《Feeding Fersia》


 Chapter 1: McBrid

    MCBRID RACED OUT OF his office and down the hallway, following the faint sound of the muffled scream. He should stop. Go back, but his legs kept moving. He should¡¯ve never heard the noise, but he had and he knew that voice. It was Charlie. The damn Guard was too young to be in a place like this but here he was and he was in trouble.


    A House Servant shoved past him, barely limping on a leg that¡¯d been broken too badly to repair. Apparently, when monstrous death stares someone in the face, injuries cease to exist.


    McBrid didn¡¯t hesitate at the door. He should¡¯ve. Any sane Almighty would¡¯ve, but there was the problem. He wasn¡¯t pure Almighty. Thirty-two years of hiding the Guard in him, ruined over one garbled scream of terror. He burst into the room.


    Charlie was on the floor, several feet over the line that separated safety from death. The young Guard was trying to scramble away from Aranea18, the giant spider mutation, who had one of her four, long, hairy legs wrapped around his waist. The two claws on the end kept him in place but didn¡¯t dig into his flesh. That pleasure would be saved for her fangs.


    ¡°Help me,¡± yelled Charlie. ¡°Please! Help me.¡± He clawed at the tile but Aranea18 dragged him closer to her, closer to death.


    The other Guard McBrid had assigned to feed Aranea18 with Charlie, was on the floor near the cage. He had no idea why she wasn¡¯t eating him. One of her other legs wrapped around Charlie¡¯s face, sliding into his mouth and silencing his screams. He bit down and she screeched, letting him go for one quick instant. As the Guard lunged forward, McBrid grabbed his hand, pulling Charlie toward him, but Aranea18 wasn¡¯t going to be denied her meal. She grabbed Charlie¡¯s ankles with two of her good legs, flailing the injured one in the air as if chastising them and clinging to the bar of the cage with her other leg.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t let go,¡± whispered Charlie, his big, brown eyes wide with fear.


    McBrid tightened his grip but he was no match for Aranea18. He slid forward with the young Guard. He tugged and scrambled backward but the Aranea was strong and hungry, her fangs snapping together as poison dripped down her furry torso. In another moment he¡¯d be over that line too. She looked at him, with her eight, black eyes, four on top and four on bottom, and let go of Charlie with one of her legs. She reached for McBrid¡¯s arm. He dropped his hold and scooted away from the line, away from death. He hadn¡¯t planned on letting go, he hadn¡¯t meant to but instinct had kicked in and this one was probably Almighty not Guard.


    ¡°No, please,¡± yelled Charlie, his eyes almost popping from his head as he clawed at the tile trying to get away.


    McBrid shouldn¡¯t do anything. Guards¡¯ lives didn¡¯t matter. They were expendable, easily replaced. He¡¯d heard it his entire life and he hated the truth in the words as much as the lie. To him and his mother Guards had never been replaceable.


    The poles they used to control the Araneas were lying next to the cage. He jumped to his feet, ran across the lab and grabbed the hose used to clean the enclosures. He unraveled it from the wheel and ran toward Charlie, stopping right at the line. He turned it on, aiming for Aranea18. The water burst forward, hitting her in the head. She screamed but tightened her leg around Charlie¡¯s ankle. She wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. He lowered his aim to her abdomen. She was sensitive there. She flew backward hitting the wall of the cage. This time, the sound she made¡ªa grating, screeching cacophony of pain and anger¡ªechoed through his bones almost causing him to piss his pants. Then, she dropped to the floor, falling silent.


    Charlie scrambled to the door, as McBrid turned off the hose. His heart hammered in his chest as he stared at the Aranea. Her legs twitched and then curled inward as if protecting herself.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked.


    Charlie nodded and then bent over and vomited.


    He wanted to puke too. Aranea18 wasn¡¯t moving. She was the most important creature in Professor Conguise¡¯s lab and he was pretty sure he¡¯d just killed her to save a Guard.

 Chapter 2: McBrid

    MCBRID STARED AT THE mess that¡¯d been Aranea18. Conguise was not going to be happy about this.


    ¡°Wh-what about Reeky?¡± stuttered Charlie.


    They both stared at the Guard lying unconscious on the floor. He was young too, only a few years older than Charlie.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s still breathing,¡± said Charlie.


