Blowback, p.13
Blowback, page 13
part #12 of Nathan K Series
Octavia slid down the rope and surveyed the room. Perfect. Nathan set Robin on her feet and trusted that the two of them could work together.
Then he turned toward Jake.
Nathan spread his arms like wings and he felt the cold Darkness devouring the space around him. It sucked in all remaining light and filled the room with the black ink of its existence. Jake’s pulsing veins, his shivering sweat, his shallow breaths flashed in the emptiness like a beacon of fear. It called to Nathan on a deep, hungry level.
Dashing forward, Nathan raced through the office, passing each one of Jake’s men in turn. With nothing more than his strengthened hands, he killed them all. He had rampaged before — most recently, at a checkpoint in North Korea — but he had never done so with control. Those past times, he moved faster than his mind could follow, only to awaken to the aftermath of his destruction. But this time, unified with the Darkness instead of trying to break its will, he had no trouble killing these men without decimating their bodies.
A single strike to each left them dead as they collapsed. And each time, Nathan swiped their souls. With every new soul held within, the world grew brighter, crisper, clearer. Even while surrounded by the Darkness, he saw Octavia tossing Robin over her shoulder and escaping out the window, shimmying down to the ground. He watched Jake spin in one direction than another while listening to his men drop around him. He could smell Jake’s sweat, feel the reverberations of his panic.
Was this how a Prime existed? Did the Cardinal live alongside the Darkness and use multiple souls to keep enough light within to see the world? If so, Nathan understood not only how the Cardinal had such great power at hand, but also what drove him mad. He had tasted a sample of it while at a temple atop a Korean mountain — holding all those souls to kill Russo — but this was a full course meal.
The euphoric rush threatened to overwhelm his senses. Yet when he killed the last guard, his body demanded taking that soul, too. He tried to hold off. He needed no more. But his hand snatched the mist from the air and passed it into his eyes.
A jolt of new clarity coursed through his system. He struggled to maintain control — not from the Darkness, though. With so many souls swirling within, Nathan knew the Darkness had no hope of claiming his actual soul. The Darkness clung to the warmth emanating from him, but it made no attempt to fight him off. No, the struggle came from within. The animalistic, unrestrained part of his being wanted to let loose, wanted nothing to hold him back, wanted no laws, no limits, no ethics. It simply wanted everything.
That inner-power had become the bull he had to ride. Not the Darkness. Himself.
And he could hold on no longer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Nathan’s previous dances with the Darkness and the power it offered had never prepared him for this. He lifted off the ground and shot forward — that much had happened before — but space warped around him now. He saw it bend, creating images as if through a fisheye lens. The smell —sour like rotting lemons. Whether his new relationship with the Darkness provided the difference or it came from the ultra-clarity of holding numerous souls, he could not tell. But when he struck Jake Barrett, everything occurred in an instant and painfully delayed.
In a combination of speed and the Darkness, Nathan barreled straight through Jake, standing behind the bulky man with barely any Barrett blood upon him. All of that blood hovered in the air behind before splashing onto the floor. Along with Barrett’s organs. His body had been ripped into two halves and his innards scooped out between them. The shelled halves tumbled aside as the innards slopped below.
But Nathan also experienced each individual moment with pristine lucidity. He watched as he came up to Jake, as his hands pressed together, and as they pushed through Jake’s chest with such force that it looked like a magic trick. One moment his hands were outside. The next they disappeared within Jake.
Observing this horror gave Nathan time. He needed that time, too. Because this had become too easy for him. Too reliable a method for saving his hide.
If he could simply call upon the Darkness whenever he wished — and the more he did so, the easier it became — then at what point would he transform completely? When would he lose the last shreds of humanity left inside him?
Jake’s shrill cry matched the outsized expression on his face — the overwide eyes, the nostrils locked open, the gaping mouth. That sour lemon odor blanched out the sweat and bile and urine. Horror and disbelief blended into revulsion at what Jake watched happening to himself as Nathan spread his hands apart, cracking open Jake’s chest, tearing his ribs, and severing the connections between his organs and the rest of his body.
Nathan had been racing away from being human the moment he had become an Immortal, yet he still argued the value, the importance, of retaining that human side. At what point could he no longer call himself human? At what point could he no longer turn back?
