Horror Fan Fiction ❯ Thirteen Mysteries ❯ Almost Human ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Rhyne stood in the center of a brightly lit circular room. The enigmatic Superiors watched him in silence. They say up around a marble alter. Three on each side dressed in black robes, and one in the middle dressed in white. The middle one stood up. He cleared his throat.


"Rhyne, you have disobeyed yet another direct order."

"Mason, I don't need anyone's help, especially Jasmine's."

"That is not for you to decide." One of the others said.

Mason held up a hand for silence. "Sunaiya is right. We decide what you and the other Invisibles do. We keep you alive by giving you the VX serum, and you in turn exterminate the infected. Those are the terms." Mason sat back down. "Which brings us to your next assigment."


One of the white robed people stood. He pointed the left wall. "This is Samuel Kane."

A picture of a young man, no older that Rhyne, appeared on the wall. "He was once an Invisible. He went rogue and left. We have reason to believe he is harboring Thirteens. Your job is too simply find and eliminate him. No questions, no hesitation."

Mason stood as the white robed figure sat. "Well said, Jericho. Samuel is not to be trusted with anything he says. Don't believe him. Jasmine will accompany you."

Knowing better than to argue, Rhyne gave a slight bow and left.

Jasmine was waiting for him outside the room. Rhyne ignored her smug expression and walked past her. She followed behind him closely. They walked down the dimly lit hallway to their rooms. Rhyne stopped suddenly and turned around.

"I wasn't punished."

Instantly, the look fell from Jasmine's face. "What? They didn't punish you?"

"Nope. Just gave me a new assignment. Unfortunately, you have the same one."

"Yeah, I was briefed before you. We get to go kill a traitor it seems."

Rhyne snorted. "You're the only traitor I see."

"And who have I betrayed?"

"Humanity."

Jasmine laughed wickedly. "Humanity would be dead without us. They would all be Thirteens by now."

"Jasmine, just shut up."

Rhyne slammed his door before she could say anything else.


'I hate her.' He thought.

He crossed the room to a small desk. He unbuckled his gun holster and laid it on the desk, placing the Beretta beside it. He unbuckled the strap around his waist, where a thirty inch katana was strapped. It's sheath was black with a red dragon circling it. The blade was light and balanced. An emblem of two Koi was just under the hilt. The sword was a gift to him, from his master, Hitori Yagasaki. He never used it.

Rhyne gently placed the sword on a shelf over his bed. The sword sat there every night. He would take it with him everyday, never use it, and return it to the shelf again. He had promised Hitori he would never use it to kill a person.


Rhyne took his coat of and tossed it over a chair. He fell back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. It was late. He should get something to eat, but he just lay there. He couldn't help but think bak tot he Thirteen he had killed earlier that day. There had been something different about it. It seemed almost....human.


ONE WEEK LATER...

Rhyne and Jasmine stood out side of an old abandoned building. They had been preparing all week for this moment. Rhyne slipped a microphone over his ear. Jasmine followed his move. He pulled out the Beretta and motioned to Jasmine to pull out her own weapon, a six shooter magnum. They walked slowly and cautiously into the building.


"Pull down your vizier." Rhyne said, noticing the growing darkness.


He and Jasmine both pulled down their viziers, switching their vision to thermal.


"Okay, you check the first floor, and I'll check the basement." Rhyne said.

Jasmine nodded and left his side, inching her way into the dark halls. Rhyne went the other way, searching for the basement door. He pulled a small compact form his pocket. A small holographic map of the building rose from it. He was heading in the right direction. He put the compact back in his pocket and continued forward. He made a left turn down a dark hall and stopped. There was a heat signature at the end of the hall. Rhyne raised his gun and walked slowly toward it. It was small, and just sitting there. It moved and Rhyne froze. It cocked it's head tot he side, and turned away from Rhyne, running away from him.

Rhyne quickly walked after it. He had learned to never run after a Thirteen in total darkness. Rhyne turned the corner and froze. This was why. There were always more waiting. The small one had led him in a room where five others were waiting. And they were much larger.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jasmine surveyed her compact closely. She was coming to a staircase. It looked like it led to the main office of the old building.

"Sorry Rhyne, but I don't take orders from you."

She closed the compact and headed up the staircase. She had seen nothing in the building so far. She reached the top and did a quick sweep. She could see nothing. She walked forward, lowering her weapon. She caught something out of the corner of her eye. A small heat signature. She walked toward it. It was a door handle, that was still warm. She drew her weapon again and kicked open the door. There was nothing in the room. She was standing in the main office. She saw some of the items on the desk were still warm.


"What were you looking at?" She murmured.


She picked through the papers lying on the desk, until she came across a folder. She picked it up and opened it.

"Oh my god!" She gasped.

MEANWHILE....

Rhyne moved his arms slowly, raising his gun. He cocked it slowly, wincing when it clicked loudly in the intense silence. One of the larger Thirteens inched forward. It reached out with one of it's long arms and placed it's hand on the barrel, it's palm covering it.It turned it's head to look at the others, who sniffed the air.As they began to inch forward as well, Rhyne pulled the trigger.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jasmine jumped when she heard the gunshot. She pocketed the file and ran down the stairs, weapon at the ready. She ran down the hall and turned into a room. She saw two dead Thirteens and two of them on Rhyne. He struggled against them violently. He saw Jasmine and reached out.

"Throw me my gun!" He yelled.

Jasmine saw the Beretta laying by the door. A Thirteen looked over at her. She looked back at Rhyne and picked up the gun. She looked over the scene once more, before turning and running from the room.

"Jasmine!"

She was gone, and Rhyne was left by himself. He cursed her and kicked out. He managed to hit a Thirteen, only to have another grab his leg. One grabbed his head and turned it to the side. He heard someone approach. For a second, he thought it was Jasmine returning.


"Hold him still." Came a deep male voice.

He tried to struggle against the strong Thirteens, but couldn't free himself. He felt a sudden sharp pain in his neck.

"Relax Rhyne. Don't fight it."

Rhyne fell into a restless darkness.