    It didn¡¯t matter. The poison in Aranea18¡¯s bite would liquefy his bones. ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°Reeky¡­He was dragging the Servant. I¡­I told him we should get help but everyone else was busy and¡­and he wanted to get it done. He was sneaking out to¡­¡± Charlie¡¯s eyes widened even more.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care if you guys sneak out.¡± Most Almightys kept their Guards and Servants like prisoners. Conguise was no different.


    ¡°I¡­Me and my brother don¡¯t. We know we¡¯re lucky to have a home.¡±


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t care what you do when you¡¯re not at work.¡± He grabbed Charlie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But here¡­in this place¡­you have to be careful. You have to follow procedure.¡± The kid was going to get himself killed. His eyes darted back to the Guard on the floor. A bloody liquid was beginning to leak from Reeky¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°We have to help him,¡± said Charlie.


    It wouldn¡¯t do any good, but Charlie was right. They had to try. ¡°Go get your brother and bring something to clean this up.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to anyone.¡± He grabbed the kid¡¯s wrist. The young Guard was all arms and legs, not an ounce of muscle or fat. He should be home hanging out with his friends but that wasn¡¯t the life of a Guard. They were sold and put to work before they were ten. It was the way of the world. His mother had hated it and so did he.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, sir.¡±


    ¡°Not even to your brother. Not until you both get in this room. Got it?¡±


    Charlie nodded and left, part of Aranea18¡¯s leg still wrapped around his ankle. She hadn¡¯t let go even in death. He turned the hose on again, lower this time, squirting her gently. She didn¡¯t flinch. She was dead and so was he if he didn¡¯t think fast. Conguise wouldn¡¯t take this news well and no one got fired from Level Five. They all worked here until they either displeased the professor enough that they disappeared or they died from an attack by a creature, which Conguise reported as an equipment accident. He snorted back a laugh. It was kind of funny because to the professor these creatures were equipment¡ªexpensive, valuable equipment¡ªand he¡¯d just broken one beyond repair.


    He moved toward Reeky, his eyes on Aranea18. He kept the hose pointed toward her as he bent by the Guard. He felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak. She hadn¡¯t killed him. He had no idea why. Like usual, with her there were more questions than answers even for him, and that was how he¡¯d keep his job and stay alive.


    He grabbed Reeky¡¯s arm and pulled him to the door. The Guard¡¯s wrist was already soft like bread dough. He dropped his hold, wiping his hands on his pants but the memory of the mushy flesh remained. He moved to his workstation and opened his notebook. He¡¯d make Charlie take the other Guard to the infirmary. He jotted a note for the doctor, explaining that there¡¯d been an accident and that Charlie needed a sedative and Reeky, when he died, needed to be placed in his office. It¡¯d be the first chance McBrid had to analyze exactly what the Aranea poison did to a body. Usually, he only had the husk of the Servants to study because the Araneas drained them dry.


    McBrid¡¯s eyes went to her. It was strange that the creature, monstrous in life, looked small and pathetic in death. She was curled into herself, her legs tucked around her body, making her half her size. Even her fangs looked smaller. He¡¯d have to measure her remains. Not that he had anything to compare them to. She¡¯d been too valuable to sedate, so he hadn¡¯t dared get too close. Conguise had had great expectations for Aranea18. She was the first female in eighteen tries to survive the transformation and he¡¯d killed her¡ªall for the life of a Guard. He didn¡¯t regret it, but the professor would be livid.


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    ¡°Is Reeky...¡± Charlie came into the room, pushing a mop bucket around the Guard on the floor.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll make it.¡± He knew Reeky wouldn¡¯t but didn¡¯t have the heart to say that to Charlie. ¡°Take him to the infirmary.¡± He handed Charlie the note. ¡°The doctor needs to look you over too.¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°You need to be examined and then you need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sir. No disrespect but maybe, it¡¯d be better if three of us were here.¡± Louis, who was as solid and muscular as his brother was skinny, stepped over Reeky carrying a body bag. ¡°One of us should stay outside the cage.¡±


    ¡°Good point.¡± He grabbed the hose and pointed it at Aranea18. ¡°I¡¯ll need her remains taken to my office.¡± If he still had one once he spoke with Conguise.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Louis hesitated at the door to the cage. ¡°She¡¯s really dead, right?¡± The fear made the Guard¡¯s eyes huge in his large, round face.


    ¡°I squirted her again and she didn¡¯t move, but poke her with the mop handle.¡± He was pretty sure she was dead, but it never hurt to be positive, especially when working with Conguise¡¯s creations.


