72: Ready to Grumble – Pt. 3

The screaming had stopped minutes ago, but Mike could still hear them echoing off the thin metal walls of the diner. That woman; that poor woman had been eaten alive by the creatures outside and Mike and Victoria could do nothing but listen to her horrific screams and harrowing pleas for it all to end.

“These things are multiplying too fast! We have to get out of here!” Mike huffed as he slammed his hand against the floor.

Again, Victoria glanced at her phone, pausing briefly to wonder why she hadn’t heard anything from Derrick. Anxiety was beginning to set in. If he was unable to find a voodoo priest to help them then they would certainly need another way. “Mike, do you still carry that amethyst stone for good luck?”

“Of course, I do. Why do you ask?”

“May I borrow it? I think I may have another way to get rid of these things.” Handing over the gem, Victoria unfolded the map from her pocket and set it out over one of the tables. “I may be able to scry for the original source of this spell.”

“Scry?”

“It’s like a magical GPS of sorts. I say a spell and focus on a target and hope the amethyst does its job.” Closing her eyes, she enchanted Mike’s lucky gem and quickly went to work. The purple rock swayed back and forth endlessly across the map of Avondale, seemingly without direction before flying into a corner of the map near the waterfront.

“The House of Saints?” Mike asked. “Does that mean it worked?”

“I hope so.” Victoria handed Mike back his gem and looked out the front doors again. After having dined on the helpless employee, the zombies outside had settled and were a little quieter, giving her an idea. “We may be able to sneak out of here from the back.”

“Are you crazy? You heard what they did to that woman. Do you really want to risk going outside?”

“Yes. We have to Mike. Besides getting back to the container before some other poor soul comes across it, we have to get to the House of Saints and see if it really is the source of the spell. We have to end this, Mikey. Now are you with me or not?”

“Of course, I am. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Taking precautions, the two carefully slipped out the back and hurried through the alleyway between the diner and adjacent building. The small group of zombies out front was still as silent as they had been since their last kill and Victoria was hoping it would stay that way; at least for now. They needed to get back to main street and their vehicles and being chased by an increasingly clever horde was not about to do them any favors.

After successfully exiting the diner area and making it three streets back toward the town square, Mike stopped a moment to get his bearings. Victoria adjusted her eyes to scan the darkened, deserted boulevard. A flitter of something had caught her eye. Trash blowing by? Another stray citizen roaming the streets? Or was it one of them? Behind rows and rows of cars, she spied a figure moving and nudged Mike to make him aware. Following her line of sight, he saw it too. Someone else was out there, but it was impossible to tell whether they were alive or undead.

Motioning with her weapon, the two came up with a quick plan. While they may not be able to kill the beasts with mortal weapons, perhaps they might be able to at least stun or slow it so they could get away. Mike moved into the opposite side of the alley, taking position at Victoria’s left while she stayed focused on the right. Together, they converged on the area they’d spotted the dark outline and, with weapons at the ready, aimed for the figure.

“It’s me!” Derrick whisper-shouted, throwing his hands up in surrender as the two detectives had him fixed in their crosshairs.

“Derrick?!” Victoria exclaimed, holstering her sidearm as she stared in disbelief. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

“Looking for you. I was waiting by the truck, but I didn’t see you so I came looking.”

“What? Why didn’t you just call?”

Holding up a destroyed, electronic object he sighed, “Couldn’t. It got obliterated in a fight with a zombie.”

“Wait a second, you had a close encounter with one of those things?” Mike asked, visibly taking a step back. “It didn’t…”

“I’m fine. I know how to handle myself,” Derrick reassured the man. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to locate another priest who could help us. Ajani apparently moved back to his homeland some time ago.”

“Ok, well Mike and I think we’ve found another way.”

“Vik did this scrying thing and may have pinpointed the original source of the spell.”

“Really? That’s fantastic!” Derrick exclaimed.

“Yeah, but that’s the good news,” Victoria said. “The bad news, we didn’t quite round up all of the zombies. Four got away and came after us.”

“And they killed someone,” Mike added solemnly. “And worst yet, we think they may be getting smarter.”

“Wow. You guys really need to work on your delivery. Next time start with the bad and work up to the happy; give a guy something to look forward to.”

Victoria laughed. “Yeah, well there may not be a future for a lot of people if we don’t get moving.”

