by eden Hudson
I looked around the room at the guys and girls I’d gone to high school with, and the kids from Scout’s class and younger, coyotes I’d never met, crows I’d never really liked, and humans I’d never seen before tonight. The way Clare had said it sounded about right—bodies. By tomorrow night there was a pretty good chance everybody in the tattoo parlor would be bodies. I might be looking at the next generation of the Dark Mansion foundation.
Godkiller
Tough.
I saw every moment of his life and thoughts. I saw a little boy full of love and joy and music grow into a man from whom everything had been taken. I watched his heart get crushed. I watched him pick himself up and love again only to have his heart crushed again. I watched him backed into every corner imaginable, forced to do things he never wanted to think about again to survive. I watched him make the wrong decisions trying to do the right things, watched him chase the wrong things trying to stop the pain—his, others’—only to end up hurting himself more.
Everything he had done and been and hoped. Everything he’d gone through. He never stopped fighting. Even when things were at their worst, he never gave up. He tried. He failed. He tried again. He failed again. There was no one to lead him, no one to help him, no hope left, but he never quit trying.
No matter what, Tough never quit trying.
Tough
Naomi and her team leaders—an older guy with a flattop haircut and claw-mark scars all over his scalp, a guy about my age who had to be a crow with as much metal as he had in his face, and a woman I probably couldn’t take in a fight—leaned over the map Lonely had drawn of the Dark Mansion and the roads surrounding it.
“Barrick and Gause, your teams will come in along this old highway, then follow the path across this no man’s land Tough marked out—” Naomi stopped and looked at me. “You’re pretty sure they didn’t retrace your steps after that foot soldier discovered you outside the mansion? It’s still a viable entry point?”
I nodded even though I wasn’t sure.
This whole night was getting to be a blur. I’d never thought before that I would miss standing around the kitchen at the cabin talking strategy with Sissy and Ryder and Colt, but sitting up in the attic, listening to Clarion, Lonely, and Naomi’s team leaders made me wish I was back with my sister and my brothers. I didn’t want to lead an army and I couldn’t be the holy champion. But if I was going to make Kathan pay for all the shit he’d done and get any of the Halo lifers through tonight alive, I had to suck it up and play along.
Naomi turned back to the map. “All right, Barrick and Gause go in through the back roads, take the path across no man’s land, while Proper’s team comes up in the convoy with Tough’s people and the coyotes.”
“Right,” Clarion said. He pointed to the gravel road going up to the Dark Mansion. “The last fly-over indicated a barricade right here. An overturned tour bus. Two guards, fully armed, with spike strips laid out across the ditches.”
“So you go off-road,” Naomi said. “You’ve got the vehicle power for it.”
I shook my head at the same time as Lonely said, “It’s woods and brush all along that road on both sides. Dirt bikes are the only vehicles that could make it through, but there are only two or three of those working in town.”
“That’s why they picked that as their choke point—so we’d have to bail out or be sitting targets,” Clare said. “Two of my packs will head the convoy to draw fire and pull up the spike strips. That’s going to block the ditches with disabled vehicles, which means as soon as the lead trucks stop rolling, Tough, you and the rest of the humans need to hit the ground running.”
Naomi jerked her chin at me. “What are the odds your people will be able to follow you in the right direction in the dark with angels shooting at them?”
I made a zero with my hand and held it up. Then I mouthed Yours?
She smirked. “A little better than that.”
Clarion jumped in before we could whip our katanas out and measure. “The tail packs will be right behind the humans, bringing up the convoy’s rear. Their only objective is to break for the Dark Mansion while the barricade guards are distracted by the header packs. If you humans can manage to follow them, they’ll be headed in the right direction.”
“The murder will be overhead, too,” Lonely said. “If any humans wander off the path or try to turn and run, we can set them straight.”
“Then we hit the Dark Mansion,” Clarion said, glaring down at the map.
Lonely laughed that creepy-ass graveyard crow laugh. “And then the real battle begins.”
