Around them, the Scourge were stirring. Jameson’s howl had broken their torpor.

“How can I be calm when there are so many?” Jameson shouted. “It never ends. There so goddamn many! Everywhere I look they’re just standing there waiting to fucking die!”

Denman appeared at their side and rested his hand on Jameson’s other shoulder. “Special Constable Jameson, I need you to sit down.”

“They’re all around us. It doesn’t matter how many I kill, there are always more. All around me,” Jameson gasped.

“Sit down,” Denman said, his voice a soft order.

Collapsing to the ground, Jameson covered his face. His shoulders were shuddering, but no tears fell from his cloudy eyes.

Cruz crouched beside him, cradling her weapon in her arms. Her dark eyes were full of compassion as she whispered, “It’s okay, Kurt. I’m here with you.”

Pulling out his diagnostic equipment, Denman started to scan Jameson. Maria watched the Scourge around them slowly coming out of their torpor. Their dead eyes rolled about crazily in their sockets, seeking out human victims.

Maria squatted next to the others, her gaze scrutinizing their predicament. The Scourge were not riled sufficiently to respond to their voices, but she was unnerved by how quickly they had responded to Jameson’s cry. It had sounded like a Scourge howl.

Overhead, thunder rolled.

Next to her, Denman studied the results of his scan, comparing them to a previous one. One of his tasks was to monitor their functions every day. The Inferi Boon Virus animated them, but it was unknown how the virus would affect them over time. Denman rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Jameson’s face was covered by his hands. Though his posture was that of a weeping person, Maria knew that tears were not falling. Cruz’s hand rested on his arm as she whispered to him in a soothing voice.

“Is there an issue?” Maria asked.

“Emotional duress,” Denman said quickly. “I told the Chief Defender that we’re pushing too hard.”

Eyes narrowing, Maria regarded Denman thoughtfully. He was lying and she knew it. Meeting her gaze, Denman didn’t seem defiant, but afraid. They would have to find a way to speak in private.

A Scourge howl ripped through the air, instantly aggravating the Scourge around the soldiers. Their howls mingled with the original cry. A few Scourge lunged at each other, snapping their teeth in aggravation before realizing their prey was not before them. Maria motioned for her team to be silent as the Scourge surged around them, twisting around in circles, seeking out a human to bite and infect. Another howl pierced the growing din around them.

Maria shifted on her feet and cautiously stood, her bolt weapon clasped in her hands. The Scourge jostled her as they frantically thrust each other aside, seeking prey. Her wristlet vibrated. It was most likely the Chief Defender calling her, but she didn’t dare speak aloud. She didn’t want the Scourge mistaking her for prey and pouncing on her like they had Coleman.

Again a loud, terrifying howl rose above the Scourge cries. It was closer this time. Maria spun around on her heel, seeking out the source of the cry. She had a horrible inkling that they were being stalked. If there was another thinking Scourge out here—

Another knot of Scourge crashed into her, nearly knocking her over. She struggled to regain her balance under the onslaught. Widening her stance, she managed to stay on her feet as the stampede rushed past her.

“Hungry!” a voice snarled, then strong hands gripped her shoulders and yanked her backward.

“Fuck!”

Maria slammed her bolt weapon over her shoulder. It impacted with flesh and bone. Her feet slid out from under her and she fell out of the grasp of her assailant. Flipping onto her side when she hit the ground, she kicked out, striking the groin of the dark shape lunging at her. The impact was jarring, but she managed to drive the creature back a few feet.

Denman leaped over her and tackled the Scourge attacker to the ground. It writhed under Denman, clutching at his armor, its teeth gnashing. Cruz and Jameson flung themselves onto the creature and grappled with its flailing legs. Rolling onto her knees, Maria crawled rapidly to the struggle.

“I need a reading,” Denman uttered through clenched teeth, trying not to draw the attention of the riled Scourge.

Maria nodded as she moved to help pin the attacker’s upper body to the ground. Together, Denman and Maria pried the dirty, torn fingers from Denman’s armor and pushed the attacker’s arms downward. Denman rested his knees on one arm while Maria followed suit with the other. She pressed her hand against the creature’s shoulder and leaned in, utilizing her weight to press the Scourge against the ground. The snarling face was covered in mud and deep wounds. It snapped its teeth at her, arching its neck, trying to bite her.

