“Let’s do it,” he said.
Jordan fired off a few more rounds and then turned and disappeared around the corner with Mason right behind him.
It was hard moving. Daniel felt like a ton of bricks.
“Let me help,” Jordan said. He swung the rifle around his shoulder and went to grab Daniel’s legs.
“No,” Mason said through gritted teeth. “I’ve got it. I need your gun more. Keep your arms free.”
Behind the office building they found themselves in a secluded area with lots of trees. A huge park. It gave them the shelter they needed to gain some distance. Jordan kept glancing back to make sure they weren’t being followed.
“I don’t know if I got him,” Jordan said. “I couldn’t see. And I’m almost out of bullets. I’ve only got a few rounds left.”
“Make ‘em count,” Mason said.
They kept moving until they came across a lake. By then, Mason’s body was ready to give out. He told Jordan to stop and set Daniel down on the grass beside a trail that led off in several directions. There was a lot of shelter there and hopefully they’d be able to rest long enough to recover before Shintz found them.
“We need a car,” Mason said. “We’re not going to find one here. I’ve been here before. There are houses on the other side of the lake. Lots of them. You need to go ahead and get something. I can get Daniel over to the parking lot. We can regroup there.”
“You think that’s a good idea?” Jordan peered through the bushes. “He’s still out there. I don’t want to leave you unarmed.”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Mason said. “I can’t carry him.”
“I can do it.” Jordan came over and tried to hand Mason the rifle. “You can shoot, right? Even with your shoulder, you should be able. At least get a round or two off to keep them back or until I can take over. We can make this work.”
“He outweighs you by at least twenty pounds.”
“I’m strong.”
“Not that strong. Go find a car. They’ll be sitting there in the driveway. Break into the house and get the keys. That simple. We’re running out of options. This is our best chance of keeping him alive. Ten minutes. We can do this.”
Daniel moaned. Mason bent down beside him, watched his eyes flutter, but not open.
“Go now.”
Jordan nodded and raced down the path.
“I’m not giving up on you,” Mason said. “You’ve been a pain in my ass for far too long. But I’ve gotten used to you being around. All those stupid insults. That annoying nickname. I hate to admit it, but I kinda need that. And after all we’ve been through, I think that makes us friends.”
Mason frowned, because he knew everything he said was true.
After a few minutes, he hoisted Daniel back into his arms and started moving again. It wasn’t easy. After months of neglect, the park pathway had become overgrown with bushes and weeds. But Mason wasn’t going to give up.
It took about ten minutes before he finally found the clearing that led to the parking lot. He looked around, but neither Jordan nor the Baggers were in sight. Mason carried Daniel over to a bench and set him down. It was only then that he noticed the sun was far over in the sky. It would be dark soon.
How much time had they wasted?
A small groan escaped from Daniel’s mouth.
“Hey. I’m here,” Mason said, kneeling down beside the bench. “You still with me, bro?”
Daniel’s eyes fluttered but didn’t open. He raised his hand up to his head, feeling around the side of his skull where the blood still seeped. “What the hell?”
“You got shot.”
“Is that all? That’s not so bad. I don’t know what you were complaining about.” Daniel fought to pull himself up into a sitting position. “Not so bad at all. Kinda invigorating if you ask me. Makes me feel alive. Damn, why haven’t I done this before? It all makes sense now.”
There was something off in his tone of voice. Something that sent chills down the back of Mason’s spine. Maybe the bullet did more harm than he thought. It may have grazed the skull, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t do some sort of damage to Daniel’s brain.
“This all makes sense,” Daniel repeated. “I’ve forgotten how good this feels. Stupid me. Fighting for nothing.”
“What does?” Mason asked.
Daniel slowly raised his head until he was looking Mason right in the eyes.
There was no mistaking the black veins staring back at him.
