BLOODBURG Page 20

  “What the h—” Sanders started, but Joseph covered the detective’s mouth with his hand, a single finger to his own lips, motioning for him to keep quiet.

  “Is it the bounty hunter?” Allie whispered.

  “Sounds like it,” Joseph grumbled. “Didn’t think he’d find me this quickly.”

  They heard a few more popping sounds followed by gut-wrenching screams before everything went quiet.

  “Dammit!” Joseph growled under his breath as he looked at Allie. “It sounds like a projected energy weapon.”

  “Just use your ring,” Allie offered.

  “It’s not strong enough,” Joseph explained. “The ring is only meant for combat weapons like knives or guns…the more advanced the weapon, the less effective the ring is. I’ll just have to take him on directly.”

  “Take who on?” Sanders said quietly.

  “Not sure, but if you keep your head down, you might live long enough to see,” Joseph said.

  “Joseph Beckemeyer,” a grizzly, mechanical voice called out from the doorway of the restaurant. “Come on out from behind that table or I will blast it to shreds, taking your two little humans with it. What do you say?”

  Joseph calmly grabbed his fedora and stood up, slowly adjusting it on his head as he calmly walked toward the bounty hunter.

  -19-

  “Well, hello there!” Joseph said, striding toward the larger area of the restaurant to greet his new assailant. “My…you’re a big fellow, aren’t you?” he said, staring at the seven-foot-tall cyborg, whose gruesome appearance was more machine than man.

  A man’s head and torso were fused with the frame of an android—designed more out of necessity than choice—with a terrifying result. The cyborg’s flesh, what little there was of it, was burnt and scarred into a thick layer of dark, gristly jerky. Scabs stretched and puckered over the right side of his face and neck. The left side was a patchwork of metal plating with a glowing eyeball that cast an eerie reddish haze over the harsh landscape of his face. Somehow, his skull was still intact, but the cyborg’s lower jaw and tongue were completely mechanical.

  The body was impressive and complex. It was a network of mechanisms; some visible, some moving behind black metal scales. Thin red tubes with the same ominous glow as the eye ran over the whole frame, likely functioning as the veins in a human body, pumping an energy source through the cyborg and into the large gun grafted to his arm.

  Joseph smiled, cocking his head. “You know, you remind me of one of those Taraxian War Chasers from the outer rim of the Pariston Galaxy.”

  “I am,” the cyborg stated in its tinny flat voice.

  “I knew it!” Joseph chuckled. “Your kind is obsessed with…what’s that motto of yours again?”

  “One of the last. One of the best.”

  “Yes, that’s it. A race dedicated to killing each other, solely for the reputation of being the one and only conqueror.” Joseph grimaced. “There can’t be many of you left by now.”

  “I have hunted down and killed over ten thousand of my own people. I will be the last! And I will be the best!”

  “Spoken with the confidence of a true psychopath. I admire that in an adversary. You just don’t see that kind of loyalty and dedication to the art of assassination anymore. It honestly makes me a little sad.”

  “I would agree,” the bounty hunter deadpanned.

  Joseph sighed. “Now then, since this fight is just between us, there’s no reason we need these humans. They’ll only hinder my concentration.”

  “I can fix that.” The cyborg pointed his gun at the table and fired a ball of energy toward Allie and Sanders, who peered over the top of their barrier.

  “Wexrartia!” Joseph yelled, casting a small lightning bolt, to block the cyborg’s attack, just in the nick of time. The blast crashed into the wall directly above Allie and Sanders, sending large chunks of burnt sheetrock and wood showering down on them. “That’s not what I meant,” Joseph argued.

  “Why do you even care about these…insects?”

  “They’ve started to grow on me. What can I say?” Joseph admitted reluctantly. “All I’m asking is for you to let them leave the combat area before we begin.”

  “No.” The hunter shook his head slowly. “They will have the honor of watching me kill you before they die.”

  “How you hold that massive ego in such a tiny little head…it simply astounds me,” Joseph mocked. “No. The real reason you’re keeping them here in case you need to use them as leverage if the fight starts to go my way. Am I right?”

