Dust: Before and After (19 page)

Martha chuckled. “I can imagine it would be a little difficult to play one-handed,” she replied with a sigh. “I sang in the church choir.”

“So did my mom,” Josie replied in a soft voice.

“She had a beautiful voice, didn’t she, Josie,” Randolph said, glancing at his sister. “So do you.”

Josie glanced up at her brother in surprise and scowled. “How would you know?” She asked in a clipped tone.

The smile on Randolph’s lips faded and a sad look came into them. Dust could tell the other man felt uneasy about conversing with Josie. He watched in surprise when Denise reached over and threaded her fingers through Randolph’s in encouragement.

“You used to sing when you hung out at the laundry,” Randolph finally said.

“Oh,” Josie muttered, falling silent.

“I remember…,” Randolph’s voice faded and his eyes glazed over as if he was seeing something that wasn’t there. “She’s coming. I can see her. She isn’t far.”

“Who?” Raymond asked in surprise.

Randolph blinked several times before he shook his head and looked around at everyone. “The She Devil. She’ll be here soon,” he choked out.

“We have to get ready,” Dust said, rising to his feet. “Raymond, get Beau. Sammy, you have to hide.”

The Battle:

The group rose as one. Even Todd, who had been half asleep, could feel the tension and urgency in the air. They didn’t have much time to really get things ready. Between working on the old bus, and Beau and Randolph’s arrival, time seemed to be on fast forward.

Dust silently cursed. They had to backtrack and the loss of distance between them and the She Devil was working against them. Still, they had discovered more survivors. Deep down, Dust knew that Raymond, Martha, and Denise wouldn’t have lasted very long if they had remained in the town.

“What’s your plan?” Beau asked Dust as he stepped into the main area of the gym.

Dust glanced at Josie and Randolph. In reality, they were the only ones that really stood a chance against the creature. Even then, he knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. Randolph’s main talent lay in knowing when and where the She Devil was. When it came to fighting, it was going to fall on his and Josie’s shoulders.

“The She Devil is stronger than she was back at the silo,” Dust stated in a quiet voice. “This isn’t like the fight back there. This is much, much worse.”

Dust watched as Beau paled and swallowed before he gave a sharp nod. Dust didn’t miss the quick glance that Beau shot toward Josie before his jaw tightened.  Dust could see that Beau realized that he was about to see what Josie could really do. The small flames were nothing compared to what she was capable of creating.

“If you can draw her in, me and the others will blast the hell out of the bitch,” Beau said. “The women and the boy need to find a place to hide. Josie can watch over them.”

“I see you’re still trying to call the shots,” Josie muttered under her breath. “If the She Devil is as strong as Dust says she is, then he’s going to need my help.”

Dust nodded grimly. “She’s right, Beau,” he said in a slightly hesitant voice. “Raymond can stay with Sammy and the others.”

Sammy’s lips pursed and she shook her head. “We need a way to draw her out. If she suspects anything, it will be harder to kill her. I think we need to use me as bait. We know that she wants me dead,” she suggested in a quiet voice. “Besides, how do you hide from something that can pass through walls? It is better to be out in the open than to hide.”

“No, Sammy,” Todd cried out in fear, moving closer to his sister so he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold onto her. “I don’t want anything to happen to you!”

Sammy’s expression softened and she wrapped her arms around Todd and hugged him to her. Her gaze rose and she stared back at Dust. He could see the worry and fear reflected in them, but also the resignation. His gut clenched in response. As much as he hated to admit it, Sammy was right. Even if she hid, the She Devil could find her. Because of that, Sammy would be in more danger than if she was out in the open where they could rally around her.

Dust drew in a deep breath and ran his hand over the back of his neck. His gaze moved around the room. Everyone was staring silently back at him, waiting for him to make a decision. For a moment, he wished he didn’t have to be the one to do it. He suddenly felt much older than his fifteen years.

“I hate to admit it, but she’s right,” Dust replied in a husky voice, turning to look at Martha. “I need you, Denise, and Todd to find a safe place in the locker room. The showers would probably be the safest place,” he said before he turned to look at the others. “Beau, you and Raymond set up a perimeter on each side in front of the gym. One can hide behind the remains of the bus shed and the other back behind the concrete sign. Randolph, I want you to stay with Sammy. You can sense where the She Devil is. You let Sammy know if she is near.”

“What about me?” Josie asked, rubbing her hands together.

