A Hunter's Blood: The Crimson Contracts
15

Drakx arrived at the heart of the Commerce Zone. He took cover in an alley. He knew Teryn was there. He wouldn’t back out. He was at least certain of that. He knew he had to reveal Teryn’s location, without showing himself. With Teryn’s accuracy, if he was spotted first, Drakx would die before he could tabulate any subterfuge.

He had to treat this like a bounty. He had to use his skills to gain the upper hand. He pulled his coat sleeve up over his computer. He tapped into his holo-Drakx. With its GPS, he mapped out the zone. He programmed in a stealth advancement simulation for the area. The hologram would randomly run and cover in random patterns until it was shot at. The information of distance, angle, and velocity would relay back to his computer, and tell him where it came from, and what caliber. He began to think about the irrelevance of part of the simulation.

Why tell me what type of gun he’s using to kill me? He thought cynically. Great information to know if it’s a .22 or a .50 caliber will end up in your brain pan.

He completed his program, and hit the execute command. The hologram materialized a block farther into the zone. It began to run and hide behind buildings, old vehicles, and trash receptacles. Drakx watched the screen on his wrist, and saw his covert doppelganger play war games from a satellite feed.

It’s just a matter of time before he tags ‘me’, he thought. Then it’s my turn.

Drakx was getting more anxious by the minute. He kept waiting for the sniper shot. He was readying himself to take action when it happened. Ten minutes passed, achingly slow, and no shot was taken. Impatience started to take its toll. The time was throwing him off. He thought his brother would’ve tried to finish this early. Pop him, and get it over with. Then he realized that Teryn was making him sweat. He was probably targeted the first minute it started his covert dodging.

He wants me to die tired. Drakx assumed.

Drakx began to think like a Hunter once more. He speculated the next move Teryn would execute.

He’s going to shoot me when he thinks I’m worn out from running, and hiding, he speculated. That’s what I would do. Wear his ass out, then blow his head off.

Drakx input a ‘rest’ command in the program. The hologram slowed to a stop, and put its hands on its knees. It simulated heavy breathing. Drakx waited for the shot. Oddly, it wasn’t coming.

He began recreating the scenario. He thought of the events that lead to that moment, and wondered what he did wrong. He thought like a Hunter, and countered every move. He didn’t want to think of Kimi exposing herself carelessly. She knew how deadly Teryn was. She would listen to him, and vacate this dangerous area, but what if curiosity coaxed her to stay? What if Teryn spotted her? What if he was lining her in his sights for a kill shot while He was playing war games in the middle of the Zone with just himself? Just as the horror of his possible stupidity donned to him, he heard the shot. It rang hard and cold in his ears.

He looked at his monitor hoping his hologram was the victim, and not Kimi. When the information of the bullet hit began registering on his computer, he allowed himself to relax.

The shot was recorded as a head shot, with a .50 caliber round, from an elevated location.

It’s undeniable, he thought, He defiantly wants to kill me.

The information stopped all of his irrational delusions of retrieving his brother’s soul. Killing him became the obvious, only option. He slipped, regrettably, into what he did best, hunt.

Drakx calculated the angle, and velocity to locate Teryn’s location. The computer narrowed it down to a two meter circumference, when the shot was fired. Knowing Teryn wasn’t going to sit in that location when he knew Drakx wasn’t dead, he told the computer to scan for heat signatures in a ninety meter circumference of the speculated location. The GPS locked in on a single heat signature. It was moving with incredible speed for a person. It almost looked as if it were tracking a vehicle at its rate of speed.

That’s him. Drakx confirmed to himself. He hasn’t lost anything in twenty-five years. If this doesn’t work, he’s going to kick my ass before he kills me.

Drakx saw Teryn’s image stop. It stationed him in a hidden location at ground level. Teryn was resetting for another shot. Drakx knew he wouldn’t move. He was in sniper mode, and probably pissed he was fooled by a hologram. He wanted the shot more than ever.

Drakx input a ‘die’ command upon a bullet entering a terminal area. He knew Teryn would want to test the validity of his target first, so he added a ‘wound’ command also.

