance with Leandro. She wondered if she remembered it so fondly because they wouldn’t be dancing again.

  Ryder lost her footing on the blood-soaked stairs and grabbed the handrail to keep herself from falling. Her heart had leaped into her mouth when she thought she was going to fall. Her almost-tumble had made a racket, and it echoed in the stairwell.

  Carter quickly spun to her with his weapons drawn.

  “It’s okay, I just slipped. This damn blood is everywhere.” Ryder grinned, a little embarrassed.

  Carter rolled his eyes. “Watch your step.”

  “No shit, genius.” Ryder laughed and took a moment to catch her breath. The others were at the top of the stairs, ready to enter the next level, and were listening to see if they could hear anyone on the other side of the door.

  Hands grabbed Ryder’s ankles, pulling her off the step. Ryder’s hands clutched the handrail to stop her from falling. She looked down at a Mad with twisted legs on the stairs whose teeth were about to sink into Ryder’s ankle.

  Ryder panicked and tried to kick the Mad off her, but it was too late. Ryder felt the Mad’s teeth bite down hard enough to break the flesh. Ryder thrashed to shake the Mad off. I’ve been bitten… I’ve been bitten! Ryder screamed inside.

  Ryder was able to shake the Mad off, but it was too late, The Mad had Ryder’s blood on her face. She wanted more, and she was pulling herself up after Ryder with her hands since her broken legs couldn’t carry her. Ryder was in shock; she would become one of them soon. She was so close to being free she could almost smell it, and now what? The Mad had stolen her chance.

  “Fuck you!” Ryder snapped. If she weren’t going to be free, she’d make damn sure everyone else was before she turned.

  Ryder went for the knives Willard had given her, wishing she’d picked up her spear since she could have staked the Mad before it bit her. Too late for regrets now.

  She lunged at the Mad, but before she could connect with it, Murray was there. He pulled the Mad off the stairs by the legs and dragged her onto Level Four.

  Murray returned, closing the door behind him. He wiped his hands down his pants, cleaning away the blood from the Mad he’d just killed; one of many.

  “What are you doing here?” Ryder asked as she glared at him. Yes, he’d gotten rid of the Mad for her, but Ryder was just about to do it. He hadn’t saved her life—although if he’d been here a few moments earlier, he would have.

  “I thought you could do with some more help,” Murray said, and he tried his hardest not to give her a look that said he was right.

  “Why, because I’m a woman?” Ryder shot back.

  Murray shook his head. “No, because Afana is an immortal vampire.”

  Good point, thought Ryder. They could do with help, but not from the man who’d led the other generals, and was Afana’s right-hand man when it came to stealing the innocent from their lives.

  Blood started to flow from her bite wound, and Ryder pushed down her pant leg to ensure it was covered.

  Murray eyed her warily. “You’ve been bitten?”

  Ryder stared at Murray blankly. “Martin was bitten as well,” he told her. “He went Mad within a few hours of the bite.”

  “Thanks for the update. I know wha
t happens when you get bitten. Once I rescue everyone, they won’t see me again,” Ryder assured him. She was going to finish this, no matter what.

  “Hey, are you all right?” Carter yelled down to Ryder.

  “Yeah, just catching my breath. Looks like I should have gone into training before today,” Ryder replied playfully.

  Carter shouted, “Well, hurry up, slowpoke. There’s a bit of noise on the other side.”

  Terrier came into view at the bottom of the stairs, fighting off the Mad.

  “Don’t say a word to them. I can’t have them worrying about me. They need to focus on the job at hand,’ Ryder whispered so only Murray could hear. “Do you hear me?” she ground out through gritted teeth.

  Murray nodded. “I hear you.”

  “And kill me if I turn before I get away,” Ryder added. She hoped that he of all people wouldn’t have to, but he was actually the best person because then none of her friends would have to live with the guilt. If she made it out before turning, Ryder planned to take Bryant’s gun and kill herself by the watering hole where she’d first had a taste of freedom.

