The Phoenix Trilogy (Book 1): World On Fire

by Scottie, Charles

  Predictably, BJ rumbled to new life, content with her response. What Natalie found more interesting was the sly smirk Rico cast at Marco; an action that screamed I told you so! She was careful to hide her smile, but it satisfied her to know that Rico had been vouching for her. Plus, anything to stick it to Marco. Dick.

  Now that they were safely out of range of the outpost, their movement reverted back to the steady and cautious gait that Natalie had become accustomed to. Though she was now a full member of the crew, little had actually changed. BJ took point, Marco brought up the rear, and Rico kept Natalie company in the center.

  The largest difference was Natalie’s weapon. It was the same shotgun that she had been gifted at the start of her journey, but she had opted to wear her crowbar on a loop off the shoulder of her backpack in favor of the gun. It was an awkward change, and she felt unsure of herself while she held it, but the added utility was necessary. If she was going to be a soldier, she’d have to get accustomed to the arms.

  “How do we know where we’re headed? Gunshots can’t be that easy to trace back, especially in the city like this.” Natalie spoke in a whisper, leaning into Rico as she did. She had been content to follow along behind BJ’s confident stride for a while, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how aimless their quest might actually be.

  “We had more than one report come in from different checkpoints. It was enough to give us a decent idea of direction, but we’re going to have to get our hands dirty searching at some point.” Rico had taken to holding his rifle at the ready, his attention almost completely glued to the scope mounted to its frame. Natalie glanced down at her own gun, bare of frills save for the prom-tip attached securely at its barrel, and fell back to her march in silence.

  A shotgun isn’t going to do much good for scouting. If I’m going to be part of the team, I’m going to need to find something more to do than sit back on stand-by while I wait for somebody to get mauled. The thought of her newfound skills brought another wave of disappointment.

  First-aid was an invaluable thing, once upon a time. Here, it had lost much of its utility. Natalie knew she wasn’t without her abilities, and that she was far from dead weight, but she needed more. Maybe while they were hunting for proof to take back to the outpost she would discover some hidden talent, though she had little faith in the idea. At a loss for purpose, Natalie returned her attention to watching the path ahead. It felt inefficient, but it was better than nothing.

  All at once, BJ, Rico, and Natalie spotted the same blundering body wander out into the road ahead of them. Though it was early in the day and the sky was overcast, the group had sighted their guest the moment it had come into view, allowing them enough time to duck into the alley of a nearby building. As was normal, BJ peered through his scope and raised his hand, seconds away from signaling what they were dealing with to the rest of the group.

  Only this time, he was hesitating. Hidden as they were, BJ was the one person capable of getting a good look at their target without giving away their position, but something had made him pause. After what felt like an eternity of contemplation, he lowered one finger point down before raising it upward. That should have meant there was one human ahead of them, but BJ’s usually brisk and confident demeanor seemed unsteady.

  Slowly, BJ pressed them back further into cover. Whatever they were dealing with, it was headed in their direction and BJ was content to remain in hiding. Natalie couldn’t say she would have done things any differently. She still had vivid memories of their escape from the mysterious trapmaster who had attempted to herd them to their deaths, and that had happened not much further from the outpost than they were now.

  There was no reason to believe the lone wanderer who had their attention now was connected to their enemy from before, and truthfully, Natalie didn’t believe it likely. It was enough to satisfy her paranoia that this newcomer was an unknown factor in a dangerous place, just as likely to help as to hurt. Until they knew more, she saw no point in throwing themselves into a potentially risky situation by pursuing the stranger.

  It took a few minutes, but eventually the figure meandered into view of the alleyway. They were close enough now that Natalie could understand a small part of BJ’s uncertainty; the man, as he did appear to be male, was heavily bandaged and walking with a noticeable limp. What Natalie had initially mistaken as being a bandana of some kind was clearly wet with something, a glistening substance that reflected what little daylight was breaking through the cloudy sky.

