Sapien Loop 3 - Chapter 70: Night of Terror

Chapter 70: Night of Terror

Night had fallen upon the Downs Region.

Wendell, Yvonne, Lendall, and Gilling had been instructed to take shelter in the basement of the laboratory. Two enforcers were protecting them.

Lendall approached one of the enforcers. ‘How long is it going to take to sort out this problem?’ he asked an enforcer.

‘We’re still under instruction to keep you down here,’ replied the enforcer. ‘I will inform you when General Cecil gives us the all clear.’

‘Give me your stupid little radio,’ said Lendall as he beckoned with his fingers. ‘I want to speak to the “General” now.’

‘Just cool it, will you,’ said Yvonne. ‘After yesterday, nobody should be too keen to go anywhere.’

‘So you think we should just accept that an army of enforcers can’t stop one monster?’ asked Lendall as he looked at Yvonne.

‘It’s more like half an army at best,’ sighed Yvonne.

‘We should just let them do their job,’ said Wendell. ‘We don’t want to add more stress to the situation.’

The enforcer nodded in agreement.

Lendall snatched the radio off the enforcer. ‘Hey, Cecil!’ he shouted into the radio. ‘What’s going on? We want an update.’

‘Who the hell is this?’ replied a senior enforcer.

‘Put Cecil on, minion!’ shouted Lendall.

The enforcer snatched the radio off Lendall.

‘The situation is under control, sir,’ said the enforcer into the radio.

‘If he tries another stunt like that, tie him up,’ said the senior enforcer as he glanced over to Cecil, who was approaching.

‘Any news from our armoured vehicle unit,’ asked Cecil.

‘No, sir,’ replied the senior enforcer. ‘I was dealing with one of those Alset fools.’

‘We don’t have time for this,’ said Cecil angrily as he waved his arm. ‘We’re going to have to send a scout team up to check on them.’

‘I’ll organise one for you,’ replied the senior enforcer.

Cecil turned around and walked back to the small storeroom he was using as an office.

Cecil and a few hundred enforcers had taken shelter in the Industrial Zone underground storage facility. Several dozen enforcers had made it to the armoured vehicles. They were instructed to hunt down the Sentray. Without the infrared goggles, they were basically blind.

The senior enforcer rapidly assembled a team. Within a few minutes, they were on the surface. They immediately noticed smoke rising from the Downs Agriculture Zone in the area the armoured vehicle unit had last made contact with them.

The senior enforcer nodded to the others in the team, and they became invisible. They quickly made their way towards the smoke. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from that same area.

‘He might still be there,’ whispered the senior enforcer. ‘Step carefully and remain silent.’

They moved slowly and as silent as possible as they remained invisible. They could see the burning wreckage of all their armoured vehicles. The team climbed through the fencing into the Downs Agriculture Zone. They moved cautiously closer to the vehicles. They hoped to find survivors, but they soon encountered the first bodies. Most of them had been badly burnt, and a few were missing limbs.

The senior enforcer took a deep breath as they moved between some of the burning vehicles.

‘Help me!’ called out a voice.

The team cautiously made their way towards the voice.

The senior enforcer made a slight rustling sound that signalled for the others to remain invisible. He then became visible and approached someone who looked like a badly injured enforcer.

‘What happened here?’ whispered the senior enforcer to the injured enforcer.

‘It destroyed everything,’ he gasped. ‘It’s unstoppable.’

‘General,’ said the senior enforcer into his radio. ‘The armoured unit has been destroyed. We’ve found a survivor.’

‘Just one survivor?’ asked Cecil.

‘So far, yes, sir,’ replied the senior enforcer.

‘Bring him to me now,’ said Cecil. ‘I’m sure whatever he knows will be extremely helpful.’

‘Do you want us to continue searching for others?’ asked the senior enforcer.

‘There won’t be any,’ sighed Cecil.

‘Can you become invisible?’ asked the senior enforcer as he looked at the injured enforcer.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t,’ he gasped.

‘Don’t muck around,’ said Cecil firmly. ‘Just bring him here. I need to know what he knows before he dies.’

‘Yes, sir,’ replied the senior enforcer. He put his radio down and then looked in the direction of the team. ‘Gather around him,’ he whispered. ‘We’ll move him together.’

The team surrounded the injured enforcer. With their help, he became less visible.

After an uneventful trip back to the Industrial Zone, the injured enforcer was safely taken down to the storage area. Cecil rushed over to meet him.

‘It’s a miracle,’ said Cecil excitedly. ‘You’re a true survivor, a hero.’

