Issue #171 : Lessons Learned
This is the second installment in a five part story. If you haven’t yet read the first part, click here to go there now. Enjoy!
“I specifically told you not to try anything by yourself.” Richard was coming as close to shouting as Brett had ever heard, pacing back and forth around the playground equipment. Brett shivered and rubbed his arms as he looked at the darkened shape of the school off across the field. “What were you thinking, going after it like that?”
“For the hundredth time, I wasn’t going after it!” Brett protested. “I went down to the crime scene to make sure this was one of the ones you would want to know about. It’s not like I was expecting the thing to engage me like that.”
“You don’t—” Richard stopped at the feel of Jacob’s hand on his elbow.
“Take it easy,” Jacob said. “He has a point. He had no reason to suspect that the subject knew what he looked like, let alone that he would still be at the scene. I think it would be better to focus on what we can do from here.”
“Not much,” Richard responded. “We’re in pretty much the same position as we were before. He isn’t leaving behind enough of a trail for us to follow. And all this one is doing is risking exposing us even further.”
“You know, I was just trying to help,” Jacob pointed out.
“You were doing whatever you wanted, don’t mistake one for the other.”
“Okay. But can you honestly say you expected anything else from me when you guys brought me into your little operation here?”
Richard shook his head, seeming to lose his steam somewhat. “Just remember that when I found you, you were just a little boy chasing down and killing cyber-bullies. No direction or purpose. We are the ones who saved you from that.”
“So do you guys want to know the good news or what?” Brett asked. “I’ve been waiting to tell you when you were done yelling at me but I’m honestly not sure if that’s ever going to happen.”
Richard stopped and turned, anger starting to rise to the surface again. “What are you talking about, that you somehow—”
“I can find out where he is.”
Now Jacob was the one to look impressed. “How?”
Brett shook his head. “I can’t explain it in any way you’d understand. Let’s just say that I inserted some HTML code into the weaving of his jacket. I should be able to track him pretty easily.”
“You could have started off with that information,” Richard snapped at him, although he was clearly losing his steam in the argument.
“Where is it?” Jacob asked, trying to cut off another resurgence of the bickering.
“Actually, not far from here,” Brett answered. “Hiding out in an abandoned church a few miles to the south.”
“That isn’t possible,” Richard protested. “It shouldn’t be able to cross over the threshold onto hollowed ground.”
“Well, that’s where it is. Maybe the place isn’t sacred anymore or—”
“Once a building or area has been sanctified, that can not be removed. There’s something else going on here.”
“So do you want to hold off then?” Jacob asked. “It could be a trap. This thing does seem to be more powerful than any of the others we’ve had to deal with in the past.”
“We can’t stop,” Richard said. “I’m just pointing out that the odds aren’t exactly in our favor that this thing is actually there. Seems more likely that he just dumped his jacket there. Worst case scenario, we’re dropping into a trap.”
“If you know we’re probably going into a trap, why bother at all?” Jacob asked.
Richard smiled, but the expression did not extend to his eyes. He looked sad as he spoke. “It’s what we do. There isn’t really a choice.”
“Can I—” Brett started.
“No,” Richard cut him off. “I need you to stay back in case something happens, we might need you to create a diversion of some kind. Is there anywhere in the church that you could jump into?”
Brett shook his head. “There are cable lines going into the building but service hasn’t been active for over a year. Nothing I could do with that, even if I wanted to. No other utilities that I might be able to ride in on. The closest I could get would be a gas station down the block. They’re streaming satellite radio and playing it out by the pumps.”
Richard nodded, setting his jaw and reaching for his coat. “The direct approach then.” He nodded at Jacob to follow. “Just drive up to the front door, knock and see who’s—”
He was cut off as a wind buffeted them. A shrieking cry called out from above as a shadow passed over them, swooping down low overhead before diving from the tops of the houses nearby.
“What the hell?” Brett called out.
“It followed you here,” Richard called out. He grabbed Brett by the shoulder and dragged him back towards an equipment shed. “He drew you out into the open, so that he could do the same to you. Stay out of sight as best you can and let us deal with this.”
