VII
They say that God rested on the seventh day after creating man, and all that surrounded them. He never could believe such a bullshit story. Even if it was true, God had long abandoned his side project of humanity. Left it to its own devices, misguided and destructive.
For years upon years, it teetered on the brink of its own demise. Until finally a new set of gods came, and looked out upon the wasted potential that was left for them to rebuild. The kingdom of man in ruins. But rebuild it they would. In their own imagine. A paradise that they all could look upon and be proud.
But unlike the God of old, he could not rest. Nor was the love of the sheep enough to keep him satisfied.
He wanted, no need more. And he would have it. No matter what the others of his council may have told him. He was left to watch the flock behind these walls, and he would be damned if he wasn't going to slaughter what was his, from time to time, to keep the hunger subsided.
The heart of the city was the best place he had found to hunt. So thats what he did, on this night or any other the hunger became too much to handle. He is seated at a small round table, just outside an all night cafe. The many smalls of fresh made food make their way from inside to mix with the other countless scents that swirl around the late summer air. The weather is just warm enough to allow him to take his place here, watching through the window at the one he aims to claim as his own.
He watches over the top of the newspaper he holds in front of him. Look busy, hide in plain sight. He has no interest in the words printed on the pages, only the young woman beyond them. He watches as she goes from table to table, refilling cups and taking empty plates away.
He's had his eye on her for several months now, taking in her every move. Had made the time to gain her trust, both in his space and hers. At first using small talk to break down her walls, then his position to learn all she was willing tell. And she had much to tell, little miss Jaimie Reeves.
He watched as Miss Reeves made her way from behind the counter inside, fresh pot of coffee in hand.
She made her way towards the open door of the cafe, held open by small sign that told of the daily specials. Her auburn hair blew slightly into her green eyes. She smiled at him, as he lowered the paper, returning the smile. This was more than just a simple act. He genially enjoyed the way the freckled around her eyes shifted ever so slightly when she smiled. As a matter of fact, he enjoyed everything about her. She was irresistible, and he had to have her. Had to know how she felt when she struggled against him. Had to know how she tasted.
"Another cup?" Jaimie Reeves asked, the smile never leaving her face. He sat there a moment, taking in look upon her face. The thought of it soon being filled with pure terror filled his entire being with glee.
"Yes please," he answered, trying to hide the excitement that danced through him. He figured he might as well enjoy another cup during his time of waiting for his lamb to finish her work for the night.
As she poured the fresh coffee into his cup, he watched as the steam from the hot liquid rose up and danced around her beautiful face. The need for her grew more, so much he had to fight the urge to take her now. But he would wait. Wait for her to make the stroll back to her apartment. Though she would never make it there. His dogs would make sure of that.He had learned long ago that hunting alone was tiring work, and so he had others, loyal followers if you will, hidden in the shadows, ready to herd the lost lamb to their place of slaughter.
He sipped his coffee, watching as she returned to the last few hours of her work. In the mean time, he made small talk with those who approached him. He was well known here in Alexandria, for other reasons of course. His position made his desires harder to fill for sure. But over the years, he had developed quite the method for keeping the beast within at bay. And when it became too much to handle, he knew how to hunt.
Slowly the sun began to settle into its place to the west, telling him that his time to move was drawing ever so closer. He stood put his ID chip near a small scanning device near the edge of the table. Paying his bill quickly, he made his way deeper into Alexandria. He would stop by a few more places, making sure that he was seen by a few people throughout the city, as Miss Reeves was being pushed by his followers to her final resting place.
As they herded her, he would take the long way around, and meet her in the one place she assumed she was safe. And it would be her downfall.
Jaimie Reeves finished her nightly duties, and clocked out from her dead end job. She hated it to be honest, but hey, it kept a roof over her head. Which is more than she could say for many who lived near her little corner of Alexandria. It had been a few years since she was forced to travel across the broken country of what was once America, after one of the attack on the east coast all but left her home a charred wasteland. Almost all of the country as that way now, minus a few city states spread here and there. She had hear that it was that way across most of Terra at this point. She wasn't sure, nor did she honestly care.