They drove to the waterfront with Mike in the flatbed. He backed it against a wall to ensure the door remained secure and hopped out to join Derrick and Victoria. As they approached the location the amethyst pointed to on the map, they found themselves at a large, deserted temple.

The outer stone walls were covered in mud and vines. Where once there were flowers growing along the temple’s walls they had since wilted and died to be replaced by parasitic plants with tendrils permeating the blocks, slowly weakening the structure. Large, twisted tree roots had forced their way into the building causing the inner wooden beams to split. Around the dense, grassy yard destroyed effigies rested; long forgotten idols littered the temple and its immediate area.

“How befitting,” Victoria commented. “A voodoo priest hiding inside a creepy, old church.”

“Be on the lookout for a ceremonial shrine of some sort; with a sacrifice, possibly still alive or the still beating heart of a lamb.”

“Awesome, can’t wait,” she said, shaking off her nerves.

“I’m serious, Victoria. Your magic probably won’t do anything to destroy it so be prepared to think outside the box.”

“How far outside the box?” Mike asked.

“Way,” Derrick replied.

“So, I need to destroy a magical shrine without using magic and think on my feet before being devoured by a gang of rotting corpses all while avoiding magical volleys being lobbed at me by an evil necromancer?”

“Sounds like a piece of cake,” Mike joked. “Here. Take this; just in case.” He handed her a small pocket knife he carried around for emergencies and shrugged when she looked at it in question. “You never know.”

“You’re right,” Victoria sighed. “Guess it’s now or never.”

They entered through a shattered door and made their way into the atrium hall. “Wow! We’re definitely in the right place,” Victoria said through a shiver. “Can you feel that?” she asked, looking over at Derrick.

“No. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. It’s…powerful.” The small hairs on her harm stood on end and she rubbed her hand across them. The temperature seemed to drop the farther into the darkened space they walked and she felt as though something was watching them. “We shouldn’t be here.”

“We should hurry,” Mike suggested.

“No. There is no telling what we are going to find in here; best to take our time,” Derrick cautioned. “What are you sensing, Victoria?”

“Evil. Pure evil. And it seems to be—calling to me.” Derrick narrowed his eyes toward the detective and watched as she rubbed away more goosebumps. “Derrick.”

“You got this, Victoria. And I won’t let anything happen to you.”

They walked a little deeper into the temple, stopping short of another dark hall when an ominous thrumming followed by a far-off boom exploded in the distance. “What the hell was that?” Mike asked, peering into the shadows to try and make out what was ahead.

Victoria had heard it, but she was more enthralled by the large figure standing in the door. A spark of fear ran through her as the man’s yellow eyes seemed to pierce right through her. “I’ve been expecting you.” His voice was deep and thundered within the room where they stood, echoing off the walls and surrounding them. “He said you wouldn’t be alone.”

“Who said?” Victoria pressed.

The man lowered his head, giving an amused and shameless chuckle before disappearing into the room. The group exchanged glances, understanding the man expected them to follow behind him. Grinning lewdly, he took her in, sizing up the supposed competition before leaning back against a long table near the wall. Victoria could see behind him it was the exact set up Derrick had told her to expect. A gruesome showcase of blood, guts and magic; it was dark. “Hmm,” the necromancer sneered. “You don’t look like much.”

“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you,” Victoria replied.

“Watch your tongue, witch,” the man shrieked and instantly stood erect. “You’re a guest here. Keep in mind I can end you with the snap of my fingers!”

A chill went down Mike’s spine when he spoke this and he looked around the room. Dozens of zombies stood against the walls, awaiting orders to attack. He sucked in a deep breath, keeping one hand on the grip of his sidearm and his muscles tensed. Looking toward the others in his company, he could see he wasn’t the only one suddenly uneasy.

Despite being supernatural himself and known for his zealous approach to battle, Derrick was looking considerably worked up. It wasn’t the look of someone numbed to battle and it wasn’t the look of someone who was interested in seeking out their own death. He wondered what exactly was going on through his mind right now.

“Hmm. You know, I’m not entirely sure that’s true,” Victoria scoffed. “Cassatt has a plan. Of which I know I’m not to be harmed. And considering you seem to be his little puppet on a string, there’s no way you’re giving an order that would directly conflict with his.”

The man sneered and as threatened, snapped. Time slowed and Victoria found herself unable to immediately respond; in fact, she couldn’t even move. Squeezing her eyes closed, she took heavy breaths in order to calm herself. Beads of sweat fell down her face and she chanced a look toward her partner and then Derrick.

