"Yeah, I remember him. It, I mean." The lad over the phone sounded disinterested. He slurped on his tea like a piglet in a trough.
"Bring it here. To me," the Exterminator said to the young tamer's apprentice.
"W-what?" The kid choked on his fluids. "Are you losing your mind out there, dude?"
"I might be. But I'm serious. Larry." He looked out the doors of his van, where Golem was waiting for him patiently. He couldn't tell if it was sleeping.
There was a brief pause then. The boy must have realized he was serious. It was the first time he'd ever said his name.
"Listen. I seriously don't think it's safe. You haven't used him- it - used it in… How many years?" He was right. The boy must have been little more than a toddler the Exterminator last parted ways with it.
"Let me worry about that," the Exterminator continued, despite himself. "Bring it here, and take Walden with you. Or Jane the Rod if he's not there. Someone strong."
There was a silence on the other end. Then "Send me the coordinates. I'll radio you when I'm near."
"Knew I could count on you, Larry." He fumbled a cigarette out of the pack with one hand.
"I'm expecting double, no, triple pay for this. Dad doesn't find out."
"Who taught you kids to bargain with grownups anyway?"
The kid hung up.
The Exterminator brought up his cigarette, but his fingers crushed it instead. He tossed the mess in the bin and put his hands over his face. The kid was right. It wasn't like him to resort to drastic measures. Who knew how dangerous that monster could be. He was putting everybody one the line. The kid, whoever he brought with him to hold it back, last of all the people he was supposed to be protecting here.
Stupid. Yet, he sensed something. Something wrong. A niggle at the back of his neck that would not go away. At times it felt like intuition was the sole thing keeping him alive, so he pressed on the only way he knew how. But there was more to it.
This job had Death Squad written all over it. Blocked traffic, pest population gone wild. He had had to dispose of two vermin before seeing any people. Something was clearly wrong and it would be noticed. And then the Death Squad would be called - if they weren't already on their way - and they would turn everything to ashes. He didn't want to see that happen again.
So he had called that rookie animal caretaker of his and asked him to bring a weapon. One that might backfire right up his ass.
"God help me," he said and lifted himself off his haunches, shrugging a monstrous backpack over his shoulder, packed with necessities for a plethora of possible outcomes.
"It's go time," he said.
Golem faced him slowly, then jumped on its feet and trotted along.
The man turned back to his colorful van for the last time. The bright letters were clearly visible through a patina of grime on its surface. Winnie Alec's PEST CONTROL. And next to it, a picture of a handsome face that used to be his.
Alec smirked.
And they were off on another job that might've been his last.
They had been walking for an hour when the mist started creeping in. There had been no indication of it beforehand, it was out of place. The sky had been overcast a while, but the humidity wasn't high when he'd left the van.
It made him think of the Mists performed in the circus when he was young. A group of tamers circled the big top, flapping decorative whips while snow-white Vulpix foxes blew mists from their noses, then painted the air hazy with their rich, furry tails.
A sharp snap to his right and Alec whipped his head round. Three scared Deerling loped across the road. Their backs were white, speckled with dots of green, indicating a change in season – the coming spring. A taller one came after, limping badly. Its back was crimson, blood oozing down the entire length of its neck from a hole where a growing horn might have been.
It gazed at them frightfully, then staggered off.
If this was a sign, it was sure to be a bad one. His suspicions grew worse when he stumbled on a carcass 15 minutes later. The mist was turning foggy and he near sank his shoe in the pile of muck.
A Spearow that had been pecking on it reared its wings and squawked at him.
"Alright, buddy." He took a step back. As he was turning to go on, the Spearrow startled and zipped straight over his head, a chunk of red meat still in its beak. He felt a gust of wind. The mists swirled about him, making way for a huge flying figure. A bird as tall as his shoulder landed on the carcass and sank its claws into it.
He recognized it, although he'd never seen one up this close. Golem stepped in front of Alec and growled, but the Mandibuzz didn't seem to bother. It scooped up the entrails with its long, pointed toes and took off, flecking fleshy goops of corpse around.
Alec counted himself lucky to not believe in omens. Before he'd even entered the village, he was forced to change tacks twice, been attacked by PDAs – Potential Danger Animals, witnessed mangled wildlife. Now a big shitting carryon.
Two words flickered at the back of his mind.
Death Squad, Death Squad.
Dammit, but he needed to hurry.
