Chapter 9
Isla Lucas walked hand in hand with Annie Satin. Cole eyed her and his comrades as they hurried from the site of the orc attack. While they walked, Nadia patted him on the back, whispering her thanks at his bravery. Most of the group had done something similar at this point, but Cole wasn’t the only one preoccupied by Isla. The group could only move as fast as their slowest member too, which right now was Isla.
Nobody had filled Cole in yet on where the girl had come from. All he knew about her was that her father, Gary-Wayne, had been the first to discover his ability from his power seed. Cole could close his eyes and still see the terrible scene of Pastor Gary-Wayne Lucas’ withered corpse, more skeleton and bare sinew than flesh.
At the time, most of them had assumed that whatever Gary-Wayne's power was had consumed or killed his ten-year old daughter. Before that point, the girl really did look her age. Now, she was small and bent for a teen, and rail thin, but bigger. She also moved awkwardly, clearly unused to her new body. Whatever power the girl had, she’d used it and it had burned through her food reserves, then fat, and then life force, or future. Cole still wasn’t exactly sure how the process worked, but the girl looked gaunt and seemed oddly unconcerned about her radical change.
Cole needed some answers soon. The way she’d just randomly shown up this far away from where she’d disappeared was making him nervous.
As it turned out, Cole obviously hadn’t been the only one studying their newcomer. "She smells strange," Jarret commented. Nadia slapped him again, this time less gently than a couple minutes earlier.
Cole tucked his machete in his belt and walked faster to catch up to the others. He spoke to Holly. "Did you feed her?"
Holly nodded, inspecting the girl from a distance like she was trying to will a microscope into existence. “Yes. I did right after we found her. While she ate, she said the same thing we all did--it felt like it practically disappeared. Believe it or not, she looked even worse before you got back. I would have given her more, but you ate the last two bars."
Cole didn't feel guilty about that, and he’d seriously never been that hungry in his life. "So...you just found her?”
“No, she stepped out behind a tree after you led the rest of the monsters away. At the time, Sheriff made a spear out of a stick with his knife, verifying that the ones under the tree were really dead, and Isla kind of stepped out from behind a bush. None of us knew who she was at first, but she was kind of unsteady, and I asked her to lie down so I could look at her.”
Cole nodded. He still wasn’t entirely satisfied with the explanation but he doubted he was going to get more information, so he changed the subject. “When I ate the last of the two bars, I was sure of something. I don't know exactly what my powers are, but I could feel a kind of warmth in my stomach. Is that how it feels for you?"
Holly let go of his hand and flicked his belly.
Cole raised an eyebrow. "Something important?"
"No, dummy," Holly said. "I just like doing that. But yes, that's how I felt too. I confirmed it with everyone else. They feel the same thing. How can you not know what your power is?"
Cole shrugged. "I know that look. You wanna run every experiment. It's not like we have the luxury to go through tests."
Holly gave him a searching look. "Leading, taking off by yourself to lead those monsters away, and now this? You've changed," Holly muttered.
You too, Cole didn't say. Her scientific curiosity had always been there, ever since they were kids. But now, it was all she seemed to care about. Out loud he said, "So do you know what she can do? Her power?"
Holly shook her head. Now that Cole had something concrete to think about, a problem to solve, he moved up to ask everyone in the group if they knew anything more. None of them did.
He moved to the head of the group, approaching Annie and Isla last. Somehow, this frail girl had survived a jungle full of wild, mutated animals and who knew what else. Cole assumed she had a power based on her physical changes, but wondered what it was. After he pulled along the group’s two slowest members, he made a few seconds of small talk, then awkwardly asked Isla, "Did you encounter anyone or anything on the way here?"
The girl blushed. Isla responded by shaking her head, but then seemed to change her mind and nodded. "Uhm. I ran after Daddy exploded. I think that was God's way of saying he wasn't happy with Daddy."
"So, why did you run? From us, I mean.” Cole replied.
Isla answered in a style of fast-talk only little girls her age did. "I didn't mean to. I was just scared of the light and ran. I couldn't see, so I kept running. When I could see again, I was lost. So, I walked fast to where God said the food would be. I only took a little from one of the bags because Momma always told me to share before she died. Greed is a sin."
