Exodus (19 page)

Nickie ran through the crowd frantically looking for Anthony.  Steve followed close behind her.  Mikey and Mit were still crouched in the ditch firing shots and throwing grenades.

“I hope they hurry up.”  Mikey shouted over the clatter.

As Nickie rounded the last truck she stopped dead in her tracks.  On the ground was a skinny boy in dirty rags with no shirt on.  He was lying face down in the dirt like he was sleeping.

Nickie hadn’t seen him in years and his frail body was only a shadow of the boy she knew, but she could find him anywhere.

“Anthony!”  Nickie called.

She ran to his side and grabbed him.  Steve skidded to a stop beside her.  He turned Anthony over and shook him.

“Anthony!  Wake up Anthony.”

Anthony slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus.  He blinked as a rush of sounds flooded his ears.  Shaking his head, he looked up and two images slowly became clear.

“Nickie?  What…what are you doing here?”  Anthony asked.

Grimacing he sat up and then noticed who was kneeling beside her.

“Steve!  You’re, you’re dead.  I saw you fall.  Am I dreaming?  Did I die?”  Anthony ranted.

“Not yet.”  Steve laughed.  “I’ll explain later, but now we need to get out of here.  Can you walk?”

“Sure.”  Anthony said as Steve helped him to his feet.

They looked back across the field, which had now erupted in a full scale battle scene.  Bodies littered the ground, blood colored the brown grass like a painting.  The clash of metal and flesh played a song of destruction.

“We need to make it back to the ditch.”  Steve said pointing across the dirt road.  

  Suddenly another armored truck barreled towards them.  With the brakes screeching it came to a stop and the doors swung open.

Hanson jumped out of the truck and stepped to the side.  Dr. Norton followed behind him.  He straightened up and brushed off the navy blue suit he was wearing.  Adjusting his tie, he looked around surveying the fight.

Out of nowhere an elemental charged at them.  Before Hanson could move Dr. Norton spun around and grabbed the elemental by his wrists.  He moved his face in close, staring at his glowing eyes.

“You know your kind is a truly insufferable species.”  Dr. Norton declared.

The elemental struggled, but Dr. Norton was too strong.  He laughed at him and then slowly pulled his arms in opposite directions.  The elemental screamed, the high pitched cry was like a siren.

With a quick jerk Dr. Norton tore the elemental clear in half.  He dropped his severed body on the ground and then looked around until his eyes met Anthony.  He stared at him for a moment then looked to Steve then Nickie.

Hanson moved to the back of the truck and opened the door.  He reached inside and struggled with something.  When he turned around he held a woman’s small body in his arms.

Steve was the first to see it.  He squinted his eyes trying to focus and then jumped in shock.  Without a word he took off towards Hanson.

“Steve!”  Anthony screamed.

Across the field, Daviathan had managed to take one of the armored trucks.  He snatched the guard from the front seat and threw him over his head.  Lupercus jumped into the passenger seat and smiled.

“Good to see you my friend.”

Together they headed towards Anthony, running over every guard that they could.

Steve dove at Hanson as he dropped the body to the ground.  The slammed into the truck and rolled onto the ground.  Steve landed on top and in a fury, bashed his fists into Hanson’s face.

Dr. Norton looked on in amusement for a moment then grabbed Steve by the collar and lifted him into the air.

“Honestly Hanson, what are you good for?”

With a quick twist of his hand, Steve’s body went limp.  Dr. Norton tossed him into the back of the truck and glared at Hanson with disgust.  He stepped into the passenger side of the truck and snapped his fingers.

“Drive you buffoon!”   Dr. Norton demanded.

The truck pulled away just as Anthony skidded to a stop.  He looked around in panic and then noticed the body still lying in the dirt.  It was an older woman, her chest rose and fell slightly, but she didn’t look well.

Anthony knelt next to the woman and immediately recognized her even though the glasses she was known for were missing.

“Mrs. Clark!  Why is Mrs. Clark here?”

Nickie stood over him shaking her head in confusion.  Suddenly, another black truck swung past them and stopped.  The door flew open and Daviathan jumped out.

“Anthony, we must go now!”

Anthony looked up and on the other side of the truck was a slow moving wave of dust.  As Anthony looked harder, he realized it was a wave of guards running straight towards them.

“Anthony!”  Daviathan yelled again.

“We have to get Steve.  They took Steve.”

Lupercus ran around from the other side of the truck.  He lifted Mrs. Clark in his arms and looked at Anthony with weary eyes.

“We have lost many.  But this is a battle we cannot win.”

Lupercus turned and gently sat Mrs. Clark in the back.  Nickie grabbed Anthony’s arm and pulled him to his feet.  Together they dove into the truck with Mrs. Clark, Anthony staring blankly towards the facility.

As the door closed, Daviathan pulled off and headed for the main road.  Burning vehicles and bodies were everywhere.  Most of the other elementals had fled as the spectrals began to retreat, but now that another wave of them was on the way the battle was looking grim.

“Wait!”  Nickie suddenly screamed.  “Mit and Mikey we have to get them.  Over there.”  She pointed.

“Mikey and Mit are here?”  Anthony asked in confusion.

“Yes, we all came.”