*
It was almost four in the morning by the time we’d gotten everybody set straight on the plan. Naomi’s teams were going to ride in the vehicles they had driven into Halo. Clarion’s packs spread out between their beat-up Jeeps, Broncos, and one dusty old Hummer. That just left the humans to sort out.
Dodge had left the keys in his truck, so I commandeered that. We also had Jim’s tow truck, Drake’s little S-10, and Addison’s tricked out El Camino.
“It’s a pretty cute little truck-car,” she said when she offered it. Then she shrugged, rattling her scrunchy bleach-blond curls. “But if the world ends, it’s not like I’m going to need it anyway. So, we might as well use it while we can. Plus it’s got big block out the wazoo. I hit ninety between the horseshoe curves north of town once.”
We had all of the humans from around town who’d shown up during the night wanting to fight, plus all of the humans who had survived the first attack on the Dark Mansion. Twenty-nine humans in all.
The survivors of the first attack were dirty and tired-looking and they smelled like anxious sweat, blood, smoke, burnt plastic, and ozone. Drake, Jim, Tawny Hicks—who hadn’t died like I’d thought, just got knocked unconscious—and four kids about Scout’s age I recognized from around town, but didn’t know. They knew what we were up against—they’d already faced it once—and they were about to go back for more anyway.
Tell them they’re riding with me and Harper, so Jim and Drake need to hand over their keys to somebody, I said to Lonely.
Lonely bobbed his head once, a half-peck so sharp it almost made me flinch, then pointed the survivors out one by one. “You all’re riding with Tough. And stay with him when you get to the Dark Mansion. He’s your team leader.”
The weirdest thing happened after he said that. Everybody else from Halo looked at the seven I’d picked out like that they’d just made varsity starter or something. A couple people reached over and slapped Tawny and Jim on the shoulder. One kid from Scout’s class grinned at me like he wanted to tell me thanks.
I didn’t get it. They knew me. They’d seen me carry Scout in earlier. They had to know that being on my team wasn’t much better than signing up for a suicide pact. But they were…Glad? Happy? Thankful?
I didn’t know how to react to whatever that was, so I just picked up the replacement shotgun Clarion had given me, then gave my team the Come on nod.
They followed me out and got in the truck.
Colt
He lifted me up to my feet and held my arm until I could stand without falling over.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant,” He said.
Beside Him, Tiffani was on her knees with her hands clasped over her mouth. Her face was white and her eyes wide. Tears rolled down her cheeks. When He stepped away from me, Tiff launched herself at me and knocked me over.
“You had a hard row to hoe, Colt,” He said. “But you did it. You went to work and you never turned back. You never gave up, and you never took the easy way out, not even when you could have quit without blame or sin. You’re a soldier after my own heart.”
Words wouldn’t come. I was crying, too, at the hugeness of what I’d been rescued from. I held Tiffani and tried to force my mouth to open, but I was too overwhelmed to talk.
He nodded that He understood.
Tiffani spun around and threw her arms around Him. He squeezed her as tight as
I had hugged Mom when I finally got to see her again, as tight as Dad had hugged me.
“Tiffani.” His smile burned brighter than white phosphorus. “My beautiful Tiffani Ann. For so long it felt like you would never come back. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I didn’t even—” Her voice broke. “I didn’t think you—”
“Always. Why do you think I sent you Colt? No one else could’ve brought you back.”
Tiff laughed. Not the gruff, deep-down-in-her-chest laugh I used to get out of her once in a while when we were alive, but a surprised, childlike laugh. Her whole life she’d been unwanted. Now she finally realized how much she was loved—really, truly, wholly loved. If I’d still been alive, I think my heart would have exploded hearing her laugh like that.
Behind us, someone exhaled as if they’d been punched. I turned around.
Mom. She was covering her mouth with both hands. Bright tears stood out in her eyes.
When He stepped away from Tiff, Mom ran and took his place. Her and Tiffani didn’t say anything to each other, just hugged and swayed back and forth.
