The Glass Heretic: The Minder's War, #2

By Gerhard Gehrke

Deanne Markham picked a side.

 

Allying herself with Magus cost her an arm. Turning her back on the Goddess earned her a mortal enemy. And the Goddess is winning the war.

 

Magus doesn't provide many answers, and distrust is growing among the refugees. Can Deanne organize her fellow survivors, confined to the safe zone under Magus's protection, before the slaves of the Goddess overrun them?

 

Bethany, the Goddess's most powerful new recruit, hasn't forgiven Deanne for rejecting her master. The only answer to such heresy is punishment, and she has a new ally to help her mete it out…

 

Grab your copy of the second installment of the high-octane alien invasion trilogy The Minder's War!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucas Ross Publishing
• Release date: Apr 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386035961

Gerhard Gehrke

Gerhard Gehrke is the author of Nineveh's Child, the Supervillain High series, and A Beginner's Guide to Invading Earth.

Book preview

Chapter One – You Can Save Some

Ihealed people.

You’d think they’d be more appreciative about it. Don’t get me wrong. A few thanked me after I brought them to the large crystal standing in the middle of the downtown street. They’d touch it and it would happen without fail. The affliction would vanish.

Other folks, though, became fearful when they saw their skin scoured clean. There was a look on their face I had a hard time deciphering. Perhaps it was resentment and they believed they owed me or Magus something. Maybe they were tired or frightened or hadn’t been able to comprehend what they would become if the disease wasn’t arrested.

But no matter their disposition, once they touched it, the crystal flashed, and their skin was free of the bumps. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Perhaps seeing what remained of their ravaged bodies took its toll. The disease ate away at people, turning them into something else. With the disease gone, scars remained, and sometimes it meant missing eyes, limbs, and flesh. I had lost an arm.

But really, I knew what caused their disquiet. The Goddess no longer spoke to them. Touching the crystal was a divorcing from which there would be no reconciliation. Even nonbelievers like myself recognized something more than a disease had been taken from me.

She had spoken to me through my affliction, and I had been in contact with an actual alien. Sometimes she pretended to be my correctional officer. Other times, my mother. That got weird.

It had almost cost me my life and sanity. I had been one of the first who had found Magus and I brought others to him, including my friend Mindy. She might have blown a gasket, at least temporarily, but she seemed to be doing okay for the moment. We had lost Bethany to the Goddess. And the Goddess had taken so many more.

But now, with the latest batch of twenty refugees from Roseville and the surrounding area cured, the queue was empty. People settled inside the commercial buildings around the safe zone where the crystals grew and out in the streets near Magus. He just stood there. By stood, I mean he floated a foot or two off the ground, a giant shard of glass wrapped in some sort of loose cape or fabric sheet. He didn’t move, he didn’t speak, he wasn’t doing anything, as far as I could tell.

He had said something about a maker’s trance. After he killed the Officer Byrd monster, he had gone to sleep. His glassy skin still felt warm. The crystals still worked, and more grew every hour. My new blue appendage continued to take form, turning into something I could recognize as a hand.

Progress, I said. A few people looked at me, but I ignored them.

They didn’t trust me or my hand. No one else had double dipped into the crystal like I had. Even I wasn’t sure what I had done or how exactly I had done it. But the crystal was a machine. Machines had controls. I had taken the controls and used it to make a new limb that gave me a weapon against the infected monsters.

One man kept staring. He had the tattered remains of a jaw and was also missing an ear. He looked at me like I was the freak. At least he was clear of infection.

What are you staring at? I asked a little too loud. I hurried away to go find Mindy.

MINDY HAD TAKEN CHARGE of the refugees in the coffee shop. At least twenty people had turned the place into a makeshift dorm, including a mother with a baby and the two orphan girls Mindy had personally rescued. Grant and his sister Paige were out front setting up a tent in the middle of the street. He waved at me. I ignored him.

The coffee shop had a couple of couches in a lounge area. Mindy had found a futon from somewhere and had brought it in. It was late morning or maybe noon, but the orphan girls were sacked out. Many of the people here had been under siege for the past three nights. Maybe that’s why everyone was so edgy.

Mindy was kneeling by the mother with a dish of water. She helped wash the baby with a damp rag, making soft cooing sounds. I moved past them and went behind the counter in search of food. It had been picked clean except for packages of tea and whole coffee beans. The water still worked. I had no idea how long that would last, but I filled a paper cup from the tap.

Mindy and the mom finished with the baby, dried it off, and put on a fresh diaper. The mom found a spot on one of the couches and started nursing.