Daviathan swung the truck around as a ball of light streaked across the hood and exploded into the ground.  He stopped short of the ditch and Mikey popped up and riddled the side with an array of bullets.

“Your friends aren’t very kind.”  Lupercus sneered.

“We’re in their truck.”  Nickie shot back.

She slowly opened the door and screamed their names.  Mikey hesitantly edged out of the ditch to get a better look.

“Mikey!”  Nickie screamed again.

“What?  What are you doing in there?”

“No time to explain.  Let’s go!  We’ve got Anthony.”

“You what?”  Mikey yelled.

With Mit on his heels Mikey leapt out of the ditch and ran for the car.  As they darted past what they thought was a dead spectral it grabbed Mikey’s leg and sunk its teeth into his calf.  The green poisonous slime oozed into his wound and an explosion of pain overwhelmed him.

“Argh!”  Mikey howled as he fell.

Mit ran to his aid and stomped on the neck of the fallen spectral.  He heard something snap and it released Mikey.  Rolling over, it snarled and snapped at Mit.  Its gaping mouth moved like a bear trap.

Mit dove to the side and pulled a grenade from his pocket.  As the spectral snapped again Mit tossed the grenade in its mouth.  It gagged and started to choke then suddenly its head exploded, spraying green gunk into the air. 

Mit grabbed Mikey by the arm and tried to pull him to his feet, but Mikey collapsed back to the ground.  His face was already losing color and his skin was cold to the touch.

“Come on you sissy, it doesn’t hurt that bad.”  Mit shouted.

He looked down at Mikey’s leg and jumped back.  Turning his head, he doubled over and vomited on the ground.

“How…how bad is it?”  Mikey asked, his voice faltering.

His leg was shredded.  The skin had turned an odorous green that was rapidly spreading to the rest of his body.  His bone glared brightly and blood pulsed from the mangled tear.

Lupercus appeared at Mit’s side staring down at Mikey with a look of frustration.

“Move over boy.”  Lupercus said as he squatted next to Mikey.

He grabbed his hand and took a deep breath.  “Be brave, it’s almost over.”

“What do you mean it’s almost over?”  Mit wailed.

“That was no ordinary bite.  That spectral knew his time was ending; he poured his life force into that venom, which for humans is certain death.  Your friend is beyond our help.”

“No!  Who the hell are you anyway?”  Mit shoved Lupercus and grabbed Mikey’s face.  “He doesn’t know…he doesn’t know anything, you’re gonna be fine.”

Anthony dashed to Mikey’s side, his face covered in sweat.  “Lupercus help him!”  He hollered, tears pouring from his eyes.

“We have no time Lupercus, we must go now!”  Daviathan yelled from the truck.

Lupercus turned to Anthony and spoke softly.  “I wish that I could.  It is obvious the humans mean much to you, but this is even beyond your power.”

“I’m scared,” Mikey mumbled.

Anthony grabbed his hand.  It was cold; it felt like ice to the touch.  Green lines ran up his arm and down his fingers, like food coloring had been poured into his veins.

“It’s okay Mikey.  It’s gonna be okay.”

Mit grabbed his other hand, sobbing hysterically.  “Anthony, you can save him.  I know you can,” he pleaded.

Anthony looked to Lupercus again, his eyes screaming for help.  Lupercus shook his head slowly.

“I am sorry.  It is done.”

Anthony looked back at Mikey, but he was gone.  His eyes were no longer the deep blue Anthony remembered, but a dull gray.  His bleach blonde hair had turned a dusty white.  His face was emaciated and shriveled.

As Anthony held his hand, it began to crumble.  It decayed in his palm leaving nothing but dust.  His body did the same, withering away until there was nothing left.

Anthony felt lost.  His head spun as nothing in the world seemed to make sense.  It all felt so surreal, like he was dreaming awake.

Lupercus grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet.  He looked him in the eyes, the flaming orange globes searching him like a spotlight.  Grabbing Mit with his other hand he pushed them towards the truck.

As they clamored inside and closed the doors Daviathan quickly drove off.  Anthony was still in a daze and Mit had fallen to the floor and rolled into a ball.  Nickie stared out of the back window her face smeared with tears and dirt.

“We can’t leave Steve!”  Anthony suddenly shouted.  “We have to go back, we have to.”

The ground behind them was already imploding as the horde of guards fired shots at the fleeing truck.  They had barely escaped with their own lives and Anthony knew that, but it didn’t matter.

“Daviathan, stop the car or I’m jumping out!”  Anthony demanded.

“They let you go Anthony!  We didn’t rescue you, they let you go!  There’s a reason for that.”

“Besides, they will not hurt the boy,” Lupercus cut in.

“Why…why would you say that?”  Anthony asked in confusion.

“Because he is one of them,” Daviathan said as he turned around and gazed at Anthony.

“No!  You’re crazy.  No, turn around.  Turn around now!”

“It’s too late,” Lupercus declared, so certainly that Anthony cringed as each word fell.

“What do you mean it’s too late?”

“They have what they needed.  Soon enough they will be coming for us.”

~The End~

Continue the journey in “Armageddon: The Fall of Gods Book Three”

Coming Soon!!!

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