April Reigns (April Almighty Book 4) Read online

  “What? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

  “Look, kids. It’s like this. You want to become like me and do what I do? You have to earn it. You think I was born like this? Wait. I was born like this. Hahahaha! Well not everyone can be born into greatness. Fact is, you boys will be helping me take over Jericho Systems here in town. It is there they have the equipment to turn you into a permanent clown like me, including all of the power and strength that comes with it!”

  “So why don’t was just raid there then?”

  “Because, it’s not like some office building you go marching into. They have their own little army plus lots of other wild toys and gadgets. No, you need to be prepared. It won’t be a turkey shoot like the nursing home. It will be much worse than that. If you do the police job like you did to the old folks, then I will know you are ready.”

  A large overhead door slid open and in walked dozens more men in clown make up came walking in, also carrying various guns and weapons. One had a chainsaw resting on his shoulder.

  “Excellent! The new recruits have all been briefed. Terrance. I want you to lead the attack. I have complete faith in you to make this operation a success!”

  Terrance’s expression changed from that of authority to one of concern.

  “Wait? Me? Why?” he asked.

  “Because you are my right hand man. I can’t go on this mission. Not yet.” Mad Maxwell explained.

  “Why? We do all the work so you can take all the credit!” One of the clowns called out. Mad Maxwell flicked the tip of his cane in the man’s direction. A dagger shot out from the base of the cane, piercing the man’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound as he tried to plug it with his hands, but failing. He stumbled around making wheezing and gurgling sounds before collapsing lifeless to the floor.

  “Anyone else have objections?” Mad Maxwell asked with significant casualty as he looked over the group. They all looked legitimately scared. Good. No one else spoke up. Terrance did pull him aside and spoke just above a whisper.

  “Look, boss, Mr. Maxwell. I’m not prepared to go on a mission like this. I thought you hired me to be your recruiter and enforcer.”

  “You are, Terrance. You are. Trust me, on this mission some of these guys will want to run or give up if things get bad. You don’t let them. Just blow their fucking brains out of they try to surrender. This mission will be a success. Who goes and raids a police station? No one. You go in, inflict as many casualties as you can, and get the hell out. I’m not saying stick around and try to take over the place. Just make them feel your presence and get out. By the time they figure out what is happening, a bunch of them will be dead and you’ll be long gone. Then we’ll be ready for Jericho.”

  Terrance swallowed and looked around.

  “Ok boss.” He said.

  “Besides, if you don’t do this, I’ll kill you.” Mad Maxwell said as he patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry bub! You got this!”

  He turned to the rest of the clowns.

  “All right guys! The vans are parked outside! Mount up and go show them what you’re made of!”

  Mad Maxwell watched as the men all filed out and climb into the vans. He grabbed a group of clowns and pulled them aside before they made it to their van.

  “Gentleman. I have a special mission for you. I have a bit of a problem you. This lady,” he pulled a picture of April from his jacket pocket. “And her friends are causing me a bit of a problem. It’s about to get worse. They are headed to Hunt Guns and Ammo on the east side of town.”

  “I know where it’s at,” one clown said.

  “Good. Good. Take her and her friends out, and anyone who gets in your way. I don’t care what you have to do. Do that, and you’re in for good.”

  “For real?”

  “Yes sir. For real,” Mad Maxwell assured.

  Each of the clowns nodded and climbed into their vans. As each van pulled away, Mad Maxwell couldn’t have smiled wider if his face had allowed it. This was going to the most epic night ever. Just the thought of it made him laugh. When the vans were long gone, he was still laughing.

  Chapter 8

  “Jesus Grant. You sure stepped in it this time,” Kyle, the man at the gun store said. Grant had just explained to him the situation.

  “Yeah. Tell me about it. So I need you to help us out.”

