The Society of Guardians Ch. 03

As I left the hospital, I kept looking around trying to see if I was being followed. I wasn't rushing or acting panicked, but I felt I was getting quite a few people looking at me. The doctor listening to the nurse looked up at me as I passed him, his eyes stern. The orderlies chatting together both stopped their conversation to glare at me. Even the man sitting in the waiting room stared at me as I left. When he gave me a twisted smirk, it stunned me so much I almost collided with a pretty blonde walking in.

"Oh! Wow! 'Scuse me! Sorry, about that!" I stammered as I slipped around her and out.

I felt something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what. Had I done too much? Had I given myself away somehow?

As I walked from the hospital, I noticed Miguel chatting with a woman as they walked into the hospital. He smiled at me as he walked by, giving me a friendly nod.

Stunned, I stopped and turned around, "Hey, Miguel. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm doing great." He answered then gave me an odd look.

"Do you have any questions about what you saw?" I asked pointedly.

"Nah, man! That was great! I'm glad someone figured her out." He was genuinely appreciative.

I nodded, now even more baffled. I walked away from the hospital like I was in a daze playing over everything that had happened. Other than Miguel, I don't think anyone else had seen what I'd really been doing. The only patient that had made a marked improvement was Katia. Miguel had seen that, but he didn't think anything of it.

I continued along the sidewalk befuddled by everything. I wanted to go by the Police Station too to see if I could meet a few officers and get someone on the inside there too, but now I wasn't sure that was such a good idea. Something was going on and I needed to figure out what... things just didn't feel right.

I suddenly felt a jolt of surprise in the back of my head. Arman was trying to get my attention. I looked around quickly but didn't see anything unusual. Busy city streets. Cars rushing by while I walked along the sidewalk. I got the feeling from him it was here, but close... somewhere.

I looked at the local buildings but didn't feel anything. The streets looked good. The sidewalks... I felt a jolt. Not the sidewalks, the subway. I ran at a leisurely pace to the subway... well, leisurely for me. I probably looked like I was sprinting to everyone else!

I bounded down the stairs two at a time, jumped the turnstile cleanly and raced to slip into the subway as the doors slid closed. The people in the car barely paid me any attention. People rushing to catch a train weren't completely unusual.

The car was about half full. A decent mix of late workers heading home and revelers heading out. I moved across into the next car and saw much the same. I looked ahead into the next car. Nearly everyone there was looking behind them into the following car.

Bingo! Found my problem.

I moved through the car quickly and slipped to the next. People were yelling, "Leave her alone!", "Someone help her!", "Please stop!"

I pushed through the watchers until I got to the door. Once I was finally able to see into the car, I almost lost myself. There was a guy with green mohawk in leathers, his face covered in tattoos and piercings was waving a long knife at a few people cowering down just inside the car. In the back of the car behind him a young redhead had her arms tied to two grab handles across the car. Her blouse was ripped open, her ripped bra dangling from her arms, her skirt was bunched at her hips and her pantyhose ripped about the crotch. Her large breasts were cover by the grimy hands of another tattooed punk that was wedged up tight against her back. Her hair was waving about as she flailed against her tormenter. The grimace on her face told me all I need to know about what he was doing. Three other guys were alternately rubbing themselves waiting their turn, groping her body and threatening the other passengers.

I grabbed the door and yanked it open, ripping the lock from its mooring and stepped through to the other door. The delinquent with the knife went a little pale seeing me rip one door from its hinges. He just about pissed himself when I did it again on the next. He stepped back in a few steps in fear... unintentionally clearing space in front of him... for me!

Before he realized what was happening, I was on him. I jumped over the cowering people at the door, landed in the space he'd just cleared and did a round-kick crushing him right in the chest before he even had the time to gasp. He flew back ten feet to crash into one of the other guys, sending them both tumbling to the floor of the subway car.

I was on the rest before they had time to scream. I don't think I killed any of them, but they would be spending some time in the hospital before they made it to prison. As I sent the last half-naked creep flying to the back of the subway car, I turned and gently undid the neckties that were holding the redhead's hands to the handles. I caught her as she came free with a sigh.

Once she was down, she turned towards me. When I first looked in her eyes, she was distraught as I'd expect given her ordeal.

However, an instant later her face changed into a twisted sneer of hatred. She lashed out with her hand. It was only my improved reactions that saved me from losing an eye. Her nails raked along my cheek barely missing me eye. Her other hand followed up the first, but I caught it and twisted her around putting her into a hammer lock.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, "It's just a matter of time, you pathetic worm!"

I took an instant and delved into her and it was immediately apparent, she wasn't in control of herself.

Someone else had taken full control of her body!

I shook myself in shock and glanced up. All the men that had been cowering on the far side of the car were now up and moving towards me. Their faces weren't the friendly helpful faces I was expecting. They all glared at me in hatred, their mouths all bent into the same twisted sneer.

"Time to die, Worm!" They all chanted in unison.

Oh, Shit! This was not good!