Accidental Healer-Chapter 142 - 56 - No sacrifice, no glory

Blood flowed in streams through the city of the Gree-Cek.

Literal streams.

A day ago the image might've bothered Kevin. But now? He was too distracted.

No matter what he tried, it was impossible to erase the horrors that occupied his skull. His skin felt hot and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He jumped at the slightest sounds, imagination painting dark figures watching him from every shadow, slipping away just before his eyes could catch them.

It had been a day of slaughter.

Human beings, reduced to less than cattle. Boretek and the Gree-Cek showed no mercy, and kept no prisoners. An entire faction of humans reduced to numbers on a screen.

Decimated.

And it was Kevin who started it all.

His tennis shoes sloshed and slipped in the sanguine mud.

He was on his way out of the Gree-Cek city. Kevin still wasn't sure why Boretek wanted him to be the one to kill Tanner. Maybe it was pure amusement? Maybe it was some kind of symbolism?

Whatever the reasons were, now that the Tannerite army was gone, Boretek demanded Kevin return back to New Boise.

His head hung low, hands buried deep within the pockets of his ruined chinos. Ahead of him the gates sat open wide. They were the same gates he'd passed through a day before. He didn't expect to be passing through them again so soon.

Why hadn't Kevin considered the glaringly obvious? Boretek wasn't even shy about his plans to lure the Tannerites into his city in order to slaughter them while they were away from the safety of their defenses. Tanner had come to the city in good faith and the whole time he considered the man such a fool.

Who was the fool now? He thought bitterly.

And now here he was.

Returning back to New Boise was never part of Kevin's plans. If it had, he might've been more careful. He could've created an alibi for why he'd been away, come up with some sort of excuse to use with his mother, covered his tracks. How was he going to explain any of this away?

He shouldn't even have to!

Initially Boretek promised Kevin he could stay with the Gree-Cek until they were prepared to siege the city of New Boise. He was promised he would be allowed to enter, find his mom, and leave before the fighting started.

Once he arrived at the city gates, a tall armored Gree-Cek soldier stepped between him and the exit. He didn't even look up, keeping his gaze fixed on the flowing red-brown stream the soldier waited in. Some words were called out and the soldier guarding his way snorted and stepped aside allowing Kevin to pass through.

Soon the city was shrinking into the horizon at his back and he was greeted by the quiet of the rolling hills and rustling sagebrush. It felt like a death march. Would Boretek still hold up his end of the bargain? Or was Kevin destined to the same fate as the Tannerites?

His screen blinked and Kevin realized for the first time he had several unopened system notifications.

He ignored them.

What was he going to tell his mom? There was no way his absence went unnoticed. She was probably freaking out right now.

He could just imagine her running all over the city trying to find him. He'd always loved that about her. It's why he knew—he had to protect her.

Maybe he could convince her to run away? There must be other humans out there somewhere. It wouldn't be all that hard.

He'd have to admit to her why they needed to run away, which would of course mean confessing to his plans to betray the entire New Boise faction. But that wouldn't be so bad…would it? He'd just have to leave out the part that he murdered the leader of the Tannerites in cold blood.

She'd understand, his mother was a smart woman. Together they could escape and find a new home. Kevin could start fresh. He deserved a fresh start. Maybe in a city that could actually protect itself from the monsters in this world.

The tightness in Kevin's chest started to unwind just a little. This plan could work, it was risky but the more he thought about it the better he felt.

Kevin took in a deep shaky breath. It was going to be ok, he'd find a way out of this mess.

To his back sage brush rustled, and his head snapped up.

It was too late.

Colors exploded in his vision when something heavy and hard connected with his jaw. Then his body hit the ground and he felt his shoulder twist awkwardly. There was a disgusting "pop" and pain lanced down his arm.

Arms strong as iron wrapped around his torso while he tried wriggling and kicking himself free from his ambusher. He felt his foot connect with something and was rewarded with a husky grunt. The victory was short lived when a second ambusher grabbed his ankles, pinning him in place face down in the dirt.

Kevin continued to wriggle and fight desperately but his attackers were much stronger.

"Let's flip him over." One of the men ordered. "Keep him pinned."

Kevin recognized that voice. It was a voice he'd heard his whole life. His heart turned to frigid ice.

"Martin?" Kevin managed to cough into the dirt.

A hand grabbed him at his wounded shoulder and he groaned as the hand forcefully flipped him onto his back, looking directly up at two piercing grey eyes.

