General Population (17 page)

After seeing the effects of Ephrain's blood on the zombie, it started to make sense to Maddix why the Founding Fathers would send Ephrain Ketter to the prison rather than just execute him. He was virtually indestructible and the few injuries he sustained would heal themselves in a matter of seconds, and those that injured him would fall victim to a lethal dose of his contaminated blood.

In the distance behind them, Maddix could hear the sounds of the wasps connecting with more zombies. It was like these bugs were creating an army of undead mercenaries. Were these wasps intelligent, perhaps? Or was there someone else pulling the strings? Maddix had a feeling they would find out soon if they did not reach the gate in time. As curious as he was, he was not ready to become the proverbial cat in this scenario.

The trees became sparser as they approached the clearing. It was a relief to both Javier and Maddix especially. They were down to their last few rounds, and the last thing they needed was to have a full-on panic attack.
 

"The gate is just through those trees. We need to make sure it's clear before opening it," said Maddix.

"Why's that?" Ephrain asked.

"Once it's open, the pact is void and anyone can go through it till it's closed again."

"That also means we'll be vulnerable. We'll need to open it and run through," remarked Tara.

The clearing was like a huge circle surrounded by trees, and on the far end was the gate. It looked old and rusted with weeds growing all over it. A small, winged gargoyle sat within the overhang attached to two stoned walls with broken lanterns on top of each wall. Untouched by the elements was a medium sized statue of a winged creature sitting on top of one of the lanterns. It was eerily similar to the monster of Maddix's dreams, but not the same creature.

"Check the area," instructed Maddix.
 

Javier and Maddix scoped out the clearing, checking the woods on either side. They gave each other thumbs up after every section checked.

"I expected something a little more grand," Ephrain muttered.

Tara agreed with Ephrain. She had never seen the gate before but always assumed it would be more impressive, like a gateway to heaven or hell. At the same time, it did make sense. It was a prison after all.

The buzzing of wasps grabbed Tara's attention and she checked the forest. There were more zombies approaching, and a cloud of wasps flew overhead. This was a massive assault of walking dead.

"We're out of time, open the gate!" demanded Tara.

"Right," said Maddix. He held out his hand. "Toss me the stake."

"What?" said Tara. She was not comfortable with the idea of handing over her only weapon.

"Trust me, I need it."

With that, Tara tossed the stake into the air and Maddix caught it without effort. He grabbed the butt of it and turned it counter-clockwise. The bottom of the handle unscrewed and a small skeleton key fell into his hand.

Javier laughed. "Clever. Brilliant in fact."

Maddix rushed to the gate and slipped the key into the lock. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his friend Ephrain looking at him. His hand was shaking and his eyes seemed tense.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" said Ephrain.
 

"I'm sorry, Ephrain. Just come with us and I'll do my best to get you some clemency."

"I'm sure you will do what you have to." Ephrain lifted his hand from Maddix's shoulder and took a step back. Whatever happened next, had to happen.

When Maddix turned the key, there was a click that echoed throughout the entire realm. The mouth of the larger gargoyle opened and massive waves of magic got sucked into its mouth. Then it's mouth closed and eyes glowed blue.

"Thanks, Maddix," said Ephrain. "It's about goddamn time."

The last thing Maddix saw—before the world went dark—was Ephrain's club.

The dream wasn't the same anymore.

The shelving was still there just as it had always been, outlines in the dust where his missing memories were still present, and the door at the end was still there. The walls, however, were peeling away, and the shelving was flaking into soot. The shelves closest to the door where his most recent memories sat were also crumbling into the dirt.

Maddix stumbled as the floorboards started to come apart under his feet. He tried to run, but the harder he tried the farther away the door was. It was like the future was trying to escape him, to prevent him from entering.

When Maddix finally got close enough to the door, he could hear a million voices calling out to him in horror. It was different this time, though. It was as if each individual screaming was personally calling out to him, begging for help, and then dying immediately afterwards.

