by Matthew Roys
“The pistols are simple lightweight Cobra Renegades with extended magazines while the doublesword is a fast melee weapon with a good range and area of attack. Your body looks like it can handle the flowing movements required to use it effectively. With a bit of practice anyway.”
Ailia skipped away towards Kai, the weight of the weapons not seeming to affect her in the slightest. KT was feeling the strain in her arms already. Déaþscúa threw her a duffle-bag from the corner of the room and she gratefully began to load the weapons into it.
Kai jumped as Ailia sidled up next to him with a sleek shotgun aimed at his chest. She held the gun steadily with one arm while her other hand held an axe. “These are for you. They’re heavy but you look big and strong,” she said with a sly smile. It was only then that Kai realised that she had fangs. He took a hasty step back.
“You’re a monster too.”
“A vampire,” Déaþscúa told him from nearby. “She might look young but she’s actually in her third century of existence. Watch her; she takes a sick pleasure in trying to get people arrested.”
Ailia pouted at Déaþscúa. “You shouldn’t give away a girl’s age, Bram. Even you must know that. And it’s not like I do that just for fun. My body is stuck at this age but my mind is fully developed.”
“No, you do it only for fun. Vampires have no emotions and only take up relationships to amuse themselves.” The girl stuck her tongue out at Déaþscúa before handing Kai the armful of weapons.
“Here we have a pump action shotgun, a 45mm Magnum and a carbon fibre axe with a silver-alloy cutting edge. Three heavy hitters that are still quick and efficient. There is a firing range downstairs. You two should go and get a feel for your new weapons.”
She took a rifle from the wall then fired it an inch above the head of the sleeping old man. He spluttered awake and looked around blearily.
“Ah, Déaþscúa. ‘tis good te see ye ag’n,” he said in a thick, drawling accent.
“Take these two down to the range and show them how to shoot.” Ailia ordered him.
“Aye, Miss Ailia. As ye say,” he answered hurriedly.
Déaþscúa nodded at the teens as they looked to him for consent. After all that had happened, they were reluctant to leave his side, especially to go underground with a stranger. Seeing his assent, they followed the old man into the back.
Now that they were alone, Ailia motioned for Déaþscúa to join her. She stood before one of the gun cabinets and slid it to one side to reveal the metal door of a safe. She entered a password and fiddled with the dial until the door clicked open. Inside was a single pistol which she reverently removed and placed into Déaþscúa’s hands.
It was a monstrous construct of metal in the design of a revolver. Rather than the single revolving cylinder, this pistol had three. The metal was a shining silver colour while the grip and décor panels were made from dark wood that was a near black in colour. The bullet chambers were long and wide.
Ailia took a deep breath. “Custom 50cal tri-cylinder revolver made from a tungsten super-alloy and African Blackwood. The bullets are armour piercing and the cartridges are filled with multiple rapid detonating charges of ‘lightning powder’ that allow the bullets to easily surpass the speed of sound. The bullets explode on impact and flood the wound with filings from a dozen materials to take down any foe, whatever their weakness. That’s eighteen shots per reload, a single one of which will leave a T-Rex dead before it even hears a sound.”
“The schematics worked then?”
“I had to make a few alterations, but between the ancient designs and your own workings, most of it was up to scratch. The materials were the biggest problem. That gun and its bullets cost a small fortune.”
Déaþscúa fastened a new holster to his hip then slid the pistol into it, slowing only to admire the engraved script down the side of the barrel. “‘Aeternum Nox’. Eternal Night. How poetic of you, Ailia.”
"You're known as the everlasting darkness,” she said quietly. “And coming from a vampire, that’s quite the title.” Déaþscúa grunted and made his way to join KT and Kai.
He found them in a long, narrow room with multiple rows that led down to targets. They were stood with the old man between them, showing them how to hold the guns properly and how to load them. So far they hadn’t made it past the pistols. Déaþscúa stood at the back and watched as the man directed them how to shoot. They both fired several rounds at the targets, or at least around the targets, then received feedback from the man and were given tips to adjust their technique. KT had the steadier aim on single shots but Kai was able to better manage the recoil when firing multiple rounds back to back.
