The now sole head of the OHU looked up. "You, you, and you." He pointed to three of his subordinates. "Go down there and see it's true. Bring Sergei's..." He clenched his jaw. "Bring the body back with you. Kaylee, would you please direct them?"
Rick's hand gripping her shoulder, she highlighted the simple path.
"Well..." Rick spoke before the silence could take hold again. "Does anyone else really want to get the hell out of here?"
A number of individuals quietly voiced agreement.
He walked over to Gottfried, who had turned away and started surveying the area. "How about you High Inquisitor? Weren't you saying something important a second ago?"
Gottfried gazed down at Rick, narrowing his eyes. He gave his head a very slight shake and pressed his mouth into a firm line.
"Uh... okay then."
Rick felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he jumped at Malcolm's not insignificant form looming just behind him, the creature having approached without noise. Rick's eyes widened, roving across the shirtless, alien form. He fought the urge to shudder.
"There is problem," Malcolm said.
"Wha-?" Rick favored the creature with a blank expression. "What are you-"
"Cannot leave. Bad things are not gone."
Rick winced. "Yeah, I know there's bound to be stragglers, but we can't run around hunting them all night. We're already-"
"No," the glowing eyes narrowed in a glare. "Don't understand. Cannot leave."
He rubbed his eyes. "What in the hell are you talking about, Malcolm? Most of 'em are already dead. With the exception of Gottfried's people, we're all exhausted and in no condition to be digging through dozens of hiding places to find vicious, cornered animals. Hell, I don't think it'd be that bad if we just left and never..."
Rick trailed off as the three soldiers returned, faces grim. They carried what looked like a body, wrapped in a blanket pilfered from somewhere in the building. Small blots of red seeped through the thick cloth.
Isaac stepped over, and hushed whispering preceded suspicious glancing in Kaylee's direction. Rick moved to her side again, not taking his eyes off of the OHU leader and his people.
Kneeling down, Isaac drew back a corner of the blanket and visibly tensed. Rick squinted, trying to catch some glimpse of the body, but Isaac dropped the sheet and turned toward them.
He appeared angry.
******
Tension increased noticeably, in the High Inquisitor's opinion, the moment Kaylee had emerged, bloodied but alive, from the building. The combination of too much death, an inexplicable case of madness from their foes, and what he assumed to be heavy post-combat strain made for poor decision-making. Suspicion clearly formed in the OHU ranks regarding the woman's claims, and now the body seemed to reveal a contrary tale.
He wondered if it would have been more intelligent to establish dominance with his fresh, well-supplied troops. In reality, nothing in the woman's tale rang with any falsehood, but the way Isaac glared at Kaylee...
Rather than allow unchecked escalation, Gottfried clicked his radio and made a small hand signal. A slight crackle came in response.
"Tell me what happened." Isaac spoke through clenched teeth.
The woman blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? I just told you. What-"
"Tell me what actually happened."
Kaylee opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, confused. "What is it you're implying?
Isaac stepped over, not taking his eyes from Kaylee. "Tell me. Now."
Gottfried noted her muscles tensing. She said, "I already told you. We found him. There was a scuffle. We were going to just slit his throat, but he... he managed to squirm free. Before I knew it, the knife was in Sergei's chest. He didn't get to say anything or try anything. He was just dead."
The OHU leader asked. "Then what?"
"Then what?" Kaylee's voice rose. "Then I went and stabbed the shit out of his killer. You want me to draw a diagram? You want a demonstration?"
Ignoring her statement, Isaac replied in a voice too calm to be friendly, "You claim Sergei was stabbed once."
Kaylee exploded. "What, are you deaf? Are you stupid? Do you not understand the words coming out of my mouth?! Yes! Once, no more. I don't give a rat's ass that he was some tough Russian prick! One is all it takes. If you don't believe your precious leader could fall to one poke, take another look at the body. If you still don't, feel free to kiss my ass."
