The Devil Within (The Viral Superhero Series Book 5)

by Bryan Cohen

  The servant gave the General a smile of solidarity. The General returned it. "Pluric, I think you're just mad that you haven't gotten to torture anybody lately."

  His second-in-command grinned and stood up. "Don't worry about me, General. I find plenty of things to do in my spare time." His ears perked up. "I believe your ship is leaving soon. Last chance to schedule a tiny hanging before you leave."

  The General grunted. "That will be all, Pluric."

  The second-in-command bowed and left the throne room. The servant immediately sat in the empty chair. "General, I'm glad you're not listening to him. The people love Vella. And everything you're doing is–"

  The General stood abruptly. "Thank you. I have a plane to catch."

  The servant matched his position. "When I spoke with my family in the villages, they looked so much healthier. The children are getting stronger. That's all because of you. You should be prou–"

  "Point taken." The General coughed. "The room better be spotless when I return or Pluric will get his hanging."

  After the ship took off, the General spent the first half of the ride thinking about the servant. Since when had the help grown confident enough to speak to him? Was Pluric right? Had he truly lost his edge? Could he govern if the dark souls didn't fear him?

  On the second half of the trip, the General considered what the peace had done to his land. Border skirmishes had fallen dramatically. What used to be pages and pages of dead soldiers reported each day was now hardly more than a paragraph. After sending thousands of malnourished dark souls to take over for dead children, parents, and elderly on Earth, their crops have stretched farther than ever before. The health of his people was returning, and it was all because of his deal with the living soul. His pride mixed with regret.

  What about all the people I sentenced to death? Was it worth it to save the lives of thousands?

  He was unable to answer his questions before the ship landed in Clance, a neutral location for his meeting with the light soul commanders. One scan of the land told the General the village's history. It had been bombed and built back up so many times that it had become an ugly assort of architectural styles from the last thousand years. Perhaps if this talk went well, it would remain intact for the foreseeable future.

  The General stepped into a white stone room with pillars on either side. A modern table and a set of chairs in the middle stuck out against the classical motif. Sitting at one end of the table were Light Soul General Gan and Commander Reena. As he approached, neither leader moved an inch to greet him.

  The General took his seat and smirked. "Now that the pleasantries are over, shall we get down to business?"

  Gan huffed.

  Reena pulled out a set of documents. "As promised in our last meeting, we've withdrawn all our forces from the disputed zones."

  The aforementioned land represented territories that used to be controlled by dark soul forces. On a planet that was once divided 50/50, the General's forces had been compressed to less than ten percent of the Realm.

  "My people will be pleased to return to their rightful homes."

  Gan wrinkled his forehead. "As if they can remember a thousand years ago when they owned it."

  The General opted not to take the bait. He cleared his throat. "Now, onto the last matter of the airbase."

  Gan waved his hand dismissively. "Non-negotiable."

  The General raised his eyebrows. "Then the hostage exchange is off the table."

  Gan was halfway to a standing argument position when Reena pulled him down.

  "General, I'm afraid we can't dismantle the base until we see another sign of goodwill from you."

  The General let a few seconds of silence serve as the precursor to his response. "Then I fear for the lives of your prisoners."

  This time, Gan threw off Reena's protestations and stood. His voice boomed against the room's high ceilings. "You listen here. We know you made the living soul agree under duress. We know we can't trust you. So the airbase stays!"

  Part of the General wanted to fight fire with fire, but he let the ice flow through his veins instead. "Let me remind you, Gan, that you bombed my stronghold and killed dozens of my men. You nearly took out Natalie Dormer in the process."

  The General fought off memories of Natalie that flooded to the surface. A deep kiss on a basketball court. Carrying her in his arms to the hospital. Butterflies multiplied in his stomach.

  These memories aren't mine.

  Thankfully, Gan and Reena didn't seem to notice his internal reaction.

  The light soul commander blinked. "It's true, we nearly killed her, but only after you tortured her half to death."

  The General's mouth was dry. "She's lucky she survived your attack. We never would've taken her life." He puffed up his chest. "Meanwhile, many of my men and their families lost their lives. Those who remain can't sleep at night because they know the base remains within striking distance."

  Gan mumbled something under his breath.

  The General raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

  Gan sighed. "Fine. We'll dismantle the base."

  The General loved getting everything he wanted. So why did he feel so hollow?

  "Thank you, Gan. It's good to know the light souls also have a willingness for peace."

  Gan's face turned beet-red and he took several steps toward the General before Reena grabbed her fellow soldier's arms and wrenched them behind his back.

  Gan spit at he talked. "You listen to me, scumbag. We know that you're making a play for Earth. You can talk about all the well-fed farmers you want, but everything you say is a lie."

  The General wasn't sure why he stood up then. Usually, he could keep his cool in these situations, but something Gan said struck a chord. His hand twitched.

  Gan continued to shout. "We're ready for you to make your move, and when you do, the light souls will not hesitate to strike!"

  Reena pulled him out of the room, and like that, the peace talks were over. Even though he'd gotten everything he came for, the General's temperature continued to rise. As the room emptied, he gripped the table, which shook along with his body.