"I doubt God has much to do with this place," Cole muttered under his breath. He didn't want to have a religious argument with a magical ten-year old. Considering what Dolos could do, Cole was beginning to reconsider his stance on atheism, though. It was hard to maintain his stance that there wasn’t anything outside of life on Earth when he was currently fighting for his life somewhere other than Earth.
He shook his head, trying to figure out what to ask the girl next when Sheriff plucked at his sleeve, jerking his head to one side. Cole followed the older man, curious what he had to say.
After they’d gotten some distance, Sheriff walked next to Cole and whispered, "Holly and Annie told me Isla had bruises on her arms and back. You got back too late to see them--thank you again for saving all our asses, by the way--but there were scars on her back. That son of a bitch father of hers abused her."
"What?” Cole gasped.
Sheriff nodded gravely. “You think a little girl ran in a jungle for that long, all alone, and everything was alright? Nah. I've seen things like this. She was probably running from lots of things. Unfamiliar things are scary, and she’d had her fill, along with everything else she’d been dealing with.”
"Well, ten-year-olds are like that."
“Yes, well, she acts a little younger than her age, don’t you think?” asked Sheriff. “With how old she looks now, it’s even more obvious. I’m not an expert, but maybe that could be a sign of abuse too.”
Cole absently nodded, but held a hand up, cocking his head. He’d heard a familiar, disconcerting buzzing ahead. In a few more paces, he could see where it was coming from.
A swarm of bees danced around a tree. Unlike the boars and gorillas, the bees hadn't grown or mutated in any visible way, but bees were bees. They didn’t need to be any bigger than normal for Cole to feel a chill. He heard footsteps behind him, then Holly brushed the back of his hand. She said, "We can walk around."
"What's that?" Sheriff asked.
"Efrem is allergic to bees," Holly explained.
"I don't like bees too. They're mean," Isla said. She’d gotten closer and must have overheard them. The ten-year-old, in a now-young woman's body, wrapped in leaves, spread her palms toward the bees. A smell wafted through the air, and the bees dispersed, buzzing away as quickly as they could.
"Pheromones," Holly blurted excitedly. "Her ability is to excrete pheromones. I wonder how her body is adapting to it."
Cole frowned. He gently pulled at Holly's wrist and gave her a meaningful look. "She's still a kid, Holl” He said, using an old nickname. “Don't talk to her like she isn't there. Trust me. Kids hate that."
Isla shot Holly an ugly look before smiling faintly at Cole. To the side, Sheriff's breath was beginning to get labored. He huffed, "We're almost there. Even with those boars and meeting up with Isla here, we're still ahead of schedule. We need that next supply drop or we'll be eating dirt before we make it to the portal. All we have left is two bottles of water."
Cole nodded seriously. Sheriff was right. As it was, their situation meant they were going to need to use their powers wisely, sparingly, or not at all. It was likely they were already burning up their reserves passively, minute by
minute. Cole couldn’t think of any other logical reason why everyone in the group felt energetic and kept moving quickly despite their hunger or the way some of them appeared to be aging.
Unfortunately, the reality was if they encountered the other group and it was still full of people willing to kill them, then Cole's group would be forced to use their powers. Maybe they'd even have to push themselves and tap into their life force. Everyone was exhausted now. Whatever unidentified power had helped Cole survive the orc things had taken its toll--he was sure of it. His body burned through food as quickly as the others.
But he still didn't know what he could do exactly, so that made his only practical role in the group right now a fighter. Cole could fight hand-to-hand, but there was Kiddy to think about now, too. Having played online games with Kiddy for over a decade, Cole was certain Kiddy would have convinced the other group to arrive at the supply point early. The likelihood that there was an ambush up ahead was fairly high.
Cole reached into Sheriff's duffel bag and pulled out the last two bottles. He handed one to Sheriff and the other to Nadia. "You two drink up."
"Why not you?" Jarret asked.
