PROJECT MORTUUS: Killer In Silence

Chapter 6: Trouble

Mortuus left the bunker and walked into the forest, calling out to Jackson. It was only as he called for the third time with no response that he remembered Jackson couldn't speak. "Real smart, expect a vocal response from the mute guy, Mortuus." He scolded himself. It was a rather stupid thing to do, in hindsight.

He began walking to the town, hoping to find him there. As he neared its peaceful lighting, an eerie feeling washed over him, like some sort of morbid sixth sense for danger. He started running, his trench coat flapping along in the wind behind him wildly.

Mortuus quickly pulled out his revolver as he noticed a familiar shape- A figure with a knife. He ran faster, sending a bullet out as he got closer to the mysterious figure. Maybe it wasn't what he thought, but it was better to take the risk and be correct than do nothing and be wrong, potentially losing another innocent life.

With a metallic twang, the figure's weapon flew from their hand and into the air, landing on the ground behind them. The figure darted toward Mortuus angrily. Just like he had predicted, the killer was indeed Kassandra Campbell.

She ran at him, her eyes glowing blue like a lightning bolt. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" She screamed angrily. Mortuus sighed and dipped out of the way, letting her fall to the ground as he turned towards her.

Before Kassandra could get up, Mortuus pointed his revolver at her forehead. "Make another move, and you'll have a hundred-fifteen grams of lead encased in nine millimeters of gold embedded in your head."

It was apparent to anyone that he wasn't playing around this time. No more innocents would die on his watch, and that was a promise he was determined to keep, even if it meant taking risks.

Kassandra stayed still. At this point, it was evident to any subject that a gold bullet to the head was all it took to end them, yet none of them really knew why. "Why not shoot that first, then?" She growled as if she was calling his bluff.

Mortuus shrugged, the barrel still pointed at her head. "I load this Russian roulette style. One gold, five normal."

She sneered, clearly annoyed by Mortuus's unbothered temper and, in her opinion, incredibly stupid loading style. He looked down at her, finally getting a good look at what she'd become since awakening. It wasn't as bad as his, and none were, but it was pretty awful nonetheless.

She was surprisingly gorgeous for technically being a long-dead woman. She had long, slightly curled black hair that fell to her slender shoulders. A cute button nose above plump lips surrounded by soft freckles-mesmerizing blue pool eyes. The only thing that seemed off was the nasty scar across her forehead.

Black lightning bolt-looking veins crossed her forehead like a headband, underneath which seemed to be glowing with florescent blue energy. Each time she moved her bushy eyebrows, the scar's 'bolts' smoked slightly.

She smirked and chuckled as she noticed Mortuus looking at her scar. "Unlike you, my death wasn't an accident."

Before Mortuus could respond, Kassandra kicked him in the gut, sending him soaring with crackling electricity. As he flew, the lights around him dimmed, and his vision blurred into nothingness.

Sometime later, Mortuus awoke, his head and hands twitching with cracks of electricity. He lifted his hand to his head, a bolt shooting from his palm and shocking him as it made contact. "Ow! That was shocking, to say the least." He groaned, his vision still blurry.

As he sat in pain, the fuzzy outline of Jackson appeared. His hand outstretched to Mortuus and offering to lift him. Mortuus grabbed a hold, allowing Jackson to raise him. He blinked a few times to shake away the confusion, his sight returning to normal.

Jackson tried his best to speak to Mortuus, but only guttural grumbles escaped his lips. He wanted to tell him what was happening but could only sign, "Trouble."

Mortuus shook his head, regaining thought again. "What do you mean trouble?" He asked. Jackson pointed over at the power grid in the distance.

"Shut down." He signed. Jackson was right. They had to shut it down or at least get the mayor or whatever to do it. "She went the opposite way, though, Jack. I think we have time."

Jackson nodded. That did make sense. Maybe she wouldn't think about the primary power grid. It still didn't put him at ease, probably because he was a power grid electrician and knew just how important it was.

Mortuus lifted his revolver and opened the barrel to check the bullets. The golden bullet was a whole three shots away from firing. She wouldn't have died if he had pulled the trigger on her. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that somehow she had known that. Was it possible that Kassandra knew?

Mortuus reached into his pocket for his pen. As he pulled it out, his heart sank. The blast had shattered his marijuana pen. It was a useless move, given how many he had back at the bunker, but an annoyance regardless.

He held it loosely as a tear fell before tightening his grip on the broken pen. He ground his teeth as he spoke, "This time, it's personal, Jack."

Jackson nodded. He hadn't known Mortuus for long but could tell that his pen was essential to him.

Jackson took a minute to think before signing to Mortuus, "What now?" Mortuus thought about it for a long time, sighing as he responded, "I guess now we find out what she wants with you."

As Mortuus turned to head towards the police department for some sort of information, Death appeared. His bony hands were clinging tightly to his scythe. Death lifted his hand and placed it on Mortuus's shoulder.

As Death's hand rested on Mortuus's shoulder, he cried, "No! Please, not again!" And with that final exclamation, he fell into another hallucination.