With a sigh, Mindy threw a bundled diaper into the trash and took it out back. I followed. Her face was slack and her eyes were underscored with dark lines.

We’ll need supplies, I said to Mindy.

She nodded without making eye contact. I grabbed her shoulder.

Are you okay? I asked. You haven’t gotten any rest.

So much to do.

You can’t do it all. There are hundreds of people in the safe zone. They can take care of themselves.

I know. It’s just...

What?

She shook her head. I’m afraid if I fall asleep, she’ll be there.

The Goddess is gone. She’s not in our heads anymore. We’re better. Magus fixed us. We just have to wait.

I don’t mean her. I mean Beth. We were together, connected, closer than I ever was to the Goddess.

With my new hand, I had severed their bonds. The infection had been literally making them into one. I had brought Mindy back, but I lost Beth.

Mindy, we’re safe from her here. You’re going to have to rest. Come with me. I’ll get you a spot to lie down. Grant has a tent outside, air mattresses, and some sleeping bags.

I tried to lead her back into the store but she gripped my hand.

Deanne, I have to go look for Beth.

What, are you nuts? If she’s still out there, she’s one of them. You were in the theater. You saw how she controlled those things. I barely fought off one, and it was small compared to Officer Byrd. If Magus hadn’t saved us we’d be toast. Whatever Bethany had growing in the theater was a lot bigger.

She pulled her hand away from mine. You don’t have to come. I found more bikes. I can go alone.

I sighed. You know I can’t let you do that.

I NOTICED SOMETHING on my way to tell Grant what we were about to do. A few of the survivors perked up when I walked by. Some of this might have been the suspicion I had experienced previously. But others were following me around, and it was starting to annoy me. Earlier I had taken a walk down to the end of one of the streets and had suggested we scrounge whatever we could out of a pharmacy, as the building was just on the outskirts of the safe zone. A group went and did as I had suggested.

I’m not in charge, I said, but they did it anyway. They were all older than me.

So now when I spoke to Grant, I found myself speaking in hushed tones. Perhaps I was worried that if people heard my plans they might freak out. The girl with the magic hand was abandoning them. I refused to be anyone’s good luck charm. I considered adding a sweatshirt and boxing glove to my growing shopping list so I could cover up my arm and move around incognito.

I could see on Grant’s face that he didn’t like our plan.

It’s either that, or we sedate Mindy. Mindy had come up right behind me when I said that. Real smooth. I’m just kidding, I added.

Okay, Grant said, nodding. We get everyone who still has a weapon and we go with you.

No. Weapons don’t do a whole lot. We’re going to scout it out, and we won’t even go inside if we think it’s not safe. Right?

I turned to Mindy for confirmation. She gave a half nod, like a half yes, a non-answer I was used to delivering but not receiving.

Hope to be back in a couple of hours, I said.

What do you want me to do? Grant asked.

I looked around at the large tent, then back at him. Why are you asking me? Take care of Paige. Tell people to keep an eye out for more survivors. We’re going to have to get a group together to make a food run this afternoon.

Sounds like a plan. The beginnings of a smile creased his face.

I eyed him suspiciously. He had a few years on me, had the jock look to him, and should have been stepping up to take charge. If you salute me, I’m going to punch you in the face.

THE MALL PARKING LOT in daytime looked like a scene from a disaster movie rather than the horror show it had been the night before. We rode along on the bikes Mindy had found us and did a loop around the parking lot. It was cluttered with abandoned cars and smashed camping equipment, and I spotted the RV where I had seen the severely infected man. Trash was spread everywhere. I didn’t see any of the bats or other signs of infected growths.

Should have brought binoculars, I said. The last thing I wanted was to get closer to the mall, but Mindy was ready to move in. Without hearing the voices of the infection in our heads, we were flying blind. We were sitting ducks, just like the dozens of refugees who had been inside the theater when the creatures burst out of the auditoriums and devoured them.

With so much junk on the ground, walking our bikes closer was the best option. Some of the vehicles had been pushed around. The monsters had gotten big, and the ones that had chased us had also been fast. The closer we got to the mall’s theater entrance, the sweatier my palms got. At any second, the doors would fly open and a tide of infected would surge our way.

This is close enough, I said.

Mindy kept going.

Mindy, think this through. If Beth is still alive, she’s not going to come with us. The Goddess has her, and we can’t do anything about that.

I have to see for myself.

You saw last night when you were part of it.

I did, but you snapped me out of it. I can do the same for her. I have to try.