  “For you friend. Take whatever you need. I got some off the books stuff in the back.” He turned and walked down a hallway into a backroom. The group followed behind as he punched in a combination on a steel door, sliding it open. In the room there was all sorts of illegal firearms including grenades, an M249 SAW on a bipod with an ammo belt next to it. Along the wall there were various explosive devices and weapons April had never seen before.

  Isis’ eyes went wide, as she looked at each weapon, running her hands along them as if they were new found treasures. She lifted an AK-47 off the wall and examined it.

  “Hey! This one is full auto!” she said, smiling.

  “Yep,” Kyle said. “Everything back here has been modified or came in as full military grade.”

  “Where did you get all this?”” Isis asked.

  “Oh around. I been all over, got friends all over, so the stuff accumulates.”

  Isis slung the AK over her shoulder and grabbed several magazines. Grant also grabbed an MP5 and some grenades, along with a couple handguns. Isis was now looking at various knives until she found a nice machete. She strapped the sheath around her waist and smiled at April.

  “You’re not getting anything?” Isis asked.

  April looked around and grabbed a large hunting knife and some smaller blades. She held up the hunting knife and ran her fingers along the blade.

  “That’s it? That’s all you’re gonna get?” Isis asked.

  “I travel light,” April said.

  “Whatever. I don’t plan on getting that close.”

  “You girls got what you need? April you sure on just some knives?” Grant asked.

  “I’m sure, let’s do this.”

  As they walked out of the room and back toward the front of the store, glass shattering sounded from the front.

  “What in the hell?” Kyle yelled as he ran up front. They lost sight of him but heard laughter and gunfire. Once the gunfire died down, there was more laughter.

  “Hey kiddies! Come out come out wherever you are! Come join the circus with us!” the voice called out. Grant ran to the front where he opened fire. April and Isis followed to find a group of clowns with guns shooting up the place. April dove for cover as Isis began opening fire. She stood in the middle of the store and hit one clown dead in the face. His head exploded, splattering the others with blood and chunks of skull and brains.

  The other clowns pulled back and continued to fire as Isis pressed forward.

  “Come on motherfuckers! Where you going?” she screamed.

  Grant stood and fired at one of the clowns who poked his head up from behind the counter, blowing the top of his head off. There were still several more, but April wasn’t sure how many. Reaching out with her mind, she heard a couple of the clowns drop their weapons as they began moaning and panting. Before she could do much else to them, Isis jumped to her feet, ran around the counters and shot them each as they climaxed.

  Looking around the store, all had gone silent.

  “I think we got them!” Isis called out as a gunshot came from outside. Another plate glass window exploded as Isis went down. April jumped to her feet, but two more clowns ran in and sprayed the place with gunfire. Before April could react, they’d grabbed Isis, dragged her outside and threw her into the van. As it pulled away, April ran behind, trying to use her ability to slow them down, but they were moving too fast.

  Grant came hobbling out and fired at the van, but missed.

  “Isis!” April screamed as she put her hands on top of her head. Since she first gained her ability almost two years ago, she had very few if any friends. Isis was probably the closest
thing to a friend she had. They were both powerful, deadly women yet were both broken in their own way. Somehow, from just being around each other, they weren’t as broken.

  Looking up and down at Grant, he’d been hit in the leg, just below the knee.

  “Another inch up and they’d have blown my knee off. Fuckin’ bullet is lodged in the bone. I can feel it.” He said.

  “April helped him to his truck and unhooked his keys from his belt. She hopped in the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  “You’re the only other person now to ever drive this truck,” Grant said as he pressed his hands over his bleeding ankle.

  “That’s because I’m special,” April said as she stepped on the gas speeding away from the store. Sirens sounded in the distance as she wove through the streets and back onto the highway.

  “What are we gonna do?” April asked. “They took Isis.”

  “I don’t know. We need to find them. I can make some calls. I got eyes around the city. Can’t be too many clown gangs on the loose.”

