by Maxey, Phil
“Outside?”
“Rynon has ordered a… combat to the death, I guess you can call it, for some of the enemies of the corporation. One of them is a mind reader.”
A thrill, tapered by anxiety of what to do next, ran through her.
“The other two—” He waved his hand. “Who cares! But we really should be holding on to the mind readers. Ah, anyway if he dies, at least I will get to dissect his—” His final words were gargled within the blood seeping from his neck.
Anna’s hand was a claw as she stood over him. He looked up at her, shock in his eyes, which then closed after she plunged her teeth into his neck. As the blood rushed into her, she pulled the rage and excitement back from completely blocking her coherent thoughts.
Need to tell Joel!
She quickly walked to the door making sure it was locked, then placed the bag on the desk and rustled through the boxes until she found the largest, and pulled the black military grade radio from it. She had no idea if she was high enough or if the walls around her would block the signal, but she switched it on, and on the agreed channel, clicked the talk button two times.
Two clicks came from the speaker. She held the radio to her mouth. “I found Amos! They’re making him fight to the death! Over,” she said, keeping her voice as low as possible.
“Where. Over,” said Joel.
She spun around trying to orientate herself. “In a prison yard… I think on the southeastern side.”
“We’re coming. Get out of there.”
A few hundred yards away in the chaos of the prison yard, Amos looked at the figure of the Drak, still mostly hidden by shadow and the glare from the lights, and at Kizzy, who was on her knees, her arms folded across her chest, refusing to get to her feet.
“Maybe some of you would like to give the young lady some help?” shouted Rynon from above.
“Come on Kizzy, get up,” said Amos under his breath.
Three men burst from the pack closest to her, one partially transforming into his werewolf form. He went to grab her neck when a fist, twice as big as it usually was swung around and slammed into his midriff, doubling him over and sending him staggering backwards. The other two Alkrons stopped and started to step back. The wolf man finished his change and now stood a foot taller than her, brandishing his claws and roared in her direction.
As Amos ran forwards, the werewolf lunged at her, slicing through air where her head once was, but her form had become snake like, her arms and legs extending, which wrapped around the wolf-man, tightening until his body cracked and fell like a doll to the ground. She reverted back to her natural body and embraced Amos as she reached her.
“We’re get through this!” he shouted, trying to be heard over the jeers and boos which rang out across the yard.
They both felt the ground shudder and looked towards the Drak emerging from the gloom, breaking into a run directly at them. Kizzy’s body grew in size and bulk until she was as tall as the creature charging at them, and Amos tried his best to ignore the burning in his mind and concentrate. That’s when they both recognized who they were about to do battle with.
Daniel Copeland.
*****
Five minutes before…
The pickup left the road, bumped down a small slope then smashed through a fence and kept on going along the side of the hill towards the southeastern tower. That part of the prison was brighter than any other, confirming what Anna had told them.
Joel drove down another slope and onto a dirt track which encircled steel chain linked fences, bordering the dark square cell blocks on a small rise beyond. The pickup skidded to a stop, the three of them getting out, each wearing flak jackets and holding M4s.
Dalton ran to the first fence, tearing a hole through it and then the same with the second. They all climbed through the gap and ran up the hill. The din of hundreds of inmates on the other side of the two-story building filled the air.
Joel looked up at the twenty feet of sheer concrete interrupted by slits for windows. He had never jumped to the top of such a height before. He took a step back and leaped, crashing into the wall short of the top. His clawed hand smashed into the concrete but couldn’t get purchase and he fell back to the ground with a thump.
“Let me try,” said Dalton, dropping this rifle to the ground. The taller man changed form fully, fur spreading across his body, muscles bulging, then took a bigger run up, leaping and only making it half way but his fists smashed into the wall creating holes to grab onto, and with another effort he jumped up and held onto the lip of the roof, then pulled himself to the surface. A clatter came from Joel throwing his rifle up to him, which he picked up then spun around. A pipe ran the length of the roof which he ran too, gripped then tore a section free, and ran back to the edge and dropped it down.
Joel lodged it into the ground, then turned away from Corine. “Hold on to my back.” She climbed on and he pulled himself up to the top, where she stepped off. Dalton was already on the other side, looking into the source of the deafening noise. Below him a Drak was charging at two people he recognized. His friends. Before Joel could stop him, he jumped off the edge.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The inmates quietened in surprise at the armored werewolf that had fallen from the sky, then started cheering again as he ran forward.
Copeland swiped a huge claw towards Amos making him stagger backwards then fall. Kizzy took the opportunity to plunge her fist into Copeland’s ribs, but it was like hitting stone, and with a flick, his other hand slashed across her jaw, sending blood and teeth flying.
The huge scaled creature turned his attention back to the young man on the ground, who was scrambling backwards, when bullets pinged off his back. He swung around to see Dalton walking towards him, firing a constant volley of fire. Amongst the shouts, grunts, jeers and unbridled goading a new sound was trying to be heard. The prison’s siren was wailing.
