Four (Their Dead Lives,1) (53 page)

A rushing force flashed behind the Baron. A dagger ripped out the Baron’s upper shoulder. He launched an elbow back, nailing whatever was behind him. He ducked out of the way, grabbing his wound, revealing the dark presence to Sadie’s eyes.
 

Kale?
 

Kale regained his footing, arcing the blade jutting from his arm. He slashed for the crawling Baron, just as Oderly swung the broken Moonjava at his head.
 

Kale hissed and spun, slashing Oderly’s stomach open.
 

Odes!
 

Carlin and Sadie ran for the bathroom as the cloaked attacker struck again. It grabbed Carlin’s arm, but a blast from Declan’s shotgun released her.
 

“Run!” Declan yelled at them.
 

They grabbed Timmy and fled into a bathroom. Sadie locked the door and the three of them huddled together.
 

More shots outside. More screams. A heavy slam against the bathroom door.
 

They held one another in the corner, Sadie pointing the knife at the fight outside.

Another slam forced the door open. Kale stood in the doorway, blood flooding off his mutated arm. “Hello, kiddies.”
 

Timmy shoved off the wall, grabbed Sadie’s knife, and charged. Kale’s blade parried Timmy’s strike. He swiped and missed. Timmy struck again, but Kale’s blade snapped the boy’s shoulder open. Timmy cried as Kale forced him down.
 

“Tim!” Carlin screamed, tried to stand but Sadie pulled her back.
 

“Kale, wait!” Sadie crawled to him as he raised the blade over Timmy’s head. And she saw them, those dark-engulfed eyes staring right at her.
 

Is it...my Dark Dragon?
“Kale—what happened to you?”
 

He tilted his head as if confused. “Sadie?” His veins flooded with black, with beauty, with the Dragon.
 

She crawled to him, pausing on her knees. “It consumes you.”

Kale stepped closer.
 

“He grants you the gift.” She intertwined her fingers and knelt before him, adopting a pose of prayer, looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
I always knew He was real. I always knew.
“You grace me, Dark Dragon. You save me.”
 

Kale grinned, touching Sadie’s cheek with his blade.
 

Those still alive were forced out to the highway. Sadie and Carlin were both on their knees. Wounded, Timmy and Oderly were slumped over. Kale paced in front of them, eyes dark as night, blood pure as dark fire.
He will spare us.
 

My Dark Dragon will grant us freedom.
 

Carlin trembled next to her.
 

Earlier, on their way out from the bathroom, Sadie had seen the Baron Von Gnar Gnar’s shredded corpse. Dozens of red lines crossed his chest. Declan had somehow escaped. Kale’s cloaked companion was out looking for him, Sadie assumed. Meanwhile, Sofia observed them from the front steps of Neptune’s Retreat.
 

“My Dark Dragon, you grace me.” Sadie bowed her head as Kale passed her.
 

Carlin grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”
 

Kale kicked at her wrist and growled, “Your dragon demands sacrifices.” He grabbed Oderly’s frizzy bush of red and grey hair. “He will do.”
 

Sadie clenched her lips. “Please, spare my friends. Spare them and I’ll find you a new sacrifice.”
 

“It’s okay, Sadie,” breathed Oderly, “I’m ready to see my wife again. I’m ready to be with a fixed Moon—”

Kale’s blade struck through Oderly’s forehead. “He talks too much.”
 

Carlin screamed, tried to stand but Kale grabbed her hair and yanked her back to the ground. Her cheek broke across the cement, but she found the strength to lift her head. Her watering eyes stared at Sadie.
 

I can save her. There must be a way. There must.
 

“Now,” said Kale, as if lecturing children. “The dragon only needs one more sacrifice. I let you pick, my child.” His fingers grazed Sadie’s chin and she felt his dark warmth flush down her body. He stared at Carlin. “Do you let your pretty blonde friend live?” He then skipped over to Timmy and grabbed the boy’s neck. “Or this cute little thing?”
 

