Sparrow & Tulip

He would have pointed out the pathetic limits of Gnik's imagination, but he was focusing, trying to move his finger. There was a slight twitch, hardly noticeable but given the right circumstance, he could turn their assumptions to his benefit. But something had to be done quickly before...

White light burst behind his eyes and Dark's body arched. After a few seconds they let him fall back into the chair. He tried to catch his breath while convulsions shook his body. The wires wrapped around him created an answering current in his nerves. They could deliver any sensation directly into his brain. There was no defense.

"Just a test," Gnik said. "Have you never been under an inducer? You might be surprised to know I have my own experiments as well. Of course, mine are sanctioned by my betters. Allow me to explain, I've created a nerve induction protocol of my very own. Have you seen a Question Bringer work? A talented Bringer can vivisect a subject while they are conscious of course. But it takes a master to completely remove the skin without killing the subject. Even then, the process leaves the subject quite insane. My humble contribution removes any worry that a subject will die from shock, leaving them untouched although they feel their flesh peel away.

"The pain has driven several to madness," Szep giggled. "But even an abomination like yourself must remember the Fifth Protocol; 'The Future Comes in Tiny Steps.'"

"Let him move a bit, Szep. I want his answer."

The iron bands wrapped around his body eased a bit and his head fell back as he gasped for breath.

"Allow me to indulge my own filthy curiosity." Gnik said. "Why did you allow it to live?"

"The Chairman's directive was faulty. I needed time to study it, to see why it was so critical to remove and destroy. What if this is a new weapon against us?"

Gnik clucked his tongue. "You should also recall the Third Protocol, Good Brother; 'Obey joyfully, without comment or question.' You have paid a fool's price and all you've gained is a lesson on curiosity. On individuality. I will have it brought here. I will take it apart piece by piece and you will see that these were worthless delusions of a diseased mind. Then I remove your consciousness to its new home."

"The Clamor, brother," Szep hissed. "A fitting reward for a fool's willful curiosity!"

He would have spit in their faces if it had been possible. "You are fools who cannot see your hands in front of you."

Gnik regarded him dispassionately. "Yet you are in my power. Szek, begin my induction protocol."

At first there was nothing. Then a strange pulling sensation on his wrist began and he gasped as he felt his skin pulled away from the flesh, a narrow strip of agony crawling up his arm. It began on his other arm as well. He bit his lip bloody, refusing to give this animal the pleasure. There was another bright streak of agony across his forehead and Dark screamed as he felt a strip of scalp wrenched away.

There were a few men nervously waiting outside of the door. The walls weren't very thick, and they looked at each other as the Good Brother shrieked.

"He screams higher than a woman," one whispered.

There was another long scream, so high pitched it hurt their ears. One of the men stumbled out of the room, hand over his mouth as he retched.

Vic blasted the old pickup straight through downtown. Someone started to pull out in front of him, but he held the horn down as he tore through the intersection. He was pissed off but good. Those two arrogant brothers of the Good Brother had sent him on an errand, like he was some green recruit. Him! He was practically the Good Brother's lieutenant, not some kid. Although, if he was honest with himself, it was more like his brother was really the one who was Dark's right -hand man. Still, Vic was his little brother! They'd done the Good Brother's work, burning the places where the abortionists worked, burning the churches the Good Brother identified as heretical, even shot the preachers when they didn't hide well enough at least. They'd even snuck out one night and burned a few of them nigger churches. Vic grinned at the memory. They'd gone out in the middle of the night like they had when they were kids and were back before sun-up. Too bad the churches were empty, but the Good Brother loved his rules and Jacob hadn't dared get caught.

He sneered as he drove up the driveway to Brother Greer's place. There were a bunch of spics working in the field, but he ignored them and drove up to the house on his errand. When he got out of the car, the first thing he saw was Brother Hiram's daughter writing on papers in the shade of the porch.

Forgetting his errand, Vic watched her for a bit. She was a pretty little thing, just getting ripe. He would have liked to do a lot more than watch, but she was an Elder's daughter. He'd seen what happened when you started breaking rules.