  The sole reason Natalie hadn’t immediately written him off as a zombie was because BJ had identified him as otherwise. His walk was unusual, whatever was on his bandages resembled the same infection that came off of the undead, and he didn’t seem to be paying any attention to where he was or what he was doing. It was only when she noticed his continued unconscious touching of his wounds that she found the first trace of humanity in him.

  BJ exchanged a nod with Rico, and before Natalie recognized what was happening, the cousin had taken to the street at an alarmingly fast pace. In a matter of seconds he was on the stranger, now snapped out of his reverie and attempting to panic at Rico’s sudden aggressive presence. With brutal efficiency, Rico bore him to the ground.

  Natalie could see only kicking feet as the man struggled under Rico’s hold. Aside from the scuffing of his shoe against the road, no sound emanated from the two men. Rico was quiet as he worked, and Natalie could only assume he had taken care to prevent his victim from screaming. Moments later, the fight slowed, then stopped.

  Jesus Christ, did Rico just kill him? Is that what he’s here for? Marco watches the back, BJ takes the lead, and Rico takes care of whoever is in the way? A memory of Rico executing a zombie back at the gas station came unbidden to her mind, and Natalie realized this shouldn’t have been a surprise. She knew what he was capable of. She just hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, especially regarding someone that may not have actually been a threat.

  Natalie nearly whooped when Rico stood up, dragging a very scared and extremely cooperative man along with him. Whatever Rico had done had made the man soil himself, that much was immediately clear. Beyond that, he seemed no worse for wear, at least physically. She suspected there might be some emotional scarring thanks to Rico’s sudden kidnapping, but it was better that than death.

  Unceremoniously, their impromptu prisoner was shoved down to the ground before them. Whatever fear he had felt at Rico’s intrusion was forgotten at the sight of BJ looming above him. A low whimper escaped his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Given that BJ had evidently cranked his intimidation factor to eleven, Natalie could sympathize with the man.

  “You two watch the exits, and you’re with me.” BJ wasted no time, jerking his head toward each of the crew in turn as he gave his orders, his eyes never leaving their new company. As he sent the cousins off to watch the alley entrances, he gestured to Natalie’s crowbar.

  “If he does anything stupid, brain him.” Natalie was lucky that BJ’s flat statement elicited a cascade of whining and pleading from their captive, because it perfectly covered her choked bark of surprise.

  “‘Stupid’ includes making too much noise. There are dangerous things about, and I can’t guarantee you’d die quickly if you happened to get their attention.” BJ held no emotion in his tone, the words steely and unforgiving as they rumbled from his chest as casually as if he were discussing the weather.

  Natalie regained her composure quickly, slinging her shotgun back over her shoulder and drawing her crowbar from its loop on her pack, going so far as to “accidentally” scrape the metal on a buckle. Between BJ’s threats and Natalie’s motion to carry them out, the man before them collapsed into a fit of barely audible whimpering.

  Measuring out threats and intimidating the stranger into cooperation were not things that Natalie enjoyed, but as always, she understood how wickedly necessary it was. No matter if he was good or evil, they required absolute cooperati
on from him, and in that regard fear was a uniquely powerful motivator.

  Plying him with care and soothing words would do nothing to stop him from screaming, should the undead make an appearance. Threaten his life so completely that it becomes instinct to stay quiet, however, and the odds of a messy interrogation drop considerably. Judging by the panicked whispering coming from their prisoner, Natalie would say they’d succeeded in making their point.

  “Please, just please, don’t kill me. I don’t have anything to take, it’s all gone already, I’m sorry. All I’m trying to do is get to the military, that’s it, that’s all I was trying to do, I swear to God. I just have to talk to them.” He had buried his face in the dirt as he prattled, completely oblivious as BJ and Natalie exchanged a glance. A connection already?

  “Why do you need to talk to them? What business could you possibly have?” BJ’s voice betrayed no hint of the true depth of his interest in the subject, and Natalie quietly applauded him. If anything, it had taken on a growing hint of disbelief.