The mist was clearing and he could start to make out shapes in the distance. Then a gunshot popped his ears in. A deafening crack. Golem staggered, howling, holdings its shoulder.
"No!" Alec shouted.
He could make out a figure in the distance, clad in the Rangers' Orange, lining up another shot.
"Stop! Cease fire, idiot!" He waved his arms in the air, suddenly filled with panic.
The figure froze, rifle raised at its shoulder. There was a deadly moment where Alec was sure another shot would come any second and tear off his head. Another figure stepped close and there was arguing. The Ranger lowered his rifle.
Alec let out a quick breath, then turned to Golem. It was already up on its feet, looking no worse than before. He remembered these were hard creatures, whose stone carapace ensconcing its entire body amounted to almost the entirety of its six hundred kilograms of body weight. Nonetheless he could see a dent in its rock-plated shoulder, still smoldering from the friction.
"You okay, bud?"
Golem kept staring at him inertly. Might have been its way of saying all's good. Or it was screaming in pain on the inside. Either way, Alec figured it was fine. He'd smear some Carbon gel on that later and it'd fix itself up. "Right. Let's run." He clapped Golem on the back and instantly regretted it. His hand smarted as if he'd been the one who was shot.
They approached the mist-veiled figures. Alec put his hands in the air and was amused to see Golem mimicking him with its tiny paws.
The Ranger was less than a stride away when he raised the rifle again. "That there's enough. I want, and I demand explanation before you pair get any closer." He was a scrawny man with a matted blond beard.
Alec didn't slow a whit. Matter of fact, he was getting pissed. "An explanation? How about an explanation for firing at an unknown person?" His fists were clenched. His voice burned in his throat. "Throw that fucking rifle down before I drag your ass to the Union and demand a court martial."
He paused at that, rifle barrel drooping. "Now listen 'ere, you-"
"Enough, Berk. Put that toy of yours down." A tall, light-haired woman emerged from behind. She exuded an air of authority.
Berk spat on the ground and dangled the rifle.
Alec walked up to them and resisted the urge to push the Ranger into the ground with his boot. But when you're paddling up shit creek, it's best to snuff out additional conflicts before they emerge. Instead of punching Berk in his stupid face, he extended him his hand. "Alec, Pest Control. Licensed wildlife regulator." Berk took his hand warily. "This here is Golem. He's a matured variant of the Graveler, the PDAs that have been bothering your town. I've brought him here to bring them to order."
Berk looked him up and down. "Alright, sonny. But I ain't shaking his hand." He laughed self-indulgently and turned around.
"I sincerely apologize for the mishap," the woman shook her head, scrunching up her entire face in dismay. It was a decent act. "We've been watching this road after the residents reported more Graveler sightings around. We're all a little on edge, truth be told."
Alec scoffed. "If he's your main Ranger, I'm not surprised you've got a pest problem."
"He's an apprentice." The woman sighed. "Herbert, our head Ranger went off yesterday. I'll explain later." She firmly took his hand. "I'm Samanthe. I run a bit of business in town. She certainly talked like a woman who ran business, and other things beside. "We've been waiting for you, Mr. Alec. I sincerely offer the deepest apologies on behalf of our town and hope this…" She gripped her forehead, as if she had just witnessed a double murder. Which it might have been. "…horrible accident doesn't color your impression of our beautiful town. We will make sure our apprentice Ranger is promptly disciplined."
Alec saw through her. It was obvious she was doing everything in her power avoid him filing a suit against the town for compensation. That would be bad for her ventures.
"I'm impressed you still manage to keep your concern on business when you're in the middle of what might be a Class 3 infestation," he said, mustering some iron in his tone.
She just smirked. "The concern is always on business." She suddenly kneeled down to Golem. "But I do feel awful about this little cutie." She petted its little head. It didn't seem to care. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to him? Whatever you name, the town will foot it."
"IT's going to be fine for as long as the job needs it to be. All repair and medical bills are affixed to the bill it's done." Frankly, he was weirded out, he'd never heard anybody call Golem cute.
"Understood." She rose. "Let me escort you to town. Berk, stay here and keep watch."
"Yes m'am," he nodded. His knuckles were white from gripping the barrel.
As she and Alec turned to leave, she added: "And try not to shoot anybody else."
She had a bird, and it was big. It flew overhead, scouting as they walked. At first he thought it may have been the Mandibuzz he had seen, but he was wrong. From down below he could spot its fluffy white wings and long blue neck.