She had survived the attack out east, made her way inland, and had continued to survive. Not bad for a woman of only twenty three, considering how shit the world around her was. She didn't have much, but at least what she did have, she made it on her own. Which even out east, she had been doing if we're being honest. Both her parents had been killed a few years before the attack that send her to Alex, forcing her to grow up fast.
And so when she made it here to the city state of Alexandria, among the countless other refugees from across the world, she went right to starting a new life. At first she was placed in one of the many small camps, mostly near the edge of the city. The U.C.T.I. had been decent at at least providing them with the essentials to survive. Food and drink, and of course shelter. Even though they had been stacked in those long metal building, like sardines in a can, it was bearable.
Eventually she found her current place of work, the small cafe located near the center of the city.
Worked her way towards the small one bedroom apartment near the camp she had originally found herself living in when she had first arrived. And well the rest is history. That was two years ago, and she was for the first time, fairly happy with where her life was. It wasn't perfect, but it was hers.
She grabbed her belonging from the small locker located in the back of the cafe, and made her way out into the evening air. The night wasn't as busy as it had been the past weeks. The weather was growing colder, which meant less people were strolling the city at this time. Plus there was the fact that people had been going missing more and more over the past few months. A couple were found left in alleys, parts of them missing, as if the killer had taken pieces as a trophy. There had been no set details on the victims, all of them different in one way or another. The only constant had been the few with chunks missing.
None of this crossed Jaimie Reeves' mind as she left her place of work that night. She stepped out onto the nearly empty sidewalk and began her trek towards her home, just a few miles away.
She walked slowly, as she enjoyed the brisk of the evening air as it touched her skin. She threw random waves to the shop keeps that stood near their stands, as she passed. All in all, it was a decent night she couldn't help but think.
She turned off the main stretch of sidewalk, into the first of many alleys that she typically used to make her way back and forth to work. The moment she did, everything about her night, changed.
From the shadows, stepped a figure, hooded, with a white mask covering their. It towered over her, standing there silently. Jaimie Reeves stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the figure. Both bodies stood perfectly still, just staring at the other. Finally after a few moments, the masked figured stepped forward, bringing what appeared to be small blade from behind it's back.
Jamie saw this and began to turn around to head back the way she had come, only to run head first with another masked person. This one reached for her, but she turned in a panic and sped past the first as quickly as she could, her shoulder pushing the figure to the side just enough for her to make her escape.
She ran down the darkened alleyway, the sound of her pursuers footsteps echoing off the pavement behind her. She ran into the parallel street, hardly missing an oncoming vehicle as she ducked into the next alley across the way.
She quickly took the time to glance behind her, to see if the two people were still on her trail. And what she saw was nothing. There was no one there. For a moment she thought maybe she had imagined it. Too many long hours catching up with her perhaps.
She slowed her pace, and laughed nervously to herself. She just needed to get back to her apartment, and draw a nice warm bath. Even if there was someone chasing her, it was most likely just a couple kids playing some stupid ass game. Nothing more, she told herself.
She slowly made her way to the end of the pathway, her nerves beginning to calm themselves. She reached the next intersection and stopped to catch her breath the rest of the way. She bent at the knees, placing her hands upon them. The sound of her own breathing, mixed with the fact her head was towards the ground, stopped her from hearing the new approaching footsteps.
A hand touched her right shoulder, making her jump in surprise. She spun around to see yet another masked figure standing there. She looked around quickly and saw the original two making their way up the alley towards her.
"What the fuck do you want?" she screamed, the panic clearly rising in her voice. The street was empty here, except for the four of them.
No reply came from any of the figures, only more movement towards her. Once again, This time ran to the left, before ducking into a better lit alley.
She ran until she felt like her lungs would explode from within her chest, and even then she pushed on.
Each time she was sure she had lost those chasing her, she would come into contact with yet another.
None of them seemed in much of hurry to capture her. More and more it felt like a game of cat and mouse. They were toying with her it seemed. But even if that much was true, Jaimie knew it was stupid to confront them head on.
