![\"Underground.jpeg\"](\"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Underground.jpeg\")
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The stairs led to what was once an underground train station. Now it was a transition zone for people wishing to enter and exit Metro City. People packed the train platform, anxious and crying and commiserating. When the Metro City troopers descended, the people loosed a hearty cheer.<\/p>\n
Bates, Knight and Freeman didn\u2019t join in. They carefully carried Sharpe\u2019s body to a corner and laid him down with the rest of the human dead.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now we are three,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should police the body before looters get at it,\u201d Knight said.<\/p>\n
Wordlessly the men went through Sharpe\u2019s pockets, taking everything useful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s going to take his five-two-five?\u201d Knight asked.<\/p>\n
Sharpe\u2019s M525 grenade launcher was still attached to the rifle. It was a critical weapon, one that shouldn\u2019t be sold so long as they still had ammo for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n
Freeman slung Sharpe\u2019s rifle around his shoulder, then methodically unfastened Sharpe\u2019s grenade pouches and laced them on his armour carrier. He retrieved Sharpe\u2019s bandoleer and wrapped it around his body too.<\/p>\n
Behind them, a heated argument broke out, and the three men walked over. Johnson was arguing with a Metro City trooper.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! No drugs!\u201d the soldier yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour friend is dying!<\/em>\u201d Johnson insisted. \u201cI can help!\u201d<\/p>\n On the floor, a wounded man groaned as a medic wrapped his right leg with bandages. A large shard jutted from the wound, slowly dissolving into his flesh.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Freeman asked.<\/p>\n Johnson gestured at the wounded trooper. \u201cHe\u2019s been shot. There\u2019s Bloom in his bloodstream. He needs treatment now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as I<\/em> was saying,\u201d the other trooper said, stepping forward, \u201cwe\u2019re not cleared to use non-issue drugs.\u201d Johnson held up a syrette to the light. \u201cThis.\u201d<\/p>\n The markings on the tube read \u2018Gardia Biotech\u2019. Its logo, the company\u2019s initials stylised to resemble a caduceus, was on the reverse. Freeman had seen many just like it. Hell, he carried a bunch of similar syrettes himself. It was the real deal. Probably.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a stimshot,\u201d Johnson continued. \u201cIt\u2019ll break down the Bloom and promote healing. If you take him to your hospital, the doctors are goin\u2019 to give it him anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n The wounded man moaned. Black fibres crawled out from under the bandage, spiralling up his leg. The medic backed away, unwilling to touch the alien matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bloom is spreading,\u201d Knight said. \u201cHe needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n The trooper hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we served in the Church, we used stimshots just like this one,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t use it now, he\u2019ll die before he gets to a doctor. Or worse.\u201d<\/p>\n The soldier swore. \u201cDo what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson uncapped the syrette and punched it into the wounded man\u2019s thigh. The soldier groaned. The Bloom shrank away, drying up and flaking off.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019ll hold him until you get him to hospital,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d better,\u201d the soldier said. \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t, it\u2019s on you.\u201d<\/p>\n The rest of Johnson\u2019s crew treated the remaining wounded with stimshots before handing them off to stretcher parties. Johnson supervised them.<\/p>\n \u201cThese stimshots… they\u2019re your trade goods, right?\u201d Freeman asked.<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re giving them out for free?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTimes like this, money don\u2019t mean nothin\u2019.\u201d Johnson grinned. \u201c\u2018sides, it\u2019s free advertising.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman chuckled.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n When the chaos subsided, more people arrived to take charge of the situation and assist. The priests refused to say prayers for Sharpe. The soldiers accepted the body anyway, allowing him to be buried alongside their own dead. As they wrapped him in a simple white shroud, Freeman and his team stood over the body and recited their prayer.<\/p>\n \u201cKyrie eleison. Christe eleison<\/em>,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n \u201cKyrie eleison. Christe eleison.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n The far side of the train station led to down to Metro City itself. Everywhere Freeman looked there were people walking, haggling, eating, working. There was barely room to breathe. The background roar of a thousand voices tripped his earpro, dialling down the sound. Despite that, the moment people saw the weapons they gave Freeman and his team a wide berth.<\/p>\n After Johnson and his crew checked in at an inn, Freeman and his team were dismissed from their duties. Freeman moved the M525 grenade launcher to his rifle, then helped his team split up Sharpe\u2019s belongings. They spent the rest of the day selling off non-essential gear or exchanging them for essentials: ammo, food, clean water, other supplies. They refilled their empty pouches and magazines, and retired to the inn in time for dinner.