  “Why would they take her? We have to find her. I’ve seen what those fucking clowns do to people. Well not these guys, they weren’t even real clowns.”

  “I didn’t think they were. Guns isn’t really their thing,” Grant said.

  “I know, and my ability started to work on them when Isis shot them.”

  “Mad Maxwell is recruiting. He’s hired these guys. I’d bet on it.”

  “Who the fuck would go to work for that clown?”

  “Anyone desperate enough, or sick enough.” He looked up and shrugged. “Or both.”

  “We need to find her, Grant. If they hurt her, I will make those fuckers eat each other’s dicks!”

  “We’ll find her. I’m sure. You’re right though. I don’t even want to think about what Mad Maxwell has in mind for her.”

  Chapter 9

  Isis tried to struggle in the van, but she’d been shot in the left shoulder, plus one of the clowns was holding her down while the other drove. The one holding her down taped her ankles together and taped her arms to her sides. Her shoulder throbbed as she struggled against her captors.

  “Tell you what, you fucking freak show. If you let me go, I promise I won’t rip your stomach open and eat your intestines while you watch,” Isis warned.

  “Oh! A feisty one! I like that in a girl! You hear that?” the clown said.

  “Yeah, I heard it,” the driver answered.

  “The boss is gonna have fun with this one.”

  “Who is your boss? Mad Maxwell?”

  “Oh? You know him?”

  “We’ve met.” She hoped she was wrong, but the confirmation caused a sick feeling in her stomach. April told her about those clowns, the real clowns. They were capable of some horrific shit and Mad Maxwell sounded like he was the worst of them. No telling what she was in for. While she didn’t believe in any gods or karma, part of her wondered if there was such a thing. Over the years she had dished out her share of pain and suffering. If the universe was into payback, she was in for a slow, agonizing death.

  The van pulled to a stop as the clown looked at her and smiled brighter than the one already painted on his face.

  “We’re home! Time to play!”

  The other clown came around and pulled her out.

  “I don’t think this is the right one,” he said.

  “What do you mean? Both girls look almost the same.”

  “Yeah, but why hasn’t she used her trick like she did before?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe she likes us.”

  “Shut up. Let’s get her inside.”

  They dragged her from the van into the warehouse; the inside had been decorated in quite the freakish decor. There were wild colored balloons and streamers strung all over the place, and the walls were painted with various bright colors.

  “Well, hello!” Mad Maxwell said from the corner, approaching them slowly. “You brought me a live one! Good! Bring her to the corner to my workstation. I have somethings in mind for our new friend.”

  He walked up and looked her up and down.

  “Oh, no, no. This is no good, you brought me the wrong one. This isn’t April. It’s her greasy little friend.”

  “Fuck you!” Isis yelled just before spitting in his face. He locked eyes with her, the crooked grin never wavering. His eyes were big and green, but looking in them it was obvious there was nothing behind them. She wondered if her victims had seen the same thing in her.

  “Sorry honey, but you’re not my type.” Mad Maxwell said. “Go strap her down boys.”

  They dragged her to the table against her protests and struggles. Lying her on her back, they cut the tape loose and used a series of nylon straps on each of her limbs. The pain in her shoulder lit up as they pulled her arm back, strapping it down tightly. She tried to struggle, but had almost no strength at all in that left arm.

  “Wow, looks like you got quite the boo-boo there, don’t you. Hahahaha!” Mad Maxwell said. “Don’t worry; we won’t be patching you up. I’ll be systematically un-patching you. Been a long time since I really dug into my work. In Happytown, it was all far too rushed. For you, oh I got some real fun things in mind.”

  “Just kill me, if you’re gonna kill me.”

  “Well now. That’s far too simple. I have something much more exciting planned.”

  He grabbed a large pair of scissors as he began to sing.

