With the rain stinging his face Cole pushed his way through the crowd, many of whom appeared to be residents of his building. He scanned the crowd for Olivia, but it was too dark to see clearly.

“Olivia!” Cole shouted over the noise, “Zara!”

“Cole?” a voice called back.

Cole searched for the source of the voice, and found a familiar face. 

“Shalar?” he asked. 

Shalar had been their neighbour for many years. She was very elderly, and on this night looked every year of it. 

“What’s going on?” Cole asked, pushing his way to her.

“I don’t know,” she said, trembling from the cold, “Alarm, the alarm. Then we go.” Her basic wasn’t very good, but Cole got the gist of what she was saying. 

“Have you seen the girls?” he asked, urgency in his voice.

Shalar just shook her head and started to weep. Cole placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

He left Shalar, and forced his way to the front of the group. The scene before him did nothing to calm his nerves. A boundary spanned the front of the building, manned by police at regular intervals. Security vehicles were parked on the grass, their lights a never ending strobe. Cole couldn’t delay this any longer. He had to get inside.

Cole ran for the police line, but before he could even get to it he was cut off by three armed officers.

“Sir, please return to the group,” one of the officers said calmly.

“I have to get in there,” Cole shouted, as he tried pushing through them. He was met with a rifle butt to the stomach.

“Sir, please return to the group, it’s for your own safety,” the officer repeated.

Cole got to his feet and, looking past the officers in his way, he saw a group of maybe eight heavily armed troops enter the building through the main doors. The troops weren’t what got his attention though, the doors had been blown in, bent almost completely off their hinges. 

Tobias.

“Sir, I don’t want to have to tell you again.”

Cole backed away, his eyes scanning the scene for any other possible point of entry. There wasn’t one, they had the building completely surrounded. 

“Think damn it,” he said to himself, trying to force a plan into existence. Cole’s hand fell onto his pistol. Then it came to him, he knew what to do. 

Forcing his way through the throng of people, Cole ducked down behind one of the vehicles parked in the street. He took out his pistol, switched off the safety and emptied the clip into the  rainy night sky.

It didn’t take long for his plan to come into effect. Despite the sound of the storm, enough people heard the gunshots to start a panic. Within seconds the crowd was running every which way. The police weren’t prepared for it and before they knew it the containment lines had disappeared and they were being overwhelmed. Using the panicked crowd for cover Cole sprinted for the entryway.

Inside, it was eerily quiet. The storm outside was reduced to background noise and the screams of the crowd faded away entirely. Cole’s footsteps echoed across the tiled floor. Before him, the normally pristine lobby was anything but. Light fixtures hung from the ceiling, sparks flying out in all directions. Water covered most of the floor, having flowed from a shattered tank in the wall. Bodies were scattered about, some slumped in chairs, others looking like they had been struck down trying to get away. Cole walked cautiously out into the centre of the lobby which used to be a large atrium, now it was just shattered glass and shredded plants. There was a muffled shout from above. Cole looked up.

Thud.Crack.

The body barely missed him. It’s impact was a sound he didn’t think he’d ever be comfortable hearing. Looking at the body, it was that of one of the troops he had seen rushing into the building minutes earlier. Cole crouched down to check the man’s pulse. He needn’t have bothered. There was no more time to waste, Cole had to get to his family. He ran to the elevator, which was thankfully still functioning, and rode it to the top floor. Upon exiting the elevator Cole almost slipped in a pool of blood. 

He had found the remaining troops. 

Cole liberated one of the fallen troops of his rifle; the lights were out and it had a flashlight. Stepping around the remaining bodies he made his way down the long, dark corridor to his apartment, rifle up, ready to fire at a moments notice.

He was almost there when he heard a noise behind one of the many doors that lined the corridor. With his weapon trained, he slowly slid the door open.

A pair of shrill screams shattered the silence. Illuminated only by the flashlight were the faces of two terrified children, a boy and a girl. He didn’t know their names, but he had seen them around the building before.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Cole said, lowering the rifle and reaching out his hand, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Without the light shining in her face the little girl seemed to recognise Cole and reached out to take his hand. Her brother followed closely behind.

“Is there anyone else inside?” Cole asked them. They shook their heads. 

Cole pointed to a door on the other side of the corridor. “You see that door? That’s the stairs. I want you to take them all the way to the bottom, do you understand?”