“You know, I don’t want to sound weird or something, but you need to keep your priorities straight. You aren’t a hero, Tourist Boy. You’re more like some sort of dog that’s been beaten over and over. Licking at the hands and feet of anyone who will take you in. It’s very unhealthy.”
Daniel slowly sat up, rubbing at the wound on the side of his head. Mason took a step back, away from his friend. Unable to look away from the blackness settled in Daniel’s eyes, his mind raced, trying to come up with a solution that wasn’t going to get either of them killed.
“Don’t look at me that way,” Daniel said. “We always knew it would come down to this. Well, I always knew. You against me. There’s really no other choice, is there? Too much alike. Too different. We’re both in love with the same woman. Although I doubt you want to love her the way I do.”
“You mean kill her?”
Daniel nodded. “It would be the ultimate sacrifice, would it not? A way to completely destroy my other half? The weak side?” Daniel put his hand up across his forehead and rolled his eyes. “Poor little Daniel. So lost. So heartbroken. He kinda makes me want to gag. All the things he does to try and keep me quiet.”
“So you’re saying you’re not him?” Mason glanced over towards the houses where he hoped Jordan was still trying to locate a vehicle. The last thing he needed was the younger boy to show up. This showdown was going to be between Daniel and him. Mason knew it would eventually happen, he’d been waiting for it the moment he found out that Daniel was a Bagger.
“Oh, no. I am him. This isn’t a possession. I’m Daniel’s real side. His inner truth. His real soul.”
“Oh, come on,” Mason said. “That’s a load of crap and you know it. The only reason you exist, is because something decided to create you. The Baggers. It’s not humanity. It’s not what we are.”
“Are you saying people aren’t evil? Look at your history books. Time and time again. Humans always destroy everything they create.”
“Not all the time,” Mason said. “And not all of them. Maybe there’s some truth to it. I’m not going to say humans are perfect. We make mistakes. But to kill us all off? That makes you worse than us.”
“There is nothing worse than mankind. Earth cried tears of sorrow the day the first human walked.”
Daniel climbed to his feet and took a few steps towards Mason. He paused, looking up at the sky, spreading his arms out as if preparing to take flight. Mason braced himself for a fight. With his injured arm, he was going to have trouble. He doubted that Bagger Daniel would let something like a bullet graze to the head slow him down.
“Come on, Daniel. Fight this. You’ve done this before. You can do it again.”
“I don’t want to fight this.” Daniel grinned. With the blood trickling down his face, he looked rather insane.
“Yes, you do. Because this isn’t the side you want to be on. You’ve said it to me dozens of times. Being human is better, even with the memories. It’s worth the pain.”
“The memories?” Daniel said. “You mean of all the things I’ve done? The people I’ve killed? I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do. I feel no pity.”
“The real Daniel does. And that’s why he fights. Because he knows that there’s still goodness in the world. He knows what side is worth living for.”
Daniel laughed. “That’s hilarious coming from you. You hate everything. I’ve sensed it. There’s darkness inside of you too, Mason Dowell. Just think of all the things you could do if
you were willing to give into it.”
“I’m not a Bagger.”
“No, you’re not.” Daniel looked him up and down. “But you’re dark. You think about things when you’re alone at night. Things that most people wouldn’t. You kill without hesitation. You could do a lot of good on our side. Just think of the balance you can restore. When humanity is gone, everything will flourish. No more pollution. Buildings. Wars. Animals at peace. Without fear. A new world order.”
“There would still be Baggers,” Mason said. “And you can’t get rid of everyone. Eventually the world will regrow. It always does.”
“True,” Daniel said. “And that is why there will always be a need for another cleanse. To right the wrongs.”
The sun was almost gone in the sky. The houses in the distance outside the park were starting to disappear into shadows. Where was Jordan? How much time did Mason have?
“Fight it.”
“No.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to fight me.”
“I guess so.”
Mason took a step back and Daniel smiled.
Daniel lunged.
He dropped to the ground before even coming close, falling like a ton of bricks. Behind Daniel, Jordan stood with the rifle up in his hands.