Dust looked at Josie. “You do what you can to protect the others,” he said in a quiet voice.

“What are you going to do?” Beau asked in a hard voice.

Dust’s lips tightened for a moment before he relaxed them. “I’ll be there,” he promised. “Get the weapons you’ll need. Martha, can you fire a gun?”

Martha nodded her head. “Yes,” she said.

“So can I,” Denise added softly. “You don’t live on a farm and not learn how to.”

Dust turned back to Beau. “Make sure they have some weapons,” he said, turning away.

“What about me?” Todd asked, looking around at everyone. “What am I supposed to do?”

Dust glanced back at the small, determined face. He saw Sammy’s arms tighten protectively around Todd and she gazed back at him with a worried expression. His gaze moved back to Todd and he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pocket knife his dad had given him. He turned back and held it out.

“Take this,” he instructed. “Only use it if you have to. I want you to watch Martha and Denise’s back.”

Todd took the folded blade. He stared down at the small knife in his hand before he looked back up at Dust. A shaky, but brave smile curved his lips.

“I’ll watch their back,” Todd promised. “Sammy showed me.”

*.*.*

“She’s close, maybe a mile or so,” Randolph murmured a half hour later.

“Remember, protect Sammy,” Dust instructed before he faded.

“Damn,” Randolph muttered in a shaky breath. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to him doing that.”

“It was pretty freaky the first few times,” Sammy replied with a shrug. “Now, it seems normal.”

“I don’t know what normal is anymore,” Randolph confessed, staring up at the sky. “It looks like another storm is coming. Maybe she’ll seek shelter.”

Sammy shook her head and gazed out over the dark gray, rolling clouds. Green lightning flashed in the distance, creating a spider web of light that faded almost as quickly as it appeared. Her fingers tightened around the bow in her left hand. She casually reached up and pulled an arrow out of the sheath strapped to her back.

“She’s here,” Randolph whispered, staring at the black shape that was slowly moving toward them.

“I see her,” Sammy replied, threading the arrow on the string. “Just let me know where she is if she disappears.”

Both of them stood waiting as the She Devil swooped down. Their gazes remained locked on her as she landed on the hard packed, dirt parking area in front of the gym. Sammy swallowed. This was not the creature from the silo. This one was different, more evolved. She rose up, over five and a half feet in height, and walked on two legs. Dust hadn’t been exaggerating when he said that she had evolved.

The She Devil paused, glancing from side to side with a thoughtful expression. Her long, leathery wings expanded outward for a moment before she folded them around her body like a cape. They were so long that the ends actually dragged along the ground behind her. What fascinated Sammy was that she was wearing clothing that looked almost Grecian in style.

“Where is the one I seek?” The She Devil asked in a slightly husky, accented voice.

Sammy felt Randolph start in surprise. Her left hand clenched the bow tighter while the fingers of her right hand twitched on the long shaft of the arrow in preparation. Drawing in a deep breath, Sammy forced the stiff muscles of her shoulders to relax.

“I’m here,” Dust replied, slightly behind the creature. “I don’t want to fight you, but I won’t let you harm anyone else.”

The She Devil partially turned, her dark eyes flowing over Dust. From this angle, Sammy could see that while her face had changed to a more human appearance, her nose and mouth still retained some of the characteristics of her canine DNA. A soft gasp escaped Sammy when the creature’s features suddenly distorted. As if in slow motion, the black fur covering her faded and her face and body transformed.

“What the…?,” Randolph hissed, staring in disbelief at the human-looking form.

“I have… Evolved, like you,” the She Devil whispered to Dust.

“No,” Dust replied, staring back at the beautiful creature standing in front of him. “You want to kill. That is not want I want.”

The She Devil turned and looked at Sammy and Randolph. Her gaze skimmed over Randolph before she dismissed him. Sammy shivered when the creature’s gaze lingered on her.

“I am more powerful than that female,” the She Devil stated, turning back to look at Dust. “Join me as my mate. Share your power with me and we will rule this world together.”

Dust shook his head again. “No,” he said again. “Why do you want me? What power do you think I have?”

The She Devil took a step toward Dust and reached out one slender, delicate hand, as if to touch him. It was enough to make the hair on the back of Sammy’s neck stand up in warning. Lifting the bow, she pulled back on the arrow.

“I wouldn’t,” Sammy warned, staring at the creature.

