Burden of Sisyphus (33 page)

           
“This is going to hurt,” he said, adding, “a lot.
 
You’ll want to scream, but you can’t.
 
I need you to be a soldier and internalize the pain.
 
If you scream, they’ll find us and kill us all.”

           
Tusque nodded imperceptibly.
 
Standing over the Oterian’s back, Ixibas examined the wounds with a single clawed hand. He pulled back the torn flaps of skin with surgical precision, though Tusque flinched from pain, as the Lithid’s claws scraped exposed flesh.
 
Ixibas raised the bottle until it was less than an inch from the wound.

           
Depressing the top, he shot foaming liquid until it filled the gaping wounds.
 
Tusque’s back arched from the pain.
 
Through tightly clenched teeth, he whimpered.
 
The foam spread through the injuries, cauterizing exposed muscle and stopping the oozing blood.
 

           
Ixibas moved from injury to injury for less than a minute, inserting foam, much to Tusque’s dismay, until the bottle was empty.
 
The Oterian’s heavy breathing settled into a comfortable rhythm, as pain drove him unconscious.

           
The other three collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by exhaustion.
 
Ixibas’ featureless face failed to show any of the weariness and concern evident on the other two.

           
“We can’t keep running like this,” Hollander whispered.
 
“I’m exhausted and cramping in muscles I didn’t know I had.”

           
“We won’t be running for a while.”
 
Ixibas’ words eased the Uligart’s concern, though his voice sounded rougher than traditionally came from a Lithid.
 
“He needs time to heal.
 
Until then, we’ll be hard-pressed to wake him, much less move him.”

           
“Thanks the gods we were able to lose them.”
 
Pateros sighed and leaned his head heavily against the wall.
 
Sweat glistened over his tanned skin and brightly colored tattoos.

           
“We didn’t lose them, you fool,” Ixibas hissed.
 
“They let us go.
 
They drove us exactly where they wanted and turned away.”

           
“Why would they let us escape?”
 
Hollander painfully pushed away from the wall.

           
“We weren’t the target.
 
They weren’t trying to kill us, just get us away from the others.
 
We’re separated by dozens of city blocks.
 
They separated us to make us easy prey.
 
Now they can pick us off at their leisure.”

           
“You can’t know that,” Pateros said.

           
“I can,” he replied harshly.
 
“If you don’t believe me, take a look out that window using the thermals on your helmet.”

           
Hollander and Pateros looked at each other before clambering to their feet and donning their helmets.
 
They moved to the window and slowly pushed back the left shutter so they could look toward the heart of the city.
 
Under thermals, the streets were cast in shades of dark blue and black, their heat from the day already expended.
 
As they looked toward the far side of the city, toward the outpost, their eyes widened in astonishment.

           
The sky above the outpost glowed with deep red that flickered as if the flames of hell swallowed the compound.
 
The red glow swirled around the buildings in a dancing circle, as the sea of Seques moved as one, trying to find a gap in the impenetrable building.
 
The glow reached to the sky in a pillar of light, casting a red pallor over the nearby city like an evil blanket.

           
Even in the cool night air, the pair of soldiers wiped sweat from their faces.
 
Closing the shutter, they slid down the wall as one, both looking dejected, as they removed their helmets.

           
“How can there be so many of them?” Hollander asked.
 
“There would need to be thousands to make the glow that strong.”

           
“If not more.”
 
Ixibas’ rough voice cut across the darkness.

           
“They’re on the far side of the city.”
 
A tinge of pleading entered Pateros’ voice.
 
“Now’s our best chance to get out of here.
 
Why are we waiting?”

           
“You just looked out the window, and you have to ask?” Ixibas asked angrily.
 
“When have Seques ever moved with a military mentality?
 
Yet here we are, cut off from any chance of reinforcements and no chance of being evacuated any time soon.
 
Something changed those creatures into the killers we encountered.
 
Whatever gave them that much intelligence also made them smart enough not to let four Alliance soldiers walk casually out of the city.
 

           
“You didn’t look the other way, but I’m willing to bet you would’ve seen a fine red glow around the edges of the city, too.
 
There’s no escape unless the Seques let us.”

           
“We’re going to die here, aren’t we?” Pateros asked quietly.

           
“It’s very possible.
 
Make peace with whatever gods you pray to.
 
The sun will rise in a couple hours.
 
We’ll figure out what to do then.
 
Try to sleep.
 
I’ll take first watch.”

           
The sun broke over the tops of the business district and flooded light into the squat building where the foursome huddled.
 
Tusque stirred slowly, letting the recently sealed wounds stretch before trying to do anything as brazen as stand.
 
