Forgotten (The Forgotten Book 1)

by M. R. Forbes

  “I know you do,” he replied. “But that’s the whole problem. I know you’ll do anything to reach her. I know you won't give up until you get past the perimeter, and I can’t let you past the perimeter. You’ll put all of Metro at risk.”

  “How? I killed the one that got in. I took care of your problem. You owe me.”

  Malcolm laughed. “You made me kill three hundred people, Hayden, not counting this one here. Damn it, Hayden, you made me kill Wilson.”

  Wilson? What had happened to her? He remembered the blood in the armored vehicle. Damn it.

  “I didn’t make you do anything. If you had focused your energy on the creature instead of trying to stop me-”

  “I knew we could deal with one. If you found a way out and let in the rest? Why the hell do you think they sealed the city in the first place?”

  “I watched the mission log. To wait them out. Bad news, Governor. It’s been almost four hundred years, and they aren’t dead.”

  “Which means we still have to wait.”

  “Because that’s working so well?”

  “The people are safe in here, Hayden.”

  “Tell that to Jonas. Tell that to Sarah. Tell that to Natalia, you son of a bitch.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened to your wife. I really am. You know how much I valued her. But I have a responsibility. There are rules to being Governor. Did you know that? You don’t just get elected. Once you take office, your whole life changes. You learn things you never wanted to know. You learn about the bogeymen who haunt the corridors beyond Metro, waiting for a chance to get in and start killing again. Every night, you go to bed, and you hope you don’t wake up to your worst nightmare. The seals on the secured hatches failing, like the one in Section C. Or worse. The atmospherics breaking down. The gravity generators failing. The reactors running out of plasma. We’ve got about a hundred years left, and then the Pilgrim is going to run out of power.”

  “And what makes you think anything is going to change? What makes you think these things will die so that we can get where we’re going?”

  “Hope, Hayden. I have hope.”

  “You’re an idiot to depend on hope after all this time. You need to take action. Or just let me take action. If I die, I die.”

  “It doesn’t work like that. We have a duty to protect these people. Bradshaw understands that. Hicks understands that. They bought in when I explained the situation. They don’t want to hurt you. None of us do. But you need to understand; it’s not enough to keep the monsters out of Metro. We need to keep the very idea of monsters out of Metro. You may think hope is stupid, but hope is essential to keep the city running.”

  “Is it? Then why are you handing out drugs and booze? Why are you corrupting the young instead of leading them?”

  “I didn’t start that. But there will always be some who don’t go along with hope. People who question the status quo. Troublemakers like Francis and his group. It’s a less violent alternative to keeping them from making problems.”

  “How are we protecting them by letting them die? We have guns. We take the fight to the demons. We get them out of our damn ship.”

  “Don’t you think they tried?” Malcolm shouted. “They died, damn it. By the handful. Hundreds of people, their bodies torn apart. They’re better killers than we are, plain and simple.”

  “Maybe you just weren’t motivated enough,” Hayden replied.

  “You think you’re so tough?” Malcolm laughed. “I’m almost tempted to let you go. But I took an oath, and I aim to keep it. Don’t make things hard.”

  “I’m going to find a way out, Malcolm. One way or another.”

  “There is no way out. Not unless a turb shorts the controls and causes it to open temporarily, and that doesn’t happen often. Other than that, the only way to access the external network is through my identification implant, and I’m sure as hell not about to let you use it.”

  “There has to be a master code to transfer the codes to your implant,” Hayden said.

  “It’s encrypted. Only the PASS knows what it is, and there’s no way to retrieve it directly. Don’t you think the original Governor thought of that? Lyle was a genius. Way ahead of his time. Now, why don’t you drop your weapons, stand up, and let Hicks and Bradshaw take you in? I promise I’ll make you comfortable. We aren’t enemies. Not really. We just see things differently.”

  “Bradshaw,” Hayden said. “I thought you were hurt?”

  “A few cuts and bruises, sir,” Bradshaw replied. “Medical patched me up, and the Governor needed the extra hands.”

  “And you believe this bullshit? You didn’t have a problem gunning down innocent people?”

