A Fall gale rolled through the forest, and a midday sun cut through shifting trees, casting wisps of light on the dead foliage below. The group of hollows shambled between these trees, their grey, peeling skin a stark contrast to the verdant landscape beside. With eyes white and empty, they scanned the world around them. There were eight total, a hunting party blind to everything that wouldn’t fill their stomachs. Hisses and moans echoed out as they continued their march.

Liam watched the pack from behind the telescopic lens of his hunting rifle. Hidden in a bush and coated in mud from head to toe, they could neither see nor smell him. But with the slow and steady clip of their stumbling, they were inching closer to Liam’s camp.

Part of him wondered if they were being drawn or if luck had worked against them, but he quickly buried the thought. Regardless of what puppeted these creatures onward, his daughter’s life remained at risk so long as they were left unchecked.

Eight though… That number was deeply unpleasant. Had there been far fewer, he could have zipped up the suit, thrown over an acrylic visor, and brought them down each with a knife. With this many, even if Liam managed to land a headshot for every single one, that would cost them nearly half his total rifle ammunition. This would not be the only encounter they’d face of this size, and he needed every bullet he could get.

Perhaps Liam could brave it with the knife, after all. If he could somehow get their attention one at a time, that would mitigate the risk. He could even keep his Glock on hand if matters became too dangerous.

The hollows limbered forth, and another plan floated through his mind. They were considerably dumb enough. Liam might just be able to lead them away, get them marching on some other route, and then hook his path back to Leah. By the time they tracked down their hiding place, the truck would be charged enough to leg it out of this area altogether.

Yeah, that might just work. He studied his enemies, weighing the options available while keeping his finger wrapped around the trigger.

But then the decision was made for him.

Four black shadows passed at the edge of his telescopic sight, moving too quick to be seen. The hollows turned to face these new aggressors. Liam adjusted the lens of his scope and watched as the hollows were bludgeoned to death with cudgels and staffs, ichor exploding out with each swing.

Liam gulped. Four rezzers donning black cloaks over leather armor had entered the fray. One stood a head taller than the others, his smooth scalp encompassed by a tattoo in the shape of a crown of thorns.

Brother Ezekiel turned Liam’s way.

The rifle shook in hand. How the bloody hell could they have found them so fast? They were in the middle of nowhere!

The Inquisitors began to chat amongst themselves, scanning the forest beside them. Liam’s heart thumped in his chest as he watched them, but there was little more to be done. One shot, maybe. That would be all he could afford before they’d come for him. He’d seen how quickly these Inquisitors could move, like Runners with the skills of Hunters. Trying to score a killing shot on them in full motion would be nigh impossible.

But he couldn’t just leave them either. Though he couldn’t hear their conversation from this distance, their body language gave it all away. They were planning out their next advance. Right to the copse where his daughter lay.

Liam thought back to his good undead friend, Leah, and all the times she had put her life on the line to save him. She wouldn’t have hesitated to attack in this moment, confident in her own skills to see the day finished. What would she suggest to Liam, were she here now?

He thought of Evelyn next. The woman forged in the fires of a dying world with a fury built to match. She would’ve already killed two by now, not remained crippled by hesitation. If his wife stood over his shoulder right now, she’d no doubt give him an earful for not capitalizing on the advantage before it could be lost.

And yet, neither of them were here. No Leah. No Evelyn. Just Liam. He was the sole defense between his daughter and these monsters. If he were to fail here, nothing could save her.

He could not let that happen.

Liam adjusted the sight again, focusing directly on Ezekiel. If he could just land a clear shot, the leader would be taken out of the equation altogether. He breathed deep and held his breath. His finger wrapped around the trigger as the X locked in place. He pulled the trigger.

But another stepped in front at the last moment! Ezekiel recoiled as ichor splattered against his face, pupils quivering as his ally fell.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Dammit!” Liam cursed, instinctively yanking the bolt action back to pull another round into place.

His enemies were quicker. By the time the chamber was loaded, the Inquisitors had all vanished, disappearing into the brush and trees as though they were never there. He scanned back and forth but saw no one else.

Bugger this! Liam lurched to his feet and ran the other way, drawing them away from camp. Rezzers might have stamina on their side, but compared to his sprinting capabilities, this race was akin to teenagers chasing after an Olympic athlete.