Amos fumbled against the small buttons on his collar, trying to press the correct combination. “Two-six-five-four…” He pulled at the collar but it remained closed around his neck. He went to try again when legs buffeted his head, making him throw his hands up to protect himself. He rolled onto his front and crawled forward, through the inmates that were now fighting around him.
Copeland ran forward towards Dalton, whose magazine was empty. The wolf-man turned the rifle around and just as the Drak drew his claw back, smashed the weapon across the taller creature’s head, but the rifle just broke in half, not stopping the impact of Copeland’s hand. Blood sprayed from Dalton’s chest, but he leaped forward, his fangs clamping down on Copeland’s shoulder, making the former corporation man groan in pain.
Somewhere in the sea of fighting, three men with the strength of hybrids had hold of Kizzy’s arms. She tried to change form, but a fist slammed into her head, stunning her. A fourth sneered, grabbing her chin. He leaned in and smeared his lips on hers, then pulled back smiling as she spit red. He went to lean in again when a small trickle of blood ran from a hole just created from a gunshot no one heard and he fell to the ground dead. She looked up to a shadow of a figure behind one of the lights not far above her. More bullets cut through the air felling the other three men, and she grew a few inches to try and see above the mass of fighting around her.
Amos was face down in the sandy ground, his fingers desperately trying different combinations when suddenly a high pitch whine rang out and instantly those around him fell to the ground, clutching at their heads. He was no different, for the burning he had usually experienced was now a hundred times worse, so much so that he barely held on to consciousness.
Twenty feet above, Joel and Corine watched Rynon climb over the gantry and drop the ten feet to the ground, landing on an inmates head with a crunch. He stepped off the broken skull then walked towards Dalton who was surrounded by the writhing bodies.
Joel immediately raised the rifle, took aim and fired directly at the king, but he shifted to the left, becoming a blur and looked up.
Gunshots pinged off the top edge of the building from soldiers running into the yard, making him and Corine duck down.
Dalton spun around, seeing the black uniformed soldiers spill out of doors, then roared and surged towards the king.
“Kill him!” shouted Rynon. Cracks and bangs filled the air, as a wall of soldiers fired at the vengeful beast bearing down on him, but rather than striking Dalton the bullets ricocheted off an invisible wall into the night.
Rynon saw the unstoppable threat and pulled a sword from his back, but as soon as he held it aloft it too was pulled from his grasp, spiraling away. Fear came to him as claw and fang were feet from his face.
A wealth of pain slammed into Dalton’s mind causing him to crash into the ground. On the roof Corine and Joel rolled around in agony, their thoughts splintered.
Rynon stood back up, his expression changing from gutless fear to triumphant arrogance. A black-haired woman pushed past the soldiers, one hand on her temple, and stood near the king. She smirked at him and he smiled in return, then turned to the Alkrons covering the ground of the yard. “Behold your queen!”
Amos’s mind had been replaced with a block of ice, shimmering memories, thoughts frozen, but his finger rested on a button on his collar, the last number he had not tried. As he slumped flat to the ground, his body becoming jelly, the weight pushed the number nine, and his collar unlatched and fell off.
As if he had just broken free of the ocean, the sights and sounds of his surroundings flooded back in. He turned his head to see the king, and the woman standing next to him. The people responsible for so much suffering and Geri’s death, and he knew what he had to do. Expunging his pain and his exhaustion he focused on a single clear thought and in an instant, he and his friends became unseeable to everyone else.
Rynon’s eyes grew wide, anger threatening to erupt. He spun around. “Where has the wolf gone!” He looked at the woman, who now had both hands to the side of her head with a pained expression across her face. Amos was in the exact same posture but she couldn’t see that.
Joel got to his knees, then crawled forward and looked down into the yard. He could see the young mind alterer, and the king and soldiers looking around, as if he was invisible. He raised his rifle to Rynon. “Got you now you fuck…”
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“If you fire, they will know where we are!” said Corine. Before he could reply, she stood then waved her hand at the pipes on the roof and those on the others, which bent and twisted to her command, and plunged into the yard smashing into soldiers, who tried to shoot at the metal obstacles in vain.
Seeing what was happening in front of him, Rynon grabbed hold of the woman to his side, and together they sprinted through the door behind them.
Dalton got to his feet, watching the king disappear, then growled in frustration. A gun instantly raised in his direction, but he had already moved before the projectile seared the air and slammed into an inmate. He ran to Kizzy still paralysed by what was around her neck and snapped the collar between his claws.
She groggily looked up, smiled and went to speak, but stopped on seeing Dalton with his finger to his lips. She nodded as he pointed to Amos, then to the roof. As soldiers ran for the exists, a web of pipes chasing them, one in particular curved down to the middle of the yard floor. Dalton helped Kizzy walk forward and grasp it, then did the same, waving to Amos whose hand was shaking.
“Amos!” Dalton half whispered, half shouted. The young man flicked his head towards the source of his name being called and ran forward, but not before a claw grabbed at his leg. He spun around. Copeland looked desperate, the former fearful creature pitiful as he tried to find the strength to remove the collar from his neck.