As they moved onto the bigger weapons, Déaþscúa stepped up to an empty alley and drew his new gun. It was heavy; too heavy for a normal man to use with a single hand. He fired, the recoil thumping up his arm, but it barely moved. Most men would have been left with a numb arm and a good chance of a broken nose from the gun’s buck. He rapidly hammered the trigger three times, the peels of thunder merging together into a single roar. The central circle of the target no longer existed. Neither did the wall behind it.
A louder explosion sounded and he turned to see KT’s target, or what was left of it, in flames. Kai’s target was missing chunks too and a final blast from his shotgun cut it in half. Happy that they wouldn’t somehow shoot themselves, the old man signalled them toward a cluster of straw poles.
The man grinned in Déaþscúa’s direction. “Déaþscúa, why donae ye show them the basics. Ye ken more than I ev’r will aboot blades.”
“You know I’m no teacher, Cathal,” Déaþscúa told the man. It didn’t stop him from approaching the teens and appraising them and their awkwardly held weapons. He tutted under his breath, moving their hands and feet with a series of small nudges. “Loosen your grip. Move your hands further apart. Keep your knees bent. You need to be constantly ready to spring into action while always being relaxed. A split second is all that separates life and death in a fight. You need-”
A screeching siren suddenly blared throughout the building. KT and Kai froze. Déaþscúa showed no sign of worry, merely motioning for the teens to follow him as he moved to the stairs. Ailia and Cathal joined them.
“My sensors have been triggered. Hostile forces are coming down the driveway,” Ailia told them as they mounted the stairs. She took the lead and stood at the front as they gathered together in the centre of the store. Through the windows they could see dozens of men sauntering toward the shop. The door opened and the men entered, each one armed with an automatic rifle.
“Sorry te barge in on ye but I’m ‘fraid ye have displeased the wrong folk,” announced one of the men. By the way he held himself it was obvious that he was the leader.
The other men sniggered at this. All of them had their guns levelled at the small group and looked eager for the bloodshed to begin. They were just waiting for the order.
“You wouldn’t kill a little girl in cold blood would you?” Ailia asked in her most innocent voice.
The men laughed in her face. “We know what ye are, lass. We’re Golman’s new monster huntin’ division, ye see? Gots UV lights on our guns so they’ll be none of yer fancy tricks.”
Déaþscúa snorted at this. The leader turned to him. “I donae ken who ye be but yer a dead man now.”
“Close your eyes,” Déaþscúa whispered back to KT and Kai.
KT wanted to listen to him, to close her eyes and block out the world, but she just couldn’t tear her eyes from the situation. She kept expecting to see Déaþscúa leap into action, avoiding the spray of bullets to slaughter the men, but he made no move. He simply stood, his arms at his side, his eyes watching the men carefully.
Ailia stepped forward. “Boys, boys, boys. I’m afraid you’ve brought assault rifles to a finger fight.”
The men looked at her in confusion. She smiled at them and raised her hand. All of the guns jerked in her direction, the men on edge now. Déaþs
cúa still showed no sign of moving. Ailia clicked her fingers. Every single gun in the shop rose up and swivelled toward the men. Hundreds of barrels stared them down from every direction. The men swung their own guns around erratically, unsure what to shoot at first. Ailia clicked again and hell descended upon the store.
KT saw red. Bullets flew, ripping the thugs to pieces in a heartbeat until every surface of the shop was drenched and dripping with blood. Nothing was left of the men except for a ragged, pulpy mess on the floor where they had stood.
“Such a waste of perfectly good blood,” sighed Ailia.
KT listened to her vaguely as she threw up. She could hear Kai doing the same beside her. Her clothes and skin were thoroughly splashed with warm gore.
“Cathal, fetch the mop.”
“Aye, Miss Ailia,” he nodded then rushed off.