    Louis traded Charlie the mop for the body bag. The handle knocked against the bars from the Guard¡¯s shaking. McBrid couldn¡¯t blame him. All Conguise¡¯s creatures were deadly in some form or another but this one was special¡ªsilent, ruthless, fast and strong. He¡¯d admired her when awake and had nightmares about her when asleep.


    Aranea18 didn¡¯t even twitch when the mop handle landed on her leg.


    ¡°Poke her again. In the abdomen.¡±


    The Guard did. Aranea18 remained still.


    ¡°Again. Make a hole. Draw some fluid.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Louis glanced at him.


    ¡°Never take your eyes off her when you¡¯re that close.¡± The words flew from his mouth like a whip and the Guards flinched. He took a deep breath. They were both too young to be here. ¡°Sorry, but you must always, always pay attention to the creature you¡¯re near.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sir. I know that, sir.¡± Louis was staring at Aranea18 again.


    ¡°If she¡¯s dead, poking a hole in her abdomen won¡¯t hurt her and if she¡¯s not¡­it¡¯ll save all our lives.¡±


    Charlie took a few steps backward, not even seeming to notice that he¡¯d done so. McBrid almost did too. His eyes darted to the line on the floor. He was in dangerous territory, but if Aranea18 attacked, Louis would need his help. His legs shook, but he forced his feet to stay in place as he tightened his grip on the hose. All he had to do was turn the valve and a surge of water would hit her again. He¡¯d never thought water would kill something so strong.


    Louis rested the pole on her abdomen and pushed until yellowish fluid oozed from her body. She remained still.


    ¡°She¡¯s dead. Open the cage.¡± He didn¡¯t put the hose down.


    Louis pulled the mop from the cage and held it like a weapon as he unlocked the door. Charlie whined slightly. He wanted to whine too, but instead he took deep breaths. Louis¡¯ entire body shook as he stepped into the cage, but Aranea18 didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Bring me the bag,¡± said Louis.


    Charlie trembled but moved forward. He put the bag down next to her body. The brothers looked at each other and in silent agreement picked her up and stuffed her in the bag. In his years on Level Five, McBrid had seen many creatures put into bags and hauled away but he¡¯d never seen it done that fast.


    ¡°I got this,¡± said Louis as he lifted her. ¡°You take Reeky to the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to help you clean up?¡± Charlie¡¯s legs shook like he couldn¡¯t wait to run out the door.


    ¡°I got it. Go.¡±


    Charlie nodded, almost tripping in his eagerness to get out of the cage. Anything was better than being by her even in death. The young Guard grabbed Reeky by the arms and pulled him out of the room and down the hallway.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± McBrid asked. She hadn¡¯t been a huge creature, or at least she hadn¡¯t looked that way in death, but she should be heavy.


    ¡°Nah. She¡¯s lighter than I would¡¯ve thought.¡± Louis carried her out of the cage.


    McBrid¡¯s hands tightened on the hose as the Guard neared. ¡°Really?¡± Most of the creatures here were heavier than they looked¡ªall muscle and power.


    ¡°Yep. You want me to leave her on a table in your office?¡± asked Louis at the door.


    ¡°Put her in one of the cages.¡± They¡¯d had other creatures feign death as a way to escape and he didn¡¯t want to go into his office later to find her very alive and hungry.


    Louis nodded, trembling slightly as he glanced at the bag in his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡± If she woke, Louis would never survive alone. Not that he¡¯d be much help, but together they might be able to incapacitate her¡ªdoubtful, but with two of them they had a chance.

 Chapter 3: McBrid

    ¡°A GUARD? YOU KILLED Aranea18 to save a Guard?¡± Professor Conguise¡¯s patrician lips curled upward in a snarl.


    McBrid would¡¯ve loved to have pointed out that at the moment the professor didn¡¯t look much different than a Guard, except without the fangs. His tongue ran over his teeth, feeling the flat caps that covered his fangs. He¡¯d been lucky. Except for his teeth and a more burly physique, which he attributed to working out, he looked like an Almighty. He had brown hair and blue eyes. Those would¡¯ve been impossible for his mother to hide. The teeth hadn¡¯t been easy but she¡¯d been determined to protect him and his grandfather had been determined to protect his only daughter.


    ¡°She was worth more than all the Guards combined. What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I wasn¡¯t.¡± That was true. His instincts hadn¡¯t taken over like that since he¡¯d been a young boy.


