Fear of God (Trials of Strength Book 1) (17 page)

Eventually she left,
leaving us to our thoughts and disappearing back into the darkness.
I wiped more sweat from my face, my t-shirt stuck to my stomach and
my heart pounded. Chris, Anna and Jane seemed fine, so the tunnels
hadn’t changed, but I was burning up and I was desperate for a
shower. I paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching my
fists.

‘
I don’t
believe her,’ I said. ‘It could be another ploy, another play by my
Dad to get the rest of us killed.’

‘
Maybe,’ Chris
mused. ‘Or maybe she’s telling the truth.’

‘
Why would she
do that?’ I spat, my head was on fire and I was in no mood for more
games.

Anna looked at me
concerned, but Jane spoke up for the first time that
night.

‘
I think we
know why she would do that,’ she said to blank faces. ‘Think about
it. Bonnie does as your father says until it crosses, like her
original mission or something. It’s like she’s here, infiltrating,
she has her own agenda.’

‘
Great,’ I
growled, ‘we’re surrounded by liars and backstabbers.’

Anna flinched visibly,
and I felt instantly guilty. I went to apologise but the world
began to spin. I placed my hand against the wall and tried to
breath. Something was wrong. The heat in my body escalated and
Chris stared at me confused. I watched him say something, but I
couldn’t hear what he said, the three of them blurred in my
vision.

Then it was like my blood
turned to acid. I screamed and hit the floor. My hands flew to my
head; a pain like a metal spike being thrust inside my brain and
wiggled plagued it. I rolled around and was aware of screaming,
from me, from Anna, from Chris.

What the fuck
are they screaming about? Oh god, what the hell is
happening?

I felt heavy,
as if the blood in my veins was turning to stone then back to acid,
I was furious. I wanted to punch something, to never stop,
to
kill
. It was
with that thought everything came into focus. I saw the world
crystal clear, the fine cracks in the sandy walls, the rusted pipes
and the particles of dust that clogged the air. I could hear
perfectly, every note, every letter and all the tiny noises that
echoed through the tunnels. I felt strong and light and in
agony.

I stood, staring at the
people around me, their faces distraught and surprised.

‘
Lucas,’ the
redhead said. She was familiar, but I couldn’t think, nothing would
come to me, there was only pain.

‘
Anna,’ the
man cried, ‘we have to go, we have to run NOW!’

‘
Oh my god,’
the other woman said, her face pale and pain free.

That’s when it hit me, an
emotion that combined with my anger and sent my hairs on end:
Jealousy. My pain was so excruciating, so unrelenting and these
scared strangers were fine. They didn’t have acid as blood, and
their bones didn’t feel like they were being broken and set and
broken, over and over. Their heads didn’t feel about to
explode.

They
were
fine.

I let out what sounded
like a growl.

‘
No!’ the
young woman gasped.

‘
Anna, Jane,
RUN!!’ the man screamed, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, my
ears ringing and aflame. I had to shut them up, make them feel the
pain I felt, they had to pay.

I charged and the two
women turned and ran. The man moved to intercept me, but I was
faster, much faster. I ducked his first punch, shouldering him
hard. He lifted into the air and I slammed him against the wall. I
bent down to wrap my hands around his neck when I heard a click. I
turned just in time to see the woman with black hair aim something
dark and reflective. I rolled, avoiding the flying piece of metal
and landed a kick to the woman’s stomach.

She flew through the air,
landing unconscious on the floor.

‘
Lucas,
please!’ the redhead pleaded, her eyes full of tears.

They had to pay. I had to
quiet them, to share the pain coursing through my body. I could
only focus on the anger I felt, it was only thing keeping me from
sinking into the dark abyss that tugged at my mind.

I crossed the distance in
a blink, grabbed the girl by the throat and lifted her into the
air. The colour drained from her face, I screamed as the agony
intensified and I squeezed harder. The man rushed at my side, but
without looking I pushed my free palm into his chest and he hit the
floor hard. They couldn’t win, I was strong and they were
weak.

The redhead gasped for
air as I tightened my grip on her throat.

She would pay.

The
Change

I strangled the fragile
girl as she clawed at me for air. My screams echoed through the
room and my body jerked with every agonised breath I took. I had
one thought, one emotion, one goal. To share the pain I was in, to
stop the incessant noises that assaulted my ears, to try and quell
the acid in my veins. I stared straight into the electric-blue eyes
of the redhead and snarled. She pleaded with her eyes, a burning
passion that sent guilt through my heart.

Guilt?

I let go of
the girl and she hit the floor. The man crouched slowly, waiting
for my next move. I frowned, shocked at that one moment of
reprieve. The clouds lifted from my mind and images, voices,
memories flitted across my eyes: My mother, with her love and
warmth and sacrifice; Chris, who rescued me and gave everyone his
protection, who took on the role of leader; Anna, who stood by my
side, grew with me and put her lips on mine. There was Jane, the
pillar of compassion, Paul, Grace, the group of survivors who more
than ever needed our help,
my
help.

The pain subsided as if
it was never there. I breathed deep without any problem. I could
think and reason. Then a heavy object collided with my head, and I
fell to the floor.

*

‘
What do you
think?’ Anna whispered. ‘Is he alright?’

‘
I don’t
know,’ Chris sighed. ‘He changed, you saw it.’

‘
But he
stopped right?’ Jane broke in. ‘He stopped and looked confused for
a second. He looked like Lucas, maybe he’s fine.’

‘
I can hear
you,’ I grumbled.

I tried to move, but I
felt exhausted. I opened my eyes to see Anna kneeling beside me,
like the first time we met, scared and concerned, but strong and
defiant. Then I spotted Chris, his gun aimed at my head, but his
finger wasn’t on the trigger. I pushed myself up into a sitting
position and looked around. Jane was on my other side, but aside
from that, there was no evidence of what had just happened. Other
than the bruise appearing on Anna’s neck and the way Jane clutched
her side.