Timmy’s bloodshot eyes twitched to Sadie. “This is your dragon?”
 

“Remember what I told you about Him. Remember and He’ll keep you safe.”
 

Kale tilted his head. “So you pick the boy to live?”
 

How can I choose such a thing?
 

I barely know either of them, but Carlin I feel closer to.
 

Timmy is a good kid, though.

Kale hissed. “You have ten seconds. Ten.”
 

Who do I pick?
 

“Nine.”
 

I like them both. They both deserve to live. What the fuck do I do?

“Seven.”
 

Timmy, sweet Timmy.
She stared at him as Kale kept his hand around the boy’s neck.
 

And Sadie said, “His fire will send you somewhere warm, somewhere safe. Do you trust me?”
 

“Five.”
 

Tears running down his cheeks, Timmy trembled. “I don’t want to die.”
 

“Three.”
 

Sadie grabbed Carlin’s hand as she forced herself to look at the boy she was about to have killed.
 

“Take him.”
 

Carlin and Sadie returned to the beach after the massacre at the restaurant, hid in the alcove where they’d first met. Curled next to each other, they sought comfort, and mourned.
 

Carlin sobbed against Sadie’s shoulder. “They’re all gone. Timmy, and Gnar, and I know he was bad, but Declan...”

I hope he gets chewed apart.
Sadie grabbed Carlin’s hand. “We made it though.”
 

The Dark Dragon spared us.

“Can I ask you something?”
 

“Yes.”
 

“What’s with all that dragon stuff?”
 

Sadie sat straight, hovering over Carlin. “Are you a Christian?”
 

“I’d say so.”
 

“I saw more proof of my beliefs today than I ever did when I was forced to follow your idea of God.”
 

“But what does this dragon do?”
 

Sadie stood, helped Carlin to her feet, and they stared at the orange horizon, the sun lowering before their eyes. “He protects us.”
 

“But he killed the others. He—”
 

“Let us live, Carlin. Don’t you see? He wants
us
to live.”
 

“But Tim and Oderly were innocent.”
 

True, they were. I’m sickened by their deaths. Yet the Dragon could have killed us all. His justice is mysterious, yes, but He is real. And now I know it with all the flames in my heart.
 

Carlin wrapped her hands plaintively around Sadie’s arm. “What about us? What do we do?”
 

“With Him watching over,”—their hands tightened under the fire-kissed sky—“we survive.”

SCOT
 

Since Jeff and Addison were on his left side, he was forced closer to Kelsey inside the helicopter. Not that he minded, but they’d yet to fully show their love, and his desire for her increased every passing second.
Sex. Yes, sex at a time like this.

Evans, Slinger, and Malone were across from them.
 

Jeff, with assistance from Evans, convinced the pilot to head for the clinic where Alec, Nicole, Jimmy and Dylan were.
 

It will be good to see Alec again.
Scot had always felt closest to him, at least in high school, perhaps because they both were in serious relationships at the time, while Jeff and Kale tried to live out their heroic fantasies. Funny enough, Kale had been Scot’s dearest friend through elementary and middle school. But all things change.
 

His fingers wrapped around Kelsey’s hand, her head lowered to his shoulder, and he kissed her blonde hair. He wanted her. Needed her.
Focus.
The stirring in his jeans would enlarge and become most embarrassing.
Focus.
But her warmth, her smell, her touch, he longed for it.
Focus.
 

“Scot,” said Jeff.
 

Scot wiped under his eye. He’d ditched his contacts back at the cabin. After his resurrection, his sight became clearer than ever. Perfect vision.
Focus.
Even the word resurrection made him think of his own erection he desired to give Kelsey.
FOCUS.

“Scot,” Jeff said again.
 

Awkward.
“Sup?”
 

“I have a lot to catch you up on.”
 

“Like?”
 

“Like where we’ve been and what’s happened. And who it happened to.”
 

