by M. R. Forbes
He heard more gunfire from Pyro’s position, turning and looking back down the line. He saw a bolt on the ground at his feet. One of them had shot him in the back, and he hadn’t even felt it hit. He aimed his weapon, firing the last two rounds.
Pyro stopped shooting. Hayden opened the cylinder of the revolver and quickly reloaded. He scanned the lot for more bandits.
“I think we’re clear, Sheriff,” Pyro said.
“I’m going after Gus,” Hayden said. “Can you walk?”
“I’ll manage.”
“Stay behind me, don’t let any of them sneak up on us. Holler if you’re in trouble, and watch for more booby traps.”
“Pozz that.”
Hayden jumped back onto the hood of a car, leaping across the aisle to the next. He headed in the direction of the shopping center, repeating the process until he was more confident he had cleared all of the traps. He looked back once, finding Pyro picking through the rows of cars, limping as she moved.
He finally made it to the edge of the lot and sprinted across the pavement toward the building. The bandits were already inside, and they pulled a metal gate across the entrance before shooting at him.
He changed direction, rushing sideways to get out of the line of fire. Bullets hit the ground around him, one of them hitting his arm, another his hip. He was never more thankful to have the Centurion bodysuit. He would have been dead a dozen times without it. He ran to the side of the building, pressing against it and taking a moment to catch his breath.
“Hold your position, Sheriff,” Pyro said. “I’ve got this.”
He found her in the lot, rifle resting on the roof of one of the cars. “Pozz,” he replied.
A moment later, he saw the lower barrel of the weapon flare, and a small silver ball launched out of it, arcing toward the gate. He turned his back and opened his mouth to help diminish the concussion of the grenade when it hit the gate, finding a hole between the mesh and falling just inside.
It exploded a few seconds later, the force of the blast rending the metal and sending chunks of concrete out toward the cars. Hayden turned back to it and ran across, diving into the rising cloud of smoke and debris. Two dead bandits were mixed with the fresh rubble.
“Thank you,” Hayden said into the comm.
“No problem, Sheriff,” Pyro replied. “Find Gus.”
Hayden moved through the smoke and into the building. It had a worn tile floor and a long corridor with smaller storefronts on either side. Most of the glass in the stores was gone, broken a long time ago. The contents of the stores had all been picked out too, with only random bits and pieces of clothes, jewelry, electronics, and other material goods scattered around the space. The walls were cracked and faded and dirty, the air stale and warm.
He could hear the echoes of boots coming from around the corner and down along another corridor. He wasn’t sure how many pairs. Six? Eight? It didn’t matter. He wasn’t letting them take Gus.
He slowed when he neared the corner, holding the revolver up near his face. He leaned out slightly, ducking back when a burst of fire from what he assumed was Gus’ rifle peppered the wall ahead of him. If they had decided to use the Marine Corps weapon, he had to get to them before they sent a grenade his way.
He looked out again, catching a glimpse of two bandits positioned in one of the storefronts, hiding behind old shelves. They shot at him again, and he ducked back a second time.
“Pyro, status?” he asked.
“I’m near what’s left of the gate. No sign of any of them out here.”
“Hold your position there until I give the all clear.”
“Pozz that, Sheriff.”
Hayden took a few deep breaths. He was going to have to come out of hiding to take his shot at the bandits, and hope their aim was as bad as he was guessing.
He remained frozen in place when the bandits started to scream.
Chapter 32
“What the hell?” Hayden said softly, peering around the corner to recheck their position. His heart pulsed when he saw the back of the Hellion in the hallway, in the process of cutting one of the soldiers in half with its claws.
The fucking thing was following him?
“Pyro,” he whispered. “Head back to the car.”
“What?” she replied. “Sheriff, Gus is in there.”
“I know. Just head back to the car. Get the gun reloaded and stay ready. The Hellion is alive, and it's inside the building.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Pozz that. Do it.”