"You should know this since you’re a gamer too, Jarret. As a rule among party members, you give your limited heals to the heavy hitters,” Cole explained.
Jarret frowned at that. "You think we're getting carried by Sheriff and Nadia?"
Cole nodded seriously. "This is not a game, but this is an analogy that works for the situation, even if it makes me cringe. These two need all the energy they can get for what we're about to do. We’ll probably need to fight at the supply drop. Even if we don’t, I’d rather have our team’s power and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
The group's mood darkened quickly. It felt odd to Cole that nobody was questioning his authority or his logic. He wasn't used to being a leader, and didn’t feel ready or self-confident enough for the role, but he was getting good at pretending. He said, "Ricardo and his black fog are a serious problem. I had a sort of sense of what was going on before..."
Sheriff shook his head. "If you join that fight, you'll just get in my way." The older man had been using the spear he made earlier as a walking staff, but he quickly used his belt knife to sharpen the point again. To his side, Annie looked worried, but she didn't say anything. The woman had probably spent a combined several decades waiting patiently at home while her husband was off punching Nazis in the face or whatever secret agents did.
Cole felt a bitter taste on his tongue, trying to prepare his mind. He'd likely have to fight, maybe even kill. An hour earlier, all he’d wanted was to save everyone and get them safely through the portal, despite Dolos' rules. Now, he had to settle for saving the people who wanted to be saved. Once they reached the portal, then he'd think about dealing with Dolos.
Of course, he couldn't fight an actual god, but maybe he could make a bargain. Dolos might accept Cole's undying loyalty or endless servitude in exchange for letting everyone else leave peacefully. Cole could offer to be the test subject for any of the god's new experiments. Whatever the encounter might bring, Cole was certain there was another way.
Cole felt a large, calloused hand on his shoulder. The weight of it snapped him out of his thoughts. Sheriff's face was grave. He said, "I've seen that look, son. It's the face of a man who is trying to find a path that doesn't exist. Remember what I said, that sometimes the only way out is through?"
"You said you believe in me," Cole snapped back.
Sheriff sighed. "I do. Honestly, I do, at least I want to. But it doesn't hurt to think about the other option."
He paused, giving Cole a knowing look, a reminder of the dark, private conversation about Annie they had earlier and the promise he'd made. Sheriff continued, "I'll kill anyone who wants to harm me and mine. An hour ago, it was just me and Annie. Now, to be honest, it's the same. Nothing's changed."
Cole crookedly smiled at him. "Thanks for the honesty."
Nadia shook her head, clutching her lucky rabbit foot. "I won't kill. No way, no how. Jarret won't either."
"I won't?" Jarret asked dumbly.
"You’ll taint your spirit with bad juju, probably can't join me in the next life if you do, Jarret Freidhof," Nadia said seriously. This was the closest Nadia had come to actually proclaiming her feelings for her new boyfriend. At least, Cole assumed they were together now.
Jarret swallowed hard and said, "Yeah. No killing for me, man. Sorry."
Cole nodded. "Got it. Sheriff is right. I could be wrong about Dolos giving us another option. I still believe there is another way, but it might be worth discussing who goes through the portal before we reach this next supply drop."
Everyone was silent for a while after that statement. Finally, Sheriff cleared his throat. "Can't speak for you all, but Annie and I are old farts. You youngins have your whole lives ahead of you. When we reach the portal and we find there's no other way, we'll find our own way out."
Nadia pressed her head into Jarret's chest and covered her face, shoulders shaking with muffled sobs. At the same time, Holly frowned. "By that logic, the most qualified to live is the youngest."
Jarret put his arm around Nadia and said, "That makes sense, actually. So, that's it, huh? Isla is the one who goes through the portal."
Holly frowned, looking like she might argue again. She ultimately didn’t say anything more, but her posture seemed stiff.
Meanwhile, Cole nodded silently in agreement with Jarret. Isla opened her mouth but closed it, clearly not knowing what to say. She mouthed the words, "Thank you," and "I'm sorry", but no noise came out. Meanwhile, Annie grasped Isla's thin hands warmly.
