Extinction Agenda (35 page)

“I’ll take a cool snake,” Cole said when it was his time to put his arm into the Nymar’s care.

Glancing out the window where Paige stood to fight off Half Breeds that made it past the IRD firing line, Daniels asked, “What about a drink? You must be starving.” Cole didn’t respond. Unwilling to bring up the tendrils directly in the company they were keeping at that moment, the Nymar asked, “Is your stomach hurting?”

“No.”

“It will be soon. Then you have to feed them.”

“No I don’t,” Cole insisted. “Just do the damn tattoo, Daniels.”

The needle buzzed in Daniels’s hand as he hastily scrawled into Cole’s arm. There was no design other than a few lines of varying thickness that traced along his veins to make sure the inky concoction and shapeshifter elements bonded to the minerals in the ink would have their desired effect. As long as the stuff remained beneath the flesh, it could pass on some of a shapeshifter’s strength and speed into a human and burn off before it did any real damage.

“You seem to have been handling yourself pretty well so far,” Daniels said. “But don’t push it. Those tendrils will punish you if—”

“I know all about that,” Cole cut in.

Daniels nodded and completed another line of ink. Since he wasn’t going for anything artistic, it wasn’t a long process. Even though he’d taken his finger off the button that made the machine buzz, he left the needle in Cole’s arm. “You know, it’s not unusual for the newly seeded to be squeamish.”

“I’m not seeded,” Cole grunted. He wanted to pull his arm away but couldn’t.

“Maybe not with a spore, but you’ve still got Nymar elements inside of you.”

“Making it sound clinical doesn’t help. Now get that damn needle out of me before I rip it out and put it somewhere you won’t like very much.”

Either Daniels had been around Paige too long to be frightened by threats or was too determined to give up talking that easily. “However you want to put it, those things need to be fed.”

“I know. I’ll deal with it.”

The needle was jammed just far enough into Cole’s skin to catch his attention. When his eyes narrowed into a deathly stare, Daniels held his ground and said, “You need human blood and I know you’ve tasted it.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re still alive.”

“Nymar blood seems to do the trick just as well,” Cole said in a threatening snarl, even though there was some truth to Daniels’s words.

To his credit, Daniels remained steady. “That’s because Nymar used to be human. Half Breeds used to be human as well.”

“Are you suggesting I feed on those things?”

“Better that than die. Times are hard, right? Isn’t that what everyone’s saying?”

“It sure is.”

“Then you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to survive. You and Paige are doing more than surviving. You’re helping the rest of us to survive, and we can’t lose you.” The pressure of the needle in Cole’s skin eased up but didn’t subside. “And what’s so bad about what I’m suggesting compared to what you guys do all the time? I mean, you wear Half Breed skins, for God’s sake. You had an up close and personal relationship with the thing that used to wear the leather that coat was made from, right?”

Cole didn’t say anything to that. The fighting outside had died down for a moment, which only meant it would soon intensify.

“The Half Breeds may not be human anymore, but there’s human blood inside them,” Daniels said. “There’s plenty of it around and it may take the edge off.”

“But . . . Jesus. I mean skinning them is one thing. Using their claws or teeth is easy enough. But drinking their blood?”

“Being a Nymar may be a lot of things, but sanitary isn’t one of them. Just keep it in mind, okay? Think of it as another way of using what they give you so you can keep fighting the good fight. That’s what Skinners do, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Speaking of that, I could use some of the healing serum if you’ve got any.”

Daniels’s eyes narrowed as he removed the needle. “I’ll administer it when this is over. You need to stay sharp.”

Even though Cole wasn’t hurt and he could produce a certain amount of the serum within his own body, he didn’t hold back when he grabbed Daniels’s wrist and twisted until the Nymar let go of the tattooing machine. “You’re not my doctor. Give me more serum.”

“I’m your friend,” the Nymar replied through gritted teeth. “And I’m also like you more than you care to admit. I know what I’m talking about, and it’ll take more than brute force to make me do what you’re asking. The Nymar were putting me through a hell of a lot more than that before you ever knew what they were. Now would you rather waste more time or do you want to let me work on the next tattoo before all of us are overwhelmed?”