Déaþscúa wiped his face clear of blood with an uncaring hand. “Who is this Golman?”
“A mortal who thinks he can carve out a stake in our world. He’s no threat; simply an annoyance. I think I’ll pay him a visit tonight,” Ailia answered with a small, fang filled smile. She licked her lips hungrily, clearing a circle of her face from blood.
KT had closed her eyes now as every direction she looked in made her want to retch. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see Déaþscúa stood beside her. He took her and Kai’s arms and led them out of the shop. Around the back was a makeshift shower that they stood under as the cold water washed them clean. A few minutes later they stepped out, freezing and soaked, but free of any blood.
Ailia came out to them, still covered in blood, with the two duffel-bags. “Good luck, all of you. I’ve packed extra ammo for the MacFeelans. I hope you finally catch her this time, Bram.”
“I will.”
They left and headed back toward Delonne’s shop, KT and Kai stumbling along behind under the weight of their new equipment and their wet clothes. Déaþscúa urged them on but their pale faces and shambling walks told him that this was the best speed he was going to get out of them.
“I told you to close your eyes,” he commented dryly. The looks he received in response were sour at best.
When they did arrive at Delonne’s tailor shop, the atmosphere had drastically changed since that morning. When they entered, Delonne was red-faced with fury and looked on the verge of throwing them out instantly. He stormed up to Déaþscúa with a pair of scissors gripped in his hands and grabbed his shirt.
“You damn idiot! You may have doomed us all! The Moot contacted me just after you left. You had orders on pain of death not to touch him!” the usually prim man roared at his face, or would have if his head didn’t stop at Déaþscúa’s chest.
Déaþscúa’s voice was low and dangerous. “He was a deranged killer. How many lives has he ruined over the centuries? He was a monster, more so than the beasts I’m usually tasked with killing. He chose to be what he was.”
“That’s not the point! Some sacrifices need to be made! He was key to ensuring the survival of every creature on this planet and you killed him knowing this! How many lives have you ruined? Even if you haven’t just signed this planet’s death sentence, your body count eclipses anything that Christie could have managed. You are the monster.”
Déaþscúa’s mouth rose in a snarl. His words were like razor blades. “He had these two kids in his hands. He was on the verge of killing them. For all your talk of wanting to keep them protected, you’d ask me to let them die? Could you stand there and watch that sick bastard murder a child? Could you? Do your rules and ideals make you feel better about leaving innocents to die?”
Delonne let go of Déaþscúa and took a step back. His eyes flickered to KT and Kai then looked away guiltily. “Sometimes we have to do things that we don’t like for the greater good. You never did understand that though, did you?”
“Do you have the clothes? That’s all I want to hear from you.”
“Yes, I have them. If it was for you I’d have thrown your money back at you,” Delonne almost growled. “Wait here.”
He left and returned a few moments later with two large suit-bags. He handed them over to KT and Kai then directed them to small changing cubicle. KT closed the door behind her and hung the bag up, unzipping it to reveal black cloth. Taking out the individual articles, she laid out a pair of tight looking black jeans with a pattern of skulls and flowers sprawled across the legs in silver thread. Next to that was a plain looking white vest and a dark red leather crop-top with a deep neckline that she eyed sceptically. The last piece in the bag was a black jacket that was form fitting and had several spacious pockets. It too had the silver thread patterns scrolling across it.
As she began to change, she was amazed at how well everything fit. The trousers were tight yet seemed to stretch in all the right places to provide unhindered movement and the crop-top wasn’t too revealing when worn over the vest. She did a few trial stretches and exercises and the freedom of movement was equal to if she were wearing nothing.
She stepped out to find Kai already waiting for her. He had black cargo trousers on with more pockets than he could ever fill. His shirt was also black and bore the yin yang symbol surrounded by strange looking runes. His coat was black leather and ended at the back of his knees. There was a series of straps across each arm and a large collar that led to a cloth hood of the same colour. Across its back was a large skull wrapped in chains. Both he and KT retained their heavy boots.
