Chapter Eleven
The door to the room was kicked open, tossing the useless chair to the side. Gabriel froze as flashlights blinded him from the doorway. Three muffled pops sounded in the room. They hit him in the chest. Three small glowing green darts pinched into his chest. The attackers at the door rushed into the room.
The first one headed straight for him. Gabriel didn’t think. Instinctively, Nate’s years of training took over. His leg shot up and slammed into the attacker’s right thigh. The blow knocked the attacker down onto one knee. The man grunted in pain. Gabriel twisted hard and drove his elbow into the man’s temple. The momentum from the heavy blow carried the man’s head into the nearby wall where it crunched into the old drywall and paint, knocking the dazed attacker to the floor.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw the blur of the next attacker charge him. He turned and swung a combination of hits against the masked stranger. The stranger was quick to block the attacks and drove Gabriel backwards with a blow to the chest. Gabriel was barely fazed. He jabbed back, but was snatched around the wrist by a steel cable. The attacker jerked on the cable and tightened it. A second later, a rush of electricity zapped him. The attacker pulled the cable again, jerking it forward and trying to force Gabriel to the ground.
A rush of heat exploded through Gabriel’s arm. The room brightened from the glow beneath Gabriel’s shirt as he recovered from the jerk forward and reefed his arm back, dragging the attacker towards him. Gabriel didn’t waste any time slamming his head into the masked face. He grabbed the attacker by the vest and hurled him into the old TV bolted onto the wall. The screen exploded with a pop as the man slammed into it. He dropped to the floor and groaned in pain. One left.
Gabriel tore the steel cable free from his wrist and charged the last person in the room. Two more muffled shots punched into his skin like before, but it was too late. Gabriel slammed his forearms into the attacker, forcing him backwards, up against the glass window. The attacker crashed up against the window, cracking the glass, then fell to the floor. Gabriel was fast to get on top of him, pinning down the attacker’s arms.
“Who are you?” He pressed down on the attacker’s throat with his knee.
The response was high-pitched.
What the hell? Gabriel pulled his knee away from the attacker's throat, struggling to tear off the mask. Underneath was a young woman. Her eyes were fierce as she fought against his grip on her wrists. Gabriel tightened his grip and pinned her to the floor. “Who sent you?” He shouted at her, just inches from her face.
She spit at him. “You’re an abomination!” She continued to fight.
Gabriel needed to get out fast. He leapt off of her and rushed towards the door. Two more masked men in combat gear charged into the room. He stumbled back from them, ready to fight his way out.
A jolt from behind ignited his spine with pain. He cried out and twisted on the spot. His arm knocked the female attacker away from him. A blue taser glowed in her hand as he toppled to the ground. More muffled shots popped in the room. More darts pinched into his skin, up his spine and into the back of his neck. The room around him blurred. He fought to get back on his feet. His head spun and his whole body began to slow.
“He’s done.” The female attacker stepped up to him and slammed the taser against his chest.
“He’s waking up!” A man’s voice erupted in Gabriel’s head. “Hurry up.”
Gabriel’s eyes barely opened. He could feel the hum of the road just below him. They were taking him somewhere.
The driver of the vehicle shouted from down by Gabriel’s feet. “I’ll take the next alley. We’ll need to do it there – I don’t want this guy waking up.”
“You sure?” The voice from above Gabriel shouted back.
“Absolutely, he nearly took out the entire extraction team, and he took more darts than any ore user I’ve ever heard of.” The vehicle jerked to the left. “We need to cut that ore out of him before he gains his strength back.”
They abruptly stopped. A rush of cold air blew across Gabriel’s body as the side door of the van opened. He was dizzy. His body refused to move, his limbs were heavy. Even the stranger’s grip on him was numb, not real. Pain erupted through his body as he hit the rough concrete outside. They dragged him out of the van and marched away from the idling vehicle. The flicker of rain washed across Gabriel’s face.
“I’ve never seen a piece of ore like that. What’ll happen when we cut it out of him?”
“It doesn’t matter – he’s an abomination. You know the rules.”
They continued to drag Gabriel.
“Come on!” One of them turned to shout back towards the van. “Get the stuff.”
A third voice echoed in the distance. “Yeah, yeah – I’m getting the tools.”
The cold concrete rubbed roughly against Gabriel’s skin. Each bump and uneven crack that dug into his skin helped to wake his body up. His eyes snapped open. They were in a dark alleyway. Dumpsters lined each side and sealed steel doors led to the unknown. He was still in the city, but how far from the motel?
They finally stopped, leaving him in a puddle of cold water. His hands felt like they were wrapped in thick gloves, as did much of his body. But, he could move, and that was all that mattered right now. Gabriel swung his leg at the back of one man's knees. He stumbled backwards and grabbed his partner, toppling them both over and onto the ground. Gabriel rolled across the rough ground and up onto his knees. He slammed his fist into the crotch of the third man. He dropped to the ground hunched over in pain. The other men scrambled to their feet and charged Gabriel.
The hit was more than Gabriel could handle on his rubbery legs. He fell backwards against the steel dumpster as one of his opponents slammed his fist into Gabriel’s face. Hit after hit erupted against the left side of Gabriel’s eye. He lashed his hands out towards the attacker’s face, his fingers looking for anything to grasp. His right hand found the man’s ear and Gabriel peeled back on it with all the strength he could muster. The man screamed in pain and arched backwards. Gabriel raised his left fist and hammered it down onto the man’s neck. The man crumpled. As his lifeless body slumped to the ground, Gabriel twisted away, scrambling down the alleyway.