Outside, the IRD had launched multiple attacks to keep the Half Breed packs divided. The price of that strategy was paid by the loss of more soldiers than Cole cared to think about, as they were either ripped apart or turned by Esteban’s howls. He let go of Daniels, kicked open the Humvee door, and allowed George to crawl into the back.

Chapter Thirty-Four

E
ven though George’s weapon didn’t have a blade, it must have been charmed in a similar fashion as the other Amriany edged weapons, Cole decided, because it did just fine against the Half Breeds. George and he took the lead as Milosh, Paige, and Nadya covered their backs. Thanks to the ink introduced to their bodies, their blows landed with enough force to sever limbs or knock Half Breeds aside completely.

Farther out, IRD guns still chopped into the encroaching werewolves without putting much of a dent in the overall Half Breed population. For every creature mowed down by excessive large caliber gunfire, another ran in from another part of the city. As the night wore on and Esteban continued to howl, Shreveport slid even closer to the abyss. Cole knew better than to mourn for the things he hacked apart with his newly upgraded weapon. His blade hadn’t been the one to kill those people. That was Esteban’s doing or the fault of the creatures that had been set loose. All that was left to do now was see to it that the Full Bloods were prevented from finishing what they started when the Breaking Moon had risen.

A helicopter swung in low to hover over the Skinner and Amriany team, but before its gunner could find his mark, the aircraft was attacked by half a dozen Half Breeds responding to a guttural bark from the Full Blood perched upon the edge of the roof. As the NH-90 swung out and away from the electronics store to try and shake the werewolves off, Cole could hear the pilot screaming in pain. By the time it crashed, George was smashing his way into the store with the weighted end of his weapon.

The inside of the building was identical to any number of places Cole had visited. There was a group of carts next to the entrance, which he and the others ran past before skirting two rows of cash registers. As they rushed between rows of newly released DVDs, a Half Breed leapt at him from atop a large metal shelf designed to hold plasma screen TVs. Cole caught it with the forked end of his spear, diverting the creature until it slammed down to crack several floor tiles with its body. He removed its head with one swipe of the Blood Blade.

More Half Breeds leapt through and over the shelves, knocking over the single television set that hadn’t already been trashed. George swatted one away and went to work on the others by spinning his iron weapon like a propeller. The weighted end pulverized already broken bodies, and the claw opened wounds that wouldn’t be healed. Any Half Breeds that tried to get up were finished off by Paige, Nadya, and Milosh.

The parallels weren’t lost on Cole when he sent a Half Breed flying into the video game aisle where it demolished a display of
Hammer Strike
action figures and strategy guides. “Where’s that Torva’ox coming from?” he asked.

Blinking quickly to make sure the drops she’d put in before breaching the store were soaked in, Paige pointed toward a section of flooring that had been crudely ripped away. “Right here, I think.” She looked straight up and then tightened her grip on her weapons. “Yep. This seems like the right spot.”

“You sure?” Cole asked.

Pointing up to a massive hole in the roof, she replied, “Again . . . yep.”

Since the power hadn’t been on for a while, there wasn’t a huge difference in temperature when Cole stood next to Paige to get a look at the hole that showed him a cold winter sky. Grit from outside sprinkled down, along with chunks of cement and plaster, as a figure loomed above the hole to peer down at them. An explosion from the battle between the IRD and Half Breeds illuminated enough for him to see a snout, a clawed hand, and part of a furry chest. Then Esteban lowered his face to fix his white eyes upon them, his lips parting to display rows of uneven fangs.

“You have shown yourselves too late to do anything but bleed,” the Full Blood said in a rich Spanish accent.

Cole shifted his spear to his left hand so he could reach into his coat with his right and draw the divining rod from his pocket. “Don’t mind us,” he said, approaching a spot in the middle of the torn-up section of flooring. “We’re just here to plug a leak.” He pointed the metal end of the rod at the floor and drove it down. The sparks that crackled from the rod weren’t as dramatic as he’d been hoping for, but they caught the Full Blood’s attention. Even without the drops in his eyes, Cole could feel the electric crackle in the air die down as the Jekhibar soaked up the power the Full Blood was trying to use.

“Gypsy alchemy!” Esteban snarled. “You don’t even know why I’ve chosen this place.”

“Don’t know,” Paige shouted, “and don’t care. We’re just here to clean up the mess.”

