Spy Games, page 23
"And now he's going to assassinate me?"
"He is."
"Oh. Can I go home then?"
"Yes. Of course."
"Stop it! Stop it right now. Are you two crazy? I'll do it. I'll murder your precious unicorn." Pitus held his knife at Bernard's throat, standing to the side so he faced me, and didn't get impaled.
"What about them?" I asked, turning to nod at the men being attacked by the dogs. "Never mind, I'll deal with it."
In a single second, I'd morphed, then slashed the throats of the three still-living men whilst they tried to fend off the dogs. They dropped, so the dogs stopped, licking at bloodied paws, nursing their wounds, then simply sat, staring at the three of us as I was already back beside Bernard.
"Just us now," I grinned.
"Yeah, just us. Those lot were always weak. The worst Necros I've ever encountered. Don't know how they lived so long. Couldn't morph, no real abilities to speak of, just great with whispers or manual work. Shame though, the place won't be the same without them."
"Wow, you really were one happy family, weren't you?"
"Shut up!" Pitus pressed the knife hard against Bernard's neck.
Bernard sighed, rolled his eyes at me, and began to laugh. "He's so dumb."
I could have said so much, but now wasn't the time to make fun of Bernard, the not-as-bright-as-coal-in-a-cupboard, so I just laughed along and agreed. "He sure is."
"I've worked my ass off building up this place. You think I'm gonna let you take it from me?"
"I bet you got the other poor sods to do the work. It's nice, real nice, but too nice, if you know what I mean?"
"Too nice!? What is your problem? It's chaos out there. Here, it's organized, everything in its place. Clean, tidy, and we don't have to go with cap in hand to those bastards out there to feed us. We do what we want, take what we want, and live how Necros are meant to live."
"And now the others are dead," I reminded him.
He waved it away with his free hand, unconcerned. "There have been more, hundreds over the years. Some leave, others remain. But they all die in the end. Not me though. I survive. And today's no exception."
"Sorry to disappoint," I told him, "but today's the day you say goodbye. I can't even imagine the amount of young Necros you've ruined, keeping them here, supposedly protecting them, or letting the old and foolish, those who should know better, fill their heads with your crap. There's more to life than this, and just because some of you can't handle it, doesn't mean others shouldn't be given the chance."
"Can we go now?" sighed Bernard, looking utterly bored.
"In a moment, Bernard," I told him.
"You two are fucking nuts! You aren't going anywhere, either of you. Don't you get it? I'll kill him if you don't—"
"Don't what?" I asked, genuinely interested in how he saw this playing out.
"Don't leave."
"What would be the point?"
"The point? So I don't risk getting killed, obviously. Are you simple?"
"Are you? If I say I'll leave, then what?"
I watched as he ran it through in his head, maybe trying to figure out the details, maybe trying to convince himself that his dubious plan to stop me would work. "Then your time will run out and you'll be taken by those bastards that try to control us."
"Not try. They do. I'm not giving up my life for you. Look at you, hiding away here, which is fine, but sucking others in and ruining their lives, convincing them the world's no good, that they can kill without remorse, do what they want, act how they want. Life isn't like that. It doesn't work that way."
"You don't know anything about it. I just want you gone. Don't come back or I'll destroy everything you love. Understand?"
"You're bluffing. You don't know what I love, or what you can call here. You don't know my other animals, just the ones everyone talks about. You and your Necro buddies, talking about things you know you shouldn't, pretend like this life is glamorous. So go ahead. If you can call the others, do it. Maybe get the wife involved, is that it? She'll rip you to fucking shreds."
"I… I'll do it," he stammered. "I'll execute them and it'll be your fault."
"No, it won't. It will be yours. It will be your decision, not mine, but it won't come to that. Have some pride, some honor, stand tall and let's finish this." He was seriously getting on my nerves now, and this was not how I wanted it to pan out. Standing around arguing when all I wanted was the bloodlust to take me over and to fight until I was victorious.
