Planet Urth Boxed Set

by Jennifer Martucci

  “The information recorded was routed directly to my personal computer. Then, I lied and told you I was going away to buy more equipment for the lab. But, I checked into the Hilton Hotel in Fallkill to watch what you would do when you thought you were alone. As I did so, I became aware of various interesting developments in you construct, of your flaw. Then the piece de resistance came when you invited her here and cooked her dinner. I do not need to recount the rest. You just experienced it; as did I. And what a pathetic display it was,” Terzini said emotionlessly. “I don’t know who cried more, you or her. Nevertheless, she will be dealt with as well.”

  Gabriel hung his head not in shame or defeat but in emotional exhaustion.

  After summoning his strength, he spoke.

  “Dealt with?”

  “Yes, Gabriel.”

  “But sir, I love her,” he said.

  “Love?” his maker questioned. “You do not love, Gabriel.”

  “But I do, sir,” Gabriel countered.

  Anger flashed almost undetectably, fleetingly, in Terzini’s hardened eyes. “You were not created to experience such a useless emotion. I made sure of that.”

  “Sir, I know what your intentions were with me. My feelings for her were entirely unfamiliar, unexpected. I’m not certain whether they evolved subtly or-”

  “An explanation is unnecessary. This situation will be handled,” Terzini interrupted.

  “Sir, I realize what I’ve done. I have jeopardized everything. But I will speak to Melissa. I assure you, she will not say anything to anyone.”

  Gabriel regarded Terzini; his face impassive, unrevealing.

  “Are you proposing that I just trust some foolish teenage girl? You have unparalleled intelligence, Gabriel. Surely, you do not expect me to take a chance with a random, hormone-saturated adolescent. That would be absurd. If anyone were to discover the nature of my work or that I live, everything I have achieved could end; my life would be jeopardized. No, Gabriel, I am not willing to risk the entirety of my research and development-all of my work-by trusting your limited little girlfriend. No, absolutely not. And you, you will be destroyed and dissected by nightfall.”

  “Sir, I’m not sure I understand. Melissa, she’s done nothing wrong. What do you intend to do with her?” Gabriel asked.

  His mind raced, searching for an explanation for his creator’s vague plans for Melissa. He recalled the expression “dealt with” being used concerning her fate. A direct threat had been made. Terzini made plain his intent to kill Gabriel. But that fact was irrelevant. He feared for Melissa.

  “That is no longer your concern. Your work is complete. I have no further use for you.”

  “It is my concern, sir. She is my concern. She will not tell anyone. I am certain she would not share what she knows. I assure you, I will speak with her. She will listen to me.”

  “Oh yes, Gabriel. I know; because you believe she loves you, right?” Terzini offered flatly. “Such nonsense. She has to be disposed of. There is no alternative.”

  Gabriel lifted his chin and met his maker’s intense glower.

  “Sir, I understand the consequences for my transgressions. I accept my fate. But Melissa…”

  Gabriel breathing became labored.

  “Sir, you’re not going to kill her. I won’t let you.”

  Terzini laughed the shrill staccato laughter of an evil man before declaring plainly, “Gabriel, you will be dead, you will not be able to do anything.”

  “No, no, no,” Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. “This can’t happen. You’re not a monster. You wouldn’t kill an innocent.”

  “An innocent?” Terzini raised his voice slightly. “She could destroy everything!” he vented, shedding his composed veneer. “It astounds me that you somehow believe any of this could be taken lightly! After all Gabriel, you sealed her fate the moment she crossed the threshold of this house.” Terzini accused, then after calming himself he added more levelly, “Eugene is already en route to deal with the situation.”

  Gabriel’s mind reeled. Panic settled upon him. He had no idea that Eugene had even arrived yet. Stopping Eugene would be nearly impossible. Eugene was far stronger than Gabriel, but his deadliest attribute remained his uncompromising obedience to his maker. He would kill on command, targeting whomever Terzini deemed deserving.