“Yes sir, Sheriff.”
He had no idea how he was going to get past the creature to reach Gus. He didn’t even know if Gus was still alive. Was the Hellion hunting him? It probably didn’t want the bandits to steal its kill.
He scanned the area, looking for somewhere to hide. He could duck into a storefront, but how would that help? He needed to get past the creature to make it to the mongrel, and he wasn’t leaving without him.
He had heard before that the best defense was a good offense.
He decided to put the theory to the test.
He came around the corner, running along the hallway toward the Hellion. It heard him coming, and it stopped its attack on the bandit and turned, mouth opening wide in a horrifying grin. It hunched on all fours, ready to lunge at him.
He shot it. Once. Twice. Three times. The force of the impacts were enough to drive the slugs through its thick flesh and into its body, pushing it back and causing it to cry out in a terrible scream. It flopped back and over, scrambling to get away.
Hayden kept shooting, emptying the weapon into the monster. It howled and vanished, but Hayden could see the faint outline of it moving away, back toward the entrance. He opened the gun and began to reload, still running in the direction the bandits had taken Gus. He didn’t know if the wounds he had inflicted on the Hellion were fatal. He didn’t know if it would die, run away, or regroup and come back. He had won the second battle, but he didn’t think the war would end that easily.
He turned the corner again, coming to a door. He pushed it open, finding himself in a shorter hallway with a restroom on either side and another door behind it. He heard fearful shouting from there, and he raced to it.
He pushed through that door and into a stairwell, following the voices. He descended two flights, bursting through another door right behind the bandits. They spun around as he came in, crossbows going to their shoulders, their faces pale and expressions terrified. He saw Gus up ahead, lying in a makeshift gurney.
Hayden fired. Once. Twice. Both bandits collapsed, blood spreading from their chests. He shifted the aim of the weapon to the remaining men.
“Put him down,” he said. “And put your hands up.”
The bandits froze and lowered the gurney to the ground. Hayden noticed he had come out into an underground storage and maintenance area. It reminded him of the cargo hold of the Navy ship. There were tents and sleeping bags spread on the floor, and piles of trash in the far corner. There were four cooktops arranged in a square near the center, a wooden crate beside it. He looked away before he could identify what was in the crate.
The camp wasn’t large. He didn’t see any other bandits besides the six who had taken Gus. He wasn’t all that worried about the bandits. Not anymore. Not when the Hellion was nearby.
“Is he alive?” Hayden asked.
“For now,” one of the bandits replied.
“I think you’re going to have to find another meal,” Hayden said, stepping toward them. “Back away from him. I’m taking him out of here. Where’s the bag he was carrying.”
One of the other bandits had it. He held it out.
“Leave it with him.”
The bandit dropped the bag beside Gus and backed away.
“What the hell is that thing upstairs?” one of them asked.
“Furping devil incarnate is what,” one of the other bandits said.
“Just about,” Hayden said. “What did you do to him?”
“A natural sedative. He’ll be sleeping for a while.”
Hayden cursed under his breath. He wasn’t sure he had the energy to carry the mongrel all the way back to the car, and he damned well wasn’t going to be able to do it if the Hellion was waiting for round three.
“Pyro, where are you?” he asked, activating his comm.
“Almost back to the car, Sheriff.”
“The Hellion ran out that way. Do you see it?”
There was a pause as he imagined she was looking around.
“Negative. It may be camouflaged.”
“It may also be injured. I’m not sure. It seems to be able to regenerate, but I put some big slugs into it. Gus is alive, but he’s out cold and won’t be waking for a while.”
“Pozz. What should I do?”
“I’m not sure what I should do,” Hayden replied, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “I can’t get out of here with Gus like this, and I don’t want you trying to get back this way with the Hellion possibly between us. We’ve got contact, so the best option is for you to find somewhere safe to bunker in while we wait this out. The car’s trunk, maybe?”