‘
I’m so
sorry,’ I choked. ‘What the hell happened? I have no idea what
happened.’

‘
You changed,
Lucas,’ Chris whispered, his wide eyes glinted under the dim light,
‘into one of
them
,
you tried to kill us, but you’re talking now. You can’t be you, you
changed, you’re one of…’

He stuttered
and stopped, taking the gun out of my face and clutched his hair
tight. I didn’t understand either, but the exhaustion was wearing
off. I lifted my arms and tested my legs when I stood. I gasped in
surprise, I could see and hear, feel and smell and taste,
everything.

‘
Chris,’ I
swallowed, ‘I feel great! I, I feel strong and my senses, they,
they… I don’t understand.’

‘
What do you
mean?’ Jane asked.

I showed them. Before
they could move, I was face to face with Chris, his gun in my hand.
He gasped and stepped back. I aimed his weapon at a pipe and fired.
Once, twice and three times, the bullets burst the pipe as all
three barrelled into the same spot, water spraying over us. I
laughed, I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. I gave the gun
back to Chris and smiled at their shocked expressions.

‘
I don’t know
what this is,’ I said, ‘but I like it!’

‘
Chris?’ Anna
prompted.

All he could do was shake
his head in disbelief. ‘I have no idea.’

‘
My father,’ I
said, my euphoria faded. ‘I need to tell you guys
something.’

‘
What?’ Chris
asked.

“
He injected
me with something. And not just once, I don’t know for how long,
but when he had me when I met Bonnie, he injected me again,’ I said
in one breath. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t say, part of me wanted it to be
nothing and the other knew you’d turn on me.’

Chris looked overwhelmed,
Anna gobsmacked and Jane oddly calm.

‘
But the rest
of the town?’ he asked the million dollar question.

‘
I don’t
know,’ I replied. ‘But I bet my father does.’

Before he could reply,
shots echoed from a distance, and someone opened fire on the
survivors.

*

We sprinted through the
tunnels back to the group, but I put on a burst of speed and left
the others behind. Using my new senses I manoeuvred the labyrinth
with ease, coming into the room that had become our new home.
Paul’s arm shook as he aimed at Grace, her with her own arm
extended, but hers didn’t budge. Sweat glistened on Paul’s forehead
and most of the group were standing next to Grace. I didn’t like
the look of it.

‘
Stay back!’
Paul’s voice trembled. ‘You said we could work together, that we
could get out!’

‘
I lied,’
Grace smiled. ‘You are unstable, Paul, I used you for my own means
and now I no longer have need of you. You must pay. Your blood will
mark the start of a new day.’

Not if I can
help it.

I was over at Grace
before anyone noticed I was even in the room. She squealed in
shock, and moved to aim her gun at me. I used the back of my hand
to knock it from hers, and she staggered back into the wall. Paul
smiled and advanced on her, but I shifted between them. I brought
my leg up and kicked Paul’s gun to the floor, using the momentum I
turned fast and connected my fist with his face.

Chris, Anna, and Jane
burst into the room, guns of their own primed and ready, well,
apart from Jane. Everyone was stunned, and I couldn’t help but
laugh. It was fantastic. I wasn’t weak or pathetic anymore. I could
fight. Together, we all could. I was lost in that thought as
anarchy erupted, people pushed and fought and screamed, our group
almost tearing itself to pieces. It always had been and it needed
to stop.

I picked up one of the
fallen guns, walked to one of the entrances and fired into the
darkness. Everyone stopped and turned with mouths wide but
silent.

‘
Look at
yourselves,’ I cried, my eyes meeting each of theirs. ‘You want to
survive and you think it’s smart to tear each other
apart?’

A few dipped their heads
in shame, but others still looked pumped and ready. I shot them all
looks.

‘
We don’t even
need to be worried about the people behind this, or the monsters up
top,’ I scolded. ‘We’re going to do their jobs for
them.’

‘
And why
should we listen to you, traitor?’ Grace snapped.

I was in her face before
the sentence had finished, and she sat abruptly.

‘
I’ll tell you
why you should listen to me,’ I growled. ‘Why you should listen to
Chris, the man you shunned after all he did to defend you! Anna,
who put her life on the line as well, and Jane, she looked after
everyone here, listened and tried to keep the peace and you tied
her up!’

More lowered their heads.
The truth was a nasty pill to swallow.

‘
Acting like
that we’re no different than the people we’re trying to survive
from,’ I said. ‘If we lose our humanity, what’s the bloody point in
surviving?’

No one spoke. Their faces
were pained, as if I’d slapped them all at once.

‘
My father
used my mother in his sick little games,’ I continued. ‘He used
Anna’s brother, and Chris’s wife! We feel your pain, your anger and
fear. Then you push us out when we needed to stick together the
most!’

Grace’s hands were
clenched tight, her knuckles white and the vein in her neck
throbbed. She saw the same as I saw, people coming to their senses,
ashamed of the way they’d behaved. Grace was losing her
power.

‘
Don’t listen
to him,’ she spat. ‘They want to control you just like our enemies
do!’

‘
No,’ I said
smiling. ‘I think we’re done being controlled. We’re done being
pawns. I think it’s time we acted together, not just one person’s
voice, but all of us, speaking together and moving as
one.’

They started to nod and
murmured to one another. The cracks were healing. Paul stood, and
it looked like finally, he had started to listen. Grace was another
story. I stared at her incredulous. She had to see reason hadn’t
she?

‘
Is this what
you want?’ Grace screamed. ‘To be led by these tainted
individuals?’