After Luke finished explaining what happened in Miami, both Lionel and Brando fell into a short silence.
Lionel broke it first.
"So you wiped out a bunch of cult-made super soldiers back in Miami, and now we just ran into the sa shit here?"
"Pretty much."
Luke nodded.
Lionel's eyes lit up with sudden understanding.
"No wonder that guy was full of holes and still moving around like nothing happened. Turns out he was basically the sa as ."
He glanced at Brando, who was still stroking his chin in deep thought, and smirked.
"You're usually the chatty one. What's with the sudden mute button?"
Brando slowly looked up.
"I was just trying to figure out which group is behind this. And whether we can actually afford to piss them off."
Lionel blinked. "Wait… there's more than one outfit pulling this kind of crap?"
Brando nodded. "Of course. Mind control plus voluntary body modification. With enough money for lawyers they can usually weasel out of serious charges."
He stood up and started pacing, getting more excited with every word.
"That explains all the crazy rumors floating around out here. When you've got cults like this, anything goes."
Luke's interest sharpened. "You think this cult might have a base at our destination?"
Brando nodded again. "Travis Town is the perfect test bed—isolated, conservative, distrustful of outsiders and the governnt. The old guy at the gas station proved that. These people solve problems with guns and fire, no questions asked."
He continued, "A cult could slip in here easily. Pay a little attention to the locals, blend in, and nobody would notice a few missing outsiders. They could run human experints right under everyone's noses and the town would probably help cover it up."
Lionel scratched the bloody hole in his chest. "Damn. These guys really know how to pick real estate."
"Exactly. That abandoned nuclear test site is even more perfect—ready-made facilities, total isolation, and it can influence all these backward little towns around it. If I were them, I'd set up shop there too."
Luke nodded. Brando's analysis made too much sense.
"If that's true, this house probably has clues. Heather might know sothing."
The three of them agreed. Luke pointed at the body on the floor.
"First things first—let's finish this thing. Perfect chance to test the new spell I picked up."
Brando imdiately perked up and pulled out his notebook.
"First ti witnessing an actual exorcism. I have to docunt everything."
Luke ignored him and walked over to Leatherface. He opened the Bible and began reciting.
Black smoke poured from the ruined body as the purification took hold. With Luke's boosted psionic power, the process was much faster than before. The resentnt burned away, the black blood turned to ash, and the body slowly dissolved.
After several minutes the ritual was nearly complete—but Luke deliberately changed the rhythm. Instead of reducing everything to dust, he carefully separated the pure spiritual energy and gathered it into the human-skin mask.
For the first ti he could actually harvest the leftover power instead of wasting it.
[Holy Recitation LV2 (800/1000)]
Brando stared, mouth hanging open. "That's insane. He just vanished and left the mask. Can you explain how that works?"
Luke shrugged and closed the Bible. "If I knew the science behind it, there wouldn't be ghosts left in the world."
Brando actually nodded like that made perfect sense. Luke picked up the mask. It felt strangely alive—soft like skin but incredibly tough.
He waved Lionel over. "Co on. Let's make sothing useful."
Lionel's eyes sparkled. "Hell yeah. Ti to craft?"
They hauled supplies from the van and drew a complex ritual circle on the floor. Luke placed the stolen chainsaw in the center, then carefully tied the purified mask to the handle.
The two of them began chanting and moving in the strange, ancient pattern the old lady had taught them. The mask slowly turned translucent and started rging with the tal. At the perfect mont Lionel sprinkled so of the shredded at he'd collected earlier onto the circle.
The reaction was instant. The mask fused completely into the chainsaw and the rest of the ritual materials dissolved into sparks of light.
Luke picked up the finished weapon. A surge of connection ran through him the mont his fingers touched the grip.
He gave it a test. With just a tiny trickle of psionic energy the engine roared to life on its own, the chain spinning at terrifying speed. The blade felt sharper than ever—no chance of jamming now.
What used to be an ordinary Texas farm tool had beco a genuine killing machine.
Luke gave the chainsaw a satisfied nod. Close-range weapon acquired.
Once everything was cleaned up he turned to the others.
"Let's go talk to the kids first. See what Heather knows about this place, then search the house properly."
"Got it."
The other two nodded.
They headed back toward the living room.
Heather and Rayne were helping Nikki, who had just woken up for the third ti. The two girls clung to each other, shaking. Rayne stood in front of them gripping a broken chair leg like a club, eyes locked on the approaching trio—especially the chainsaw on Luke's shoulder and the gaping hole in Lionel's chest. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously.
"Kenny… what about Kenny?" Heather's voice cracked.
Luke froze for a second, then smacked his forehead.
"Oh. Right. Him."
He looked a little embarrassed.
"I completely forgot about him."
They all headed back down to the basent to search for the real Kenny.
User Comments
0 comments from readers