The children nodded.

“When you get there I want you to run outside, don’t stop, no matter how scary it might seem. Don’t look at anything. Just run,” Cole said, looking them in the eyes, “do you think you can do that for me?”

The children continued to nod.

“Okay go! Go now, “Cole said, ushering them to the door.

As they disappeared through the doorway and headed down, Cole turned and looked back down the corridor. A faint flicker emanated from around the corner at its end. Quickly and quietly Cole rushed to the corner, and pressed up against it. He readied himself and swung around the corner weapon raised, scanning from right to left and back. There was no one there.

The door to his apartment had been blown in, in much the same way as the main doors down below. The flicker of damaged lights flooded out into the corridor through the mangled opening. 

Cole’s shadow danced across the walls as he picked his way through the entryway and into the living room. Beyond the wreck in the entryway, the rest of the apartment was in almost pristine condition. Not a single cushion or piece of furniture out of place. 

Maybe they weren’t home? 

“Olivia?” Cole called, hope entering into his voice, buoyed slightly by the state of the room, “Zara?”

They got out. He didn’t find them.

Cole’s focus shifted to the other rooms in the apartment. Moving down the hallway, still calling their names, Cole noticed the door to his bedroom was open, ever so slightly. As he approached, he prayed he would find nothing on the other side. 

He slid the door open quietly. Heart pounding.

“No.”

The word fell again and again from Cole lips as he stumbled into the room. His feet were like lead and his head throbbed. It wasn’t long before no sound could escape his mouth at all.

Slumped by the side of their bed was Olivia Traske. She had been placed there, the smears of blood on the ground indicated she had fallen forwards. Placed just so, so that Cole would find her just as she was. The sheets had been pulled from the bed. They had wrapped around her leg as she tried to flee. They were slowly soaking up the blood that now pooled around her lifeless body.

Cole knelt down beside her. He brushed the hair away from her face. Every movement seemed to take all the effort he could muster. Fighting back tears, Cole lifted her into his arms. She seemed lighter. He lowered her onto the bed, making sure to rest her head gently on a clean pillow.

Cole sat for a moment and looked into his wife’s eyes. The glimmer had gone out of them. He passed his hand over her face, closing her eyes for the last time. He kissed her. For the last time.

“I’m so sorry.”

After taking a moment to compose himself, Cole acted quickly. Zara was still missing and there was no time to waste. He hurried to the far wall of the bedroom, flicked a switch and a panel retracted and slid into the wall. Inside was another panel, only it was supposed to be closed, it had been so the entire fourteen years they’d lived there. It was open. Forced by the look of it. It’s contents, gone.

Crash.

He was moving before he knew it. Upon reentering the living room Cole saw the source of the sound. A lamp had been knocked over, its cover had shattered on impact. Then he noticed it. A blood trail, a fresh one. It hadn’t been there when he came in, and it was leading out the door. He was in here the whole damn time. Running out into the corridor Cole saw her. Zara!

Tobias had Zara by the arm and was dragging her towards the elevator. Blood was running down her other arm which hung limp at her side.

“Zara!” Cole yelled, running after her.

Zara’s head swung around and she fought Tobias’ grip, desperate to pull away. “Dad!” she screamed, as Tobias threw her into the elevator. The impact cracking the glass on its back wall.

I won’t make it, Cole thought as he sprinted towards his daughter.

He arrived a moment too late as the thick glass doors closed in front of him. Cole went to press the button to open the door, but it was no good, Tobias had trashed the exterior panel. Zara scrambled to the door and banged her bloody palm against it. “Help me,” she pleaded again and again. 

Cole placed his hand over hers on the glass, there was no physical contact but it seemed to calm Zara. “It’s going to be okay baby girl,” Cole said, not knowing if he even believed his own words, “it’s going to be okay.”

Tobias yanked Zara back, throwing her into the back wall of the elevator yet again. She went limp in a pile on the ground, she had been knocked unconscious.

“You son of a bitch,” Cole shouted, rising to come face to face with Tobias, “I’m going to f–“

That was when he noticed it. Resting calmly in Tobias’ hand was a hilt. From it extended a thin, razor sharp blade, it surface crackled with electricity. Blood glistened along it’s length in the flickering light. It was Cole’s sword, the same one that should have been locked away in his apartment. Tobias’ sick plan came into startling focus. This was nothing more than revenge. Tobias wanted to make him suffer.