The floor opened up underneath Maddix and he barely caught himself in time. He was hanging on the edge less than two feet from the door. Refusing to go out like this, he pulled himself up with all the strength and desire he could muster. He knew this was a dream, and that he had to master his thoughts.

As he rose to his feet, the remainder of the corridor fell apart into the void of his own mind. There was nothing left but he and the door. Struggling to stay on his feet, Maddix grabbed the handle and pulled with all his might and dedication. No amount of force seemed to work on the door, but he tried harder and fought back the pain and fatigue in his muscles.

I'm letting the dream control me
.
 

He closed his eyes and thought of everything in his life that he cared about: his responsibilities, Tara, the world … there was something else. He couldn't remember it, but it was there.

The door began to open, and the screams got louder as it did. He was gaining control over his mind and the destruction around him slowed and reversed itself. The entire dream pieced itself together by the time the door opened, but the horror of it all was still there, only this time, it was outside.

It was the monster that haunted him. It was free and feasting on humanity. This beast was eating men, women, and children. Maddix turned his head away, screaming. Had he failed? Was this the world's future now?

He turned to face the gruesome imagery. The demonic entity looked straight into the eyes of Maddix and laughed. It was more than a celebratory boasting; it was a condescending challenge to Maddix's pride. It was taunting him and ridiculing his failure to protect the world.

"Sit in your new prison and rot," said the beast before grabbing a young girl with its clawed hands.
 

It took a vicious bite out of her neck and drained her of all life, then cast her body aside like so much garbage.
 

"Rejoice in your failure. The world is our garden, and it's time to harvest."

"Oh God no," said Maddix. He became overcome with grief and regret. Things might be different if he'd only acted quicker, but instead he'd allowed himself to be the essential piece in someone's game. Perhaps he deserved the fate that awaited him.

If only he had just used the key sooner.

The key …

They can't take it with them,
Maddix thought. His grief turned to hope.
The key only locks from the inside.
The hope turned to anger.
I'm coming for you.

"You hear that?" shouted Maddix, locking eyes with his worst nightmare. "I'm coming for you!"

For the first time in his dreams, Maddix walked through the door.

At first, everything sounded all muffled like someone was speaking to him through one end of a seashell, then it started to sound like someone yelling in an auditorium. When his hearing finally cleared, Maddix opened his eyes and let the light creep into his vision. He was very confused and his face hurt like hell, but at least he was alive.
 

A loud thump next to him jolted him fully into consciousness. A wolf flopped around next to him, fighting to get back on his feet, apparently thrown.
 

There were three wolves fighting with two vampires plus Ephrain. Although Maddix was still groggy, he could tell that none of them were under the influence of the wasps. This was a real fight between natural enemies, and Ephrain seemed to be on the side of the vampires.

Motherfucker double-crossed us
.
 

One of the wolves stood crouched in attack position right in front of Ephrain, who still clutched onto his massive club. He was challenging the wolf to attack, knowing full well that it would not be able to harm him without consequences. That didn't stop it from trying and it pounced.

The attack didn't last long; the wolf bit down on Ephrain's arm and immediately backed away once his blood burned the insides of its mouth and eyes. The wolf's face was smoking, and it yelped in pain. The wounds on Ephrain's arm healed just as quickly as they appeared.

"Fucking mutt!" said Ephrain as he clobbered the werewolf across the face with his club.
 

It was Tara who first noticed Maddix was awake, and she grabbed Javier by the arm and went to him.

"Are you okay, monsieur?"
 

"Yes, but I'm getting real sick of everyone beating me up today."

The three of them didn't have much time to talk. The werewolves got the upper hand and tossed one of the vampires toward them, forcing them to leap out of the way. The remaining one attempted to run, but two of them pounced him to the ground, biting and pulling on its neck. The third werewolf—after shaking off the last of Ephrain's toxic blood—rushed in and grasped the vampire's head within its jaw.

