Outcast (27 page)

We all readied ourselves, and then Father Peter pulled violently to the side and the car screeched to a halt. Without a moment’s pause, Gabe was out of the car and running flat out toward the grounds, only a slight limp betraying his condition. The cop car had pulled over by now too, and policemen jumped out in pursuit. I flew out the passenger side door and grabbed the loaded shotgun from the trunk, closing it just in time for Father Peter to take off. A second cop car was coming toward him, but he drove around it just as it turned to the side to try to block his escape.

As upset as I was with Father Peter, I had to hand it to him—the priest could drive. Maybe being fueled by guilt helped. I didn’t have time to think about it. I was off after the cops chasing Gabe, who was heading right for the crowd. I heard another car squeal to a stop and glanced over my shoulder to see Pastor Warren get out and join the chase. This was all starting to get a little wild.

Speaking of wild…

“Riley! We’re all ready for you, babe!” said Wild Frank emerging from the crowd and stopping me.

“That’s great, Frank,” I replied a little distracted. “Look, I’ve got to help Gabe.”

“Sure thing! I’ll get your back!”

That isn’t necessary Frank, I thought, but there he was following right behind me as we pushed our way through the crowd. Even though this was a town where most people carried a handgun on their person, they still were pretty surprised to see me coming with my shotgun, and I got a pretty wide berth.

And then I lost Gabe. I couldn’t see him anymore. I couldn’t see the cops or Pastor Warren. The crowd was thick, and it was like standing in a cornfield. I couldn’t see two feet before me.

“You see him, Frank?” I called out.

Wild Frank started to jump up to see over the heads of the crowd. “No…”

But then I did. He was struggling against two cops who were bringing him up on the stage. I wasn’t the only to notice as others in the crowd started to point in his direction. Pastor Warren joined him now, panting and covered in sweat. He looked out at the crowd staring at him and announced in his loud resonate voice, “Sorry for the interruption, folks. This boy was trying to vandalize the church. We’re just trying to subdue him.”

Oh no, you don’t.

“Get off him!” I yelled, and brandished my shotgun in their direction.

The crowd parted instantly as I ran toward the stage and climbed up the steps so I was opposite Pastor Warren.

“Shoot us,” replied Pastor Warren.

Damn it. How had he known I wouldn’t? Everyone else was usually pretty convinced that I’d actually do it. I thought deep down the Naphil in me made it appear convincing. Then again, Pastor Warren did think he was totally untouchable. I don’t think anything ever frightened him.

I watched helplessly as one cop struck Gabe viciously with the butt of his revolver. Watching it, I felt like I’d been hit too.

Gabe crumpled to the floor and Pastor Warren turned to the crowd who by now had all gathered around the stage. They didn’t seem happy with what was going on, but none of them were about to speak out against the Pastor. Especially not on this night of all nights. I saw Lacy standing not too far away. She was in her cheerleading outfit, which I thought was kind of strange. But then again, I’d told them all to dress comfortably, and there was nothing that was more like a second skin to Lacy than her uniform.

“People, the time’s approaching,” announced Pastor Warren, ignoring Gabe entirely. In fact, he sort of moved over on the stage to stand in front of him, as if somehow that would hide his existence.

I wanted desperately to rush the stage to be next to Gabe, but I knew the second I tried I’d have several officers on me, and my gun would be wrenched away. And I needed my gun tonight.

“Let us pray,” continued Pastor Warren. I watched as everyone lowered their heads. “Angels who have blessed us and who on this night offer us Your greatest Glory, we thank You…”

I observed the crowd. They were all quietly reciting the words along with Pastor Warren. I was impressed they knew them all so well. I guess they’d been practicing at the church. Everyone looked so reverent, so determined to see this all as a Glory. For a moment I wondered if maybe it was. But only for a moment. I knew these creatures weren’t angels. And so did Pastor Warren now. Or maybe he’d never believed in them. It was possible.

