MCBRID STARED AT THE mess that’d been Aranea18. Conguise was not going to be happy about this.
“Wh-what about Reeky?” stuttered Charlie.
They both stared at the Guard lying unconscious on the floor. He was young too, only a few years older than Charlie.
“I think he’s still breathing,” said Charlie.
It didn’t matter. The poison in Aranea18’s bite would liquefy his bones. “How did this happen?”
“Reeky…He was dragging the Servant. I…I told him we should get help but everyone else was busy and…and he wanted to get it done. He was sneaking out to…” Charlie’s eyes widened even more.
“It’s okay. I don’t care if you guys sneak out.” Most Almightys kept their Guards and Servants like prisoners. Conguise was no different.
“I…Me and my brother don’t. We know we’re lucky to have a home.”
“I truly don’t care what you do when you’re not at work.” He grabbed Charlie’s shoulder. “But here…in this place…you have to be careful. You have to follow procedure.” The kid was going to get himself killed. His eyes darted back to the Guard on the floor. A bloody liquid was beginning to leak from Reeky’s mouth.
“We have to help him,” said Charlie.
It wouldn’t do any good, but Charlie was right. They had to try. “Go get your brother and bring something to clean this up.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Don’t say anything to anyone.” He grabbed the kid’s wrist. The young Guard was all arms and legs, not an ounce of muscle or fat. He should be home hanging out with his friends but that wasn’t the life of a Guard. They were sold and put to work before they were ten. It was the way of the world. His mother had hated it and so did he.
“I won’t, sir.”
“Not even to your brother. Not until you both get in this room. Got it?”
Charlie nodded and left, part of Aranea18’s leg still wrapped around his ankle. She hadn’t let go even in death. He turned the hose on again, lower this time, squirting her gently. She didn’t flinch. She was dead and so was he if he didn’t think fast. Conguise wouldn’t take this news well and no one got fired from Level Five. They all worked here until they either displeased the professor enough that they disappeared or they died from an attack by a creature, which Conguise reported as an equipment accident. He snorted back a laugh. It was kind of funny because to the professor these creatures were equipment—expensive, valuable equipment—and he’d just broken one beyond repair.
He moved toward Reeky, his eyes on Aranea18. He kept the hose pointed toward her as he bent by the Guard. He felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak. She hadn’t killed him. He had no idea why. Like usual, with her there were more questions than answers even for him, and that was how he’d keep his job and stay alive.
He grabbed Reeky’s arm and pulled him to the door. The Guard’s wrist was already soft like bread dough. He dropped his hold, wiping his hands on his pants but the memory of the mushy flesh remained. He moved to his workstation and opened his notebook. He’d make Charlie take the other Guard to the infirmary. He jotted a note for the doctor, explaining that there’d been an accident and that Charlie needed a sedative and Reeky, when he died, needed to be placed in his office. It’d be the first chance McBrid had to analyze exactly what the Aranea poison did to a body. Usually, he only had the husk of the Servants to study because the Araneas drained them dry.
McBrid’s eyes went to her. It was strange that the creature, monstrous in life, looked small and pathetic in death. She was curled into herself, her legs tucked around her body, making her half her size. Even her fangs looked smaller. He’d have to measure her remains. Not that he had anything to compare them to. She’d been too valuable to sedate, so he hadn’t dared get too close. Conguise had had great expectations for Aranea18. She was the first female in eighteen tries to survive the transformation and he’d killed her—all for the life of a Guard. He didn’t regret it, but the professor would be livid.
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“Is Reeky...” Charlie came into the room, pushing a mop bucket around the Guard on the floor.
“He’s alive, but I don’t think he’ll make it.” He knew Reeky wouldn’t but didn’t have the heart to say that to Charlie. “Take him to the infirmary.” He handed Charlie the note. “The doctor needs to look you over too.”
“Me? I’m fine.”
“You need to be examined and then you need to rest.”