This is all my fault.

Cole looked up from the sword to see Tobias grinning back at him. The glint in Tobias’ eyes was no different than it had been fifteen years ago. No shame. No remorse. Only rage and pure bloodlust.

Tobias calmly pressed a button in the elevator and it ascended into the darkness. Cole could only watch as his daughter slipped away. He punched the glass door, cracks radiating out from the impact. The pale distorted reflection that stared back at Cole echoed the look in Tobias’ eyes. 

One way or another this would end tonight.

Cole ran back down the corridor to the stairs and took them two at a time. It was only a short climb. The roof was the only place Tobias could be going. Cole hoped that he wouldn’t be too late.

The wind nearly knocked Cole backwards as he came out onto the roof. The storm was at its peak, and rain lashed the concrete in waves. It was terribly dark, the spotlights from the police effort downstairs did little to illuminate the rooftop. As Cole stumbled forward into the darkness lightning began to arc across the sky. Each successive flash gave Cole a glimpse of what awaited him like a strobing horror show.

At the edge of the roof stood Tobias, one arm held a groggy Zara who was just coming to, the other hung at his side, the blade still resting comfortably in his hand. Cole shouted to Zara but no reply came, the wind was just too loud, he would have to get closer. Cole moved slowly, he didn’t want to spook Tobias. His first priority was getting Zara out of harms way.

Finally within earshot Cole made his plea. “Let her go,” he shouted, straining his voice above the wind, “she has nothing to do with this.”

Tobias said nothing. Another flash of lightning revealed the same sick grin was still on his face, his eyes continued to burn with rage. 

Cole edged closer. “Let her go Tobias.”

But he had gotten too close. Saying nothing, Tobias forced Zara to her knees and held the blade to her throat.

Cole stopped dead, dropping to his knees. “Stop! Please!”

“Dad!” Zara screamed, “I’m scared.” 

She had been sleeping when a loud noise woke her. She had looked out to see the front doors of her home twisted open. She had watched, as a man crossed the floor and disappeared into the darkness.

She had tried to scream as the man’s cracked and wrinkled hand held tightly over her mouth. She had felt the familiar hot stink of alcohol on his breath. 

He had broken her arm the first time she tried to escape.

Now her knees buckled as she was forced to the ground. She could feel the cold steel of the blade dig into her throat a little more with each gust of wind and with each drop of rain the shocks got stronger. She could feel the man’s crooked finger running down her cheek. 

She could see her father, on his knees, pleading with the man for her life. She could barely hear him. She cried freely.

“I know baby girl, it’s okay, I’m here,” Cole said, tears rolling down his cheeks, “Just keep looking at me. Keep looking at me.” Cole met his daughters gaze, and nodded. “Be my brave girl.”

She saw the nod. She was her father’s daughter. 

She swung back with her good arm as hard as she could manage. She caught the man in the leg and then bit hard into his arm. The blade fell away and the man lost his grip on her. 

She ran.  

For a few brief seconds, she was free but then the man’s hand came down hard on her shoulder. She saw a flash of lightning as the man spun her to face him. She felt a sharp pain as the man’s blade pierced her heart. Then she felt nothing. Saw, nothing.

“No,” Cole mouthed, no sound could escape his throat. Time slowed. Rain drops slowly drifted to the ground, and the lightning cast a horrific glow on the scene before him.

Tobias flung Zara’s lifeless body to the side, it crashed into a ventilation duct and crumpled to the ground. He retracted the blade and threw the hilt across the concrete. The smile had not left his face. He stepped back towards the edge.

Cole ran to his daughter. He cradled her head in his hands, begging for her to come back to him. He watched as the life faded from her eyes. As the rage inside him built he looked towards the buildings edge ready to go after Tobias, but he was gone. 

The fight went right out of him and he slumped forward and cradled his daughter. The rain began to abate and between deep wracking sobs he could hear the crowd below again and the sirens. He heard the footsteps approaching. At least a dozen. 

He didn’t care. 

This is my fault.

Cole looked up to see who the footsteps belonged to.

Crunch.

Blinding light, then darkness.

“The girl?“ a voice said in the fog.

“Dead, sir,” came the reply.

“Sir look,” said a third voice, “the weapon.”

“Take him.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 4