He pinpointed Teryn’s position, and viewpoint. He knew Teryn was standing, and where he was looking. Drakx calculated a route to Teryn least likely for him to be spotted, and slowly advanced. He made it around debris, and through obstacles to get to Teryn. He did it slowly, and methodically. He was on his greatest hunt. To Erad the Rectifier. The Death Ghost, murderer of countless victims. The myth some didn’t believe was real. That’s what he thought instead of killing his brother.

Drakx inched closer to Teryn until he was on the side of the building Teryn was using as a hidden lookout. He was incredibly close. He knew he couldn’t just rush Teryn. He was too fast. Drakx had to distract him once more.

Drakx tapped a button on his computer to execute the program again. He hoped Teryn would believe it once more, just for a minute.

The hologram appeared about a hundred meters away. It inched into view right in front of Teryn.

Drakx heard Teryn whisper, “You better hope you’re that fake light show. If not, she’s next.”

Drakx hoped he would believe the hologram was real. He pulled out a gun, and waited for the next step.

Teryn fired at the image. The hologram calculated the entry point of the bullet. It wasn’t in a vital point, so it executed the ‘wound’ command. The holograms left knee exploded in a splat of blood, bone, and flesh. It buckled and screamed in pain. It looked real enough to Drakx, but would Teryn believe it?

As the hologram was about to fall over, and lay down out of sight, Drakx heard the kill shot. The hologram’s head snapped back, and sprayed the wall behind it with fresh blood. It fell over as it executed the ‘death’ command.

Drakx knew Teryn believed it. He wouldn’t have shot twice if he didn’t. He got ready to get close. This was it.

Teryn put his gun in its holster. He began to walk away from the ‘slain’ Drakx. He knew he was dead. He also knew Drakx would’ve told Kimi to run the other way. It wasn’t going to make a difference. She would be dead before sunlight hit.

Drakx heard Teryn walk towards him, and held his breath. As he saw Teryn’s shadow walk closer, he spun around the corner in front of Teryn. He placed his gun under Teryn’s chin. He looked in Teryn’s surprised eyes for even a slight trace of his brother. Since there was none, he pulled the trigger.

The gun exploded with a thunderous boom, and a cloud of smoke. Teryn’s body was pushed back from the blast, and landed on its back with a thud.

Drakx had done it. He Eradded the toughest foe any Hunter had ever been up against. He would be a legend of the Hunter’s Guild. Hunters would give him God-like status for completing this Erad. He knew this, but didn’t care. He killed his brother, his only sibling. The reason he became a Bounty Hunter. The one person he idolized, and respected was dead by his hands. At that moment, he became desperately depressed.

“That would have hurt if I could’ve felt it.”

Drakx whipped his eyes to Teryn. He was getting up! He had no hole in his head. Not even a scratch.

Teryn was alive, but how? He took a shot under the chin! It should’ve put a grapefruit sized hole in his cranium! Why was he walking?

“I guess you’re pretty confused right about now,” Teryn predicted from Drakx’ look of terrified surprise.

Drakx raised the gun once more, and began to unload rounds in Teryn’s face. Each bullet hit its target with deadly accuracy, but with fruitless results. Teryn kept walking towards him, receiving bullets that just kept ricocheting off of his face with hot sparks. They didn’t faze Teryn, as he got closer to Drakx.

Drakx fired until the air was filled with the spent sound of an empty gun clicking. Confusion muddled his thinking, and wouldn’t let him connect the click with an empty gun. It wasn’t rational to him, since a full clip of rounds had meant to Drakx that Teryn should be dead. Nothing was making sense.

“Trust me on this one little brother,” Teryn began, as he peeled the gun from Drakx’ trigger pulling hand, and dropped it to the ground where it would be just as useless. “This won’t work on a hitter with my mythical reputation. I did earn it.”

Teryn saw how defenseless Drakx was, and punched him in the solar plexus. Drakx dropped to one knee as all of his oxygen escaped. He began to gasp for air, and energy to at least escape to regroup, but both didn’t exist at that time.

“Why, you look stupefied, and in pain. Now I’ll stop your confusion, because you’re my brother, but all that pain? I’m sorry, Hunter, that’s going to just keep on coming,” Teryn said to him as he was still desperately gasping for air.