    ¡°Well, you should¡¯ve been.¡± The professor walked to the window in his office. ¡°This sets us back months.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree, sir.¡± One of his most useful abilities was being able to merge the subservience of a Guard with the arrogance of an Almighty.


    ¡°You don¡¯t.¡± Conguise turned toward him. ¡°Why should I care what you think?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the expert on the Araneas.¡± He took a small step forward. It was plotted and planned but he kept his face impassive as if he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d done it. ¡°If you recall, I was the one who suggested we use Servants instead of Guards for this creature.¡± The professor didn¡¯t like them called mutations. Conguise believed he was creating new species not mutating existing ones.


    ¡°Yes. So?¡± Conguise¡¯s nose was wrinkled a little as if he smelled something distasteful.


    Perhaps, the man could sense McBrid¡¯s differences. Conguise knew that the different classes could breed and produce viable offspring. McBrid had read all the Necessary Truths. He¡¯d spent too many years watching over his shoulder to work somewhere and not investigate everything. So shortly after he¡¯d started, he¡¯d broken into Conguise¡¯s office and had spent every evening for several months studying everything he could find. There¡¯d been pages and pages of information on their ancestry and the lies told to the populace.


    He leaned forward. Conguise took an unconscious step backward. He had to tread carefully. If Conguise were too nervous around him, his days here were over and that meant his time on earth was done. ¡°I understand the physiology of the Araneas better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, not well enough.¡±


    Touch¨¦. ¡°That was an unfortunate mistake and it won¡¯t happen again. I¡­None of us had any idea she¡¯d be that fragile.¡± He leaned back as Conguise¡¯s eyes sparked with interest. ¡°Something as strong as her. As fast as her. As deadly as her¡­and yet, her body was weak. It truly is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was and now she¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°I can create another one. A better one.¡±


    ¡°She was the only one who survived the process,¡± snapped Conguise.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Eight males survived.¡±


    ¡°Not for long.¡±


    ¡°Because she killed them, not because of the transformation.¡± He moved to the chair by the desk. His time for penitence was over. ¡°May I?¡±


    Conguise frowned but nodded, taking his own seat behind the desk. ¡°You believe you can duplicate the success?¡±


    ¡°I know I can.¡± He was almost positive he could. He¡¯d tampered with the serum, making the dosage weaker and unknown to Conguise, he¡¯d changed the proportions of the DNA of the contributing spiders.


    ¡°Hmm. You said you¡¯d make a better one. Better how?¡±


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    ¡°Aranea18 was amazing but uncontrollable. If you recall, her Servant host was similar. We chose her because she was strong and had a will to live.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that was the correct choice because she did survive unlike the others.¡±


    ¡°But it also backfired.¡± He was excited to try this again. Aranea18 had been his duty, his creation but she¡¯d become more trouble than she was worth. ¡°As you¡¯re aware there were many issues, too many, with Aranea18.¡±


    ¡°She was extraordinary. We failed. We needed to learn how to control her.¡±


    ¡°That would¡¯ve never been possible, not with her.¡±


    ¡°How do you propose to change it for Aranea19? She still needs to be strong, fast and deadly. I won¡¯t allow you to make a weaker one. They must be strong.¡±


    Why they needed an army of giant spider-like monsters, he had no idea. The professor usually used DNA from creatures that had existed centuries ago, but for this one and a few others, Conguise had dabbled with local specimens.


    ¡°And she will be. I think Ableson was on the right path before¡­his accident.¡±


    Ableson had been his friend. They¡¯d spoken many times about their work. At the hospital, when Ableson had woken, McBrid had been the first person he¡¯d asked to see. Ableson had been terrified that Conguise would discover what he¡¯d done. He¡¯d begged McBrid to go to his house and the lab and remove all his notes.


    He¡¯d thought Ableson had just been frightened because his friend had taken his work home with him. It was against policy to remove anything from Level Five, but they all took their work home. Results were expected¡ªmore than expected. If a scientist didn¡¯t produce, that scientist was officially fired. Unofficially, they disappeared. He¡¯d agreed to his friend¡¯s request and had retrieved all the notes and experiments that weren¡¯t logged into Conguise¡¯s system.


    ¡°You think if she bonds with you, she¡¯ll obey?¡± Conguise shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake Ableson did.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say Ableson had been right. I said he was on the right path. There¡¯s a big difference.¡± He¡¯d spent weeks poring over his friend¡¯s notes, and unlike Conguise he knew what had really triggered the River Man to attack. He¡¯d do what scientists did¡ªlearn from others¡ªbut unlike Ableson, Conguise didn¡¯t supervise his every action.