  “Of course,” he replied coldly.

  “I figured as much.” Joseph smirked. “But there’s still one thing I just have to know before we begin.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “How did you track me down?” Joseph asked, squinting as he regarded his opponent. “I’m incredibly good at remaining off the grid when I need to be.”

  “It wasn’t difficult. I was following Prince Begrozax right up until you killed him at the warehouse—”

  “Oh! You mean Detective Gerard!” Joseph shook his head somberly. “Not the best assassin. I was actually surprised he was a member of your little hunting party in the first place.”

  “His father pulled some strings for him,” the cyborg stated. “I was planning on just killing him…after he’d killed you, of course. Then, I would claim your burnt corpse for myself. But after he failed to kill you, my best option was to follow the only survivor. I knew he was being kept alive for some reason. I bided my time, tracked his movements, and waited until he finally caught up with you.”

  “Well done.” Joseph smiled, taking a long deep breath. “Then, I guess there is nothing more to discuss. Shall we begin?”

  “Just one more thing…” the cyborg said, suddenly shooting a ball of energy at Joseph before he could react. A small electric pop echoed throughout the restaurant as the edge of the ball grazed Joseph’s shoulder, tearing through his coat and a few layers of skin, but the hunter was surprised when a less powerful ball of energy simultaneously sparked across his own shoulder, leaving a noticeable dent in his armor. “So, the rumors are true. You do possess a reflective spell…albeit feeble. It will definitely make things more interesting,” he said, his metallic voice almost playful.

  “One can only hope,” Joseph replied with a smile, then shouted, “Frazistacha avio!” The tables and chairs in front of Joseph rose and hurled across the room, tumbling and spinning at the cyborg. Joseph dove for cover behind a small server station.

  The cyborg opened fire, blasting several small balls of energy through the debris coming at him, breaking each target into tiny bits and pieces, which merely showered over him.

  Joseph peered around the edge of his barricade, casting a thick clump of vines up through the floor that snaked around the cyborg’s feet and legs, holding him firmly in place.

  “Io’aranti!” Joseph shouted, casting a bolt of electricity into the center of the hunter’s chest, sending a paralyzing surge of energy into the cyborg.

  The bounty hunter howled in pain and anger as every mechanism in his entire body began to convulse and spasm, including the trigger of his gun, which fired recklessly as the hunter tried to regain control of his body.

  Sanders pulled Allie to the floor, his body shielding her as the hunter’s barrage obliterated large chunks of the table they’d been hiding behind.

  Joseph knew his power surge wouldn’t last long. His intent was to move to the far side of the room where there were many more tables and chairs to use for cover. As he darted across the restaurant, a random ball of energy clipped Joseph’s leg, sending him tumbling to the floor as the cyborg closed in on him.

  The cyborg effortlessly ripped away the vines as he marched toward Joseph, aiming his gun at Joseph’s chest and opening fire.

  “Delamonto vola!” Joseph screamed out, sending a large tar-like wave toward the cyborg to shield himself from the attack, bu
t he wasn’t fast enough. Two of the balls of energy burst through the tar, hitting him in the stomach and the right arm.

  Joseph collapsed onto the floor, writhing in agony and clutching his stomach. Part of his sleeve and the arm inside it had been burned away, the charring fabric revealing a scorched bone embedded with several protruding crystals. In a split second, Joseph’s arm was rendered practically useless. At the same moment, some of the energy from the cyborg’s weapon was reflected by Joseph’s ring, and blobs of tar rained down on the hunter, igniting on contact.

  The cyborg screamed with rage as the flaming sludge seeped into the seams and joints across his body, damaging his mobility and focus. The hunter angrily wiped at the flaming tar and fired a continuous and concentrated barrage as he slowly advanced toward Joseph.

  “Deni’ciento!” Joseph gasped feebly, forming a thick barrier of ice between them. Balls of energy crashed into the ice, slowly chipping away his defensive structure. In the awful moment that he began to lose consciousness, Joseph realized the fight was over; he’d been defeated. It was time to surrender, if only to save Allie’s life.

