Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 16

"Who the fuck is this, Debra?" Damien called out as Greg and him approached the duo.

"My name is Marcus."

Damien turned to face him, annoyance in his eyes, "I forgot I fucking asked you."

Smirking, Marcus nodded and held up his hands.

"His name is Marcus, Damien. Stop being an ass."

Damien's gaze grew harsher, "And why are you taking up for him? He give you some dick that made you forget your ties?"

"Say something like that again and you'll be going home with a broken arm."

The hateful glare vanished and a smile broke out across his face, "So you're still you."

"What?" Marcus and Kou asked in unison, glancing between the members of the group.

Damien turned to Marcus, the humor fading from his faux smile.

"I had to make sure you didn't fuck with her mind. The Doctor warned us of others that could."

"Others?" Marcus asked in surprise, causing Debra to throw a look over his way.

Damien frowned, a questioning gleam in his eyes, "Other telepaths. The Doc talked about a couple in the early days."

"Haven't you came across any others like you all these years?" Debra asked, turning back to face the road towards Vanceburg.

Marcus shook his head, "No. I met one individual that could use water a lot better than I can. Other than that, I haven't came across anyone in a long time."

Damien's face lit up with excitement as he formed a small sphere of water, no bigger than a floating golf ball, and launched it at a nearby transformer. Watching with intent interest, Marcus noted the water impacting against the wooden post, scattering the numerous birds that had gathered on the inactive lines.

"Just wait and see," Damien remarked, forming another ball and he began to toss it between his hands. "One of these days, I'm gonna nail one and I'll show everyone that those fuckers ain't real."

Marcus smirked at the idea, but said nothing as the duo of Greg and Debra sighed loudly and started walking away.

"We can't let them go towards Vanceburg, Young Marcus," Kou warned him. "Explaining the body, the cache, you not telling them to begin with. It's more than they'd be willing to believe."

Nodding, Marcus jogged to close the small gap that had formed between Damien and the leading duo.

"Vanceburg is the nearest town down this road. About twenty miles."

Greg threw a look to Debra, "We got another two or three hours of good sunlight left, Deb. We're not making that before it gets dark."

"I-" Debra started, but Greg held up his finger.

"Look, I know you can. But we're a team, right?"

"Yeah."

The defeat in her voice made Marcus grimace, but he knew the truth would only be worse for her to know.

Greg turned back towards Marcus, raising an eyebrow.

"You came from that direction? And you didn't see anyone?"

"No, she was the first person I've seen since I got near the crater."

"And you stopped in Vanceburg?"

"Yeah. Looted a small store and got enough food to get me... Well, here."

He stopped walking, glancing back at Damien who had begun to catch up.