Dark Creations: Dark Ending (Part 6) (26 page)

“Kyle!” she screamed, but Kyle did not hear her.  He quickly lowered his weapon and rushed toward Arnold who
dropped to his knees then collapsed to the sidewalk. 

Cries ra
ng out all around them, and she knew they had little time to act.  She pressed past people and found herself hovering over Arnold’s lifeless form within seconds.  Kyle was before her.

“You did it!” she said as she saw that Arnold lay unmoving in a growing pool blood.  Kyle’s hazel eyes met hers
again and she wished she could embrace him then and there and teleport from the mayhem swirling around them. “You just saved the world,” she said and felt tears burn the backs of her eyelids. 

The corners of his mouth lifted briefly before his eyes darted around them.  “We need to get the hell out of here
now
,” he warned.

“We can’t leave the virus,” Amber said in a low voice.  And just as the words fell from her lips, a distinct beeping sound pierced the air be
tween them in the vicinity of Arnold’s body.  Her gaze dropped to him and settled on his wristband.  She squatted and saw that the display panel read
WARNING! No Pulse Detected
and alternated between blinking that message and a digital countdown. 

“What the hell?” Kyle’s eyes widened as he spoke.

Amber felt every hair on her body raise and quiver.  She raced to the back of the van, to where the doors stood open and the steel container was visible.  A digital display with red numbers glowed like a deadly beacon of impending catastrophe.  Less than fifteen minutes remained before the virus would release itself. 

“
Oh my God,” she screamed.  “Get in the truck now!” She ordered Kyle.  Kyle did not waste a moment questioning her.  He scrambled to the passenger side of the van and Amber slid behind the wheel after relieving Arnold of the keys.  She immediately depressed the center of the steering wheel and activated the horn as she swung the van left.  She swerved into traffic and heard the angry blasts and shouts of cars she’d cut off.  The accident scene was behind them and had yet to be cleared.  Sirens wailed faintly in the distance and horns beeped as she began navigating the labyrinth of cars.

“Where are we going?” Kyle asked.

“We have to get to the Hudson River,” Amber answered. 

“
How close is it?” he panicked.  “Will we make it in time?”

“We have to,” she replied. 

With every cell in her body screaming frenziedly, Amber guided the truck left onto West 81
st
street then left onto Columbus Avenue until she reached West 79
th
Street where she entered a roundabout and merged onto the Henry Hudson Parkway.  All the while, she dodged cars and wove through traffic, narrowly escaping collision after collision until she spied an entrance to a waterfront park.  She exited just past West Street and stopped at Hudson River Park.

“Come on! Come on!” she cr
ied desperately as she jumped from the driver’s seat and dashed to the rear of the van.  She opened the doors with hands that trembled so violently, they hardly cooperated enough to manipulate the keys. 

“Now what?” Kyle called as he eyed the large vat.

“Grab an end,” she said as she hefted a handle of the container.

Kyle hoisted one end and they slid it out of the back doors.
  Amber’s arms trembled, nerves and fatigue conspiring against her.  She watched Kyle as his arms did the same and wondered whether he would ever be the same after meeting her.  He’d already lost so much, his parents, his home, friends and community members, his youth.  As she watched a jogger trot by and glance at them arbitrarily then do a double-take when she saw that they were carrying a large tank, Amber swore she would not allow his freedom to be stripped from him as well. 

“We have to hurry,” she urged him.  “That jogger will be back and she’ll call the cops, if she hasn’t already.”  Kyle n
odded somberly and hefted his side.  Together, they clambered as quickly as they could across a grassy area with picnic tables and over a stone pathway until they reached the steel guardrail before the Hudson River. 

“Let’s get this over the guardrail,” she said to Kyle. 

He looked at her for a split-second; questions imprinted in his gathered features.  But he quickly looked to the digital display and saw that sixteen seconds remained.  His brow furrowed and he lifted his side to chest height.  She mirrored his movements and, when a mere ten seconds remained, they pitched it over the lip of the guardrail and into the river.