“Pozz that. It’s plenty big enough.” She paused before speaking again. “Does this much shit follow you everywhere you go, Sheriff?”
“Pretty much.”
“How the hell are you still alive?”
Hayden grinned. “Sometimes I have no idea. Stay safe out there, Chandra.”
“You too, Sheriff.”
Hayden held the revolver out at the remaining bandits. “Here’s the deal. I’m sure you heard me say I can’t leave with my man until my man is back on his feet, which means I’m going to be staying a while. There’s a creature out there that was made to kill trife, and I don’t mean just a few. The trouble is, I’ve shot it a few times, and it may have developed a personal vendetta against me, which means if it isn’t dead there’s a good chance it might come back and try again. I would prefer to have your active participation in staying alive for the next few hours over tying you up and turning you into a free lunch. Do you follow?”
The bandits nodded.
“I’ve got a bag full of guns here. I’m willing to share, but I need some assurance that you aren’t going to use them against me.”
“What kind of assurance?” one of the men said.
“That’s the hard part, isn’t it? You’re eating other people, which doesn’t exactly put you on the moral high ground.” He stared at them a moment. “Okay, I have an idea, but you need to agree to it before I tell you what it is. Any one of you questions or resists, and I kill all of you. I don’t want to, but his life is more valuable to me than yours. Understood?”
The bandits nodded.
“Good. So what do you say?”
They looked at one another. None of them wanted to be killed by him or by the Hellion. “We’re in.”
Chapter 33
Hayden tilted his head to the side, grimacing at the crack that sounded from his opposite shoulder as he completed the simple stretch. He straightened up and lowered his head to the other side, but that one stayed quiet.
He leaned up slightly, looking past the bandit named Joel to the other three men arranged around the small camp. Billy, Chance, and Clint. They were each holding a pistol in their dominant hand, the other tied behind their backs. They also had tape over their mouths to keep them from talking, and the promise that if they turned their guns on Hayden, he wouldn’t hesitate to use their friend Joel as a human shield.
Three hours had passed. There were no windows, but Hayden was sure the sun had set by now. He was bored and stiff, and eager for Gus to finally wake up so they could get moving. The leader of the Desperados — the name of the bandits according to Billy — had said there were no trife in the area, and he was counting on that. If they could get going, if they could keep a decent pace, they could reach Edenrise by morning. He didn’t know how much time he had before Tinker was ready to put his plan into action. He figured he wouldn’t know when he was too late because he would be dead, so at least he knew he wasn’t too late.
“How are you holding up, Pyro?” Hayden asked, activating his comm.
“I’m fine, Sheriff,” she whispered back. “The trunk is actually kind of comfortable. I was nodding off.”
“Don’t let me disturb you then.”
“How much longer do you think we’ll have to wait?”
“The Desperados said it usually takes four to six hours, but Gus is bigger than most of the travelers they’ve captured.”
“So any minute now?”
“I hope so.”
He got to his feet, keeping an eye on the men as he did. They glanced over his way without turning their heads, holding their attention on the doorway into the space. Even if the Hellion were camouflaged if and when it came through, they would know it was there.
“Can I trust you not to shoot me while I check on Gus?” he asked.
Three heads nodded. Joel didn’t need to respond. His arms were both bound, and he was unarmed. He couldn’t shoot Hayden if he wanted.
Hayden moved out from behind Joel. It didn’t seem like the best idea considering the reason he had bound him in the first place, but after three hours he wanted to try to earn a little trust with the group.
They had left Gus in the center of the camp, with the hope that if the Hellion showed, it would see the mongrel was incapacitated and ignore him. Hayden knelt beside Gus, putting a hand on his neck to check his pulse. It was getting stronger every time he went over, a vast difference from the first time when he had to confirm with the Desperados that he really wasn’t dead.
“Water?” Hayden asked.
“Mmmm,” Billy said through the tape.
Hayden looked up at him, and he waved his head to the side. Then he put his gun down and pointed.
