The Salvation

Chapter 55

|Malcolm|

There was nothing left in the city but destruction and death. Callus emphasised how this would've been the aftermath of the world had all attempts to stop The Apex failed. The beasts mighty, shrilling scream of agony was ear piercing, the sound heard for miles. The centre of Colorado City was nothing more than a crater, all the rubble incinerated and totally destroyed. Everything else surrounding it was a mass of doom. Whatever being from hell had climbed up to do this, was not one Malcolm hoped to show its ugly face again. All of Callus' mean seemed sad, shocked or tormented, their loyalty to Callus the biggest of all the questions plaguing them like a disease. Malcolm himself found those questions stalking him, a beast just as mighty as The Apex had been before its every destructive reign of terror was struck down by the giant blue explosion that tore a hole through the clouds, silencing the rain and finally allowing the sun to show its orange glow once again.

The sun itself didn't look any different, but it's rays the morning after The Apex fell were like a shower of glory. Malcolm knew it wasn't for him, he played too small a role in its downfall. Andrew Pratt and his wife, Felicia Pratt, were the ones who defeated the great beast, Callus rubbed that in to Malcolm as best he could to torment him. I'll find no love or even gratitude from Callus, only death and despair... Malcolm decided. Callus sensed Malcolm distance himself, but at his mere command Malcolm came running like the good dog he was. Callus didn't appear to show any remorse for creating the creature, only some level of disappointment it had to be killed before it could be out to its full use.

The Apex's body was great, broken and beaten on the ground by the bay. Half of its torso had been completely blown off in the explosion, and on its way down it crushed a building beneath its dead weight. It's red eyes still held their dominant colour, but they no longer glowed with rage, his jaws were still as large, but broken from place and twisted in their roots and its body was one whole piece, but blown in more places than one. Malcolm imagined what it would be like wield that much power in your own arms, have claws the size of a horse and teeth the size of a man, you have your own eyes a symbol of fear and true power... But Malcolm shoved them aside for other thoughts. Why don't we get the praise we deserve? If we hadn't of set up the reactor, it wouldn't have died anyway...

"I want samples taken from its blood, and sometime later in the month I'll send a team to gather a bone sample." Callus ordered his men about as if it were any other day, standing below the jawline of his great creation, twice as tall as a tower. "Where's my tracker?"

A scientist hurried fourth, phone in his hand. "The tracker is in the area sir, but we can't pick up the signal." The scientist explained, fearful of Callus' response.

"Activate the homing beacon." Callus commanded with a casual tone. His leathery skin glistened in the sunlight, making Malcolm uncomfortable. Callus seemed to dislike the sun, but he tolerated it for the time being. "Be quick about it, I've not long received word that President Fisher would have us at her parlay meeting with the bloody Pratt's in under an hour."

"They survived?" Malcolm blurted out.

Callus looked over to him with his cold, lifeless grey eyes. "I did not give you permission to speak Mister Howard." He replied with his raspy, cold voice. "But yes, they did survive their most valiant defence of the country." Callus confirmed, spying the annoyance in Malcolm's eyes. I have no love for the Pratt's... Not anymore... "You'll be wise to hold your tongue at President Fisher's parlay and if called fourth you will praise the Pratt's, get down on your fucking hands and knees and pray for their forgiveness and whatever seems to please them!"

"I will not do that, Andrew tried to kill me!" Malcolm argued back, gaining ground towards Callus slowly.

Callus pulled out his revolver and aimed it directly on Malcolm's chest, finger over the trigger. "If you're going to be any kind of a nuisance this parlay I will shoot you now!" Callus snapped back, his voice bridled with fury. "Andrew Pratt attacked you because you snitched in Oliver Simpson and Tony Marez! Andrew Pratt attacked you because you killed Terry Mathers, kidnapped Niall Colette and gave him to me, made it look like Jordan Pitt shot himself in the head and let's not forget how Marcus Gee was murdered by a "stranger" at a gas station!" Callus boomed.

"I did them under Deborah's orders!" Malcolm defended.

"YOU DID THEM UNDER MY ORDERS!" Callus yelled. He paused to recover his senses, all his men surrounding Malcolm with their weapons trained and ready to kill. "It was you who took out Aquarius Squad, I said the words but you did the actions. Now when I order you to not start anything unsavoury with the Pratt's, you'll do it. Correct?" Malcolm stopped and nodded, silencing himself. His head ached just like it had when Callus reconditioned him. A beeping noise came from the scientists phone and he presented it to Callus. "It would appear the tracker has found my prize."

Callus walked through the streets, Malcolm and his men following. All I need to do is pull that trigger... But Malcolm couldn't make himself, some part of his body made him stop. Callus walked through the trashed city until he came to a pile of rubble, broken concrete and debris, with a faded blue light and beeping noise escaping the cracks. Two soldiers from Callus' personal barracks pulled the rubble off, and a foul smell rose from within. Malcolm covered his nose, but Callus didn't seem to notice the smell. Maybe it's the burned nose... Callus reached into the rubble and with an angry tug, lurched out a dismembered head. Malcolm gasped as Callus smiled at the head, it's fur matted and tangled with blood. The collar slipped off its head, hitting the ground.

Malcolm picked it up and inspected it. He knew the dog, but he wanted confirmation. The collar had a small tracking device on the inside, a faint blue light flashing constantly. Malcolm read the front of the collar. My name is Shale, if I'm lost please return me to #7 Hathoway Street, Glade. Don't worry, I'm friendly! Malcolm dropped it again, looking at the head in disgust. Callus held the severed head of Shale under his arm causally, a smile on his face.

"I've waited awhile for my own dog, I've always wanted one." Callus joked sadistically. "Operation: Lazarus is to begin immediately... Have the head transferred to my Facility 1-A, I want his genetic make up mapped out and a few specimens begun by the end of this month."

Lazarus, Apex, Synth, Overlord... What else did he have?