Once he'd even helped, methodically breaking every bone in a man's arm while another man held him down. The old fool, Karl Hanks, hadn't just refused the Dark Brother's commandment, he'd raised his hand against a member of the priesthood when they'd come for his woman. The Good Brother had told them all; refusing his word was a sin against Heaven itself. There were harsh consequences to that kind of sin.

He didn't know why Karl had fought so hard over his wife and daughter, neither were much to look at. Maybe because Good Brother didn't trade him anything back when he'd ordered the wife and daughter married off to other men in the congregation. Or maybe, as plug ugly as he was, the old man had realized he wouldn't easily find a woman that someone wouldn't just take away from him again.

Vic giggled out loud. He was going to find it even harder now. The hospital up in the city hadn't been able to save his arm and no woman in her right mind wanted a one-armed cripple.

The pretty little blonde looked up at the sound. "What you want here, Victor Knox?" she demanded.

Vic realized he'd been standing there staring at her. Hiram was an Elder and tight with the Good Brother. If he thought Vic was messing around with his daughter...

"Blessed Day, Sister Julie," he said in the sweetest voice possible. "Church sent me down to fetch young Teddy back to town."

"He's busy working. What they want with him?"

Vic spread his hands, making his pious face. "I'm nothing but a humble messenger."

His temper, never far away, began to simmer. Who did this blonde-haired harlot think she was questioning him?

"If you're lyin' my daddy will find out. He's around back," she said and went back to her tallying, ignoring him.

Vic gritted his teeth. Why, he ought to go over there and take her by the hair and...then the memory of Karl's screams lent him some sense. Teaching her some manners, even with a little extra fun thrown in, wouldn't be worth the price he'd pay. Vic spat angrily as he stomped off. Finally, he found Elmer's fat kid and his foundling both washing up next to the barn.

"Sent to fetch you," Vic called.

The foundling and fat kid looked at each other and then back at him. "Who?"

Vic paused. He'd been so wrapped up in his vengeful thoughts and fantasies he didn't quite remember. He made a quick decision.

"Both of you. Get your shirt and get moving, fatso," Vic snarled.

"Ain't fat," he heard Junior mutter.

Vic already knew to ignore it. Brother Elmer had a wicked temper and wouldn't take kindly to Vic giving his sweetheart's brat a thrashing, back talk or no. The three of them piled into the truck. Being the smallest, Ted was shoved into the middle.

"What's going on?" Junior asked but Vic ignored him.

Jonesy watched the truck drive off down the gravel driveway. He pulled out a phone and speed dialed a number.

"Go," Marisol said from the other end.

"Tan Ford pickup just grabbed the kid. Rusty older model, white aluminum cap."

He ended the call and put the phone away. A few feet away, one of the other workers was stooped over, pushing tobacco plants into the dirt. He was carefully ignoring Jonesy.

"Bad things will soon begin happening around here," Jonesy said in Spanish. "There will be a lot of police and federals poking around."

The man straightened up and looked at Jonesy. "You're a federal?"

Jonesy grinned. "Not even close, compadre. I'm getting out myself."

With that, he began jogging toward the main road where he'd meet one of their rented trucks. There was a shout from behind him and he saw people dropping what they were doing and heading for the pair of reclaimed school buses that brought them to the job.

Marisol leaned over to beep the horn. The three people sitting on the picnic table came running to the truck. "Things just got moved up," she said as they piled in. "He's in a local's truck headed for town."

They pulled on seatbelts as her driver floored the large black Dodge pickup out of the dilapidated roadside park they'd been waiting in. Two of them quickly sent updates to the rest of the team while the third studied a map.

"We're going to end up in the town," he said after a minute. "We're too far out to do it any other way."

