Different (30 page)

The temptation to blow his head off while she could, had been almost overwhelming, but hadn't Russell always insisted that close up and personal was the only satisfactory way to kill?

"Look deep into their eyes and feel their terror before you pull the trigger,” he used to say.

Climbing to her feet, Janine slid the rifle back into its bag and slung it over her shoulder. It was time to have a look at the cabin and find out what the hell that big guy with the dogs was up to. The dogs were in a compound at the side of the cabin, they looked massive but she could tell they were hungry by the way they fought over any scraps of food they found.

Janine reached into her back pack and removed the meat from the sealed plastic bag and hoped that the guy who'd drugged the meat knew what he was doing, otherwise she would have to shoot the dogs, and that would alert the man in the cabin. Yes, Russell had taught her a lot about killing and she was now going to use what he'd taught her to kill him! Fortunately in New York, money bought information and contacts that were willing to supply literally anything for a price and Janine thought she'd got everything she could possibly need.

The dogs barked briefly when she lobbed the meat over the wire mesh fence of the compound before falling on it with a ferocity that would have been alarming if she'd been on their side of the fence. She waited until the first of the dogs slumped onto the dirt before moving closer to the hunting lodge. The other three dogs sank down seconds later and she ran for the door.

The cabin seemed empty but Janine could hear the big man humming to himself and she crept down towards the cellar. Drawing her freshly loaded automatic, she switched off the safety and held it out in front of her as she'd been taught and then walked through an open door into the basement.

There was a naked girl, gagged and lying on a large wooden table. Her arms and legs were held apart by retaining straps and the big man was bent over her and winching a leather strap so tight that it bit deep into the flesh of the girl's thigh, just above her knee. The girl's head was thrashing from side to side and she was making moaning sounds through her gag. When the big man picked up a stainless steel surgical saw, the girl's moans and struggles increased.

"What's the matter woman? When I've finished humping you, I'm only going to cut off but just this one,” he laughed and placed the blade of the saw just below the girl's knee.

"Drop the saw shit-head!” Janine advanced towards him, the pistol pointing at his huge chest. She couldn't miss. “I said ... drop it"

He turned slowly towards her the saw in his hand and smiled. “You want to play with Nathan too?” Without warning and with a speed that belied his sized, he threw the saw at her face and leapt towards her.

Janine desperately threw herself to one side and cried out in pain as the blade of the saw sliced into her ear. Then his huge hand was gripping her throat and his other one crushing her wrist and her pistol fell to the floor.

"Nathan's going to fuck you, first,” he said, raising her up onto her toes, his spittle spraying into his face.

"Not today,” Janine gasped and kicked him hard on the nerve at the side of his knee. His leg collapsed and he fell down on one knee releasing his grip on her throat. She leapt away and then lashed her foot out again, aiming at his nose. Bone crunched and blood sprayed over her boot but Janine was already scooping up her pistol. She backed away from him with her pistol at the ready. Yelling in pain and rage, he rushed towards her and she emptied almost the full clip into him before finally he sank back down to his knees. Nathan stared at her for a long moment and then fell forward onto his face.

Breathing heavily, Janine freed the girl from her restraints and removed the gag. The girl cried out in pain as blood flowed back into her lower leg, but Janine continued to massage the girl's leg ignoring her cries of protest. She kept rubbing and kneading the flesh until colour returned to the limb.

"Jay, we've got to help Jay, she's sick,” Mary said. Janine recognised the girl now. Mary pointed to a steel door set in the far wall.
So Russell has Jay Mallard here as well, but not for long,
she thought. She would get the girls safely away from there, not for any humanitarian reasons, she told herself. No she was just putting an end to whatever Russell had planned for them.

She helped Mary draw back the heavy bolts that held the metal door shut and swung it open. Jay lay unmoving on the bed. Mary pushed past her and rushed over to the bed and then stepped back in horror.

"Jay's dead!”

