Zombies On Fire & Other Short Stories

Raining Fire

"I'm sorry, love. I can't do anything. I guess this is it. I love you."

She reached out and took his hand lovingly. Tears streamed down her face.

Jenkins nodded for the men to move in and make the arrest. The men were nervous about it, but Captain had given strict orders for them to be brought in alive if at all possible.

"Go," Cook whispered to the woman, "I'll cover you."

"No, love. Please, don't do this," she whispered back.

The soldiers paused.

"Take them down, boys," Jenkins hissed. "Cole, contain him."

"I got 'em, boss."

The soldiers pressed in. But it was too late. A bright blue ball of light burst up in front of Cook. Jenkins glanced over at Cole to see if he could stop it.

Cole was shaking like a leaf. His outstretched arms trembled wildly.

His rival, Cook, vibrated as well, but the blue ball of light didn't stop growing. He pulled the woman by the arm toward him and shoved her violently into the blue ball.

Jenkins realized that Cole was unable to stop Cook from doing his thing.

"Fire," Jenkins ordered.

Bullets blazed around the room. Lighting up everyone's uniform. Jenkins could see his men's eyes in the reflections of muzzle fire from the weapons.

Cook's body trembled and jerked wildly as the bullets riddled his body. The soldiers stopped firing when he fell to his knees and slumped forward.

The ball of blue light disappeared. Darkness consumed them once again. It took a moment for Jenkin's eyes to adjust to the darkness once again. The only light came from the pale flames that still flickered around them.

It took a second for him to get over his blindness from the flash of the guns. But when he did, the woman was nowhere to be seen. Only Cook lay there gasping for his final breath.

"Where's the woman. She must have slipped off in the darkness. Find her." Jenkins barked into the comm.

"She's gone, sir," Cole replied. "He created a portal for her to escape."

"What are you talking about?" Jenkins growled. "A portal to where?"

"Only he knows the answer to that. But I don't think he was ever our Fire Monger in the first place."

"He's the one that killed my family," Blakely yelled.

Cole shook his head. "He didn't have that power. He had no fire essence in him. The only ability he has is to open portals to other places."

"I saw him on the tapes before everything went up in flames," she screamed.

"Uh, hmmm. Most likely, Cook became the face of the attacks to protect her from ever being seen. We just happened to get lucky and see them here together. Otherwise, we would have killed him thought it was over. And she would still be out there carrying on her attacks."

Blakely stormed off. Jenkins angrily kicked a bit of burning debris that happened to be in front of him. It smacked into Cook, still lying on the floor. He groaned raspily.

Jenkins realized he was still alive and kneeled down beside him. Pulled off his mask and grabbed him by the lapels.

"Where did you send the woman? And what was the point of all this?"

"We came to protect humanity from the Vioth'ito," he wheezed "Melantha and I were the only ones who stood in their way. Unless you convince her to continue the fight, you're on your own."

"Where did you send her?" Cole roared as he dropped to his knees beside Jenkins and shook the dying man violently.

"All that remains of me are blood and bones," Cook whispered with his final, gasping breath.

But it was no use. Cook no longer breathed. Jenkins pushed Cole away.

"It's no use, man. He's gone." Jenkins said softly. "Who are the Vioth'ito?"

Cole didn't answer. Jenkins asked again.

"Death incarnate," Cole finally replied. "I've heard of them but thought they were only a myth. But if Cook is right and the stories are true, then we are all doomed."

Cole stood up and walked away. He refused to talk about it any more as if speaking of this great evil would somehow attract them.

Jenkins gathered up his men and prepared for extraction with Cook's body. He needed answers, and he wasn't going to find them here. He needed a higher level of security access to find the answers he needed.

Who was Cook? Who was Cole? And who were the Vioth'ito?

He wouldn't stop until he got his answers.

"Where did Cole go?" Jenkins asked Blakely.

"He said something about going out to look for someone named Melantha."