Chapter 14

Logan found Grace standing listlessly in the middle of the street. Tears were rolling down her face. Across the road, Darrell’s house had shattered glass and a significant amount of blood spilling into the street. Logan was scared to find out what happened, but that would have to wait. Nothing else mattered but Grace.

He quickly ran up to her, picking her up and hurried toward Darrell’s house. Logan pressed his back against the front door. Grace’s tendrils were slithering around his body. Some were constricting so tightly that it felt like his ribs were going to explode.

“Am I a monster?” she asked, staring up, still crying.

Logan placed his hand on her head.

“Of course not, you’re my daughter. And no daughter of mine could ever be a monster.”

“But I look like this!” She wriggled her tendrils, tightening further around him. He knew his daughter wasn’t trying to crush him. She was merely seeking a hug. He pulled her into the largest hug he had ever given.

“No matter how you look, you are your daddy’s precious girl.”

“Really?” she looked up at him. Her lavender eyes were sparkling like gemstones.

“Really,” he responded with a warm smile.

Grace stopped crying, and her hand and mouth slowly returned to normal. At that moment, Logan could hear a thud from upstairs. He quickly covered Grace’s mouth. Another thud, then a loud crash, as Darrell rolled down the wooden stairs.

Logan instinctively covered Grace’s eyes. He couldn’t allow her to see the sight before them. Darrell was bleeding profusely. One of his legs had been mauled off. He glanced up, and blood trickled down, leaving him squinting with one eye.

“Logan… you must run… this town… everything…” he coughed, blood splattering across the hardwood flooring.

Logan didn’t need to be told twice. He scooped up Grace, who was still confused by what was happening, and jumped out of Darrell’s window. He heard footsteps approaching. He made a split-second decision—ducking into the back tray of Darrell’s parked Ute. Logan found a tiny gap to look out of.

“Daddy? What’s happening?” Grace asked, poking her head to look through the gap as well.

Logan shielded her eyes.

“I’ll let you know when I can, just remain quiet, okay?”

She nodded, and Logan waited as a series of Agents, led by Mr Big himself, walked around the corner of the house.

“Did you find Subject 58?” Mr Big asked in his commanding voice.

“Not yet, sir,” an agent responded.

“How did you allow them to get away?”

“My mistake, sir.” The agent glanced to the ground, trembling.

“Indeed. It was.”

Logan watched as Mr Big pulled out a gun and shot the agent point-blank in the head.

“Failure won’t be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?!” He called out.

“Yes, sir!” chanted several other agents, all of whom were trembling.

He turned his head to another agent, who was pale-faced and nervously trying to avoid his gaze.

“You were Agent Brown’s partner, weren’t you?”

“Y-yes, sir…” she stuttered.

“Then it is your failure as…” he trailed off, turning his head towards Darrell’s house. “Well now, it is your lucky day.”

He stepped over the body of the deceased agent and, taking a large step, entered Darrell’s window. None of the agents dared move without instruction. A second later, the wheezing body of Darrell was thrown out of the hole in the side of his house, followed by Mr Big.

“It seems this witness is still alive. I assume you know how to prove your worth, Agent Williams,” Mr Big smiled.

The female agent reached to her side, retrieving her pistol. Her hands remained unsteady as she raised them.

Darrell defiantly glanced up at Mr Big.

“Fuck y-” he never got a chance to finish. Mr Big shot him. The female agent's eyes widened.

“I gave you a second chance, and you failed once more. Fail me once, shame on you. Fail me twice… shame on me.”

He clicked his fingers, and several shots rang out as the female agent’s lifeless body slumped to the ground.

“Does anyone else have any bad news for me?” Mr Big asked, glancing around at the remaining agents.

“No, sir, I do have some good news for you,” the voice of Agent Monroe rang out. She stepped out from around the side of the house and paced up to the man. “The tests came back on Subject 317.”

“Oh?” he turned his head like a snake to face her. “What did they show?”

She adjusted her glasses.

“Consistent with the mutations we saw in 264.”

“And how do they compare with Subject 71?”

“They show similar characteristics, albeit different. It appears that spawn are the primary anomalies, with the incubators sharing some characteristics.”

“Excellent work, Agent Monroe.” Logan felt a chill run down his spine as he saw Mr Big smile a genuine, wicked grin. “These findings are all the more reason to find and neutralise Subject 58.”

“Yes, sir,” Agent Monroe replied with a salute.

“If it’s consistent with the others, then the Prime Minister has given strict instructions to erase all evidence,” Mr Big added.

“If it has to come to it, then so be it,” the voice of Agent Johnson chimed in.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Agent Johnson,” Mr Big remarked. “I thought I ordered you to monitor the townsfolk.”

“Sorry, sir. Indeed, I was, and that's why I am here. Our sensors detected a signal from the home of Subject 93.”

“A second in one night?” Mr Big sounded genuinely worried. “I understand why you came now.”

“Thank you, sir.” Agent Johnson performed a bow. “I checked the residence on the way over. I couldn’t verify the occupants, but there has been no sighting by any of the agents.”

“A false alarm?”

“Perhaps.”

“Stay alert. If nothing comes of it tonight, verify with Subject 17 in the morning.”

Agent Johnson smiled cruelly. Logan wanted to smack the smug look off his face.

“It would be my pleasure, sir.”

The familiar sound of gunfire filled the otherwise quiet night. A moment later, there was but silence once more. A second later, there was a crackle on a walkie-talkie.

“58. Neutralised,” a static voice commented.

“Any injuries?” Mr Big asked.

“Negative.”

“Good, make sure the mess is cleaned by daybreak,” he added.

“Yes, sir,” the agent on the walkie-talkie replied.

The line fell dead.

Mr Big turned back to Agent Johnson as a black SUV pulled up.

“I am leaving tonight to seek confirmation from the prime minister. We should have the green light in a few hours. Tomorrow night, prepare for Operation Cleanse.”

“I’ll notify the squadron.”

“See to it. Agent Johnson, I leave you as acting chief whilst I’m gone.”

“It’s an honour, sir.”

He rested his hand on Agent Johnson’s shoulder and leaned in close to him.

“Do not let me down. You should know what will happen if you fail.” He whispered.

“Of course, I won’t let the plan fail, sir.”

Mr Big leaned back with a seemingly gentle smile.

“This is what I like about you, Agent Johnson. I will leave this town in your hands.”

Mr Big entered the unmarked SUV, and it roared into life, moving towards the fortified wall. The moment Mr Big left, Agent Johnson reached into his blazer pocket and retrieved a packet of cigarettes. He carefully lit it up, took one puff, and dropped it, stomping it out.

“Looks like this is the end, Claremont. Farewell,” Agent Johnson cackled like a madman.

୨⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯❤︎⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯୧

End of Chapter 14