    ¡°The right path? What path was that? The River-Man almost killed him.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Unlike Ableson, I don¡¯t intend to try and get the creature to bond with me.¡± That was a foolish belief spurred on by Conguise¡¯s teachings. The professor tried to merge the host and the parasitic DNA but that never worked. The DNA destroyed the host. No matter how much serum the professor injected into his creations the host would transform. It¡¯d be replaced by something else, something new, but the professor refused to see that.


    ¡°Then what path are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The Guard who became the River-Man loved his companion.¡±


    ¡°He killed that Servant.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Actually, that wasn¡¯t what had happened. ¡°But he may not have if you¡¯d changed her too.¡±


    ¡°You give too much credit to the other classes. They don¡¯t feel love the way we do.¡±


    He knew for a fact that was false but as always, kept his mouth shut on that topic. ¡°I believe that if I find a female who is in love with a male, they will breed and she won¡¯t¡­eat him.¡±


    ¡°You plan on using Servants again?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He hated experimenting on Guards.


    ¡°Good luck with that. They¡¯re the most faithless of the classes.¡±


    ¡°But when they love, they love deeply if only for a few months. We don¡¯t need them to pair forever, just long enough to produce offspring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Conguise¡¯s eyes widened and a small smile played at his lips. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that.¡± He smiled fully. ¡°That¡¯s why I keep you around McBrid. You think differently than I do and although you¡¯re usually wrong, sometimes you brush against genius.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Mostly wrong, his ass. His assumptions were almost always correct but Conguise would never admit that.


    ¡°Do you think they can be controlled?¡±


    With food, like any other wild animal, but that wasn¡¯t what the professor wanted to hear. ¡°With your permission, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Go. Find your Servants in love.¡± Conguise held up one finger, halting McBrid¡¯s exit. ¡°I¡¯m having a dinner party in two weeks. I¡¯d like you to attend. It¡¯s to celebrate Viola coming home from college.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s almost finished, isn¡¯t she?¡± He knew of the professor¡¯s daughter, all the scientists did. Many hoped to catch her for a wife, cementing their place in Conguise¡¯s lab. He wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°She is. Spring will be her final semester. She¡¯ll come to work for me, of course.¡±


    ¡°Level?¡±


    ¡°One to start. She¡¯ll have to earn her promotions just like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Please. The professor doted on his daughter. She¡¯d be on Level Four before a year was out. Level Five? He wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever make it there. She was a kind, young woman and may not agree with the experiments on Level Five. ¡°Shall I bring a date?¡±


    ¡°No. No.¡± Conguise shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve invited everyone necessary. Just show up the Saturday after this one at six.¡± The professor turned back to his work.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± He walked to the door and stopped. ¡°How is Ableson? I haven¡¯t seen him since his release from the hospital.¡± No one had.


    Conguise looked up, his face now a mask. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Working on some research for me. Not ready to come back to the lab but still useful.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I said hello.¡± Tell his corpse, because that¡¯s what happened to anyone on Level Five who failed Conguise.

 Chapter 4: McBrid

    MCBRID HEADED FOR HIS office, glad he was still alive and that Conguise hadn¡¯t ordered Charlie¡¯s execution. He stopped at the door, his hand on the knob. He was faster and stronger than Almightys but he was no match for Aranea18. He had Almighty ears, so he couldn¡¯t shift them, but he had a Guard¡¯s hearing and he used every bit of it to listen for any sound. Araneas were a quiet creature but they did make noise when they moved. It was an eerie skittering sound of claws on tile, but today there was nothing but the office machines. He opened the door a crack. She could be waiting. When hungry she¡¯d never been the patient type, always eager to attack and feed, but between feedings, she¡¯d sit in the corner and study him and the Guards, watching for weaknesses and opportunities like the one she¡¯d been given today.


    The body bag was in the cage where Louis had left it. McBrid¡¯s sweaty palm slipped off the doorknob as he walked into the office, closing the door behind him. On second thought. He opened the door, propping a chair against it. It never hurt to leave an escape, not that she¡¯d let him get away but maybe someone would hear him like he¡¯d heard Charlie.