It was then that I noticed Gabe’s foot move slightly, and I took a couple steps to the side so I could see his face. His eyes were still shut tight, but I could see he was slowly waking up. Come on, Gabe, come on.

And finally his eyes opened. They were confused, and I felt huge pity for him. Considering everything he’d been through recently, he really didn’t need that extra blow to the head. He really wasn’t looking well. Even more sickly than when I’d found him in Pastor Warren’s office. He was pasty, almost a gray color.

Actually…he
was
a gray color.

Oh dear god, no.

This was something I hadn’t counted on. I’d assumed that turning Gabe into a human had meant that he’d been turned for good, but evidently that had been a little hasty of me. Evidently he could change back. Because here he was now, the muscles beneath his skin writhing like snakes against their confines. The gray of his skin turned out not to be his skin at all, but came from under it. And as it started to split open into gashes, I could see a hard dark-gray flesh beneath.

I wasn’t the only one who saw the transformation. One of the cops, who I guess had gotten tired of praying, had glanced up for moment and was now staring slack-jawed at Gabe too. We made brief eye contact, but neither of us did anything. We were too paralyzed to move.

Gabe pushed himself to standing as his clothes began to rip from his body. The gray flesh under the skin was getting larger, forcing itself out from beneath a shell too small for it. His body had large deep wounds all over, and the skin was peeling away like old paint. He was getting bigger and bigger, and I heard a muffled gasp from the crowd. Other people were looking up now. Like me and like the cop, they seemed unable to make a sound, to speak or move. Pastor Warren had kept his head bowed, but as Gabe… no, not Gabe, it wasn’t Gabe anymore, it was some thing, some creature…as the creature grew up and up, directly behind the Pastor, you could sense the man’s frustration with the crowd’s restlessness. Yet still he was oblivious to the thing growing behind him. Almost all the creature’s skin had peeled away now, revealing a large beast with an almost square head, and hollows where the eyes should be. Its mouth was open wide, revealing obvious pain and a set of sharp teeth, but it was making no sound. Its legs were pure muscle, thick and taut like tree trunks, and its feet and hands, claw-like.

We were all staring at it now, and Pastor Warren finally looked up at us with anger in his eyes. In a tone I’d never heard him use before he said, “What’s going on? Why aren’t y’all praying?”

He glanced at a cop who pointed helpfully. He turned around.

Just as he did so, the creature let out an enormous, deafening howl, and the flesh between its shoulder blades made a loud sickening crack. A pair of giant black wings burst out of its spine, and the creature roared even louder. Pastor Warren just stood in place staring up at it in sheer horror, shaking like a leaf.

I knew it was only a matter of time before the creature was fully aware of where it was and what it was. I knew how fast these things moved. It would be gone in a second. Action was needed immediately.

“Pastor Warren, move!” I ordered, and there must have been something in my tone that made him take me seriously, because he instantly dove to the side. I aimed my shotgun and fired at the creature’s left wing. The creature jerked back as the buckshot hit its shoulder as well. Without pause I racked the shotgun, aimed, and struck its other wing. This caused the creature to fall to the ground.

“Tie him up!” I turned to the sheriff, and he in turn repeated the order to his officers. I don’t know where they found the rope, but they did, and soon the creature was hog-tied to the stage.

I approached it carefully. No one made to stop me. In fact, they all gave me plenty of room, keen to avoid the girl with the shotgun even though I’d lowered it. This was still Gabe, after all, deep down. I didn’t want to hurt him further, and I really didn’t think he was going to hurt me. I already felt pretty sick that I’d shot him at all. Again. The creature was making these low guttural noises. He was clearly in pain, and that made me feel even worse. He didn’t seem to notice me, just seemed lost in his own suffering, and I knelt down beside him, placing a hand on its arm.

“Gabe?” I asked softly.

The creature turned and looked at me for the first time. It just stared and stared, and it looked to me like it was thinking, making connections between thoughts. It was such a beast in appearance that it was hard to believe it was capable of reasoning, but somehow I knew it was. I waited silently for it to reach a conclusion, which I hoped had something to do with him recognizing me.

