“Not a chance,”he sneered. “Now back up against that wall and keep your filthy hands where Ican see them.”
I did as he asked,all the while trying to communicate with Phineas, but for some reason ourpsychic connection was blocked.
“So, you’re withthem now? Is that it?” he yelled. “You allow these freaks to use witchcraft toget you in here with me. You conspire against your own father with them?”
“You’re not myfather, and I’m sure as hell not your daughter.”
“Ah,” Trasksaid, nodding his head. “So, my wife is a traitor as well. Tell me, what elsedid my soon-to-be cunt ex-wife tell you?”
“She told me youkilled my mother when you found out I wasn’t yours.”
“Ha!” he shoutedgleefully. “I should have thrown that whore a party. The day I found out youweren’t the product of my seed was the best day of my life.”
“You’re gonnaburn for everything you’ve done,” I said.
“No, I don’tthink I will. You see, none of this is pretty, but doing the Lord’s work rarelyis.”
Phin groanedfrom his place on the ground, and I took a half step toward him before Traskstopped me. He now stood between us with his back to Phin, the gun still pointedat me.
Trask noddedtoward the gun. “Don’t do that again or I will shoot you, and while the RedFang in these bullets won’t affect humans, the lead as it tears through yourbody at a very high rate of speed, will.”
“How can youcall yourself a man of God?”
“I don’t want toshoot you, honestly. My plan is to have five or six of my soldiers gang rapeyou and beat you to death, while your freak boyfriend is forced to watch,unable to help, before he slowly dies of Red Fang poisoning. Then I can blamethe Cauld Ane for brutalizing and killing you, kidnapping and brainwashing ourpeaceful protesters, and my family. Then I can whip up public sympathy and I’llhave the beginnings of a war.” He sneered. “And thanks to a little somethingcalled Red Fang, that war will be even easier than I thought to win.”
I gasped.“You’re a monster.”
“Didhetell you about Red Fang?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll bethe’s taught you all sorts of things, hasn’t he? You are your mother’s childafter all.”
“If that meansshe was nothing like you, I’ll take that as a compliment,” I bit out.
“Ungrateful,little bitch,” Trask hissed. “What your little boyfriend probably failed tomention is that most humans have no idea of Red Fang’s existence. I bet what healso didn’t tell you was that if the general public did know about Red Fang,they’d be all for synthesizing large quantities and using it to wipe thesefreaks out. Can’t you see? My very knowledge of Red Fang is further proof thatGod has chosen me to rid the world, the oneHecreated for mankind, ofthese demon seeds. This gun and the bullets inside were a gift from anothergreat man of God. A man by the name of Donald Cary. A man whose family has beenbattling the Cauld Ane for centuries. This great man recognized a greatness in me.A greatness bestowed by the Almighty himself. The Cary family started the Handof the Cross, hidden in the dark, but it is I whom God has chosen to wage warin the full light of day. And I will be the one who brings the order and peaceof God back to this nation and to this world.”
When my fatherwas done, Phin tapped him on the shoulder.
“Are you donewith your speech?” he asked.
Trask spunaround to find a semi-healed Phin, on his feet, glaring down at him.
I concentratedquickly, jumping from the far wall, to by Phin’s side.
* * *
Phineas
I took in slow, shallow gulps asRed Fang coursed through my veins. I needed to reach inside my coat pocket andretrieve the antidote inside my syringe kit, but every movement not only causedextreme agony, but sped up the effects of the Red Fang.
I could hearTrask taunting Lennox.
“I don’t wantto shoot you, honestly. My plan is to have five or six of my soldiers gang rapeyou and beat you to death, while your freak boyfriend is forced to watch,unable to help, before he slowly dies of Red Fang poisoning.”
My anger burnedhotter than the Red Fang, and I screamed on the inside as I reached into mypocket and pulled out the kit, devastated to find the antidote vial shatteredand empty. However, I did have a single vial of my mother’s new Blue Fangtrial, PK-17. Desperate, I snapped it open and poured it directly into mybullet wound.
Within seconds,the Blue Fang began counteracting the Red Fang, my strength started to return,and my body began to heal. I was far from tip-top but wasn’t about to let Traskharm Lennox.