    He moved toward the enclosure, his nerves humming with warning. His hand shook as he unlocked the cage, his eyes never leaving the bag. He stepped inside. Any movement, even the slightest whisper, would send him fleeing to safety, but the bag remained still. He bent, his body hovering over her. If she attacked now, he¡¯d have no chance. His heart pounded in his ears, blocking all other sound. He lifted the bag. She was amazingly light. Louis had said as much but he hadn¡¯t truly understood. Most dead things seemed to weigh more as if burdened by the missing spirit but not Aranea18. Of course, he¡¯d never lifted her when alive. He wouldn¡¯t be here if he¡¯d tried, but he¡¯d assumed she¡¯d be heavier. She¡¯d been exceedingly strong and that usually meant muscle.


    He carried her to the table. None of the other females had made it through the metamorphosis. They¡¯d died in their host shell¡ªmutated and changed a little, but mostly Servant. The eight males¡­Well, there hadn¡¯t been much left of them to study. Aranea18 had not only sucked out their juices but she¡¯d annihilated their bodies, pulverizing them into dust. He¡¯d assumed she¡¯d done it on purpose, but perhaps once dead they were just fragile and had dissipated under her.


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    His hand trembled on the bag¡¯s zipper. This was the moment. She could be waiting, unable to escape. He slid the zipper down a fraction. Nothing moved. He unzipped it fully and stared at her corpse. Alive she¡¯d been beautiful and deadly but now she looked small and weak. Her legs curled around her body as if hiding herself. Her abdomen was flat, empty with hunger and death. He touched one of her legs. The black bristles were soft like hair. He¡¯d assumed they¡¯d be hard like a wire brush. He gently moved her leg away from her face and a piece snapped off.


    ¡°Damn.¡± He placed it on the table. She was even more delicate than he¡¯d imagined. He reached into the bag and lifted her out, pushing the bag to the floor and placing her on the table next to her leg. He tried to move her other legs away from her body without breaking them, but they all snapped¡ªbrittle like fall leaves. He stacked them next to the other one.


    Her large fangs were filled with amber fluid. Today, he¡¯d manage to save his job and his life, but next time he might not be so lucky. He needed a better insurance policy. Having copies of his notes stashed in numerous safe deposit boxes, would buy him time, but it wouldn¡¯t free him from Conguise. Only death would do that.


    He wrapped his hand around a fang. It was hard, like a tooth and it didn¡¯t break away like her legs had. He yanked but it didn¡¯t budge. He needed that fluid. With this poison he could create a weapon, one that might kill Conguise before the professor put him inside the belly of a beast. He pulled harder. His hand, slippery from sweat, slid down the fang and his finger brushed against the tip.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± He let go, shaking the small drop of blood from his finger. ¡°Damn. Those are sharp.¡± The room spun and he wobbled, suddenly very sleepy. Drugs. She¡¯d drugged her victims. He stumbled toward the door. If she were faking, pretending to be dead¡­No, he¡¯d broken off her legs. She was dead. He dropped to his knees¡ªbut if she weren¡¯t he would be.

 Chapter 5: McBrid

    WHEN MCBRID WOKE HIS head was pounding, his mouth was dry and his hand throbbed as if it¡¯d been smashed with a hammer. He sat up, trying to remember what had happened. He was in his office. The door was shut. He¡¯d left it open. Shit. She was alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Charlie stood from where he¡¯d been curled in the corner.


    Charlie was here and not scared. She had to be dead but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from turning around. Aranea18 was lying on the table¡ªlegs piled alongside her torso. He exhaled slowly as his heart resumed a more normal pace.


    ¡°Louis will be right back. He needed to use the bathroom,¡± said Charlie.


    ¡°Louis?¡± He worked alone¡ªalways. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­We came by to thank you for helping me and saw you.¡± Charlie¡¯s brown eyes were wide in his narrow face. ¡°I thought you were dead. That she¡­¡± He glanced at Aranea18.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± He pushed himself off the floor. ¡°Holy Araldo.¡± He shook his hand. His fingers were swollen and hot. Red streaks spread outward from the wound and his wrist was already beginning to swell.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± said Charlie.


    No shit, genius. He walked to the counter and dumped alcohol over his hand. His knees buckled and the wound bubbled and foamed, burning out the poison, but it wouldn¡¯t be fast enough. He had to incise it or he¡¯d lose his hand, maybe his arm. He should¡¯ve known better than to touch the damn fang but he¡¯d thought he¡¯d have to drain the poison. He hadn¡¯t anticipated it leaking. Even in death she was deadly.


