The Warden Global Omnibus (The Wanderer Awakens, Sleipnir's Heart, Rise of the Storm Bringer, Lamia's Curse): Year One by Ken Lange

Author:Ken Lange [Lange, Ken]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-25T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Justine is doing seventy down I-10 when I launch myself out of the bed of her beat-up pickup truck, rolling roughly to a stop in the grassy ditch off to the side. Thank God the camouflage feature is active, because that certainly didn’t feel graceful.

After a cursory cleanup, I sprint toward the rear of the park as the sky turns gray. It appears the unseasonably warm weather is due for a change if the storm clouds on the horizon are to be believed.

Before Katrina, the amusement park could bring joy to children with its name alone, while sending shivers down the spines of thrill seekers. All of that’s gone now, replaced by something sinister. A suffocating blanket of dread hangs over the park, engulfing it in a preternatural silence.

What lies before me is the hollow husk of a memory turned nightmare, with bleached colors, crumbling structures, and rot corrupting everything it touches. This is the work of Mother Nature gone insane, exacting her revenge and delving deeper into madness in the process.

As I pass what’s left of a behemoth roller coaster, it sways precariously in the wind, slowly tearing itself apart. The stagnant water at its feet serves to weaken it further, while feasting on fallen support beams jutting out of the soft ground.

Thankfully, Mir gives me something else to think about in the form of David’s approach, and I duck into the nearest building, the Funhouse. While there are a number of words I could use to describe the broken structure, fun is not among them.

Nicholas and Kira’s apprehension increases as he gets closer, sending ripples across the Nexus, burdening me with their anxiety. Taking a couple of seconds to fortify my mental defenses, I shunt their negative feelings aside, allowing me to focus on the task at hand.

The sound of his government-issued loafers crushing the dirt and gravel against the concrete stops. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he taunts. “I know you’re here, and I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment.”

When I peer out the doorway, he’s standing a half-dozen yards away. I step into view. “Don’t feel special, Cruz. Everyone waits a lifetime to die.”

He chuckles, and points at his jacket. “Do you mind?”

“It’s your funeral. Dress how you like.”

He removes the jacket and tie, carefully draping them over the rusted metal railing. After rolling up his sleeves, he claps his hands, bouncing from one foot to the other. “God, this feels good, doesn’t it?” Smacking his chest a few times, he keeps doing the Joe Frazier dance. “I’ve always wanted to show her that I’m the better man.”

Tired of hearing his voice, I dart out of the doorway, covering the distance quickly, and drive my fist into his jaw.

“Is that the line of shit you fed Gregory’s underage daughter, you fucking pedophile?”

The hit spins him in an off-balanced pirouette, which I halt by grabbing the back of his head. Yanking it down, I crush his face against my knee and send him reeling. He stumbles back, falling to the ground, blood pouring out of his ruined nose and mouth.

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