Being so physically close to each other, Scot felt uncomfortable talking to Jeff, especially in his current state. He was unable to make direct eye contact. So he stared at the dusty floor of the helicopter as they talked. “Who to the what, now?”
 

“Kale.”

“Oh.” He snorted. “No explanation needed.”
 

“Please, listen. He was taken from us.”
 

Scot’s eyebrows clenched. “Taken?”
 

Jeff whispered, “Yes, by the Embracer, you know from—”
 

“How could I forget?”
 

“He’s in real danger, Scot. We have to save him. Help me convince Alec to join us. You know he won’t leave Nicole.”
 

“What makes you think I’ll leave Kelsey?”
 

“I’ll help find Kale,” she said next to them.
 

Scot faced her and grabbed her hand. “You magnificently brave clover, the hearing you have.”
 

She shoved him playfully. “You’re a dork.”
 

“Only for you.”
 

“Shut up.”

“As you wish.”
 

“Look,” Jeff interrupted. “Forget it.”
 

Scot kept his hand with Kelsey but faced his friend. “Homer, I love you, bro. You want my help to find Kale? I’ll help. But Kelsey and I go together. Always.”
 

“I used to take fencing,” she said. “I’m good with a sword.”
 

“It’s true. She’s one saucy swashbuckler.” And she looked so ripe for a kiss, he leaned in for her lips. The helicopter’s descent cut him off.
Gah, how many times will we be interrupted?
 

They landed on an apartment complex’s roof. All of the VTF poured from the helicopter, while Scot, Kelsey and Addison stayed inside. Addison had fallen silent most of the ride. His wounds and exhaustion had caught up to him and sleep became his best friend.
 

Scot grabbed Kelsey’s hand. She squeezed back. Her face tilted down, her glowing green eyes looked up at him. The sight of her beauty caused increased stirring in his jeans. Her moist lips touched his cheek, sliding across to his ear. He thought she would whisper, perhaps something risqué, but only felt a warm breath. A quick peck to his cheek and she pulled away, smiling.
 

“Are you teasing me?”
 

“Of course. I can see the activity in your pants.”
 

“You feisty fiend, I oughta—”

“Will you two
please
keep quiet?” Addison groaned.

They laughed to each other. His arm wrapped around her shoulder and they sat as one.
 

The VTF continued their talk on the roof. Jeff returned minutes later and glanced at Scot. “Can I speak to you for a second?”
 

Scot kept his head on her. “Like I said earlier, she’s with me always.”
 

Kelsey let his hand go. “Talk with him. I’ll be here.”
 

So he left the helicopter, crouching out to the roof. The other VTF were by the entrance to the complex, armed and ready.
 

Scot stood a few inches shorter than his buddy. “Homer.”
 

“I’ll make this quick. Now, more than ever, what happened to us in that well—”
 

“I get it. I’m all for it. Let’s save the world.”
 

Jeff stood still as stone. “What?”
 

No point in arguing with him. I have Kelsey. She will stand by my side.
“We’re clearly all safer together. Not a chance in hell we made it this far without whatever powers we have. So, yeah, Jeff, let’s fucking use them.”
 

Scot was relieved to see Jeff’s goofy smile again. “I’ll see you soon.”
 

“With Alec.”
 

“Yes.”
 

Scot formed a fist. “Bump it.”
 

They bumped. “Be back in a few.”
 

As Jeff turned, Scot grabbed his hand and gave his friend a hug, no matter how awkward it felt. “Don’t be a hero, Homer.”
 

“Too late. You already said we’re going to save the world.”
 

Scot smirked. “Verbal diarrhea”
 

“I’ll bring back wipes.” Jeff raised his assault rifle. And the fat kid Scot had grown up with no longer existed. A man stood before him. A man ready for great things. “We leave as four.”
 

Scot watched the VTF vanish into the apartment complex, one by one, Jeff being the last. The door hung slightly open.
 

Kelsey.
He returned to the helicopter. Kneeling in front of her, he grabbed both her hands. Addison breathed heavily in his sleep.
 

“What is it?”