  Ryder played around with that idea. Maybe not the best idea, since I’d have to cross the damn river again, which I would have died in if it wasn’t for Fluffy. Then again, I am going there to die. But drowning? Ryder’s thoughts of where she was going to die made her chuckle a little, since there seemed to be no good place to die in peace.

  “I will,” General Murray promised soberly, as if he actually cared. He was a good actor.

  Terrier had finished fighting the Mad and headed up the stairs toward Ryder. He looked at General Murray, then back at Ryder. “What’s going on?”

  They both shook their heads. “Nothing,” Ryder told him. “I thought you were looking after the women and kids on Level Six?”

  “Peter and Mama Lou have it under control.”

  Ryder replied quickly before Terrier could ask her any more questions, “It’s nice to be fighting alongside you again. Come on, or Carter will be complaining.”

  24

  Ryder quickly headed up the stairs to meet up with the others, Murray behind her. Carter glanced at Ryder. “Are you okay?” He looked concerned.

  “I asked that.” Terrier nodded at Ryder.

  “Yeah, I’m fine, brought a friend with me.” Ryder waved him on and smiled at Terrier. “What have we got going on behind the door?” Ryder asked to change the subject.

  Carter explained, “There aren’t any screams, so we’re guessing there aren’t any people left, or they are hiding, but there are grunts and groans, so we’ve got Mad.”

  “Let’s take care of them quickly and get onto the Level Two.” Ryder didn’t know how long she had before she turned.

  Everyone got their weapons ready, and Terrier cracked his knuckles. That beast of a man didn’t need a weapon; he was the weapon. Ryder wished she had her spear. She checked that the knives Willard had given her were still in her waist belt, then got her bow ready.

  Carter slowly opened the door, hoping that it wouldn’t betray them and scream out to the Mad. Unfortunately, that was just what the hinges did. They creaked loudly, and the Mad turned to face them. Blood was dripping from the Mad’s mouths; the generals had turned. Some were wearing their uniforms, others their civvies. The other Mad were the generals’ wives and children. The only thing they all had in common was that they wanted fresh, juicy flesh.

  The Mad ran at Ryder and the others, but they were ready. Ryder fired her arrows at the oncoming Mad, Graham swung his axes, and Vicky made the usual swings with her shovel. They were making quick work of the Mad, but these Mad were fast and strong.

  Byrant fired his gun at the oncoming Mad until he was out of bullets.

  Graham’s axe lodged in a Mad’s arm, and the Mad roared and kept trying to get Graham like it didn’t have an axe buried in it. Graham pushed the Mad away from him using his axe, then swung the other axe into the Mad’s head. His glowing red eyes were locked on Graham, and for a moment the Mad still went for him.

  “This one won’t die,” Graham bitched breathlessly.

  “It’s ‘cause you’re not strong enough.” Vicky laughed, mocking Graham as she swung her shovel at the back of the Mad’s head. There was a crunch as she cracked his skull. “That’s how you kill a Mad.” She smiled smugly as the Mad dropped to the floor.

  “True.” Graham levered the axe out of the Mad. “Or like this.” He ran to the next Mad, who was dressed in a uniform, and swung his axe. Aiming right for the neck, he used all of his force, and the Mad’s head landed on the ground with a thud and bounced over to Vicky. The Mad’s eyes were looking up at Vicky, his mouth was wide open, and there was blood dripping everywhere.

  Vicky nodded. “That works too.”

  Terrier ran at a Mad in a berserker rage. He pushed his thumbs into the Mad’s eyes, blinding it. The Mad flailed at Terrier, still wanting to taste fresh flesh, but Terrier wasn’t going to let the Mad get a taste of him. He gripped the Mad’s head and squeezed, using all his strength to crack the Mad’s skull.

  The gang made quick work of killing the Mad, but it was hard work, and the team were getting tired. They were nowhere near ready to give up, though.

  “Get back up the next level of stairs,” Ryder told them when they’d taken out the last of the Mad.

  Everyone retrieved their weapons from the bodies of the Mad and headed up. Their weapons were covered in blood which was making it hard to keep their grip. Each of them wiped the blood down their pants, although it did little it did to improve their grip.

