Friday, June 3, 2011

Chapter 46

46: Daniel didn't need directions to the cabin.  He'd been there before.  He also knew exactly how Rend was following him.  Daniel had all the spirits of the Collective in him so he knew all that they knew, but he also retained the memories of his life.  The Daniel part of him wished he could right all his wrongs.  He knew that he couldn't, but this would be his apology to God for all those he had wronged over the years.  The Collective part of him knew that Rend was in hot pursuit even though he couldn't see him anywhere.
  Deep under the ground, in the city's sewer system, Rend could feel every rumble of the jeep overhead.  This fool would soon perish by Rend's inexorable torrent of liquid death.  Up above, Daniel made a left, off the main road and onto a dirt road.  It didn't matter.  If there was running water at Daniel's destination, Rend would not be put off that easily.  Even if he had to surface to continue his pursuit, Rend would get his man.  This would be the last day of Daniel's life.
  Up ahead, Daniel saw the isolated, deserted cabin on the horizon with the foothills in the background.  This part of their plan would soon come to a conclusion.  This would be Daniel's last stand against an enemy of all humankind.  The jeep quickly approached the small cabin, kicking up considerable dust in the process.  No time now to worry about any exposure to the Scathing as an airborne pathogen.  There was no time to think about anything else because there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.
  He screeched the jeep to a halt in front of the cabin and jumped out.  He ran to the front door which he knew would be unlocked.  He opened it and ran inside.  He went around the rust-colored love seat and turned right to go into the kitchen.  As soon as he got there, there was a violent eruption of water from the kitchen sink's drain.  In midair, the water formed up into the shape of a man.  With outstretched arms, this man reached for Daniel Reese while still in mid-flight.  Rend clamped his right hand squarely over Daniel's mouth and nose.  Daniel's eyes went wide, but he didn't give a single sign of a struggle.  The liquid of Rend's hand rushed through Daniel's throat and sought out his lungs, filling them with deadly fluid.
  Rend stood there with his hand over Daniel's mouth until Daniel's body went slack and slumped to the floor.  Rend let him drop like a sack of potatoes.  Excited from the thrill of the chase and the glory of the kill, Rend stood in triumph over his fallen foe.
  Suddenly, from behind him, a strange voice said, "Left eye."  He turned around to find that he was staring down the barrel of Kenn Varson's service revolver.  As instructed by Stratford, Kenn aimed at Rend's left eye and pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation.  There was a huge splash as Rend's entire body exploded backward from the force of the impact of the bullet.
  Kenn knew that Damion's spirit had thoroughly examined Rend's body and found the little brain which was only the size and shape of a dime.  Rend was keeping it in his left eye.  Destroying that was the only way to kill him, but Kenn still wanted to be cautious.  Under his watchful gaze, the dark stain on the old green throw rug stayed just a stain.  Kenn hovered over it with Stratford on his shoulder.

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