<\/p>\n A round of beers. A toast, a prayer and a simple meal. They said grace and tucked in, dining on stewed vegetables and meat best left unidentified.<\/p>\n As they ate, Johnson approached their table. \u201cAm I disturbin\u2019 you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGot any work for us?\u201d Freeman asked.<\/p>\n \u201cJust checkin\u2019 in. Must be tough, losing a man. My condolences.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re good,\u201d Knight said icily. \u201cI thought you were with your drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re busy runnin\u2019 errands.\u201d Johnson glanced about the room. \u201cListen, I haven\u2019t had anythin\u2019 since breakfast today and I\u2019m starved. Mind if I sit with ya?\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman had half a mind to turn Johnson away. The other half insisted that he should be gracious to his employer.<\/p>\n The former Crusaders made room. Johnson pulled up a chair and ordered another bowl of stew.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys doin\u2019 okay?\u201d Johnson asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Knight said testily.<\/p>\n \u201cJust askin\u2019 is all. I know you guys were tight.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman grunted. How could he begin to explain what it to kill and bleed and die side by side with a brother in arms? There was no need to explain to a fellow warrior, and no use describing it to a civilian.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is with God now,\u201d Bates said. \u201cHe\u2019s earned his reward.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something, at least.\u201d Johnson shifted uneasily. \u201cY\u2019know, somethin\u2019s been buggin\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Knight prodded.<\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019all told me you were pilgrims. But I heard the troopers callin\u2019 you Crusaders.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman mulled that answer for a moment. \u201cBefore our pilgrimage, we served as Crusaders. That\u2019s how we met.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh. But I also saw the priests denyin\u2019 Neil a Christian burial. Why\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n Bates frowned. Knight glared. Freeman had to remind himself to breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cDid I do somethin\u2019 wrong?\u201d Johnson asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s between us and the Church,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cNothing you need to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m plannin\u2019 to stop over at some religious communities. If it could cause a problem, I need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? I heard you were excommunicated. That could cause issues.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you find out?\u201d Knight demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cHeard the priests talkin\u2019. Now, I understand it\u2019s unpleasant business, but I need to know if it could affect our business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n Johnson met Freeman\u2019s gaze. \u201cI\u2019ll be the judge of that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t do anything wrong,\u201d Bates said. \u201cIt was just\u2026politics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPolitics? That really could cause problems. Now I have<\/em> to hear about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Knight shot Bates a dirty look. Freeman just sighed. The cat was out of the bag. Might as well get it over and done with.<\/p>\n \u201cHeard of a city called Arkham?\u201d Freeman asked.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t rightly say I have.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman sighed again. \u201cThree years ago, we received reports of demons emerging in Arkham. The Order of Saint George was dispatched to investigate. By the time we got there\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman stared into his beer. Knight took over.<\/p>\n \u201cThe city was crawling with demons. Every time we burned out a nest, they popped up somewhere else. It was brutal. Street to street, house to house, hand to hand. They destroyed half the city before we realized they had set up a network of Hellgates in the sewers. By the time we were done\u2026there was nothing left of Arkham.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson nodded sadly. \u201cIt sounds terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n Fury crept across Bates\u2019 face. \u201cIt got worse. We took seventy percent casualties. Seventy percent. The ones still alive were court-martialled. They charged us with negligence of duty, mass murder, wilful destruction of civilian and Church property\u2026 The head of our Order defended us against most of those charges. But there was one thing he couldn\u2019t help us with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were excommunicated,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound fair,\u201d Johnson remarked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d Bates said. \u201cIt\u2019s politics. The Church needed a scapegoat. Better to disband an order than for the masses to lose their faith. And the other Crusader Orders had their eyes on our gear for the longest time. The moment we were excommunicated they divided everything we had amongst themselves.