Javier glanced around frantically for Maddix's stake. There was an opportunity, and he intended to take it. Finally seeing it on the ground, he ran for it and snatched it up the ground. The other vampire rose to his feet and regained its balance.

But he was too late. Javier slammed the stake deep into its chest. The vampire let out guttural hisses and death howls. Its eyes drained of all color, and its skin shriveled into its body.

"Implosion," said Maddix. "Javier! Get back!"

The creature's body imploded, creating a vortex of wind and earth. The head from the other vampire went flying off of its head and was pulled from the werewolf's mouth. The three wolves dug their claws into the ground to keep from being sucked up into the imploding vortex. It was only a few seconds before there was nothing left but gathered dirt and leaves where the vampire once stood.

The three wolves converged on Ephrain, who had his club ready to swing. He wasn't afraid, but he wasn't stupid either. He knew they'd overpower him eventually, and he'd fall. Toxic blood or not, he could still be killed.

"Come on, boy," said Ephrain to Maddix. "Help a guy out, would ya?

"Sure." Maddix pulled the gun from his belt and aimed it at Ephrain. "I'll only let them maul you for an hour, and then I'll kill you. Sound fair?"

"Sounds like things have gotten a little out of hand, Overseer," remarked one of the wolves.
 

The voice was familiar to Javier. "Madame Tanya?"

The wolf wink and morphed right before their eyes. Tanya rose from her crouched position and took a moment to readjust her dark brown hair, which was wild and covering her eyes. "In the flesh," said Tanya, and waved her hands at her nakedness. "Literally. As it were."

Maddix and Javier looked at each other, trying to ignore the beautiful woman standing naked in front of them. Tara was slightly annoyed but couldn't blame the behaviors of two men who most likely have not been near a naked woman in years. She stepped in to block their view and address Tanya.

"How did you find us?" asked Tara.

"That foul smelling man over there. My pack turned on each other and started fighting, then the vampires came and more of those walking dead things. The few of us that were left ran to town and got caught up in the chaos. While the rest of us were fighting, I found this one talking with some bloodsuckers. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but they seemed familiar with each other. Later I saw him sneaking away with that mask on, so I followed him. Eric and William accompanied me."

"Just to be sure," Maddix gripped his pistol tighter, "how do we know you're not in on this?"
 

"You do not."

"Maddix," said Javier, "Madam Tanya was most helpful to us earlier. She saved our lives, she could have let us die then."

"But they needed the key," said Tara, and took a step back.

"But why help us now?"

"I do not expect you to believe me, Overseer. The only thing that matters to me is my pack, and most of them are dead or under the influence of these flying things. Even if it means my death, I wish them avenged. I'm not here to stop you from going through the gate. Proceed and I will accept any judgment."

Javier looked at Maddix for approval. It was not in his character to care about the prisoners in the realm, but something about Tanya tugged at him in a way he wasn't sure he was even able to feel. He let out a sigh of relief when Maddix nodded his agreement.

"Let's move then. Before we have any more guests."

The three moved toward the gate. Maddix grabbed and pulled on the rusty metal. It was a struggle due to its age, but it eventually opened.

Waving to their new allies Maddix stepped to walk through but something stopped him and he was unable to move. A blue ball of flaming energy formed on his torso, pushing back at him, becoming more intense as it increased in size. Maddix's feet dragged across the ground and then off the ground entirely as he was thrown back into his two friends. The blast dragged them across the ground away from the gate.

An aura of lightning and fire burst from the woods, revealing a shadowy figure inside the aura. He was waving his hands like an orchestra conductor, commanding power and magic. As the aura faded the face of Krazek appeared, but he was younger looking and more vibrant.

"Eliminate the bitch," said Krazek.

The other two werewolves turned from their position guarding Ephrain and attacked Tanya with ferocious intensity. She barely had time to react before they began to tear her body to pieces. Arms, legs, hands, and feet all flying in every direction with the last pieces of her tossed into the brush with little regard. The two wolves licked their lips and faced Maddix and company.