  “They were infected, sir,” Bradshaw said. “Exposed to the xenotrife.”

  “What do you mean, infected?”

  “Diseased,” Malcolm said. “They carry a virus. It takes about three months to become fatal, but whoever gets close enough to one is exposed, assuming it doesn’t kill them during the interaction.”

  “Like Shanks and Lahish?” Hayden said.

  “And a number of others.”

  Hayden glanced down at the wrapped head. “What if the xenotrife was already dead?”

  “You did me a favor, throwing it into the fire.”

  Hayden unwrapped the xenotrife’s head, grabbing it by the top. He unlatched the pistol from the armor and got to his feet.

  His eyes landed on Malcolm first, and then Bradshaw and Hicks. Bradshaw’s face was bandaged, but he didn’t look that bad. Hicks had a bruise on his face where Hayden had punched him earlier.

  “So, you wouldn’t want this thing anywhere near you, then?” he asked, calling Malcolm’s bluff.

  Malcolm’s expression was flat for a moment. Then his eyes rose, and he flinched back, taking on a fearful look.

  “Hayden. Damn it. Keep that thing away from us.”

  “Really, Malcolm?” Hayden said. “You really want me to believe this thing is carrying some kind of disease? I get it. You needed to tell my deputies something to get them to kill civilians without feeling like shit for doing it. I understand. You needed an excuse to burn down Block Twenty-two.”

  “Hayden, I’m not lying to you.”

  The way he said it was almost convincing. For his sake, or for Bradshaw and Hicks?

  “Let’s find out,” Hayden replied.

  He flipped the head toward them.

  Malcolm was the first to move, turning and diving toward the door. Bradshaw and Hicks were a little slower.

  The reaction left Hayden momentarily stunned. Was Malcolm telling the truth after all?

  Nothing had changed.

  If he was going to die, he was going to die with Natalia at his side.

  He moved out from behind the servers, following the head as it rolled to a stop on the floor. The Governor and his deputies were past the hatch and into the corridor, and Hayden swung out at their backs as they tried to gain some distance from him.

  Hicks paused, turning to shoot. Hayden fired first, the unfamiliarity of the weapon causing his first shot to go wide as the kickback took him by surprise. Hicks shot back, the round hitting the armor plating on his chest and giving him a second chance.

  He was ready this time. He adjusted his aim and fired. The bullet tore into Hick’s leg, tearing through bone and knocking him down. Damn it. He hated to do this.

  Bradshaw saw his fellow Deputy fall. He stopped running, facing off with Hayden.

  “Sheriff, don’t do this,” he said.

  “I didn’t start this, Josh,” Hayden said. “The Governor did. All I want is my Natalia back.”

  “At what cost?”

  “At any cost.”

  Bradshaw pulled the trigger. He was nervous, and his bullet missed.

  Hayden’s didn’t. It hit the Deputy in the shoulder, the wound causing him to drop his gun. Bradshaw cursed as he gripped the injury, falling back against the wall in pain.

  “Damn it, Sheriff.”

 
; “I’m sorry, Josh,” Hayden said, racing past him.

  Malcolm was on his own. Unarmed and unprotected. He looked back. Both of his deputies were down and Hayden was approaching behind him.

  Hayden watched him try to run. He gave chase with a fresh lightness in his step, as though the body armor was easing his effort. He was faster than the Governor.

  Malcolm realized it, too. He turned and stopped, holding his hands up. “Hayden, wait. Please. Wait.”

  Hayden slowed. “You know what I want, Malcolm.”

  “I can’t. I would if I could.”

  “You said your implant could open the hatch. You can open it. You won’t.”

  “You’ll kill us all. I’m not lying about the disease. I swear. Go back to the PASS, query the terminal. You’ll see.”

  “Nothing will come in. I’ll make sure of that.”

  Malcolm fell to his knees. “I’m begging you, Hayden. Metro needs a Governor. A smooth succession. There’s too much at stake. If you don’t care about me, think about the residents.”

  Hayden kept approaching, each step taking him closer to the Governor. He couldn’t help but consider Malcolm’s words. He didn’t want to be responsible for killing everyone in the city.