‘Thank you,’ gasped the injured enforcer.

‘Come on,’ said Cecil to the enforcers with him as he pointed to a room just off the main storage area. ‘Let’s take him somewhere a little more comfortable.’

The enforcers headed towards the room that Cecil had pointed out. Cecil smiled as he watched them, and then just as they had entered, he looked at another enforcer and nodded.

‘Get down!’ shouted Cecil as he dropped to the ground.

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion in the room that the enforcers had just entered. The force of the blast blew the walls of the room out, causing rubble to fly across the storage area.

The flying rubble caused injury to several enforcers who could not get down fast enough. Several other enforcers were shouting in panic. The storage area rapidly filled with dust and some smoke.

‘Calm down, damn it!’ shouted Cecil. ‘Everything is fine.’

‘What the hell do you mean, everything is fine?’ shouted the senior enforcer. ‘That was my scout team.’

‘Their sacrifice was worth it!’ shouted Cecil. ‘That was him. We killed him. Look for yourself.’

‘You’re completely mad!’ shouted the senior enforcer.

‘He wanted to infiltrate our compound,’ shouted Cecil. ‘I have saved so many lives.’

The senior enforcer rushed towards what was left of the room that had exploded, but he could not enter because of the heat and smoke. He dropped back down to the ground.

‘Get in there!’ shouted Cecil. ‘You’ll see I nailed him.’

There was another loud explosion. This was followed by a cave-in near the exit.

‘This is your problem,’ replied the senior enforcer as he crawled away.

Enforcers could be heard shouting and screaming in fear.

Cecil staggered over to a cupboard. He pulled out a mask to filter the dust. Then he approached the room. The air was hot, but Cecil was able to tolerate it as he climbed across the rubble caused by the partially caved-in ceiling. He could see outside. The explosion had caused a fire above.

Cecil scanned the room with his eyes. Then a smile came over his face when he saw a badly injured and disfigured Sentray lying next to the damaged back wall of the room.

‘See, we got him; it’s over!’ shouted Cecil as he looked around, hoping to see the senior enforcer, but he had gone.

‘I sacrificed the few for the sake of the many!’ shouted Cecil as he walked towards the Sentray. ‘It’s a lesson you need to learn.’

Cecil looked down at the Sentray, who was still moving slightly.

‘How are you feeling now, you freak?’ teased Cecil as he kicked at a huge wound in the Sentray’s back.

The Sentray gasped and then shapeshifted into Julio.

‘This just gets better,’ chuckled Cecil as he watched Julio roll onto his back.

‘This might be the greatest achievement of my life,’ said Cecil as Julio desperately tried to breathe. ‘Or maybe not.’

Julio tilted his head back slightly and faintly roared.

‘I had so much fun when I visited your shithole of a city,’ chuckled Cecil as he opened his wallet. ‘I kept this photograph as a proud memento of that day.’

Cecil waved the photograph in Julio’s face. ‘I think you recognise her,’ he continued. ‘Well, the half of her I hadn’t skinned yet.’

Julio began to breathe frantically as his eyes bulged and turned completely red.

‘I’m so happy that this will be the last memory you’ll ever have of your sweet granddaughter,’ chuckled Cecil as he kissed the photograph, and then he placed it back into his wallet.

Cecil turned to look at Julio, but to his shock, he had gone. Cecil pulled out his gun to shoot where Julio had been lying in hope that he had become invisible. After firing several shots, Cecil knew he was not there.

Cecil ran out of the room. The dust had settled a little, and visibility had greatly improved. ‘He’s alive!’ shouted Cecil. ‘We must destroy him now while he’s weak. Don’t let him leave.’

‘We’re leaving,’ shouted the senior enforcer. ‘We’re done here. This place isn’t safe.’

Suddenly, there was a loud, ferocious roar from behind Cecil.

Cecil slowly turned around. His eyes bulged in shock as he looked upwards.

A short while later at the hotel, Duffo was pacing nervously in the restaurant. He had heard the explosions coming from the Industrial Zone.

Head Enforcer Eric entered the restaurant to reassure him. ‘Prince Duffo, we might have some good news,’ he said as he scurried over to Duffo. ‘Our brave enforcers might have defeated the monster.’

‘I don’t like the word “might”,’ said Duffo angrily. ‘I like definitive responses.’

‘Okay,’ said Eric as his eyes bulged slightly. ‘The monster is definitely dead.’

‘I knew Cecil would find a way,’ said Duffo excitedly. ‘I’ll make an announcement and let everyone know immediately.’

