The Neanderthal

She didn’t have a clue what that bastard had injected in to her blood, but she had no doubt it was killing her.

She looked back up at the open door only a few feet in front of her. Only a few feet, but so very far.

No, the bastard’s got to pay. She propped one hand against the wall. With her balance a little more stable, Annabelle slowly pulled herself to her feet. The world tried to swim around her, but she clutched her eyes shut and willed herself to stay upright. She took a step forward, only to have her guts turns upside down.

Annabelle collapsed back to the floor. Her stomach heaved. Having not eaten in at least a day, all that came up was bile. The turning in her stomach wouldn’t stop. She continued to heave without a moment’s respite. After several minutes, she began to wonder if this was finally it.

With one final heave, she spewed a viscous black goo from deep in her stomach. It splattered in a sticky mess on the floor. She caught her breath and wiped the bile and vomit from her mouth.

She resisted the urge to weep as she looked at the bloody mess in front of her. She didn’t even want to begin to comprehend what part of her innards now lay on the floor.

I will make him pay. That bastard will pay, goddamn it! Annabelle pulled herself up right again. With grim determination, she stepped forward and towards the door. One foot after another.

She would live long enough to see him pay.

*****

The beast caught Freedom across the chest with a massive swinging forearm. Freedom hurdled through the air before slamming in to a steel wall.

Liberator tumbled in to a roll which took him under the beast’s attack. He rolled up to his feet as the monster continued towards Tilby and Iniri.

“Enjoy your new friend,” Liberator said with a laugh. “But be careful. The Neanderthal is known to bite.”

Liberator ran down the curving hallway and out of view. The Neanderthal didn’t seem to notice; his focus was only on Tilby and Iniri.

Tilby blasted the massive caveman with his shotgun. The Neanderthal staggered back a step at the impact. The shell dropped to the floor and the creature ignored the slight indentation it had made in his chest. The Neanderthal just continued to advance. Tilby ducked under the beast’s next swipe. Iniri wasn’t as lucky. The monster caught her with a glancing blow to the shoulder which sent her sprawling to the floor.

Freedom instantly appeared beside her and helped her back to her feet. “Try to stay out of Ugly’s way, okay?”

Iniri nodded.

The Neanderthal swung another massive fist, which Tilby barely avoided. Freedom charged in at the massive creature’s rear side and leaped up on to the monster’s broad shoulders. He threw his hands around the Neanderthal’s head and held on for dear life.

“I’ll handle this big bastard,” Freedom said to Tilby. “I need you to follow Liberator. He’s are only clue as to how to stop this mess.”

“All right, I’ll do it. But don’t go dying, kid.”

“Like you care. Even so, I don’t have any plans for it today, old timer.”

Tilby ran past the Neanderthal as the creature struggled to shake Freedom off.

The monster stopped as he realized he could reach Freedom. Reaching two massive paws up, the creature pulled Freedom down by his legs and slammed him in to the ground.

Tilby turned to look at the sound of the impact. He paused for a moment, unsure whether to stay or go.

“Move, damn it,” Freedom said. “I’ve got him where I want him.”

Tilby shook his head, but he turned and headed back after Liberator. Freedom silently prayed he would live long enough to see Tilby come back with their man.

*****

Edward Tilby sprinted down the stark halls. He could hear Liberator’s boots striking the concrete somewhere ahead of him, around the bend. He knew he need to close the gap before Liberator used his knowledge of the facility to escape. Tilby pushed himself to move faster as he ran.

He turned another bend to see Liberator at the end of the corridor as he struggled to open a door at the end of the hall.

Tilby raised his shotgun and fired just over Liberator’s head. “Stop, damn it!” The ceiling exploded above Liberator. Plaster and concrete rained down on him.

Liberator turned to look at Tilby. He paused only a moment before he slammed his shoulder in to the door. The door crumpled and fell from its hinges as Liberator started moving again.

“Shit!” Tilby ran down the hallway and through the door.

He tripped over Liberator as the bigger man crashed to the floor in front of him. Tilby rolled up to his knees and aimed the barrel of the shotgun at Liberator’s forehead.

A young Hispanic woman, her tattered clothes covered in dirt and blood, shuffled towards them. She looked healthy enough, although Tilby guessed she may have been drugged from the stoned look in her eyes. She didn’t take her eyes off Liberator.

“Who’s the bitch now?” she said.

“Annabelle Montalvo?” Tilby said. “Are you all right?”

She finally looked toward Tilby at the sound of her name. “I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on at all. He poisoned me, but…” She trailed off as she looked at Liberator. “I think I’m going to be all right, somehow.”

Tilby nodded. “We’re here to get you out.“ He grabbed Liberator by the back of his jacket and pulled him to his feet. He shoved the shotgun in to the creep’s back, he grabbed the big man‘s wrists and pulled them back to cuff them. “One more punk move out of you and I’ll aerate you. Got me?”

