There were uneasy looks among the three.
“Did you?” Omondi persisted.
“The hunger creates insanity. There were incidents in the beginning, but we banded together to try to fight the hunger.” Alkan’s voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
“But you hunted us like animals and killed us. Ate us!” Omondi seemed even bigger and more imposing.
Mariano took several sharp steps toward him and screamed, “We were hungry! We were irrational and...and...”
“You’re irrational now!” Omondi lashed out and gripped the man by one of the straps on his armor. Shaking him, Omondi shouted, “We’re Constabulary! We protect the city! We protect each other!”
“I want to go home! I want to see my family! I want to not be a monster!” Mariano bellowed in Omondi’s face, his red eyes wide and frantic.
Alkan and Reese began to walk swiftly toward the two grappling men. The Aberrations tracked behind them.
Maria cursed as she lifted her weapon, aiming at Alkan. “Holm, take out Martinez if you have to.”
The other woman nodded.
In the time since her father’s death, Maria had longed to see him one last time. To hold him in her arms and tell him how much she loved him. It was cruel irony that she was able to see him one last time just to watch him die. Maria activated the exterior speaker on her helmet.
Mariano and Omondi continued to shout at each other, each struggling to wrestle the other man to the ground.
“Release him, Vanguard Martinez!” Maria shouted, her voice strong.
Mariano froze, his gaze searching along the blank face of the building.
“Step away from the Chief Defender now!” Maria ordered.
“Maria?” Mariano questioned. He pulled away from Omondi, his red eyes sweeping back and forth over the empty windows.
Taking a deep breath, Maria steadied her nerves. “Si, papa.”
“Mi hija, ¿dónde estás?”
Maria tentatively stepped into view, her gun swinging toward her father in a slow arc. His red eyes fixed on her and she feared he would attack. She was not a Scourge, Boon, Anomaly, or Aberration. As the seconds ticked away, she realized she and the others were something very different. Dr. Curran had created a new creature altogether.
“Speak to me as an officer,” Maria said in a tense voice.
“You’re here. One of us,” her father said. He was utterly shocked by her appearance and he released Omondi.
She nodded.
Omondi drew his weapon. “Tell your people to fall back, Mr. Martinez.”
Mariano hesitated, then waved his hand. The Anomalies and Aberrations ceased stalking toward the building, but their stances were that of predators, waiting and watching.
Mariano studied his daughter’s face. “Maria, do you know how Inferi Scourge identify each other?” Mariano’s red eyes shifted to gaze into her eyes.
The other creatures were staring at her as well.
“Sight,” Maria said at last.
“No. The virus within our blood tells us who is one of us and who is not. Maybe it’s the virus whispering in our cells like a communal brain, or maybe it’s somehow hidden in your scent. I look at you and I know you’re Inferi Boon. Everything inside of me says you’re one of us. Yet, you look human.”
Maria shifted her weight slightly. “What’s your point?”
“Inferi Scourge cannot think for themselves. They’re creatures of instinct. If the virus inside of them says you’re one of them, then they will not attack. Right?”
Maria shrugged. “They can be dangerous when stimulated by the possibility of prey.”
“Sure. But when you’re standing face to face with one, far away from the…humans, they know you’re one of them. They’re not going to wake up and attack you.”
Narrowing her eyes, Maria wondered what he was driving at.
“Mi hija, I’m not Inferi Scourge. I can think! I can see! I can choose my actions. Right?” Mariano grinned at her, his red eyes disturbing with their brightness.
“What is your damn point?” Omondi demanded.
“My point is that I can choose to go against the virus. I can decide for myself what I will and will not do. If I wanted to, I could attack you, kill you, devour you because I can think and override my instinct that says you’re Inferi Scourge!” Mariano noted her discomfort at his words. “Of course, I would never do that to my own daughter. But I have to ask, mija...what are you?”
Omondi’s gaze shifted toward Maria. “Vanguard?”
“I’m Inferi Boon,” Maria finally answered. “Just like you. Just like the people you murdered and ate!”