‘Oh no, don’t do that,’ said Eric in a panicked tone.

‘The Downs Region needs good news,’ said Duffo as he walked over to a communications machine that had been placed in the corner of the restaurant. ‘I, the new leader, should be the one to give it to them.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Eric as he followed Duffo to the communications machine.

‘Right, what do I do?’ said Duffo as he looked at the machine. ‘I want my voice projected across all speakers in the Downs Region.’

‘I think it’s that button there,’ said Eric as he pointed to a large red button.

‘Yes, of course it is,’ said Duffo angrily. ‘Now, move over there. You’re in my personal space.’

Eric nervously stepped backwards.

‘Hello, great citizens of Sapey, Prince Duffo here,’ said Duffo confidently into the large microphone on the machine. His voice was projected across all speakers in and outside buildings in the Downs Region. ‘I, your new leader, would like to inform you that the evil monster has been slayed by our heroic enforcers.’

Meanwhile, in the basement of the laboratory.

‘You could have just told me that directly,’ said Lendall angrily to one of the enforcers guarding the door to the basement he was in.

‘This is news to me,’ replied the enforcer. ‘I’ve lost contact with the General.’

‘Let’s face it, you’re a loser,’ said Lendall, grinning slightly. ‘Now, let us go.’

Meanwhile, in the hotel room that Hermon and Benny were hiding in.

‘This is such good news,’ said Benny as he opened his arms to hug Hermon.

‘This is ridiculous,’ said Hermon angrily as he pushed Benny’s arms aside. ‘He’s not the leader. He has no legitimacy whatsoever.’

‘We’re not going to die,’ said Benny as his eyes bulged and his jaw dropped slightly.

‘You mean you’re not going to die,’ said Hermon as he folded his arms. ‘Next time you should be careful what you say about someone.’

‘Let’s have a packet of juice to celebrate,’ said Benny as he patted Hermon on the shoulder. ‘I’ll let you have the lychee flavour.’

Duffo had now finished his announcement. He looked over at Eric, who looked terrified.

‘Your face and your words don’t match,’ said Duffo as he walked towards Eric, who was shuffling backwards.

‘Prince Duffo, you may want to head to the lobby,’ said Eric as his eyes bulged even more.

‘Great idea,’ said Duffo as he patted Eric on the shoulder. ‘I should thank the enforcers in person for keeping us safe.’

Duffo and Eric entered the lobby. The enforcers were staring out into the town square. They could hear screaming, and it was gradually becoming louder. A few seconds later, Cecil could be seen floating towards them.

‘He must be trying out those wings he took from the cult,’ chuckled Duffo. Then he turned and went back into the restaurant. Eric followed him.

Two trailers from the Industrial Zone appeared heading in their direction. Julio was pulling them, but he was invisible. Therefore, it looked like they were moving on their own.

‘The next act is about to begin!’ shouted Tiberius as he rattled his cage.

Julio became visible in his Sentray form. He no longer appeared injured. Cecil was lying inside Julio’s mouth. Julio had bitten into one of his legs. The enforcers stared at him in disbelief. Julio reached up and pulled Cecil from his mouth, tearing part of Cecil’s leg off.

Julio roared ferociously. Then he threw Cecil as hard as he could at the lobby window. Cecil smashed through the window. The glass in the window shattered into small pieces. The pieces of glass fired into the enforcers almost as if they were bullets. From Impact, Cecil had become imbedded in the wall behind the front desk.

Two enforcers were critically injured with pieces of glass imbedded in their necks. Most of the other enforcers were badly injured with cuts to various parts of their bodies. They desperately scampered into the hotel restaurant to distance themselves from Julio.

‘You’re fired, you useless bastard!’ shouted Duffo aggressively at Eric, who was now hiding under a dining table.

More screams could be heard from the town square. Julio had opened one of the trailers. He grabbed a badly injured enforcer with one hand. In his other hand, he was holding a blowtorch. He set the enforcer on fire and then hurled him at the hotel. The enforcer’s flaming body smashed through the glass door to the restaurant.

Duffo screamed in terror, and then he sprinted into the restaurant’s kitchen.

Tiberius began singing again, as he watched Julio hurl another flaming body at the hotel.

Julio turned to look at Tiberius. He flung the next enforcer at Tiberius’ cage. The enforcer split in half on impact with the cage. Half his body was imbedded into the metal bars. The impact had caused the cage to shake back and forth. Tiberius screamed in joy.

‘There’s a lot of noise out there,’ said Benny to Hermon. ‘I’m very worried.’

