Chapter 26: Water
Max walked into the cave holding onto Katherine's hand. “If anything happens you have to teleport us back immediately," he whispered to her. They walked in and what they saw was astonishing. There was a huge red gate a couple of steps away from them. It was almost identical to the town’s, but it was red.
Katherine teleported them on top of the gate, and they looked over the entire living quarters for the Red Death. There were thousands of small shacks throughout the place. In the middle of everything there was a huge building. This building had no windows or doors and towered some five-hundred feet in the air.
"Can you get us in there, Katherine?" "I can go anywhere Max," she replied smiling. Next thing they knew, they were inside the building, and the noise alone scared the living daylights out of them both. They were looking at what appeared to be a huge jail for humans, with cage-like cells holding five people in each one. The people had no clothes on and were all screaming. Max and Katherine walked over to the stairs and counted at least five floors of this madness. "There have to be hundreds of people in here," Max said, his knees shaking. Katherine said nothing and stared straight ahead.
The screams and cries of the prisoners were horrendous.
"What do they do here Max, how can they do things like this?” Max and Katherine hid in a corner and noticed there were tubes attached to everyone in the cells. It looked like the tubes could take out their blood, and while whatever was happening to them was making them weak, they weren’t dead as they screamed out in pain.
"We have to save these people Max, this is terrible,” cried Katherine. "Oh we will Katherine, we just have to figure out how." They watched in horror as they followed the white tubes up into the ceiling.
"Wow, they weren't lying about harvesting humans, I didn't actually believe them."
"When did they tell you that Max?"
"When I baited them to the town wall the group leader told me all about their weapons and how smart they were."
"Why didn't you tell any of us that?"
"Well, Katherine, I didn't think it would be that goddamn important since they’re lying savages." Katherine was furious, "Well Max, I guess they were telling the truth this time and now we have to defeat the Red Death and free all these people."
They heard footsteps coming up their corridor and instantly teleported to the top of the building looking out over their entire civilization. "Max, how about me and you take them down from the inside. They'll never expect us to know where their base is. When they leave to go back to the town, we can free all the people." "That’s a great idea,” thought Max, “except then we won't be able to ambush them. We will have to fight them on our own turf with no advantages."
"We can go to the training fields, we do have those fences around them. We can fight them from there and make them run through some kind of trap we’ll need to set up, it’s really our only chance."
Max smiled and told her, "When did you get so good at making plans?"
"Ever since I started to hang out with you, obviously."
"C’mon lets get out of here before they find us." He grabbed onto her and they instantly teleported back home.
It was already four in the morning, and they had told everyone to meet them back at the fields at twelve. Max looked at her," Can you teleport me back home? Both of us really need some rest."
"Do you really have to leave Max?" Katherine asked innocently. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep by myself after seeing all of those terrible things." She grabbed his arm and they reappeared on her bed. "See, now we can go to sleep Max." She kissed him on the cheek and got under the covers. Max awkwardly went into the bed his heart racing. He whispered to himself, “I can't sleep with such a hot girl next to me." Katherine rolled over to him and replied, "It’s okay neither can I, with you next to me." She cuddled up against him and they both finally went to sleep.
"Get up Max!" Katherine yelled to him from the kitchen. Max got up slowly, his head still pounding from last night. "Did we sleep in the same bed, or was I just dreaming." "No we did, you really like to cuddle when you’re asleep." "Well I just thought you were scared." She stuck out her tongue at him and brought in some food. They both ate fast and noticed it was around eleven. "Well I need to take a shower, want to join me Katherine?" "Max you’re lucky, but not that lucky." She smiled, gave him a hug, then teleported him back to his parent’s house in his old room.
"Oh wow Katherine, you’re really going to do that? I didn't even get to finish breakfast." "Maybe next time Max you might even get to finish a little bit more than breakfast," she smiled, then vanished. Max decided to take a long shower. “I knew I shouldn't have asked her that," he whispered to himself as he turned on the water.