"You asked for it." With sweat pouring down his forehead, his face burned from the sun, and his anger almost uncontrollable, he spat, then grunted at the dogs who skulked away now their own bloodlust had died down. Pitus sneered at me, then gripped his knife tight and slit Bernard's throat.
Bernard and I both sniggered.
IT NEVER ENDS
The wound at Bernard's thick neck gaped like a badly opened envelope, revealing his trachea and lots of other gristly bits I didn't know the name of. Not a drop of blood fell. Of course, he could have stopped the knife even opening him up, because, duh, he was a unicorn, but his middle name was Drama, and he liked to be involved in things sometimes.
"Finished?" he asked Pitus, winking at me.
"But… You should be… How can…"
"He's a fucking unicorn, you utter twat," I told him.
"But I killed the dog. He was Necro too."
"You didn't kill the dog. He's fine. He's at home snoring on the murder rug." Pitus looked at me, nonplussed. "The cat does despicable things to small defenseless creatures on it," I explained, although I wasn't sure why.
"I saw him die. I knew how upset you were. Why won't you die?" Pitus, anger overwhelming him, stabbed at Bernard's thick head. The blade shattered. Pitus stared at it, dumbfounded.
"You're sick. Killing innocent animals, treating these poor guys like shit," I indicated the watching dogs. "You don't deserve to live. You're cruel for the sake of it, have no love for anyone or anything, and I don't want to hear any excuses about how the world made you this way. You're evil, pure and simple."
"Can I go now? Will you be okay?" asked Bernard.
"I'll be fine. Thanks for the visit," I told him, smiling. "Be home soon."
Bernard was gone.
"I killed him," whispered Pitus, unraveling before my eyes.
"No, but you wanted to, and that's the worst of it."
"I'll call the rest," he warned.
"No, you won't. You've got an unusual gift, able to mimic like that, and over such a long distance, but you're out of ideas."
A sly look came over his face, and he laughed, close to mad. "I'm never out of ideas." With that, he just ran away.
"Bloody hell, this is all I need."
I risked it and morphed beside him, stabbing out with Bone Slicer as I screamed into existence. He'd obviously been expecting it and weaved away just enough for me to get nothing but a tear in his shirt and the slightest taste of blood. Bone Slicer keened for more of this foul creature's life force, but he'd have to remain unsatisfied a while longer.
Even as the pain took me over and the familiar deep, almost unbearable hunger pangs almost doubled me over, I stumbled once then continued, cursing my stupidity for not letting Bernard kill him or asking Tyr to burn the fucker to a crisp.
Pride got in my way once more, and the conviction that it would sully Tyr and teach him very bad habits if he killed at my slightest whim. No, I had to do this. And I bloody well would.
Pitus was across the dusty yard with the dogs at his heels but a stern word and they lost their fight, unable to deal with the years of indoctrination and abuse. I sent out a mental word of pride and soothing emotions to calm them and felt their angst alleviate as I panted after this pathetic excuse for a human being.
It always ended up like this. Running about, getting stressed, but the conclusion was always inevitable. Pitus ducked into a hut then emerged through the door with a shotgun. I morphed as he fired, ready to finish him, but he was on the move already, chasing after freedom and life as though he could escape. He clearly couldn't morph, or he'd have done so, and if he could shift or had other skills then he would have used them, so, like most other Necros, his gift was of limited use. Calling other Necro creatures to him must surely have come in handy, especially being able to impersonate others, but it was an ability that held little real world application.
How had he survived so long? Because most people, Necros included, couldn't stay focused on a fight for long. Pain always interrupted concentration and the willingness to risk your life, and a single pause meant you were history. Pitus clearly used his limited gifts to wrong foot his marks before dealing a swift and early blow.
Chasing him past several small, crappy homes, I felt the true bloodlust come over me like a welcome friend. All stress and anxiety vanished as I was immersed in the battle. No thoughts now, just action. Just me, him, and my inevitable victory. He glanced behind, still with that sly look, and I wanted to do nothing more than smack the smugness right off his sunned face.
As I rounded the side of a large and much better built log cabin, which I was certain was his, I skidded to a halt, kicking dust in my wake.