  Ryder really wanted to take a shower back at Massimo’s house and smell like lavender again.

  This time Ryder made sure the door was closed behind them. She didn’t want another sneak attack. Ryder couldn’t believe she’d been stupid before and forgotten to close the door.

  With every step, Ryder thought about when she’d change, or when they would face Afana. They were nearly at Level One, where he must be. She really hoped that Carter was right and Massimo would be singing his favorite song.

  Level Two was empty of Mad. Well, any living Mad. There were a few women and kids who didn’t know what to do. When Ryder looked up at Level One, she could make out the giant monster that was Afana. She couldn’t see Massimo or Leandro since most of the floor was covered in blood. Was it their blood? Ryder worried, and her heart stopped for a moment. This was it; time for her to face him.

  “He’s up there,” Ryder announced, and the group wasted no time heading up the stairs to Level One.

  “Now what?” Carter asked. He went for the door and stopped.

  They didn’t have a plan for rescuing Massimo and Leandro. “We rescue our friends. Give me a clear shot, and I will kill him.” Ryder readied her bow and arrows. These arrowheads would break through Afana’s tough skin. They had to.

  “Sounds like a plan to me, stinky.” Carter grinned. “Follow my lead. Ryder, you get in place for the shot, and a bit of notice would be nice. Last time she nearly took my ear off,” He said to Vicky.

  “You always exaggerate. It was nowhere near him.” Ryder rolled her eyes, then nodded to Carter, and he followed orders and opened the door as quietly as he could.

  This time the door didn’t betray them. Murray did.

  “Afana.” General Murray shouted. Afana looked at Murray like he didn’t know him. He was fighting the battle inside his body, the battle against the Madness.

  Ryder’s breath caught when Murray pushed her out of the way and headed straight for Afana. The slimy double-crossing shitball. And I believed for even one moment that he’d changed. Fuck him, Ryder thought.

  If looks could kill, Terrier would be dead. Ryder had trusted Murray because of him. Terrier didn’t see the look on Ryder’s face because he started to go after Murray, but Carter stopped him.

  Ryder pointed the arrow right at Murray’s back as he walked over to Afana, but Carter pushed her arrow down. What the fuck was he doing! “Carter?”

>   “It’s Tommy… Afana’s got Tommy,” Carter said, his voice full of fear.

  Murray was blocking Ryder’s view, and she leaned a little to see. First she saw Advisor Robert, then Afana, whose long fangs were protruding out of his gums, about to go into little Tommy’s neck. Afana had Tommy in a tight grip, and he looked tiny next to the monster. Why hadn’t the kid stayed put like Carter had told him? Why was he here?

  Afana looked away from his meal at the quickly approaching Murray. “I’ve captured them for you, and Terrier is on Level Six,” he announced.

  I fucking knew it! Ryder’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her arrows. They were worthless since Murray was blocking her target. That yellow-bellied jerk.

  Afana looked as if he were grinning, but it was hard to tell since his face was like an uneven boulder. He stared at them for a long time without saying anything.

  Advisor Robert looked at Afana, “Afana?” He waved, and it snapped Afana out of his trance.

  Murray was beside Afana now and looking at Ryder and the gang. Afana still had a firm grip on Tommy, but Murray didn’t even look at the poor kid. He was a monster like Afana, and Ryder had brought the whole gang to him. They’d followed his idea of splitting the group up, leaving them weaker.

  With Murray now beside Afana, Ryder had a clear shot at both of them—but they had Tommy. Ryder knew that both men would use Tommy as their shield.

  Advisor Robert stood alongside Afana as well, and it was clear that the wrinkly old fool was happy.

  Carter, Vicky, and Byrant looked at Ryder with fear, since it was the first time they’d seen Afana up close. They didn’t know what to do.

  Ryder scanned the area for Massimo and Leandro. Where were they? They weren’t on the floor. Ryder looked through the glass floor. Were they on another level, injured, and they hadn’t seen them? Were they down one of the tunnels? Were they okay? The questions raced through Ryder’s mind.