Chapter 23
Rage
Nothing good ever came from being awakened by force in the middle of the night.
I’d learned to sleep lightly, needing very little. Perhaps that was based on my updated genetics more than anything else. While I was awake just before the pounding on the door, the fact one of my men had gotten so close without my knowledge meant I’d gotten far too comfortable around Star.
Yes, we’d been exhausted from the trip and after sharing more than one round of heated passion, but that was no excuse.
“What’s wrong?” Star grabbed my arm even before I swung my legs off the bed.
I should have anticipated Vicious wouldn’t wait to open the door. There’d been no need for common decency up until now.
She gasped, yanking the sheet over her.
Vicious stiffened. “Incoming Dwellers. Lots of them. Maybe a hundred. By the time we noticed the heat seekers, they were already here.”
“What the fuck?” I jumped out of bed, walking across the room to grab my pants.
“Are we safe?” she asked. “The walls?”
“We’ll see, but with the opening and the way we closed it off, they could climb over. From what we could tell, they are moving quickly, more so than normal.”
“Damn it.” I yanked on my pants before turning to face her. “You need to find a location to hide with Wren and Jake. I don’t have time to babysit.”
“You don’t need to babysit me.” She jerked the sheet with her as she climbed off the bed. At least Vicious had the decency to look away.
“Don’t argue with me,” I snapped.
“What do you want us to do? We have maybe fifteen minutes.” Vicious was insistent, glaring at me as he spat out the question.
“Get all the weapons. We need to hold the perimeter. Have Ghost and Wizard plan on turning on lights near the house. All at one time.”
“That will draw others to us. Those damn thunderbirds.” She lost her fight with the sheet when she tried to jump into clothes.
“We need to risk it,” I told her. “Vicious. Go. I’ll be right there.”
“Yes, sir.”
As he left the room, I finished dressing, grabbing my weapons instantly. In feeling closer to her, I had a sense of what she was thinking. I also could tell she was both tired of facing enemies and frightened of what was to come.
With long strides, I moved in front of her, gripping her arms. “We’ve been through this before.”
“A hundred of them at the same time?”
“Almost as many. We’ll be fine.”
“You don’t have enough men. The ones I encountered in the City of Lights are different. They are evolving.”
“Maybe so, but they still bleed red blood. Now, go find a place to hide. This shouldn’t take long.”
She pulled away. “I can fight with you.”
“Star. Please. I need you protected.”
Her slight head tilt was followed by a long sigh. “Fine. But you better not die on me. I already know a hiding place. There’s access to the attic in the other bedroom.”
“Perfect. You should be safe there.” I felt awkward, more so than usual. “Look, if anything happens, my men will take you to Eden.”
“You don’t even know for certain where it is.”
“We have an idea.” At least it was supposed to be there.
“What if something happens to all of you?” Her voice held more angst than before, so much so my heart was aching.
“Then you’ll go there yourself as you’ve done all these years, Commander. I have faith in your abilities and your strength.”
“That’s just it, Rage. I’ve never had faith in myself.”
“Well, you should. You’re a true warrior. Go.”
She grabbed her sword, heading out the door with only a single look back. The odds of Dwellers making an appearance was barely plausible, which meant we’d need to head out as soon as possible to ensure a trap hadn’t been set.
She’d already taken the child from the room, which allowed me a sigh of relief. I headed downstairs to find only Wrath and Vicious waiting.
“They’re almost here,” Wrath hissed. “So is the damn storm. The wind is blowing. The temperature has dropped ten degrees already in the last hour. I could feel ice pellets in the air.”
“Then let’s not waste any time. When they’re dead, we get packed up.”
Vicious nodded. “I don’t like this.”
“Yeah, neither do I, but all we can do is stand and fight.”
We’d also been lucky enough to find additional winter gear, but I bypassed the jacket, hoping the frigid cold would keep me on the edge. As soon as I walked outside, Blade approached.
“I don’t know if it will work, but we’re ready to try the lights. With using all the power available, we’ll only be operational for maybe ten minutes.”
“That should be just enough time.” I could smell the stench rolling over the walls from the wind. “Where are they?”
Wrath had the heat-seeker console in his hand. “Four hundred yards.”
“Then hold until they breach the wall. Fan out. We need to ensure all sides are covered.”
Vicious exhaled. “What about Star?”
“She’s good.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“If you have anything to say, I suggest you think again.”
We were at a standstill, his anger evident in his tense shoulders, but he said nothing.
We were all exhausted, the mission taking a toll for several reasons.
If Eden didn’t exist, then the next steps were unclear.
What bothered me was wondering if there was any true Resistance out there other than smaller groups with good intentions.
Seconds later, Vicious walked off.
“They’re about to breach,” Wrath warned.
I readied the assault rifle, glancing toward Blade, trying to keep some sense of patience.
“A few are coming over the wall.” Wrath’s voice held a tone of danger.
“Now!” As soon as the lights were flicked on, we were allowed some warning as to the Dwellers and their approach. While the bright lights seemed to startle them, they didn’t stop, merely slowing down.
“Shit,” Blade hissed.
“Go. Go. Go.”
We’d functioned as a military unit for long enough to know how to handle enemies coming in from all sides. Yet Star’s observation was correct. They were entirely different than most we came across. More agile.
More organized.
But definitely out for blood.
We’d been through countless battles over the years, violent skirmishes both armed and with nothing but brute strength and our martial arts training. With other soldiers, we’d gotten very good at being able to anticipate their moves.
Not with Dwellers. While there’d been rumors for years that they had enough cognitive functions to be trained themselves, I’d laughed at the thought.