Marisol nodded. "Pass it on. Tell Shep to take them off the road. And do it gently, outside of town, if possible. We're going to have to play this as it comes."

~~~~

The Good Brother slumped in the chair as the device was turned off.

"You still refuse to answer," Gnik said.

Dark spat out a mouthful of blood from biting his tongue. "Your protocol is novel perhaps. However, it is obviously the product of a dull mind. Shall I give you some hints?"

"Do you think the transitory nature of sensation lends him strength?" Szep asked the other Question.

"Possibly. We do not have to explore this, his little project must be disposed of," Gnik said, opening another box and carefully pulling out a large vial of gray dust. "For now, the Clamor awaits you, traitor."

Dark began to struggle in the chair. He had to escape this. Szep took the top off the vial and stood beside him. Gnik entered commands on the device and nodded for Szep to proceed.

"You are breaking protocol..." Dark started to say.

Szep shoved the vial in his mouth, dumping the dust in. Then Gnik held Dark paralyzed with the nerve inducer while Szep poured water in his mouth, forcing Dark to swallow.

"The protocol governing the mites doesn't apply to traitors," Gnik said as he watched the readout. "You should be grateful, if we had used the tools these brutes have, your consciousness might be damaged. But I wouldn't want you to miss one moment of The Clamor."

Dark's pale skin writhed as the mites traveled to their targets. His eyes rolled back in his head as skin began to disappear from his scalp. A few seconds later his skull began to dissolve as well.

"Can you feel your mind being attacked?" Gnik said, almost lovingly. "Feel pieces of yourself falling away? Soon you will..."

The Good Brother didn't get a chance to hear what was going to happen next. The door splintered and flew open. Both of the Question turned toward the threat, and both were immediately flung back, shot by the guns held by the handful of "priests" that had come to save their prophet. A man yanked the induction device off the wires wrapped around Dark and he convulsed, flopping against the straps holding him down.

"In his hand," he screeched. "Now!"

Jacob, the brightest of his insects grabbed the control and held it for him. Dark tried to push a button and missed. But Jacob pushed it for him. Then Dark pointed to another part of the control panel. He managed to hold up two fingers.

The man, brighter than the rest of the insects, did as he was told, not wanting to look at the Good Brother's head again. Had those been brains he'd glimpsed?

"All out," he whispered, going limp in the chair. "You stay."

"You heard the man," Jacob said immediately. "Everyone out."

He closed the door behind the last man and leaned against it. "What can I do, Brother?"

"Wait."

~~~~

"Faster! We're not gonna make it," Rachel snapped as they roared into the little town.

"Chill out, kid," Shep muttered, wrestling the big truck through a corner.

"There!" Rachel yelled, pointing to the intersection ahead of them. A beat-up tan Ford with a dented white cap was turning the corner.

"Ye of little faith," Shep said, pushing the accelerator to the floor. The engine downshifted and began to roar as the truck leaped ahead.