I followed. We set our bikes down by some planter boxes. I looked around on the ground. The previous night there had been beehives growing here. Now they were all gone.

Mindy pulled open one of the doors. I caught up to her and shined a flashlight to the left and right. There had been an armed sentry inside the night before, an older boy under the Goddess’s spell. No one was there now.

The lobby was a mess. Enough natural light came in from skylights to reveal the carnage. Carpets had been ripped up and the furniture and display cases of the concession stand were smashed. Colorful candy mixed in with the splinters and glass. There were brown stains everywhere, among what were now shredded tatters of sleeping bags. The exit doors to the auditoriums were once again closed. That was where the monsters had come from.

Beth? Mindy called.

I winced at the noise. But then again, I didn’t know if all of the monsters could hear, or even smell or see. The Goddess had used Bethany to hunt other survivors. Now the lobby was devoid of life. Only Mindy’s voice broke the silence as she continued to call Beth’s name. I picked through the wreckage and tried to identify anything of use.

Further down, I spotted a door to an auditorium jammed open by a chair. The chair had once been bolted to the floor inside the theater. I pulled on the door and looked into the dark theater. Rows of chairs had been bent and tossed about. Remnants of clothing lay scattered about. I found purses, scraps of torn clothes, a silver earring stuck into a vinyl wall panel, and several shoes. The people who sheltered in here had been blendered, but all the flesh had been taken.

Everyone’s gone, Mindy.

Maybe Beth stayed in the theater after the hive monsters all left. She could have gone somewhere else in the mall.

Mindy, she’s part of it. And this place is huge. We can’t search it all.

She clenched her jaw. Then she headed out of the cineplex and down the center of the mall.

WE SEARCHED KOHL’S. I suggested that Mindy grab a change of clothes out of her juvie hall wear, but she was a girl on a mission. My throat was sore from calling Beth’s name. We next made our way through the food court and then the smaller stores over near the dead side of the mall where the Sears used to be. Many of the shops had their cage fronts down and looked intact. But no one was home.

We tried. Now let’s get back before we collapse from exhaustion.

Mindy reluctantly followed me to the bikes. We had started riding away when we heard a car horn start blowing from around the corner.

It’s Beth, it’s Beth. I know it!

She turned and started riding towards the sound. I hurried to catch up, calling for her to stop. The horn kept blaring. It was coming from the lower level of the parking garage. It was dark down there. Mindy hesitated long enough for me to scoot up beside her bike and grab the handlebars.

Wait! I said. There was something of a crazed look in her eyes. Just think about it. Why would Beth be down there in a car honking? It might be someone, it might be one of the creatures. We don’t know. We can’t take a chance like that.

Maybe it’s not her. But I’m going to check. She abandoned her bike and cut through a row of bushes in front of the garage. Cursing, I pedaled the long way around and descended the ramp. The lower level of the garage was dark, but it had enough light coming in from the open entrances so that I could see. I caught up to Mindy. The honking was now three short bursts of the horn, three long bursts, and three more short. That usually meant an emergency.

Something large was stretched across the top of what looked like an old brown Mercedes and it was alive. The thing wasn’t one of the giant shamblers, but something new. It looked about the size of a blanket and it moved quick, pressing at the doors and windows, probing for a way in. It reared back and struck the passenger window. When it had no success, it pried at the driver’s-side door. The metal screeched as it bent.

I held Mindy back.

Let go of me, she said.

The thing perked up and one corner of it lifted in our direction as if it were looking at us. It had no eyes and no other distinguishable features. It was like one of the bats. I walked towards it carefully, my arm poised to strike.

Hey! a woman inside the car yelled. The creature ignored her. The woman was waving her hands.

Sit tight, I said, not wanting to take my eyes off the creature. It raised its hind corner back and forth like a snake. The woman kept waving. I glanced at her. Then I noticed she wasn’t waving; she was pointing behind me.

I turned to see a second one swooping towards Mindy in perfect silence. I tackled her. The thing missed us by inches, the edges of its body scraping the asphalt. It flared upward and dropped straight down onto the pavement. The first one leaped off the car and crawled forward. Mindy was making terrified little sounds.

Don’t let them touch you, I said.

The closest one lunged. I thrust my crystal hand into it, and it burst apart like a water balloon. Mindy got up and grabbed my bike. The creature from the car hesitated as if deciding how to proceed. The bike wasn’t going to make a good weapon, but I gave Mindy an A for effort. I came to her side and waited on the thing. It stared at us as much as something with no eyes can, and then turned and darted away.

