Chapter Thirty Three
“This will be my last recording… Whatever you wonder of me… Whatever you think of the person that came before… Just know this… I’m sorry… Sorry for everything…”
–Dr Ava Sherman. Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. 5 Months After.
* * *
No cure. No cure. No cure.
The words replayed in Leah’s mind as she stood and stared at the empty door where Mother had been. How could they be true? That would mean that everything she had sacrificed to get to this point had been for nothing.
Liam was speaking by her side, but Leah wasn’t listening. No cure. No cure.
She studied the equipment around her. Dead, broken, and derelict, just like everywhere else. How had Leah let herself get trapped here? It was so dark and so far from the sun, and she didn’t want this place to become her tomb. She didn’t want to die here. No cure. No cure.
Mastermind ran back inside. He looked so small and innocent, even with a backpack brimming with firearms, and skin as shriveled as hers after so much time on the run. His smile slowly dissolved as he watched Leah standing and staring.
Then Liam was inches from her face. “Snap out of it, Leah!”
“There’s no cure,” she said, repeating her new mantra.
He sighed. “I know, but we can’t think of that right now. There isn’t any time.”
“But they died trusting me. Buttercup and Kurt and Vaughn. Because I believed Mother when I shouldn’t have. And now it’s all gone. The Lodge, Elysium, my books… Shit, how am I going to get my favorite novel back from the Larder now? It’s a signed copy. Do you know how hard that was to f–”
Liam struck her, hard and across the cheek. “Leah, please just listen.”
The distant hollow moans rolled into their room, and Leah knew the truth. That fucking bitch. Of course Mother would abandon them in their most dire hour of need. Just kick the can down the road and let her puppets do all the work for her. She’d never have to deal with the consequences of her lies now. Her new friends would be picking chunks of her flesh from their teeth by now, leaving the rest of them to manage this crisis alone.
“What do we do?” Liam asked.
Leah stared at the timer that Mother had started. A little more than seven minutes remained until the first countdown hit zero. If they could just get Liam into that second bunker… If they could hold them off long enough…
She buried her face in her palm and rubbed. “Motherfucker.”
“What… Is… It…?” Mastermind squeaked through his damaged throat.
Leah sprawled out a map of the facility. The living had built their bunker in the shape of a grid, with dozens of free-standing buildings built on the axes of the grid, some as high as three stories tall. An additional network of tunnels connected the two entrances, one to the north, and another to the south, where the ventilation system and reservoirs were located. There were four narrow reservoirs total, with widths matching the tunnels, and the first three connected at the rear.
“Sounds are coming from the southern entrance,” Leah explained. “That means hollows will start spreading due west and north. That’ll put them on track with Hades and his people when they break in through the southernmost part of the base. Which means that the best place to defend against both is here.” She pointed to the south-eastern part of the grid.
Mastermind shook his head, then dragged her finger over an inch east. “Cave… In…”
Leah considered the obstacle, and took her sight elsewhere. With another long sigh, she tapped on the map. “Oh, how fucking poetic. The reservoirs just had to be the best place to defend. If Hades and his goons get bottled in there long enough, the hollows will do the work for us.” She looked at the two of them hesitating. “What are you waiting for? Let’s move!”
Leah hobbled for the door, with the two at her flank. Not a moment too soon. Gunshots and shouting had eclipsed the hollows’ moaning. I won’t have much time. This distraction would only slow Hades down for so long.
Leah turned to Liam. “Not you. Your job is to find wherever Mother wanted you to go.”
He gawked. “But I can help.”
You’ll just die too. “No! We didn’t come all this way for nothing. You’re getting in that second bunker, no matter what.”
“Leah…”
“I don’t want to hear it. Head west and find where she buried this thing. I’ll meet you there.” She tossed him the radio. “I’ll call you if I need backup, okay?”
Liam paused in place, and Leah kept moving. It took everything out of her to keep from turning and seeing him, one last time. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do this if he had some fucking sob face over her.
“What do you got, Mastermind?” Leah asked to distract from her thoughts.
He opened his backpack of goodies. Most of the place must’ve been picked clean by fleeing survivors, as only a handful of pistols had been found. But a M4 carbine with a grenade underbarrel proved the most promising. She snatched up the M4 and its NATO rounds, along with any .45s for her 1911, and fitted them all into her sheepskin jacket.
“Thanks,” Leah said. “Now go back and find Liam.”
Mastermind stared blankly, his child-like eyes blinking in confusion.
Leah grunted. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t need your level of genius to know there’s no escaping this one. I can only buy you both time.”
They reached the reservoirs as she finished the thought, and Leah went for her weapons. It was a bitch to load the M4 with only one working arm, and she’d be lucky if that stock didn’t rip the damn thing off the moment she fired her first round, but there was no way out of it. Beggars couldn’t be choosers.
