by T E Stouyer
The giant had had enough. He’d held out as long as he could, but his fiery temperament simply would not allow him to wait around any longer, safely away from the action, while a member of his group was in peril. Especially since he was the one who had put him in that situation. Ignoring the others’ repeated warnings, he rushed down the stairs and ran out the door.
His redheaded companion followed right on his heels.
“What are you doing?” Lucielle shrieked.
But they were already gone.
The young girl shot an alarmed look at both Ashrem and the professor, and then darted down the stairs after the two mercenaries.
“Luce, wait!” Ashrem shouted. But as he moved to intercept her, he felt a strong jolt of pain inside his chest. His body was reminding him that it was not yet ready to handle the strain of such a surge of energy. He let out a faint groan as he leaned on the door frame and placed his hand over his chest.
“You guys wait here,” said Doc. “We’ll come back for you when it’s safe.”
Left with no other choice but to back up his comrades, the third mercenary hurried down steps as well.
Fournier turned to Ashrem and said, “We have to get to him before they do.”
“I know,” said Ashrem. “I’ll go.” As he crossed the lounge, the young man glanced at the detective and said, “Please stay here with the professor.” He then made his way down the stairs.
Unlike the others, Marie had no problem heeding that advice. She was wrapped up in so much confusion that she could barely move a muscle. And even if she could, she wouldn’t have known what to do. At that point, she was seriously questioning the sanity of not only the man she had sought out, but also that of the people around him. They’re insane. They’re all insane, she told herself.
When Ashrem reached the base of the staircase, he heard a sound come from the living room. He approached quietly and peeked through the doorway.
Doc Chen stood in the middle of the room, looking around.
“Hulin?” Ashrem called.
But Doc didn’t answer. He didn’t even glance back as his name was called.
Ashrem understood right away why he had received no acknowledgment from the mercenary. It wasn’t hard for the young man to guess what had induced this state of stunned silence. He had seen it before. And when he stepped through the doorway and scanned the living room, the gruesome scene before him more or less matched what he had expected.
The sofas, tables, chairs, and shelves were smashed or turned upside down. And splashes of blood covered the furniture, the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling.
Ashrem counted nine bodies. And some of them had frozen ghastly expressions. It was as though the fear they had felt right before the end had been imprinted on their faces.
Four of the men had been shot.
Those were the lucky ones.
Another three had had their throats crushed, squeezed like plastic straws. They would have either suffocated or choked on their own blood.
One of the bodies was lying face down next to the fireplace, still clutching at his gun. He had been impaled with the fire iron.
The last victim had been thrown into the field at the back, about fifty feet past the glass bay windows. His body lay on the grass, contorted in a disturbingly unnatural shape.
Finally breaking free of his stupor, Doc turned to Ashrem. “Your brother did this?” he asked, waving at the grisly spectacle.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ll explain later,” said Ashrem. “For now, I need you to help me bring the others back.”
Doc stared at him for a moment and then nodded. “Let’s go.”
The two men exited the house and stepped out onto the driveway. It was completely quiet now. There was no trace of Carson and his remaining men, nor of Lucielle and the two mercenaries. Soran too was nowhere to be seen.
With his gun in hand at the ready, Doc made a wide circle around the professor’s car, which they had parked in front of the house to make room for the van inside the shed. Once he saw that no one was hiding behind the vehicle, he headed for the gate. He wanted to check the narrow road that passed in front of the house.
Ashrem stopped him. “No, it’s better if you stay close. Besides, the bushes on the other side of the road are too high, you’ll have little visibility. It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t think we need to worry about Carson and his men anymore,” said Doc. “At least, not for now.”
“I know,” Ashrem replied as he turned and gazed up at the roof.
At that moment, Lucielle emerged from the shed, accompanied by Rock and Sonar.
Ashrem let out a deep sigh. He was relieved to see the three of them unharmed.
Still on high alert, Doc nodded at his two comrades.
The redhead shook his head in response to signal they had found no one inside.
But then, all heads promptly turned towards the gate when they heard a creaking sound.
It was Soran.
The young man pushed open the small wooden gate and calmly walked in. His demeanor was that of someone returning from an afternoon stroll in the countryside. But his blue t-shirt, black jeans, and black shoes were splattered with red patches. And drops of blood were still dripping from his fingertips.
“Hey, look who’s still alive and in one piece!” Rock cheered as he and Sonar jogged to meet the young man.
“No, stay away from him!” Lucielle shouted. “That’s not Soran. That’s Myrvan!”
Rock stopped and glanced back at her with a quizzical expression. “What the hell’s a Myrvan?” he asked.
While his head was turned, the giant received a violent kick to the midsection. He was sent flying over twenty feet through the air before he crashed into Professor Fournier’s car, shattering the rear windshield and making a big dent on the trunk.
“What are you doing?” Sonar exclaimed as he stared uncomprehendingly at the young man.
Soran glared at him. Then, he grabbed the redhead by the collar and hurled him at the shed.