    ¡°You should probably see the doctor.¡± Charlie fidgeted, his eyes going to the door.


    ¡°No.¡± He couldn¡¯t go to the doctor. The doctor reported to Conguise and although it was McBrid¡¯s job to perform a necropsy he didn¡¯t want any questions about the venom. Some of that was his.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    Louis stepped into the room. ¡°Good you¡¯re¡­¡± His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on McBrid¡¯s swollen hand.


    ¡°Shut the door.¡± He would¡¯ve handled this himself, but they were already involved so they may as well assist. ¡°Come over here. Both of you.¡± He grabbed a knife.


    The two brothers glanced at each other but stayed where they were.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stab you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± Louis still looked unsure as he moved to the counter.


    Charlie followed, staying behind his brother.


    ¡°Hold my arm.¡± He placed his hand, palm up, on the counter. He tried to straighten his fingers but they were too swollen.


    Louis grabbed his wrist. The Guard¡¯s grip was firm and unyielding.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t let it move.¡± He glanced at Charlie over Louis¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Stretch out my fingers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked the young Guard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it myself.¡± His other palm was sweating, making his grip on the knife slip. He dropped it for a moment, wiping his hand on his pants. ¡°Hurry. I¡¯ve got to get this poison out.¡±


    Charlie moved around his brother, his hand shaking as he grabbed McBrid¡¯s fingers, straightening them.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he hissed through clenched teeth.


    Charlie let go.


    ¡°No. Keep them straight.¡±


    The Guard grabbed them again, stretching them out.


    Sweat dripped down McBrid¡¯s face and onto the counter as he wiped his hand on his pants again and grabbed the knife. ¡°Hold it tight, boys.¡± He jabbed the knife into his finger and sliced. ¡°Holy shit!¡± It was like someone shoved an ember under his already aching flesh. A thick yellow fluid oozed from the cut. He dropped the knife and used his other hand to push down on the wound. He needed to get all of it out or the dermonecrotic toxin would continue to feed on his flesh, making a disgusting shake for Aranea18¡¯s dinner if she were still alive.


    His vision blurred as he continued to force the fluid from his hand. ¡°Charlie, go to the closet and get a small sealed container.¡±


    The Guard dashed across the room and rummaged through the closet. He came back a little slower, his complexion graying as he stared at the mess of pus and blood that dripped onto the table.


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    He snatched the container from Charlie, tearing off the seal and lid. ¡°Let go, Louis.¡± He lifted his hand and collected some of the fluid. He¡¯d study it later.


    Soon, only blood dripped from his finger. The poison was gone. Now came the hard part. The surrounding tissue had to go. He put his hand back onto the table.


    ¡°Hold it down.¡±


    The large Guard grabbed McBrid¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Charlie once again hid behind his brother.


    ¡°I have to remove all the damaged tissue.¡± His mind clamored, coming up with every reason not to do this, but it had to be done. ¡°If I pass out, I need you to finish this.¡± His eyes met Louis¡¯.


    ¡°What do I have to do? Exactly.¡± Louis¡¯ voice shook but the Guard would do what he was ordered. He was strong like that. All Guards were.


    ¡°See where the tissue is inflamed.¡± He pointed at his finger with the knife. ¡°That has to go. It¡¯s filled with toxins and they can still spread.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Louis, a bead of sweat running down his cheek.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He truly meant it. ¡°Now, hold tight and I¡¯ll try not to pass out.¡±


    Louis squeezed McBrid¡¯s hand almost painfully, but that was nothing compared to what was coming. He took a deep breath and sliced off a chunk of his flesh. The room spun so he focused on his hand. He had to do this. Louis would try but he might not get it all. He cut off another hunk and another. His grandfather had hated him for being a Guard but no Almighty could¡¯ve withstood this pain. Almightys were strong in mind but weak in body. He was a great blend of both but his grandfather had never understood that. Never. The old man had only seen and hated the Guard in him. He kept slicing until all the infected tissue was gone. He dropped the knife. ¡°Bandage.¡± His voice was soft almost as if it came from someone else.


    Charlie ran back to the closet and returned with an armful of bandages. McBrid grabbed one, swallowing back bile as he wrapped his hand. He staggered toward his chair but his knees crumpled under him. Charlie and Louis grabbed his arms, one on each side, helping him to his feet and over to the chair.


    ¡°Get him some water,¡± said Louis.


