Unbound

Chapter 11

Simon, his rusted ax in hand, leapt onto the bed closest to the door. The mattress protested as he sunk down a few inches, then sprang forward just as the door exploded into the room. Cheap wood and particleboard cascaded around Simon as he swung, taking a man in a bloodied business suit in the chest as the man hurtled through the opening. The blade bit deep and Simon jerked back, dislodging the half-moon blade of his ax, then kicked the man in his gushing chest, sending him reeling back through the ruined door.

Simon crouched before the door, waiting, but no one else appeared.

"Holy shit," Hayden muttered, his back to the wall beneath the broken window. Zareen pressed against the wall to his right, eyes wide, while his dad scooted back into the bathroom. Jesus stood between the two beds, muscled arms folded over his chest.

"Smell that?" Simon asked. He twirled the shaft of his ax in his hands, flecks of blood flying off.

"Vaig," Jesus said, nodding.

As if summoned, one of the reptilian-like creatures Hayden had seen in the church appeared around the corner of the doorframe, cautiously. Simon tensed as if to strike, but the creature ducked back out of sight.

"We only want the boy, Wardensss, only the boooooy," its voice hissed, exactly how Hayden had thought it would. He looked around, conscious of the fact that he was the only boy in the room.

"He's not a Warden," Simon spat.

"We will be the judge of that, dearessst Simon," the thing replied.

"Does Nesssa know you are using her children, Shira?" Jesus asked. He had yet to move. Thankfully, he looked rested.

"Worry not, Warden, ssshe will be along ssshortly," the Vaig hissed. It made a sound in its throat, which Hayden thought could be laughter.

"Can't wait," Simon said. He stood up straight and let his ax swing to the floor, while drawing his pistol from its holster. He fired twice into the wall beside the doorway, and the thing on the other side screamed and fell to the floor, kicking against the wall. "That won't keep it down for long, come on," he said and headed for the door.

Hayden scrambled away from the window and gained his feet, then reached into the bathroom and hauled his dad up. The man was white-faced and shaking. Among his other injuries sustained so far, he had a large egg-shaped lump on his forehead.

"I want to go home," the man said, eyes wide.

"Later," Hayden said as he pulled him along.

Jesus passed through the door behind Simon, looking to the left as a door down the hall banged open. Hayden glanced around, ignoring the lizard-person writhing on the floor and clutching its head in scaled hands. Green ooze seeped between the thing's fingers.

People were pouring into the hall, though most were getting wedged and stuck in the stairwell doorway. Their eyes were wild and most bore bloody cuts and scrapes. The ones who made it through the door were hurdling down the hall, slipping and falling and some crawling, but they were coming fast.

Zareen pushed past him from behind, cursing.

"Which way, Zareen?" asked Jesus.

"I didn't dream this," she replied.

"But you asked for this room specifically. Why?" asked Simon.

"I liked the numbers," said Zareen, shrugging. "But since they're coming from that way, I suggest we go that way," she pointed down the hall toward the other door, also leading to stairs.