slipped out of its stomach and splashed at its feet. A savage squeal erupted out of its throat as its head back was thrown backward .
Bannan grabbed McPhee's shoulder from behind. She didn't know why, but she wanted to take the man with her. She felt compelled to save his life.
"We have to move!" she told him.
He blinked at her as if he had never blinked before.
The mercenary McPhee struggled with clambered to his feet and beat his feet through the dirt to run away. The upright creature that lost its insides watched the man attempt to flee; it hissed and sprinted after him with preternatural speed and lust. Almost instantly, it latched on to his back and brought its mouth down upon the back of his neck. He screamed and tried to fire his gun over his shoulder, but he missed as a geyser of blood squirted out of his throat. The creature viciously gripped the victim's sides as if holding on to a wild animal. It ripped away massive chunks of flesh. The man's screams became panicked gurgles , while he collapsed to the ground with the creature atop his back.
McPhee and the lone mercenary had been the only ones unaffected. While one devilish manifestation of evil reveled in the gore of its victim, the other five creatures began to rise anew, their flesh melting away into smoking piles.
"Now!" Bannan urged McPhee. In an open area, she wasn't sure she could easily fend them off as she had on the train.
The animal cries that resounded through the night came from men who were supposed to be dead.
May 19th, 1863: The Needs of a Hero
Saul couldn't stop shaking with rage.
You were warned , Mother said.
"Stop yelling at me!" Saul shouted with his fists clenched at the bulbous woman who sat beside him in the carriage, her eyes staring at nothing, her chin wet with drool.
"Can't see anything!" the driver called out. "It's too dark! We were supposed to be stopping at that town for the night!"
Saul screamed while the foreigner, Santiago, simply watched with his hands resting neatly on his lap. Although the expression on his face was rendered invisible by the young evening, it was easy to suppose the man sat as if nothing bothered him at all, as if precious material hadn't been wasted, as if an opportunity of a lifetime hadn't been destroyed by his own meddling.
"The Nightmare Collective employed you to complete a task," Santiago began coolly. "It is your fondest wish to join with them, and it's obvious they desire a man of your talents. However, you lack focus. The woman isn't needed to deliver the weapon to Vicksburg. I will deliver it myself, since I'm immune to its affects."
Saul buried his face into his hands. He couldn't resist the low whine that vibrated against his vocal chords. He couldn't give up now, not when he was so close.
"There's so much you don't understand," he said, though he was convinced that it was useless to speak to the ruffian. The project is incomplete. There are things I must change, things I didn't anticipate. I don't want her to simply deliver a canister to Vicksburg, because I have something special for her. Mother doesn't wish to see her dead, you understand…"
"If she were conscious, she would hardly spare that woman's life. Your mother was loyal to the Collective's designs. As one of its most senior members, her word was respected and considered law amongst our brotherhood. She served as my mentor for a short time, but that is past. You would do well to end her miserable existence, yet, your madness compels you."
"Must you provide commentary on everything?" Saul fired at him. "She isn't useless. She wanted me to be a part of the Collective. She had plans, you see, plans within plans within plans, and she needs me to carry them out! You know so little, so little…I can hear her. She speaks to me. She warned me about you!"
The carriage bounced along the road and the lantern carried by the driver in the front swayed. Saul habitually ran his tongue along the edges of his metallic teeth
Bannan grabbed McPhee's shoulder from behind. She didn't know why, but she wanted to take the man with her. She felt compelled to save his life.
"We have to move!" she told him.
He blinked at her as if he had never blinked before.
The mercenary McPhee struggled with clambered to his feet and beat his feet through the dirt to run away. The upright creature that lost its insides watched the man attempt to flee; it hissed and sprinted after him with preternatural speed and lust. Almost instantly, it latched on to his back and brought its mouth down upon the back of his neck. He screamed and tried to fire his gun over his shoulder, but he missed as a geyser of blood squirted out of his throat. The creature viciously gripped the victim's sides as if holding on to a wild animal. It ripped away massive chunks of flesh. The man's screams became panicked gurgles , while he collapsed to the ground with the creature atop his back.
McPhee and the lone mercenary had been the only ones unaffected. While one devilish manifestation of evil reveled in the gore of its victim, the other five creatures began to rise anew, their flesh melting away into smoking piles.
"Now!" Bannan urged McPhee. In an open area, she wasn't sure she could easily fend them off as she had on the train.
The animal cries that resounded through the night came from men who were supposed to be dead.
May 19th, 1863: The Needs of a Hero
Saul couldn't stop shaking with rage.
You were warned , Mother said.
"Stop yelling at me!" Saul shouted with his fists clenched at the bulbous woman who sat beside him in the carriage, her eyes staring at nothing, her chin wet with drool.
"Can't see anything!" the driver called out. "It's too dark! We were supposed to be stopping at that town for the night!"
Saul screamed while the foreigner, Santiago, simply watched with his hands resting neatly on his lap. Although the expression on his face was rendered invisible by the young evening, it was easy to suppose the man sat as if nothing bothered him at all, as if precious material hadn't been wasted, as if an opportunity of a lifetime hadn't been destroyed by his own meddling.
"The Nightmare Collective employed you to complete a task," Santiago began coolly. "It is your fondest wish to join with them, and it's obvious they desire a man of your talents. However, you lack focus. The woman isn't needed to deliver the weapon to Vicksburg. I will deliver it myself, since I'm immune to its affects."
Saul buried his face into his hands. He couldn't resist the low whine that vibrated against his vocal chords. He couldn't give up now, not when he was so close.
"There's so much you don't understand," he said, though he was convinced that it was useless to speak to the ruffian. The project is incomplete. There are things I must change, things I didn't anticipate. I don't want her to simply deliver a canister to Vicksburg, because I have something special for her. Mother doesn't wish to see her dead, you understand…"
"If she were conscious, she would hardly spare that woman's life. Your mother was loyal to the Collective's designs. As one of its most senior members, her word was respected and considered law amongst our brotherhood. She served as my mentor for a short time, but that is past. You would do well to end her miserable existence, yet, your madness compels you."
"Must you provide commentary on everything?" Saul fired at him. "She isn't useless. She wanted me to be a part of the Collective. She had plans, you see, plans within plans within plans, and she needs me to carry them out! You know so little, so little…I can hear her. She speaks to me. She warned me about you!"
The carriage bounced along the road and the lantern carried by the driver in the front swayed. Saul habitually ran his tongue along the edges of his metallic teeth
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