"Oh shit," Rachel said, realizing what he was going to do. She braced herself in the seat.

~~~~

Ted tried to keep his leg from touching the legs on either side of him. It was already too hot in here. At least they were almost there, Brother Vic was turning down the main street when Junior suddenly yelled "Look out!"

Before Ted could turn his head to look, there was a huge bang. His breath was knocked out of him and he was thrown sideways against Junior. The truck spun in a full circle and then smashed against a phone pole.

Through the cracks in the windshield Ted had a surreal view of the wires overhead swaying crazily all the way down the block. Then Brother Vic said a really bad swear. Ted had the crazy urge to laugh but knew better. He untangled himself from Junior as the older man peered out the window. Suddenly, Vic shoved him back against Junior, reaching across the cab to retrieve the pistol from the center console. Ted stared at him. Was he going to shoot the other driver? Whatever the reason, they had to get out of the truck now. When Brother Vic got his fits, he was even more dangerous to be around. He shoved Junior who looked mesmerized by the big silver gun in Vic's hand.

"Open that door!"

Junior snapped out of it and began yanking on the door handle, but nothing happened. Ted leaned over to help him push. There was a strange popping noise and the windshield dissolved into a spray of glass. Something hot splashed over the boys and they looked at the gore covering each other's face with wide eyes. Junior screamed as he saw the mostly headless corpse in the driver's seat.

"Open it!" Ted screamed, shoving Junior back toward the door.

"Tryin' to!" the other boy bellowed, yanking at the handle and throwing his shoulder against the jammed door.

The door was pulled open from the outside as he shoved and Junior fell out onto the pavement, getting the wind knocked out of him. Ted started to crawl after him but froze. There were two masked figures pointing strange looking guns at them both.

"Get out of there," one of them ordered. It was a woman's voice. A very angry woman.

"You leave 'im be!" Junior gasped from the ground.

Ted didn't have time to be surprised by Junior, the woman grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the ruined truck. Ted stumbled as his feet hit the ground and he saw another masked figure with his gun on Junior.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming, don't shoot him! He didn't do nothin' to you."

"It's just that fat kid," the woman said. "Leave him."

"Ain't fat," Junior said muttered, more or less automatically.

Ted had another insane urge to laugh. The strangers ignored Junior but the smaller one grabbed Ted's arm again.

"You're coming with me," she said, pulling him.

"Why?"

There was a half second pause. "Because I said so!"

Another black truck stopped a block up the street. Ted jumped as a long stuttering roar punched air into his eardrums. He wanted to hide as the sound echoed back from the ridges. The woman was twisting his arm as she pushed, and he felt his shoulder creak in its socket.

The truck that hit them was there, but the front end had been destroyed by the impact.

Ain't going nowhere in that, a calmer part of Ted's mind noted.

The operative called Shep made sure the other kid was staying down and glanced up the street toward the church and sighed. Against any kind of sense, people were starting to come out of the buildings. They should have been huddled inside after Willi's burst of machinegun fire.

Instead, they were all coming out of the buildings. And they were all looking toward him. And all of them were armed.

Shep keyed his mike. "Six, Charlie Two. I got myself an interesting situation here."

Marisol's driver, Ian, had stopped a block away from the other side of Shep's collision. The townies were filing out of doors all over the place, like you would if there was a loud accident. Except they were carrying shotguns, pistols, even a few hunting rifles.

"Yeah, I see it, Charlie Two" she radioed back. "Break. Where you at, Sierra One?"

Her SUV rocked on its suspension as another large black SUV blasted past it on the cross street.

"Uh, hi, Six," someone radioed back. "We're here."

No one in Marisol's truck said anything, just watched as the other SUV went into a skid and drifted around a corner, tires smoking. A moment later, it reappeared behind the heavily armed crowd. The SUV straightened out and the horn blared as it flew at them. The crowd scattered except one man that wasn't quick enough and was clipped by a side mirror.

"Well, that's certainly a..."

A loud boom and a shower of glass interrupted whatever the operative was going to say. They all ducked as another window exploded inward and Ian was already gunning the big SUV, roaring away down the street.

"What that hell was that?" Marisol yelled over the noise from the missing back window.

"Little old lady with a double barrel," Deidre yelled back. "Knocked her on her ass, I think she came out of the diner. They're coming out all over the place. Shit, they all got guns. Who are these people?"

~~~~

Another large black SUV screeched to a halt right in front of him and the woman that had his arm behind his back. Behind it, he could see the townsfolk it had chased getting off the ground and starting to run toward them. The back door was flung open from inside.

He was shoved toward the open door and hands reached out to drag him inside as the woman behind him kept pushing. He got a brief look at the woman pulling him in before he was pushed down in the seat. The arm-twister flipped herself over the seat. He started to sit up, but the other woman put her hands on his back.

"Stay still for a couple of minutes," she said. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise."

Ted didn't move. Everyone was talking at once as the SUV accelerated and then slammed on the brakes again. There was a thump from the front and between the seats, he saw a figure in black jump on the hood. They accelerated again and there was a dull thwack as something hit the vehicle.

He pressed himself lower in the seat, he'd shot enough junk cars with Junior to know the sound a bullet made hitting metal. There were more bullets and the man on the hood slid up the windshield. From above, Ted heard the rattling noise that had exploded Brother Vic's head. There was a small tinkling sound and brass casings fell past the window.

He nearly rolled off the bench seat as the SUV slammed on the brakes again. The woman helped him sit up as the back door opened and the person that had been on the hood jumped inside, shoving against him.

"We should be clear to the transfer point," someone in front said. "Let's get out of this insanity."

"They do seem a little excited at the moment," the man beside him said. "Maybe it's Jack's willful disregard of pedestrian safety."

The driver barked a laugh. "I figured you'd be ready to go."

The man beside him began to pull off his helmet and mask. Ted quickly concentrated on the floor between his feet. He didn't want to know what they looked like or who they were. He just wanted to get his feet on the ground. He'd dodged Junior enough times, he just needed a couple seconds with no one paying attention. Outside, another large black pickup pulled up on the driver's side. Another SUV pulled up outside the passenger window. Ted put his hands over his hears and put his head on his knees but he could still hear them talking.