Sweat speckled her brow and her entire body felt damp.  Her insides trembled
, her muscles felt spent and every part of her wanted to collapse into a heap then and there and cry.  But she could not afford such a luxury.  She needed proof that the airborne virus had deployed under water, and then she needed to get Kyle out of the city, out of the state.  She stole a sidelong glance at him and saw that he watched the container intently.  She tore her eyes from him and watched it as well.

The steel bobbed for several agonizing seconds before
it sunk swiftly.  When the top of it was no longer visible and it had been completely consumed by the murky river, a thunderous rumble bubbled and echoed beneath the water’s surface and a ripple gurgled, releasing a stench similar to rotten eggs.  Kyle recoiled and Amber flinched.

“Ugh! What the hell is that stink?” Kyle asked and crinkled his nose.  “Is that the virus?  Should we be standing here breathing it?”

“It’s not the virus.  That stink is the river.”

“Nasty,” he said and fanned his hand in front of his face. 
But his features smoothed without warning.  “Wait a second; won’t the virus pollute the river?  I mean, won’t people get sick from the water?”

“No one should get sick.  The virus is airborne and has a lifespan of about two hours when exposed to air.  It needs a certain environment to survive
, like the human body.  As for the water, well, I think whatever is causing the stink is strong enough to overcome the pollution of the virus.”

“Yeah, that funky-ass brown water is probably smothering it as we speak,” he replied and his eyes danced with delight. 

Amber laughed.  “I am sure you’re right.”

Kyle laughed, too.  B
ut slowly, his laughter faded and his hazel eyes held hers.  Warmth crept up her neck and spread to her cheeks.  His gaze dropped to her lips then back to her eyes.  “We did it,” he said and half his mouth tipped up in a smile.

“Ye
s,” Amber replied softly.  “It’s over.”

Kyle advanced a step and closed the small distance between them.  He wrapped his arms around her and pu
lled her close.  A tingle began in her chest and branched out as softly as a breath blowing across her skin, throughout her body, warm and welcoming.  She felt his steady heartbeat against her chest, whispering through every part of her, and wished they could stay as they were forever.  She felt the stubble of his chin brush the tender skin of her neck followed by his lips brushing her cheek.  She closed her eyes and savored the feeling.  He planted soft kisses on the corners of her mouth before pressing his lips to hers.  She wanted nothing more than to deepen their kiss, but knew a gentle brush of their lips was all they had time for. 

“We have to go,” she said.  “We have to get out of here.”

“Let’s go then,” he said and his breath was hot against her lips.  He did not move to leave and her legs felt as if they’d taken root where she stood.  But reluctantly, she uprooted them and slid her hands from his waist.  He gripped her hand and held it as they rushed back to the beige van.  Gravel kicked up and sprayed as she stomped on the gas petal and entered the Henry Hudson Parkway heading northbound.  They would return to Taft and fight alongside their friends. 

Chapter 22

Gabriel watched closely as Terzini placed his deadly device atop his desk.  The contraption was only about the size of a laptop computer and had a keypad as well as a digital display screen.  He hadn’t the slightest clue how any of it worked, but knew what it was capable of, what it would do when activated.  It was his and Melissa’s escape plan, their one and only way out alive.  Small and innocuous looking, the device could have easily been mistaken for a personal computer or hard plastic case.  But he knew it was neither, and that it was far from harmless.  The innocent looking rectangle was a weapon that could kill every member in a five-hundred-yard radius.

“I will not kill my s
oldiers, Gabriel,” Terzini said emphatically.  “I won’t,” he threw his hands in the air in exasperation.  “It is out of the question!”

Gabriel raised his gun and pressed it to Terzini’s forehead to remind him of who was making decisions at this point. 
Terzini crossed his beady black eyes briefly, following the guns muzzle.  “Is that so?” Gabriel asked levelly. 

“Okay, okay,” Terzini said
.  His black eyes looked to Gabriel and widened.  Fear registered on his face as he lifted both hands in front of his chest in surrender.  “I didn’t say they wouldn’t die, just that
I
wouldn’t be the one to do it.”