  “I don’t need to kill you,” Hayden said. “We can go to the hatch. You open it for me, and then I’m gone.”

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “Why, damn it?”

  “You need the chip to open the hatch. You also need the chip to close it.” Malcolm was in tears. Terrified.

  “From the other side?”

  “Yes. It’s only supposed to be used when the ship is clean. That’s why it was programmed that way.”

  Hayden stopped moving. He didn’t want to take Malcolm with him. But how else was he going to get through the hatch?

  Unless?

  “I’m sorry, Malcolm,” Hayden said, taking a fresh step toward him. “For all of this. It’s not what I want. It’s not what either one of us wants, I know. I was happy in Metro. I was happy with Natalia. I can’t live without her. I can’t die without her, either."

  “Hayden, please don’t kill me,” Malcolm said.

  “I’m not going to kill you,” Hayden replied. “I’m going to save you from those things. You and all of Metro."

  He snapped the pistol back to its spot on his hip, reaching out and grabbing Malcolm’s arm, using his strength to push the Governor back against the wall. He reached to his side with his free hand, detaching Baby from his hip.

  “Hayden?” Malcolm said.

  "I just need you to lend me a hand," Hayden said. He shifted his grip, still holding Malcolm’s arm pinned to the wall. With one quick motion, he drove the blade in, chopping through flesh and bone centimeters above the Governor’s wrist.

  The weapon made it through in one powerful stroke, separating the Governor from his hand. Malcolm cried out in pain, bending over and clutching at the bleeding stump. Hayden reached down, taking the severed appendage.

  “You’re going to die out there, Hayden,” Malcolm cried. “You and your wife. You have no idea what kind of Hell you’re in for.”

  “Maybe not,” Hayden said. “But at least we’ll be in Hell together. I’m sorry, Malcolm.”

  He started running, heading for the secure hatch he had passed with Jonas earlier, the sounds of Malcolm’s cries fading as he moved away.

  He crossed the corridors in a daze, his mind a blur of rage and love and fear and excitement. He hated himself for what he had done and yet he felt no true remorse for doing it. Natalia was out there. She needed him. He had given Malcolm so many chances to help.

  He reached the secured hatch, coming to a stop in front of it. There was no going back. Not now. His love was all that mattered.

  He approached the blockade, raising Malcolm’s wrist, moving it across the wall beside the door, trying to find the hidden controls.

  Like before, a blue light appeared when he located it, scanning the Governor’s severed hand. A deep, ominous tone sounded, an echoing clang signaling that the hatch was unlocking.

  It started to rise.

  30

  Hayden didn’t wait for the hatch to open completely. He ducked below it to the other side, quickly scanning the corridor beyond. It was lit only by emergency lighting that ran along the center of the ceiling, revealing a hallway that ended in a t-junction a hundred meters away. The air was cooler than inside the perimeter by at least a few degrees and had a damp, stale smell to it that he didn’t like.

  Once he was sure the immediate area was clear, he turned and put the Governor’s hand to the hidden panel. A soft tone indicated the scan was complete, and the hatch started to close.

  Almost immediately, Hayden heard movement ahead, scampering footsteps that didn’t suggest anything friendly. He dropped the hand to the ground, reaching behind and grabbing the rifle, bringing it up to his face. He had never fired a weapon like this before, and a part of his mind worried that he was going to die because he couldn’t aim it.

  The xenotrife came around the corner, and he forgot all about his concerns. He looked into the small display with the reticle, quickly lining it up with the creature as it bounded toward him. He planted the stock on his shoulder to keep it steady and squeezed the trigger, feeling the pull of the kick as a dozen rounds sprayed from the weapon and into the demon. It hissed as the rounds entered it, blowing out chunks of its body and leaving it crumpled and motionless on the floor ahead of him.

  One down. How many to go?

  A second creature came around one side of the junction. Two more from the other. He had been expecting to draw attention, but four in a matter of seconds? Had he made a mistake?

  He had to keep them from ducking below the hatch before it closed. It was the only thing that mattered.