Isla shivered slightly and spoke shyly, in an embarrassed half-giggle. "Static again."
Well, that decides that, Cole thought sourly. He checked his watch. Seven minutes until the hour was up and the second stage of the dome closed. Most likely, the dome would begin to move faster now, speeding forward for the next few minutes. Maybe it already had been.
Cole’s stomach roiled and he felt like he might throw up. Trying to psych himself out for the new supply drop wasn’t working. People were probably going to die, and maybe even by Cole's hand--maybe even Kenan or Kiddy. A small, angry part of him wanted the person he killed to be Ricardo. The man had brutally killed Warren by burning his head off against the dome. He’d killed Ray, too. Anger stirred in Cole, and he was reminded again of how Jin had willingly joined that group.
That thought was like picking a scab. It wasn’t good for him, but he couldn’t stop.
Finally, the group reached the edge of a clearing with two duffel bags in the center. No one else was there, but Cole could practically feel eyes on him. “Ambush?” he asked.
“Ambush,” agreed Sheriff.
“No sounds, nothing,” confirmed Holly.
Cole turned to Sheriff and said, "You're the only one who can handle Ricardo, I think."
Sheriff nodded, cracking his neck. Despite the extra worry lines he'd gained in the past two hours, the man seemed ready to hunt an elephant with his bare hands. Cole saw the glint of something ugly in the man's eyes. In that moment, Cole could really imagine Sheriff’s past as an agent for the government. The older man gave him a level look and said, "Remember your promise."
Cole nodded. "I will. You take care of Ricardo and get out alive. I'll take care of Kiddy. I might be able to convince him to--"
"The only way out is through," Sheriff repeated, his tone cadenced, like a mantra. Cole didn't say anything to that, responding instead by stepping into the clearing.
Some part of him wanted to play the hero and help Sheriff fight Ricardo. But he knew that if he tried to fight in that black fog, he really would probably just die for no reason. Besides, Cole still had his work cut out for him. Mohammad, Kenan, Jin, and Javier, they were all threats too.
His group hadn’t had the time or the knowledge to make an elaborate plan. They were flying blind. Besides, Cole had never been a calculating
gamer like Jin.
While Jin liked to camp and use every game tactic available, running right up to the grey area of exploits, Cole found he was much better at thinking on the fly and trusting his teammates to carry their weight.
When he walked fully into the clearing alone, Cole zeroed his mind, clearing away all the unnecessary stuff, instincts focused on survival. He realized he hadn’t officially assigned roles, and spoke over his shoulder, "Holly, help protect Annie and Isla. Nadia and Jarret, stay on standby--"
Holly ran up to him and grabbed his hand. She gave him a crooked smile. It was the first smile she had given him that actually made her look like the Holly he’d known before this insanity began. Cole loved her. She said, "I'm fighting with you."
"You're a healer," Cole reminded her.
Holly shook her head. "I influence the body. Biology powers. I feel like… I’ve evolved."
Cole blinked, and wasn’t quite sure what to make of that at first. He couldn’t tell if it was the dome's orange light or a change in Holly's expression that made her smile seem to tighten.
Suddenly, something crashed through the trees and collided into one of the duffel bags. A figure groaned and stood up. On the other side of the clearing, Jin adjusted his cracked glasses as a bruised Mohammad, limping Javier, plodding Kenan, and confident Ricardo stepped into the clearing. The hour was almost up.
Jin turned in fake surprise, as if just noticing Cole's group. "Oh, hey, Coleslaw. You're ahead of the dome, just like I told them you'd be. But they didn't listen, did they?"
"You're with them now," Kenan half asked, half stated. Cole frowned. At least he knew where Kenan stood now, but he was confused as hell about what was going on.
Jin shrugged. "I've been telling you this entire round that I'm on your side until the supply zone. But now that we’re here, it doesn't matter anymore, I guess."
Cole's heart fluttered with hope. "Kiddy, you with us?"
Jin looked at Cole like he was a complete idiot. "There can only be one winner, did you forget? I'll tell you what, let me handle this round. I'll deal with you next."
Cole Blooded Page 8