‘Just some juiced-up idiots celebrating,’ sighed Hermon as he continued to play his game.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud on their window.

‘Oh, that’s no good,’ said Benny.

‘These losers need to cut this out,’ said Hermon as he got off the bed.

Suddenly, the body of a burning enforcer smashed through their window and landed on their bed.

Both Hermon and Benny screamed.

‘Put it out!’ screamed Hermon. ‘Put it out!’

‘I’m not touching him!’ shouted Benny as he desperately tried to unbarricade their door.

‘Hurry up then!’ shouted Hermon as he pressed himself against the wall.

Lendall, Gilling, Wendell, and Yvonne had heard the screams from the town square and had decided to return to the laboratory.

‘Duffo is a lying bastard!’ shouted Lendall as the four of them headed back down to the basement.

‘Your impatience is just as bad,’ said Yvonne. ‘Now please shut up.’

‘When this is all sorted, we’ll have a real Alset running the show,’ said Lendall as they headed down the stairs.

‘You mean, Hermon,’ giggled Gilling.

‘Obviously not,’ said Lendall as he opened the basement door. ‘We’ll take a family vote on it.’

After bombarding the hotel with over a dozen bodies, Julio became invisible again. He had gone behind one of the trailers. He was pushing it towards the hotel. The trailer began to pick up speed. With all his force, Julio sent the trailer crashing through the hotel lobby and into the restaurant. The remaining injured enforcers fell out of the trailer. They desperately tried to crawl across the restaurant floor. Suddenly, the trailer exploded, setting the lower level of the hotel ablaze.

Duffo, Eric, Benny, and Hermon had managed to escape through the back entrance of the hotel, and they were heading towards the Downs Agriculture Zone to hide.

‘You’re not the leader,’ said Hermon as he jogged next to Duffo.

‘I was next in line behind Miro,’ replied Duffo angrily. ‘Therefore, I’m in charge now.’

‘He never said that, liar,’ panted Hermon.

Duffo pushed Hermon hard, causing him to fall over. ‘Be careful; you don’t want to become easy prey,’ he chuckled as he leapt over the fence into the Agriculture Zone.

Benny stopped to help Hermon. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked as he pulled Hermon up.

‘I’m just great,’ replied Hermon as he watched Duffo disappear into the dark. ‘He’s the one who’s not going to be okay.’

‘He could trip on a branch running like that,’ said Benny as he raised his eyebrows.

‘No, I’m going to stab him in the face,’ chuckled Hermon, as a menacing look came over his face.

‘You shouldn’t do that,’ said Eric as he jogged past them. ‘That’s a crime in Downs.’

Julio was pulling the other trailer towards the laboratory. The enforcers that he had captured inside were screaming. Julio roared ferociously.

‘That sounds close,’ said Gilling, who was sitting in the corner of the basement room where she and her relatives were hiding.

‘Our enforcers are useless,’ said Lendall as he anxiously paced. ‘I don’t trust our underground “relatives”, and these reinforced doors feel like they are made of thick cardboard.’

Julio pushed the trailer as hard as he could into the laboratory. He smashed through the entrance area and continued to smash the trailer through the ground-floor rooms. Glass flew in all directions. Most of the walls grumbled to bits on impact.

Julio ripped the door off the trailer. The dozen injured enforcers inside cowered at the back of the trailer. Julio shrunk so that he could easily walk inside. Once inside, he grabbed two injured enforcers. Then he left the trailer and headed towards the basement.

‘This whole damn place is coming down!’ shouted Lendall.

‘He’s trying to draw us out,’ said Wendell as he tried to remain calm. ‘We’re better off staying here. It won’t collapse on us.’

‘I don’t think it’s a choice at this point,’ said Yvonne.

There was a loud thud on the basement door. The middle of the door bowed inwards.

‘Ha, look it held up,’ said Lendall as the other three became invisible.

A few seconds later, the body of an enforcer smashed through the door.

Lendall yelped in fear and then became invisible.

An enforcer walked into the basement. ‘He’s coming!’ he said as he looked around the room. ‘We need to leave now.’

He paused for a second to wait for a response. Then he picked up a table and began swinging it around. He stepped on Lendall, who was hiding under the table.

Lendall yelped in pain. The enforcer reached down to grab Lendall. As he lifted him, the enforcer shapeshifted into Julio.

‘Show yourselves, or I’ll bite his head off,’ said Julio.

Yvonne charged towards Julio. He quickly responded by slashing her. She fell to the ground.

‘Stop this!’ said Wendell as he became visible.