Mariano’s mad eyes were fever bright. “Then what you are...it’s in us. If it’s in your people, then it’s now in us.” He grinned with delight, turning toward his two companions. “It’s in us! We’ll be what she is! The humans will not realize what we are until it’s too late!”
The echo of the short bark of the rifle rang out around her. Mariano slumped to the pavement. Within a second, both sides opened fire. The projectile weapons of the Anomalies and Aberrations propelled shrapnel through the air. Maria fell to the ground to avoid the onslaught. She could see her father’s slack face in a pool of blood. She felt both relieved and sorrowful at the sight.
Omondi snagged her arm as he barreled past her, dragging her behind him. Hurtling her through the window, he followed. They both crawled into cover.
“I’m activating my feed and reporting in,” Omondi said, his eyes fastened to her face. She could see the disbelief in his expression. He could now see what her dead father had witnessed. Maria was no longer a dead thing. She was alive.
Sliding onto her knees, she caught an Aberration in her crosshairs and fired.
Chapter 32
When the doors to the command center opened and Mr. Petersen entered, followed by the president and his council, Dwayne knew that what was about to happen wouldn’t be to his liking. Commandant Pierce stepped into the room after the primary entourage and sought out his gaze immediately. Dwayne rose to attention.
“Castellan Reichardt, you and your people are dismissed,” President Cabot said. His demeanor and voice were devoid of his earlier briskness. If anything, he sounded slightly afraid.
“Mr. President,” Dwayne started, but saw the commandant shaking her head. Instead of voicing his protest, Dwayne saluted and slipped past the gloating Mr. Petersen. Lindsey and the other soldiers of the Constabulary slid to their feet and followed him.
“Dr. Curran, thank you for your dedication to this mission, but we’re no longer in need of your services,” the president said as he turned to face the beleaguered scientist.
“I am still collecting data from the field,” Dr. Curran started to protest.
Mr. Petersen gently took her by the arm and escorted her across the command center. She walked with him, confused and alarmed. “You’ve done a splendid job, Beverly, but your services are no longer needed in this matter.”
More SWD personnel filed into the room, pressing past the exiting Constabulary people. Dwayne was nearly to the doorway when Admiral Kirkpatrick stepped through. Wearing his white uniform, many medals, and silvery hair and beard with pride, the leader of the SWD gave him a bright, triumphant smile. The man was legendary at seventy-five years of age. He had won battles against the Inferi Scourge before the final fall of humanity. He alone retained his rank from the armies before The Bastion Constabulary was created. Rarely seen in public since he had assumed command of the SWD, he was a mysterious figure that drew much speculation from the media. He only appeared at the most prestigious events. Dwayne was startled when the admiral gripped his hand, shook it, smiled, then walked on. A bit dazed, Dwayne stared after him in surprise. With Mr. Petersen at the forefront of the Inferi Boon project, he had speculated that perhaps the admiral was ill. This appeared not to be the case.
Commandant Pierce motioned for Dwayne to hurry and he crossed through the threshold into the corridor. The Constabulary soldiers stood waiting along with Caitlyn. Dr. Curran was virtually shoved into the hallway by Mr. Petersen.
“Your contributions to our impending victory are appreciated. I shall make a notation of each and every one of your excellent execution of your duties.” Mr. Petersen smiled one last time and the door shut.
Dwayne gaze flicked upwards to watch the panel above the door. It turned red. They were locked out.
“What are we going to do?” Lindsey asked.
Commandant Pierce lifted her finger to her lips, then gestured for them to follow her. Dr. Curran stared at the locked door in confusion and Dwayne lightly touched her shoulder.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
Dr. Curran nodded and fell into step with him.
Caitlyn was leaning against the wall giving her father her notorious dagger eyes. She shoved off with one elbow and strode alongside him.
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“I’ve been dismissed for the day,” Caitlyn answered. “I think I’ll tag along with my dear old dad, if you don’t mind.”