Gottfried felt the situation spiraling toward negative consequences, but he didn't join the argument. He continued watching as Rick stepped forward. "What's this about, Isaac? Shit, it's a miracle she's alive, that we're all alive. Why are you-"
Isaac grabbed Kaylee by the wrist, saying, "Come here."
"What the- let go of me!" she shouted, struggling. He ignored her.
Rick's hand went immediately to his side-arm, and Gottfried wished he could intervene without drawing attention to himself. He breathed an internal sigh of relief to see Rick hesitate, realize the delicate nature of the situation, and not draw his weapon.
They stopped at the body, and without a word Isaac pulled the shroud open. Kaylee drew in a sharp breath, turning her head to the side. For a bare instant, she appeared as a frightened, vulnerable girl not wishing to stare at a corpse. The moment passed, and she narrowed her eyes, her expression morphing into one of alarm.
"One, you said?" Isaac asked, a dangerous passivity in his tone.
Rick also peered down at the body. The girl stammered, searching for words, but nothing came forth. Simply from the amount of shock on her face, Gottfried understood a simple conclusion.
"Whatever this is must've happened after she left," Rick said, echoing the High Inquisitor's thoughts.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "What, someone came along and did this," he jabbed a finger at the corpse, "in the five minutes since she departed?"
Rick tossed up his hands. "How long does it take to mutilate a dead body? Hell, maybe one of the little followers came by and saw their leader in his own unfit state. Maybe they grabbed a bit of impotent revenge."
"Hm. My men here inform me there was no second body."
Kaylee snapped her head towards Isaac. "What?!"
"Known enemies all around." Isaac folded his arms. "Allies of uncertain loyalty."
"You can't possibly think-" Rick started.
"Can't I?" he interrupted. "How is this little..." He shook his head. "How is she alive when Sergei isn't? Why does her story seem so off?" Isaac ran a hand through his hair, clearly troubled. He looked up. "Why does it feel a bit too convenient that Sergei, the guy who hates you most, is suddenly out of the picture while your little bitch is still alive."
And thus we descend into chaos, Gottfried thought as Rick pulled a weapon, seizing Isaac by the collar and jamming the gun barrel into his cheek. At this action, all of the OHU soldiers snapped their weapons to bear.
Isaac smirked. "With my own gun, no less. Sergei was right about you."
"You are, without a doubt, the dumbest idiot in the entire universe," Rick said in response. "This isn't some crazy conspiracy. Are you really stupid enough to think we could engineer this." He swept a hand at the surrounding bodies.
In spite of the numerous weapons pointed in varied directions, Gottfried didn't pause in his light perusal of the situation and the battlefield. My people will gain position, he thought, hopefully before this descends into violence.
"What are you going to do, Rick?" Isaac asked. "You're surrounded. I don't have much interest in seeing you dead, but if there's even the slightest chance of your involvement in this mess..." He shook his head, motioning to Kaylee, Rick, and Gottfried. "No, the three of you will come with us until we can sort it out."
Gottfried held his breath as Rick's hand clenched on the weapon. "Just bloody-well think for a second. The simplest answer is always the most likely. Kaylee isn't lying, any idiot can see that."
"It was his fault," Kaylee said in a small voice, drawing everyone's attention
. "He saw his little imaginary friend. He told him to help hold Nigel down while I cut his throat." She looked up with pleading eyes. "When he repositioned, Nigel knocked me out of the way and killed him. It was Sergei's fault."
Isaac's face displayed surprise for a moment, and he seemed at a loss for words. Shaking his head, he hardened his expression and ignored her claim. "I will find out what really happened. It's your choice whether or not you want to live long enough to be proven innocent..." his face darkened, "or just pay for it right now."
Rick pulled the hammer back on the revolver. "Tell them to drop their weapons."
"No."
"Vengeance won't mean much when three-quarters of your face decorates the-"
"Malcolm!" Kaylee blurted, trying again. "Malcolm saw! He saw them both!" She whirled around, searching for her companion.
Interesting, Gottfried thought. Perhaps this can yet be turned around.