The hollows rounded the bend, heading for the first reservoir. An entire army had been summoned by Mother’s play, perhaps more than anyone had seen in years. The Hollowing had been unleashed anew, and its acolytes were all salivating at the mouth as they scrounged for anything with the slightest bit of intelligence. They cared nothing for the struggles of life, or the drama that occurred here, or the sacrifices that had been made against them. They only wanted to spread and feast until there were no souls left.
And Leah was alone against this unstoppable force. Leg shattered, arm still dead, and sheepskin jacket torn to shreds. There was no one else to face them, other than her.
Mastermind suddenly tugged on her arm.
“What are you doing!?” Leah snapped. “I said leave.”
But he only tugged harder, persistent as always.
Leah shook her head. “I’m only trying to slow them down, remember?”
He threw all his weight onto the M4. It tumbled out of her hand. Before Leah could scold him, Mastermind had already thrown the strap over his shoulder and beamed.
“Let’s… Die… Together… Mum…” he whispered.
Leah smiled below her scarf. Something about hearing those words made the moment inimitable, as if it no longer mattered that there was no cure, and that she would die in this shithole. So long as they were together, perhaps it would be worth it. Perhaps death wouldn’t feel so imposing.
The hollows closed in. In spite of the gunfire behind, they were packed together, tighter than Leah would expect to happen naturally. She started to think like a Hunter and considered how Xander would play this out.
Of course they’d want an advanced guard. Leah turned to Mastermind and flashed some commands. Retreat. Cover me. Grenades only. He nodded in compliance and scurried off.
Leah and removed the customized suppressor from her 1911 and drew. The more hollows that showed up, the better.
There was plenty of debris to use against the horde, so Leah started to shepherd them back and forth, looking for an opening. She stared each hollow in the eye, trying to find their commander. They crossed the threshold of the first reservoir as she studied each.
There you are. Leah shot her target in the chest. The Hunter gasped in response, releasing his pheromones and letting the hypersensitive hollows know that he was food. His neighbors swarmed the poor fucker before he realized he’d been outed.
Leah danced from a few swipes and peered through the crowd. One of the hollows had ignored the frenzy when it shouldn’t have, and she had her next target. Another gunshot to the chest followed by another reflexive yelp, and the second Hunter was overrun.
A third Hunter shrieked of her own accord and flopped into the reservoir, only for a group of hollows to dive after her. The water blackened as her arms clung desperately for the surface.
Leah gleamed. To lead the herd that’d been summoned was the exact type of ballsy move she’d expect from Xander. Hell, it was the sort of play that she might have done in her early days, were she as ruthless as him. But he had forgotten who he was dealing with, and Leah wasn’t about to get bested so easily.
Mastermind launched a grenade into a cluster of hollows and gore splattered throughout. Leah used the opening to skate back to safety.
The respite was brief. Though the hollow herd had been thinned through all the conflicting stimulation, more were on the move, and she didn’t have the leeway to tighten them back up.
Leah retreated to the second reservoir, picking off any hollow before they drew too close. She swapped one magazine after another in a fruitless attempt to keep them back. More explosions rocked the ground as Mastermind fired deeper into the rear where they were still packed together.
Suddenly, some of the hollows stopped shuffling and drew weapons. Leah dove behind a pile of crates as return fire came.
Damn it. There were more Hunters hidden in the herd than she’d first thought, and with the hollows’ numbers dwindled, they had the space to make their own charge without risk. Again, Leah was forced to withdraw for more cover.
Bullets flew as both sides engaged. Her dinky 1911 was firing pebbles compared to the high-caliber assault rifles her enemies had equipped. Within moments, Leah took hits to the chest and shoulder, though she could take solace in only suffering damage to an already dead arm.
Help was still on her side. Mastermind eliminated two from the safety of the third reservoir, followed shortly be hitting another with a grenade directly. As the Hunter struggled with half his torso missing, Leah leaned out of cover and finished him off.
There was only one left. He ducked and dodged the surrounding hollows and rushed straight for her hiding spot. Leah spent an entire magazine to slow him down, expecting Mastermind to do the rest. The Hunter barreled onward, uncontested. Where the hell are you?
More gunfire flew, with still no support from Mastermind. Leah lunged behind the next group of crates and checked her jacket. Only one magazine left, and it was half-full. She tossed the spent mag and quickly loaded her last, then braced her stronger knee against the crate. The timing would have to be impeccable on this one.
As she heard the Hunter’s movements mere yards from her spot, she kicked the crate free. It slid across the floor and knocked her enemy off balance. Before he could recover, Leah launched a flurry of full-metal jacketed rounds for his head. Most pattered harmlessly through his torso, but one struck home, leaving a puff of black mist out the back of his skull. The Hunter collapsed.
Hollows continued to close in, but the Hunters had all been eliminated. At least for now. Leah scrambled to her feet and made for the third reservoir, dusting herself off along the way.
“Mastermind, I’m out!” she shouted. “Got anymore .45s?”