Teryn began to explain his “advantage”. As Drakx looked up at him, Teryn responded with a heavy blow to his cheek. It felt like he was being hit with a bowling ball, with razors embedded. It stung, and hurt as his cheek bled, and snapped at the same time. Then Teryn spoke. “While they were enjoying my constant pain, with vile torture, a compassionate doctor removed my pain receptors. She did it so I wouldn’t feel the torture anymore. You understand, Hunter, so I wouldn’t feel pain like this anymore.”

Teryn thrust his knee into Drakx’s nose. Drakx saw a quick, white flash and heard his nose shatter. As the blood erupted from his nostrils, the pain roared into his soul.

“But that wasn’t your main query, was it little brother?” Teryn calmly continued the conversation, as if they were at a coffeehouse, reminiscing over lattes. “My skin has been replaced with a material not on this planet’s indigenous substance list. It’s called Pantanthium. Organic, pliable, and twice as hard as diamond. Kevlar is like armoring yourself with napkins compared to it.” Teryn picked Drakx up by his neck in a half-erect position.

Teryn saw how deluded Drakx was, and kept talking. “My hair grows with the same properties as my new skin. Here, I’ll demonstrate.” Teryn had no sleeves. His hairy forearms stuck out naked with no protection. That was what Drakx thought earlier, until Teryn wrapped his arm around Drakx, giving him a headlock. Drakx yelped in pain as Teryn’s hair from his forearms dug deeply into Drakx’s neck, and ears. It felt like thousands of tiny razorblades cutting into him mercilessly.

After Teryn was satisfied Drakx had suffered from the “lesson” enough, he released him, and watched him fall to the ground.

“I escaped my captors, and nobody gave a damn. Since I could shoot, somebody allowed me to be important again. That’s what made me a hit man. With the help of a few people that gave a damn, that’s what made me a mythical legend.”

As Drakx heard this admission from his adversary, he knew his brother was gone. All of his doubts were completely gone. He wouldn’t feel guilty for killing him anymore. Now that he came to terms with his personal struggle, his position to release his brother glared with improbability.

Teryn looked down at his broken brother without emotion. “Crushing your skull will turn you off like a switch. We aren’t brothers anymore. You’re just a Hunter that thought he could Erad a legend. Good bye, silly Hunter.” Teryn raised both fist, clamping them in a double ax-handle form.

“Let him go!” rang out over the clicking of the tickers. “He is not your contract, I am!”

Teryn froze for a second, and slowly looked to see Kimi holding a firearm. She had a red laser sight illuminating his chest. He got silently excited that she didn’t run.

Drakx fought to look, and focus on Kimi. His spirit sank. He thought she would, at least, get far enough away to give Teryn a run for his money. The reason he did this was to give her a sliver of a chance. He was trying to return the favor. That’s when he understood women will do whatever they want, no matter how stupid the result.

“I said, let him go!” Kimi screamed. “Do it, or I will put a bullet through you!”

Teryn stood up, and faced her. He spread his arms apart, looking like a cross. “You are going to put a hole in me? Wow, you know, none of my contracts has ever tried that before. I’m sooo nervous! You must see me shaking like a leaf!” Teryn taunted her. “Look, ’soon-to-be-dead-idiot, I’ll give you a free shot from where you’re standing. But after you fail, it’s my turn.”

Drakx whispered as loud as he could, for that was all his lungs allotted him. “Run. It’s a trick. You’re just gonna piss him off more than he already is. He’s just gonna make it hurt worse. Run, girl, run.”

Kimi leveled her gun, and aimed at his chest. The red dot was the only thing of color that graced the black leather vest that formed around his chest.

Kimi looked at the dot, and said, “By now, you should know by chasing me, the stipulation of my contract states I am no idiot. And also, I did score an ‘Expert’ ranking at the range, with a perfect.” Kimi fired.

The bullet hit Teryn in the chest. The caliber of the round was powerful enough to pick Teryn off of his feet, and propel him into the building’s brick wall. He disappeared in a hole of broken mortar, bricks, and cinder dust.

Kimi ran to Drakx after Teryn was swallowed. She leaned down to aid him.

“Do not worry, it is over. He will not terrorize us anymore,” she said to him comfortingly.

Drakx struggled to ask her, “Why didn’t you get the hell away?”

“Sometimes concern outweighs rationality. I had to know your status, and seeing your position, I was right to stay,” she said with assurance.

Drakx told her the impossible news, “He’s not dead.”

