HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME Read online

  Trenton had taken the man’s keys and promptly loaded him into the trunk for safe keeping, while he used his room. The whole affair reminded him of gangster movies he’d seen. He smiled. In the back of his mind, he was toying with whether, or not, he should leave the man there. He probably would.

  In the meantime, more pressing business demanded his attention. Trenton watched the previously recorded news footage—wounded people being evacuated from the Branton Mall, earlier in the day. Also, they were displaying a very poor picture of him from a scientific symposium he had attended two years ago. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Much better now.

  In addition to the mall footage, he watched video clips of the Genetic Corp building, still closely guarded by even more police officers than had been there the night before.

  “They have a whole army of police officers at their disposal. It’s not fair,â€� he said.

  You should have an army of your own—you are a god after all.

  “That’s true. Why should I have to do all the work alone? My research will benefit all mankind—I’m doing it for them. They should help me retrieve what I need, but where can I find people who are willing?â€�

  Where better than the streets and those whom the police persecute on a daily basis?

  A news article appeared on the television—a case against the notorious crime lord, Ming. The police had failed, again, to produce any evidence with enough substance to convict him.

  Trenton smiled. “Yes, but where to find him.

  Have those who work for him arrange a meeting of the minds between you.

  “Yes, but I don’t know who works for him, or how to find them.â€�

  They all work for him. To find a criminal, one need only to go where criminals breed.

  •••

  At the very least, Jonathan was glad for a set of clothes to replace his exhibitionist hospital gown—a tank top shirt, sweat pants, and tennis shoes. He sat down on the Nautilus bench press seat and waited.

  Dr. Vasquez walked around the machine. “I’m going to set this for 300 pounds to start,â€� Dr. Vasquez said. “That’s still an impressive weight, especially for a man your size.

  He slid the pin under the plate marked 300. Detective Stamos watched, leaning upon the door frame.

  “All right, Jonathan, let’s see you do a rep with this,â€� Dr. Vasquez said.

  Jonathan grabbed the bar and slid it away from his chest on the track. It moved easily and he did the rep with little effort. He set the weight back into place and looked at Dr. Vasquez. He seemed unfazed, but the expression on Detective Stamos’ face was astonishment.

  “Very good, Jonathan. Now, let’s try something a little bit heavier,â€� Vasquez said. He reached around the machine and moved the pin to another weight setting. “Now, try this.â€�

  Jonathan grabbed the bar again. “How much weight is this?â€�

  “I’ll tell you after you lift it.â€�

  Jonathan shrugged, then pushed the bar away from his chest. It did take some effort this time. The weight was noticeably more, but it wasn’t killing him to do it. The stack of plates went up, and then back down smoothly. Jonathan felt the whole machine shudder as the stack returned to position with a clack.

  Now when Jonathan looked around at everyone’s expression, they were all astonished. Jonathan squirmed around on the bench, so he could clearly see where the pin was set. It had been placed under the entire extended stack of plates—a total of one thousand pounds.

  “I can’t believe it,â€� Michael said, from the doorway.

  Jonathan could hardly believe it himself, but he knew for certain he could have lifted more.

  HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME

  19 FRIEND OR FOE

  By the following afternoon, Trenton had abandoned the car he had taken from the gentleman at the motel in Branton. He didn’t feel bad about the theft since he had been kind enough to leave the man with his car—though still locked in the trunk.

  Now, he strolled down Queen Avenue in the heart of Donalee. Trenton walked briskly down the cracked, uneven sidewalk. Trash blew by him, carried on a steady malodorous breeze. He stepped over the homeless along his route. Once or twice, he even stepped on them, smiling. He was looking for something specific—a point of contact with Ming.

  The streets were crowded today. Children played in the streets, riding skateboards and bicycles. Some were already preparing for life in Donalee by committing vandalism. “This is repulsive,â€� he said to himself.

  This is my kind of town—the lower elements thrive here. This is where an army can be built—an army of gods under our control.

  “This is no army—these are not gods,â€� he said to himself.

  They will be, once we get the mutagen formula—they’ll be an army of slaves at my command.

  “What about me?â€�

  You’re already mine, Trenton. You belong to Nemesis.

  Trenton stopped in the middle of the street, arguing with himself. People walked by, wondering at the man.

  “I’m Trenton Hallowed—my own person.â€�

  I am you and you are me—we are one—we are Nemesis—we are a god now.

  Trenton smiled. “Yes, a god. I did it. My research made this possible.â€�

  We did it—you are nothing without me.

  Trenton began walking again. “We did it. I’m Nemesis. I’m a living god.â€�

  Yes. Now we gather our army.

  Trenton spotted, among the dirty streets and downtrodden, exactly what he had been looking for. A young oriental man, dressed in black, in a parking lot. He was sitting inside of a black BMW, with several other similar cars parked nearby. Several men were positioned around him wearing sunglasses. They were all armed, but none of them were trying to hide it. Perfect.