He ducked and dodged the branches, sliding down a hill and out of sight. Leaves rustled behind, but he had gained a strong enough lead. Liam hastily threw leaves over his path and took cover behind a downed log. As the footsteps closed in, he threw a hand over his mouth to cover the sound of his breath.

An Inquisitor stepped in front, his bald head exposed where the hood had fallen. This one was shorter and lacked a tattoo of his own. He gripped a staff with both hands, prodding the bushes in front where his target might have run.

Liam glanced over his shoulder and realized that no one else had come. Before overthinking the opportunity, he holstered his pistol and lowered his visor. The light shimmered off his combat knife as he pointed it forth.

Slowly, carefully, Liam approached. The Inquisitor’s attention remained fixed in front, batting through the debris for possible hiding places. Just a little closer…

A branch snapped beneath Liam’s feet. The Inquisitor turned. Red eyes glared into his own.

But Liam reacted quicker, thrusting his blade into one of the Inquisitor’s eyes. Ichor splashed against the face visor, and his victim’s grunt turned into a gargle. He tumbled into the bushes behind. Unsatisfied, Liam gripped his blade and jabbed a second time. And a third. And a fourth after that. If he’d learned anything from Evelyn’s hand-to-hand combat training, it was that the regenerative capabilities of the undead could never be underestimated.

Crying rang in the distance. Leah’s cries.

Liam launched into a sprint. He batted the branches out of the way as he ran at full speed, no longer concerned with stealth. The sound of his daughter grew in intensity. He should never have left her!

An Inquisitor was prying into the truck when Liam reached the clearing, using a crowbar to smash through the lock. He turned his way and grimaced.

Liam continued at full speed. He did not see an infectious vector for a deadly contagion or an enemy whose skills surpassed his own. He only saw a monster coming for this daughter. The rest of his vision turned red.

Their bodies collided, and the two fell. The Inquisitor smacked Liam’s face with the crowbar, dislodging his acrylic visor. He cried out as another whack struck his leg, cracking his hardsuit.

Liam wrenched his pistol free and opened fire. The Inquisitor flinched as the shots took him in the chest, then flew back as a pair pierced his head.

He exhaled, only to gasp a second later when his chest was struck. Ezekiel had jumped him from behind, and now towered above.

“You!” he seethed, teeth clenched. Before Liam could take aim, the pistol was knocked from his hands.

Liam rolled back and jumped to his feet. The crowbar lay nearby, giving him his next weapon.

He swung with all his might, but Ezekiel was more dexterous than he appeared and easily diverted the blow. The sky reversed with the ground as his enemy used a martial technique to throw him off-balance. Liam coughed again, this time tasting blood on the landing.

It was not over yet. Liam drew his knife and took aim. Ezekiel was quicker. His hands slipped between Liam’s wrists and twisted upwards before he could swing. Pain exploded anew, coursing through his arms.

Ezekiel scoffed. “Those were brave men you killed, Liam. Some of my best who came here for your safety.” He lifted him up. “Do these murders bring you joy? Does lashing out against those who wish to see you both well create some inner peace?” He thrust him into the truck and let him fall. “So it falls to me to bring your actions to judgment, I suppose. Though the Lord has chosen you to live, such sin cannot be ignored.”

There was no hope here. Brother Ezekiel moved with the efficiency of a machine and struck with fists as strong as a bulldozer. Even if Liam managed to land a single hit, nothing short of a blow to the head could bring a rezzer down. He sobbed, blood drooling from his mouth. Leah continued to cry, adding insult to injury as her father lay in place, powerless.

Liam blinked through the agony. His Glock lay on the ground, not far away. But with the pain in his arms, it might have been miles.

“Don’t even bother, Liam,” Ezekiel said, his eyes burning crimson. “You’d never reach it in time.”

No, I won’t. He had a better idea. Without thinking it through, he lunged for the pistol.

The sharp spike in his forearm was inevitable when Ezekiel stomped into it, but Liam focused only on that which lay in front. He took aim and pulled the trigger, emptying the last of the magazine. Air shot out of the tires of their truck as the bullets cut through, disabling the one vehicle in sight.

Ezekiel scowled and Liam laughed, made awkward by a trickle of blood coming from his split lip. It didn’t matter what happened next. Whatever the Inquisitors’ plans had been to bring them back home, those were out the window now that they couldn’t drive out. With only one of them left alive, there was no way out of where this had gone.

Ezekiel was just as stranded as they were.