Delonne nodded approvingly. “Yes, yes. A bit coarse for my usual tastes but I knew that a quality suit would not be appealing for you. They fit wonderfully.
Déaþscúa threw the weapon straps and holders at the other man. “Fit these onto the clothes. I don’t want them coming loose in combat.”
The tailor looked on the verge of snapping again at Déaþscúa but instead released his breath and set to work on Kai’s clothes. He explained what the clothes were as he worked.
“The fabric in both of your clothes is super lightweight but very durable. Think of it as silk with the properties of Kevlar. They're all infused with a gel that leaves the fabric impervious to water and they have enough give in them to cope with any movement that the human body is capable of. It won’t save you from life endangering wounds but it will prevent smaller cuts and impacts. Your coat and your top are both leather from a Nemeanling lion and as such is better than most metals for protection.”
“You mean the lion that Hercules killed?” KT asked in wonder.
“Not exactly. Its descendants. The Nemean Lion was a single beast blessed by the gods but its offspring retained many of its powers, the near impenetrable skin being one,” Delonne answered distractedly. He had finished with Kai and now moved onto KT. “But as I was saying, that leather will stop a mortal blow. Miss, you have less of that armour but if you’ve noted that silver thread work, it is a special metal that draws in the energy of any magical attack. That small amount won’t leave you immune to magic but weaker blasts will be defused and more powerful spells at least weakened. There we go. Finished.”
He stepped back and Déaþscúa instantly moved in, passing the teens their weapons. They slid them into place then moved on the spot uneasily as they got used to the feel of the weapons.
“Come on. Jearl is outside.”
Delonne called to them as they approached the door. “Déaþscúa, you realise that I have to inform the Grand Moot about you? They will come for you.”
“They’re welcome to try.”
“They’ll send an army for you. Can you really kill that many men and women who are just doing their job? Does death mean nothing to you?”
Déaþscúa paused, his hand on the door handle. “I am death. It’s my nature. Can a man really go against his nature?”
“You know that’s not true. You're so much more than that. If only you would accept it.”
“Maybe,” Déaþscúa said then opened the door and left. The three climbed into the SUV, Déaþscúa leaning into the back as they buckled
in.
“We’re heading for battle. I hope you two are ready to embrace death too. Be ready to give and receive it.”
KT and Kai gulped nervously but still nodded.
“Good. Jearl, drive on.”
“Rodger dodger,” Jearl agreed in his best radio voice then floored the car.
Chapter 9.
Gunshots created a rhythm that rattled through the rainslick trees of a dense jungle. This was punctured with a bassline of monstrous screeches and cracking chitin. It was music to the ears. At least, music for the slightly unhinged type of people who spent a lot of time detached from reality.
Row after row of chitinous horrors the size of bears scrambled forward with mandibles gnashing. Scythe-like claws sliced through the foliage and stingers glinted in the sun. Opposite the horde stood two dozen men and women, their guns cutting down the insects as quickly as they moved forward.
“I wish we were getting PPK for this,” said a young woman at the front of the group. She threw a grenade into the chittering mass and reloaded her machinegun as the ensuing explosion splashed blood and chitin fragments across the trees.
“No kidding,” responded the man beside her. “I could retire on a pay per kill contract of this size.”
"Who're you kidding? You have no intention of retiring. What would you do with yourself without my company?”
“Sure, peace is overrated, but being knee deep in acidic viscera is hardly my idea of a good time. Maybe I’d start an agency where I can send young idiots off to do the hard work while I reap the awards.”
The woman laughed. Only the smallest fragment of her mind was focused on the conversation though. Several tallies ran through her head, counting down her own bullets, and those of the soldiers around her, with every flash of a gun muzzle. The number of visible terropods occupied another section, as did the distance between them and her team. Then there was the constant knowledge that, less than a mile beyond them, was a defenceless town just waiting to be overwhelmed by the ever-hungry insectoids.