  Trenton walked right into the parking lot where they were. The men went on alert—guns at the ready. After all, either he was coming to score some drugs, or he was trouble.

  A nervous young man passed a full money clip into the window of the BMW, then received a plastic baggy. When he saw Trenton, he almost tripped, trying to get out of his way. Trenton spotted the contents of the baggy and recognized it as the latest drug of choice—Joy.

  He let the boy pass and approached the car instead. A sawed-off, double barreled shotgun peeked over the driver’s window. Trenton heard several of the men slide and release the firing bolts on their submachine guns. They meant business.

  “Aren’t you that dude they’ve been showing on the news?â€� the young oriental man asked.

  “I’m looking for your boss—Ming—I want a meeting with him, now.â€�

  The drug dealer laughed along with his cronies. “You must be as crazy as they’re saying, man. Nobody meets with him, especially not some psycho like you!â€�

  Trenton smiled, then he kicked the driver’s door in so hard it sent the man, and his shotgun, into the passenger seat. Trenton grabbed the closest thug with a machine gun, whipping the man around in front of him for a shield as the others fired. Bullets tore into his hostage, but Trenton held him up and used the man’s submachine gun to shoot the others.

  When the last one fell, he dropped his spent human shield and walked back over to the drug dealer in the black BMW. The man tried to roll his window up, but Trenton brought his forearm down on the roof so hard it caved in, shattering the window.

  The man screamed. “Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me!â€�

  The roof of his car sat just above his head, as though an elephant had sat on it. Trenton yanked the rear door off the hinges and pulled the drug dealer out, holding him off the ground. “As I said befo
re, I’m looking for your boss—Ming—I want a meeting with him, now.�

  The young man nodded his head vigorously. “Yeah, no problem, man.â€�

  He took a cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. Trenton set his feet down on the ground. The drug dealer hit the speed dial, while Trenton smiled fiendishly at him.

  •••

  Dusk had come by the time Trenton pulled one of the drug dealer’s damaged BMWs up to a tall building—the place where his passenger had instructed him to drive. They had taken one of the other cars from the parking lot. It had several bullet holes, but still ran nicely.

  The glass and steel skyscraper looked entirely out of place in this low, crime filled neighborhood in Donalee. Trenton drove the car right up to the revolving door and slammed on the brakes. He got out of the car, then pulled the young drug dealer out on his side, as well. “Lead the way,â€� Trenton ordered.

  He kept a tight grip on the young man’s arm and approached the door. Trenton stopped short of the revolving door trying to figure out how to get both of them through without letting the man go. The little weasel would run for sure, as soon as he got an opportunity.

  On cue he said, “Hey, man, let me go in first. I promise I won’t run.â€�

  Trenton gave him an appreciative look, then picked him up bodily and heaved the man through the glass window to the right of the door. Trenton then pushed his way gingerly through the revolving door. He picked the drug dealer back up off the floor on the other side.

  The trip through the window had cut him up. Though covered in broken glass, he was still conscious. Inside, Trenton saw several men with machine guns covering him and his prisoner. “I’m here to see Ming!â€� he shouted.

  The men looked at each other, the banged up drug dealer, and the glass on the floor. Then one of them produced a television remote, aiming it at a large flat panel monitor on the back wall of the vestibule.

  A mid-forties oriental man with medium length, raven hair appeared on the screen. His fingertips sat steepled in front of his face, as he looked out toward the vestibule. “Dr. Hallowed, I understand you have gone to considerable effort in order to see me today,â€� Ming said. “Why?â€�

  “I have a proposal to make.â€�

  “You’re a wanted man, Dr. Hallowed.â€�

  “Wanted, but still running free, Ming.â€�

  Ming smiled. “I’m afraid you don’t have anything to offer—at least nothing I don’t already have.â€�

  “How about immortality?â€�

  Ming’s smiled faded. “You can give me immortality, Dr. Hallowed?â€� he asked, looking skeptical.

  “For starters, but I want something, as well.â€�

  Ming rubbed his chin. “I see. Of course, if you wish to negotiate, then you’ll have to come up to my penthouse. If you make it, then I’ll be convinced you actually have immortality to bargain with.â€�

  The screen went black. Immediately, Ming’s armed guards raised their weapons and opened fire, without regard for the hostage. Trenton bolted away, leaving the drug dealer to become human Swiss cheese. Trenton pulled a pistol he had been carrying with him since the mall incident, and dropped the first guard as he flanked them.

  Trenton dropped, rolled, and came up firing. He took as many hits as he gave. But only he could afford to. With the guards down, Trenton got up, then confiscated their weapons and ammo clips. Apparently, he was going to have to prove himself to Ming in order to gain his help—and unfortunately he did need his help.

  He slung three submachine guns over his shoulder by the straps and carried another. His trench coat pockets stuffed with ammunition, Trenton decided on the stairs, rather than the elevator—which was probably expected—in order to make his way toward the penthouse and Ming.