Having gotten only a minimum of instruction from Ira about what the divining rod was supposed to do, Cole grabbed the wooden end with both hands and twisted it as if exacerbating a giant wound. More sparks flew and the metal spike sank in a little deeper, which caused some of the glyphs inscribed on that end to pulse with a dim orange glow.

Esteban gripped the edge of the hole in the roof and swung his feet over the side. He dropped all the way down, clipping a set of broken lights as well as the piping of what was probably a sprinkler system that had been broken due to neglect. His paws thumped solidly onto the shattered floor and his claws sank in through broken tile. “We have stood by too long,” he growled. “That is over. Your only hope is to hide and pray to escape our notice until your short lives dwindle to an end.”

Paige stepped forward and willed both sickles to fold down so they could be holstered in her boot. Reaching into one of the pockets of the jacket worn over her tactical vest, she said, “Why don’t you just disappear into a forest or somewhere scenic like your friend Randolph?”

The Full Blood’s face twisted into something of a smile. “You have no idea what Randolph is doing. If you had any sense at all, you’d allow the rest of us to gather our forces so we can better deal with what he is prepared to unleash.”

“Like there’s anything worse than this?” she replied. Paige’s hand emerged from her pocket holding the vial that Tristan had given her. “That’s the advantage to being completely screwed. The only direction to go from there is up.”

Esteban shook his head as if silently pitying a small child, then shifted into a bulky four-legged form and leapt at the largest group of humans. Rushing forward to join them, Cole took a straight jab at the werewolf with the newly modified tip of his spear. The weapon not only felt better in his hands than the last time he’d swung it, but the wooden section responded fluidly to his mental command for it to grow into something better suited for fighting a Full Blood. The forked end widened so it could catch one of Esteban’s thicker limbs, and curved spikes emerged from the ends of both tines, making that end of the spear resemble the talon on a bird of prey. Before his limb could be completely ensnared, Esteban phased into a ghostly image so the weapon as well as a follow-up swing from the Blood Blade could pass through without harming him.

The Amriany spread out to surround the Full Blood. Nadya wielded a short sword but was obviously more accustomed to automatic weapons. She swung tentatively at Esteban’s spectral form, and as soon as her sword passed through it, he became solid enough to rip a set of bloody grooves across her face and neck. She twisted away and stumbled backward, hitting the ground on her side.

After running back to the torn section of floor, Cole drove his spear into the exposed dirt beside him. As soon as the blade was wedged solidly in place, he reached out to twist the divining rod, using both hands. The sparks that flew didn’t seem to hurt Esteban, but they drew the Full Blood’s attention. Several Amriany blades as well as a few short chopping attempts from Paige passed through his wraith form as he stalked toward Cole. Opening his mouth in a roar that could not be heard, the beast charged.

Claws that were incorporeal one moment and solid the next scraped at the floor. Saliva that dripped from his fangs either dissipated into nothing or spattered onto nearby shelves. Cole stepped away from the divining rod, took the spray can from the pocket of his coat and waited for Esteban to get closer.

Explosions and gunfire from outside faded into a muffled rush.

Flickering lights seeping in through the windows became a dim smear at the edges of Cole’s vision.

After all of the hell he’d put his body through to learn how to swing his weapon or trade blows with stronger creatures, it now all boiled down to standing in one spot, waiting for the right moment to push a button. Who said playing video games wasn’t going to help him in real life?

Part of Esteban’s head and most of his front paws began to solidify in preparation for tearing the unarmed Skinner in half. Dropping down to one knee, Cole pointed the spray can at the Full Blood’s spectral lower half and pressed the button that sent a shimmering silver mist into the air. He kept his finger solidly in place as he launched himself sideways into a roll while twisting his body around to put his back to Esteban. Thick claws raked against the shoulder of Cole’s coat, penetrating the tanned werewolf hide deep enough to shred through a few upper layers of flesh. He clenched his eyes shut through the pain and continued to roll while hastily calculating how far he was from his spear. Every second that passed, Cole expected to feel the weight of that Full Blood drop on him like a collapsing portion of the roof.

