Chapter Twenty Two
“During the initial stages of HBRS conversion, the ventral stream sustains heavy cellular damage, even as the dorsal stream remains largely intact.
“This means that hollows aren’t capable of recognizing other than sources of nutrition. They can’t even “see” each other, let alone themselves.
“An unfortunate and isolated existence.”
–Mother, “Notes on HBRS-15.21”. 6 Years After.
* * *
What a sordid affair this had become.
Liam warmed his hands by the fire, though that was a generous term for what he’d produced. The damned thing could barely qualify as such, given its small size and shape to keep the flames from being seen more than a few paces away. Oh, how Liam would’ve loved nothing more than to shower himself in the heat of a bonfire right now.
But he couldn’t. Not with so little to keep them safe.
He rubbed his hands to capture as much heat as possible and inched back over to his daughter. Leah let out another cough as he pressed his palms against her chest.
“I know, I know,” Liam said. “Not quite the same as that luxury hotel, but we’re making it work out here, yeah?”
She stared at the smokeless fire and drooled. Hungry beamed by her side where he’d been left..
“I don’t think I’ve ever told you about this magic trick, have I?” He looked to the campfire and cleared his throat, remembering fonder days. “Fire might have been the first invention of man, but it is also one of his most uncontrollable. The heat it produces can burn as much as warm, and no shortage of travelers have lost their lives over millennia against its untamed fury.
“But there are some who have mastered its use. The Green Berets employed a similar technique when trapped behind enemy lines. The secret is to only use dry wood and control fuel intake to ensure that it burns at maximum efficiency. A tall order for us, given last night’s squall, but there are still enough options out there if you know where to search. In a situation as difficult as our own, it might just be the difference between life and death.”
Leah looked into his eyes and grinned.
“Liked that one, didn’t you?” He chuckled. “I must say, I quite enjoy having a sentient viewer for a change. Daddy used to be quite the showman, I’ll have you know!”
She let out another cough.
Liam grimaced. “Let’s have another check, shall we?” He pressed his palm against her scalp. An unnatural heat pushed back. He let out a deep breath, his vision blurring. “Seems your fever is still unchanged, Leah. I suppose there are worse alternatives to fear, though it would be nice if your temperature could go down a little. Maybe you’ll do that for me tomorrow, yeah?”
Leah smiled wide, her soft, innocent eyes free from the truth of this living nightmare.
Liam studied the land beside him. By his count, they were well within Oregon by now, with smaller pines replacing the tall sequoias they were used to seeing down south, along with maples and oaks scattered throughout. The grass lay more green here, and the sky shifted into a more cerulean bent with the difference in altitude. Coupled with the more frequent storms and chiller air, this evasion was becoming quite the struggle.
But there was no way out of it. Ezekiel had managed to chase them out of Pandemonium, and though the tonnage of the truck they’d stolen couldn’t keep pace with Liam’s hybrid, such a race was not the kind he wished to indulge in. Even if they lacked the fuel to clear this long a distance behind wheels, rezzers could cover hundreds of miles on foot, and the constant rain did them no favors in keeping their tracks hidden. A cursory glance of the road was all one needed to spot their tire tracks. Dust and debris were too frequent to avoid in a world without maintenance.
Then they had fuel considerations. Of the starting tank in their truck and gallons of backup biofuel, they were down to a meager liter and a half. Liam had since taken to propping up the built-in solar panel to charge the battery over time while giving the two a chance to rest up before they put in some more distance from their enemies.
Leah’s health had become the greatest complication. Though she had started to take a turn for the better back in Pandemonium, the extra movement, stress, and temperature reversed her progress. With each passing day, she grew slightly sicker than the one before. For all Liam’s knowledge of the natural kingdom and the bounties it provided, he still had no idea what caused this sickness and dared not attempt some homebrew cure, lest it only complicate matters. As difficult as it was to accept, there was very little that Liam could do to help his daughter.
Yet here this baby girl sat, smiling back without a care in the world. She’d even taken a liking to her stuffed bear friend in these trying days. “Life is good,” Hungry’s chest declared, a sentiment that Leah had come to believe.