  The man’s reaction was not what Natalie expected. Instead of keeling over and spilling his guts to them, he froze, and she caught the unmistakable sound of muffled sobbing. Slowly, he raised his head. Tears were bright in his eyes, rolling down over his bandages and leaving trails in the filth that had coated them while he groveled.

  “It... I’m so sorry, so so sorry, I… I didn’t even try. I have to tell them. I have to do something this time, I can’t… I should have helped!” Pain was clear in the man’s voice, giving it a sharp pitch as his sobs began to form a wail.

  Mercilessly, BJ backhanded him, a less than gentle reminder of the dangerous situation he was in. Natalie had no doubt that the man would have screamed if he had the power, and regret at BJ’s treatment overtook her as she got a better look at him.

  BJ’s blow had torn away some of the patchwork first-aid that covered their prisoner’s face, and Natalie immediately understood why his bandages had looked wet. He was burned, badly, and lack of access to a proper medical facility had caused his wounds to begin weeping excessively. The cloth he had wrapped his burns in had been soaked through with discharge, effectively adhering it to his head.

  The amount of pain he must be in made Natalie cringe further, and the thought of BJ’s hit tearing the wrappings free from his flesh was nearly too much. BJ, on seeing the man’s state, remained cold.

  It’s necessary, Natalie. If he screams, we all get thrown into hot water. We have to keep him quiet. We have to. The only good thing that she felt was an almost meaningless sense of relief as their victim regained his composure. He was sobbing openly now, but was obviously keeping his pain and misery restrained as he attempted to continue telling his story.

  “Seven of us. Something came out of the ground. Massive, violent, but different from the rest of the things out here.” The man was speaking in short, choppy sentences between choked sobs, but slowly he seemed to regain some measure of self-control.

  “It killed everyone. We didn’t know what was happening until it was already tearing somebody apart. The others, they fought... but I ran. Didn’t look back once, not even when the gunshots stopped.” The man never raised his face to speak, making his confession to an invisible judge only he could see. Suffering was plain in his tone, but it had adopted an almost hollow trait. While he struggled to escape his guilt, Natalie and BJ locked eyes.

  What he was describing was either a lie, which seemed possible but unlikely given his current state, or exactly what they had come out here to search for. That they would have found their answer so easily left a bitterness in Natalie’s mouth, and BJ mirrored her distaste. Regardless of what await them, they had no choice. This was an opportunity they couldn’t ignore.

  “Take us there. Now.” BJ clamped a mighty paw around their captive’s wrist, wrenching him to his feet without care. It nearly caused the hurt man to yelp, but he swallowed his pain quickly. Given BJ’s pitiless stare, it seemed to be the wisest option for his continued health. Natalie winced.

  BJ’s treatment was rough, but undeniably effective. Marching back out of the alley with their new guide in front, Natalie felt guilty. A thousand times, she reassured herself that this was what had to be done, but each attempt only darkened her mood further.

  Suffering or not, we don’t have any idea if this guy is telling us the truth. It feels like something is wrong, especially with how easily we’re getting the evidence we need for the camp. We’ve barely been out here for a half hour, but to be fair, it does match the timeline of events. Maybe we got lucky?

  Visions of the thing that their captive had described briefly danced within her mind, and Natalie realized that even if he were telling the truth, “lucky” was probably not the best word she could have used. He had said the monster was massive, a word that raised a dozen red flags in her mind.

  Up until this point, every enemy they had encountered or even heard of had been human. Not always alive, but always a person, in one stage of existence or another. “Massive” implied they were getting into completely new territory, and that meant losing the only advantage they had: patterns.

  If they didn’t know what they were up against or how it worked, then they couldn’t prepare themselves. When the zombies had gone from walking meatbags to sprinting predators, it had wiped out an ungodly amount of people. Natalie didn’t want to think about the damage a totally unexpected enemy would be able to do.