He wound up on his stomach just short of slamming into a wire display rack. Propping himself up, he pulled his feet beneath him to find Esteban still standing in the spot where he’d initially landed. The Full Blood’s back was arched and his head craned back and forth. The glittering metallic specks that were added to the aerosol hung suspended in the Full Blood’s body like stars in an inky night sky as Esteban was painfully forced back into solid form. His voice returned too, booming with an agony and rage that gave Cole an extra burst as he ran to the spot where his spear still protruded from the floor.

Pieces of his body flickered like a fading television signal, but the aerosol was doing its job by making it next to impossible for him to shift into an insubstantial form. Esteban reared up and screamed as the powdered Blood Blade fragments shifted inside him.

The Amriany attacked from left and right. Nadya was still on the floor but managed to pull a borrowed assault rifle around from where it was strapped over one shoulder. As Paige and Milosh were driving their blades into the werewolf, George joined them. Although some of their tattoos had burned off, there was enough remaining in them to batter Esteban or cut into him with more brutal efficiency than the Full Blood could have expected from any human.

Still, no matter how deeply the Blood Blades cut or how many times he was rocked by a thumping impact from George’s iron staff, the Full Blood was too enraged to be put down. He slashed at Milosh, knocking him aside with ease. Paige ducked beneath the claws intended to take her head off, and George blocked that paw with the middle section of his weapon. Cole plucked his spear from the floor and stood so one of his heels remained in contact with the divining rod. That way he could swing and parry as much as he needed without losing track of where the specially crafted tool could be found.

The Full Blood threw a backhanded swipe in Cole’s direction, which was diverted by an expertly performed block using the forked end of his spear. Before he could attack Cole again, the Full Blood was swarmed by Paige and George. Overhead, the thumping of helicopter blades blew in through the damaged roof as one of the NH-90s settled into position over the store.

“Move him closer to the opening,” Ouray said through the earpiece. “I found a few more of those Snapper rounds.”

“They won’t do much against a Full Blood,” Cole said as he reached back to grab the divining rod. He twisted it again and then dragged it through the ground as he backed up to move beneath the ragged hole.

“Maybe not,” Ouray said calmly through the earpiece, “but it might give you some breathing room.”

Since he wasn’t about to argue with getting backup, Cole shouted, “Over here!” to Esteban as well as Paige and the Amriany. Paige, who also wore one of the earpieces, already knew what he was trying to do, and swung both sickles at the Full Blood. Her eyes glazed over as she hacked at Esteban. She moved with deadly fluidity, ducking and leaning to clear a path for a few attacks without seeming to notice that sections of her tactical vest had been ripped away. Nadya stopped firing, but George and Milosh closed ranks around Paige as one swipe from the werewolf completely shredded the layer of Half Breed skin that was her vest’s main line of defense. A clubbing blow from the claw at the end of George’s staff that finally dropped Esteban down to all fours.

The glyphs etched into the divining rod were seething now. Cole could smell burnt iron, which meant the Jekhibar had absorbed all it possibly could. Plucking the rod from the ground, he prodded the Full Blood with it to create an even bigger shower of sparks.

Drawing once more on his experience as a game developer when something unexpected and cool happened, Cole pretended it had been his idea. “You want me to stop that?” he asked as Esteban looked at him. “Then come and make me!”

The Full Blood’s thick torso was accented by protruding ribs and a backbone that rose up like a stony ridge from a desert floor. He nipped at George to make him back off. Then he barked and swiped at Milosh to send a spray of Amriany blood through the air. Paige held her ground, staying behind him in case Esteban decided to move too far away from the hole in the roof.

Cole held his spear in one hand and the divining rod in the other. When Esteban was close enough, he stepped forward to jab the sharpened end of the Amriany tool at the Full Blood’s head and shoulder. The reaction between the divining rod and the werewolf was similar to a live wire brushing against a piece of wet steel. Esteban bared his teeth and lifted his face toward the roof as a shot was fired at him from above.

The round cut the air with a deeper hiss than a normal bullet. Esteban’s entire body was pulled to one side when the heavy projectile thumped between his shoulder blades, skidded against his flesh and lodged in his fur. Cole was close enough to see the blood-smeared round poking out from his coat. When Esteban turned to bite at the thing lodged in his fur, the humans renewed their attack. The Full Blood slammed the side of his head against Cole’s shoulder, knocking him off his feet, to sail several yards through the air and into a case filled with empty display boxes of games that were current before Shreveport had been overrun.