3

Steep ascents, steep descents - it's more like rides than a gateway.

Roxanne ran as if the whole pack of hellhounds were chasing her. The cord from the charger fluttered behind her, the light bulb cries out that the device was turned off as soon as possible.

— Roxanne! Roxy! Don't run so fast, there are too many roads around the corners! Heck!—Marcel was already breathing like a hunted horse.

For some reason, it seemed to Eden that if the Frenchman stopped, he would die.

It was as if something had suddenly knocked the girl off her feet. Roxy fell to the asphalt, there were even drops of blood

on the stones.

Eden picked her up and held her tight.

Roxy tried to restrain her internal infected impulses by inhaling his scent.

How young... What a sweet...

— Eden... I just fell, it's okay...—she whispered.

The girl got to her feet, looking into incredibly beautiful huge gray eyes. As if the clouds and the stars in the sky ...

— There is nothing to stand still.— she said a little more sternly.

Having reached the intersection of the two buildings, Roxy began to pull up the hatch cover.

— Even though I have one metal arm, I am not omnipotent! Help me!—she shouted.

— No, no, not like that.—Eden rummaged through a pile of debris on the side of the road.

Behind the car he got a piece of pipe, flattened at one end.

— Let's stand on it, because we can't lift it with our hands!—Eden said, adjusting the metal rod more comfortably.— I hope that our strength will be enough...—

One sharp blow, Luke jumps, once again all three stamped their feet.

— What's there?—Mills asked, thinking about how it would be possible to stand on the rod with two feet.

— Infected area... There, under the ground, are hiding those who attacked us at night... I'm sure my badge is there... For sure, that's where my Shined went... She has a reason to go there...—Roxy frowned.

— What is the reason?—The detective asks. Marcel forbids him to speak with a wave of his hand.

A blow with Roxanne's iron fist and a jump on the rod of two guys. The manhole cover flies off.

Roxy looks at a small dent on the body of her prosthesis, sighs and puts on a glove.

— Does anyone have chemical lanterns? There will be no electricity running here.— an awkward jump and you can hear Roxy Nelson's heavy boots slapping in the mud below.

Eden jumped in last and his eyes watered from the smell.

— Sewage system... Whoof!—he took out a mask and put it on his face.

The last insert... What a pity...

— Did the smells make you feel bad?—Roxanne asks, putting her hand on his shoulder.— We still have to try to get used to it. Be right in the center, Mr. Brain, we won't let you get hurt.—

In the next second, Eden barely restrained himself from screaming - a creature as incomprehensible as all the others jumped from the ceiling of the sewer on them. Only this creature was not on four, but on two legs and fought like a man.

It was the first blow to Eden's face in twenty-two years of his life.

The colors of the surrounding world gradually blurred.

Eden heard the words from somewhere else, but he remembered them very well.

Because the one he cared about was talking to a monster.

— Did you take my badge?— she shouted when the monster rose to the ceiling in an unknown way.

— My daughter has returned to me! If you think you've lived in the world long enough, you can try to get her back! —

***

With trembling hands, Eden Mills flips through the autopsy results, on his nose are indicator glasses, which he never turned off after the examination.

The heat was rising. The M-1000, when connected to a processor unit, something similar to a primitive computer, showed that the body temperature was normal, just the pulse was slightly elevated.

"My daughter has returned to me!"

These words kept spinning and spinning in his head.

Is that Roxanne's husband?

Judging by what is said in the oasis documentation, Roxanne Nelson's husband and Shined Hertz's father Felix was killed under unknown circumstances, while Roxanne lost her arm.

Roxy herself calmly brought him the case file. She said that it was necessary...

— What was he like?—Eden suddenly asked Roxanne.

— Who? Felix? A tyrant. A sadist. But he knew what kind of pain would give the desired results. He is to blame for the fact that I am one-armed and...—Roxy suddenly stopped talking.— In many ways...

— Was he in the sewer?—The detective took off his forgotten glasses.

— Hahah!—Marcel Dupri laughed.— You're so smart! Roxy, I told you he'd guess! By the way, guys, the shower is free, who's next??—

— I'll pass...—Eden stared intently at the photos scattered on the table in front of him."Is he the one who kills?—

— I can't be sure of anything anymore, but Felix does not go beyond the place of his imprisonment. He simply won't be able to get through the hatch opening...—

— Has he become so huge after being infected with this unknown muck?— Eden noticed footprints on the floor. Putting on his glasses, he walked along the street with the glasses detectors.

— Eden! Oh, shit!— Roxanne ran after him.

The path led to the street, to a huge water tank.

— Is there someone there?— the detective heard a knock from inside.