"Thought it was just me and those dead idiots back there, did you?" sneered Pitus. "They were the fodder. The weak and dumb. You think such a small group accomplished all you've seen?"
"Um, kind of. Yeah," I grinned, showing no weakness even though there were ten well-seasoned veteran Necros standing in front of me. They were hard men, all of an age, with worn jeans, threadbare shirts, grubby vests, long hair, thick beards, and a madness behind their eyes.
"We're the future, not you" snapped Pitus. "We make things right. We keep away from the crap out there, follow our own path, and now you, and that bitch Peth, are trying to ruin it. Want us to become a freak show for the masses, eh? You make me sick." The others grumbled their agreement, the hatred burning in their eyes.
"I don't want any part of what Peth's doing."
"Liar! I saw you with her. She's your family. You know exactly what she's doing. An advert! Are you sick in the head or something?"
"I told you, I'm against it."
"You're a bastard liar. You want us to become a novelty act. Let the world know about us and it'll be over. They'll hound us, kill us, inspect us like bugs. We live like this to stay away from them. We're not like other people."
"You think I don't know that? I know we can never reveal who we are. What we are. But what do you think hiding away achieves? Look at you. You think you're better than them? You aren't. You think being Necro is a gift. It's a curse."
"It's a fucking blessing," shouted one of the men, but I didn't catch which. The others shouted their agreement.
There was no swaying Necros like this. They were utterly consumed by the Necro side of their existence and always would be. Nothing would change them, and if anyone hated Peth's plan and her revelations more than me, it was groups like this.
"To live like this? Loveless, outlaws, despising regular folk? That's no blessing. You're brainwashed, doing exactly what our masters want. Putting on a good show for them."
"What would you know about it?" asked Pitus, his bravado well and truly back now he had his men with him.
"We're just playthings, you know that."
"We are Necro and the notes endure," said one. The others repeated his mantra. "The notes endure."
"And that's exactly what the witches say. What they believe."
"But they want to take control, spread the word so we're hunted to extinction. Peth's off her bloody rocker," said a skinny guy in filthy jeans. The others agreed.
"I'm not here to argue," I told them. "I'm here for him." I pointed at Pitus, singling him out.
His bravado faltered for a moment as a hush came over the group. Several took a small step away; they were in two minds about this.
"Come on, fellas, he's no match for us," encouraged Pitus. "We can take him."
"It's Necrosoph," said the scruffy guy.
"So?"
"You heard the stories. What he does to anyone who opposes him."
I wondered what they were, as they were most likely untrue, but I wasn't about to tell them that. Instead, I put on my mean face and readied to kill.
"You can walk away," I told them. "I only want Pitus. If you think what he did, calling then killing my dog, is cool, then stay, and I'll deal with you too."
"Who cares about a mangy mutt?" snorted the scruffy guy.
Without responding, I simply threw Bone Slicer then turned back to Pitus, not waiting for the hit to strike.
The men gasped as I heard the body thud to the ground. Without a word, or any facial expression, I held Pitus' gaze, whistled, put out my hand, then closed it around Bone Slicer as he sprang back into my palm. I was gambling here, but I got the sense he and I were different now, and such feats could be accomplished. The men murmured, and I caught them move away from the corner of my eye. Pitus' eyes darted about, truly worried for the first time.
"Nobody got anything else to say?" I asked, eyes still locked on Pitus.
"You ain't playin' fair, man," said one of the men.
"Oh no? You guys play fair, do you? Bollocks. Now, you all leaving?"
For a moment, I thought I'd got away with it. When confronted with such overwhelming confidence, most back away and leave me to it, but then I felt the whispers build and knew I was in for one hell of a fight.
"Looks like you got your answer," came Pitus' voice from what felt like miles away.
His words were dark, stabbing at my head, and as the whispers of him and his men grew, I felt myself losing control. Their potent words combined to accomplish things no single man could hope to achieve. Not unless they'd spent centuries practicing the arts like Mawr. This was a group effort, just like the wards, and that was where their strength lay.