Gabriel’s mind raced, searching for a loophole the deranged clone might be angling for. 
When he came up empty, he decided enough time had passed.  The device needed to be used now.  “Fine, show me what to do and I will do it,” he said and refused to release Terzini from his steely gaze. 

Terzini’s tongue darted from between his lips and he licked them before pursing them. 
“Very well then,” he said tightly.  “Suit yourself,” Terzini arched a brow at him then narrowed his eyes.  “And then there is the matter of me.”

“What about you?” Gabriel’s tone mocked Terzini’s lack of subtlety. 

“You said you wouldn’t kill me,” he reminded Gabriel.  “You’re going to keep your promise, right?”

“Yes.  I will
.  I am a man of my word,” Gabriel answered quickly.  “And you have it.  You have my word, I will not kill you.”

“Gabriel, you can’t let him live!” Melissa protested. 

“We have no other choice,” he pleaded with his eyes.  “We will never get out of here alive otherwise.”  He gestured to the window, to the hundreds of men now standing and readied on the property.  He saw her jaw clench and the small muscles around it working as she fought to reign over the emotions that were undoubtedly rioting inside of her.  She nodded almost imperceptibly, her gesture a faint agreement.

“So you will not kill me,” Terzini’s nasally voice drilled through the air. 

“No, I will not kill you,” Gabriel said as he locked eyes with him. 

Terzini tipped his chin and examined
Gabriel’s features warily as if trying to decipher whether he had told the truth.  His unblinking eyes scrutinized every inch of Gabriel’s face.  When his inspection was complete he said, “Okay, I believe you” in a tight voice.

“Finally!” Gabriel huffed and Terzini’s brow furrowed in insult.  “Just show me how to use this damn thing and be done with it!”
he said sharply.

“Fine,”
Terzini agreed as he pulled a laminated card from his front pants pocket.  He thrust it at Gabriel.

“What is this, your library card?” Gabriel looked from the card to Terzini.

“Library card?” Terzini questioned with offense.  “No, this is the number sequence that activates my weapon.  Of course, if you’d rather a library card,” he flicked his wrist dramatically.

“Cut the shit, Terzini.  I have a gun to your head.  Unless you want me to blow it off, I suggest you lose you arrogant-ass attitude.”

“But you said you wouldn’t kill me,” Terzini whined.

“Yeah, but onl
y if you show me how to use this,” he stabbed a finger at the weapon without peeling his lethal stare from Terzini. 

“Right,” Terzini said slowly.  “Yes, that was the agreement.”  He extended his arm, pinching the card between his thumb and index finger.  “Enter these numbers in the keypad and a countdown will begin.  Once it begins, you have ten seconds to essentially aim it before it produces a fatal frequency and toxic amounts of electromagnetic radiation.

“That’s all?” he asked.  

“That’s all,” Terzini answered.

Gabriel lowered his
gun and Terzini sighed loudly as he placed both hands over his chest. 

“What a relief,” he gasped and closed his eyes.  Then he opened them su
ddenly and turned to Melissa.  His eyes raked over her body, an act that made Gabriel want to launch his fist out and hurl it down the slimy little bastard’s throat.  But he knew he could not.  He needed Terzini conscious in case any unforeseen issues arose with his device.

“I’ll take that,” Gabriel growled through his teeth
.  “And you will stand against that wall,” he continued and pointed to the wall farthest from the window, farthest from Melissa.  Terzini complied with his demand by moving away swiftly.

“I didn’t want to see my creations slaughtered anyway,” Terzini mumbled disgruntledly as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall he’d been ordered to stand against.

Gabriel then turned and picked up the weapon.  Clutching it in one arm, he moved to the window.  He released the latch that locked the window and pushed up the pane.  He raised the screen as well, then lifted the device onto the ledge.  He aimed it out so that it faced the yard where hundreds of members had assembled. His fingertips hovered over the keypad and slowly entered the number sequence Terzini had given him.  His back was damp with perspiration, yet a chill had befallen his body.  His joints felt stiff and his muscles balked. He did not know whether exhaustion had finally caught up with him or whether his emotions slowed his movements.  Either way, he would activate the frequency.  He would kill every creation Terzini had brought into existence within its reach and save Melissa.