Mark Clodi - Ascension

"So Max lost then."

"I wouldn't say that."

"What happened?" Red asked.

"I thought time was critical?"

"I can hold him for a little while."

"A fuckload of building dropped on me. This was after I got shot."

"By Max? No, no I bet it was that woman of his!"

Ramey's head shook, "The woman is dead, I am pretty sure Ella killed her when she smashed her skull in. No Max didn't get me either, it was some army fuck that shot me with a rifle. In the neck. From behind. There isn't any honor anymore, is there? Or course I count myself luck, Harry got it in the head."

"He's dead? He was your second, wasn't he?"

Ramey's head nodded. "And I made a few others, I didn't quite follow the doctor's orders when we arrived in Chicago."

"Ramey." Red stated.

"Him, and a few others. All the good it did me. I want out of this Red. You killed Ramey and I was pretty sure I'd made him strong enough to deal with a second, maybe even a first tier child of the doctors."

"He was strong. He wasn't a Harry though."

"I thought one Harry was enough. So can you do it?"

"Just on your word?" Red shook his head, "No, I don't think so. I better put Ramey back. It's been good talking to you Aubrey."

"No! Wait!"

Red paused, "What?"

"I can help you!"

"I know, but if I show you what I know, you can hurt me more." Red turned away to look at the river.

"Hugh."

Red stood up and turned around. "What about him?"

"I can give him to you."

Laughing Red said, "You think I don't see the bigger picture? You give me Hugh, I give you the ability to resist Sentry? Is that the deal? Well no thanks! I know how this plays out. You'll find a way to twist this power around and come after me. After Sentry swats you down, of course. Then he'll find a way to use it. Goodbye Aubrey."

Red imagined a funnel in his mind, with the wide end over the trap door of the pit and the other end pointed towards Ramey's body. He didn't just open the trap door, he made it appear weaker and let Ramey fight his way through it, a process that took seconds.

"Red. Listen to me. I just want him gone, then we can go our own way. You'll never have to…what?" Ramey let out a long, agonized scream as he poured back into his body. It looked like the man was fighting for control of it, trying to wrest it away from Aubrey. Jimbo was staring at the body intently.

"Now Jimbo." Red said, "Do it now."

Jimbo, however, was wrapped up in his own world, watching the battle in Ramey's mind.

Veronica stepped up and with one over handed swing she brought down her cruved paper cutter blade onto Ramey's head, ending the war in mid battle. Blood from the blow splatter onto Jimbo and he looked up in disgust.

"Thanks!"

"Well you weren't moving!"

"I think I could have gotten him. Captured him, I mean, and controlled him."

Chuck's hand rose, then rose above his head. His face contorted, twisting together around his mouth.

"What Chuck?" Red asked.

"She. Is in. My head."

Worriedly Jimbo, stood and looked around at the others, "Red, we don't have any way to keep her out of these guys."

"They are stronger and the power seems to weaken with distance. I bet Chuck fights her off."

The group watched as Chuck struggled for a few minutes, then shrugged and said, "I can't keep her out. You'll have to kill me if you don't want her knowing where we are going."

"We?" Veronica asked pointedly.

"What does she want?" asked Red with a sigh.

"She is sending Hugh back to you, she says it's free of charge. She wants your help, but if she can't have it, she'll still do the right thing."

"Damn it." Red said, wondering if this was some sort of mind game Aubrey was playing or if she was sincere. He didn't really know much about the woman. They had seen each other a few times in Florida before heading out, but he hadn't known her before she died.

"She says it doesn't have to be you. Someone else can tell her, if she can convince them." Chuck said and then wryly added, "She knows I don't have the ability."

Jimbo was standing near Chuck, staring intently at the man, as if seeing things going on inside his head.

"Jimbo, stop staring." Veronica said.

Turning around Jimbo asked Red, "So you don't trust her?"

"I don't know her. The only thing I know is she was drawing all these zombies to her. I don't like that." Red answered.

"She says, she had no choice, her orders were clear and there was nothing she could do about them."

Nodding Red said, "Yeah, I understand that. That is why I am reluctant to help, but not saying 'no' outright. What has changed?"

"A building fell on her. Sentry is aware she is immobile for the time being and didn't mention anything about not learning how to block him out. He left her a loop hole in her orders. He said to take care of herself, then contact him."

Red smiled. "So fucking smart and yet, such an idiot."

"No, he is just very, very busy right now. This is going on all over the world and he is coordinating it."

A chill went up Red's spine; If Sentry is coordinating this all over the world then that means….

"He can't be doing this world wide!" Veronica sputtered out. "That would…I mean his reach would be…well, unstoppable!"

"Maybe." Red admitted.

"But how?" Jimbo asked. "He can't be that powerful."

"He never stopped eating." Red said.

"Never?"

"No, Jimbo."

"So do I help her or not?"

Why is he looking at me to make this decision? Why are they all looking to me? I just want out… Instead of voicing his doubts he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I just don't know. Can you get into her head from here to see if she is lying?"

Jimbo shook his head, "I have a strange ability, but I am not at your level…or hers. I don't have the range."

"But you could teach her without being there."

"It would be more difficult." Jimbo admitted.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Aubrey said through Chuck.

"Do you want to show her?"

Jimbo nodded, "I'll show her."

"Jimbo!" Veronica said in disgust.

"Fine. Do it. She can't be worse than Sentry is." Looking back at Chuck Red asked, "So will you keep using Chuck?"

"No, I'll send someone with Hugh, someone weaker."

"Alright, we'll wait here. When you and Hugh arrive we'll find a place to hide out for a little while until you think you have what you need."

Chuck's head nodded agreement and after a moment the rigidity left his body. Sagging he said, "That sucked. I don't suppose you could tell me how to keep her out?"

Red stared at the group, "There might be a problem with that. We'll see."

This brought a sharp look from Jimbo and Veronica, but they said nothing.

The noise was getting worse. It couldn't be shut out anymore and it was driving her crazy. Slowly she made her way through the building. ' How did I get here?' she wondered, ahead she saw a zombie shamble into view, not a smart one, a slow moving, half demolished piece of a man that had suffered as she had when the building came down around her. ' Katie, my name is Katie.' She held onto that thought as she ducked into yet another office inside the crumpled building. The ringing in her ears had subsided to a low whine. Looking around the office she thought, ' Good, this one isn't open to the air at least.'

The last office she had taken shelter in was missing the back wall, she had been forced to stay in it for almost a day, waiting for the zombies wandering the building to go away. This particular office was very large, but still had the look of being for one person, there was another door out of it too. Katie pushed a well-designed leather chair over in front of the door she had come through and then hastily moved to the other door to leave.