Like twisting a roll of bubble wrap, the sound of Jake’s spine breaking vertically in half popped in Nathan’s ears. Yet even slowed down to a perceptible level, the assistance he received from the Darkness pushed too fast to comprehend each individual moment. Or perhaps it went beyond speed. Perhaps the human side of his mind simply could not process what he did — it lacked all frame of reference. Whatever the case, an instant later, he finished on the opposite side of Jake, noticing that the only blood on his body had been his own from earlier.
He looked back as the two halves of Jake tumbled over. A quick glance upward allayed a trigger of worry. His hyperawareness told him somebody had been watching, but thankfully, Robin was gone. She had not witnessed any of this.
That was good. Not only for Robin, but it eased his fears that he was no longer human at all. If he could worry that she would see what he had done, that she might think less of him if she witnessed the inhuman brutality he had exhibited, then he must have some humanity still left within. Guilt could be a good thing. Because he had seen what living with the Darkness for centuries had done to the Primes. For now, that wasn’t him. But if he continued to call upon the Darkness, would he become like the Cardinal? No matter what, Nathan was not, could not be, a Prime. Did not being a Prime accelerate or slacken the effects of the Darkness?
He bit back the urge to shout at his twisting thoughts and focused on the moment. He could not let Robin ever see this. Or Octavia. Or anybody. If humans were to come upon this slaughter, they would be forced to respond. This was far too gruesome to sweep away into a dust-collecting file. Police, government agencies, Interpol — everybody would get involved. Many eager to make their careers with such a big case. The fallout would compound the trouble he and Robin had been dealing with ever since Korea.
Likewise, the Immortals could never be allowed to see this. They would understand what it meant about Nathan. They may not grasp how he had accomplished it, but they would see that Nathan had taken hold of some of the Prime powers. That would scare them. He had no desire to learn how a scared group of Immortals behaved.
Nathan still had the sensation that somebody had been watching.
With a controlled yet casual motion, he strolled to Clay Barrett’s office desk. Maggie sat on top. He holstered the weapon. A small part of him thought that a good sign — it suggested that he did not intend to keep the Darkness with him, that he would need Maggie again.
He checked the drawers. Next to a few beautiful pens, he found a metal lighter. When he struck up the flame, he stood still and watched. The crisp edges of heat, the wavering smoke above it, the sun-like brightness — with his numerous souls, Nathan had transfixed on the dazzling display.
Shaking his head to clear it, he passed the flame across papers on the desk, several books on the shelves, some of the dead men’s clothing, and other bits of easily flammable office supplies. Then, with barely any effort, he lifted off the floor and floated out the shattered stained-glass window. As thick smoke billowed behind him, he gazed upon the rest of the Barrett compound.
All of it had to go. Nothing could remain to tell the story. Nothing and no one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
When Nathan set his feet upon the ground once more, all evidence of the Barrett brothers and their criminal operation had vanished. Razed to the ground. Buried in the desert sands. Not a single car or building, no gatehouse, no fencing, no warehouse inventory, no weapons, no bodies, no bones, no blood. It was as if it never was.
Just up the road — a road that now led to an empty patch — Octavia and Robin waited. Nathan took one step and collapsed to his knees. The souls surged up through him like an electric jolt and spewed out of his eyes. One after another, the mists of souls clouded the air above him.
With each exit, the world dimmed a little more. The sounds softened and the smells became less intense. When he reached the end, when he stopped the flow, he had returned to a single extra soul — his second soul. He was an Immortal again, instead of … whatever he had been.
Though the desert night air was cold, it felt warm to his skin. A fresh sheen of sweat dappled his arms. Turning his head, he slowly searched. The Darkness was gone. No, not gone. It never truly left. But it had retired into the background of Nathan’s life. Waiting. Anticipating that moment when he lost both his souls and failed to escape its void.
Yet part of him thought the Darkness might be waiting for something else now, too. Another chance to walk alongside this curious creature that was not like other Primes, not like other Immortals, not like other humans.
“You okay?” Robin asked.
Nathan had not heard the women approach. He lifted his head. Robin squatted in front of him while Octavia stood behind.
“I saved this person,” Octavia said. “As you asked, I’ve paid attention to all that transpired, but I am unconvinced. All that you suffered through for her, and the result has only been the numerous deaths of those men. Where’s the value in all of that? Now, you follow through on our deal.”
“What deal?” Robin said.
“It’s okay,” Nathan said. “I needed Octavia’s help to get you out of that mess.”