  He lined the first one up and fired, a more controlled blast this time that sent four rounds into the thing and knocked it down. He shifted his aim to the next, squeezing the trigger. They were closing quickly. Too damn quickly.

  He tried to get his reticle on the third, but the two remaining creatures were nearly on top of him. He dropped the rifle to the ground, grabbing the pistol in one hand and Baby in the other. He didn’t need as much time to aim the handgun, raising it and pulling the trigger as the two xenotrife lunged for him, bearing their mouthfuls of teeth. The round went right into the mouth and through the head, the first creature falling a half a meter in front of him.

  The second made it to him, and he brought Baby around in a hard swing that caught the demon in the mouth. Metal slammed into teeth, breaking through them and tearing into the creature’s skull. The demon’s mass hit him, but they were so much lighter than a human. He was able to turn with the collision, throwing the thing into the hatch behind him, pulling out Baby and swinging the blade at it again, slashing its leathery skin and tearing a large gaping line across what he thought was its throat.

  It too fell to the ground and didn’t move.

  The hatch finished closing behind him, the clang of the locks sliding into place telling him Metro was safe.

  For now at least. Until the turbs caused the hatch to open again. Until something else went wrong that threatened their safety.

  It didn’t matter now. He only had one thing on his mind. Find Natalia. Once he did? They could figure that part out together.

  He didn’t pick the rifle up right away. Instead, he retrieved the Governor’s hand. The identification implant was a small chip five millimeters or so in diameter, injected into every Metro citizen’s wrist at birth, and retrieved from the wrist for reuse upon death. He couldn’t risk leaving the chip near the hatch, and he didn’t want to carry a severed hand around with him, so he had to get the chip out.

  He had a vague idea where it was located, and so he used Baby to slice through the flesh. Then he dug into it with his fingers, pulling apart the skin and muscle until the chip came into view. He took it out, holding it between his thumb and index finger. He needed to keep
it somewhere. He considered for a moment, and then tucked it under the armor. He thought about swallowing it, but he didn’t know if he would need it to get into other parts of the Pilgrim.

  He left the hand behind. He hated that he had been force to cut it off, but Malcolm hadn’t left him with a choice. Not getting out of Metro wasn’t an option, and these xenotrife or whatever they had decided to call them weren’t as tough as he had imagined. He had killed five of them already on his own, and the weapons he had found seemed more than up to the task.

  He walked cautiously to the end of the corridor, sweeping the t-junction with the rifle. The area around him was silent, but when he paused he could hear a distant tapping from somewhere else in the ship. He remembered hearing the tapping in Section C before things had all gone wrong. He should have told Natalia about it then. Maybe she would have been more careful going out that way.

  He had no idea what the ship looked like beyond the perimeter. He had never seen a map or schematic, and he had no idea where he should go. He had left behind the maze of strands and splits he knew so well for the fresh maze of the Pilgrim, a maze that promised to be less forgiving.

  He considered where he was, drawing a mental picture of the corridor in his mind. It was his starting place, regardless of where it began inside the ship, just as the Law Office had been his starting place in Metro. As long as he could keep the lines organized, he could map the passages and corridors and hopefully keep it all clear. It wouldn’t help anybody to be wandering the ship forever.

  He headed down the left corridor, careful to walk lightly and keep his steps quiet, rifle ready to fire. He continually scanned the area ahead of him, not just directly ahead but the floor and ceiling as well. The floor beneath his feet was a metal grating like the PASS mainframe, and he could see wires running underneath. There were vents on the sides of the passage as well, large enough that he could probably wriggle into them if he removed the armor. He hoped he wouldn’t have to remove the armor and go in there. But what if Natalia had decided to hide in a similar shaft?

  He stopped beside one of the vents, putting his hand to it. He could feel a draft of air spilling out. He considered taking the cover off and banging his rifle into it, to see if anyone knocked back. There was no way that kind of noise wouldn’t attract the xenotrife, and he wasn’t ready for a full-on assault by the demons. He needed to be silent and slow despite his desire to hurry and find Natalia. He needed to learn more about the creatures in order to survive. He needed to become the hunter instead of the hunted.