Janine saw the paleness of the girls skin and reached down to touch it, it felt cold and the skin was hard, almost rigid and there was definitely no pulse.
Shit,
she hoped that whatever killed Jay Mallard wasn't contagious. “Get dressed Mary,” she said, “We'd better get out of here before Russell comes back."

Mary turned to her tearfully, “But we can't just leave her..."

Janine hugged the girl. “I know how you feel, but we haven't any choice, get dressed now, love. We really have to hurry."

Mary started pulling on her clothes and Janine sighed, the girl was beginning to get to her.

"Compassion is a sign of strength, not weakness, Janine."

Janine span towards the sound of the voice and stared incredulously at Jay Mallard who smiled warmly at her.

"Jay, you're alive!” Mary rushed past Janine and then stopped hesitantly in front of her friend. Jay had changed. Janine had already noticed the girl's serenity and the eyes that seemed almost to glow. Her forehead seemed larger, and even her skin seemed to possess a translucent quality. She seemed almost ethereal.

"Jay, you look so different,” Mary said hesitantly.

"Yes, I have become. Finally, I have become myself.” She reached out and fondly stroked Mary's hair and Janine saw her start as though she'd received some kind of shock. Blue light streamed from Jay's fingers and swept over Mary's body. Then the angry red marks on her wrists that had been caused by the restraints and the bruises on her face visibly faded, and she seemed to straighten up a little.

Janine felt almost like an intruder as finally the two women embraced and then Jay released Mary and came and stood in front of her. Jay smiled and reaching up, she lightly touched her on the cheek and it was though every nerve in Janine's body had come alive. She actually felt the cut in her ear close and heal.

"What are you?”

"You and the scientists thought they were awakening the past, a primeval strain. Instead they accidentally evolved the next stage of human evolution. I am the future."

"Well, if we don't get out of here before Russell and his men return with your cousin, we won't have any future..."

"He's got Scott,” Mary said. “Russell was going to let Nathan rape me, Jay. They were going to cut off my legs and feed them to the dogs!"

"He's gone fucking mad!” Janine said bitterly. “He's completely insane."

"You know him.” It was a statement not a question and looking into Jay's eyes, Janine knew it was pointless to lie.

"I loved him,” she said.

Jay nodded. “You cannot pull back and change the years, days or even the hours, they are gone and irretrievable. There is only the now and the future for all of us. You are set upon revenge, but your hatred will destroy you. Let it go! Join us and be free!"

"Fuck you!” Janine said angrily. “I'm going to kill that bastard. Now, are you coming with me or not?"

"No! Take Mary and keep her safe. I must stay and help Scott."

"Jay, come with us, please!” Mary begged. “We'll go to the police and..."

"Russell is the head of security for Henry Matheson the Vice-President of The United fucking States of America. The FBI, CIA, State Police and every other law enforcement agency answer only to him. Russell is the law!” Janine shook her head in exasperation. “It's about time you two got real! This isn't a game we're playing here, and I doubt that being the next generation or whatever you say you are, makes you bullet proof. The only chance we have is to get out of here now! Before he comes back! Then maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to catch the bastard by surprise."

"Mary, go with...” Jay stopped and looked at Janine quizzically. “You never told us your new name?"

Janine was shaken by that, because there was no way that Jay could know she was using a false name. “Laura, Laura Green. Ok? Now you know. I'm out of here. Are you coming or not?” She glared at Mary.

Jay hugged them both and then gently stroked the Mary's cheek. “Love you,” she said, and gently pushed her towards Janine. “Go with Laura. I'll be all right ... I promise."

Before Mary could make any further protest, Janine took her wrist and dragged her towards the cellar steps and then up them. Leaving the cabin, she hurried them towards the car she had hidden on a dirt road that ran high up into the pine-strewn hills above the cabin.

Adam awoke feeling suffocated. He was encased in something hard that seemed to be moulded to his body. He recalled unbecoming once Jack and his men had gone, and then he remembered.

He'd been about to put his clothes back on when he was suddenly overcome by an irresistible urge to sleep. What had happened to him? Had Jack returned and found him? He strained against whatever it was that held him in its grip and felt it give a little. It was similar to when he'd been trying to breaking free from the ice, except that the strange covering seemed less threatening somehow.