“You made a deal with her? For me? How am I supposed to handle that? And now what? Oh, no, don’t tell me that you gave up on running from her. I see it in your face. You’re not just going to let her take you back to Larkin and the other Immortals, take you to be killed by your own kind. That’s insane. Or maybe you think I’m such a genius that I’ll fix it all. I guess you expect me to work some miracles and save your ass now. You know if I wasn’t so relieved to be alive at the moment, I’d be pissed off at you.”
Nathan smiled as he stood. “At least we won’t have trouble getting me into the States.” To Octavia: “Call off all the searches. I don’t want Robin picked up by overeager police or anything like that.”
“I’m sure she can handle most of the police departments herself, but I’ll task Clockwork on it, too. That’ll speed up matters. And don’t worry about being killed. After everything I’ve seen, nobody will want your death. At least, not until we understand what you are.”
He almost laughed. More than anything, two dangers frightened Immortals — being jailed long enough to be discovered and being discovered long enough for governments to start experimenting. But Nathan would not have placed his own brethren in the mix. He sickened at the idea that other Immortals would consider doing to him the very thing they abhorred. Yet he did not doubt Octavia meant it.
“I’ll forgive you,” he said. “I think you’re trying prepare me for the inevitable with Larkin.”
“I won’t let it come to that.”
“You won’t be giving the choice. But I want you to make me a promise.”
Octavia crossed her arms. “I will not harm Robin. You have my word.”
“I assumed that much. I want a different promise. Someday in the future, maybe decades or centuries from now, maybe tomorrow, someday Larkin will be taken down. When that happens, the Immortals will be threatened by that power vacuum. I want your promise that you’ll take over. Not just your expectation that it’ll go that way. I want a promise.”
“Why should I promise you anything?”
Nathan merely stared at her. At length, she huffed. “Fine. I promise.”
With a grim nod, he turned back to Robin and hugged her. In her ear, he said, “You were right. I am counting on you to come after me. But not to save me. I’ll be needing your help.”
Muffled in his shoulder, she said, “With what?”
“A lot. But it all has the same goal. Oh, and please hurry. I don’t want to be a lab rat for too long.”
“You know you can count on me. But what’s the plan? There is a plan, right? There has to be. You’d never throw yourself into enemy hands without a plan. It might be a bad one, maybe even the worst thing a mind could imagine, but it would be a plan. So, what are we going to do?”
Nathan clutched her tighter. Only for a breath. Then his voice lowered, turned grim. “Once we get to Larkin, I’m going to end this. Forever.”
NATHAN K WILL RETURN SOON!
While you wait, check out these exciting books!
If you liked Nathan K’s mix of the real world with magic, The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries is for you!
Start with Southern Bound!
When Max Porter discovers his office is haunted by the ghost of a 1940s detective,
he does the only thing he can -
he starts a detective agency!
Real Southern history meets the paranormal in this exciting mystery series!
Get Southern Bound today!
If you prefer Nathan’s action side with your magic, check out The Malja Chronciles.
Start with The Way of the Black Beast
Magic caused the apocalypse.
The world is overrun with mutated beast, guitar-playing assassins, crazed magicians, and more.
One woman fights for a future for all.
One woman who will have to face those that created her.
One woman willing to destroy what little remains in order to build a new tomorrow.
"With a unique and compelling protagonist, a world of darkness and wonders, and a narrative that is both swiftly-paced and unpredictable, THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST is sure to entertain." -- David B. Coe, award-winning author
Get The Way of the Black Beast today!
About the Author
Stuart Jaffe is the madman behind the Nathan K thrillers, The Max Porter Paranormal Mysteries, The Ridnight Mysteries, the Parallel Society novels, The Malja Chronicles, The Bluesman, Founders, Real Magic, and much more. He trained in martial arts for over a decade until a knee injury ended that practice. Now, he plays lead guitar in a local blues band, The Bootleggers, and enjoys life on a small farm in rural North Carolina. For those who have kept count in the past, I’m no longer listing the animals. As we’ve gotten older, we don’t keep the zoo we once did, and it seems silly to list a more normal grouping of pets. So, yeah, we got dogs and cats and chickens (and a couple other things). Still, the chickens will not be permitted in the house.
Copyright Information
Blowback is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
BLOWBACK
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2022 by Stuart Jaffe
Cover art by Deranged Doctor Design
First Edition: September, 2022
Stuart Jaffe, Blowback
