Page 46 of Nazab

“All three of us have already either found or lost our offspring,” Xathan pointed out. “Vetis’ and my cambions are with our enemies at their base and Jazmine is right here,” he added, sweeping his hand at the apartment building. “I thought you might like to have some fun just for tonight.”

Vetis and his slightly taller companion shared a doubtful look. “Do you even know what we consider to be fun?” Vetis asked skeptically.

“I imagine it involves dismembering humans and violating helpless females,” Xathan said wryly. He wasn’t into forcing women against their will, but his colleagues would no doubt leap at the chance.

“I’m in,” Lachial said with a bloodthirsty gleam in his red-tinged pale blue eyes.

“The mercenaries will notify Creel Lawson if they spot us leaving Manhattan,” Vetis predicted. “They’ll probably try to ambush us.”

“Then we’ll have to move too quickly for them to see us,” Xathan said with a grin that disconcerted them.

Their ten guards had overheard their conversation, of course. It was too dangerous for the three males to leave the city without backup. Rahab would no doubt learn of their adventure, but he could hardly punish them for it. Not after he’d lost control so many times during the past ten months.

“I’ve already chosen an area where some survivors have been spotted,” Xathan said as he took the lead. “There are supposedly hundreds of humans living together in a community. Why don’t we have a competition and see who can kill the most targets?”

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Xathan?” Vetis demanded, then snickered. Lachial laughed along with him, eager to best his comrades.

All thirteen aliens sprinted across the interstate bridge rather than using the Lincoln Tunnel. The humans standing guard felt a gust of wind as the soldiers rushed past them, but that was all.

Xathan headed north towards where he’d heard survivors were gathered together. He sensed someone and angled towards the house. More humans showed up on his radar, scattered throughout the area. “It seems the rumors are true,” he said when he came to a halt. “There’s an entire community of survivors hiding out not far from Manhattan.”

“Don’t they realize we would have found them sooner or later?” Vetis said incredulously. “The militants are already spreading out past the five boroughs. They would have ended up here in a few more weeks or months to search for supplies and conscripts.”

“Who cares why they chose to hide here?” Lachial said with a scowl. “Let’s split up and kill them all.”

Xathan contained his sigh of derision. “I have a plan,” he said before his colleagues could race off and begin their carnage.

“Of course you do,” Vetis said with a sneer.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Xathan continued. “I suggest we split up as Lachial wants, but we should come at the humans from three different directions. We can wipe out our targets as we move inwards towards where the bulk of them are clustered.”

“None of them will get the chance to flee, so we won’t have to chase them down afterwards,” Lachial said with an approving smirk. “Where do you want us?”

“I’ll approach from the north,” Xathan said, pulling a map out of his pocket to show them the area he’d circled. “You two can approach from the southeast and the southwest.” The spots he pointed to were equidistant from the center of the community.

“Can we get started already?” Vetis asked. He was getting antsy and he just wanted to kill someone.

“Give us one minute to reach our position,” Xathan said.

“You mean we can all get in on the action?” a guard asked skeptically.

“I doubt the three of us can slaughter several hundred armed humans without being decimated,” Xathan said wryly.

Their guards immediately became invested in the contest that was about to unfold.

Xathan and his two soldiers sprinted to the north, sensing just how many targets were currently inside the houses. Some windows had candlelight or lamplight shining through the curtains. None of them had power or running water.

At the one-minute mark, the thirteen Soldiers of Chaos began moving. Doors were kicked in and screams of rage, pain and terror began to sound. Humans boiled out of the buildings as mayhem ensued. The dark sky lit up with flashlights and gunfire. Xathan released the tight rein he held over his savage side. For once, he allowed himself to live in the moment.

Lachial giggled insanely as he chased after three men. Slicing their legs off, he reveled in the carnage as blood spurted from the stumps. He skewered them through their hearts before entering a house where he sensed some people were cowering.

Vetis’ green eyes were alight with joy as he smashed his way through a flimsy door. Three women who looked related fired their guns at him while screaming shrilly. He avoided the bullets and punched the oldest female in the face, knocking her to the floor. He would have taken his time to torture the younger women if he hadn’t been embroiled in a kill count contest. “What a waste,” he said regretfully as he sliced their heads off, then stomped on their relative’s chest to finish her off.

Working their way inwards just as Xathan had planned, the warriors corralled the survivors in a small park. There was no cover for them to hide behind. They were surrounded and had nowhere to run. Worst of all, they were running out of bullets.

Some of the soldiers had received wounds, but none of them had died so far. There were still two hundred humans left. The aliens were badly outnumbered, but their battle prowess far outweighed their opponents’ pitiful experience at meting out death.

“Kill them all!” Lachial shouted, then cackled with mad delight.