She disregarded his vital information by saying, “Do not worry. I am an expert shot. That bullet tore straight through his chest.”

“Bullets don’t penetrate his skin. He’s coming after you. Don’t waste your time with me. Run!” he finally caught his breath to yell his desperate request.

Her realization of her new knowledge was accented by Teryn Yelling out to her. “It is, most definitely, my turn!”

Kimi whipped her head to stare through the hole Teryn was blasted through. The wall was eight metes away, and she doubted if he wasn’t harmed, that distance would give her any advantage at all.

Teryn was breathing heavy with anger as he gripped a brick form the blown out wall, and stepped through. His leather shirt had been ripped, and burned away from the blast, and helped portray him as an irritated psychopath.

“I’m going to enjoy completing your troublesome contract,” he said to her with satisfaction.

Drakx looked to Kimi, “I’m sorry, I found out the reason for his legendary status much too late to matter.”

Kimi was wide eyed as she realized she should have never involved Drakx in her problem. She should have left him, instead of getting in his car. He didn’t need her, or this after what he just went through.

Teryn stepped out from the building. He was salivating at his chance to kill her. He wanted to make her agony last as long as he could. With an evil grin, he took a step towards Kimi, and fell to his knees. He placed a hand on the ground to keep some balance. His satisfaction turned into confusing disbelief.

Drakx looked at Teryn as he fell, caught himself, and tried to stand again. While Teryn tried, without success, Drakx noticed a strange darkening patch forming on Teryn’s chest. It was exactly where Kimi had fired. When Teryn fell on his hands to keep balance again, Drakx’ memory came back to him.

“They never completely healed you from that grenade blast to the chest. Your heart is bleeding from this new impact! You’re bleeding internally, and nothing on this planet is strong enough to treat you with surgery!” Drakx explained slowly to him so every word could stab him with the jagged edge of voraciousness.

“No, I can’t be killed!” Teryn screamed. “I’m impervious!”

Drakx told him the fact. “Yes, but sadly for you, your impenetrability will kill you by stopping this simple surgical procedure.”

Kimi interjected, “You want a beach towel to wipe off all that irony dripping off of you, hitter?”

Drakx turned to her sharply, and scolded her banter. “Shut up, Kimi! He is still my brother. Show some damned respect!”

Kimi’s smile quickly disappeared as she understood her place in this situation. She understood that she didn’t belong anywhere near Teryn’s final moments. The time was for brothers to straighten their relationship. “I will retrieve the car. I will re-energize the cells, and drive it back here. I apologize, and will give you your time.”

As she quietly turned to the direction of the car, Drakx said nothing as he looked into his brother’s eyes.

“Yes, you can drag your pitifully hurt carcass over here to suffer beside me,” Teryn gestured to Drakx as if he knew the question pride wouldn’t let his brother utter. “If you can make it. I kicked your ass pretty bad.”

Drakx started to become offended with Teryn’s words, and realized he was making an attempt to break years of convoluted ice, hardened by twenty five years of anger, and confusion. He knew the effort was a valiant one, and didn’t let it go unnoticed.

“I’m coming,” he said, as he began to slowly crawl to his brother. “I’m not that hurt. You always hit like a clumsy puppy.”

As Drakx made his way over, Teryn answered his brother. “I can’t feel pain anymore, but I can feel yours by just looking at you. My apologies for your future purgatory. I’ll even the score by going to mine tonight.”

That last comment hit Drakx hard, as he finally made it to Teryn’s side. As he positioned himself to sit on Teryn’s side, he felt the sting of reality once more.

“One more thing I feel I must resolve.” Teryn turned to Drakx to say, “I apologize for living my shell of a life after I saved you hating you. I refuse to hate myself for my situation. I know it was my fault, but In order to survive I focused my hatred on you. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I lived the rest of my life after that moment mourning you deeply,” Drakx became serious. “I dedicated my life in your memory. You were the best soldier I ever knew. What happened to you? What poisoned a warrior of your nature? What darkened you?”

Blood began to speck from Teryn’s lips, as he began to answer his brother. He saw it lightly spray on his arms, as they lay lifelessly in his lap. It wouldn’t be long.

“I lost more than you can imagine. I was captured, tortured, and deprived of death. I lost my will for anything, and just when I found a compassionate soul to grant me my will once more, I lost her also. My wounds are black brother.”

