Necrocide

Chapter 71

Schaefer was on the opposite side of the Dead Center, so far, in fact, that he needed binoculars to spot Bloodletter in the distance. "Ha!" he laughed. "There's someone I haven't seen in years. But then again, referring to it as a 'someone' might be a bit too polite."

"Holy shit," Kat said. "I haven't seen that wanker in the flesh since I was thirteen."

"Memories, right?" Jonah chuckled. "Really violent, horrible memories. I don't know why I laughed at that."

Kat also chuckled. "Don't you remember? You're the one with the bad timing."

Jonah shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

Bloodletter walked over to the pile of burnt corpses left behind by the Pyro Boys. He trudged around until he found the one person he was looking for. One smaller than the other bodies lying around in the ashes. One who was too young to die, let alone the incredibly horrific way his death was carried out.

Edgar's body lay underneath the pile of ash spread across his chest like a blanket. The left hemisphere of his face was burned off, glowing a bright orange as the flame continued to die out. Unlike most corpses found throughout the Dead Zone, Edgar's eyes were closed—at the least the right eye was; the left eye was just a burning, hollow eye socket.

"Another body in the pile," Bloodletter said grimly. "And as usual, killed without reason."

"Bloodletter, what the hell are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Schaefer needs to be reminded of the extent of the consequences his actions are bringing him. He wants to erase the evidence of his mistakes, yet he doesn't know when to stop."

"I'm not sure if you do, either. Fuck Schaefer, but don't disrespect Edgar's corpse like this. He was just a kid."

Bloodletter lifted Edgar's body from the ashes and continued his slow trek down the street toward the DZI, all of which had their guns trained on him.

"Stop, sir!" Harry shouted. "You're not in control of the situation!"

Bloodletter didn't look back. All he replied was, "Neither is he."

"This is the Dead Zone Infantry!" Schaefer announced from his APC. "Stop where you are or we will shoot!"

Bloodletter ignored him and resumed advancing forward. All of the soldiers came into view, their guns pointing directly at him. The APC's were parked around him in a cluster, and the soldiers manning the machine guns had him in their sights.

"Final warning, arsehole! Stop where you are or we'll open fire!"

"Not sure if you want to do that, Schaefer," Bloodletter said without stopping. He paused to hear a few murmurs among the DZI asking how he knows Schaefer by name. "Wouldn't you like to give your son the proper burial?"

That was the first time any of the DZI ever saw Schaefer truly angry. They've seen him be aggressive just to prove how scary he is or to remind them to be brave in times of danger, but this new emotion in his eyes...It was almost like a monster had replaced him and taken his physical form. The DZI were too scared to make another move, lest one more mistake felt like it would result in their deaths at the hands of their own leader.

"Yeah, that's right," Bloodletter continued, still approaching the armed humans. "Edgar Schaefer. I believe that's his name. All these years, wandering alone in the forest, unaware that his father is the one responsible for his and his mother's deaths."

"You're treading on some very thin ice," Schaefer muttered. "If you value your life, I highly recommend you shut your fucking mouth and surrender."