  Melissa would be his target.

  Infused with rage equal in intensity to the love he felt for Melissa, Gabriel stood, towering over his diminutive maker and hissed angrily, “Neither of you will touch her!”

  Terzini seemed genuinely shocked by Gabriel’s threatening tone and posture yet tried to speak with authority.

  “It is done Gabriel. It’s over,” Terzini said.

  Gabriel suddenly realized that all the doubts he had about his humanity were unfounded. He was not a monster. But Dr. Franklin Terzini was.

  Gabriel erupted in a furious rage. His body was suddenly overtaken by an intense, primal urge to harm the man standing before him.

  “NO!” he heard his voice scream, foreign to his ears, before he attacked Dr. Terzini.

  Gabriel outstretched both arms, snapping them forward with the entire weight of his body behind them and shoved the diminutive geneticist by his shoulders.

  The blow exploded against Terzini’s small body and forced him backward, slamming him against one of the mahogany bookshelves in the living room.

  Gabriel watched as his creator’s head struck the shelves, hard, before his body slumped in a near seated position, unconscious on the hardwood floor.

  Gabriel looked at Terzini with both satisfaction and misgiving. But he wasted no time on consideration. His mind had ceased its dizzying whirl. His thoughts were no longer confused. His next steps were clear.

  Trembling, Gabriel turned and ran for the door. He needed to get to his car.

  He needed to find Melissa.

  Chapter 15

  Dr. Franklin Terzini contacted Eugene by telephone late Saturday night, shortly after he arrived in New York. He had barely settled into his cottage when Terzini informed him that Gabriel had presented with a flaw and was to be killed. But not before another matter was dealt with first. An additional problem had arisen, one that demanded his immediate attention.

  After apprising him of the recent developments between Gabriel and a human teenager, his maker charged him with another task. He was to hunt down and kill a seventeen-year-old girl named Melissa Martin before he executed Gabriel. Eugene was given her address and wasted no time in his pursuit. He quickly traveled to her home, his insides trilling all the while.

  Though hardly a worthy adversary, the thought of slaughtering a weak, female adolescent excited him. He had never killed a girl before. He wondered what differences the experience would offer.

  Receiving permission to kill gave Eugene the chance to do what he excelled at, what he hungered for, what he enjoyed. The addition of a foreign element heightened his anticipation.

  He parked his Hummer at the bottom of Blackstone Drive. Barely able to contain his enthusiasm, he traveled on foot up the steep slope of Melissa’s street.

  Thanks to the season and colder weather that accompanied it, neighbors were not roaming about. Eugene moved past Melissa’s house unquestioned and noticed that a second-story window was illuminated.

  He boldly stepped on to the Martin property and strode across grass hardened by frost to the back of the structure. No one saw him or stopped him from proceeding. He heard neither the baying of dogs nor the shouting of concerned citizens.

  He climbed a flight of small wooden steps to a door. He tried the handle, found it locked. But the door yielded effortlessly to Eugene’s strength. The owner had not bothered to engage the deadbolt.

  Eugene crossed the threshold of Melissa’s Martin’s home.

  He entered through the rear of the house and found himself in a rectangular room. Framed photographs filled with smiling faces stared at him and lined the far wall. Under the photographs, a flat-screen televisi
on resided, along with an unstable looking desk equipped with a personal computer. A leather sectional rested against the outer wall. No one sat upon it. The room was unoccupied.

  Silently, Eugene continued. He crossed the unoccupied space and entered a small dining area next to a living room. Still, he encountered no one.

  He skulked through both areas before prowling down a short hallway. His shoes strode soundlessly on the hardwood flooring.

  At the end of the corridor, Eugene was at a landing between a flight of steps and the front door. He paused briefly to listen for the home’s residents. He heard the faint sound of music coming from upstairs.

  With feline grace and agility, he scaled the steep staircase, his strides remarkably quiet despite his size. He quickly climbed the incline of stairs and was in a long hallway.