A soft growl escaped the beast as she turned and hurtled toward Sammy with blinding speed. Sammy released the arrow at the same time as Randolph grabbed her around the waist and twisted with her. The movement knocked them both off balance, and they fell to the ground.

Sammy rolled onto her back and stared up in horror when the creature reappeared where she had been standing. The long shaft of the arrow protruded from the She Devil’s right shoulder. A loud snarl escaped the beast when she reached up and snapped the end off.

Sammy and Randolph scooted back several feet before scrambling to their feet. Sammy quickly pulled another arrow from the sheath and threaded it to the string. Her eyes widened in horror when the She Devil reached over her shoulder and pulled the broken shaft through her flesh. Fresh blood, the color of black ink, darkened the white tunic she had wrapped around her. With a flick of her wrist, the beast tossed the broken arrow away from her.

“You will die a slow death, human,” the She Devil whispered.

“I’ll see you in hell first,” Sammy retorted, pulling up the bow again.

The She Devil stared back at Sammy before she threw her head back and laughed. The sound washed over Sammy, sending goose bumps racing across her flesh at the promise held in it. Lightning flashed closer, highlighting the soft mocha skin of the She Devil’s shoulders and the quickly healing wound.

The She Devil tilted her head, as if considering Sammy’s words. A slow, menacing smile curled her lips, revealing the gleaming white, sharp teeth hidden inside. Sammy stumbled backwards when the creature’s face suddenly began to twist.

“I think that can be arranged,” the She Devil hissed before returning to her original form.

“Get Sammy out of here,” Dust yelled to Randolph.

Sammy lost her grip on the arrow she had threaded when Randolph suddenly twisted and grabbed her arm. She stumbled when he pulled her back toward the gym. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Dust had materialized where she was standing just seconds earlier. He was locked in battle with the She Devil.

Hostage:

Dust strained to hold the She Devil far enough away to keep her snapping jaws from sinking into his flesh. He jerked backwards, fading when she spread her wings and began to lift off the ground. He rolled across the packed gravel and dirt parking lot several feet before he solidified again.

His gaze focused on the female as she rose into the air. Almost immediately, Beau and Raymond began firing at her. A low hissing scream escaped her and she twisted in midair.

Dust followed her gaze. Turning, he took off in the direction of Raymond. He faded, passing through the low concrete wall with the faint words
Springfield High School
on it. Reforming, he opened his arms and tackled Raymond, knocking the older man to the side just as the She Devil struck the concrete.

The concrete exploded outward. Chunks of the flying debris rained down over the two of them. Dazed, Dust shook his head and stared down at Raymond. The other man blinked up at Dust before grunting. Dust glanced over his shoulder. The creature had turned back toward Beau’s hiding place.

“Are you okay?” Dust asked in an urgent tone.

“Ye… Yes. Go… Stop her!” Raymond muttered.

Dust pushed up off the ground and turned back to follow the She Devil. He glanced wildly around, trying to sense her movements. He gazed toward Josie. Her hands were glowing and she was turning in a tight circle, looking up at the sky.

“Josie, look out!” Randolph shouted.

Dust watched in horror as Josie’s feet were knocked out from under her. Josie rolled to the side, a line of flames shooting out from her hands. Anger swept through Dust when the She Devil briefly appeared. She wrapped her long tail around Josie’s ankles and lifted her off the ground.

“Josie!” Beau yelled, aiming his rifle at the creature.

“Shoot it!” Josie screamed, twisting so she could try to hit the creature with a ball of fire.

Dust ran toward Josie, focusing as he did. Small granules of sand began swirling and joining until he felt them wrap around his upper body. Long, gray wings formed and he felt his feet lift off the ground.

The She Devil saw him coming and released Josie. The report of Beau’s rifle mixed with Josie’s terrified scream. Adrenaline, fueled by anger and fear, pulsed through Dust, and he shot forward, catching Josie a mere foot before she hit the ground.

“I’ve got this,” Josie said breathlessly, clinging to Dust’s shoulders. “Let me go.”

Dust swept up far enough to drop Josie lightly on her feet. Fury blazed in her eyes and he could see her body beginning to shimmer. Soaring upward, he twisted in time to see the She Devil turn on Beau and Raymond. Both men were firing at the creature as fast as they could. The bullets flashed through her when she faded, but he could already see that she was beginning to tire.

“She’s running out of energy, Josie,” Dust shouted.

“I’ll show her some energy,” Josie growled, her whole body shimmering with intense blue flames. “Let’s see how you like to play with fire.”