  “April’s girlfriend sings a song, doo-dah! Doo-dah! I’ll make her scream all day long, oh, doo-dah day! I’ll be cutting off her nose today and her tits tonight!” he threw his arms out to the sides as he hit the higher note. “She’ll be begging for her life! Oh doo-dah day!” By the time he finished the song, he’d cut all Isis’ clothes off her.

  For some reason, she wasn’t even worried for what he was about to do to her. She was more baffled by the bizarre singing. In her years on the run, and even in her old life, she’d come across some serious psychos. This guy took the cake. She realized she was looking at the physical embodiment of pure unadulterated evil, melded together with complete and total insanity.

  “Did you enjoy the performance my dear? Would you like an encore? Too bad! Hahaha! I just don’t do two shows anymore. It just takes too much motivation.” He removed his top hat and wiped his brow. “Don’t worry though. The second act is about to begin and it’s a doozy!”

  “What are you going to do to me?” she asked.

  “I thought I already told you through song. Though that was just the tip of the iceberg. No, you my dear are about to learn the true definition of pain and suffering. Oh and don’t worry about lying there naked, I’m a trained professional. I promise I won’t touch you inappropriately.”

  What the fuck was he talking about?

  “I’d have much rather had your girlfriend, April. I mean, she is your girlfriend right?”

  “No! We’re friends, she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “But you have fucked her right? You munched her carpet, pet her kitty, rubbed nasties? Hahaha! Tell me, how did her pussy taste? Was it sweet or more tangy?”

  “Fuck you, you freak!”

  “No, you fucked April which is what I’m asking you about, but no matter.”

  He picked up a large jar with a couple of snakes crawling inside it, holding it to her face so she could get a good look at it. Each snake was probably just under a foot long.

  “See my little friends? It’s time for them to come out and play!”

  Chapter 10

  April took Grant back to the hotel and helped him inside. She cut his pant leg away from the wound and began cleaning it. He had a first aid kit in his truck with peroxide and bandages. Using his pocket knife, she dug the bullet from the bone. Grant screamed and howled as the blade cut through the bone.

  “Shut up!” April scolded. “Someone will call the cops.”

  “I’m trying. Cops are the last thing we need right now. It just hurts like a mother...”

  “I’m sure i
t does. Stop catching bullets with your leg and it won’t be a problem.”

  “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Hang on. I’ve almost got it.”

  She moved the knife around as the slug finally worked its way free. He screamed one last time as the bloody chunk of lead fell to the floor. She poured more peroxide over the wound and stitched the opening with the sewing kit. Once it was sewn and bandaged up, she looked up at him.

  “That’s the best I can get it. I don’t have anything for pain other than some aspirin that’s in the kit. I might be able to use my ability to at least distract you from it if you want,” she said.

  “No. No. That’s all right. I don’t need you in my head again.” He sat up on the bed and propped his foot up with a pillow.

  “Now, you said you were going to make some calls. So we can find Isis.”

  “Yeah. I did. Hand me my phone. There’s one guy I think can help.”

  She tossed him his phone and watched him punch in some numbers. As he held it to his ear, she tried to listen in.

  “Hey. It’s Grant. Grant Storm. Yeah, well things are not so good, I know it’s been awhile. I’m in a bit of a problem. It’s been a long time, but you guys may remember those clowns we use to deal with? Well they’re back. At least one of them is.” He sat listening for a minute or two before speaking again. “Yeah this one is something different entirely. He’s a tough old bastard. No, I don’t think Sergei can help on this one. I’m gonna need The Hammer.”

  There was another long pause, but April couldn’t tell what the guy yelling on the other end was screaming about.

  “Yes. Him, the only Hammer there is. I think he can help. I’ve been shot so I’m wounded. Yes, I know the price. I got the money. I’ll have it wired to you, but I need him like yesterday. Once I find the clown, I’ll send you the info. Ok, thanks.” He hung up the phone.

  “What was that all about? What’s The Hammer?”

  “The Hammer is probably the biggest and baddest motherfucker you will ever meet. Besides yourself that is.”