— No need!—Hollis was standing at the top of the lid.— Better let the gasoline in here, I can't do everything myself! —

With all her iron strength, Roxy turned the valve.

Eden heard the pounding of fists, turning into one continuous rumble.

— It's the same...— he began in such a low voice that at first almost no one heard him.— Are there people there?—

The trigger of the flamethrower clicked and the smell became so strong in seconds. The fire crackled.

Only burning people smell so disgusting.

Roxanne took Eden's hand.

— Let's go back.— she said in a hollow voice.

— What the hell is going on here?—Eden asks.

—I called you here, not Hollis. We need to prove at least Felix's indirect guilt, otherwise he won't leave anything here... everyone who doesn't get infected will die...— Roxanne slammed the door, snapped the lock and pulled the door a couple of times, checking.

— So it's Felix?— Eden moves a large magnifying glass.

Such a huge old thing turned out to be very useful for the photo.

— You can prove it... Please, Eden!— Roxanne just turned around.

It turns out that Marcel brought that man who lost his memory.

— I'll step back, Detective. Interrogate the patient with amnesia.— Roxanne is gone.

A lighter clicked from behind the door.

Eden took a step toward the stranger. Pain flashes strongly in his head, Mills ignores it, ignores it for the first time, for the first time he has the strength to do it.

This man is somewhat similar to him... What nonsense!

What can he be like?!

— I assume you are the same detective.— calmly, without waiting for an introduction, the man says.—You're too young. How can a child be a detective?—

— Hmm, and may I ask your name?—Eden asks.

The stranger's cheeky manner drove him into a stupor.

— I'm sorry, but I can't remember the name. Blown away. Lost...— a sarcastic mockery in response.

— How can you lose a name? The name is not a code for a computer, it is impossible to forget it!Eden was indignant.

—Code... code... 4851. These numbers are what's left.— the man sighs heavily.

"4851," Eden scribbled on the pill label.

— And what is it?—he asks.— What is this code?—

— I don't know!—the man shouted.— I don't know...—

Droplets of tears flowed onto the table, blurring the paint on the photos.

Eden wanted to hug him. For some reason, he really wanted to...

***

"I can't give an assessment of the situation yet," Eden typed."but the tension is just physically felt in this place. At night, the city is under attack and the forces are clearly unequal..."

The guy shudders - a rustle is heard somewhere at the front door, as if someone is mincing with small steps.

Risen Boulevard has always been busy, but for some reason it has become so quiet now.

Eden turned on all the lights in the house.

The door opened slightly and closed again. And this is in the presence of an unmounted lock! Someone is playing outside the door...

Eden slowly takes a step forward.

The door swings open and a man in black jumps at him. A strong noose quickly closes on a skinny neck.

The detective wheezes, beats the emptiness with his hands, an iron garrote tightens the emptiness, an iron garrote tightens the throat. Already the blood seems to have gone, otherwise it cannot be explained- the skin of the throat burns very much ...

Catching the remnants of oxygen, Eden is still trying to fight for life. The seconds stretch into a real eternity...

"Erin, so where is your baby?"

"No! I don't have any children at all!"

"Do you think you're going to lie to me so easily? I can't be fooled!"

Memories that shouldn't be there at all are suddenly interrupted.

Eden falls to the floor, clutching his bleeding throat with his hands. Tears roll down his cheeks, he tries to get up, but powerlessness in this fear has completely seized him.

He's afraid to die... Although he knows about death purely theoretically.

— Eden!— someone is running up.— Eden, how are you? —

— Blood... Blood...—Mills whispers softly. Somehow, he realizes that it's Roxy.

The bottle cap rustles, the smell of alcohol.

— What...— Eden wheezes, tries to say something and suddenly breaks into a hoarse scream. The wound burns with pain and he almost loses consciousness.

— Eden! Stay with me! I didn't see who it was, but Marcel ran after him. In time, I called him to the pies... Can you hear me, Eden?— Roxanne is wrapping something around his neck. The smell of blood permeated everything.

Roxy feels a strong desire to grab the throat of a young detective. The heart accelerated its rhythm from the smell of blood.

— Eden, your throat is just a little scratched, sit here, and I'll go to Marcel. I hear him scream...—

Eden shudders and sits up. Just a second - and the girl also disappeared somewhere ...

he still felt her strange smell in the air.

Staggering a little, the detective got up, closed the door with considerable difficulty. Although he felt the pain from the bandage and the weakness from the wound, he wanted to go and check on Roxy.

— Eden, don't come here!— he heard Roxanne's cry from around the corner.

Hell opened up to his eyes at the turn.

Roxanne and Marcel clung to the man, still alive, with their teeth. They drank blood, gnawed out pieces of flesh of a man who tried to scream.