Dust saw Raymond and Beau fall back when Josie’s hands shot outward, long whips of brilliant blue flame greedily sped toward the She Devil. The creature turned in the air just as the wall of flames hit her. Her black wings rose up to ward off the incinerating fire Josie was directing at her. Without her wings to support her body in flight, the She Devil fell from the sky. The impact shook the ground with enough force to knock Raymond and Beau off their feet.

Dust slowly lowered himself back to the ground and watched as Josie stalked closer, glowing brighter than he had ever seen. He knew she was using too much energy, but was powerless to tell her to stop. She wouldn’t have listened anyway, if he had. She was directing every ounce of her fury at the creature.

The black wings slowly turned a radiant red under the onslaught of the flames. Dust was amazed that the creature hadn’t disintegrated into a pile of ash. He stood watching as Josie stopped just a few feet from the creature, her gaze and hands locked on it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Beau and Raymond stagger unsteadily to their feet. Beau glanced at Josie with an expression of awe on his face. Dust started to warn him to stay back when his attention was jerked back to the creature.

A sense of warning struck him a brief second before the She Devil exploded upward. The powerful burst of air from her wings sent a shock wave rippling outward. The impact of it lifted them off their feet, throwing them several yards before they hit the hard surface with a sickening thump. Dust grunted as the breath was momentarily knocked out of him.

He lay on the ground, his ears ringing. With a shake of his head to clear the noise, he pushed up with one hand. Horror gripped him when he saw the She Devil land a couple of feet from where Josie lay helpless, stunned and drained from her assault against the She Devil. His mouth opened in denial when the creature raised her right hand and focused. Five long claws extended outward, growing until they were several inches long.

“No!” Dust mouthed at the same time as he heard Beau’s fierce cry.

As if in slow motion, he watched as the She Devil bent to drive the sharp blades of her nails through Josie’s chest. The choked cry froze on his lips when he saw Beau fall over Josie at the last second. Beau’s ravaged face twisted in shock and disbelief. His arms trembled as he looked down between him and his daughter.

Dust’s gaze followed the movement. He could see the tips of the She Devil’s claws protruding through the front of Beau’s shirt. It was only when the creature pulled back and rose into the air again that Beau’s right arm collapsed and he fell to the side.

“NO!” Randolph’s harsh cry echoed over the sound of the growing storm. “Dad!”

Dust pushed up off the ground and stumbled over to where Josie and Beau were lying. He watched as Josie rolled and sat up. Her gaze was locked on her father. Dust caught her when she almost fell over trying to get to her knees.

He supported her when she swayed again. “You saved me,” Josie whispered in a dazed, confused voice that suddenly sounded very, very young.

Beau was struggling to draw in a breath. Dust could see the bubbles of blood pool up when the man tried to breathe. He knew that the nails had gone through both of Beau’s lungs.

“You…,” Beau gasped, his eyes growing dim. “Proud… you.”

“Daddy,” Josie whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek.

“Love… You… Jo…,” Beau hissed, his voice fading with the last of his oxygen and strength.

“Dad!” Randolph cried out, falling to his knees on the other side of Beau. “Dad, don’t. Help him! You have to help him.” Dust looked down at Randolph. The other man’s eyes were glazed with grief. “Please, you have to help him.”

“He’s gone, son,” Raymond said, laying his hand on Randolph’s shoulder.

Dust felt Josie’s shoulders begin to shake and a low anguished sob escaped her. He helped her to her feet and turned her toward him. All he could do was hold her.

“Randolph,” Dust murmured. “Where is the She Devil?”

Randolph looked up at Dust and shook his head. “I… I don’t know. It was as if a wall was suddenly erected around her,” he whispered, his gaze returning to his dad. “One minute she was there, then suddenly she was gone.”

*.*.*

Fury poured through her as she swept up into the churning night sky. The fact that they were waiting for her had been obvious. How the humans had known of her approach, she didn’t know.

She had wanted to kill the one that made fire. Her body throbbed and burned from the combination of assaults. A shuddered escaped her as her body ejected the small pieces of metal from it. Her wings stung and pain coursed through her as new tissue healed over the damaged skin. Her strength was quickly draining away from her and she desperately needed food to restore it, but that would have to wait.

Fading, she circled around and disappeared through the wall of the building. She reformed, landing on the cold concrete in a long room. Lifting her nose, she sniffed the air. Three separate scents swept through her.

