8

They step out of the trailer onto the street. The sun is so bright now, but Mariusz, like a nightmare, burned out the light with the darkness of his silhouette.

— I'm not going to stall for time, I just need what infected Cornelius's blood. If he agrees to give it to me, everyone else will not suffer.—Mariusz said, toying with the knife.

— And what will become of me?—Cornelius asked, staring fixedly at the knife flying up in the hands of the usurper.

— That's a good question...—Mariusz's beautiful but lifeless face lit up with a crazy smile.— So we'll check what happens.… And you'll agree... if you love your family...—

— If I love my family...—Cornelius repeated softly.— You're saying words you don't know...—

A plan appeared in his head in a split second.

If he takes Mariusz and his men on himself, General Thomas and his family, as well as Radoslav and Dariusz, will have a chance to escape.

But will the reckless hero game be worth it? Maybe Darek and Dad can escape, but what happens then?

Cornelius will not be able to kill Mariusz, for some reason he is more than sure of this. And while he's looking for them... it's better not to think about it!

— Mariusz! I will leave with you only when you let my family and General Thomas and his family leave in peace!—Cornelius said, stepping forward.

Radoslav closed his eyes.

— No...— He whispered.

A tear rolled down from under her eyelashes.

Cornelius stepped closer to Mariusz. His knees are shaking, but his resolve is still boiling…

We need to do what came to mind.…

Cornelius raised his hands up and a bright flash shakes the air. The air is heating up.

Energy gathers in bundles, wraps around space, and diverges, creating waves similar to an earthquake.

Cornelius's eyes shine with a bright amethyst color. He flinched when the shot rang out.

— Mariusz, none of us is immortal, especially you. Let us go or you won't live long.—General Thomas said.

He did not aim at Mariusz. That would be stupid, and corny.

The rifle he took from one of Mariusz's men was aimed at the battery of one of the nitrobikes.

One shot and the explosion of one battery will cause the explosions of the others.

No one can survive after that.

Mariusz's eyes were darting.

— Step back...— he began to speak, but at that moment the earth was shaken by a blow.

Apparently, Cornelius' strength has reached its peak. Or maybe up to the mountain…

An earthquake is coming.

— Cornelius! Wake up!—General Thomas clapped the guy on the shoulder.— Cornelius!—

The guy stood up slowly, as if under hypnosis.

— Cory!— Dariusz pulls his brother by the hand, he is walking too slowly to escape from the earthquake.

And besides, was he... smoking for some reason?

General Thomas stopped and took off his jacket.

— Can you dump Cornelius on her like a stretcher?—he asked.—You have to run here, but he's trudging along like he's drunk!—

The earthquake is getting closer and closer. Black smoke was coming from the ground, and the same began to emanate from Cornelius.

A leaden rain flew after them, Mariusz's dummies are good at shooting on the run.

And very accurately — one of the bullets hit General Thomas in the shoulder.

It was impossible to see Mariusz in this crowd, from under whose feet the ground was rapidly running away.

— Hurry up, Radoslav!—James Thomas urged his friend on.— I'll be a little further away, the main thing now is to stay away from them! I don't know why they need the boy, but... we can't let them get Cornelius! Judging by what he can do, your son is unlikely to be needed alive!—

General Thomas stops and throws a grenade into one of the trees.

— Radek!—He tugs at his friend's shoulder.— Turn towards the city, it will be much safer there!—

Radoslav lost sight of his friend, but he still felt that he was somewhere nearby.

He constantly had to look back at the general's family, while not letting go of Cornelius or Darek.

An explosion broke out, giving a jolt in the back with a wave of heat.

***

— I don't even know where we should go now...— Radoslav was sitting under a tree.

He had been trying to bring down Cornelius's fever for about half an hour — the guy had not yet come to his senses and was shaking with fever.

Dariusz also tried to help as much as he could, helped his father carry water and donated his jacket for rags.

— I know a place. But we have to wait for James.—Helena said, stroking her daughter's hair.— Almost no one knows about this place. Besides me, James, and a couple of other people. But they are not in the country now.—

— Okay… We usually only trust ourselves in this world, but I trust James.… He won't do anything evil...— Radoslav listened.— Either a bear is approaching us, or James is learning to walk quietly! —

Radek smiled weakly, noticing his old friend getting out of the bushes.

— Jim, step back, step on his roots, then this plant will not climb to you!— He said, smiling.

His mood improved a little.

— Why are you so pale?—General Thomas asked, looking at his old friend with tension.

— I'm always like this, but... I think I got a little hooked when I was carrying my son on me...—Radoslav said in a slightly sleepy tone.

James came up to them, hugged his wife and daughter, and then looked at his friend.

— Yes, you got a good one... now you need to sew it up... And I don't even have a thread.… Although… I don't even have a needle...—After examining the wound, the general sighed.— For now, at least your stomach needs to be bandaged.… It's bleeding a lot...—

The jacket tore into the right strips too easily, General Thomas was at first even afraid that the jacket might have stretched while they were dragging Cornelius.

The fabric could lose its elasticity, and in his military uniform this was the most important thing.

The uniform, which was once created by General James Thomas, held the wounds of soldiers so tightly that they began to bleed already in the infirmary when the uniform was removed.

— Will you be patient? I need to get the bullets out of your stomach, and for that I have nothing but ordinary scissors...—James waved the future medical instrument in his hands.

Radoslav nodded weakly.

It's clear enough here — he will have to endure…

***

— Well, did Cornelius still not come to his senses?—General Thomas asked, washing his hands in the river.

— He will come. Corey won't leave us!— Dariusz picked up an apple from the ground, looked at it and threw it back.— Can you get our trailer out of the ground?

— I don't know. Ask your brother that when he wakes up.—James said.

They both started when they heard the scream.

This scream clearly belonged to Cornelius.