"Martin! Thank goodness!" Kevin tried to keep his voice from trembling. "I was just on my way back! The Tannerites—I can explain on the way, we have to hurry!"

"That's enough." The man holding his feet warned.

Kevin tried to locate the sound of the voice but with Martin sitting on his chest it was impossible. He wriggled and tried to pry himself free, but Martin's grip might as well've been stone.

"Martin it's me…Kevin…."

But Martin didn't budge.

Fearing the worst, Kevin frantically searched the face of the man he'd grown up with. He began to tremble.

He looked up at that face and found no doubt. There was no hiding.

In those grey eyes Kevin found nothing but Sadness. A sadness that seemed to swallow him whole.

Kevin sniffled, tears tumbling from the corner of his eyes.

"I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to die, I was scared! My mom! I had to protect her!"

Martin just watched him. Watched him with eyes that carried no anger, just that all consuming sadness.

"Martin…we should go. Let's tie him up and get out of here."

Stillness.

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"Martin!" The second man hissed.

Weight lifted from Kevin's chest and a hand grabbed him by his good shoulder gently but firmly lifting him to his feet. Something clicked onto his wrist followed by a second click. Martin looked down to see a five foot chain linking his arm to Martin's.

Without so much as a whisper Martin wrapped the chain once around his hand and began jogging, yanking Kevin forward nearly off his feet.

Kevin didn't resist and the three of them set off.

With nothing left to do, Kevin finally opened his notifications while they ran. He didn't know why he was opening it. Maybe he just wanted proof this was real.

New Title:

Betrayer of Man: In a world full of perils some choose to face the unknown with hope, unity and strength of character. You are not one of those. -20 to all stats.

Warning: Your current evolution is not compatible with the new title.

A mutation to your evolution is now available.

***

Voices traveled through the vents into the basement of Kevin's makeshift prison. The chain that linked him to Martin before now wrapped a metal pole bolted between the concrete foundation and a steel girder.

"He's downstairs, chained."

It was Martin. His voice was muffled but Kevin could still sense he was tired.

He closed his eyes and reclined his head against the cracked black leather couch they dragged to the pole so he wouldn't have to sit on the cold concrete.

Even that was more than he deserved. A door creaked and light poured into the musty basement.

The steps groaned against light foot steps but Kevin didn't care. Maybe whoever was coming was here to put him out of his misery?

There was a hiss of air from someone sitting next to him and Kevin cracked an eye open. He knew it was her before he ever saw her.

"Hey Baby."

Kevin lurched forward and buried his head in his hands and sobbed. He couldn't stop himself.

Tender arms embraced him.

He leaned into them. "I'm sorry—" He sniffled.

She pulled him tighter.

His tears soaked her green cotton t-shirt, her trembling hand stroked his matted dirty blonde hair. Kevin wasn't sure how long they stayed locked together. Somehow, at this moment the world just seemed to freeze.

Kevin was allowed to just go back to being a kid. He wasn't the betrayer of man, he was just his moms little boy.

But just like everything else, it wasn't meant to last.

The two broke apart at the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Alright Janette. Times up."

His mother stifled a whimper, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him softly on the forehead.

"Kevin, I love you."

Kevin blinked hard, fighting back his emotions.

"I love you mom." He managed to force out.

She stood, leaned down, kissed his forehead again. Kevin watched her leave until she vanished out of sight up the basement steps.

Wood scraped as Martin pulled a chair opposite where Kevin sat. Martin was in his sixties and when the world changed he had close cropped grey hair that was often covered with a hat. Now though his face was covered in thick stubble. The greys were slowly being replaced by healthy dark black hairs making him seem younger than he actually was. His fisherman's hat was crumpled in his hand and his shoulders sagged.

"Dang it, Kevin."

His hands kneaded the hat like dough.

"What am I supposed to do? I watched you kill a man." He rubbed his eyes. "He had his back towards you and you killed him."

"I'm sorry." Kevin whispered to the floor.

"You're sorry?" Martin repeated. "You sold out your own people. How could you do that?"

"I was scared…"

"We're all scared!"

Kevin flinched.

In the decade he'd known Martin he'd never heard him raise his voice. Martin shook his head and took a breath.

"It doesn't matter—I need to know what's happening next. How long do we have?"

"Next?"

"Yes, next. What are the Gree-Ceks plans? What do they know? How much did you tell them?"