The mercenary impacted the shed wall with a heavy thump and knocked his head hard against a wooden panel. He then dropped like a lump of metal, and remained on the ground, motionless.
Doc immediately leveled his weapon at Soran, though he still didn’t understand why the young man had attacked his two comrades. But then he heard Rock moan, and mechanically turned his head to check on him. The giant had rolled off the car, but was still too dizzy to get back to his feet.
“Watch out!” Ashrem shouted.
Doc promptly whipped his head back towards the front. He had only looked away for an instant, and yet, to his utter amazement, Soran was now less than six feet away from him. He shuddered. How is he so close already?
In the face of the imminent danger, Doc Chen’s instinct and experience as a soldier took over. He fired two shots in rapid succession.
All he hit was dirt and dust.
Soran had already dodged to the side before the first bullet had left its chamber. The young man slapped the gun away from Doc and readied himself to strike him.
Fortunately, Ashrem intervened and intercepted the punch rocketing towards Doc’s face, stopping it inches away from its target.
Without a word, Soran glared at his brother and launched a devastating sidekick to his ribcage.
Ashrem was propelled backwards, and rolled on the ground over several feet.
Doc was now alone, unarmed, and face-to-face with Soran.
But was it even him?
As the mercenary stared at his terrifying opponent, he realized nothing about the young man seemed familiar. His body posture, his facial expressions, his eyes … Doc didn’t recognize any of it.
But that was a purely academic consideration. The fact remained, the person standing before him was extremely dangerous and clearly intent on hurting him.
Doc was fully aware of the peril he faced. He knew he wouldn’t last more than a few seconds in
a hand-to-hand confrontation against his genetically engineered opponent. He took a quick step back, trying to keep his distance. But Soran lunged after him.
Then, all of a sudden, the young man jumped back in the opposite direction.
A shot had been fired from above and the bullet had impacted the ground at the exact spot where Soran had been standing a split-second earlier. Somehow, he had sensed the danger and had moved away in time to avoid getting hit.
Doc turned his head around and looked up.
He saw Marie and the professor standing at the window in Ashrem’s room. The detective was holding her gun with both hands and was aiming it down at the driveway.
Marie was stunned. She couldn’t believe how quickly Soran had reacted. She couldn’t understand how he had been able to change direction with such speed and agility. How can a person move like that? she asked herself.
Despite her bewilderment, the detective adjusted her aim and prepared to fire again.
But Soran wouldn’t give her the chance.
The young man pounced on Doc and lifted him up by the torso, using him as a shield to obstruct the detective’s line of fire.
Doc barely had time to grasp what was happening as his attacker spun him around once, and then launched him at the second-floor window.
Marie froze in shock as she stared, gaping mouth, at the human projectile flying straight at her.
Professor Fournier, however, was not the least bit surprised. Which meant that he still had his wits about him. He tackled the detective down to the floor just as Doc came crashing through the window, thereby minimizing the damage resulting from their collision.
By then, Rock had shaken off the dizziness and was ready to join the action.
Unfortunately, Soran was already close to him.
No sooner had the giant returned to his feet than he felt a strong pinch around his neck. Soran had gripped him by the throat and was applying a tremendous amount of pressure.
The giant immediately experienced difficulty breathing.
He contracted the thick muscles in his neck to buy himself some time. No more than an extra second or two, but that was all he needed. Rock’s training and experience had taught him how to get out of various holds and locks. He swung both of his forearms hard against the outstretched arm, simultaneously hitting his opponent’s wrist and elbow from opposite directions.
Nothing happened.
He tried again … still no result.
The giant shuddered as he realized he was literally a breath away from having his windpipes crushed.
Luckily, Ashrem returned in time to save him.
The young man pulled Soran back and tried to bring him to the ground in an attempt to subdue him, if only for a short time.
The two brothers grappled for a while as they continued to move away. But Ashrem was too weakened by his injuries to carry his plan to fruition.
Soran planted his feet firmly on the ground and broke free of his brother’s hold. He then swung his arm and delivered a powerful backhanded fist to the side of Ashrem’s head, sending him swirling through the air.
Having had time to catch his breath, Rock seized the opportunity to reach for the gun tucked behind him inside his belt.
For the second time, Soran somehow sensed a danger from his blind spot. He spun around and glared at the giant.
Without hesitation, Rock fired three times as the young man closed in on him at an alarming speed.
But Soran proved to be a most disobliging target. He rushed forward, half stood up and zig-zagging on his toes, like some wild beast charging down its prey. His movements were so quick and so irregular that it was extremely difficult to anticipate his next position. As a result, the first two bullets missed their mark. But the third one lodged itself into the young man’s midsection.
Instead of slowing him down, the gunshot wound only seemed to enrage Soran further. He pounced on the giant and grabbed him by the wrists.
In an attempt to break free, Rock abruptly pulled his arms back.
It was no use.
“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted, trying to bring Soran back to his senses.
That too failed.
The giant grimaced with pain as he felt his arms twist to the point where he thought his ligaments would snap.
He had to do something. Now.