Her gaze swept over the dark area. A low fire burned in the center of a group of rocks. Stepping on silent feet, she shifted into her human-like form. Bending, she picked up one of the blankets off a padded cushion and wrapped it around her body just as one of the human’s that she scented glanced around the corner where they were hiding. A startled cry escaped the older woman and she froze in uncertainty.

“Who are you?” The woman demanded in confusion. “Where did you come from?”

The She Devil tilted her head and took a step closer. “Where is the one called Sammy?” She asked in a husky voice.

“Sammy?” The woman said, taking a step closer. “She’s with Dust and the others. I thought I heard shouting. I thought they were fighting the She Devil.”

“They… were,” the She Devil whispered, stopping in front of the woman.

“Who are you?” The woman asked again, this time unable to keep the tremor out of her voice.

The She Devil flashed her sharp teeth. “The She Devil,” she replied. She reached out and grabbed the woman’s hand holding the weapon in her right hand and the woman’s neck with her left. “Where is the smaller male who travels with the one called Sammy?”

“Never!” The woman started to choke out.

“Martha?” Another voice called out from the darkness.

Turning her gaze toward the back, she caught a glimpse of another human female and the male that she was seeking. A soft snarl escaped her when she saw the human raise the weapon in her hand. Her eyes narrowed and she tossed the old woman she was holding to the side, ignoring the woman when her head hit the wall and she collapsed to the floor.

“Martha! Stop! I don’t know who you are, but stay back!” The young human female warned, her hand shaking as the She Devil walked toward her.

“Step aside human and I will not kill you. I need you to give the one named Dust a message for me,” the She Devil hissed.

“N… No, stay back… back,” the woman whispered.

“Denise, it’s her. Look at her eyes. It’s the She Devil. Shoot her,” the boy warned in a voice filled with fear. “Shoot her!”

“You are smart, young one,” The She Devil chuckled, walking toward them. “Unfortunately, the hot lead from your weapons cannot kill me. You, female, tell Dust to bring me the one called Sammy and I may let the boy child live.”

“No!” Denise cried as her finger squeezed the trigger.

The She Devil knew that time was running out. In the distance, she could hear the others. She was too low on energy to battle again. A low, feral snarl escaped her and she shifted. Charging toward the female, she twisted in mid-flight. The hot lead from the girl’s weapon flashed by her. Her arm swept out, throwing the woman to the side even as her other arm wrapped around the terrified boy.

“Let me go!” He cried, straining to break free. “Sammy! Dust!”

“Not yet, young one,” The She Devil responded in a cold voice. “This time,
I
will be the one to set the trap.”

She burst out through the double doors in the back of the room, snapping the thick chain wrapped around the door handles like it was a piece of string. Unfolding her wings, she tucked the struggling body of the boy against her and launched upward.

Long fragmented lines of lightning crisscrossed the sky. The wind was picking up as the storm grew closer. It was both a blessing and a curse. It would give her the time she needed to gather her strength for the upcoming battle that was imminent, but it would also drain even more of her energy as she flew back to her temporary lair.

“Sammy!” The boy cried pitifully against her chest.

“Soon, human. Soon, she and Dust will come for you and when they do, this world will see a new species, unlike anything they have seen before,” The She Devil replied with satisfaction. “Soon.”

*.*.*

Sammy’s gaze remained glued to the scene unfolding outside the window. She watched the fight between the She Devil and her friends. Her hand rose and she pressed her fist tightly to her mouth to smother her cry of fear when she saw the She Devil lift Josie up by her ankles.

A part of her wanted to argue with Randolph when he insisted that they find shelter back inside the gym. She hadn’t wanted to go, but she knew that if she stayed outside it would make it more difficult for Dust, Josie, and the two men to focus on killing the creature. She knew deep down that if she had stayed, they would have been focusing on trying to keep her safe instead.

Even so, she and Randolph couldn’t completely desert the others. They had sought refuge in the ticket booth. They watched the fight outside through the narrow window.

“I can’t believe that she looks human,” Randolph muttered. “How the hell is that possible?”

“I don’t know how she did it,” Sammy whispered, staring in horror at the fight. “Look at Josie. I’ve never seen her glow so bright before.”

“Holy crud!” Randolph choked out in disbelief. “They are both a lot more powerful than we thought.”

“Yes, they are… What’s going on? Oh, no!” Sammy cried a moment before both of them were thrown back against the far wall when a blast of heated air hit them.