The world spun before his eyes.

Eden felt someone hug him to her.

— Don't lose consciousness, Eden, I can hear how loud your heart is beating and how fast...Roxanne whispers to him.— Come on... That's it, walk... Just don't lose consciousness! —

— What... what was that?— Detective Mills hears his voice as if from the side. — You... you... one of them? The same monster?—

— Yes and no, dear Eden... This infection pretty much prolonged my life, although it caused a lot of problems... You don't need to be afraid of me, I'm not as scary as I seem...—a quiet chuckle.

Roxanne stroked his hair, ruffled its pleasant pliability.

— I'm different from the infected, and you're different from the detectives, aren't you, Eden?—

The guy felt that Roxy's words were slowly beginning to melt into the darkness. He got up on shaky legs. There was only fog around now.

— Will you ever tell him that those whom he calls parents, or rather, will call them, are not parents...—the voice trailed off.— I hope my baby will be happy with them on Titan ... —

This voice for some reason was so familiar and native ...

— Eden, are you crying?— someone called out to him.— Eden!—

When thin fingers wrapped around his shoulders and the transport screamed, Eden realized that Marcel had called out to him.

— Eden!— a disheveled Roxy ran up to him.— You ran away from us for a whole block, what happened? Are you so scared of our kind?—

— I'm not from Titan...—the detective said it in a barely audible voice.

— What, I'm sorry?—Dupree asks again.

— I'm not from Titan!— the detective screams and runs home to the house that was assigned to him on Risen Boulevard.

Sweat is running down my hair, my eyes are a little crazy.

He turns on the computer and immediately enters the query: "Eden Mills parents."

...

"Refusal".

One more time.

"Files from the identity document have been deleted. The place of creation is Europe, Oasis Hill..."

Eden shouted. He didn't understand why he was shouting.

They simply lost their nerves.

***

He later went to crime scene number one with John Doe, a man who had lost his memory.

— I still don't understand, Mr. Brain, what you want.—Roxanne said, unbuttoning her jacket on the way out of the car.— You want to give him an album here and what?—

— Although it's bad, but I have hypnosis. If it doesn't work out, I won't be too upset. But you need to try, otherwise it will be the usual inaction...—Eden took out a marker, pencil, and metronome along with the album.

John looked around in fright, without getting out of the car. It seems that he was even shaking a little from fear.

— Come to me.— Eden took one of the drawers, put a newspaper on top.— Sit down here.—

The detective looked into such damn familiar eyes! And why? Why?

The metronome rattled with its cutting rhythm, Eden touched the man's temple. He was making some passes with his hands, but Roxy couldn't see what it was-she was right behind him. The album was lying on the man's lap, a pencil was placed in his hand. What can you draw under hypnosis?

— Close your eyes... Do you remember the woman who was killed here?—Eden asked in a firm voice.

— Yes... A lot of blood... Very much...—the man whispered.— The creature struck... Punched her right through...—

— Do you remember your name?—Eden Mills asked another question, feeling everything inside tense up.

His heart thumped loudly like a bell, echoing in his ears.

— Jack Mellrose. Jack Sebastian Mellrose. I am from Earth, from planet Earth, from those who suffered from the explosion and they began to be called mutants. I had a wife and a little son...—Tears flowed from his closed eyes.

— Stop! I'll count to three and you'll wake up... And you will wake up! Once...He flexed one finger... Three! —

The man looked up at him with slightly clouded eyes.

— You shouldn't have come here... Nothing awaits you here but death...— he croaked.

***

— Hello, I'm Eden Mills. Are you Catherine Fayzenforth?—Eden turned to the elderly lady who entered.— I asked you to come to find out to the end: did you tell the local police that you saw the murder of an unknown person from Titan?—

— Of course I have. There was such a scream that the eardrums almost burst! Only there was this...—The old woman lowered her hoarse voice.— just for one second... —

— How is it? Everything happened in a second?— Mills wanted to get up before that, but suddenly sat back down.— Are you sure that the murder really happened in just a second?—

— Don't think that if I'm old, then I don't have any brains at all!The woman hands the detective a flash card.— Take a look. Right now. This is from my binoculars. I managed to get into this moment with the "shooting on motion" mode. My late husband was a security guard. He left me this device and taught me how to use it.—

In the pictures there was an open hatch and a paw sticking out of it.

Eden zoomed in on the image. And again. And more.

— Oh! Sorry, goodbye, I have to run!— Eden jumps up, takes off.— Marcel, find someone who will take this woman home! Where's Roxanne?

Dupree came out from behind the door:

— She went to the intersection. The one where the mutilated one was found. —

— Oh,—Mills says softly and rushes out into the street.