Unfortunately, the creature was absent. Kaylee, surprised and looking in all directions, said, "What the-? Where did he go? Malcolm!"
Isaac developed the slightest hint of a sneer. "I won't ask again. Come quietly, or-"
"Yes, I believe this has gone on quite long enough," Gottfried finally turned around, speaking in a loud and clear voice. The flare he held dimmed and sputtered, and he gestured it towards Isaac. "You will now tell your men to lay down their weapons and kneel with their hands upon their heads. I have a well-trained force of fresh and fully-supplied individuals ready to kill each of you if I order it."
Isaac blinked, surprised. He opened his mouth, but Gottfried cut him off with a sharp gesture.
"I did not wish to utilize threats. I had rather hoped your people could be of use, but I see now how small a chance we possess at coming to appropriate terms of alliance." Gottfried held up his hand. "Choose now if you wish for your people to live. I have no desire to cause more violence, but I will be taking these two along with me regardless of any grievance you have against them."
Rick and Kaylee registered surprise at his intervention, but Gottfried wondered why. How do these two extract themselves from so many of these types of situations? Do they have some hidden aptitude, or do they thrive on nothing more than good fortune?
Isaac frowned, appearing engaged in his own consideration and lament. After a moment, he sighed. "Do as he says."
The angry-looking OHU soldiers complied, setting their weapons down and kneeling. Isaac obeyed as well, not taking his eyes from Rick. "I will find out what happened here, and I'll make sure the people behind it get what they deserve."
Rick gave a sharp laugh. "Y'know what? I hope you do. I really hope you do find out. When it happens, I hope you feel every bit like the enormous jackass you've proven yourself to be."
Pulling the revolver barrel away, Rick holstered the weapon. "And I'm keeping this pretty little pistol for now," he grinned, showing teeth in a fashion more malicious than good-humored, "until you apologize."
Gottfried resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Vindication does not help your cause.
Isaac said nothing, only glaring as Rick and Kaylee crossed over. They stood next to Gottfried.
The High Inquisitor ignored them, still watching Isaac's people. "Do not follow. I promise no mercy to any who attempt it." He turned on his heel, made a sharp gesture, and started walking out of the square, picking his way through the many bodies.
******
Old Haven reeked of a most prominent and foul decay, highly distracting to the heightened senses Malcolm possessed. Most places were many times worse in recent months considering all of the dead, but even more foul was the area surrounding Heavenly Bodies.
He remembered the beating, clawing, and slashing of the mob from the night before. The wounds had healed, and even his arm had begun to twitch and tingle on its path to recovery, slight motion returning to his fingers.
However, the temporary damage done to him didn't make the area seem worse. No, the air felt simply, as he had described it earlier, "Bad." A terrible situation had developed with this Nigel individual and his followers, far more troubling than anyone else recognized. It went beyond the psychoses, the ritual killing, and most of all, Malcolm had the sense that Nigel's mischief would not cease with his death. The others appeared unaware, but Malcolm vowed to look into it.
He had departed during their debate, concerned about what they were missing and seeming to lack the ability to gain their attention. It didn't matter; Malcolm felt himself most suited to discovering the source of the Bad.
Inside Heavenly Bodies, the same distracting stench of decay pressed in all around, compounded with the sickening sense of wrongness in the air. Trying to ignore it, Malcolm searched carefully, not wishing to repeat the ambush of the prior evening.
Not that he felt concern; the attack force appeared to have eliminated the high numbers advantage if nothing else. In either case, the building was silent, still.
Malcolm searched, hoping to find something, anything to explain his feeling. As he progressed, a familiar scent caught his attention.
Interesting, he thought, instantly moving to find the source.
******
Gottfried led his two allies at a rapid pace, wishing to gain as much distance as possible in case Isaac decided to be foolish.
His Inquisitors would hardly break a sweat in dealing with Isaac's exhausted OHU soldiers. Probably, he thought. However, it was unnecessary and a horrid misuse of time and resources. Anyone clinging to stupidity may do so for as long as they wish.