"Max is that you up there?" his mother shouted. "Yeah mom, I'm just taking a quick shower and I'll be right out. The water at the Mayor's office wasn't working." Max loved hot showers almost more than anything. He lay down on the shower floor, letting the water run down his skin, and then he thought about those people stuck in their prison cages. It was worse than anything Max could have imagined. Eventually though he stopped thinking about it, and hopped out of the shower feeling very refreshed. He got dressed and ran downstairs about to head out the door when his mother yelled out to him, “Max are we going to be alright?" "Don't worry mom we'll be fine." He ran out the door and sprinted over to the training fields making sure he was very early.
Rock was already there, as usual, and Max sat down next to him. "Rock, you won't believe what I just found out." "What is it this time Max, we have another game plan?" "This is serious, Katherine and I found out that the Red Death have a civilization of their own. They farm humans in small cages, they use tubes to suck out their blood and that’s how they live. We have to break them out Rock, it’s worse than torture what those people are going through." "Well how do you plan on saving all these people then Max, and have you forgotten the Red Death will be back here tonight to finish off the rest of us?"
"Rock, I think we can make a last stand at our training fields. We can lock all the gates and everyone will have a gun."
"Max, they have plasma ray guns we wouldn't stand a chance." "Well what if we could get some kind of blockades or some kind of resistant barrier?" Max thought out loud. "You said it yourself Max the plasma ray gun can shoot through almost anything." "Almost anything Rock, almost. We have to find out if we have anything in the town that is plasma ray gun proof. If we can get them without weapons they won't stand a chance."
"Max, I pray to God you can do this or everyone will die." As Rock said this, Max's cross became lit up. "Didn't you say that thing only lights up in times of great danger?" Max felt energy surge through his body, he felt like he could do anything. His eyes darted throughout the town, looking around for something they could use to stop plasma ray guns. Then, as he stared at the river, he remembered something. Rich had told him that water would make the gun malfunction and shoot backwards.
"Rock! That's it, we need water!"
"What do you mean we need water?"
"Water breaks down the gun! It's the only thing that can do it, it will make it so the gun malfunctions and shoots backwards. They'll kill themselves Rock, all we have to do is bait them. Get all the hoses and buckets of water you can find in the town and will inform everyone to do the same when they get here!"
Within thirty minutes everyone had returned to the training fields. Max quickly addressed them, “Citizens, we have found a weakness of the Red Death. One that will make them kill themselves. That thing is water. Water breaks down the plasma ray guns, it will make it so the gun malfunctions and shoots backwards. The Red Death will be its own worst enemy. So what I need everyone to do is go home, get as many buckets as possible and fill them all up with water."
The people seemed very confused and were not at all confident about his plan. "Your best idea is to beat them with water? We should be running away and finding safer ground is what
we should be doing!" yelled an angry citizen. Max quickly snapped at him, "We've been running our whole lives, eventually they'll find us again, and again. This plan will work, I guarantee my life on it." So all the people headed back to their homes, grabbing as many buckets filled with water as they could hold.
"What are we going to shoot the water with?" Rock asked him. "There are a couple of high pressure water hoses on the fire trucks in the town. If one of us can use it, we might have a chance of getting them all.” Max called Katherine over and she teleported him to the town’s fire truck.
"Do you know how to drive this thing Max?" she asked in an unsure tone. "Of course I can, I'm the chosen one," he replied sarcastically. Max started the truck and drove it over to the fields. Each person dumped their water into the tanks and it was full in a couple of minutes.
George approached Max, "I've just given out the last of our guns Max, everyone in the town now has one. Even the kids and women who didn't wish to fight." "Thanks George it’s our last stand, we’ve got one more shot at this." "I hope that you’re right Max, we’re putting all of our faith into your hands."