“Hungry!” he howled.

A sharp stab of terror flowed through her as Maria experienced a note of recognition at the sound of the voice. Peering into the ruined face, she saw brown eyes rimmed with golden lashes glaring up at her.

“Ryan?” she rasped.

“Hungry!” he screamed.

“Did he just talk?” Cruz whispered.

Denman shot her a dark look, shutting her up. He returned his gaze to his readouts.

“Ryan,” Maria said softly, anguish filling her voice.

Maria was certain it was him. The stained and dirty hair had glints of gold in it and the brown eyes were rimmed with a slight border of green. His face was torn and ravaged by the bites of the Scourge. Sweeping her eyes over his torso, she saw that his armor was heavily damaged and his nameplate was gone. Risking the snapping teeth, she yanked on the armor fasteners and pried open the chest plate wide enough to slip her had inside. His skin was cold and clammy, but she found what she was looking for. She yanked the dog tags off his neck and pulled them out of his armor.

SPECIAL CONSTABLE RYAN SHERMAN the tags read.

Maria closed her eyes, overcome by grief and fear.

“Hungry!” Ryan shrieked, then his voice rose into an Scourge howl.

Opening her eyes, Maria stared at her old friend unable to fathom this living nightmare.

“Finished,” Denman said, tucking his med-pad into his pack. He pulled out his weapon.

Maria’s hand lashed out and gripped his wrist, stopping him. Denman stared at her curiously.

“He’s my friend,” she said in the softest of voices.

“Hungry!”

Denman hesitated as he studied her, then handed the weapon to her.

Maria clutched it in her hand and for a second considered throwing it away, but she couldn’t bear to see what Ryan had become. He was howling in rage, his voice rising. He was like the other one. He wanted to bite, tear, and eat flesh. Ryan was no mere Scourge. He was something worse. Something terrifying.

Maria shoved the weapon against the side of his head, just behind his ear, and fired.

Chapter 21

Maria and Denman huddled together over Ryan’s body as the swarm of Scourge streamed around them. Riled by Ryan’s howls, the Scourge were on the hunt for human flesh. How long they would remain in an agitated state was uncertain. It was difficult not to make a sound as the Scourge trampled over Ryan’s body. Each time a Scourge stared down at her, Maria returned their gaze. Her dead face and eyes were her best protection.

She slowly rose to her feet, Denman following her example. Cruz and Jameson also stood, the four of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight circle, facing outward. It appeared the Scourge in the distance were beginning to falter. With no potential victims in sight, the Scourge were gradually less agitated. The edges of the group fell into torpor and the crowd progressively calmed. It was a domino effect. The stillness rippled through the crowd, bringing the horde to a standstill. The howls faded into soft moans as the Scourge swayed in the strong winds of the coming storm.

Falling to his knees, Denman hastily unfastened Ryan’s armor and tugged it open. Crouching, Maria stared in disbelief at the wounds. Ryan’s chest and stomach were a ruin of flesh.

“What did this?” she whispered.

“Keep an eye out for the Chief Defender,” Denman said in a quiet voice.

Jameson and Cruz hesitantly moved through the cluster of Scourge gathered around them. Methodically, they began to dispatch the creatures one by one, shaping a clear area around Maria and Denman.

Maria stood, her eyes scrutinizing the crowd, her weapon poised. Her wristlet buzzed again and she activated it.

“Status,” Omondi’s voice demanded.

“We were attacked by a Scrag,” Maria answered truthfully. Omondi’s face was dour and she could tell by the jostling of his wristlet camera that he was running. Most likely he was heading in their direction.

“Any injuries?” Omondi’s dark eyes didn’t betray a single emotion.

“No. We dispatched him. The rest of the Scrags are back in torpor.”

“Excellent. We’re on our way. I want to see the Scrag that attacked you,” Omondi said, then cut the feed.

“Did you hear?” Maria asked Denman.

“Almost done,” Denman responded. He was taking tissue samples while studying the grievous wounds.

“What the hell is going on?” Cruz asked, kicking an Inferi Scourge body out of her way and killing another. “I heard that fucker talk.”