again, this time
motioning to the petrified assistant to uncuff the beast’s right side while he
manipulated the left. The frail man hesitated, recoiling into the counter
behind him.
“If I have to ask again, I’ll feed you to
the mutants tonight in their holding cell instead of one of the usual captives.”
The man toe-shuffled forward, his face
bleached white with terror as he reached for the leather restraint on the ankle.
After releasing the buckle with a trembling hand, he proceeded up to the right
wrist cuff and hastily fumbled with the latch then darted back to the corner
behind a cluttered desk.
Mitchell stood two feet from the creature,
which he kept feeding intermittent shocks to while removing a Glock from his
shoulder holster.
The mutant, clad only in shredded jeans,
slowly pivoted off the table and stood up as if each limb was tethered from
invisible lines dangling from the ceiling. It faced the assistant and released
a guttural hiss, its foul breath coning out towards the terrified man. The
mutant began spooling out thick strands of drool over its blood-stained lips
and its chest pumped furiously. It reached its sinewy arms up, trying to paw at
the man in the distance but Mitchell kept his electronic grasp firm. Finally,
Mitchell released his fingers from the remote control and the creature rushed
forward in one swift motion as if yanked by a rope around its waist. Just as it
lunged at the throat of the shrieking man, Mitchell stunned it again. The
creature went erect with its limbs by its side as if a giant rod had just been
driven through its center, planting it firmly to the ground. Its entire body
shuddered as the artificial device restrained its predatory rage.
“Please, don’t hurt him. He’s my only
assistant,” bleated Holcomb.
The words didn’t even register in
Mitchell’s mind. His cheeks were flaring and his pupils dilating as he marveled
at the streamlined musculature of beast. He moved beside it, his face inches
from the creature, studying the grotesque shape from top to bottom like a
collector of artifacts who has just happened across a rare find.
As Mitchell encircled the semi-submissive
beast, his eyes narrowed and a slight smile formed in the corner of his mouth.
“If I had a hundred of you, I would own the northwest. A thousand and this
country would be mine. An army befitting the new world.” He stood face-to-face
with it as he grinned. “Think of what could be accomplished—like Rome under
Caesar.”
He stepped back and yelled towards the hallway,
“Guards.”
The door creaked open and the men entered.
“Collar this one and have it taken below with the others.” He glanced back at
the mutant, which was still frozen as Mitchell held his fingers on the remote.
“Excellent work, Doctor. Perhaps your
usefulness will be your salvation after all.”
Chapter 11
Six days after their return from
Sacramento, Carlie and Duncan were flying to a small military outpost near the
town of Toppenish in south-central Washington to meet with the commander at his
request for more security measures. This facility represented the farthest base
that was under the directives of Fort Lewis and the southernmost base near the
Grand Coulee Dam. Accompanying them in the Blackhawk were two of Duncan’s men
and Eliza. Carlie rarely traveled without her young protégé and she thought the
woman’s knowledge of the region might be of use since Yakima was only twenty
miles to the north. Eliza had discussed with her the mountain encampment she
had taken refuge in and the surrounding terrain. During the ensuing months
since her return, Eliza had recounted her fond memories of living in the woods
and the small community of survivors that had taken her in.
Carlie glanced out the side window at the
snow-covered terrain, glad to be away for a while from the awkward tension
between her and Shane. She pulled back and leaned across to Duncan. “So you
know the commander where we’re
motioning to the petrified assistant to uncuff the beast’s right side while he
manipulated the left. The frail man hesitated, recoiling into the counter
behind him.
“If I have to ask again, I’ll feed you to
the mutants tonight in their holding cell instead of one of the usual captives.”
The man toe-shuffled forward, his face
bleached white with terror as he reached for the leather restraint on the ankle.
After releasing the buckle with a trembling hand, he proceeded up to the right
wrist cuff and hastily fumbled with the latch then darted back to the corner
behind a cluttered desk.
Mitchell stood two feet from the creature,
which he kept feeding intermittent shocks to while removing a Glock from his
shoulder holster.
The mutant, clad only in shredded jeans,
slowly pivoted off the table and stood up as if each limb was tethered from
invisible lines dangling from the ceiling. It faced the assistant and released
a guttural hiss, its foul breath coning out towards the terrified man. The
mutant began spooling out thick strands of drool over its blood-stained lips
and its chest pumped furiously. It reached its sinewy arms up, trying to paw at
the man in the distance but Mitchell kept his electronic grasp firm. Finally,
Mitchell released his fingers from the remote control and the creature rushed
forward in one swift motion as if yanked by a rope around its waist. Just as it
lunged at the throat of the shrieking man, Mitchell stunned it again. The
creature went erect with its limbs by its side as if a giant rod had just been
driven through its center, planting it firmly to the ground. Its entire body
shuddered as the artificial device restrained its predatory rage.
“Please, don’t hurt him. He’s my only
assistant,” bleated Holcomb.
The words didn’t even register in
Mitchell’s mind. His cheeks were flaring and his pupils dilating as he marveled
at the streamlined musculature of beast. He moved beside it, his face inches
from the creature, studying the grotesque shape from top to bottom like a
collector of artifacts who has just happened across a rare find.
As Mitchell encircled the semi-submissive
beast, his eyes narrowed and a slight smile formed in the corner of his mouth.
“If I had a hundred of you, I would own the northwest. A thousand and this
country would be mine. An army befitting the new world.” He stood face-to-face
with it as he grinned. “Think of what could be accomplished—like Rome under
Caesar.”
He stepped back and yelled towards the hallway,
“Guards.”
The door creaked open and the men entered.
“Collar this one and have it taken below with the others.” He glanced back at
the mutant, which was still frozen as Mitchell held his fingers on the remote.
“Excellent work, Doctor. Perhaps your
usefulness will be your salvation after all.”
Chapter 11
Six days after their return from
Sacramento, Carlie and Duncan were flying to a small military outpost near the
town of Toppenish in south-central Washington to meet with the commander at his
request for more security measures. This facility represented the farthest base
that was under the directives of Fort Lewis and the southernmost base near the
Grand Coulee Dam. Accompanying them in the Blackhawk were two of Duncan’s men
and Eliza. Carlie rarely traveled without her young protégé and she thought the
woman’s knowledge of the region might be of use since Yakima was only twenty
miles to the north. Eliza had discussed with her the mountain encampment she
had taken refuge in and the surrounding terrain. During the ensuing months
since her return, Eliza had recounted her fond memories of living in the woods
and the small community of survivors that had taken her in.
Carlie glanced out the side window at the
snow-covered terrain, glad to be away for a while from the awkward tension
between her and Shane. She pulled back and leaned across to Duncan. “So you
know the commander where we’re
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