  As the final bit of the icy shield shattered apart, the cyborg stood a few feet in front of Joseph. With a sadistic laugh, the hunter aimed his weapon at his opponent’s forehead and growled, “Do you yield?”

  Joseph raised his hand, coughing up bits of blood and rising awkwardly to his knees in front of his conqueror. “Yes.” Joseph nodded. “I yield myself unto you…on the conditions that you let my friends live…and that neither you nor your benefactor ever return to this planet,” he said between ragged breaths.

  “You care way too much for these pitiful creatures. They are your downfall. You’ve gone soft,” he scoffed. “Fine. I will allow these insects to live. But as for your second request, I can only pass it along to Emperor Vizatchi.”

  “I understand,” Joseph replied, tired and exhausted as he awaited his death.

  Allie couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She ran out from behind the table with her hands raised in surrender. “Wait! Don’t kill him!”

  “Get back!” Joseph snapped, but Allie ignored his words and fell to her knees facing him and locking her eyes with his. The bounty hunter slowly leaned forward and pushed his gun into her back. Joseph sighed. “It’s over, Allison. I’m sorry.”

  “You see?” The cyborg shook his head in disgust. “Soft!” He huffed and pushed a sequence of buttons on the top of his gun. “The female has now altered our agreement and she shall die with you. Maximum disintegration capability will be reached in less than fifteen seconds. Say goodbye to your little pet…the clock is ticking,” he taunted, pushing a button and activating the weapon.

  Joseph stared at her through his ruined purple-tinted lenses. “I did everything I could. I just wasn’t strong enough.”

  The corners of Allie’s mouth hinted at a smile as she subtly turned her ring around on her finger and forcefully pressed her hand to Joseph’s face.

  Joseph grinned as he shook his head slightly. “Allison McCleary, you never cease to amaze me,” he said, reaching for her hand.

  “Any moment now,” the cyborg sneered, reveling in his pending victory.

  “Maybe together…we just might make it,” she whispered hopefully.

  “Let’s hope so,” he replied somberly, squeezing her hand and feeling pressure as the gem on his ring touched hers. He closed his eyes, preparing for the cyborg’s death blow.

  When the gun released its immense blast of energy in a flash of light and a loud electrical pop, Sanders watched in amazement as Allie and Joseph became airborne, hurtling away from the cyborg as it tumbled across the room. The blast wave spread throughout the room, setting the restaurant on fire.

  The scorched cyborg crumpled to the floor across the room from where Joseph and Allie were slammed against the wall.

  Clothes charred and skin blistered, Allie was now unconscious beneath a rapidly thickening blanket of smoke as the blaze engulfed the room. Joseph, still dazed from the blast, tried to force himself to his feet, but stumbled over a smoldering table and crashed onto the floor, coughing up more blood as he fought to remain conscious.

  The cyborg sparked and twitched. Several of the metal plates had been damaged or completely torn off, and the glowing red fluid oozed and puddled on the floor. The hunter angrily struggled to get back to his feet. His gun had been rendered useless in the explosion, yet he was still determined to win.

  Joseph was too weak to move away as the bounty hunter closed in on him. The cyborg grabbed Joseph by the neck and yanked him up from the ground, the mechanical fingers slowly crushing his windpipe. As Joseph’s vision began to fade to black, he noticed a gaping hole in the midsection of his opponent and grabbed a fistful of exposed tubing.

  “Decompto tonatcha!” Joseph bellowed, squeezing the tubing as tightly as he could. He felt the grip on his neck loosen as the cyborg’s innards began to shrivel and dissolve. Joseph glared as he watched the scarred flesh on the cyborg’s terrified face melt into a thick, black paste. The life force slowly drained out of the bounty hunter, leaving only a disheveled frame of broken machinery in its wake.

  Sanders watched in astonishment as the black blob flowed to Joseph and dissipated over his body, quickly fusing with his skin. Within seconds, the paste was absorbed, repairing Joseph’s major wounds to a less critical condition. Although there wasn’t enough organic material left in the cyborg’s body to help Joseph fully recover, he had the strength to cast a final vengeful spell on his adversary.