Rock had always been a firm believer that the best kind of defense was a good offense. He gritted his teeth and lunged headfirst at his opponent.
Their heads collided violently.
Though it was unorthodox, the mercenary’s desperate attack had yielded the desired result. Soran had let go. But the collision had left the giant stunned, both literally and figuratively. He felt like he had just clashed heads with a ram.
Wobbly from the shock, Rock staggered back and fell on his backside. But it wasn’t until he heard the click of the hammer being cocked that he realized his weapon was no longer in his hand.
He looked up, and saw the muzzle of his own gun pointed down at him.
There was nothing else he could try, no more tricks up his sleeve. This was it.
The giant had all but resigned himself to his fate, when, out of nowhere, Lucielle jumped between the two men and spread her arms to make her body as big as possible.
“No, don’t!” She pleaded to her brother. “You have to stop. Please.”
Soran stared impassively at the young girl. It was almost like he didn’t know who she was. Then, his brow twitched and his head tilted to the side as he continued to stare at her.
What followed next was so bizarre that the giant froze in astonishment as he looked on.
“Luce …” Soran said in a low voice.
The young man’s hands began to shake. Only a little, at first. But as the seconds passed, the shaking grew more intense. Eventually, the gun fell to the ground because Soran could no longer hold it. He closed his eyes and pressed his hands against his temples as he moaned and staggered backwards.
He seemed to be in pain. A lot of it.
He tottered awkwardly for a while longer, and then, suddenly, collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
Chapter 12 – Monsters
“Phew!” Lucielle sighed in relief. “It’s over.”
“It’s over? What’s over?” Rock demanded as he got back up. “What the hell just happened?”
“Is everyone all right?” Doc called out as he ran out of the house, followed by Marie and the professor.
“We’re fine,” said Rock.
“And Sonar?” Doc asked.
Everyone turned towards the shed.
The redheaded mercenary was half stood up, with his hands on his knees. When he raised his head and met the others’ worried gazes, he forced a weak smile and gave a thumbs-up to signal he was OK.
“He’ll be fine,” said Rock. “He just banged his head a little. I’m more interested in what happened with this one.” The giant pointed at Soran who was lying on the ground, asleep.
Meanwhile, Fournier had gone over to Ashrem to help him up. “Are you all right, son?”
“Yes,” the young man replied. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
After hearing Ashrem repeat the same words as Lucielle, without once again offering any clarification, Rock grew even more incensed. “All right, that’s it!” he grumbled. “The next one who says that … I’m gonna shoot him. Or her,” he added, looking at the young girl.
“I’m afraid the explanation will have to wait,” said Fournier. “Might I suggest we relocate first?”
“Yes,” the young analyst said. “This place obviously isn’t safe anymore.”
“I agree,” said Doc. “Our first priority should be to get away from here. There’ll be plenty of time to talk later.”
Rock grunted in frustration, but made no objections.
“Hmm, looks like the professor’s car is toast,” Lucielle said in a nonchalant voice. “It’s a good thing we still have the van.” She then turned to the blond woman. “
I assume you have a car somewhere nearby?”
“Yes,” Marie replied in a wary voice.
“Good, so what will it be?”
The detective gave a blank look.
“What will it be?” the youngster repeated. “Will you go off on your own, or are you coming with us?”
Fournier could hardly believe his ears. “What are you saying, Luce? Of course she’s leaving. She should return to Berlin at once, and forget all about this.”
“I don’t know, professor,” said Lucielle. “It couldn’t have been easy for her to track you all the way here. I doubt she’ll quietly go back home just because you’re asking so nicely. Besides, there’s a high probability Carson followed her here. At the very least, he saw her come into the house. Which means it’s only a matter of time before Andrew finds out who she is.” The silver-haired girl paused and squinted into space. “That’s assuming he doesn’t already know. He’s very sneaky that one.”
Marie tilted her head. “Andrew?”
“Yes, Andrew Leicester,” Lucielle replied. “The men who attacked us work for him.”
“I think the kid might be right,” Doc said to the detective. “If they know about you, you’re probably safer with us for the time being.”
The detective paused as she considered their offer.
On the one hand, this was her best chance to uncover the truth about Professor Karpov’s past, and to find out the motive behind his murder. After what she had just witnessed, Marie had no doubt this odd bunch was connected to the group she had encountered on the previous night—which included Professor Karpov’s killer.
But on the other hand, she didn’t know these people. Was it wise to tag along with a group of strangers? And not just any strangers, these guys were clearly involved in something dangerous. Not ten minutes after she had met them, heavily armed men had shown up out of nowhere and had started shooting at everyone. And in response, this group had inexplicably opted to serve up one of their own to the attackers by tossing him over a second-floor banister. Sure, that made a lot of sense, Marie joked to herself.
Then, she thought about how Soran had turned on them with a murderous rage. She went over his actions in her head. How could he have done the things he had done? How could anyone? She remembered the blond man with the knives, and how strong he too was. She was overwhelmed by it all. It almost felt like none of it was real. Like it was some kind of dream. And why on earth was the child making all the decisions?
