Purge: Book Three: Last Days Trilogy (18 page)

Seth did not let go. He kept his arms and legs wrapped around Marcus, and squeezed with everything he had.

“Seth,” Marcus choked. “Seth, take... Take the dagger, Seth.”

Seth shook his head.

“Seth. Take the dagger... kill... kill me.”

“No!” Seth screamed and held on tighter.

“Please,” Marcus cried, his eyes shifting to the lurking demons. “Please. Take the dagger, Seth. Kill me.”

“I love you, Marcus.”

“I love you too, Seth.” His body quivered in his begging. “Please.”

Seth shuddered. Then, still holding onto Marcus, he kissed him and reached down to Marcus’ waist for the dagger.

Through his choking, through his helplessness, Marcus felt relief when he saw Seth grab the dagger. It would be over. As a demon’s hand reached for Seth, he raised the dagger high, first stabbing the hand, then slicing the vine that choked Marcus. Marcus gasped. Seth whipped the blade down and released the vine that held Marcus’ arm.

Secure Seth
! Marcus thought, as he gained the freedom of his hand. But before he could, a tentacle seared out, whipped around Seth’s throat and yanked the boy from his hold.

Seth let out a brief cry, followed by a sound that Marcus would hear for the rest of his life.

Crack.

The church fell silent.

“No!” Marcus cried. He reached out, only to have his hands secured again. “No!” His body shuddered as he saw Seth’s body dangling from the vine. The dervan who held him acted as if he no longer held anything of value, tossing Seth’s body to the side. Seth crumpled on the altar.

Rage rolled up in Marcus’ chest and to his throat. He blasted a scream he never knew could come from him. His eyes closed tightly and he didn’t open them until he heard Lillian’s voice.

“Take him.”

In the midst of his cry, a single large hand came down to Marcus. Then everything went black.

<><><><>

Reggie let out a rasping cry. “Daddy!” She screamed as she reached the bloody and destroyed truck. “Oh, God. Daddy!” She reached into the truck for Kyle’s unrecognizable body.

Michael grabbed her and pulled her away.

Reggie flung back her head. “No!”

Michael kept moving her away as she fought to get to her father. He looked back once, then closed his eyes and turned away.

“My son.” Reggie was hyperventilating. “My son. Where’s my son?”

Michael spotted James. “Do you know where her son is?”

“Michael, I was blocked out of seeing, they...”

“Where!?” Michael demanded.

“They made it to a church.”

Reggie pulled away. “St. John’s.” She wiped the tears that ran down her face and took off running.

Fort Knox, Kentucky

Outrage swept across Devante’s face when he peered down at an immobile Marcus. Beaten, bloody, but alive, Marcus was dropped at his feet by the demonlings who flew him and Lillian there. “You...” He spun to Lillian. “You killed the boy!”

“It was an accident.” Lillian backed up in fear. “He was so small. The dervan were...”

Devante silenced her with a deep scream. “You killed the boy!”

“We brought
him
to you.” Lillian pointed to Marcus.

Leonard stepped forward. “He’s not the same. He’s not her son.”

“She’ll come for him.” Lillian nodded. “She loves him. She’ll come for him. I am certain.”

“How can you be so sure?” Leonard snapped. “You ruined it all.”

“No.” Lillian shook her head. “No. We left a very, very clear message. If Marcus doesn’t lead them here, her anger will.”

Devante looked up.

Seville, Ohio

James arrived at the church before Michael and Reggie. He blocked the doors of the church when they approached. “Take her home, Michael.”

“No.” Reggie shook her head and barged forward.

James moved her backwards. “Reggie...”

“Is my son in there?”

“Reggie...”

“Is he!?” she screamed. When she didn’t get any answer, she charged past and flung open the doors.

When James lowered his head, Michael stepped curiously to him. “It is holy ground. They are safe.”

“No.” James shook his head. “In a city that has been breached, there is no holy ground.”

Reggie’s long painful “No!” echoed from church.

James closed his eyes.

“Seth.” Michael raced into the church.

Reggie’s screams cried out over and over. Michael grabbed her. He grunted, choking as he closed his eyes and turned Reggie away. She didn’t stop crying, or shaking. Her sobs were shrill and long.