Mason looked down at Daniel’s motionless body. Jordan hadn’t shot him; he’d simply knocked him unconscious.
“Thanks,” Mason said.
“For saving you or not killing him?”
“Both.”
Mason knelt down and rolled Daniel over. He was still breathing, but he would have one hell of a headache when he woke up. But what would he wake up as?
“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Jordan said. “I saw what was happening and I wanted to help. I think he turned when he got shot. Like maybe the pain messed up his control system. I figured another blow to the head might turn him back.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” Mason said. “But let’s get him back to Aries. If anyone can help, it’ll be her. Did you get a car?”
“I found something even better,” Jordan said with a big grin.
Clementine
Damn Aries.
Double damn her and all that other jazz.
She’d disappeared off into the casino, leaving Clementine standing in the middle of everything. And she did it because Aries knew Clementine couldn’t exactly go running after her, not with her wounded leg.
They were supposed to be a team.
She heard the footsteps racing up behind her, allowing her the split second to turn and raise the gun. She shot the feral in the chest without hesitation and it stumbled, arms flailing in the air, before dropping at her feet. The feral rolled over in the dirt, grabbing at her legs in desperation. She couldn’t tell if it was still trying to kill her or reach out for comfort as it died.
For some reason, its actions moved her and she kneeled down, ignoring all the screams and commotion. A young girl covered in dirt and blood stared up at the sky, her brown curly hair matted and greasy. She didn’t look much older than Clementine. She breathed in twice, loud wet gasping noises, before her eyes dulled and her body went limp.
She’s so young, Heath. A teenager. No, that’s wrong. None of us are young anymore. Why did it choose her? What traits did she possess to turn feral? I can’t imagine she was a bad person in her former life. I doubt any of them were. That’s not really the point of this, is it? Baggers were random. It was some bad luck of the draw. It could have been me instead. Or you. Or any of us. Could there have been a killer inside of me? Imagine how I might look after living like a crazed beast for the past several months. I suppose I wouldn’t care about that, only whether or not I was reaching my murder quota. Oh god, look at me. I’m feeling sorry for her. Don’t worry, brother. I’m not that stupid. I’m not about to become a monster lover. I’m not going to try and save their souls. If you ask me, killing them is the only nice thing left to do. Aries has it wrong. There’s no bringing them back. They’ve gone too far. I’ve seen the ones Aries plays with. The horror on their faces when they realize what they’ve done. When the memories hit them and they understand they’ve destroyed everyone they loved and more, it’s like something cracks inside their brain. And that’s what Daniel lives with every day.
Killing them is the only way we can make their past lives mean anything. Stopping them before they murder again. It’s the only thing that’s going to give us peace too. This isn’t ever going to end on its own.
She got back up wiped at her eyes. Somehow, in all of this, she’d started crying. Not because she was sad, more because her emotions had overwhelmed her to the point where the alternative to her brain exploding, was to shed a few tears. Around her, the chaos grew as the ferals continued to pour into the Plaza. Many of them were killed instantly, gunned down by a row of Baggers with automatic weapons. But several had made it through and they were gaining ground. She watched some ferals fall upon a small group of terrified unarmed humans.
She raised her gun, but didn’t fire. She didn’t have a lot of bullets and it wouldn’t do her any good to aim from such a distance. Clementine wasn’t going to fool herself and pretend she was anything except a lousy shot. Even at point blank range, she had gotten lucky killing the feral. Juan had tried to teach her, but a perfect eye was something she sorely lacked. What she needed was a weapon she felt comfortable using.
She spotted the baseball bat almost immediately, about forty feet away, trapped beneath a body. Racing towards it, she dodged another feral as it chased after a Bagger. As she reached down to pick up the bat, someone crashed into her, sending her spiraling into the dirt. The gun flew from her hands and a pair of running legs kicked it further away.