“My God!” Drakx exclaimed in amazement.

“God had nothing to do with this,” Teryn said, and recanted his statement. “Maybe he was pissed I didn’t die when I was supposed to, and punished me for my indignation.”

I am so sorry for the evil placed upon you. Know that I will correct their indiscretions with vengeance,” Drakx assured Teryn.

Teryn smiled at Drakx with bloody teeth as he let him know, “They’re all dead. They died long ago. Don’t worry about them. There’s only one more you have to worry about. This isn’t for my sake. It’s for Kimi’s. You have to take care of Braniff Cercian. He was my boss, and he won’t stop trying to murder her.”

Drakx repeated the name in disbelief. “Braniff Cercian, the Virtu-ware mogul?! He leads The Solution?!”

Teryn closed his eyes, and answered his brother. He wasn’t gone yet. “Surprise, the most feared entity of our time is a damned nerdy vitu-tech geek.”

Drakx was still amazed. He wanted to use this new information to crack The Solution wide open. That was when he realized that even if he were believed, and Braniff was exposed, which he believed impossible anyway, the economic power we had with him at the helm would crumble. He knew he had to replace a way to keep Kimi alive some other way. That was for another day.

“Bigger than you thought, huh?” Teryn asked him quietly.

“I’ll take care of it,” Drakx said, “I don’t know how yet, but I’ll replace a way.”

“You better,” Teryn looked back at his brother. “Braniff will kill your girlfriend without a second thought.”

Drakx wanted to make sure Teryn didn’t mistake his relationship with Kimi. “We were just thrust together, just tonight. She is not my girlfriend.”

Teryn began to cough into his hand. He looked down after the fit, and saw a considerable amount of blood pooled in his hand. He felt tired, but continued asking questions.

“Where is she now?” Teryn asked.

She just went to retrieve my car. I will protect her because she saved my life earlier. I, at least, owe her that,” Drakx tried to explain.

“Yea, I saw her go up against those warriors for you. She didn’t back down, and she didn’t even know you,” Teryn deducted. “Now she’s reviving a car that was hit by a Pre-nuke blast. That takes a super computer two weeks to accomplish. She is single. I know that from following her for so long. I know you, and that you are single as well. She is selfless, has courage, and is amazingly smart. Don’t be stupid and let this slip away. She’ll be good for you. I had an amazing love. One who died for me, it is time to meet her again.”

Drakx felt very strange getting this type of advice from his brother. Not twenty minutes ago, they were trying to kill each other. He never thought that he would even hear his brother’s voice again, let alone relationship advice. This was, no doubt, the strangest night of his life.

“You have to do me a favor, Drakx,” Teryn said.

“Whatever you want, Teryn, I will fulfill,” he said, not caring what the request was.

“Don’t grieve. I died when I saved you. I am so happy that I got to do the best thing in my life by keeping you alive. You have to let me go,” Teryn told him with a heavy heart.

“I will remember you, brother,” Drakx started. “I have been mourning you since then. I always will. That feeling never goes away. There were things I wanted you to know, but never had a chance to tell you. You were always my hero. I love, and respect you immensely. I have always based my life to grace, and accent yours. I wanted to be just like you. I hope I’ve done that,” Drakx looked over to his brother. Teryn’s eyes were closed. Drakx saw a small hint of a smile on his face. He felt as if he was given another chance to let Teryn know what he had felt all his life.

“Remember when we were cadets in the military?” Drakx began with a very comforting feeling. He was more peaceful than he had been in twenty-five years. “I walked into the facility, new, with less than a lick of experience. The other soldiers decided to screw with the rookie, and surrounded me. Just as they started to push me, and taking my stuff, you came walking in. I’m glad you had the same rank of those assholes. You let them know I was your brother. You also told them that nobody would kick my ass, but you. I couldn’t believe it when you grabbed me, but you picked me up, and slammed me on the ceiling and just let me drop... the ceiling! Yeah, It hurt, but nobody screwed with me anymore. You remember that?”

Drakx looked at Teryn, waiting for a response. There was none. His breathing had stopped. He lay still with that haunting smile still on his face.

Drakx reached down, and grasped Teryn’s blood soaked hand. A tear swelled, and ran down his swollen face. “Thanks bro, thanks.”