Nanowars: Rebirth - 8. Chapter 8: The Eye

Chapter Eight: The Eye

“Oh my god…” Kyle exclaimed. First they had taken the giant rat out. Then they had taken Samuel. What came back looked like a hybrid of the two, its flesh half burnt.

“What the fuck did you do?” Thad demanded as the creature was shoved into a cage, squealing in pain.

“I’m afraid he was another failure.” Dr. Frost sighed, cleaning his glasses with his white lab coat. “It happens in this business. The Spiderwolf attacked your friend when they were put in the same cage. That interfered with the process. Now who will volunteer next?”

“You must be kidding?” Darren replied.

“If you can’t pick among yourselves, we’ll do it for you.” Landon replied.

“I’ll go.” Thad replied.

“Sir!” Darren protested.

“I should have been first. I’m not going to skirt my duty a second time. I’m going.” Thad said, walking toward the door to the cell.

“I thought you would.” Landon said smugly.

When the door to the cell opened Thad attempted to step forward only to be shoved to the metal floor as Darren made an attempt to escape. He didn’t even make it out of the room before one of the guards shot him in the back of the head, killing him instantly.

“What a waste.” Landon sighed. “Collar the colonel and the rest of them as well. Let them see with their own eyes what awaits them.

After they and all three of the blue skinned beings were collared, they were escorted into a cavern. Thad was put into a cage with one of the blue skin creatures which looked up at him with sad opal eyes.

“Open the Eye.” Dr. Frost ordered.

From the center of the cavern a metal iris opened, letting a brilliant white light flood the chamber, blinding Thad as the cage was lifted up and moved over the Eye. As the cage was being lowered he felt the being with him wrap its arms around the back of his neck and whisper one word… Alisa. Not knowing what else to do he wrapped his arms around the creature. When they were fully within the Eye the being began to scream as Thad felt the creature fall apart in his hands. It was not long after its voice had gone silent that the colonel replaced it with his own wails as he felt as if his body was being torn apart.

___________________________________________________________________

“Stay behind us.” Lance told Harry for the third time since they had entered the Maze.

“We don’t have much time Lance… they’re going to do it again.”

“We’re moving as fast as we can… the Maze is a big place after all.” Lance said as he saw one of his men given him the all clear signal. “Okay the passage is safe. You stay back until I tell you the next one is ready.”

“This is ridiculous.” Harry grunted.

“Travis’s orders… he doesn’t want to take any risks with you.” Lance insisted.

“Fuck that.” Harry replied, running forward past Lance.

“Damn it!” Lance cursed, running after Harry. Soon all three teams were running just to stay ahead of Harry. At the Eye, Harry found six Lordon guards dead and almost a hundred men, in dirty black uniforms, with their arms raised above their heads.

“That’s him… that’s the guy in the photo!” one of the prisoners said.

“Me?” Harry said surprised.

“You are Dr. Winters, correct?”

“Yes, but how do you know who I am?”

“Because our mission was to figure out what happened to you. That is why we attacked the Lordon Corporation’s research lab here in Alaska. It was them who sold you out!”

“You know we can’t let these men go.” Lance whispered into Harry’s ear.

“Fine… take them back to the Relic but tell Travis they’re under my protection.”

“Of course, but what do we do now?”

“Is the bomb ready?” Harry asked.

“Yes.”

“Give it to me… and your gun.” Harry ordered.

“You can’t be serious!” Lance replied, flabbergasted.

“I’m very serious.” Harry said checking the clip before stepping toward the pillar of light. “I’ll be back.” He said before disappearing in a flash of light.

“You better be or I’m a dead man.” Lance sighed.

As the minutes passed and Harry didn’t return, Lance’s fear only grew until he found himself pacing around the pillar of light. Then a body appeared, followed by four others… one of them not human, but one of the specimens Travis had traded for Harry. At last, Harry appeared, his right shoulder bleeding from an apparent bullet wound.

“It’s done.” Harry said, slumping to the ground just as the pillar of light disappeared. “I never thought I would need to use one of Travis’s damned weapons.”

“You’ve been shot.” Lance said in a scolding tone.

“Is this what it is?” Harry said sarcastically, looking at his bloody hand.

“Travis is going to kill me for this!”

“Let me worry about Travis. These people need medical attention.”

“You need medical attention.” Lance insisted waving a medic to him. “I take it the Eye was destroyed.”

“No… it’s only closed, under a mountain of rubble.” Harry said as the medic removed his shirt.

“It’s a clean shot… went right through him.” the medic said as he started bandaging Harry up.

“I’ll be alright.” Harry insisted in a peevish tone. “What about the others?”

“It seems two of them were already put through the process.” Lance said. “You saved one man from a similar fate.”

“What creatures are they? I’ve never seen this kind before.” Harry said pointing to the unconscious blue humanoid.

“We don’t know Harry. We believe they’re not from the Maze but came in like we did. Where, we don’t know and we can’t understand their language. Travis knew though that Lordon had never seen such creatures and therefore used them to bargain for your return.”