They’re getting smarter, I said.

Mindy took a moment to look at the one I had killed. There was little left but tiny chunks.

I went to the car and knocked on the window. The inside of the glass was damp with condensation. The woman opened the door, and I could see a man curled up in the back seat. She was older, with gray hair growing out from a dark dye job. Whoever was in back had a curled hand drawn up under his chin. He looked miserable. They were both covered in infection.

We can help, I said. Your horn worked. Your car has power. Does it run?

There’s not much gas, the woman said. And I got hung up on the curb.

We can fix that. And we don’t have far to go.

THE WOMAN WAS IN SHOCK. Her lips kept moving but words weren’t coming out. Mindy had to help her get out of the driver’s seat so I could try to work the car free. The Mercedes smelled of cigarettes and old people. But the engine started and the car came off the curb with a few turns of the steering wheel.

Everyone climbed in and I drove towards home base.

Are you from around here? I asked, wondering how I’d come up with such a lame question. The woman didn’t respond. How long were you parked there?

I turned out of the parking lot and onto the street. For some reason even driving twenty-five felt fast.

Are you hurt? Still no answer.

Mindy turned around on the seat and brushed the hair from the man’s face.

What’s his name? Mindy asked.

That’s my husband Robert, the woman whispered.

And what’s your name?

Gloria.

Well, Gloria and Robert, you’re both going to be fine. Mindy gave me a triumphant smile that, if it hadn’t been for our earlier spat, would have resulted in me punching her arm. Plus, I didn’t want to crash.

We got to the safe zone and I stopped the car in the middle of the street in front of the bank. I considered parallel parking, but what was the point? A few of the refugees helped with Robert and we took them both to the crystal. Gloria was muttering under her breath. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to tell us something, had the Goddess in her head, or had just gone around the bend.

If you want to get better, place your hand on the crystal, I said.

Gloria did. We got the light show. I had seen it dozens of times but even in the middle of the day I felt a rush of amazement. She was instantly clean, the infection gone.

Robert wasn’t conscious. The others laid him out next to the crystal. Gloria’s hands were trembling as she held them up to the light. She now bore the clean scars where the infection had eaten her skin. Her head had the shakes and I began to wonder if perhaps she suffered from Parkinson’s or some similar disorder.

I can’t do it for him, I said.

Gloria looked at me, confused. Then she looked at Robert and knelt down next to him. You’ve got to wake up. This will make you better. Please. Honey, please. We waited and watched. Just being near the crystal was having an effect. Steam or smoke rose from his skin as the infection boiled off. Finally she took his hand and put it to the crystal. There was no light. Gloria began to wail. Grant came forward to check on Robert. He looked up at me and shook his head.

The old man had died.

Chapter Two – Frog

Bethany felt the death of the Goddess’s creature.

It hadn’t been under her control, and it was little more than a murmur along with all the other sensations that filled her mind. But another strong soul was back in Roseville, another human, a favored one who could use the hive creations much like she and Officer Byrd and a select few could. Deanne and Mindy had been of that sort before abandoning her and choosing to side with Magus. The number of survivors in the area was going steadily down by the hour as Bethany and the others consumed them. Bethany, in turn, also ate several of the Goddess’s other, smaller servants.

The Goddess was content to allow her most devout to dominate. Those eaten would continue serving even as their bodies and minds became one with Bethany’s.

The network of infection was large, and there were limits to what Bethany could feel, hear, and see. She shared the full range of sensations with the creatures she brought under her control. Through them, she could hear, see, smell, and feel. It was miraculous. If only her creatures were smarter, but no matter.

They obeyed.

The ones from the theater had been the first, but many more had followed. Now Bethany pushed her army towards Sacramento. The Goddess willed it. Bethany’s minions continued to divide as more infected souls came under her control.

At the periphery of her senses she perceived the other minders like distant voices in a crowd. The Goddess had left Bethany in charge of the region but had set no rules as to how she was to proceed with any who had come with the fleet from the last world. These had survived the hive conquering their own home, had been slaves for subsequent invasions, and had made the journey across the stars to Earth.

They were ancient.

Besides their presence, Bethany could discern little else. How many were there? Were any close by? She got the distinct impression that if they didn’t want Bethany to know about them, they could shut her out, except for what she could see and hear through her minions. But for now they didn’t appear to be interested in anything she was doing, so she would continue in her loyal service and would bring as many to the Goddess as she could.

She had fourteen larger units that advanced from neighborhood to neighborhood. Thousands of the bats were in the sky, hunting