“Looks like Mom’s trying to steal your girl, Sunshine,” Ryder said, stepping up beside me.
I cleared my throat so I could talk. “You would ruin a moment like this.”
“I like to make a fashionable entrance,” he said. “So, you coming?”
“That’s what she said.” We both got it out at the same time. Tie.
Sissy came around my other side. You could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
Mom and Tiffani’s reunion was still going on. Dad went over to them. Mom finally let go and stepped back, one arm still around Tiffani’s waist.
“Welcome to the family,” Dad said, holding out his hand.
Tiff grinned at me. She shook Dad’s hand. “Thanks.”
Dad pulled her into an awkward hug, but Tiff let go of Mom and put both arms around him. Dad laughed.
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen either one of them truly happy.
“So where are we going?” I asked. “I thought we were already…you know, home.”
“Last battle for Earth.” Sissy held up the shining sword in her hand. It wasn’t on fire, but the blade burned with that concentrated Heavenly light. “We’re gearing up. JC didn’t ask you yet?”
I looked at Him.
“Well, we do need someone to reclaim the Sword and carry out the Judgment,” He said. “I know that you could do it, Colt, but you’ve been fighting for so long. I wouldn’t ask for more than you’ve already given. You deserve to rest.”
“What about Tough?” I asked. “Is he still alive…I mean, undead? Or is he in Hell?”
He shook His head. “When viewed from inside time, Tough is still on Earth and he’s still fighting. But he’s losing.”
“I want to go back,” I said. “If it’s not over yet, I don’t want to rest.”
Ryder giggled his high-pitched giggle. “Told you! I told you he’d say yes! This bitch don’t run from a fight! Ain’t that right, Sunshine?”
“Will you grow up?” Sissy said.
“I’m happy, Bossy, this is how I rejoice. If you got a problem, take it up with JC.”
Sissy looked at Him.
He smiled at Ryder. “You could stand to tone it down some.”
Instead of flipping Him off, Ryder just giggled again. Sissy laughed, too. Even Dad cracked a smile, like this was a running family joke.
A soft hand slipped into mine.
“If you’re going back, I am, too,” Tiff said. “Wherever you go, I’m going.”
I kissed her. She exhaled through her nose and pressed her forehead to mine. She was breathing—breathing and so warm.
Tough
The convoy sped down the gravel road to the Dark Mansion, kicking up enough dust to choke a tornado. Clarion was driving the lead Jeep, followed by the Broncos, all full of coyotes. I kept on their tail in Dodge’s truck. Behind me came Jim’s tow wagon, Drake’s S-10, and Addison’s El Camino—all three crammed with humans, and one crow and coyote apiece—then two more packs of coyotes bringing up the rear.
Across the bench seat from me, Harper was holding that shotgun on her lap, flicking the metal ring holding the strap to the butt of the stock.
We hit the barricade right where Lonely’s spies had said it would be—an overturned tour bus across the road, still about a mile out from the Dark Mansion.
The foot soldiers stationed there opened fire. Somebody screamed a vehicle or two back, but he got it under control fast.
The adrenaline kicked in and the vamp senses went into overdrive. I could see every dust particle the lead trucks threw up as they swerved toward the ditches. Headlights glinted off the portable strips of tiger teeth.
Through the busted-out back window of Dodge’s truck, I heard Tawny Hicks holler, “Get ready to run!” Fists tightened on stocks and grips. Someone was breathing too fast, close to hyperventilating. A couple hands grabbed the sides of the truck bed, ready to hop out.
Clarion’s Jeep hit the tiger teeth. Its tires shredded and the strips wrapped around the axle. Doors flew open and Clarion and his pack bailed out. They changed on the fly, from a bunch of armed dudes in woodland camo to a pack of scraggly-looking gray and brown coyotes. The foot soldiers turned their fire on the coyotes, but the coyotes healed too fast. By the time a foot soldier had put one coyote down, then turned around to take out another, the first coyote was already on the foot soldier’s back.