The feral wrapped its arms around her legs, clawing at her jeans as it worked its way up along her body. Her attacker was an older man with a huge gaping hole where one of his eyes used to be. She beat at him with her fists, trying to squirm out from beneath his body. The smell of body odor and decay overwhelmed her, making her gag. Oh god, she was going to toss her cookies while he killed her.
She kneed him in the groin, but it didn’t even have the slightest effect. The feral only grunted and continued. His empty eye socket was full of dirt and as he his hands reached for her throat; she finally managed to roll over enough to get on her stomach. She could see the baseball bat just beyond her reach. She began crawling along the ground, trying to buck him off her back, but he wrapped his hands in her hair and yanked hard.
Her fingers brushed against the baseball bat. But just as she almost had it, she watched in horror as someone bent down and picked it up.
Nooooooooooo!
Fingers scratched at her cheeks and she screamed. She kicked with all her might, but the feral only held on tighter.
“Hey!”
Something whooshed through the air and she heard the reassuring thunk as baseball bat met with skull. The feral slumped against her, shoving her back into the dirt, but when she kicked again, the body slipped off of her without a fight. A hand reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her up.
“You okay?”
Jack stood over her, holding the baseball bat.
She burped in reply. At least she didn’t throw up. She could still smell the feral’s scent all over her body.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Anytime. Have you seen Joy?”
“No.”
“Do you think she’s there?” Jack glanced back at the Casino. They’d closed the doors and there weren’t any more Baggers going in or out. It was impossible to tell how many humans had been rounded up and taken inside.
“Aries has gone inside,” she said. “I’m going too.”
“What?” Jack grabbed her arm as if he thought that would be enough to make her change her mind. “You’re not going alone. It’s too dangerous. I’m coming with you. Why on earth did you let Aries go by herself?”
“You really think she gave me a choice?”
A feral burst through a grou
p of humans, screaming at the top of its lungs. Someone had stuck a knife through its shoulder. It ran straight towards them and Jack raised the bat, bringing it down on the feral’s head just as it reached for them both. This one was so covered in grime; Clementine couldn’t even tell if it was female or male. Although Jack got a direct hit, the creature didn’t even seem to notice. Staggering, it switched directions, moving away from them and towards two Baggers who began firing rounds until it collapsed in the dirt several feet away.
“I think it’s time to move,” Clementine said. She looked down on the ground, hoping she might see where her gun had dropped. But it was long gone, swallowed up by thousands of sets of legs.
“Here,” Jack said and he handed over the baseball bat. “You take it. I’ll find another.”
“We’ve got an escape plan,” Clementine said. “See that big boat? We’re riding it out of here. The kids are already on board. Gather up as many people as you can and get them out there.”
“I can do that,” Jack said. “If you see Joy before I do…”
“I’ll make sure she gets there,” Clementine said.
Jack paused, looking her straight in the eyes. “Don’t go in there, Clem. Just remember, the people are safe inside. The Baggers have that place locked up like a fortress. It’s the ones out here we need to worry about.”
“The ferals will get in,” she argued. “There’s too many of them.”
“And if you’re there when they get in, you won’t get back out.”
That was a chance she was willing to take. But she nodded at Jack. She lied to him so he wouldn’t worry. Because there was a good chance Joy was inside there if Jack couldn’t find her. Maybe Larissa too. And all those other people. They might still have friends and family waiting on the outside. It was possible. And Clementine had no one. Not anymore.
So it didn’t really matter if she risked her life. Michael was dead. Her brother missing. She had nothing to lose because everything had already been taken from her.
Taking a deep breath, she held the baseball bat firmly in both hands and started running straight for the main doors. They were surprisingly unguarded. The group of Baggers guarding it had become overrun by the ferals. Many of them lay on the ground, covered in their own blood, their hands still gripping weapons. The ferals seemed to have no interest in guns. Maybe they felt they were too impersonal. Obviously tearing people apart with bare hands was more their style.