Freak Contain, release, extract, and fuse.
Alaric Thomas studied the four functions available through the Ghost Card.
Containment was easy enough to understand since it essentially sealed a target inside the card, while Release summoned the contained entity back into the real world.
Once released, the creature would obey Alaric’s commands completely.
It was basically a monster-summoning system.
There were still limitations.
If a released creature suffered fatal injuries and Alaric failed to recall it before death, the contained entity could still be permanently killed.
Severe injuries would also prevent it from recovering immediately unless it was first returned to the card.
Without restrictions like those, the Ghost Cards would have been ridiculously overpowered.
Extraction worked differently.
It allowed Alaric to draw one ability or characteristic from a contained creature, although he had not tested exactly how much could be taken.
Fusion remained the most mysterious option because the Ghost Card offered almost no explanation.
Alaric could only guess at what Fusion meant.
Perhaps he could temporarily possess the abilities and physical characteristics of the contained creature, or maybe the Ghost Card would actually transform his body.
There was also the possibility that multiple contained entities could eventually be fused into something entirely new.
He would have to experiment later.
Alaric stepped outside the cabin and activated Release on the Two of Spades.
A dark distortion appeared several feet away before Saw-Tooth emerged from the card.
The massive cannibal had been on the verge of death when Alaric contained him, yet his body was now completely restored.
His wounds had vanished and even the injuries to his head and arm were gone.
Saw-Tooth simply stood there.
There was no anger or recognition in his expression when he looked at Alaric.
The cannibal waited silently like a trained attack dog awaiting its master’s next command.
Whatever personality remained inside him had apparently been completely subordinated by the Ghost Card.
Alaric next experimented with Fusion.
The result was not what he expected.
He did not automatically transform into Saw-Tooth’s grotesque appearance, although Alaric somehow understood that he could partially assume those characteristics if he deliberately chose to.
More importantly, a powerful surge rushed through his body as his physical abilities increased dramatically.
His strength seemed at least two or three times greater than normal.
His sensitivity to pain dropped while his eyesight sharpened noticeably, and his overall endurance, recovery, and physical resilience improved.
Even without transforming, Fusion allowed him to borrow many of Saw-Tooth’s natural advantages.
That alone was impressive.
And this was only a Two.
Alaric looked at the black card in his hand and found himself wondering what kind of power a King, Queen, Jack, Ace, or Joker might eventually contain.
More importantly, what kind of monster would actually be powerful enough to qualify for one of those higher cards?
Considering creatures like Valak existed, he suspected he would eventually find out.
For now, Saw-Tooth was already useful.
Alaric discovered that contained creatures did not become mindless puppets incapable of independent action.
Saw-Tooth retained his hunting instincts, familiarity with weapons, and ability to interpret straightforward commands.
Alaric did not need to personally control every movement.
If Alaric ordered him to kill someone without giving specific instructions, Saw-Tooth would simply choose his own method.
That made the system far more practical.
Alaric canceled the Fusion and decided to keep Saw-Tooth released.
He retrieved a bow and quiver from the cabin’s collection of hunting weapons and handed them over, figuring that someone who had spent his entire life hunting in these mountains could make use of them.
He then ordered Saw-Tooth to remain hidden nearby unless commanded otherwise.
Three Finger and One-Eye were still somewhere in the woods.
Alaric had no intention of letting either of them escape if he could help it.
The entire cannibal family represented useful combat power, and obtaining even one of them had already shown him how valuable the Ghost Cards could become.
If possible, he wanted the complete set.
Alaric picked up the shotgun and started through the forest.
Saw-Tooth followed several yards behind with the bow and quiver.
Twilight had begun spreading across the West Virginia mountains by then.
Long shadows stretched between the trees while the fading sunlight turned the forest into a maze of dark shapes.
Every distant branch crack seemed far more threatening than it had earlier that afternoon.
Meanwhile, deeper in the woods, Scott was running for his life.
He stumbled through the undergrowth and repeatedly glanced over his shoulder with panic written across his face.
Somewhere behind him, Three Finger and One-Eye followed without any apparent hurry.
Their strange laughter occasionally drifted between the trees as if they were enjoying the hunt.
Scott had separated from Jessie, Carly, and Chris.
He knew that was exactly what the cannibals wanted.
Suddenly, a large hand reached from behind a tree and clamped over his mouth.
Scott’s eyes widened.
He immediately began fighting against the grip until a low voice hissed beside his ear.
“Shut up.” Scott froze.
He turned his head enough to see Alaric standing behind him.
The relief on Scott’s face was almost comical.
For a moment, he looked as though Alaric had personally descended from heaven to rescue him.
His knees nearly gave out before Alaric steadied him against the tree.
“Stay quiet.” Alaric focused on the woods ahead.
Behind another tree several yards away, Saw-Tooth stood almost perfectly concealed within the shadows.
He had an arrow nocked and the bowstring drawn while watching his two former brothers move through the forest.
Neither Three Finger nor One-Eye seemed aware that their missing family member was now hunting them.
Alaric waited.