Above the altar, on the crucifix, hung Seth. Arms extended, legs crossed at the ankles, head slumped forward.

Michael trembled as he moved Reggie into the arms of James. He backed up and turned, then lifted up slowly.

It was a message loud and clear. James cradled Reggie’s shaking body, holding the back of her head. He watched Michael, filled with sadness, remove Seth from the cross. The boy’s body draped lifeless across his arms, and Michael did not take his eyes from him as he descended to the altar.

Michael’s jaw twitched. Broken and painful, his words crept from him. “Reggie. I am sorry.”

Reggie felt James release her. Turning, she saw Michael holding her son. A short sob came from her as she stepped forward. “Seth.” Her hand touched her son’s cold skin, then she dropped to the steps of the altar.

Michael laid Seth across her lap and into his mother’s arms. There was a slight hesitation, then Reggie embraced Seth. She clung to him, pulling his body into her chest, trying to hold him as close to her as possible. She pressed tear-soaked lips against his face, rocked back and forth with him, quivering. Her only child. Whose voice she would never hear again, whose arms would never hold onto her. In the heartbeat of an evening, Reggie had won a battle, and lost everything.

Seville, Ohio

In the first light of dawn, every man and woman left in the area lined up along the sides of Kyle’s driveway. They stood, heads lowered, quiet, in support of Reggie as she and Michael walked slowly through the gates.

Michael moved at Reggie’s pace, his arm draped across her. Reggie stared down, her face drained of life.

Buzz, Herbie and the others had worked all night, cleaning up, removing any signs of the demons. However, as much as he wanted to show his respect, Buzz couldn’t stand quietly and let Reggie just pass. This was a woman he had known since kindergarten. Stepping from the end of the line, Buzz moved into the driveway before Reggie. Reggie stopped and slowly raised her head.

“Reg.” Trembling, he reached for her face. “I’m here. Okay? If you need anything, even someone to beat on. I’m here. I’m... sorry.”

Reggie nodded, leaning her face into the palm of Buzz’s hand. A tear rolled down her cheek and across his fingers, then she lifted his hand and clenched it. After giving a grateful glance, she released it and moved on to the house.

When her foot hit the second wooden step of the porch, the screen door flew open. Eliza came out, swimming in her own sadness. She stepped forward and clung to Reggie. Reggie crumbled. Her legs gave way, and she cried the cry of a mother who has lost a child.

“Michael.” Eliza held on. “Take her upstairs, please.”

Eliza’s touch sent Reggie into emotional hysterics. When Michael separated her from Eliza, she passed out.

Fort Knox, Kentucky

The room was small and dark, but clean, because Marcus held a certain prestige with Devante. Devante looked at the untouched plate of food on the nightstand, then at Marcus, who sat on the floor. Marcus gave an empty stare, arms draped across his bent legs.

“You did not eat,” Devante said. “We will hold you down.”

Marcus said nothing.

“The boy... the boy was not meant to die. I feel... I don’t know what or why it is.”

Marcus let out a short, quiet scoff.

“You realize you will not be harmed.”

Marcus breathed heavily.

“Very well.” Devante moved back to the door.

“It won’t work,” Marcus whispered.

Devante turned around.

“They won’t come for me. If that’s your intention, you’ve failed.” Marcus dropped his head back down to his arms.

Devante stared for a second, then stepped from the room. Leonard waited in the hall. “He must be secured,” said Devante. “Bound physically to restrict movement.”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Leonard stated. “You have guards on this door.”

“Yes. I know. But I want that room clear of every stick of furniture. He should be stripped to minimal clothing. No blankets. Nothing. When food is brought, he will be watched. Do you hear me? Watched.” Devante started to walk away.

“We’ll take care of it, but why are we doing this?”

“He will take his life if given the opportunity. He is engulfed in sadness, and, right now, his death... is mine.”

Seville, Ohio

“And we had tragedy.” Buzz held the microphone as he paused in Kyle’s little broadcast room. “We... we apologize for the delay. Our updates may be short for a while. Keep radioing, we’ll answer. We’re still here. Buzz, signing off.” He swallowed. “KLSB radio.” He turned off the microphone and closed his eyes.