“Harry…” one of the fused humans moaned.

“Yes.” Harry replied as two of his men rolled the man over.

“So it is you…” the man chuckled though in pain.

“You were one of the men who came looking for me?”

“Yes… it turns out we once dated the same woman.”

“Emily?” Harry said surprised.

“Yes… she tried inviting me to your wedding. When you disappeared, she came to me since she knew I worked for Military Intelligence.”

“I told her not to do that since it would put her own life at risk.”

“Well, she didn’t listen.” the man moaned.

“I’m sorry you got involved in this sir.”

“Thad… Colonel Thad Labatt.”

“I’m sorry Thad, more than you can possibly know.”

“Now that doesn’t sound good.” Thad said as he curled up in pain.

“I’m afraid so. Out of the frying pan and into the fire I think would apply to your situation.”

“So my men and I are your prisoners.”

“Colonel, Travis won’t let you go, you know too much. Even if I could talk him into freeing you, Lordon would hunt you down. You also need our help given what was done to you.”

“I’m so confused Harry… if I can call you that. My head is swimming. Things are popping into my head that I don’t understand.”

“I know Thad… more than you can believe. Just try not to worry about it right now.”

“Oh god… I can’t deal with this.” Thad moaned.

“Please give him something for the pain,” Harry told the medic.

“Yes sir.”

“What’s going on Harry?” Lance asked confused. “That man is a trained officer but he looks like he’s about to have a mental breakdown.”

“You never ask exactly the right questions do you Lance.” Harry sighed.

“Hey!”

“Lance, have you never wondered why Travis only brings in gay men?”

“Because he’s a horny bastard.”

“It’s because gay men can adapt easier to the fusion process.”

“Why?”

“Lance…” Harry said temperamentally. “Exposure to the Eye or the Relic changes a man.”

“You mean turn them gay?”

“You can be so dense sometimes… Those who have gone through the relic are naturally drawn to each other.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. In fact, I’ve not understood a single thing that has happened today.”

“Damn Travis…” Harry cursed. “He always goes for looks rather than intelligence.”

“Are you saying I’m too stupid to understand?”

“Lance, you were handpicked to be Travis’s guard dog. Dogs don’t ask questions, do they?”

“I’m a very good guard dog.” Lance replied darkly.

“I know.” Harry said, reaching to scratch Lance behind the ears to stress the point.

“Okay… I admit it. I’m not the brightest bulb in a Christmas tree. But that’s not my job.”

“Yes, which means I should warn you that your new playmate might end up out smarting you in the end.”

“But Tobias adores me.”

“You make him feel very special which makes me happy for the both of you. He might be timid but he’s also quite clever.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Just that you two are going to make a very interesting couple.” Harry laughed.

“Well… so long as he loves me I don’t care. We should be going though. With the Eye closed, the creatures of the Maze will stop avoiding this place. The scent of blood alone will bring countless predators down upon us. You should also get stitched up. On the way you can tell me how you were able to free so many prisoners.”

“It’s was pretty simple. They couldn’t see me.”

“But you got shot?”

“Oh, they knew something was wrong. A few of the guards started shooting around wildly. One of them got lucky, that’s all.”

“Travis is still going to chew my balls off.”

“I told you… I will take care of Travis. Anyway… we took out Lordon’s main research facility. That should make Travis very happy.”

“You’re right, it will.” Lance said smugly as they began heading back to the Relic.

“Just don’t ask for a promotion.” Harry warned, seeing the smile of Lance’s face.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. As soon as I get back I’m going right to Tobias’ place and stay there for a week. Hopefully Travis will have cooled down by then.”

Feeling someone tap his shoulder Harry turned around to see one of the blue skin humanoids standing behind him. “Alisa.” it whispered.

“What?” Harry said shocked.

“Don’t pay any attention to that.” Lance said dismissively. “It’s the only word they seem to know how to say.”

“I see.” Harry replied, his eyes frozen on the beings smiling face. He did not think this creature would have said his true mother’s name by chance. It might mean his mother was still alive and was trying to look for him. It gave him hope at least. Turning his gaze away from the humanoid he found himself looking at Thad who was being carried by his men. He was going to be a problem, Harry was sure of that. Harry had hated his life at the complex with Travis’s wild mood swings and every man fawning over him whether they truly like him or not. He had wanted stability… some semblance of a normal life. Living with Travis, it was something that would never come to pass. He was back now but this time he had men who were now bound to him and not Travis.

Like Thad, it was stirring conflicting emotions inside him. While Travis had always been proud about his numerous sexual conquests, it had always hurt Harry to have men come in and out of his life based on what assignments they were given. These men Thad commanded were his though. Soon all of them would find that they would never want to leave Harry, at least willingly. It was a comfort and a responsibility that was new to him. It is why he had insisted on coming, to stop any more harm happening to these men who had risked their lives to save him