  “Nola chanina decrupio!” Joseph howled as he hurled the hunter’s remains against the far wall, immediately shattering into a thousand pieces upon impact.

  Joseph fell to the floor as the restaurant continued to fill with thick black smoke, making it now almost impossible to see anything. “Allison?” he sputtered. “Where are you?”

  “I’ve got her!” Sanders coughed harshly as he picked up Allie’s unconscious body. “Let’s get out of here before the whole place collapses.”

  Joseph staggered over to help Sanders carry Allie out through the front door. Once outside, the wails of fire engines, police sirens, and ambulances filled the air as a large crowd of onlookers assembled in front of the growing inferno.

  “Sanders,” Joseph said, fighting through his pain as they gently lowered Allie to the pavement. “I need you to get her to the hospital and put her in the same room as Kevin. It’ll make things look a little more consistent.”

  “Wait! What about you?” Sanders asked. “You need to see a doctor.”

  “I can’t…it’s too risky, but I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.” Joseph pulled out his cell phone, smacking it a few times to get the damaged phone to work. “Just promise me that you’ll keep her and Kevin safe until I contact you.”

  Sanders nodded, knowing he had no other choice but to trust Joseph at this point—especially if he was ever going to learn the truth about everything he’d seen since he’d first met Joseph. “Just don’t take too long or it might be out of my hands,” Sanders grumbled as Joseph disappeared into thin air before his eyes.

  Within moments, the EMTs rushed over and loaded Allie onto a stretcher and steered her to a nearby ambulance. Sanders climbed up into the back to help hoist her in. He closed the doors behind the medics as they tended to Allie’s wounds. He sat down next to her as her eyelids fluttered open and she frantically looked around.

  “Where’s Joseph?” she asked, recognizing Sanders.

  “He’s okay.” Sanders smiled, reaching for her hand in a comforting manner. “He said for you to stay put and get some rest. Everything is going to be fine…trust me.”

  Allie nodded and reluctantly closed her eyes as the powerful sedative coursing through her veins set in.

  Nothing Sanders had witnessed at the warehouse or the restaurant made any logical sense to him. But now, to his dismay, he knew he had no choice but to work with Joseph. Joseph had saved his life
twice, which was something he couldn’t ignore.

  Being indebted to Joseph also meant getting involved with Christoff, which went against everything he stood for as an officer of the law. All Sanders could do was trust that Joseph had everything under control and hope he wouldn’t become corrupted himself.

  -20-

  “Marcus?” Joseph said calmly into the battered cell phone at his ear. “Can you hear me?”

  “Just barely,” Marcus replied, his voice anxious. “Are you okay?”

  “Not really, but I’ll survive.” Joseph groaned. “I need you to pick me up at the usual spot…and bring me a fresh suit and hat, please.”

  “You got it,” Marcus replied.

  Joseph walked amid the bustling city night life, totally unseen by anyone. He was lost in his own thoughts as he wandered the city until he arrived at his favorite spot: the park bench from where he’d first seen Allie. He often went there to clear his mind and think.

  As Joseph sat and stared at the alley, he wondered if the bounty hunter was right that he’d become soft. Since meeting Allie, foundations of his life—his seclusion, his safeguards, even his methodology—had changed. He was now fully involved with the very human beings he’d spent well over four hundred years trying to avoid.

  Joseph somberly took off his shattered purple glasses and slowly twirled them around in his hands, realizing his actions had nearly cost Allie, Detective Sanders, and Kevin their lives for the sake of his own agenda. No matter how hard he tried to put it all out of his mind and move on, he couldn’t escape the growing guilt.

  Maybe Allie’s right, he thought as he stared down at the broken lenses. I need to do better…to be better than this.

  Joseph took a deep breath and quietly exhaled, chanting, “Molia c’est towali.” Slowly the spider web cracks in both shattered lenses fused until the damage was undetectable. As Joseph placed the glasses back on his face, he saw the car pull around the corner and stop directly in front of the bench. With a heavy sigh, Joseph stood up and approached the car.