My head was spinning, throbbing like after sampling the Brewer's more esoteric wares, and it was all I could do to stay coherent. They were closing in on me. I felt it rather than saw it as my vision had blurred and I was seeing double, but I knew they were about to rush me. I had to act.
Risking it all, I spun wildly, wielding Bone Slicer, asking him to extend the reach of the tip as far as he could. I knew the point was invisible to the naked eye, that his tip was almost infinitely sharp, but could he elongate and slice and dice these sick bastards?
Judging by the gasps, then the shouts, followed by the sudden cessation of the whispers, the answer was a resounding yes. As vision and thought returned, and the air cleared of dark, twisted whispers, I stopped, left leg bent, right arm slightly behind me, ready to thrust out and gut anyone who approached.
Pitus was behind two men crouched forward, gasping, holding onto their stomachs where blood flowed freely. Another was on the floor, the contents of his guts beside him. His arms thrashed as his life ebbed away in a very undignified manner. The rest had superficial wounds or none at all, but they were shocked, and looking to Pitus for an answer.
"Don't you bloody look at him. He's not going to save you. Now, I told you, leave if you want, or stay and try to protect this useless specimen of a man. Your choice."
The men exchanged glances, then the youngest, the one with the filthy jeans, bolted without a word or a backward glance.
"Traitor," hissed Pitus.
The others muttered about his cowardice, but I didn't see it that way. I don't think they did either. He was the smartest of the bunch. This wasn't his fight, they weren't exactly family, or even true friends, so only the foolish or the foul remained. These men lived for the fight, but normally the odds were stacked in their favor. Not this time.
Knowing how these things went, and so did the others, we didn't stand around chatting and exchanging insults. As I lunged, so did they.
I ducked a punch to the head, grabbed hold of one guy's balls and twisted so hard something crunched, then spun and slammed him into one of the others before thrusting Bone Slicer deep into the screaming man's side, puncturing a kidney. I released him, took a fist to the abdomen, but managed to remain upright, then cut deep across the side of my assailant's neck before sliding low and slicing through his jeans and the artery in his thigh. He'd be dead in less than a minute.
The remaining men regrouped as I stepped away, winded but nowhere near defeated. They huddled together, ignoring the dead or dying, and yet again I felt the whispers close in. This time it was different, much darker and full of a menace I'd not encountered before. They were calling forth the desperate, lost, insane entities from a realm only the most adept of Necros had even a chance of controlling once released. Such things were in other places for a reason. Locked away long ago by practitioners able to ensure they remained hidden from the world. Peth and her witches studied these creatures, even visited them and interacted, tried to get them to do their bidding, or harnessed the terrible powers they could yield, but even they knew better than to release such things here, where the chances of them ever returning were nigh on non-existent.
I was shunted back by the sheer force of the energy pushing through the veil. The wind howled, all birds were silent, the air was dark and heavy as though the sky was falling in on us. And yet the men remained focused, whispers rising in pitch, more than willing to do this in order to save their own skins.
Defying the madness crawling inside my head, I sank deep within myself and felt the presence of my brothers there waiting, calm as a perfect summer's day. At peace, but ready and willing to storm forward and help in my hour of need. Did I want this? I'd experienced their presence, their assistance before, and it left me feeling like a hundred different people for weeks afterwards. A true split personality. I bypassed the jumble of men, sank deeper into myself, and let my connection with my knife snap into place.
This was all I needed. Me and him. We would do this together.
"Tear it apart. Rip these whispers until they're nothing but fragments of words," I told him.
Bone Slicer agreed with a massive shunting of power that burned my arm, and left my head empty for a moment, before I experienced the world in more clarity than ever before. I saw the whispers coming from these men's mouths, watched as they joined above them in obscene, intertwined entrails to form a mass akin to a writhing stomach. Trails like spokes radiated from this hub, spreading out and twisting to enter nightmarish planes. Seeping through cracks in our reality, touching the creatures from this other place and dragging them forward. All the while the energy built, the power drawn growing exponentially until it was close to becoming real. A presence in our world that would destroy me and do who knew what damage to the fabric of our reality.