“Free me… take me with you…” croaked the Drak.
“Come on!” shouted Dalton in Amos’s direction, then ducked as a bullet pinged off the pipe just above him.
Amos looked at the pipe, then at Copeland, and without being able to read the mind of the hateful thing on the ground took a risk. The Drak disappeared to those in the yard. Amos kneeled close by. “Take my hand, I will lead you to safety. Try anything and I’ll let them kill you! Got it?”
Copeland nodded and reached out clutching Amos’s hand, then awkwardly stood. They both staggered forward, over legs and arms, until they grabbed onto the curved stretch of metal, which lifted skywards taking them with it to the roof.
Copeland fell to the black surface, still clutching the collar. “Free me… destroy the…”
Anger and shock swept through those looking at the Drak.
“Why did you bring him!” growled Dalton, holding a clawed hand above Copelands throat, while Joel aimed his rifle directly into the Drak’s forehead.
“He hates the kings as much as we do!” said Amos. “Maybe he can help us!”
Dalton growled again his claws wavering.
Kizzy placed her hand on the wolf’s arm. “We can kill him some other time… For now can we escape?”
Joel looked at Amos. “If we break his collar can you control him?”
Amos nodded. “I think so. But we have to go, I can’t keep us hidden forever.”
Joel kneeled near Copeland then snapped his collar. Copeland looked back at him in shock, then at those around him. “Look at the guy behind me,” said Joel. “You try anything, he’ll know before you do, and you’ll be dead. Got it?”
Copeland nodded. Joel looked back at Amos. “Lets get the hell out of here.”
*****
Four days earlier…
A constant engine drone filled the large cabin of the twin engine helicopter. Galloway sat alone at the back, while Gus, Clement, Carla and others sat further away. She had told them she needed some time alone. The loss of the town too much.
She gripped the tiny cell phone in her hand, hidden from prying eyes. She knew it would vibrate soon. It had to after what she had just seen. And then it did. A message had been received. A bead of sweat rolled down her face, despite the chilled air inside the space around her.
She made sure no one was watching and tapped the screen.
‘Message from unknown’
But to her, the unknown was known to be a king.
She tapped the device which had the Copeland industries logo on the side, and looked at the text message.
‘I will eat your entrails for what you have done!’
She looked again at the others in the helicopter. All but Madison were sleeping, and the young woman’s head was buried in her laptop’s screen.
Galloway started typing. ‘That was not my doing. It was one of Joel’s group. Your brother was dead before I arrived. You don’t know how hard it’s been keeping my thoughts clear from that kid!’
‘You will die with the others!’
‘I’ve always done what you asked! Kept a list of the otherhumans you were looking for, and we had an arrangement about Jankle, which you broke before you knew your brother was dead! You destroyed my town. I even warned your people about the rescue attempt. I have been useful.’ There was a pause. She anxiously looked over her shoulder. Everyone remained still. She typed again. “My people have found Freon’s tomb. The one Copeland could not.”
‘You lie.’
‘No lie. I activated the tablet with my blood. You didn’t think we could do that did you? It told us where his tomb is. He’s hibernating like you were.’
‘Where is it?’
‘Ha, I tell you and then I’m definitely as good as dead. I have another plan. I have enough ordnance to level a small city. I will destroy the tomb, removing the last serious threat to you and your brother. But in return you will allow us to rule a small area of land. You can do what you like with the rest of the country, or the world. I don’t care. But you leave us alone. A corporation free zone. Do we have an agreement?’
There was another pause. She took the opportunity to look back at the others. Maddison glanced in her direction. The phone vibrated
again.
‘Yes.’
‘We are heading towards the coast. Give my people time to get there, then send in your slaves. I need it to look like we only just escaped.’
‘Agreed. But this is your last chance, Galloway. If you do not destroy the tomb…’
‘I will get it done.’
The Scourge concludes in book 6!
BOOK SIX
CHAPTER ONE
Barry sat on the RV’s floor, under the rear window with his knees up against his chest. In his hands was a small flashlight, the only source of light, and he made sure to keep it pointed down. The prison’s siren wailed in the distance.
“They’re going to come back… they’re going to come back…” he whispered.
They had left the RV in a driveway of a two story home, in a once nice neighborhood, roughly six miles from the southeastern walls. The only sign of the scourge was a few smashed windows and the dark red mark that they parked on top of, and until the siren filled the night with terror the suburban street had been completely silent.
A noise came from somewhere outside, and he flicked his head in that direction.
A year ago he would have dismissed the sound as a critter looking for food amongst the trash, but he was pretty sure all the small creatures had been exterminated by much larger predators.
It’s just the wind. Don’t be a baby…
It happened again making him shudder. This time it was clearly something scratching across concrete. He stood and walked slowly out of the back room and into the main aisle. The drapes were closed and the door locked but he placed a finger on the latch to make sure it was down anyway.
He stood frozen, waiting for the sound to repeat but there was only the noise of what was happening at the prison. He started to walk back to the rear room but stopped. What if there was something outside? Shouldn’t he know?