Inch by inch he fought to straighten his legs, then suddenly there was a tearing sound and his encasement fell away. Struggling out of it, he stood shakily and looked down to see what appeared to be the shed, semi-transparent skin of a giant snake. It was split from head to foot.

He stooped to examine it and saw the mould of his body, blurred but definitely human. He felt a little wobbly as though he'd slept for a long time, but otherwise he seemed to be ok, fine.

Puzzled, he pulled on his shirt and it felt uncomfortably tight. Adam wondered if there had been a rainstorm, perhaps the shirt had got wet and shrunk. It seemed dry enough now though. His trousers were too short and his shoes too small, “Bloody hell,” he said aloud. “They haven't shrunk, it's me ... I've grown!” That really was a shed skin that he'd emerged from ... his own!

Wearing only his underpants, Adam loped silently through the trees towards the Mallard house, which seemed deserted, and his senses assured him that he was alone. There was an electronic lock fitted to the front door, and Adam studied it for a few seconds, and then pressed a selection of buttons set into the body of the lock. The lock clicked open, and the door ajar.
Primitive
, he thought.

Standing in what was obviously Scott's bedroom, Adam studied his reflection in the mirror. He'd grown taller by about six inches and his body was lean and well muscled. It was an older and more assured face that stared back at him; he now looked more like his true age. His forehead seemed slightly more pronounced and he was aware of the energy all around him. He could even detect the faint humming of electricity that flowed through the cables around the room.

For a while he examined the world around him as though for the first time, reaching out with his mind to explore and savour his new perception. He was aware of the poor design of the electrical equipment that wasted so much energy. A few simple modifications and ... But there was no time for that now, he had to find Jay and the others.

After rifling Scott's wardrobe, he dressed quickly, before returning downstairs to the kitchen.

An hour and a couple of ham sandwiches later, the microwave oven, toaster and the television lay dismantled on the work surface. Adam placed the final component he needed into the casing of a small electric drill that he'd modified and deftly soldered it into place. Inserting the small cadmium battery that he'd removed from a portable CD player, Adam screwed the drill casing back together and weighed the contraption in his hand.
It weighs about five ounces,
he thought.

Putting the drill into its pouch on the tool belt that was now strapped around his waist, Adam spent three hours carrying out modifications on Scott's Chevrolet and then he heard the rumble of heavy trucks. Taking the oxidization gun out of the pouch, Adam ran outside and saw armed State Troopers crouching behind barriers and saw that the drive was completely blocked by military trucks.

He mimed drilling a hole in the wooden main support beam of the porch apparently, unconcerned by all the firepower that was pointing in his direction. He heard footsteps on the gravel and studiously ignored them as he continued to apparently use the drill

"Drop the drill and put your hands on your head, now!"

Adam turned towards the barked command as though in surprise, his hands raised as though in surrender, the drill swinging in a wide arc as he turned.

There was pandemonium.

Troops found their weapons disintegrating in their hands and their trucks collapsed into rusting metal flakes. The men brushed frantically at the bits of metal that used to be helmets, and which were invading their eyes and slipping between the collars of their shirts to mingle with the remains of their dog-tags. Some men were knocked over by the tyres from the trucks that were no longer fastened to wheels.

In all the confusion, Adam walked unnoticed back into the garage. Climbing into the Chevrolet, he gunned the engine and roared up the drive making the troops leap for safety. He roared around tyres, windscreens that lay on the ground edged in rubber, and then he was clear. Winding down the window, he aimed the drill ahead of him and passed more scenes of chaos because of the devastating effect of his weapon.

He wondered how the military would react now that they could not communicate with each other or call for assistance, as all the wiring and components in their telephones and radios had been destroyed. The oxidisation gun was simple really. It drew oxygen out of the air and released it under intense pressure rather like a laser beam. All metal is contaminated to a degree by oxidisation and the effect of concentrated bombardment of the gas speeded up the process to milliseconds instead of years.