The town now was as ready as it ever would be. They put up as much fortification as they could around the fences, and some people who’d never held guns before were practicing their shots. "Seems like years ago that we were training all the people how to shoot," Rock said to Max. "I know, it feels like ages, but in reality it’s only been about a week," Max said. "So when are you and Katherine going to bust out all the humans being held captive by the Red Death? You know that we need you two back here as soon as possible."
"Rock, I’ve been thinking. I’m pretty sure it would be best if we wait till after we destroy the Red Death to infiltrate their base. I mean if those people have to stay in those cages for another day, so be it. I'm trying to save the whole goddamn world right now." "Now that’s the kind of talk I like to hear boy, go tell Katherine so she knows," Rock told him.
Max saw Katherine helping people use the guns and he ran over to her. "Katherine, can I have just a minute of your time?" "Yeah I'll be right over." She walked over slowly still as beautiful as ever.
"Katherine, I need to tell you that we’re not going to infiltrate the Red Death tonight, were going to stay here and fight." "But Max those people! The longer they stay in there the harder it will be to save them." "I know that Katherine, but if we don't save our people it won't mean anything. If we do beat the Red Death then we can go back and save all those people." Katherine listened, and then looked at Max, "You’re right Max, I understand." She gave him a hug and ran to the people using guns.
"Now I just have to talk to Clay," Max whispered to himself. "What was that sir?" Max didn't even notice Clay was right next to him. "Oh Clay, there you are. Well I just wanted to inform you that we’re not leaving the town just yet, we’re going to make our final battle here. I'm sorry for misleading you and twenty of your men, I hope you understand though why I am doing this." "Its alright sir, I like this plan a lot. If what you say is true about the guns and water, they'll all be dead." "I'm glad you understand Clay, you're a great soldier and leader. If you hadn’t already scared the Red Death and pushed them back, we would have been killed. I want you to do another one of those formations tonight, make sure all of your men are ready." "Sir, yes sir!" Clay shouted and he ran off to go fetch group A.
Max then ran over to George and asked, “What time is it George?" "Its almost four, Max, what’s the problem?" "We need to get as many lights as possible. The Red Death don't like a lot of light, it will slow them down a little, and that’s why they always fight at night." "Well,” George said, “the training fields have huge lights that we used to use for special events. I'm sure if I turned on the power generator I could get the lights going." "If we could do that we'd have a real advantage," Max said. "Well you still have the town key, don't you? It should open the box to the power generator." Max pulled out the golden key and ran over with George to the box, Max put the key in and instantly it opened. "Damn how did you make this George?" "I'll tell you another time boy, we need to worry about the task at hand."
George pulled the switch and in a couple of seconds the lights all turned on. "This will definitely make them think twice before coming in." "Your damn right George, I think we have a better chance now than we did yesterday." "Well with a lot of their population killed, we can't expect them all to be in one group this time and just go for the front of our town wall. They can surround us and attack us from every angle, but at least with the water we can take away their fire power." "Dang George you keep sounding like a leader, are you sure that you don't want to be Mayor?" "Oh I'm sure Max, after all of this I never want to make any decisions again."
Max laughed and knew it was time to get all the people back in their groups. He saw his mother and father together in front of the crowd, he smiled at them and they waved back. "I know most of you have never even held a gun. I know most of you are scared, and not ready to fight. I know most of you don't think we stand a chance. But there is one thing we have that they don't. We all have a purpose. The Red Death just goes around killing people, and that’s it. We people of the town build structures, make families, and accomplish things that no one else thought we could. What we will do tonight is defeat the rest of the Red Death. They think we have no hope and are all out of strength, but that is where they're wrong. We have people who are willing to fight who have never used weapons, we have families who have lost their loved ones, and we even have a twelve year old who saved our butts yesterday. So if any of you think even for a second that we’re not going to make it, I'll just say the proof is all around us!"
"For the town!" George yelled aloud.
"For the town!" The people yelled back.