‘The worshipped frozen speaks,’ chuckled Julio. ‘Tell me, what would you like me to stop? Do you want me to stop killing enforcers or maybe just Alset family members?’

‘I want you to stop all this brutality,’ said Wendell as he trembled in fear.

Julio shapeshifted his head into his Sentray form and roared ferociously at Wendell, causing him to fall over backwards. Then Julio bit Lendall’s head off, and then he spat the head at Wendell.

Gilling tried to make a dash for the door. Julio put his foot on her leg, forcing her to the ground, causing her to become visible.

‘You sick bastard,’ gasped Yvonne.

Julio picked Gilling up by her head. Then he hurled her into a wall, knocking her unconscious.

‘Why are you doing this?’ gasped Wendell as he got to his feet.

‘Your ignorance is pathetic,’ said Julio as he became invisible.

Wendell took a few deep breaths, and then he rushed over to Yvonne. ‘I’ll fix you up, don’t stress,’ he said.

‘I don’t think you can,’ gasped Yvonne as she looked down at the huge gash across her body, which was badly oozing blood. ‘See to Gilling!’

Wendell ripped his shirt off. He tried to wrap it around the huge gash, but he seemed to be only making things worse.

‘It’s okay, brother,’ gasped Yvonne as she tried to reach his hand.

Wendell reached out and grabbed her hand. Yvonne nodded slightly and then closed her eyes. Wendell kissed her hand.

Fabien had got into the last remaining flying vehicle in the region, and he had flown into the Downs Agriculture Zone to look for Duffo.

Duffo snapped a light stick he had taken from the hotel. He waved it in the air to get the attention of the flying vehicle.

Fabien saw Duffo and began to lower the flying vehicle. Just as he was about to reach him. A body of an enforcer smashed through the windscreen of the flying vehicle.

‘Oh shit!’ shouted Duffo.

Two more bodies were hurled at the flying vehicle, causing it to go out of control and crash land. Fabien was flung from the vehicle, landing on the grass before it crashed.

Julio became visible. He was in his Sentray form.

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ shouted Duffo.

‘In life, they killed my followers,’ said Julio. ‘In death, they kill all of you.’

A speeding waste disposal truck headed straight towards Julio. Julio leapt out of the way. The truck crashed into the outer wall of the region. Duffo took advantage to become invisible. Hermon and Benny, who were not far behind, had also become invisible.

Julio roared ferociously in an attempt to startle Duffo into becoming visible. Duffo maintained his composure and managed to remain invisible.

‘That’s Eric, in those bushes,’ whispered Hermon. ‘Why’s he not invisible?’

‘I don’t think he can do that,’ whispered Benny. ‘We need to help him.’

Benny approached Eric, and Hermon reluctantly followed him.

‘I’ll help hide you,’ said Benny as he grabbed Eric’s hand, turning him invisible as well.

‘Clever,’ said Hermon.

‘Our dear friend taught us this trick years ago,’ whispered Benny.

Julio continued to roar furiously as he searched for Duffo. He continued for almost an hour and then disappeared into the night.

August approached Benny, Eric, and Hermon.

‘Hey,’ he whispered to them.

Benny, who was still invisible, turned towards the voice.

‘Follow me,’ said August as he grabbed Benny’s arm.

A few minutes later, August had reached the secret hatch that led to the underground tunnel that the resistance used. They climbed down into the tunnel. Wendell, Gilling, and Polly were waiting inside the tunnel.

‘How did you find us?’ asked Benny. ‘Are we not very good at hiding?’

‘No, you did fine,’ replied August. ‘I just have a good eye for it.’

Hermon looked at his brother, Wendell, who was crying.

‘I’m sorry,’ said August as he looked at Hermon. ‘We’ve lost both Yvonne and Lendall tonight.’

‘That’s it,’ said Hermon angrily. ‘I’m coming for him and everything he loves.’

‘That’s how we got here in the first place,’ said August, shaking his head. ‘His family have been killed.’

There was a brief silence. Wendell put his arms around Hermon, and they both began to sob.

Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide

Sapien Loop: Worlds Collide is the final book in the Sapien Loop trilogy. It continues directly after the events of the second book. The world above and the world below merge into one world. The conflicts in the underground world are brought to the surface. The new ruling elite attempt to crush any resistance from above and below in an attempt to create a new global empire.

Currently, three books from the series have been published on Amazon; see the links below:

• Sapien Loop: End of an Era
• Sapien Loop: Frozen in Time
• Sapien Short Stories: Missing Links

All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.

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