I slammed on the brakes, threw Dodge’s pickup into park, and jumped out. A few seconds behind, almost like she was moving in slow motion, Harper’s door slammed open and she followed.
Metal knocked against metal—weapons banging against the tailgates and sides of the trucks. Shoes and boots hit the gravel. I whistled so my team would know where I was, then took off, skirting around the side of Clare’s incapacitated Jeep and heading into the tree line.
“This way,” Tawny yelled. The rest of my team took up the call as we headed out, making sure everybody knew which way to go.
I tried to keep it slow, stay with my team—I’d picked them, so they were my responsibility—but even trying to keep everything under control, my vamp speed kept kicking in. I had to stop and wait for them to catch up.
The tail packs loped past, weaving in and out of trees, knocking into each other, and howling and yipping like this was the most fun they’d ever had.
My team caught up and I started running with them again. I spotted Clarion and his pack coming up the middle. He barked, checking in with the rest of the packs. They answered him, and all the coyotes at once threw it into high gear, running in a dead sprint that even I couldn’t keep up with.
Gunshots followed us away from the headlights and into the darkness. I wondered how many humans had made it away from the barricade without getting shot. Even if they couldn’t see us, the foot soldiers were sending enough lead our way that some of it had to be hitting bodies on accident. Hopefully there weren’t any other blockades between us and Dark Mansion property.
We came out of the trees, crossed a terraced strip of field and a drainage ditch, then came up on the remains of the Dark Mansion. In the bloody reddish-brown light, I could see the silhouettes of the shot-up armored vehicles and burned-out helicopters that’d been dragged into a circle around the mansion’s bombed-out foundation.
I didn’t know if I actually saw the fallen angels or if it was a trick of the vamp senses, but I knew that they were waiting at the center of that circle. Most of them had their wings flared, too psyched to keep them folded.
That shot an extra jolt of energy into my system. This was where they’d hurt Desty, made her into something she wasn’t. This was where they’d hung Colt’s body up on a pole for the maggots to eat, where they’d cut my dad’s head off, and burned down my farmhouse and taken away everything good I could ever remember.
This was where they were going to pay for that shit.
A
mine went off to my left, throwing dirt and droplets of human blood. I didn’t look to see who had stepped on it, just kept running. A second mine went off behind me. Dirt rained down everywhere, but no blood this time.
Someone up at the mansion let loose a war cry. Then the fallen angels were in the air, darting at us like pissed-off birds when you get too close to their nest. I hadn’t realized they could fly. I’d thought the wings were just for looks—that the tar somehow kept them from getting airborne—but they must’ve spread that lie so they would have the element of surprise during a battle.
A foot soldier slammed into my chest. It felt like I’d been hit by a train. I flipped backward and landed on the side of my left foot. The ankle snapped.
The vamp healing wasn’t working fast enough, so I hauled myself up onto my opposite knee and brought the shotgun to my shoulder.
Overhead, a guy screamed. He was dropping. A couple seconds later, there was a wet thud and the screaming stopped.
A winged shadow with a human body crossed in front of the moon. I squeezed the trigger, took a chunk out of its thigh and hopefully most of its nutsack, too.
More screams. More thuds. Some of the bodies got back up and howled or yipped as they shifted from coyote to human form. Some rolled up and cradled broken legs or arms. But most didn’t get back up.
Little black shadows swooped in and out of the bigger shadows, scratching and pecking at eyes, and tearing away weapons. The crows moved so fast that it seemed like there were a hundred of them instead of just twenty-six.
I took a few more shots at the angels overhead, but only hit one.
Finally, the vamp healing kicked in. My ankle popped back into place, barely loud enough to hear over everything else.
I couldn’t see Harper. Didn’t remember hearing her scream. But she had to be in this mess somewhere. I took a couple running steps with my shotgun up.
“Tough, we’re here!” Tawny was by my side. So were Jim and two of the four kids from my team. One girl was white-knuckling a can of hairspray and a lighter. A homemade flamethrower.