Unlike her, they didn’t appear frozen in place. He had other plans for them instead. The mass of monsters scattered around the room had all come to life and were making direct paths toward them both. Taking another deep breath, Victoria clenched her hands and conjured up one of her most powerful protection spells, exhaling the breath as she released a curse toward the man standing in the center of the room.

A bright, green line of energy appeared and shot across the room, severing the priest through his midsection. He stumbled back, appearing visibly shaken as he felt the strength of her magic rocket through him. Touching his stomach to ensure he was intact, he looked up at her with renewed anger. “Did you really think that would be enough to kill me?” The necromancer screamed at her between heavy panting breaths.

“No. That wasn’t for you,” Victoria replied.

“Well, THIS is certainly for you.” With the flick of his hand, he sent a flurry of weapons hurtling toward Mike. The back of his hand reflectively moved to shield himself, blocking the oncoming strike that would’ve ended him. Yet, there was no wound, no blood, and no pain. The priest’s weapons simply rebounded off of his skin, unable to find any purchase against him. Slowly, he opened his eyes but didn’t stop to question it or wonder in awe at Victoria’s power as the army of undead closed in around him and Derrick. 

Bloodied appendages hanging like tattered rags, jagged teeth jutting from rotted mouths and long, claw-like fingernails aimed toward them and were quickly closing in. The monsters moaned and groaned, half dragging one putrefied limb or another. Remnants of pink flesh peeked out through exposed skin and spongy, grey matter mashed over gaunt, dull faces with empty staring eyes. The drooling, mindless corpses marched relentlessly toward their target, ready to sink their teeth in.

“We got this,” Derrick said, charging toward the undead army. “Go take care of the rest.”

Her hands gripped the handle of the blade in her pocket and she dug in her heels preparing to charge. Ducking under a large bolt of lightning the priest cast toward her, Victoria retrieved her hidden weapon and quickly darted toward the table.

The blade was thrust into the beating heart at the center of the macabre display. “NO! What have you done?” the priest shouted. 

The Houngan’s flaming body exploded, bursting apart with the destruction of his spell. Blood and flesh were consumed by a magnificent light that engulfed the area. It took a few moments until the flash cleared, leaving behind a smoldering ruin on the temple floor, but above all, the voodoo priest had disintegrated completely and there was no trace of the monsters he had created.

“So…is it over?” Mike asked, once the dust settled.

“Either that or he likes to make a flashy exit,” Derrick joked. Victoria laughed and turned toward him. It was then she saw the extent of the wounds he’d suffered.

A trail of blood was leaking from the top of his forehead and from both corners of his mouth. He was also gripping his right ribcage and moving with a slight limp. “Derrick!”

“I’m ok,” he quickly answered, seeing the panic on her face. “I’m healing.”

“You need to eat.”

“And I will. But first, let’s get out of here.”

As far as they could tell, everything had returned to normal. The news was no longer reporting on random assaults of crazed people biting and scratching innocent civilians. Destroying the heart caused a complete reversal of the spell. Anyone who’d been infected made a recovery. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

“Alright! Popcorn’s popped, pillows are fluffed and I am ready to finally relax,” Victoria announced, setting a large bowl of the buttery treat on the table before plopping herself into Derrick’s arms.

Pushing play on the remote, the opening scene for Night of the Living Dead began playing and Derrick quirked an eyebrow at her. “Interesting choice,” he remarked as Victoria snuggled deeper into his chest. “I’d have thought you’d had your fill of the grotesque.”

“Quite the contrary. This is where they belong. Behind fifty inches of glass and being projected on the screen; not out of it.”

“Here, here!” Mike agreed as he scooped up the bowl of popcorn and settled onto the couch beside them.

Derrick glanced over in question as Victoria’s partner shoveled a handful of the movie snack into his mouth and sighed. “Are you planning on going home sometime tonight?”

“Who me?” Mike asked, nervously pointing toward himself. “Uh…”

“Aria’s out of town on business and you know how superstitious Mikey is. I’ve made up one of the guestrooms for him. We wouldn’t want the things that go bump in the night to bump into him.”

Derrick burst into riotous laughter at the thought of the seasoned lawman being afraid of a few monsters. “In that case, you’re welcomed to stay for as long as you need.”

Continue---->