“Go ahead,” Hayden said.
The bandit stood and walked over to one of the tents. Hayden moved from his position putting Joel between him and Billy. He didn’t need to have bothered. Billy emerged a moment later with an iron kettle in his hand. He carried it over to Gus and put it down beside him before moving back to his place with the others.
Hayden returned to Gus’ side and picked up the kettle. He looked down at Gus. Then he opened the top of it and dumped the contents onto the mongrel’s face.
Gus’ eyes snapped open, and he sputtered and spat, getting the water out of his mouth. He followed that up with a round of coughing.
Hayden could hear the Desperados laughing around him, amused by the display.
“Welcome back Gus,” Hayden said.
Gus’ eyes shifted, from Hayden to the bandits and back. “Sheriff. What’s going on?”
“You were drugged. I’ve been waiting here for you to wake up.”
“The last thing I remember, we were going down to the parking lot to check the cars for gas.”
“You don’t remember standing on the van?”
“What van? No. Where’s Pyro?”
“She’s back at the car.”
“By herself?” Gus pulled himself into a sitting position, rocking slightly as if he was going to topple over again. He put his hands up to his head. “Ow. That hurts.”
“She’s hiding. She’s safe. You still have your comm, ask her yourself.”
Gus activated his comm. “P, you there?”
“Gus. It’s about time. I thought my leg was going to get infected and fall off before you woke up.”
“Huh? Are you hurt?”
“I got bit by an animal trap, and all the meds are in your bag. Nice job getting snuck up on, by the way.”
“Sorry, P.”
“We need to get you up,” Hayden said.
“Why are they sitting there half-tied and holding guns?”
“The Hellion is here, and I needed the backup.”
“Maybe I should go back to sleep.”
Hayden stood and put his free hand under Gus’ arm, pulling him to his feet. “We ca
n’t stay.”
Gus was unsteady as he tried to plant his feet and stand on his own. He continued to lean on Hayden. “Maybe we can stay a few more hours?”
“No. We’re leaving as soon as you can walk.”
“Okay, okay. Give me a minute, Sheriff.”
Gus started walking in place, his legs getting more steady after a few repetitions. He stopped leaning on Hayden and started walking a short distance before turning back.
“I’m ready,” Gus declared a few minutes later. “I can walk.”
“Grab the bag and a rifle,” Hayden said.
“Pozz.” Gus opened the bag, taking one of the rifles out. Then he zipped it closed and hefted it over his shoulder. Hayden was half-expecting him to fall, but he managed to remain steady.
“What about us?” Joel asked.
“What about you?” Hayden replied. “You didn’t try to kill me. Thank you for that.”
“I mean what about our bindings?”
Billy dropped his gun again, reaching up and tearing the tape from his mouth. He stretched it out, wincing in pain. “How are we going to untie ourselves with one hand?”
“I’m sure you can figure it out if you work together. It’ll keep you busy while Gus and I are on our way. Come on, Gus.”
“Pozz that.”
Hayden started for the door, with Gus behind him. He turned his back on the Desperados, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ready for them if they decided to screw around.
He heard the gun click behind him. Once. Twice. Three times. He spun around. Billy hadn’t picked up his gun. Chance had his pointed at the ground. Clint was aiming right for him, still pulling the trigger over and over, as if he had left them with loaded guns.
“You remember what I said earlier, about all of you being in, or none of you being alive?”
“Sheriff,” Billy said. “Wait. I didn’t…”
Hayden raised his revolver toward Clint. “You thought I would leave you a loaded gun?”
“But the Hellion,” Chance said.
“Is real,” Hayden said. “Too real to trust any of you not to shoot me, even by accident. And the second I did put a little bit of trust in you, what did you do?” He stepped up to Clint, grabbing the pistol from his hand. “You would have shot me in the back. You would have killed the person the monster is after. Then what? Do you think it would leave? It was made to hunt. Made to kill. Are you following me?”