“Ya’ did good.” Herbie laid his hand on Buzz’s back. “Kyle would be proud that you remembered.”

“Kyle.” Buzz breathed out the name and turned to face Herbie. “I remember the man chasing me for seven blocks with a cattle prod when I was thirteen. Now, I can’t even remember why.” He rubbed his eyes. “I can just remember thinking, how is he keeping up with me?”

“Did he get ya’?”

“Hell yeah.” Buzz smiled. “Never thought we’d be burying him. I thought he’d outlive me.”

“The men need to know what’s going on.” Herbie was apprehensive. “They don’t want to bother Michael.”

“They can’t bother Michael.” Buzz stood. “He has to help Reg now.”

“Then do we wait?”

“Wait for what?” Buzz asked. “Herbie. Marcus is out there with Devante. We only have one choice. We have to regroup, get our shit together and train for the battle to get him.”

“But...” Herbie followed Buzz from the room. “If we go after Marcus, we’ll face off with Devante. That’s...”

“The final battle. Yes.” Buzz nodded. “Seems as though they wanna push us there.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Michael to help us get ready?”

“Herbie,” Buzz said emotionally. “Michael has trained us. Now he has to help Reggie. And we have to let him. While he does that, we have to work hard. This is our world we’re fighting for. If we don’t have enough spirit and will to save ourselves, then hell …” Buzz stopped walking. “We ain’t worth saving, now, are we?”

<><><><>

She had stopped crying. There were no more tears to fall. Reggie lay on her side, in a fetal position, Seth’s sweatshirt clenched to her chest as she stared out.

“I can’t get her to respond,” Eliza whispered to Michael outside the bedroom. “I cleaned her up. But… Michael, she’s slipping away.”

Laying his hand on Eliza’s cheek, Michael pushed open the door to the bedroom, then closed it behind him. “Reggie.”

Reggie didn’t respond.

Taking a breath, he walked to the bed and sat behind her. He rested his hand on her arm, causing her to whimper.

“I killed my son,” she whispered.

Michael stuttered a response. “Reggie, I...”

“I killed him. My father, too. I let that woman in here.”

“No. No, you did not. You are not to blame.”

“Yes, I am.” Reggie spoke in a monotone. “What did I do? My blindness...”

“Your faith,” Michael interrupted. “You were being the person you are. You did no wrong. They did. Not you. Your optimism let them in, not blindness. And that is the quality that makes you one of the few people on God’s earth who make this a better place to live.”

“My father. My son. Marcus... gone. My life is over.” Reggie closed her eyes. “Over.”

Michael felt the door of her silence shut, and he knew at that moment there was nothing else he could do. In what felt like a meek attempt at comfort, he draped his arm across Reggie and held her.

Fort Knox, Kentucky

When James walked through the door, the brightness of his physical being illuminated the dark, empty room. Marcus huddled in the corner, wrists and ankles bound.

“Marcus.” James crouched before him.

Marcus raised his eyes. Shame filled his face, and he looked away. “Why did you come here?”

“To see you.”

Marcus closed his eyes.

“Marcus,” James spoke softly. “Have faith. It will be over soon.”

“Yeah, I know. The moment I die.”

“No. Your death is not to be the thing that ends this.”

“No? Are you sure? What about Seth? Was he meant to die?”

“No.”

“Kyle?”

“No. But things, they slip from our control.” James clenched a fist. “My Father’s purpose is often overshadowed by man’s free will.”

“Free will? Then I choose to die.”

“And what of Reggie?” James asked. “You’ll leave her on this earth alone, Marcus. Alone.”

“I’ll never be able to face her again. She shared her son with me. Put her faith in me. Now he’s gone.”

“From this forsaken world. He is in a much...”

“That is no consolation!” Marcus snapped. “None! None.” His voice dropped and he looked away. “None.”

James stood slowly. “I know you’re in pain. There are no words. For that, I’m sorry. But even though you are giving up, others have not. You are not forgotten. You will not be abandoned.” He moved slowly to the door. “I’ll return again.” He waited for a response from Marcus, a lifting of his eyes, a nod, anything, but none came. He waited a few moments, gave Marcus a last glance, and then walked out.