As soon as he was confident he’d feel nothing more than mild pain, he pushed himself off the bed and looked around the small room.

           
“Glad to see you’re still alive,” a gravelly voice said.

           
Turning, he saw Ixibas’ dark form leaning against the wall beside the window.
 
The shutter was thrown wide, letting sunlight flood the room.

           
“Are you crazy?” Tusque asked brusquely.
 
“Close the shutter, Boss.
 
They’ll find us.”

           
“No need.
 
Come take a look.”

           
Tusque was joined by the other two, as they walked to the window.
 
Looking out, they stared at an empty street, marred by signs of struggle and death, but still empty.

           
“Where are they hiding?” Hollander asked.
 
“They have to be out there.”

           
“I don’t see them anywhere,” Pateros said.

           
“That’s because they aren’t there,” Ixibas said proudly.
 
He’d been standing at the window for the better part of an hour, scanning the city for signs of life.
 
“When the sun started coming up, they disappeared.
 
Their lights blinked out one after the other, as morning approached.
 
Eventually, just before I had to shut off the thermals, there wasn’t a single living creature visible in the city.”

           
“And the outpost?” Hollander asked.

           
“I don’t know.
 
If there’s someone inside, they won’t show up on thermals.
 
I’ve tried raising them by radio but got nothing.
 
Either they’re dead, or the outpost walls block the signal.”

           
“Where would they go?” Tusque asked, his weak voice still rumbling.
 
“There were so many, Boss.
 
Where’d they go?”

           
“It doesn’t matter.
 
All that matters is that the Seque are nocturnal.
 
They’re sleeping.
 
That means there’s nothing between us and the edge of the city.”

           
He gestured to the pile of armor and weapons on the floor.
 
“Get your things.
 
We’re leaving this city forever.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

           
Awakening with a start, Keryn coughed roughly.
 
Her throat burned.
 
As she cracked open her eyes in the dark room, smoke stung them.
 
Though only a faint glow filled the room from ambient light in the hall, she saw thick, acrid smoke quickly filling her bedroom.

           
Somewhere in the barracks, either on their floor or below, a fire belched dark smoke through the halls, burning up the oxygen and threatening to overwhelm the sleeping Wyndgaart.
 
Keryn felt lucky a violent coughing fit pulled her from deep sleep.

           
Coughing again, she quickly climbed from bed and looked across the room.
 
Through the smoke and gloom, she saw Iana’s sleeping form.

           
Pulling her shirt over her nose and mouth to block the smoke, Keryn hurried to her roommate’s side.
 
She was barely able to make out her shape, as more dense smoke filled the room.
 
Reaching down, she grasped the bundle on the bed, shaking it violently to wake the sleeping Pilgrim.
 
The bedding flattened out to reveal it was nothing more than sheets and blankets bunched deceptively in the darkness.

           
Though it was the middle of the night, Iana wasn’t in the room.
 
Concerned about her roommate and friend, Keryn realized she couldn't remain in the barracks.
 
The smoke was almost overwhelming, and she coughed hoarsely, as it burned and dried her throat.
 
Her eyes watered, blurring her vision and cutting streaks through the soot caking her face.
 
Staggering toward the doorway and the soft light leaking from around the doorframe, she pulled it open and rushed into the hall.

           
Down the length of the hallway, the overhead lights flickered, as the unseen fire burned at the wiring.
 
The neon lights flashed pale white light through the gray and blue smoke hanging in the narrow hall like a thundercloud.
 
Looking both ways, she couldn’t see anyone fleeing from the smoke.
 
Unless they were trapped in their rooms, Keryn was alone in the barracks.
 
Everyone else was evacuated.

           
Shaking her head, she found it difficult to believe she was alone and had been left in the burning building.
 
No one noticed her missing or ran down the hall, screaming her name.
 
Her lungs filling with smoke, and her throat raw from coughing, she realized she was alone in the building.

           
Staggering across the hall, she banged loudly on the door, trying to disprove her sinking suspicion.
 
Hearing no answer, she reached for the handle.
 
It was hot enough to burn her palm.

           
Screaming in pain, she released the handle and saw it glowing brightly in the flickering gloom.
 
Looking at her hand with tear-filled eyes, she saw a clear burn line imprinted on her palm.
 
Pain radiated up her forearm, leaving her feeling nauseated, as she turned from the door.

           
Clutching her burned hand to her chest, she stumbled up the hall toward a staircase leading to the ground floor and out of the burning Academy.
 
As she passed each door, she felt waves of heat radiate from the walls, as the handles glowed in the heat.
 
Ducking her head below the acrid smoke, she drove toward the last door on the left, which led to a stairwell, and, eventually, fresh air.