As she continued to run, changing direction from time to time, she soon found that she had been pushed quite far from her original path. Where she was now was at least a mile in the other direction of her apartment. Luckily she knew the city quite well, and knew of at least one place that she could take refuge in.
The footsteps were faded once again, allowing her to at least slow herself a bit. But she wouldn't stop, not until she had found herself in sanctuary. She thought about doubling back for a moment, but figured that if they truly aimed to harm her, they would be waiting for her to do just that. So she would continue moving forward, in hopes of finding safety within the walls of the only church that stood within the walls of Alexandria.
After another five minutes of jogging, her safe haven came into view. It stood alone, several blocks of untouched land surround it. A wall of solid white stone fenced in the area, meeting in the front at an iron gate that worked as the entrance to the holy land itself.
She hoped that Father Bowen was there, done with what ever errands he may have had for the night.
He would protect her, that much she was sure of. He was a kind man, always willing to listen whenever she decided to actually make a service. He was young for being the head of the entire religious community, she had thought when she first met him. But over time he seemed like a natural fit, if she was being honest with herself. Charming and a bit on the handsome side.
As she reached the open gate, she burst into a full out run. She climbed the marble steps of the temple, which was huge in its own right. Reaching the large white door that stood in the front of the white and golden sanctuary, she pushed it open and quickly stepped inside, slamming the door behind her. As she did, she saw the masked figures, all of them now, making their way up the street towards the church as well. They had never truly lost her it appeared.
She watched the ones closest to her pick up speed just as the door to her haven closed the rest of the way. She was safe now. The only thing to do now was see if Father Bowen was home, and wait out the night. There was no way the ones chasing her would be stupid enough to be waiting for her come daybreak.
"Father, are you here? Father?" Jaimie Reeves hollered, her voice echoing off the stained glassed and wooden white walls that made up the service hall. The room was huge, with a balcony over looking the lower level. Pews lined every inch of the red carpeted flooring. To the front was the Father's podium.
Dim lights made it barely visual to see.
"Father, it's me, Jaimie Reeves, are you here?" she tried again.
Still no answer came. With this she decided that the good priest must be out still. She would wait.
Maybe he would be able to scare the ones outside away. She crossed her fingers briefly at the thought.
As she stood there, looking out at the rows of empty pews, she couldn't help but notice how eerie the place was at night. How Father Bowen handled the look of it, was beyond her.
Slowly she made her way towards the front of the room, jumping slightly at the shadows that caught her peripheral. She need to calm down, this panic did no one any good. So she would pray. Or at least pretend to. Was there really a difference? Her and god weren't ever really on speaking terms, but hell, it was worth a try to see if maybe she'd get something back this time around.
Kneeling just in front of the bottom step leading up the Father's podium, she raised her hands in front of her face, palms touching ever so slightly. She closed her eyes and began her silent conversation with whatever God would chose to listen.
Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the man who entered the room.
He stood there in the shadows, watching the one he was about to take as his own, in silence. For a moment he wondered what it was she was praying about. Whatever it was, it was about to change subject matter very quickly. Soon she would be praying for her very life, that much he knew for a fact.
They always did, right before he took the thought from their minds.
His time to move came in the next moment, as the lights illuminating the church when out. Miss Reeves didn't seem to notice at first, her eyes still closed. It wasn't until the backup lights kicked in, shining a tint of flicking red into the darkness, that she stood suddenly.
During the brief time between the switching of lights, he had made his way closer to where she had been kneeling. Now he stood just a few feet from where she was. From behind the white mask he used to cover his face, he watched as she stood in a hurry, spinning around to look out into the over sized room. What she now looked upon was him, in his long red robe and knife in hand.
Before she could begin to run, he rushed forward. She threw up her arms to block the oncoming attack.
The blade slashed across her right arm, causing her to cry out in pain and stumble back slightly. He stepped forward, ready to make his next move, when she caught her balance and came forward herself.
She caught him in the chest, causing him to almost lose his own footing as he began to fall backwards.