Until now.
The level of organization as they advanced lent credence to the idea.
They didn’t just lumber forward like zombies depicted in terrible horror movies of two generations before.
These bastards were taking their time, allowing a front line to be sacrificed while others began initiating a maneuver that would box us in, crowding closer with every step.
And they kept coming.
While we had a decent supply of ammunition, after spraying bullets and making no apparent headway, I was convinced we were running out of time.
“Look out!” Wrath yelled just before I was hit from behind, tackled by another Dweller. The weapon was tossed aside. While the strap still wrapped around my neck, it was now being used to suffocate me.
I struggled to reach for one of several knives, fumbling the entire damn time as the bastard straddling me fought to rip out my eyeballs.
With a deep growl, I finally freed it, jamming the blade into the beast’s skull. Hissing, I pushed him aside, freeing the knife while trying to determine how many had broken through the line.
Too many.
My men were being ceremoniously herded, making the use of the rifles more difficult.
But we tried.
I resorted to kicking and stomping one then another, gouging another.
“Rage!” Vicious snarled and I jumped back a split second before he fired off a handgun. A gush of blood and brains swept across my chest, the stench disgusting as usual.
“Fall back.” In this case, it meant move to a better location to take out a higher number of them.
Just as they started to obey my command, one of the lights snapped off.
Then another.
Then another.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Blade hissed.
“Yeah, bad timing, dude,” Wrath hissed. “We need to get inside.”
At this point, it was the only chance we had, keeping them out until the morning light. Even with so many dead, the others weren’t holding back.
“Move. Move. Move.” I gave the orders, waiting until the last minute to move inside. “Furniture in front of the doors. Lock down the windows.”
Whie the lights in the house had gone off, those created artificially remained our only source.
“Jesus Christ,” Wizard exclaimed. “They are not stopping. What about using the explosives?”
They were our last effort and to be used when all else failed.
The fucking Dwellers were already on the house, beating on and trying to break the four-inch-thick windows. Eventually they’d give.
“Not yet.”
My men knew what to do. At this point I needed to talk to Star. I moved up the stairs, finding the access she’d been talking about. As soon as I managed to open it and held up one of the light sticks, only two faces peered down at me. “Where’s Star?”
Wren was shaking, her eyes as wide open as I’d seen them. She had a firm grip on Jake, who was growling as I’d done only seconds before, the hair standing up on the back of his neck.
“Wren. Please, honey. I need to find her.”
I’d heard almost nothing from her, but when she spoke, every muscle went rigid. “She went to save you.”
I nodded, trying to keep from terrifying her. “Okay, honey. I’ll come back in a few minutes. Okay? Stay put.”
She nodded, backing away so I could close the hatch. As soon as it was done, I flew down the stairs.
“Star went fucking outside. She defied me. I am going to fucking save her. Then I’m going to take my time teaching her a very long lesson.” I moved toward the back door, pulled away by Vicious.
“Take a deep breath, Rage. I think you need to see something.”
“Don’t fuck with me. I will not let her die.”
He huffed. “I’m glad you’re finally embracing your real feelings for her but get your head out of your ass. You’re not the only decent warrior, dude.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
As he stormed toward the window, he was already pointing. From where I stood, I could see a huge halo of light. Even before I made it to the thick glass, I realized what was happening.
Star stood several feet away from the Dwellers, who were already turning around to face her.
She’d distracted them, calling them in her direction.
Her entire body was covered in an orange glow of energy, the air around her vibrating.
She had her hands out, slowly walking backward to continually keep them moving away from the house.
“She’s going to fucking get herself killed.” I headed for the door for a second time, yanking aside the chairs, furious with her.
“He’s right, Phoenix,” Wrath insisted. “She’s your partner. Our partner. You simply decided her skills weren’t decent enough. If anything will get her killed, that will.”
I stopped short before I opened the door, my shoulders heaving as I tried to collect enough raw air. “Fuck you, Wrath. Fuck you.”
As soon as I threw open the door, I was hit with both heat and excessive energy. I’d never felt such an intense vibration of electric current in my life. With her, I’d felt a strong connection, but this was different.
Her body was vibrating, wind tunneling around her as if under her control. I walked closer, feeling the others right behind me.
I’d never seen the ability in action, although I’d known she had far more dangerous than she understood.
And far more capable. Wrath was right in that I’d purposely underestimated her abilities and why?
I could try to suggest I was being chivalrous, but in truth, I wanted to be the hero, the one who wiped away the negativity from my family’s name.
Maybe I hadn’t wanted to remember who I was, the importance of my father’s position or the hatred befalling him and his administration. A safety mechanism. The scientists hadn’t needed drugs. They’d known my mind had required and would find mental protection.
Here we were, fighting what felt like a losing battle, damned as if by the gods, but when we worked together, we could accomplish anything.
As soon as the Dwellers were far enough away from the buildings, she seemed to notice my presence. She lifted her head and maybe I was wrong, but I believed she was smiling.
Just before she concentrated the energy and anger that had been building for years.
I watched in both amazement and admiration as she controlled her skill, her outstretched arms completely relaxed, her fingers conduits for the energy pulsing through every muscle.
And as the men I’d worked with and trusted for years flanked my sides, we watched a spectacular show of power so beautifully controlled I couldn’t breathe.
When the moment was over, charred corpses falling one after the other, she finally lowered her arms and the light slowly faded.
Just then, a light snow began to fall. As if a sign of hope instead of despair.
As if the future was possible, one where the people who’d suffered so greatly could finally live without fear.