\u201d Bates sighed. \u201cPolitics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBad business all around,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHow are you handling it?\u201d<\/p>\n The men exchanged glances. Freeman raised an eyebrow. Knight nodded. So did Bates.<\/p>\n \u201cAmong our Order, we have a tradition,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cWhenever one of us commits a mortal sin, we travel to New Rome on foot. Along the way, we help everybody we can and slay whatever demons we find. It\u2019s our way of doing penance. And when we arrive at New Rome, we ask for forgiveness. We call it walking the redemption road.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill the Church let you back in?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcommunication is a medicinal penalty, not a punishment,\u201d Bates said. \u201cAfter completing penance, the Church will absolve us. It\u2019s part of the sacraments. They have to take us back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey must,\u201d Freeman whispered.<\/p>\n ~<\/p>\n After the evening meal they retired to their rooms. Freeman spent the rest of the night attending to his kit and praying. When he was done, he lay on the hard bed and stared at the ceiling until his eyelids drooped.<\/p>\n Gunfire.<\/p>\n He leapt out of bed.<\/p>\n Long hammers of autofire, mixed with howls and screams. He peered out the window. By the dim light he saw people fleeing down the street, lit by the underground streetlamps.<\/p>\n The door burst open.<\/p>\n \u201cBoss!\u201d Knight yelled.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cKit up. We\u2019re headed out.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman\u2019s hands flew. He slipped on his boots over bare feet, snapped on his armour carrier over his thin sleepwear, slung his rifle and fastened his helmet into place. In the hallway outside his room, he ran into his men.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the call?\u201d Bates asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe help, however we can,\u201d Freeman said.<\/p>\n Outside, they encountered a demon. A roiling jumble of flesh and limbs and organs dragging itself down a tiny street with its oversized paws. A hump extruded from its back, mounting an extended barrel. The demon stomped on a body, fired up a shop, and turned towards Freeman.<\/p>\n The men opened fire. Freeman pressed the trigger as fast as he could, his vision narrowing into a black-and-white tube as it came closer, closer\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cCease fire!\u201d Knight yelled. \u201cIt\u2019s dead already!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat fresh horror is this?\u201d Bates whispered.<\/p>\n Freeman hadn\u2019t seen anything like it before. The fleshy thing was immobile, bleeding from dozens of yawning wounds, its turret frozen. It wasn\u2019t a threat for now, but he didn\u2019t want to come close to it. Not until it was burnt to ash.<\/p>\n Sirens wailed, reverberating in the close confines of the underground city. Gunshots followed. The men ran, chasing the sound of gunfire.<\/p>\n A squad of Metro City troopers charged past them. Freeman sprinted alongside the squad leader.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Freeman called. \u201cCan we help?\u201d<\/p>\n The soldier glanced at him. \u201cYou the guys who defended the gate, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could use more guns in the fight. Follow me!\u201d<\/p>\n When they arrived at the hospital, Freeman saw writhing tentacles oozing wetly out of broken windows. Broken bodies littered the ground. Monstrosities rolled out of the entrance, one after another, each bearing different configurations of claws, guns, arms and legs.<\/p>\n No cover. Nowhere to run.<\/p>\n But Crusaders never ran from the fight.<\/p>\n \u201cLight \u2018em up!\u201d Freeman ordered.<\/p>\n He flicked to full auto and hosed down the nearest monster. The flechettes cut through their carapaces as though they were paper. Something whined past Freeman\u2019s ear. A heartbeat later, he released the trigger and scan.<\/p>\n The monsters on the loose were all down. But more emerged from the entrance of the hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cPete,\u201d Freeman said calmly. \u201cLock it down.\u201d<\/p>\n Knight poured streams of full auto fire through the door as a fresh wave of monsters burst through. Kneeling, Bates and Freeman fired short bursts at the ones that tried to escape. The Metro City troops joined in, throwing a wall of steel downrange. Bodies stacked up outside and around the door\u2014but they were still coming.<\/p>\n \u201cMake a hole!\u201d a man cried.<\/p>\n A squad of Metro City troopers came charging down a crammed street. Dressed in heavy yellow chemsuits, they carried a mix of M891s and bulky flamethrowers. The Crusaders stepped aside.<\/p>\n \u201cHot shot!\u201d the leader called.<\/p>\n As the men laid down suppressive fire, a pair of flamethrower operators stepped up. Scarlet tongues of burning fuel leapt from their weapons\u2019 throats, engulfing the hospital, the demons and the Bloom in cleansing flame.<\/p>\n It was over.<\/p>\n Freeman gagged at the sickeningly sweet stench of roast pork. Leaning against a wall, he paused to catch his breath. Down the street, he saw a man standing at the entrance to an alley, smirking at the sight.<\/p>\n Jude Johnson.<\/p>\n Freeman blinked.<\/p>\n And Johnson was gone.<\/p>\n ~~<\/p>\n Previous parts: 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, 3<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhat kind of drugs?\u201d<\/p>\n![\"PSX_20170918_043442\"](\"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PSX_20170918_043442-1.jpg\")
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