It took everything to keep Liam from bawling. “Did I ever tell you about your half-sister, Lilith?” He needed a distraction.
She stared blankly, her plump lips forming an O.
“Me and Auntie Nelly were camping with Lilith in a place just like this. Big roaring campfire, nice tent by the lake, crickets chirping in the air. You name it. It was a picturesque view, free from the difficulties we’d experienced in LA.”
He looked into the distance and tried to will the memory to the front of his mind. “Little did we know that this trip would only create further problems for us. You see, your older sister was a real crawler, unlike you. If we ever turned our heads for a second, she’d be gone in a flash. ‘Lively Lilith.’ That’s what one of my producers used to call her.
“Anyway, there came a day like this one. I was out fishing while Nelly watched Lilith, but then she made the mistake of dosing off for a minute… Mind you, Leah, Nelly never dropped her guard around your sister, so she was a complete wreck when she realized what’d happened. I returned when I heard the screaming, but we were both too late. Lively Lilith had found a fun bed of leaves to roll through in the seconds she’d been left alone.”
He sighed. “What she didn’t know was what type of leaves she’d found. Poison oak. Always have to be careful around these parts, Leah. Even a small amount of contact will swell your skin and fill you with regrets.
“Oh, did she bubble up something fierce after that. Her face was like a balloon, with cheeks like this.” He puffed out his own to exemplify it. Leah giggled. “And damn, did me and Nelly fear for our lives. Our beautiful Lilith, blowing up so big we thought she might burst!
“Thankfully, a quick hop in the car down to the emergency room, some good scrubbing with anti-itch medication, and a couple days of rest, and your sister was better than ever. It was quite the humbling lesson for us. Children are more resilient than we give them credit. Why, they are almost indestructible, aren’t they?”
Leah coughed again, her cheeks scrunching.
Liam kissed her forehead again. “That’s right, Leah, you don’t have anything to fear. Just like your sister, you’ll bounce through this just fine. Meanwhile, we’ll get to keep enjoying our little father-daughter time. Nothing more than that. We keep moving together, and it will all work out.” His voice cracked against the futility of it all. “It’s going to be okay.”
A distant hiss echoed into their copse, and Liam jerked to attention. His Remington shook in hand as he pierced through the mess of thick brush and tall, empty trees. Once again, he regretted choosing this locale as their temporary hideout. The terrain was flat and visibility could not have been worse, and with a town not too far back, hollows no doubt were wandering this way, drawn out by the vehicle that’d passed through their territory.
Liam shifted the bolt action of his rifle into place. Five rounds. That was all the bastard could hold at once, with little more than a dozen extra rounds in his pocket. Coupled with the Glock he had taken in haste, they hardly had enough ammunition to survive the tiniest herd.
So long as it’s just them, we’ll be okay. Though the polyethylene shell of his hazmat suit had torn from all the movement, the leather hardsuit beneath still held strong. Another invention of Mother’s. Leather wrapped around plastic and cloth created a chassis strong enough to tilt a hollow’s jaw without letting the saliva leak through. The damned thing might’ve weighed an extra twenty pounds and had plenty of gaps around the joints, but Liam and Evelyn had learned long ago not to travel anywhere near the surface without it. Protected by this shell, he could even chance killing hollows with melee, should the risk require it.
He gave Leah another kiss and dragged her back to the truck. With his daughter safe inside, he quickly tossed another mound of debris to act as further camouflage, slipped a suppressor onto his rifle and pistol, and went to work.
Even if Liam could do nothing to cure her sickness, he could still destroy anything that would do Leah harm.
* * *
A Fall gale rolled through the forest, and a midday sun cut through shifting trees, casting wisps of light on the dead foliage below. The group of hollows shambled between these trees, their grey, peeling skin a stark contrast to the verdant landscape beside. With eyes white and empty, they scanned the world around them. There were eight total, a hunting party blind to everything that wouldn’t fill their stomachs. Hisses and moans echoed out as they continued their march.
Liam watched the pack from behind the telescopic lens of his hunting rifle. Hidden in a bush and coated in mud from head to toe, they could neither see nor smell him. But with the slow and steady clip of their stumbling, they were inching closer to Liam’s camp.