"You've got a serious problem on your hands," he said. The road had turned to gravel and the trees were thinning out. There was a farm on a nearby hill and he thought he could make out a group of wooly Mareep, huddling by a barn window. If they hadn't been locked up in time, the PDAs might have taken them already. Yes, creatures of stone were well known to be painfully slow eaters of rock, but no being can live off minerals alone.
"We're aware. We've had sightings going back weeks."
"Why didn't you contact a Regulator sooner?" The term Exterminator was plain and accurate, but it scared folk. Alec found it more productive to use Regulator with his clients.
"It was only a day or two ago when all hell broke loose. There was an attack, but we weren't sure just yet. We called on your services as a precaution. That night, a blast woke up the whole town. The men stormed out into the streets with weapons, finding about a dozen of the beasts milling around town. We scared them away. In the morning – yesterday - we ran out of signal. Herbert, our main Ranger, investigated the local antenna and found it smashed. We've got no signal now, and we're penned in until somebody outside of town notices we're off the grid."
"What about landline?"
"The antenna was the main link between landlines. It also connected the local lines with the region's. We're completely cut off. Herbert took it upon himself to venture up north, to the hills. There is another larger antenna up ways, so we hoped he could get into its range to signal the authorities."
"When did he leave?"
"He left just this morning, packing a bandolier of Neutralizer darts."
"Why didn't you send him down this way, toward the road? I managed to get a signal back there."
"That was the way he tried first. Berk had to execute cover fire while Herbert ran from three Graveler." She shook her head. "Frankly, I'm surprised you've managed to get here".
Alec thought about the rock wall he had cleared, and the Graveler they had dispatched. Not to mention the ones looming darkly in the shade of the forest. "It's only my job. If you do manage to contact your Ranger, I advise you urge him against signaling the authorities."
She gave him an odd look. "Why ever now? Not to say I don't believe in your skills, but this situation clearly calls for help from the Ranger Union."
"It's not the Union I'm talking about." He could still remember the smell of charred flesh, the scoured earth, the embers shimmering in the wind. "Once they hear the word attack, they'll send someone else to help with your problem. And then your village is good as burned to the ground."
"Then we might need to contact other Regulators instead," she ventured.
Alec gave her a pained look, before lighting a cigarette. "I wouldn't trust them. Most will contact the authorities when they catch a whiff of trouble. What you've just described to me reeks trouble. Then it amounts to the same.
She looked straight ahead, saying nothing. They walked in silence until they emerged onto a concrete road. There were sparse houses around, but the street seemed empty. Folk were likely hiding in their homes.
"Altaria!" Yelled Samanthe. Her bird reappeared in the sky from a distant speck. She turned to Alec. "I'll go on and contact our headman, tell him you've arrived. Meanwhile, you can get to work," she said.
"First, I need to make an account of the situation, take in the scope and classify the infestation level. Meaning I'll need first-hand accounts." Golem sat down on the sidewalk. It must have been getting tired from lugging its heavy body all the way.
Samanthe pointed to a house at the far end of the street. "Our victim lives right in that house. She was the one who was attacked two days ago, so you might want to start with her. There's only one thing."
"What is it?"
"She's a child. She can't be more than eight."
Alec inhaled sharply. The Death Squad scenario just got a whole lot more likely. "Got it," he said. "We'll split."
"Keep in contact," said Samanthe. "The signal may be down, but I've got a transceiver function on my phone. Do you?"
"It's a must in my business. Radio me if anything comes up."
"Good. I'll contact you when I've finished arranging voluntary patrols along the east and west sectors of town. Best of luck."
She was off. Altaria swooped through the air and followed her at a distance. She mentioned a headman, but Alec had an idea he wasn't the only person with a say around here. It took a strong character to keep a creature like that trained.
A lone dog howl pierced the air. Sounded like a Herdier.
"We should be going too," he said. He thought he could see a hint of exasperation in Golem's red eyes. "You'll get your rest, don't you worry."
Golem stood up sluggishly. Looked a little depressed about all the walking. "You'll live," Alec said, reminding himself the creature was shot not an hour back.
He snuffed the cigarette and weighed in his mind whether or not he should walk to the bin and toss the thing properly.
He tossed it on the ground. Nobody will care about a piece of trash in a warzone.
To put a stop to it, he needed answers. He went forth to find them.