“Piss off!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Tilby looked back to Annabelle. “You okay to walk?”

“I think so.” She slowly looked around the hallway. “Who are you and how did you find me?”

“I’m Edward Tilby, up to a few hours ago I was your county sheriff and I also happen to be an agent of ACTION. The rest of the story is way too long for right now. Let’s leave it at me and my friends are here to rescue you and we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Okay?”

“All right.”

Tilby nodded. He pushed the shotgun hard in to Liberator’s back. “Let’s get moving, scumbag.”

Liberator glared back at Tilby before he started back down the hallway.

*****

Freedom barely ducked another blow by the Neanderthal. The punch impacted the wall just inches behind where his head had been and left a massive dent in the steel’s surface.

This isn’t working, Freedom thought. I’m fast, but I can’t keep this up forever. And this brute isn’t showing any signs of stopping.

Freedom leap-frogged up and over the Neanderthal’s fist as the beast swung another blow his way. He spring boarded up and off the creature’s shoulder and landed behind the Neanderthal. Freedom yanked a .45 from its holster and emptied the clip in to the enormous man-monster’s back. The Neanderthal roared in anger though the bullets left no sign of injury.

The Neanderthal turned towards Freedom with another roar. The creature’s fist rose up as he turned and caught Freedom across the chest. Again Freedom went flying back and crashed to the floor.

The man-monster charged towards him, but Freedom rolled off to the side. How do I stop this thing?

“I’m running out of ideas here, Iniri. Any help would be appreciated. Work your psychic mojo or something.”

Off to one side, Iniri nodded. “I’ll do my best.” She reached out with her mind for the Neanderthal’s mind. Rage emanated in waves from the creature. She pierced through the veil of anger and entered the Neanderthal’s mind. She was surprised to find a deep spirit within. Despite his appearance, the beast was a quite intelligent creature, quite closer to human than she would have thought after looking at his massive, gray form.

She focused her mind and sent waves of calm towards the Neanderthal. Iniri could feel the man-monster’s rage weaken as she felt the familiar twitch in the back of her head when she pushed her own abilities too hard.

She refused to let up as she forced the beast’s rage to burst like a bubble. She felt the blood flow from her nose as she let the link with the Neanderthal go.

Freedom ducked down and around the hallway as the Neanderthal began to flail about wildly. The creature released a strangled yelp before he fell back in to a sitting position on the floor. He held his head and slowly rocked back and forth, his eyes blank.

“Wow,” Freedom said as he looked from the Neanderthal to Iniri. “That was good.”

Iniri wiped the blood from her nose and rubbed at her throbbing temples. “It almost killed me, so it should have. Hopefully though, we can find a way to convince the creature to be a little more friendly despite whatever hell these people put him through here.”

“You can control him?”

Iniri shook her head. “I can keep him civilized I think. He just needs help to control his rage. The Neanderthal is actually a rather intelligent creature. He just doesn’t grasp the world around him. Imagine what it would be like to wake up 20,000 years from now and you might get the idea.”

“Any help is good help, I suppose. Now we just need to find Tilby and the Montalvo girl.”

“Not going to be a problem.” Freedom and Iniri both looked up as Tilby emerged from around the bend. Liberator walked a pace or two in front of him, his hands secured by Tilby’s handcuffs behind his back. A muscular Latina girl followed a few steps behind. “Not only did I get Liberator here, but I brought a friend too. Iniri Granatella, Freedom Patton, may I introduce Annabelle Montalvo?”

“Thank God,” Iniri said.

“It’s about damn time,” Freedom said as he walked past the Neanderthal and offered his hand to Annabelle. She slowly, as if in a daze, raised her hand and shook. “I’ve been on your tail for quite some time,” Freedom said. “I’m just glad to see that you’re in one piece.”

“Nice to meet you,” Annabelle said. “I think.”

“Your mom—” Freedom stopped short as the words escaped him.

A chuckle emerged from behind them. They all turned to look at Liberator. Liberator snickered again.

“Something you need to say, Spandex Lad?”

“I just find your heart to heart charming, Patton. Especially since we’re all going to fry soon.”

Freedom ran at his evil counterpart and drove a fist in to the man’s square jaw. He pulled Liberator face to face. “You got something to say, say it.”

“Idiots, this facility was set up to allow no escape. An electrical surge is set to go off in the events of an escape. I set the failsafe to go only a few minutes ago.”

“Iniri?”

“I don’t think he’s lying, Freedom.”

“Let’s go then,” Freedom said. “Everybody out.”

The room began to hum around them as they started down the hall. Liberator started to laugh.

“Damn it all!” Freedom turned back to his friends. “Everybody brace yourself!”

The walls and floors sizzled to life as waves of electricity shot through the room. Freedom watches as his friends and enemies shook as thousands of volts shot through them and him. He saw the pleading eyes of Annabelle close before be lost consciousness himself.