Part of him wondered if they were being drawn or if luck had worked against them, but he quickly buried the thought. Regardless of what puppeted these creatures onward, his daughter’s life remained at risk so long as they were left unchecked.
Eight though… That number was deeply unpleasant. Had there been far fewer, he could have zipped up the suit, thrown over an acrylic visor, and brought them down each with a knife. With this many, even if Liam managed to land a headshot for every single one, that would cost them nearly half his total rifle ammunition. This would not be the only encounter they’d face of this size, and he needed every bullet he could get.
Perhaps Liam could brave it with the knife, after all. If he could somehow get their attention one at a time, that would mitigate the risk. He could even keep his Glock on hand if matters became too dangerous.
The hollows limbered forth, and another plan floated through his mind. They were considerably dumb enough. Liam might just be able to lead them away, get them marching on some other route, and then hook his path back to Leah. By the time they tracked down their hiding place, the truck would be charged enough to leg it out of this area altogether.
Yeah, that might just work. He studied his enemies, weighing the options available while keeping his finger wrapped around the trigger.
But then the decision was made for him.
Four black shadows passed at the edge of his telescopic sight, moving too quick to be seen. The hollows turned to face these new aggressors. Liam adjusted the lens of his scope and watched as the hollows were bludgeoned to death with cudgels and staffs, ichor exploding out with each swing.
Liam gulped. Four rezzers donning black cloaks over leather armor had entered the fray. One stood a head taller than the others, his smooth scalp encompassed by a tattoo in the shape of a crown of thorns.
Brother Ezekiel turned Liam’s way.
The rifle shook in hand. How the bloody hell could they have found them so fast? They were in the middle of nowhere!
The Inquisitors began to chat amongst themselves, scanning the forest beside them. Liam’s heart thumped in his chest as he watched them, but there was little more to be done. One shot, maybe. That would be all he could afford before they’d come for him. He’d seen how quickly these Inquisitors could move, like Runners with the skills of Hunters. Trying to score a killing shot on them in full motion would be nigh impossible.
But he couldn’t just leave them either. Though he couldn’t hear their conversation from this distance, their body language gave it all away. They were planning out their next advance. Right to the copse where his daughter lay.
Liam thought back to his good undead friend, Leah, and all the times she had put her life on the line to save him. She wouldn’t have hesitated to attack in this moment, confident in her own skills to see the day finished. What would she suggest to Liam, were she here now?
He thought of Evelyn next. The woman forged in the fires of a dying world with a fury built to match. She would’ve already killed two by now, not remained crippled by hesitation. If his wife stood over his shoulder right now, she’d no doubt give him an earful for not capitalizing on the advantage before it could be lost.
And yet, neither of them were here. No Leah. No Evelyn. Just Liam. He was the sole defense between his daughter and these monsters. If he were to fail here, nothing could save her.
He could not let that happen.
Liam adjusted the sight again, focusing directly on Ezekiel. If he could just land a clear shot, the leader would be taken out of the equation altogether. He breathed deep and held his breath. His finger wrapped around the trigger as the X locked in place. He pulled the trigger.
But another stepped in front at the last moment! Ezekiel recoiled as ichor splattered against his face, pupils quivering as his ally fell.
“Dammit!” Liam cursed, instinctively yanking the bolt action back to pull another round into place.
His enemies were quicker. By the time the chamber was loaded, the Inquisitors had all vanished, disappearing into the brush and trees as though they were never there. He scanned back and forth but saw no one else.
Bugger this! Liam lurched to his feet and ran the other way, drawing them away from camp. Rezzers might have stamina on their side, but compared to his sprinting capabilities, this race was akin to teenagers chasing after an Olympic athlete.
He ducked and dodged the branches, sliding down a hill and out of sight. Leaves rustled behind, but he had gained a strong enough lead. Liam hastily threw leaves over his path and took cover behind a downed log. As the footsteps closed in, he threw a hand over his mouth to cover the sound of his breath.