The poison in the darts was still affecting him though, and his legs couldn’t move fast enough. He spilled across the slick concrete. The thunder of the remaining two men’s footsteps echoed on the concrete as he fought to get back up onto his feet. It was too late. They tackled him and pinned him down again.
“Pass it here!” One of the men grunted as he stepped on Gabriel’s arm.
The loud clunk of cold steel slammed up against his forearm. The hiss of compressed air howled across his skin and a flood of pain punched through his arm. Gabriel screamed as tried to move his arm, the sting of the heavy steel bolt ripped through his skin and flesh, pinning him to the concrete. They did his other arm next, bolting him to the payment.
One of the men climbed on top of his chest. Gabriel did his best to hammer his knees into the man’s back. “Hold down his legs.” The man grunted. “Hit him with more darts – keep him still!”
“Hurry up!” The other shouted as he grappled with Gabriel’s kicking legs.
“Forgive them, Father.” The man pulled a small laz-saw out and pulled up Gabriel’s shirt. “They know not what they do.” The spinning blades of the surgical tool glowed red. Gabriel fought as hard as he could against them, but it was no use. “Shoot him with the darts again!” Gabriel bucked his torso up, throwing the man off balance.
“I got it.” One of the men let go of his legs and stepped towards his head. He pointed his dart gun at Gabriel’s throat. “That’s enough out of you.”
The walls buckled all around them. The brick and concrete exploded as a rush of green light swarmed over them. The men instantly panicked. “Green User!”
They abandoned Gabriel. Each of them drew their weapons and twisted around on the spot, looking
for whoever was there. The walls came to life around them. Gabriel couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Huge, barbed, glowing vines now covered the walls. They lashed out at the three men, slicing and whipping at them as the men discharged their weapons. The vines were lethal. They twisted around the men at an incredible speed, breaking their bones, and gashing their skin. Their faces went blue as the vines strangled them to death. Only one of them was spared. He was hoisted up into the air stretched out, held by the thorny barbs covered in blood digging into his skin. He was held there.
The flutter of light feet rushed towards him. It was a young woman, about his age. Her eyes glowed green along with her entire back. She knelt down beside Gabriel, her hands covered in a silky green glow.
“This might hurt.” She touched his left forearm.
Gabriel’s eyes widened. His skin, muscles, and tissue all opened up at her touch. They widened around the steel bolt punched through his arm. She lifted his arm right over the bolt and washed her hand over the wound. The area pooled with an eerie green light. When it drifted away, the wound was completely healed. Gabriel’s entire body felt rejuvenated by her touch. He tore his right arm free from the ground with a shout of pain.
She was quick to grasp his arm and heal the wound. “That was a little impatient of you.”
Gabriel didn’t care. He climbed to his feet. “Who are these people?” Gabriel was hot and panting.
“Settle down.” She touched his shoulder. “He’s not going anywhere, and you’re safe. Just calm down.” She placed her hand on his chest and frowned. “That feels different.”
Gabriel brushed her hand back. “I am calm.” He pointed back at the man strung up by the glowing green vines. “Who is he?”
“He’s a priest.” She eyed the man. “Trained to hunt and kill ore users – believing they have some God given right.” She twisted her grip on the vines around him.
“You’re an abomination!” He spit at her.
She tightened her hand into a fist and the vines crushed the man’s chest with a sickening sound.
Gabriel wanted to throw up. He dropped to his knees and stared at the dead bodies around him. “What’s happening?”
“Come with me.” She held out her hand. The vines all around them drew back into her spine and her eyes returned to normal. “I mean you no harm … Trust me.”
Gabriel took her hand and jogged out of the alleyway with her. They picked up their pace as they reached the end of the alleyway and ran out into the street. “Come on, another team will be here soon.” She charged ahead, zipping across the street and through another alleyway. She was fast. Gabriel struggled to keep up.
Finally, they reached a tall office structure with a series of water fountains in front. The young woman leapt straight into them and waded towards a group of tall green trees. The trees had grown out of the back of the concrete holders, and their roots extended straight out towards a storm grate. She stopped just before it and turned back to him.
“You should be safe here – there’s an open hatch on the side of the wall. It’ll take you into the maintenance shaft in this building. Climb the ladder and stay put on the top floors until morning. ” She smiled at him. “I need to go.”
“Where are you going?” Gabriel didn’t want to be alone. “Why can’t I stay with you?"
“Because you’re not ready.” She sighed. “Look, you’re new, that’s obvious. If you had control of your ore those guys wouldn’t have stood much of a chance. This is a war. Stay away from anyone in the Church or with TERA. You don’t want to be found by either of them. Just stay here till morning, then keep hidden and find a Sphere.”
“A Sphere?” Gabriel was confused. “What is that?”
“It’s us. A place you’ll be safe.” She frowned. “Head to a club called Persephone. Find the part of the bar covered with plants.” She waved her hand across the tree’s roots and they lifted the storm grate out of place. She slipped down into the hole below. “Tell the bartender that Celes sent you. They’ll show you the rest of the way.”
“That’s your name? Celes?” Gabriel didn’t know what to do next. “How do I find you?”
“Disappear. Hide. Wait a couple of weeks – once your trail goes cold, they’ll back off. Then get to the Persephone. Just stay alive. You’ll find us soon enough.” She disappeared into the darkness and the roots lowered the storm grate back down.
Gabriel grabbed on the steel bars. “But where do I hide? How did they find me?”
It was too late – she was gone.