Kevin thumbed one of the links in the chains, considering the question. Should he hold back? What would the point in that be? What Martin already knew was damning enough.

"He knows everything."

Martin leaned forward. "What do you mean everything?"

"I told him everything. He knows how strong you are, he knows you're going to try and run, and he knows about the teleporter."

Martin's cool eyes pierced the dark shadows of the basement like a physical force, and Kevin was compelled to share more.

He sniffed and wiped his face with his forearm.

"All he cares about is XP. He plans to let you build the teleporter just so you can gain more levels. Once it's done he'll kill everyone."

Martin's brows knit. "But that would risk some of us escaping…why do that?"

Kevin shrugged. "So that whoever's on the other side will come to the rescue—so he can kill them too."

"He's that confident in his power? What are our chances in a fight?"

Kevin's chains rattled as he crossed his arms hugging himself.

"Kevin, what are our chances?" Martin asked forcefully.

"Boretek is level 50—you have no chance."

Silence filled the basement besides the occasional creak of movement from the home above. Finally, Martin shoved his chair back.

"We'll see." He said as he lifted his chair to move it against the wall next to the staircase.

"What about me?" Kevin called out.

Martin paused at the steps and looked back at the young man chained to a pole in the basement. He shook his head and then continued up the steps.

"Martin! What about me?" He called again, shaking his chains.

All he got as an answer was the soft click of the door closing.

***

Martin tried to ignore the faces that passed by him in the streets of New Boise. He couldn't handle the expectant looks, not after what he learned from Kevin.

He groaned inwardly.

Kevin.

The kid was like a brother to Layton.

How was he supposed to tell his son that he'd been forced to execute his best friend for treason against humanity? Just the thought of it made him feel like he might puke.

But what else could he possibly do? Their faction was already operating on a razor's edge, now this?

The Tannerites were dead, the enemy knew their plans and means of escape, his enemy was more powerful than anything he'd heard of yet, and his son was out there alone, heaven only knew where.

Martin tried his best to hold his emotions in check but he couldn't hold it off any longer and they finally came boiling out.

With a grunt he hurled his hat into the dirt and stomped grinding his foot until the canvas fabric was nothing more than unrecognizable scraps. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing.

It was at that moment that a notification blinked into his vision.

Confused, Martin opened the message.

A concerned spectator

Open? Yes or No?

Martin opened his eyes and studied the words. This was like no other system notification he'd ever seen before. A concerned spectator?

Cautiously, he looked over his shoulders. He was alone.

The message, strange as it was, didn't seem hostile. His finger hovered in the air.

What did he have to lose?

He pressed yes.

Martin,

Once you've read this message you will be granted five minutes to send a message to anyone on this planet you wish.

Your son Layton lives. His faction is constructing a teleporter like yours and it will be completed soon.

How will you proceed?

Concerned Spectator

Once he finished reading the message it blinked out of sight and was replaced by a timer in the corner of his vision.

Martin wanted to shout for joy, he wanted to run to his wife, and tell her the incredible news. He wasn't that far, Claire could even help him send the message.

He took a few quick steps and then stopped dead in his tracks. The reality of Kevin's interrogation hitting him like a sledgehammer to the chest.

Layton was on the other side of their teleporter. The teleporter that would bring him here.

Transporting him directly into the waiting arms of Boretek…

Martin's knees buckled and he caught himself on the nearby wall of a home.

4:24….

The message was a warning. Whoever the concerned spectator was, he was giving Martin a chance. A chance to prevent his son from befalling the same fate as his faction was about to.

He'd have to destroy their teleporter, disable it somehow. Could he? That would mean sacrificing his entire faction just to save his own son.

Or was it?

Kevin said it himself, Boretek was level 50, no one was going to escape that. Maybe he could wait? He could send some of the women or children through before he destroyed it.

No, that wouldn't work. What if Layton came through the portal before he had the chance to disable it? Then he'd be stuck on the side of the teleporter with him, with Boretek.

3:15…

The numbers kept decreasing and Martin started to sweat.

COME ON!

He thought, there had to be an answer. He looked to the stars hoping to find some inspiration.

Then it hit him.

The whole reason he got the message in the first place. Martin couldn't destroy the teleporter from his side. Even if he did, Boretek would just rebuild it. That was the whole reason for the message.

2:34…

Knowing exactly what he would say, Martin began to type.