  Just as unsettling was the apparent disappearance of the horde. Natalie had been bracing herself for the worst, expecting their stumbling and inexperienced new trailblazer to bring the undead crashing down around them, but the roads were empty. They had always been relatively clear, even when Natalie had first arrived in the city, but you could usually catch signs that the biters were nearby. A rattling window, fresh blood smeared into a doorway, the echo of a ragged hiss…

  No indicators remained. Everything was still, and the gore-slick streets were dry. With their pace now being set by their prisoner, they made good time. Though, the nearer they drew to their destination, the more BJ was forced to prod their captive into continuing on.

  It was obvious that his fear of the strange crew that had abducted him was beginning to pale by comparison to the nightmare that await him at the end of the road. He frequently began to slow, and BJ’s repeated shoves were losing their power of coercion. Eventually, they were forced to stop completely.

  The man slumped to a halt, his head shaking rapidly from side to side. Before BJ could growl another threat, their guide raised his finger between choked gasps, pointing through the building they were beside and onward to their mysterious destination. If his tumultuous shuddering was any suggestion, their goal was just around the corner.

  “Get up. I won’t say it twice.” BJ was in no mood to stop now, and his impatience showed. There was a subtle promise of pain in his command that went above and beyond any threat they had previously used. Their prisoner didn’t seem to hear it, busy as he was with his whimpering, which only served to provoke the rest of the crew.

  “This stinks, B. All of this feels like a setup.” Natalie had taken a few steps ahead of the group, just barely aware of Marco’s rising temper behind her. “This guy is fuckin’ weird, man, and I know you feel it too. Something’s wrong. I say we kill him and turn back, we can find our own path.”

  Marco’s suggestion sparked a heated argument, held barely to a whisper, but Natalie ignored it completely. They needed to find the place their prisoner had talked about, and whether or not it was a trap was irrelevant. It was a lead that they had to explore if they wanted to find any more information they could take back to camp. Unsure of what she would find, Natalie took a steady breath, and peeked around the corner.

  Without a doubt, they had found their destination. Even at a distance, Natalie was able to make out the hulking shape of something half-buried in rubble inside a small storefront across the street. There was blood too, and it was fresher than any that they had seen on their
excursion yet. Definitely not lucky. What in the fuck is that thing.

  Cautiously stepping back, Natalie looked back at the crew, still arguing over what they should be doing with their captive. She considered trying to get their attention, but as BJ glanced up to meet her eyes, he immediately brought the debate to a halt. Apparently, Natalie’s expression was enough to convince him to move forward.

  “Watch him. He steps out of line, hurt him. Make sure he stays operational.” Marco smirked as Rico nodded his head in acquiescence to BJ’s orders. Noticing this, BJ rumbled in annoyance and clarified, “That was to Rico about you, Marco. Behave yourself, and leave the prisoner alone.” Having successfully taken the smugness out of Marco, BJ lumbered to Natalie’s side.

  Natalie wasn’t sure what she expected of the big man. He would be concerned, but at the same time, this was very likely what he had come out here to find. With this kind of evidence, there was no way the officials back home could deny that something was definitely wrong. In a way, that could be considered a good thing.

  Whether or not BJ agreed with her was a mystery. His face remained expressionless as he took in the picture before him, raising his scope to his eye to better read the situation ahead. Finally, he sighed, and Natalie was shocked to see how old he looked. Straightening his back, BJ inclined his head toward Natalie with a whisper.

  “Play along.” BJ offered no explanation as he made his way back to the others, and though Natalie was confused, she had no intention of disobeying him. His expression was neutral, and so she did her best to match it, unsure of where this was leading.

  “The creature is dead. It’s safe to approach, but I don’t want to run the risk of provoking any members of your team who might have survived. You’ll need to lead, just in case.” The look of surprise on the burned man’s face, followed by an almost desperate hope, made Natalie’s stomach hurt. As his nearly wild eyes fell over her, she put on a small but confident smile. Play along.