He snorts. “Out of the question.”
“What? You were ready to put a bullet in my head less than a week ago.”
“Yes. And that was then, and this is now. I say we go out swinging.” He pulls out the gun he took from my holster earlier, plus the one strapped to his belt. “With some luck, some of my remaining siblings will be casualties before we go down.”
We’re about to die, and he’s smiling. I can’t help but smile, too. I was supposed to die a few weeks ago when the Devil of the Wastes pierced me with his swords. And before that, Jude almost died at my hands. Our lives took such an unexpected turn. And yet, I regret nothing. We had a good run. Together, against all odds.
“Give me my gun and help me up,” I say.
He obeys without a snarky remark, for once. My broken arm hangs limply on my side, but I can still shoot with the other one.
Some of theHighwaymenare arguing and already making their way toward us. They leave their cars behind; the bridge might not hold them. Jude slides an arm around me to help me stay up.
But right as we’re about to start shooting, a large shadow falls over the bridge. We both drop to a crouch instinctively. Something coming from the sky is never good news. TheFireflymight have been the last aircraft to fly, and it has crashed over the canyon.
Quetzalcoatl has appeared from beyond the mountains. The feathered serpent swoops down west of the bridge and carries twoHighwaymenaway in his talons. They have no time to scream as the giant creature eats them whole. His long body undulates in the sky, his red and green scales reflecting the sun. His large wings raise clouds of dust over the wastelands.
Pandemonium ensues. The crowds disperse, fleeing the old god set on feasting on them. Jude and I, standing in the middle of the bridge alone, are far below his notice.
“How about that…” says Jude, smiling.
I have no words as Quetzalcoatl carries a car in his talons and drops it into the river below. It crashes with a great noise. On the other side of the dam, Altamaha-ha appears at the surface of the lake and lets out a deafening roar.
After that, things happen fast. The new god turns his attention to the one calling Lake Mead his home. The old gods are extremely territorial, and the clash of titans left entire cities in ruin during the Rise. Nowadays, encounters are rarer, as most of them have found their bearings. But it appears that Quetzalcoatl has been looking to relocate.
“Fuck…” says Jude, just as Quetzalcoatl dives toward Altamaha-ha, talons first.
The two old gods clash in a fury of rocks and water.
“Time to go,” I say as the bridge shakes under our feet.
This is our chance. TheHighwaymenare all scattering like mice chased by the smell of a cat. If we can find a truck, we might have a chance of getting out of their territory.
I limp to the end of the bridge with Jude’s help. The two immortal creatures fight with ferocity I have never witnessed. Quetzalcoatl’s talons created deep gashes along Altamaha-ha’s back and tail, turning the lake a deep red.
“I’ve never seen an old god bleed,” Jude whispers, in shock.
“Me neither,” I admit.
It’s been a long time since humans had the capacity to even scratch a god.
Altamaha-ha stretches his reptilian neck and manages to close his jaw around the serpent’s long body. Quetzalcoatl thrashes and fights back, losing a few dozen giant feathers. The two gods fall into the water and hit the dam. The massive concrete wall shakes and cracks.
“Oh, shit…” says Jude.
One more hit, and the Hoover Dam breaks. The giant concrete wall explodes under the pressure, destroying the rest of the structure on the other side. The massive wave pulls the old gods to the river below, and they crash at the bottom. The earthquake must have been felt for miles.
We’re lucky to be standing on the bridge that they built over the canyon. Jude and I watch with horror as Lake Mead empties itself with devastating force, taking over the Colorado River. The land beyond will be flooded for miles. The water will kill everything and everyone in its path. The hut where we spent the night might already be gone.
Jude’s arm shakes around my back. I get a hold of his hand and squeeze.
“Let’s go,” I say.
We’re some of the lucky ones. Let’s not waste that luck.
In the panic, someone left a desert buggy at the end of the bridge. Jude straps me to the passenger’s seat before sitting behind the wheel.
Before leaving, I spare one last glance at theFireflythat has crashed over the canyon. The aircraft appears to be whole, but the aero engine is still smoking. I wonder if Fyfe can feel abandonment and loneliness. Even rudimentary AIs can surprise us sometimes.
