The Immortality Game

Tavik stretched his arms and let the warm sunlight wash over him as he walked through the door of the metro and onto the sidewalk. After the horrors of the past half hour spent crawling through the dark over countless moldering skeletons and up the unmoving escalator that never seemed to end, the sunlight and the clean air felt like passing through the gates of heaven. Even better, he could see Bunny’s huge form far ahead in the direction of the river. No! I know this place. It’s close to where Zoya works. That’s why she went this way!

Tavik grinned and set off after Bunny. Twice Bunny skittered behind cover, and Tavik assumed Zoya must have looked back to try to spot him. It was amazing how agile the big fuck could be. Bunny had slowed his pace, stalking Zoya rather than trying to catch up to her, so Tavik made up ground on him easily. By the time Bunny turned off the sidewalk into the parking lot of the morgue, Tavik was within hailing distance. He would have called out to Bunny if he thought the bastard would stop, but he decided it would be better to try to get the drop on him. Bunny broke everything he touched, and Tavik didn’t want him touching Zoya. If anyone’s going to break her it’s going to be me.

“What are you doing here?” Zoya practically screamed. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It wasn’t just Pyotr here, but her friend Irina as well. The grins they had flashed upon her entrance into the office withered at her reaction. Zoya pointed a finger at Irina. “Ira, I told you to get out of the city!”

“You said leave a message with Pyotr,” Ira said, face flushing red. “He said to meet him here. Said he had some work to do. And…‌and I was worried for you. I just wanted to help.”

“Where’s your family?”

“I had them drop me off here and go on ahead. Pyotr said he’d take me when he was done.”

“Damn it, Ira! Did I not sound serious enough to you when I called? You can’t be here!”

Ira waved her hands at Zoya. “Calm down! We’ll leave now. Or better yet, we can call the police.”

Zoya wanted to slap Ira. How could she be so stupid? She turned to Pyotr. “We’ve got to get out of here now! They’re right on my heels, don’t you understand?” Her voice became shrill. “They’ll kill us all!”

Pyotr got up from his chair, his face pale. “Look, my cycle won’t hold three. Here, let’s go out and I’ll tell it you have permission to take it. You two can go.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll…‌I’ll go out the back and hide somewhere.”

That didn’t sound good to Zoya, but she didn’t have time for further planning. “All right, but let’s go!” She waved an arm at them and turned toward the door.

Bunny’s huge body filled the door frame, a blank look on his face.

Zoya moaned.

“Jesus!” Ira cried.

“You stay back!” Pyotr yelled. “I’m calling the police.”

Bunny grinned.

The combat card made its presence felt as Zoya’s heart raced. The now-familiar sensation of time seeming to slow was a welcome comfort to her, and she seized upon the first tactical option the card offered up and reached for the pistol in her waistband. Dammit! I forgot I lost it.

The second door in the office led only to a small closet, so Bunny blocked the only egress. The metal desk was blocking Pyotr and Ira from immediate harm, but there was nothing between Zoya and Bunny but three meters of thin carpeting and a small table with a coffee pot on it. I’ll have to distract him, Zoya thought. Give them a chance to escape. But where’s Tavik?

Bunny lurched forward a step, holding his arms out wide as if he were tending net at a soccer match.

Zoya swung around one edge of the desk and cried out, “Come and get me, you nutcase!” She glanced at her friends and gave a quick tilt of her head, hoping they would understand that they were to use Bunny’s attack to make their escape.

Bunny halted and widened his wolfish grin. He wasn’t letting anyone go anywhere.