  "I'm… not… a liar!"

  The General threw his arms outward and everything in the room jumped sideways. The chairs skidded against the white stone floor and crashed into the walls. The table slammed into one of the pillars and snapped in two. Papers scattered every which-way.

  The General's temper cooled. He glanced around at the items strewn about the room. Somehow, he'd done this.

  But how?

  Vella's words played in the General's mind like a loud and resonating chord.

  12

  Travis was used to driving with his headlights off late at night. At one point, it was the only way Natalie would agree to see him. His night vision had gotten pretty strong as a result, and he easily avoiding potholes, daredevil squirrels, and other midnight obstacles. Travis parked his car just one house down and across the street from Ted Finley. He hoped against hope that the boy wonder couldn't hear his thoughts. If Ted was tuning in, he'd see the scene in the hallway played out over a hundred times in a row. Travis re-watched the mental movie from every angle and every magnification possible. He thought about the way Natalie and Ted's hands had touched. His jealous mind had ruled out accidental contact pretty quickly, and he only knew one way to quiet his feelings.

  Last night, that took the form of sitting in the same spot across from Ted's house until three in the morning. He vowed he wouldn't do it again, but here he was for the second straight evening. He knew Nat would give him a hearty whooping if she saw what he was doing. He fumbled way too long with a wrapped chocolate candy before getting it into his mouth.

  Sometimes, love makes you stalk people.

  Almost as if on cue, Travis watched Ted Finley float down from his window. The hero landed gracefully on the lawn and started walking down the driveway at an angle. He was headed straight for Travis' car.

  Travis ducked dow
n into the passenger's side and did his best to clear his mind. Despite his best efforts, his brain buzzed with attention.

  Why would you tail a mindreader? Coach was right. I'd fail remedial gym.

  As Travis held his breath, anticipating the worst, the sound of a car's motor broke the silence. He peeked his head ever so slightly above the bottom of the driver's side window. Ted wasn't coming to rat out Travis. He was getting into a black car that Travis didn't recognize.

  "He's not seeing Natalie." He exhaled as the black vehicle pulled away. "It's gotta be some late-night President thing." Travis started the car. "I should just go home. Get some sleep."

  He pulled a U-turn and left his headlights off as he kept the black car in sight. When it turned down one street, he waited the requisite amount of time and followed suit.

  "Don't be an idiot, Travis. This isn't your problem."

  He let another merging vehicle wedge in between his car and Ted's mysterious ride. It would make him even harder to spot.

  His heart picked up its pace. "I am so going to get shot by a drone for this."

  The path of the black car took Travis through the shadier part of town, which he knew quite well. Two of the three rundown homes he'd lived in had been within a block of crackhouses. If Ted didn't have superpowers on his side, the scrawny nerd wouldn't have lasted two minutes on these streets. Travis was lucky he'd made it as long as he had on his own.

  The black car pulled into an abandoned lot, sending a nervous buzz through Travis' body. He kept the car going for another block before parking beside a brick building that proudly displayed only three broken windows.

  He tried unsuccessfully to control his breathing. "You can still go home. You can still go home."

  Listening was never his strong suit. Travis exited the car and stayed close to the side of the building until he was within view of Ted's ride.

  The driver had parked in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Even though it was half the size, it brought back memories of the old GHA headquarters.

  "Yeah, and nothing shady ever happened in there."

  A light went on through an intact window on the building's second floor. It shined down on the vehicle and two men in black suits who appeared to be standing guard.

  Travis looked left and right for a way into the building that wouldn't get him killed. "What are you up to, Ted Finley?"

  Between the two buildings he spotted an alleyway that was more or less out of sight. If he could get through unseen, there might be a way up to the second floor without going through a creaky entrance.

  "Last chance, genius." He sighed. He was in too deep. "There better be a brothel in there or something."

  Travis successfully snuck through the alley and pulled himself up a secure drainage pipe. His shoulder pinched with pain about halfway up, but he reached a broken second-floor window without taking a spill. He eased himself in and avoided the glass on the floor.

  Travis rubbed at his shoulder. "They make it look so easy in the movies."

  He softly walked toward the light on the other side of the floor, and a faint noise trickled toward him. Travis couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like Ted was addressing people. Or was it a camera?

  "If he's answering fans' YouTube questions, this is gonna get real disappointing."

  Travis was almost close enough to hear the words clearly, when another noise caught his attention. Behind him, someone stepped right onto a piece of glass.

  Travis turned and barely feinted a right cross by one of the suited men. He was much bigger up close. The burly man swung with his left, but Travis was too quick. He caught the punch at the wrist and did a forward roll, the momentum carrying the attacker to the ground as well.

  Travis got to his feet quickly. "Suit wasn't a good idea, man. Terrible range of motion."

  He'd barely finished his quip when the second guard came rushing in. This one was much faster than his partner, but Travis was prepared. The second attack whipped his leg around for a kick, but Travis channeled his inner linebacker, tackling the man's standing leg. They slammed hard to the ground and then sprung up at exactly the same time. Several shards of glass had lodged themselves in the attacker's back, but he didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

  Travis crouched into a fighting position. "Maybe you should go to a hospital."

