Page 101 of Seth
“Disappointed?” Gustavo settled his gaze on the bulged cheek. “I don’t think that’s what I feel. This doesn’t look like anything he’s done before.”
“No shit? Would it be the right time to tell you ‘told you so?’ or should I wait until we take our places in that damned silo?”
Gustavo parted from the railings and strolled toward the factory. “I need to clear my mind. Let’s get out of here.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere…”
“Wait, let me wipe our fingerprints.”
* * *
Reality sharpenedas Sethemerged from his trance. Black vortexes swirling around him tore the dying souls apart, disintegrating them into black particles. Unlike Seth, the sand fed on them, becoming more empowered with every bite.
Seth stepped back, arms heavy and sluggish alongside his body. He hated destroying souls. The process was nasty, carried no beauty, and it always left him empty, revolted. It also dusted the desert of his soul with black ash, forcing him to raise one sand storm after another to clean the filth away. It didn’t charge him with electricity, didn’t drug him with adrenaline and endorphins, instead it filled his limbs with lead.
Absolute death looked nasty and carried no hope. While mortal flesh basked in blood and bile, the vortexes consumed the last shards of the souls of those he’d killed. Watching them die, he thought that his death would look similar—oblivion without redemption, rebirth, or hope. Maybe that was the reason behind his repulsion toward soul destruction, as it always made him think of the dying god’s rotting flesh from his dreams.
The three men he confirmed as guilty of the murder and rape still lived. Glass shards filled their stomachs and bladders. Blood oozed from their every opening. He had extracted the names of all the culprits hours ago and had no reason to keep them alive anymore, yet he wasn’t satisfied. He craved their agony, their pain. He didn’t want to finish the torture, wanting them to taste all the pain Ignaz went through, but time was running out.
Removing the evidence of such a bloody mass murder would be a lengthy, exhausting process, and if he dawdled for too long someone would discover the place before he disposed of all the bodies, but he was too tired to think about it now.
Seth glanced at his watch. Midnight had passed, meaning he had been here for hours. The thoughts of Ignaz tightened his chest. He wanted to go home and find comfort in his shy embrace. To press his ear to Ignaz’s chest and listen to his heartbeat. To once again see his smile. He was sure that after tonight the smile would return to his face.It has to.
Another surge of anger infused him with energy. He turned to those who kept him away from his boy to notice one of them sinking into unconsciousness. Seth lifted the bucket of water to splash it on the man when the door flew open, and three men entered the building.
Such bad timing… Seth looked at the bucket, at the men whose souls he nearly destroyed, then into the light eyes of Ernst Sommer and the black muzzle of his gun.
Ernst’s footsteps boomed through the space, echoing against the walls. His focus darted from body to body, then back to Seth.
“What-what-what the hell? Are they dead?” The thickest man with the oily, red face and beady eyes squealed. Seth cringed. Like hyenas attacked the weak and scared, these men were only brave together. Break the group, and you would get a few trembling dogs that bark but don’t bite.
“They are alive.” The deep bass of the third man sounded indifferent. His hulking figure migrated from chair to chair as he pressed his fingers to the victims’ necks. “Some of them, anyway. Should we call an ambulance?”
“Wait.” Ernst lifted his palm, face etched with curiosity. “And who might you be?”
Seth kept his mouth shut.
Ernst started speculating. “Walter didn’t arrange this. You did. And he is dead, isn’t he?” He stood at the same height as Seth. When he came closer, their eyes leveled. “And it was you who sent me the picture. Bravo, I swallowed the bait. Did you do this all alone?” A heavily tattooed hand drew circles in the air. Seth automatically refocused on the trophy Death's Head Ring1glinting on the ring finger. “For a dead Jew? Oh, no, for the whore. Tell me, what is it in that little bitch that makes people so eager to die for him? Did I make a mistake not fucking him?”
Screeching laughter broke from Ernst’s mouth, a golden tooth glinting inside. The red-faced man sniggered; the hulking one remained silent.
“I’ll make sure to make up for it after I kill you.” Ernst’s smile grew lecherous. “We came here to have a party, and we are going to have it. Honestly, I’m a little thrilled to have you as a substitute. That little whore didn’t excite me, but you… I can’t wait to strip you down, pin you to the floor, and rape you with a knife until you cry and beg me to stop, just like they begged you. Isn’t it exciting? Grab him.”
The silent man prowled through the room. His hooded, heavy eyes groped Seth’s body.
Seth let his breath out, watching the second gun aim at his temple.
I guess this is the end.He glanced at his reflection splashing in the bucket. The water sparkled, resembling Ignaz’s eyes brimming with tears.How long will Ignaz wait for me to return home before reverting to his old lifestyle? Will Ernst look for him as he promised? Yeah, he will.
His thoughts turned, streaming to Gustavo. For someone who pursued him for weeks, his absence in such a critical situation almost felt like a betrayal. Seth couldn’t understand where the thought came from, but it fired his chest with rage.Since when do I rely on him or need saving? Since when am I afraid to die? I might perish tonight, but I’ll take you all with me. You’re all doomed.
He lifted his face and granted Ernst a smile. Under his gaze, the man froze, and the expression of a predator ogling prey invaded his face. To erase it, Seth splashed the content of the bucket at Ernst’s face.
Glistening cascades rushed down the bare scalp and cheekbones. The muzzle of Ernst's gun jumped from side to side, but Seth didn’t wait for him to re-aim. Another pistol glared at him from the door, held by pink, plump fingers. Seth threw the empty bucket at the bulky man and skidded over the wet floor to dive under his arm and hide behind his back. The gun boomed, bullets crashing against the walls. The bulky man staggered backward, caught by friendly fire.
“Stop shooting, idiot!” Ernst shouted, but he was too late. Another boom deafened Seth.