  HALLOWED_BE_THY_NAME

  20 THE TOWER

  Jonathan had to fight back the tears, when he finally saw Joseph in the Intensive Care Unit. He was still unconscious—recovering from his recent surgery. A ventilator fed the bodyguard oxygen, while chest tubes and a drain system carried fluid away from his thoracic cavity. A half filled Foley catheter bag hung from the side rail of his hospital bed.

  Jonathan sat down in a chair next to him and grabbed his once strong hand only to find it limp. “I never expected to see him this way.â€�

  Michael stood at the end of the bed, surveying the cluster of monitors measuring Joseph’s vital signs. “He’s still a tough old guy, Jonathan. He’ll pull through this.â€�

  “It makes me wish he had this power and not me. Then his wounds would just heal themselves.â€� Jonathan stopped, closed his eyes. “No, I don’t know what I’m saying…this mutagen is just a death sentence.â€�

  “You don’t know that for sure. There may still be some way of counteracting the effects,â€� Michael said.

  “What I don’t know is why the Lord allowed this to happen. If I was meant to die, then I should have just died. Then Joseph and Jay wouldn’t be going through all of this.â€�

  “Where’s your faith, Jonathan?â€� Michael asked.

  “What?â€�

  “Don’t you believers always talk about having faith? Well, what about now…maybe there’s a very good reason why you’re still around. Maybe you’re the one who has to stop that psychopath running around out there. I’m beginning to wonder if we mere mortals can do anything to stop him.â€�

  Jonathan sat up. “He’s no god, Mike—just a fallen man with too much power for his own good. I might not be able to see the reason for all of this, but you’re absolutely right. I have to believe the Lord has a reason. Thanks for reminding me.â€�

  “No problem, I guess,â€� Michael said.

  “No, I mean it. That’s the kind of wisdom Joseph always had for me. I just hope it’s not the last.â€�

  “He’s a fighter, from what I’ve seen—a tough old bird. He’ll be fine with a little time,â€� Michael said.

  “In the meantime, when can I see Jay?â€�

  Michael looked at his watch. “As soon as Dr. Vasquez clears you, then we’ll head over to Precinct #7, in Branton. It’s the largest, with the most fortification. He couldn’t be in a safer place in the whole city.â€�

  •••

  Trenton examined the elevator level indicator before taking to the stairwell. The penthouse was on the twentieth floor. The first thing he noticed, as he started up to the second floor landing, was a camera mount. He’s going to be watching me the whole time.

  Trenton gritted his teeth in anger, then ran back down the steps to the first floor landing. Another set of steps continued down from there to the basement. That will do nicely.

  He ran down the steps and crashed through the basement level door. There was a parking garage located here and a few men guarding it. They spotted Trenton and opened fire. Trenton ran along the concrete wall, returning fire with one of the submachine guns. Sparks leaped away from the wall as a hail of bullets trailed after him. He managed to get behind one of the concrete support pylons, using it for cover.

  Ming’s men closed on his position. Their assault pocked the concrete pylon, sending chunks of debris in every direction. Trenton popped out, fired, then ducked back again. Two guards went down. He repeated the maneuver until he had killed the other men, then began searching for the thing he had come to this level to find.

  Trenton found a power station on the other side of the parking garage, behind a concrete barrier. “Come to papa!â€� He opened up with his machine gun, blasting away the side panels, shredding the controls, and severing vital connections. The fluorescen
t lighting in the parking garage flickered, then went black. Within seconds, low level emergency lighting came on.

  “Ming has a generator, but that won’t power anything except the bare essential lighting—not the security cameras,â€� Trenton said to himself. Trenton turned back and ran for the stairs again. Despite the darkness, his enhanced eyes could still see well enough. Now he clearly had the advantage. I’m coming, Ming!

  •••

  Jonathan noticed bits of old blood, not cleansed at the hospital, passing away with the water down the drain. A hot shower was just what he needed, after his fight with Trenton. When Jonathan stepped out in front of his bathroom mirror, he saw the bullet wounds from his near death event almost completely healed. Even the scars were fading into normal skin. Amazing stuff you’ve come up with, Trenton, he thought.

  Jonathan bowed his head. “Father, please help Joseph to get better and help me to stop Trenton. Whatever he’s planning is not going to be good. He’s hurt a lot of people, Lord. Please stop him. Amen.â€�

  He finished toweling off and put his clothes on.

  When Jonathan came out of the bathroom, Detective Stamos was waiting in the living room. “Thanks for stopping by the house to let me get a shower and change before we go to the police station.â€�

  “No problem,â€� Michael said.

  “Any word on Trenton’s location yet?â€�

  “None. And that worries me. He’ll definitely resurface, and every time he does people die. Are you ready to go?â€�

  “Yeah, I’ll meet you out front,â€� Jonathan said. “I’m going to follow you, if you don’t mind.â€�

  Michael gave him a curious look, then said, “Fine by me.â€