“Ah, sir. No disrespect but maybe, it’d be better if three of us were here.” Louis, who was as solid and muscular as his brother was skinny, stepped over Reeky carrying a body bag. “One of us should stay outside the cage.”
“Good point.” He grabbed the hose and pointed it at Aranea18. “I’ll need her remains taken to my office.” If he still had one once he spoke with Conguise.
“Of course.” Louis hesitated at the door to the cage. “She’s really dead, right?” The fear made the Guard’s eyes huge in his large, round face.
“I squirted her again and she didn’t move, but poke her with the mop handle.” He was pretty sure she was dead, but it never hurt to be positive, especially when working with Conguise’s creations.
Louis traded Charlie the mop for the body bag. The handle knocked against the bars from the Guard’s shaking. McBrid couldn’t blame him. All Conguise’s creatures were deadly in some form or another but this one was special—silent, ruthless, fast and strong. He’d admired her when awake and had nightmares about her when asleep.
Aranea18 didn’t even twitch when the mop handle landed on her leg.
“Poke her again. In the abdomen.”
The Guard did. Aranea18 remained still.
“Again. Make a hole. Draw some fluid.”
“Really?” Louis glanced at him.
“Never take your eyes off her when you’re that close.” The words flew from his mouth like a whip and the Guards flinched. He took a deep breath. They were both too young to be here. “Sorry, but you must always, always pay attention to the creature you’re near.”
“Sorry, sir. I know that, sir.” Louis was staring at Aranea18 again.
“If she’s dead, poking a hole in her abdomen won’t hurt her and if she’s not…it’ll save all our lives.”
Charlie took a few steps backward, not even seeming to notice that he’d done so. McBrid almost did too. His eyes darted to the line on the floor. He was in dangerous territory, but if Aranea18 attacked, Louis would need his help. His legs shook, but he forced his feet to stay in place as he tightened his grip on the hose. All he had to do was turn the valve and a surge of water would hit her again. He’d never thought water would kill something so strong.
Louis rested the pole on her abdomen and pushed until yellowish fluid oozed from her body. She remained still.
“She’s dead. Open the cage.” He didn’t put the hose down.
Louis pulled the mop from the cage and held it like a weapon as he unlocked the door. Charlie whined slightly. He wanted to whine too, but instead he took deep breaths. Louis’ entire body shook as he stepped into the cage, but Aranea18 didn’t move.
“Bring me the bag,” said Louis.
Charlie trembled but moved forward. He put the bag down next to her body. The brothers looked at each other and in silent agreement picked her up and stuffed her in the bag. In his years on Level Five, McBrid had seen many creatures put into bags and hauled away but he’d never seen it done that fast.
“I got this,” said Louis as he lifted her. “You take Reeky to the infirmary.”
“You sure you don’t want me to help you clean up?” Charlie’s legs shook like he couldn’t wait to run out the door.
“I got it. Go.”
Charlie nodded, almost tripping in his eagerness to get out of the cage. Anything was better than being by her even in death. The young Guard grabbed Reeky by the arms and pulled him out of the room and down the hallway.
“Do you need help?” McBrid asked. She hadn’t been a huge creature, or at least she hadn’t looked that way in death, but she should be heavy.
“Nah. She’s lighter than I would’ve thought.” Louis carried her out of the cage.
McBrid’s hands tightened on the hose as the Guard neared. “Really?” Most of the creatures here were heavier than they looked—all muscle and power.
“Yep. You want me to leave her on a table in your office?” asked Louis at the door.
“Put her in one of the cages.” They’d had other creatures feign death as a way to escape and he didn’t want to go into his office later to find her very alive and hungry.
Louis nodded, trembling slightly as he glanced at the bag in his arms.
“I’ll come with you.” If she woke, Louis would never survive alone. Not that he’d be much help, but together they might be able to incapacitate her—doubtful, but with two of them they had a chance.