She rounded the reservoir’s pump and froze. Mastermind lay still, with a towering figure hunched over his head, feasting on what lay inside. At first, Leah thought his murderer was a hollow that’d slipped through the cracks, but he was dripping with water from the reservoir, and she recognized that lowered neckwarmer anywhere.
“You just killed a member of your own crew to give yourself an opening,” Leah deduced. “Threw her straight to the hollows and used the chance to swim all the way around. That about right, Xander?”
Xander grinned, his teeth like polished razors when coated with Mastermind’s grey matter. “Less Rez spent means more Rez gained. Tastes like this one gave me more than double what I lost with her.” He drew his cutlass from beneath the hollow rags he’d camouflaged himself within. “Ready to join him?”
Leah chucked her empty 1911 at him and made her assault. As Xander readied for defense, she drew her black steel combat knife.
Contrary to what most outsiders assumed, duels between Hunters were usually quite boring. When both sides were incapable of feeling pain, had infinite stamina, and were fighting without guns, the winner was almost always the bigger Hunter. Hits that didn’t kill instantly were meaningless against a larger foe, as they were guaranteed to retaliate against any damage sustained with greater force. Only during a quick bout could the weaker Hunter hope to prevail. The longer the fight wore on, the more exponentially fucked they became.
As Leah launched through pipes that lined the fourth reservoir and felt something hard snap into something soft, the result of this one became obvious. She was getting her ass handed to her.
Xander twirled the cutlass in hand. “What’s wrong? Not so tough when you’re on your own, huh?”
She coughed up blood. “Go fuck yourself.”
Another torrent of swings came her way, and again Leah deflected one too few. Ichor burst free as she took a slash across the chest.
For all the shit that she could give Xander, he was a capable fighter. His attacks were precise and aimed consistently around her dead arm, where she was most vulnerable. Any counter she levied fell pitifully against the wall he’d built against her surviving hand, not even bothering to defend the other side. He’s taking his time, she realized. He could end this whenever he wanted.
Leah caught sight of a small boat sitting inside the reservoir, no doubt tossed up by its previous inhabitants in a vain attempt to escape their fates. If only she could reach it, she might gain herself some semblance of safety. But the moment she crawled its way, Xander knocked her back to the center of the tunnel.
“It’s always the same with you, huh?” He kicked her in the side, eyes burning crimson. “You think that the rest of us should look up to you like a God just because you Hunted first. Like you’re the reason that we all have a Rez.” He kicked. “All this time, and you’re just a self-centered cunt.” Another kick. “Is that why you did it? Is that why you murdered Spike in cold blood?” Kick. “Hunters’ honor until it’s convenient. Until we get in your way.” He tipped her upright and pointed his cutlass. “Go on and say it! Tell me how much better you think you are! Might as well be honest in your last miserable moment.”
If I can just get an opening… Leah stared him in the eye and sneered. “Yeah, you got me, Xander. Always thought the rest of you were bringing me down. And you know what? I was right. Look at you. Dressed in rags, buried in this hole, smelling like a waterlogged corpse… You’re more disgusting than a hollow. Think eating me will make you the best? All it’ll prove is that you’re a little bitch who could only beat me when I’m crippled. Go on and do it! My Rez inside you might be the only thing that’s ever made you special.”
Xander grit his teeth, eyes bulging the more Leah spoke. When her rant reached its end, he howled and raised his cutlass for the killing blow.
Leah surged into a spin. This attack didn’t come from her surviving hand. She had shifted all her weight into her shoulder and let her dead arm swing free like an improvised whip. Xander’s cutlass merely scraped her side as he was smacked in the face, and Leah twisted into the finale, planting her knife into his now-exposed neck. Steel parted through bone, and his spinal column was pierced. Xander gasped, his body seizing from the shock.
Leah wrenched her knife free and studied the terror-stricken eyes of her enemy. “And for the record, the reason I hate you has nothing to do with your skills as a Hunter, and everything to do with how much of an asshole you are.”
She stabbed Xander through the base of the jaw. His eyes saw no more. With a kick, his dead body flopped back into the boat.
Hisses rose anew. Leah glanced over her shoulder and saw a wall of hollows just feet away. She slipped onto the boat herself, and not a moment too soon. Her attackers plunged into the water as her boat drifted deeper into the safety of the reservoir.
Leah blinked through the blurs of rehollowing and examined her dead shipmate. She shrugged, then dug her knife into Xander’s scalp. Less Rez spent means more Rez gained.
Leah had survived. Again. But at what cost? She felt no satisfaction with this one. The battle might have been over, but another was about to begin. The waves of hollows continued their slow, laborious march onward, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.
One of the hollows suddenly caught her eye. Skin shriveled, noseless, and with a black cowboy hat above, it shuffled silently among the others. As Leah watched powerlessly from the boat, she swore that it turned her way and winked.
Then there was only darkness as the bunker’s power reset.