An Inquisitor stepped in front, his bald head exposed where the hood had fallen. This one was shorter and lacked a tattoo of his own. He gripped a staff with both hands, prodding the bushes in front where his target might have run.
Liam glanced over his shoulder and realized that no one else had come. Before overthinking the opportunity, he holstered his pistol and lowered his visor. The light shimmered off his combat knife as he pointed it forth.
Slowly, carefully, Liam approached. The Inquisitor’s attention remained fixed in front, batting through the debris for possible hiding places. Just a little closer…
A branch snapped beneath Liam’s feet. The Inquisitor turned. Red eyes glared into his own.
But Liam reacted quicker, thrusting his blade into one of the Inquisitor’s eyes. Ichor splashed against the face visor, and his victim’s grunt turned into a gargle. He tumbled into the bushes behind. Unsatisfied, Liam gripped his blade and jabbed a second time. And a third. And a fourth after that. If he’d learned anything from Evelyn’s hand-to-hand combat training, it was that the regenerative capabilities of the undead could never be underestimated.
Crying rang in the distance. Leah’s cries.
Liam launched into a sprint. He batted the branches out of the way as he ran at full speed, no longer concerned with stealth. The sound of his daughter grew in intensity. He should never have left her!
An Inquisitor was prying into the truck when Liam reached the clearing, using a crowbar to smash through the lock. He turned his way and grimaced.
Liam continued at full speed. He did not see an infectious vector for a deadly contagion or an enemy whose skills surpassed his own. He only saw a monster coming for this daughter. The rest of his vision turned red.
Their bodies collided, and the two fell. The Inquisitor smacked Liam’s face with the crowbar, dislodging his acrylic visor. He cried out as another whack struck his leg, cracking his hardsuit.
Liam wrenched his pistol free and opened fire. The Inquisitor flinched as the shots took him in the chest, then flew back as a pair pierced his head.
He exhaled, only to gasp a second later when his chest was struck. Ezekiel had jumped him from behind, and now towered above.
“You!” he seethed, teeth clenched. Before Liam could take aim, the pistol was knocked from his hands.
Liam rolled back and jumped to his feet. The crowbar lay nearby, giving him his next weapon.
He swung with all his might, but Ezekiel was more dexterous than he appeared and easily diverted the blow. The sky reversed with the ground as his enemy used a martial technique to throw him off-balance. Liam coughed again, this time tasting blood on the landing.
It was not over yet. Liam drew his knife and took aim. Ezekiel was quicker. His hands slipped between Liam’s wrists and twisted upwards before he could swing. Pain exploded anew, coursing through his arms.
Ezekiel scoffed. “Those were brave men you killed, Liam. Some of my best who came here for your safety.” He lifted him up. “Do these murders bring you joy? Does lashing out against those who wish to see you both well create some inner peace?” He thrust him into the truck and let him fall. “So it falls to me to bring your actions to judgment, I suppose. Though the Lord has chosen you to live, such sin cannot be ignored.”
There was no hope here. Brother Ezekiel moved with the efficiency of a machine and struck with fists as strong as a bulldozer. Even if Liam managed to land a single hit, nothing short of a blow to the head could bring a rezzer down. He sobbed, blood drooling from his mouth. Leah continued to cry, adding insult to injury as her father lay in place, powerless.
Liam blinked through the agony. His Glock lay on the ground, not far away. But with the pain in his arms, it might have been miles.
“Don’t even bother, Liam,” Ezekiel said, his eyes burning crimson. “You’d never reach it in time.”
No, I won’t. He had a better idea. Without thinking it through, he lunged for the pistol.
The sharp spike in his forearm was inevitable when Ezekiel stomped into it, but Liam focused only on that which lay in front. He took aim and pulled the trigger, emptying the last of the magazine. Air shot out of the tires of their truck as the bullets cut through, disabling the one vehicle in sight.
Ezekiel scowled and Liam laughed, made awkward by a trickle of blood coming from his split lip. It didn’t matter what happened next. Whatever the Inquisitors’ plans had been to bring them back home, those were out the window now that they couldn’t drive out. With only one of them left alive, there was no way out of where this had gone.
Ezekiel was just as stranded as they were.