The rest of his group collected together a few blocks later, and their pace slowed to a brisk walk. Rick made no comment toward the several Inquisitors melting out of the shadows. Gottfried noted the man watched him closely. Waiting for a moment to speak, I suppose.
"I can't decide if your method of getting us out of there was sensible or just stupid."
Gottfried raised an eyebrow, not slowing his stride. "I fail to see much difference in your own tactic."
Rolling his eyes, Rick replied, "No, you see mine was definitely just plain stupid. Yours...? Ergh..." He gave a noise of frustration. "I really wanted to get back in their good graces. The benefit to having them on our side..."
"The loss of their dominant leader is difficult and their reaction unsurprising," Gottfried said. "You knew them better than I; can you say otherwise?"
Rick shook his head. "I don't think Isaac's had to worry about taking charge or making decisions much. And it was a pretty rough night, for all of us." He reached over and squeezed Kaylee's shoulder. She gave him a soft smile.
The girl had been quiet, but Gottfried didn't detect any hints of excess shock or strain. She seemed a bit distant, but it may have been exhaustion. She has survived this long, possibly through worse, he thought.
Rick folded his arms. "What do we do now? Do we wait until the OHU smartens up? Isaac did swear to find out the truth," the last was spoken with considerable mocking. "Kaylee told the truth. We both know that." Rick closed his eyes, sighing. "Right? I'm not just losing my mind; you did believe her, right?"
Gottfried allowed himself a tiny smirk at Rick's apparent lack of confidence. "Of course. The simplest answer was the one you suggested. Someone moved Nigel's body and mutilated Sergei's." He turned to Kaylee. "What do you think? Surely you're not a liar by nature."
She scowled at him. "Don't be an ass."
"Now I'm no mortician," Rick said, "but shouldn't it be pretty easy to tell which wounds were inflicted after death?"
The High Inquisitor gave a nod. "I'd assume so, but the question therein is whether or not Isaac or any of his would be aware of the concept, and further if anyone at all in this hellish prison could identify the differences."
Rick's shoulders slumped. "Goddammit."
"Indeed."
They walked without speaking for a while. Gottfried knew the relative course subsequent conversation would take. He will ask about my news, where we'll be taking them, what we'll be handling next, and so on.
Though flippant and at present somewhat emotional, he knew Rick operated on a principle of careful calculation and consideration. A fair amount had happened, so Gottfried didn't begrudge the man a chance to catch his breath and think. If anything, it will return his mind to proper order so he can be useful in some fashion.
Rick scratched his head. "Okay, so you also were talking about something which happened before Isaac went all pissy. It doesn't take a genius to figure out it was something bad you didn't want to say for fear of making his already idiotic reaction worse. Am I right?"
Gottfried nodded. "Davidson utilized the killings, which also occurred in the Citizen sector, as an excuse to launch an incursion against the Old Haven Union. I was not given particular details, but I was able to discover their target was the Institute itself."
Kaylee took in a sharp breath. "Jesus. They're not pulling punches."
"Indeed. I am grateful you emerged from the building before I was able to tell them such a thing. They blamed you for the death of one of their leaders, and where do you think their minds will turn when they discover an assault on their base of operations? While, might I add, their own people are being ambushed down below?"
"Ugh," Rick responded. "Yeah, I see exactly what you're getting at. So not only did we threaten them and run away, we're probably going to catch hell for some other stuff that isn't our fault."
Gottfried gave a nod. "Yes, though I doubt it will be as hampering to our efforts as you might suggest."
"How so?"
"They won't have the time or manpower to spare finding you, and the re-ignition of conflict may give you and select others the chance to pursue our goals."
Rick rubbed his chin. "Yeah, but I thought we were down on options. Are we still going to try tunneling underneath?"
"We have managed to locate a few small pieces of equipment to that purpose," Gottfried said.
Exodus (The Fall of Haven) Page 21