The thing cried out again as the darkened shape rose up from the street, hovering over them before crashing down in full attack. Richard felt rocks digging into his back as the weight of it crashed down on him, pushing him first to the ground and then partially up into the air. He grabbed in his inside pocket for the crucifix and held it out, pressing it into the thing’s forehead. The grip lessened slightly but the sound that he had taken for cries of pain soon became that of laughter. It grabbed the chain and hurled it towards the school.
As Richard continued to struggle, Jacob darted up from behind and plunged a syringe into the things neck, pressing on the plunger to send the liquid silver-sodium solution straight through the thing’s veins. It dropped Richard and staggered back, shaking its head as if it as choking on something but after a few moments, it simply straightened and began striding towards them.
“Run!” Richard called out as he backed away, hoping that Brett had had enough sense to have gotten clear of the area long before now. Sprinting away from the playground, he sensed that Jacob was also making his way off in another direction. Just on the edge of the school’s property, there was some construction equipment that had been left behind for the weekend as well as some discarded materials. As he passed, the thing landed solidly on his back and took hold of him, lifting him up and as his legs scissored back and forth, seeking purchase, it threw him into the pile. He rolled out of the debris and went to stand, only to be knocked back down again. Sharp pain shot up his arm and he began to wonder if it was already broken. He could see Jacob lying inert on the ground from a distance but could not tell how badly he had been hurt.
Hands stronger than he had ever felt before wrapped around his throat. Light began to flash as he strained to get a breath in. Reaching behind, he produced one of the silver daggers from its concealed sheath and brought it forward, slipping the blade between the things ribs.
Howling, it reared back, pulling the knife out of his hand. It pulled it free and seemed to flex the muscles of its midsection, the metal already starting to smolder and melt as it hurled the weapon away. It clattered to the ground, near to where Jacob lay. Richard produced another blade and threw it. It tumbled through the air, end over end until it buried itself up to the hilt in the thing’s chest. Again the howl of pain and rage as it pulled another knife free and hurled it away, charging at Richard.
Still, it was clearly moving slower as Richard ducked out of the way, diving and rolling as he did so. Grabbing at his ankles, he produced a small vial. He could practically feel the heat from the things breath as it charged, and he threw the vial at its feet.
Blue flame shot up into the air, enveloping the creature as it yelled and twisted within the fire. It lifted up off the ground but before it could get more than a few feet, crashed back down. The flames began to dwindle and Richard picked up the distinctive smell of burned flesh on the air. It staggered up to its knees and moved to stand. As it did so, it began to slow, as if it having trouble finding the strength. It was like watching a video in slow motion.
Richard looked to his right and saw Jacob, half sitting and now with his timepiece held up. The watch wasn’t strong enough to stop the creature completely but it was slowing it down. Richard stood and grabbed the thing, careful to keep his hands clear of the mouth as he dragged it towards the pile of construction equipment and debris. He produced another vial and dropped it onto the thing. As the blue flames shot up in the air and consumed it, he pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lit it and dropped it on to the body as well.
As the flames merged, they began to shift in color until they were raging over six feet high, bright red in color. Richard saw that Jacob had now risen to his feet and Brett had returned, watching the bonfire silently. They stayed that way for at least ten minutes until it had burned down to cinders. Nothing was left of the body, save for a few scraps of singed clothing.
“Is that it?” Brett asked as the other two walked over.
“Seems slightly anti-climatic, doesn’t it?” Richard asked as he ran the toe of his boot through the ashes. He shook his head. “Regardless, we aren’t going to find anything out staring at these scorch marks. If this thing pops up somewhere else, we’ll figure it out later. For now, we need to make ourselves scarce. I’m sure that fire was spotted by someone. Brett, find a server somewhere to hide out in for a while and we’ll be in touch.”
Brett nodded and within a minute had vanished into the data stream. Jacob followed Richard, limping but otherwise okay.
Richard found the note when he stepped into the car. It was pinned to the steering wheel, held in place by one of the twisted, metal blades he had hurled at the thing. From the look on Jacob’s face he already knew what the note was going to say but Richard handed it over anyway, after looking it over himself.
To my new friends.
Thank you for your time.
We will talk again soon.