  Music permeated the stillness of the house, the sound amplified.

  He moved toward the increasingly loud music, down the carpeted hallway and found a haloed doorway.

  Eugene followed the light.

  As he approached the door, a sign shaped like a crown with the words “Princess Melissa’s Room” emblazoned on it signified that Eugene had located his prey.

  Slowly, he pushed the door back and stalked in.

  Chapter 16

  On a road still dampened by rainfall from the previous night, Kevin, John, Eric and Chris watched through the darkly tinted windows of Kevin’s car as Gabriel sped out of his gravel-filled driveway.

  “What did I tell you? I knew we wouldn’t have to wait long,” Kevin said. “I bet you he’s going to meet that little whore right now.”

  Kevin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, Gabriel had made a fool of him twice, and it was time for payback. If he wanted to regain his former status at school and in the eyes of his friends, his retaliation needed to be significant, memorable. Kevin was going to make a big statement and show everyone at school what happens when he is crossed.

  “I can’t wait to fuck up that pretty face of his,” John added.

  “He called me out at school, made me look like a little bitch,” Kevin complained. “Did he really think I was gonna let him get away with that shit?”

  “He made us all look like punks,” Eric grumbled.

  “He’s gonna get the ass-kickin’ of his life,” Chris chimed in as he gripped his weapon.

  Kevin and each of his friends were armed with aluminum bats.

  Kevin felt a surge of adrenaline as he realized his plan for revenge would be a reality. His excitement grew by the moment. He would make Gabriel pay dearly for his transgression.

  “I’m gonna crack his fuckin’ head open,” Kevin spat. “And when I’m done with him, I’m gonna make that little bitch of his pay.”

  Kevin felt his anger rise to a new level as his thoughts shifted to Melissa. Twice, she had come on strongly to him, only to back off after they had begun to fool around. He knew she wanted him, but she was a tease. She would have learned her lesson at the keg party if Gabriel had not come.

  “Yeah, man. She was all over you at the bonfire, goes off in to the woods with you; then has the balls to say you tried to rape her,” John said.

  “Like I need to rape that scrawny skank? She’s just pissed her boyfriend caught her all over me,” Kevin declared haughtily, enunciating the last three words of his declaration venomously.

  Sheltered between two minivans, Kevin Anderson and his friends watched as Gabriel sped precariously along the saturated stretch of road.

  “Where the hell is this guy going?” Chris asked

  “I don’t know but he’s driving like a maniac,” Eric added.

  ***

  Frantically, Gabriel touched the screen of his cellular phone as he commanded the Explorer, stomping on the accelerator and testing both the engine and traction of the sturdy vehicle against the road conditions. The small display monitor brightened at once as a menu appeared. He depressed an option that produced a photograph of Melissa. With fingers unsteadied by anxiety, he stroked her image. A ringing sound immediately began.

  “Come on! Come on! Please pick up!” he pleaded impatiently as the car swerved briefly, veering toward the shoulder before he resumed control of the steering wheel.

  After nearly a dozen rings, Melissa finally answered, her voice hushed, but still sweet and melodious.

  “Hello?”

  Relieved at the sound of her voice, Gabriel sighed. She was still alive. Eugene had not gotten to her, yet.

  “Melissa! It’s me, Gabriel. You need to get out of the house, right now!” Gabriel ordered.

  She was immediately alarmed by his urgency. She panicked.

  “What’s going on Gabriel? You’re scaring me.”

  “Listen to me, Melissa. Where are you? Are you home?”

  “No, I’m with Daniella. She called and offered to take me out for brunch. We’re at the diner. Why?”

  “I need you to meet me,” Gabriel said. “Can you do that?”

  “Yeah, sure. I was going to call you when I got home anyway,” Melissa fumbled.

  Gabriel struggled to focus on navigating his SUV along the winding roads of Harbingers Falls as the rain-doused streets and his mist-veiled eyes conspired to undermine him. When he managed to speak, his voice was thickened with emotion as his mind quickly recalled the events of the evening past.