She made an attempt to rush past him, but was thrown off when he grabbed her by the back of the shirt and jerked her backward. Jaimie fell onto her back, and before she could move, he was on time of her.
He brought the knife up and over his head, smiling behind the mask he wore, at the look of terror that shot into her eyes.
He slammed the knife downward into her shoulder, bringing forth a stream of blood and screams from her. She struggled beneath him, shaking her body from side to side, in hopes of breaking free, as he sat on her outstretched legs.
She cranked her neck, looking franticly for something, anything, to use to defend herself with. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a silver colored candle holder. She stretched her arm out, trying to reach for the would be weapon. Just as her finger tips grazed the handle of the holder, he brought the knife down again, this time piercing through the muscle of her forearm.
She let out an ear piercing scream, yet managed to get her grip on the holder she had been aiming for, when her attacker shifted his weight to remove his weapon from her flesh. She watched in horror as he brought the blade up and under his mask, then back down again. The slurp of flesh on metal made her stomach curl.
She felt him shiver atop her, a slight moan leaving his lips. It was in this moment that she took to bring her own weapon up and across the side of his head. He slammed to the side, falling to floor beside her, dazed. Yet despite the sudden attack to his head, he managed to keep his hold on the blade in his hand.
She got to her feet quickly, almost tripping on the way up from the blood lose from both her shoulder and arm. She winced at the pain, yet another side of her had kicked in. She was terrified, true. But beyond that, she felt a sudden rage begin to fill her.
As her head cleared, she turned on him, bringing her foot into the side of his head, roughly the same spot she had gotten him with the holder. His head snapped to the side violently.
"Motherfucker!" she hollered, bringing her foot back again, ready to strike. What she heard next stopped her dead in her tracks. The man behind the mask was laughing, as if he enjoyed the fact that she had managed to fight back.
"You sick fuck!" she screamed, this time bringing her foot forward again. He turned suddenly, catching her ankle in his free hand. He sat there a moment, looking up at her. She knew that behind the creepy mask he wore, he must be smiling up at her. In the next moment he pushed himself up with such force that sent her back into her back once again.
Before she could even think, he was on her once again. This time his aim was true. She felt as the blade entered her chest, sending a burning white pain through her entire body. She tried to scream again in pain, but nothing came, except the gurgled sounds of her breath as blood filled her chest. He had pieced her lung, making it almost impossible for her draw air.
He pulled the knife out again, and let it hang to his side. With his free hand he slowly began to pull the mask from his face. Another shiver went through his body as he looked down into Jaimie Reeves eyes, as the moment of realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widen in horror at the sight of his face.
And at the smile painted upon it.
As she tried to gasp for air, he brought his hand down and stroked her face, pushing the hair behind her ear.
"Shh, it's alright now. Everything is gonna be just fine," he whispered, continuing to stroke her cheek.
"You should be honored my dear. You've been chosen to feed one of the eleven gods that rule over all."
At this he stood and slowly began to walk to the where her head was positioned. He leaned down and tangled his fingers into her hair. Making sure his grip was just right, he began to make his way across the empty room, dragging her along behind him. She watched, yet unable to move as he opened pair of large wooden doors and began to step inside. As the light left Jaimie Reeves eyes, he shut the doors behind her.
Marcus knew it was much later than either of them should be out at, yet he also knew that soon it would be much to cold to enjoy the nights. Plus he knew that both him and Ayden needed to get away from the house. He figured enough time had passed since Ayden had entered the city and had his brief run in with the MPs of the Coalition.
At first Ayden had protested, saying that he had a weird feeling and they should just stay in for the night. But Marcus had told him that they really needed not only a little fresh air, but a few much needed supplies as well. So after a few minutes, Ayden finally agreed to come along.
At this moment, Ayden was a few blocks behind him, caught up window shopping. In most aspects, you would have never been able to tell that the younger boy had lived most of his life away from people. He was highly intelligent Marcus had come to know. This was a kid that even though he was isolated, he had had access to the network where he lived. And had used it. Ayden loved to learn, and caught on to many things quite easily. Marcus had come to love this about him, being able to actually converse with someone and have it be more than just meaningless small talk.