Eventually he did. But not in the way I’d hoped.

You are of the Nephilim
. It spoke inside my head just like the first time we’d met.
You must come with me.
I need your help.

“Gabe, it’s me. It’s Riley,” I said slowly and clearly, willing him to understand.

A great injustice has been done to us. We no longer wish to be slaves.
We are growing an army, and we ask you to lead it.

“No, stop. Stop this, Gabe. Pay attention. It’s me. Riley.”

We must fight against our oppressors.
Please help us.

I knew everyone was just staring at me speaking with this thing. They must have thought I was crazy. Only I could hear his voice inside my head, so to them it would appear a pretty one-sided conversation. But it didn’t matter what they thought, I had to get through to him.

“Gabe, don’t you remember me?”

Who is Gabe?

“You are. Do you remember me?”

I remember we found you, discovered that you existed.
I remember coming to seek your help.
I remember we were alone.
Now we are not.

“Do you remember when I shot you?”

Yes.

That surprised me, but it was something. “You do?”

Yes.

“Do you remember what happened after that?”

I remember our conversation now.

I moved closer to the creature and there was a gasp from the crowd. It was frustrating not being able to make eye contact with it. There was nothing to see but deep hollows. I’d never realized how important looking into someone’s eyes could be. I felt if he could only see me…but he must be able to see me somehow.

“Gabe,” I said quietly, this time in remembrance, not to try to get him to remember me. I reached for his face. His skin was tough as leather, and there was no warmth beneath its surface. There was nothing, not even a hint, of the boy I knew. The transformation was complete.

Will you help us?

I lowered my head and took a deep breath. Then I stepped back and stood straight, chin held high. There was no time for sentiment now. Not after all the work we’d put in. This was not Gabe, not really, but I knew how to get him back.

“Are they coming again?” I asked. “Are they coming now?”

Who.

“To take us. Your…friends. The others like you.”

They will come again.
They will be here very soon.
The door has opened.

“Is that why you changed? When the door is open, you look like this?”

Changed?

It was just like the conversation we’d had when he’d turned back into Gabe. Why couldn’t he ever just remember stuff?

“Never mind. I know the answer. Look. Were you responsible for the folks that were taken these last seven years?”

Yes.
We are building a great army.

“You are building an army. Do you mean that you are turning us into you?”

Yes.

“How can you do that?”

It took much time. I had to learn and then teach the others.
We had to create a door from the other place, and we did. We are not angels. We cannot travel between worlds.
But we did it.
Though they thought we could do nothing without them, we did it.

“You opened the door, you did that?”

Not long.
And only at this time.
But it was enough.
Then we took and then we taught those we took to take and serve, so now they
could take,
and we could save our energy and only turn them into us.

“Why Hartwich? Why do you come here?”

We take from here because this place is familiar to me. I remember it.

Of course. All this time Pastor Warren had been telling us we were special because the angels had chosen our town. But it wasn’t that at all. We had been chosen because Gabe had grown up here, because it was the only place he’d ever known. As a Thrall he must have had some small memory of this place that drew him here. We weren’t special, we just happened to be in the same town he’d grown up in.

“How do you choose who to take?”

We do not choose.

“Do you take at random?”

We do not take the old or the sick.
The old and the sick may die if we try to change them.

“But you take children. Why take children?”

What are children?

I listened to its words and felt strangely disappointed, though not entirely surprised. I’d always thought that maybe there’d been a reason to who got taken. That it was somehow meaningful. That someone like Chris…that he was taken for a reason. Not just because he was young and healthy. “Okay,” I said changing the subject. “So. Here’s the thing. I need you to tell your…servants… to stop taking people from our town. Is that clear?”

I cannot stop them.

The creature looked to be gaining some strength back. It was trying to sit up.

“Why not?”

Because we need to build our army.
We need more soldiers.