  “Look, I know you don’t want to see me right now, maybe never again. But,” he began.

  His voice faltered. He took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing.

  “There is something I need to tell you. It’s an emergency and I can only do it in person.”

  “Gabriel, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about-”

  Gabriel interrupted, expecting her to chastise him.

  “I know, Melissa. An apology isn’t good enough given the circumstances. But listen you are in dang-”

  The cellular reception began to break up. He could not be certain Melissa heard his warning; that she was in danger. He began panicking that the call had been lost, that Eugene would get to her before he did.

  “Melissa, are you still there?” he asked, desperate and raising his voice.

  The interruption in their call felt endless. Finally, the silence crackled and Melissa’s voice resounded out of the void.

  “I’m here,” she assured him before continuing. “Look, my feelings for you have not changed. And last night was, well, intense, you know? But none of that matters. I know you. I know what kind of person you are. That’s all that matters.”

  Momentarily relieved by her words, Gabriel breathed deeply and braced himself for what he had to tell her.

  “Melissa, you are in danger,” Gabriel blurted out, his meager composure faltering.

  “What?” Melissa asked incredulously.

  “I was just on my way to your house. I need to turn around. Meet me in the back parking lot of the school, at the entryway to the trail. You remember the place, right?”

  “Yes, of course. But Gabriel, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

  “I’ll explain everything to you when I see you. Whatever you do, do not go home, Melissa. Promise me you won’t go home!” Gabriel pleaded as he turned the wheel sharply, directing the Explorer in to the shoulder.

  His tires skidded along wet pavement as he took the turn too abruptly, narrowly avoiding a collision with oncoming traffic.

  “Okay! Okay! I won’t go home!” Melissa agreed urgently.

  “And tell Daniella not to go home. She isn’t safe either,” Gabriel revealed, his car now pointing in the direction that would take him to Harbingers High School. “Get to the entrance of the trail as soon as possible. Don’t stop off anywhere! Do you understand me?”

  “Yes! Yes!” Melissa said her voice shrill with terror.

  “I love you,” Gabriel whispered before ending the call with Melissa.

  ***

  Suddenly, tires screeched in protest in the distance as Gabriel’s SUV made a dangerous U-turn upon the busy t
horoughfare it traveled along before racing back in the opposite direction. The Explorer headed back toward them barely eschewing an accident with another vehicle in the opposite lane.

  “What the fuck is he doing?” Eric exclaimed.

  “Shit! He’s gonna see us!” Chris yelled.

  Gabriel raced by them, his gaze resolute, intent. He did not offer a glance in Kevin’s direction.

  “He didn’t even look at us! Quick, turn around!” John shouted.

  “No shit! What do you think I’m doing?” Kevin countered as he traveled farther down the road and out of sight before cutting the wheel of his sleek sports car sharply to the left and directing it in to the shoulder executing a U-Turn to continue his pursuit of Gabriel.

  Kevin followed Gabriel’s Explorer at a safe distance and watched as he navigated the SUV hurriedly into the entrance of their high school.

  “He’s turning in to the school,” Kevin noted with a hint of confusion in his voice.

  “Why the hell would he be doing that?” John questioned.

  Kevin slowed to a halt, remaining at a distance that concealed them sufficiently. He and his friends observed Gabriel park his car in the far corner of the rear parking area before climbing out of his vehicle and looking around anxiously.

  Clouds began to thicken again. Filtered sunlight was buried by impenetrable, gray masses. Malignant clusters, dark and foreboding, crowded out any blue sky and lightness in its wake. A storm brewed it the atmosphere.

  “He’s meeting her here I bet,” Kevin speculated. “This couldn’t be any better!”

  Kevin picked up his baseball bat, thrilled with the change of events. No one would be on school grounds. He and his friends would be able to take their time with Gabriel and Melissa, make them suffer.