  The first attacker sprung forward and wrenched Travis' arms behind him. Travis struggled left and right, but the well-dressed guard was incredibly strong.

  The man whispered in Travis' ear. "Maybe you should go to a morgue."

  The guard's partner walked forward with his fist clenched. As the he wound up, Travis let his body go completely limp. The man behind him didn't expect it, letting Travis slip right out as the punch came. When he rolled to the side, he heard a wet squishy sound and a groan. Travis turned back and his eyes bugged out.

  The second guard's fist had gone through the first guard's entire body. His arm remained lodged inside his partner. Blood and guts trickled from his still-clenched fingers.

  "Holy crap!"

  Both men turned toward Travis. He didn't hesitate to run. He imagined the guard would have quite the time getting his fist unstuck, but he wasn't about to hang around to find out. As he leapt through the broken window, he barely grabbed a hold of the drainage pipe. He slid down so fast that he badly scraped both hands before landing on solid ground. His adrenaline was way too high to feel the pain as he wiped the blood and dirt on his pants. One sprint down the alley and a quick start of his car later, and Travis was back on the road.

  As his heart rate calmed, Travis' hands began to throb. He ignored the sensation and stared straight ahead.

  "Those were dark souls. Why the hell does Ted Finley need dark soul guards?"

  13

  Just minutes after his return flight ventured back to the dark soul stronghold, the General burst through the doors of his private meeting chambers. Sure enough, Pluric was holding court with several other top-ranking officials. The General stood there seething for a few seconds while all eyes in the room turned to him. All eyes except for Pluric's.

  The torturer shuffled some papers and grinned to himself. "Back so soon, General? I take it the peace accords went as planned?"

  While the General still had no idea where his newfound talents came from, the powers were now easy to access. It was as if they lay just below the surface, and with a thought, he pulled his abilities into reality. The General flung his arms wide and the seated officers skidded across the stone ground, crashing against the walls with a thud. The officials gasped and chattered at the display. Only Pluric was able to stand his ground. Rage boiled within the General as he telekinetically dragged his second-in-command closer. Once he got within arm's length, the General grabbed his underling by the neck and lifted him off the ground. He wanted nothing more than to grind the dark soul's bones to dust.

  The General breathed heavily. "Why do I have powers? And why the hell are you meeting without me?"

  Pluric was calm in his midair position, as if he could stay suspended in the General's grasp for days without difficulty. With one wave of his hand, the wide-eyed officers left the meeting chamber. As they shut the door, the General lowered his commander to the ground. Pluric didn't even flinch, despite the red handprint below his chin.

  The torturer gestured to the head of the table. "If you'll take a moment to breathe, my liege, there's a perfectly good explanation for everything."

  The General took one look at the chair, and it exploded into a dozen pieces. Shards of wood tapped against the walls and clattered to the ground.

  The General scowled. "Spare me no details or I'll do the same to you."

  Pluric remained calm as he sat in one of the non-decimated chairs. The General knew everything there was to know about the high-ranking official. He was an absolute master when it came to inflicting pain. No matter where he went in life, he'd find a way to punish those around him, whether or not they deserved it. The Gen
eral had liked those qualities when they were used in his service, but there was always a modicum of fear they'd be used against him.

  "Please." Pluric folded his hands on the table. "Sit."

  The General complied.

  "I'll handle your second question first. Given your trips away from the stronghold, I've been holding meetings to keep things running smoothly. Otherwise, you'd return to chaos, and you'd be angry for a completely different reason."

  The General grunted.

  Pluric's face grew serious. "As for the first question. You asked me to do this."

  The General stood up, his chair screeching against the stone. "And why would I do that?"

  The torturer sighed. "I was afraid of this. You said you wanted more power, and I told you there'd be consequences."

  The General's pulse slowed. He had some recollection of the words Pluric recounted. He sat back down.

  "Giving you the powers of the living soul without the books was quite a feat, but there were certain side effects."

  The General rubbed at his temple. "I have Ted Finley's memories." His eyes narrowed. "I find myself... thinking like him."

  Pluric looked at the General like a teacher might when scolding an insolent student. "It's all part of the process. You couldn't take his powers without taking everything he is." Pluric organized his papers once again. "Now that you understand the cause, I'd like to go back to my meeting."

  It only took a second for the General to recognize the trickle of fear on Pluric's face.

  He's lying.

  The General's rage once again leapt to the surface. He threw a wave of air in Pluric's direction, but once again the commander stayed firmly rooted in his chair. The General slammed his fist down on the table so hard that it snapped in two, leaving a direct path between him and his commander.

  His body tensed. "I know you're lying to me. You think I can't tell that after all these years?!"

  Pluric stood and adjusted his outfit. It was only after he'd straightened several wrinkles that he rushed the General. With incredible speed, the second-in-command punched the dark soul leader like a bullet. The General flew backwards, his back cracking against the wall as he slumped to the ground. The pain radiated up and down his spine as he got to his feet. He was dizzier than he expected, and he nearly toppled back down until he grabbed hold of a chair beside him.