    Charlie snatched the coffee mug off McBrid¡¯s desk and ran to the sink. He was back a moment later.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He grabbed the cup, water sloshing out and onto his desk and papers, but he didn¡¯t care. He took a drink, the cool wetness helping to clear his head. ¡°Thank you both.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± asked Louis.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Louis¡¯ eyes darted to his brother. ¡°What about Charlie?¡±


    He took a deep, shaky breath. ¡°He¡¯s fine but stay out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Charlie steadied himself against the desk.


    ¡°Yes, thank you and he will,¡± stammered Louis. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he doesn¡¯t cause anymore problems.¡± For the first time that evening, there was color in the Guard¡¯s face.


    ¡°I-I think you two should report to me for a while.¡± He didn¡¯t trust Conguise not to punish the young Guard.


    ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡± Louis looked at his brother, once again unsure.


    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start right now.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Charlie squeaked, glancing at Aranea18.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He needed her venom. He preferred to do it alone but if he didn¡¯t do it tonight, someone would surely be here to assist him tomorrow. Conguise never waited for the accounting of creatures or parts of creatures. There¡¯d been too many disappearances in the past. Now, everything was weighed, measured, counted and locked down. Once that happened, there was no way for him to get a sample for his own studies. He stood, bracing against the desk until the room steadied. ¡°I need to extract her poison.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Charlie and Louis at the same time.


    He walked to the cabinet and grabbed a pair of gloves¡ªwhat he should¡¯ve done earlier. He tried to slide one over his injured hand, but there was no way that was going to happen, not tonight. He tossed two pairs to the Guards. ¡°Put these on and follow me.¡±


    He moved over to the carcass. ¡°Charlie, hold her up.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue. ¡°She¡¯s dead. Hold her up.¡±


    The Guard trembled but did as commanded.


    McBrid grabbed two vials from a drawer. He handed one to Charlie and held the other one under her fang. ¡°Charlie, we need to catch the venom.¡±


    The Guard placed the other container below her other fang.


    ¡°Louis, grab her jaw and pump it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The large Guard took a step back.


    ¡°We need to extract the venom. Stroke her jaw.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Louis sounded unsure but he moved to the table. ¡°Like this?¡± He pressed his hands against her jaw like a vise but nothing came out.


    ¡°Try massaging it. Rub it back and forth.¡±


    The Guard adjusted his technique and the poison dripped from her fangs. It had a sweet odor almost like fruit but with a hint of spice¡ªcinnamon, maybe. It smelled good but tasting it would be deadly. Still, if he could keep that odor it may help him administer it one day.


    After a few minutes the steady dripping slowed and then stopped. He screwed on a lid and put the container aside. Charlie did the same. He¡¯d remove some later¡ªwhen he was alone.


    ¡°Now, I need to dissect her.¡± His arm trembled as he started to slice into Aranea18. With his hurt hand, he¡¯d do more damage than good and the Guards wouldn¡¯t know where or how to cut properly. He put down the knife. ¡°Actually, this can wait for tomorrow.¡±


    Louis sighed in relief and Charlie let Aranea18 slide back onto the table. McBrid started to lift her but Louis brushed his hands away.


    ¡°What do you want me to do with her?¡± asked the Guard.


    ¡°Put her in the cage.¡± She was dead but he¡¯d feel better knowing she was locked up.


    All eyes were on Louis as he carried the carcass to the cage. McBrid grabbed one of the containers of venom and slipped it into his pocket as the Guard placed Aranea18 down and then locked the door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± He waited at the door for the brothers to leave and locked his office. ¡°No need to say a word to anyone about anything that happened tonight.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± said Louis.


    Charlie nodded.


    ¡°Good. Report to my office tomorrow morning. You can assist with the dissection.¡±


    Their faces paled but they nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fun, but it¡¯s also not dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Some of the tension left Louis¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Charlie still wasn¡¯t happy about the task.


    He wanted to chuckle at the young Guard but being that transparent was dangerous, especially around here.


    He left the lab and headed home. He¡¯d sleep, eat and go through Ableson¡¯s notes again. Even though he didn¡¯t believe that these creations could be controlled they may retain some of the characteristics of the host. Ableson¡¯s River-Man had, if the other scientist¡¯s notes were to be believed, and there¡¯d been no reason for Ableson to lie in his personal papers. It may not work, but it was worth a try. All he had to do was determine what kind of Servant would be a perfect host for Aranea19.