Yet he couldn't help but laugh at bit when they had entered the main part of the city. The look of awe on Ayden's face at all the different technology and buildings that made up the main parts of Alexandria, was quite comical. Marcus didn't wanna rip him away from all the new sights, so he had gone ahead to collect what they needed.
So here he was, on his way to pick up the first of their items. The small market was just a few more blocks over. He figured he would take the back way, cutting several minutes off his commute. Had he known what was waiting for him as he turned into the dark alley behind one of the small cafes, he would have never made that choice. As a matter of fact, he would have listened to Ayden's bad feeling in the first place. But no one can know for sure what waits for them the next step.
He was halfway down the alley, focused on getting to his destination, when his feet met with something sold in the darkness. He lost his balance and fell into a set of metal trash cans. When he landed, he slipped again in something wet. The entire front of his shirt was soon damp as he struggled to get up.
The sound echoed off the buildings that sat on either side. A light suddenly turned on above him, belonging to one of the small apartments that overlooked that alley.
"Hey what the hell do you think you're…oh my god!" came an older woman's voice above him, trailing off as its owner seen what Marcus had not yet. The sound of elderly lady's screaming filled the alley, causing Marcus to throw his hands up over his ears. His eyes had slammed shut for a moment at the sound. When he opened them again, they focused to see exactly why the woman was screamed.
He looked on in horror at the remains of what he assumed to be a young woman. Although it looked as if someone had taken several chunks of her. Mainly from her torso and face. Marcus scamper backwards, struggling to stans as he did.
As he did he realized just what the wetness had been.Covering much of the area was the corpse's blood, drained and spread in out in a pool across the alley, and now soaked into Marcus' clothes.
He couldn't think. His mind was in a panic as he began to rub his hands on his jeans, trying to get the blood off his hands.
The woman's screams must have caught the attention of others, because soon there was a small group of people heading down the alley towards him. An even brighter light suddenly filled his sight, blinding him.
As brought his hands up to shield his eyes, he heard a voice say. "Put your hands where I can fucking seen them."
Ayden had heard the screaming as he was making his way up the sidewalk to catch up Marcus. That same feeling he had had back before they left was suddenly back again, only this time it was screaming.
Up ahead he watched as a group of people were turning into a lit up alleyway, the same that seemed to be the source of all the commotion.
He threw himself into a run towards the continued screaming. As he turned into the alleyway, he ran headfirst into one of the one lookers. Above the crowd he could see a small oblong looking robot. One of the U.C.T.I.'s mobile scanner bots.
He pushed through the gathered crowd, ignoring the protests as he did. About halfway through, he saw the exact scene ahead. First he saw the remains of some badly ravaged body. Then the MPs with their weapons drawn. And finally, Marcus with his hands above his head. A look of terror and confusion was painted across his face.
Without thinking Ayden began to push forward again, only this time with desperate purpose. As he reached the front, he pushed the officer just in front Marcus to the side, putting himself between the two of them.
"Hey kid what the fuck do you think you're doing?" the office yelled, taken aback by the sudden interruption in his business.
Ayden didn't answer, only lifted his arms to block his friend from the MPs' line of sight. He then lowered his sleeve and gave the scanner bot a clear shot at the chip his arm.
The bot suddenly turned a screaming red, and let out a piercing siren.
"Ayden James Alexander, you are wanted for the attempted murder of one Leonard Cross. Do not move or we will be forced to use deadly force!" a voice screamed from the bot.
Ayden turned slight to look back at his friend, who sat there looking up at him, a look of shock mixed with sadness spread across his face.
"I'm sorry," Ayden whispered back at him, attempting to force a smile as he did.
"I'll go willingly," Ayden said, turning back towards the officers. "Just let him…"
Ayden never got the words out as the front officer brought the side of his gun into his temple. Ayden went down like a brink. As he began to lose consciousness, he felt himself flipped over and the cuffs thrown onto his wrists. The last thing he saw, was Marcus hitting ground in cuffs next to him, before his world faded to black.