Before he could order Saw-Tooth to fire, the distant roar of an engine echoed through the trees.
Three Finger and One-Eye immediately stopped.
The two cannibals exchanged several strange grunts before turning and quickly disappearing in the direction of the sound.
Whatever had caught their attention was apparently more important than continuing to toy with Scott.
Only after they disappeared did Alaric release him.
Scott collapsed against the base of a tree while struggling to catch his breath.
“Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Alaric.
If you hadn’t shown up, I’d probably be dead.” “You’re welcome.” Alaric kept watching the direction the cannibals had gone.
“Tell me what happened after we separated.” Scott quickly explained everything.
After Alaric returned toward the cabin, Three Finger and One-Eye eventually caught up with the group.
Scott deliberately drew their attention away so Jessie, Carly, and Chris could escape.
His plan worked, but it left him alone with two cannibals chasing him through the forest.
Alaric looked at Scott with a little more respect.
The man had knowingly risked his life for everyone else.
Alaric himself was nowhere near that selfless.
He had always believed surviving came first, which made people willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends particularly useful companions.
If the world had more people like Scott, life would certainly be easier for people like Alaric.
Scott suddenly stood upright.
“We need to find Carly and the others.” His expression became anxious again.
“With your gun and both of us together, we can take those freaks down.” Alaric glanced toward Saw-Tooth hiding behind the trees.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Something like that.” …
After sunset, darkness swallowed the mountains.
For a while, everything remained silent.
Then an old forest watchtower suddenly erupted into flames.
The fire illuminated the surrounding woods like a beacon as smoke rolled into the night sky.
Inside the burning tower, Chris, Jessie, and Carly desperately searched for a way out.
Staying meant burning alive while climbing down meant facing the cannibals waiting below.
Chris finally spotted the surrounding trees.
Their only option was jumping.
Jessie was already regretting not going back with Alaric when she had the chance.
Things had grown progressively worse since they separated, and the one person who had seemed prepared for any of this was now somewhere else in the forest.
Carly’s condition made everything even harder.
She was crying uncontrollably and refusing to move.
“Carly, come on!” Jessie shouted over the crackling flames.
“I can’t!” Below them, Three Finger and One-Eye moved eagerly around the base of the tower.
The terrified screaming above only seemed to excite them more.
Neither cannibal noticed two figures quietly approaching from behind.
Alaric and Scott had arrived.
The heat inside the tower became unbearable.
Chris finally forced everyone toward a nearby tree.
They climbed onto the edge and jumped for the branches, but the limb beneath their combined weight suddenly cracked.
All three lost their footing.
“Oh, shit!” Chris, Jessie, and Carly crashed through the lower branches and hit the ground.
Three Finger immediately rushed toward them.
Chris scrambled backward in terror.
Boom!
A shotgun blast shattered the darkness.
Three Finger jerked away and vanished into the surrounding brush before Scott could fire again.
The shot had missed anything vital, but it forced the smaller cannibal into cover.
Firelight from the burning tower illuminated the clearing enough for Jessie to finally see who had arrived.
“Scott!” Carly burst into tears when she realized her boyfriend was alive.
“Alaric!” Jessie shouted almost at the same time.
Relief flooded her expression.
Of everyone in their group, Alaric was the person who made her feel safest after everything she had witnessed today.
His unexpected return felt almost impossible.
Scott barely had time to react before One-Eye charged from the side.
The larger cannibal grabbed him and lifted him partially off the ground.
Scott struggled desperately.
Then an arrow tore through One-Eye’s arm.
The cannibal roared and released Scott.
Alaric stepped from the shadows holding his shotgun.
A second figure emerged behind him.
Everyone froze.
Saw-Tooth.
Jessie stared in horror and confusion as the cannibal they had last seen bleeding inside the cabin calmly walked to Alaric’s side.
Chris looked equally stunned while Carly seemed too frightened to even understand what she was seeing.
One-Eye reacted differently.
He stared at Saw-Tooth and released several confused grunts.
Saw-Tooth answered by charging straight at him.
The two cannibals collided violently.
One-Eye appeared completely bewildered by his brother’s attack and initially tried to shove him away instead of fighting seriously.
Saw-Tooth showed no hesitation, hammering his fists into One-Eye’s head and torso until the other cannibal finally roared in fury and fought back.
Chris stared at the scene.
“What the hell?” Jessie had no answer.
The two cannibals were attacking each other like wild animals.
Against the glow of the burning watchtower, Saw-Tooth and One-Eye traded brutal punches that would have left ordinary men unconscious.
Their abnormal pain tolerance allowed both of them to keep fighting despite injuries that should have ended the confrontation almost immediately.
Flesh split and blood flew, yet neither slowed much.
Saw-Tooth had only recently recovered through the Ghost Card, but One-Eye still fought with frightening strength.
The clearing became complete chaos.
Jessie grabbed Alaric’s arm.
“Alaric, they’re fighting each other.
We need to run!” “Run where?” She hesitated.
Alaric already knew blindly fleeing through these mountains at night would only give Three Finger another opportunity to hunt them one at a time.
They had finally gained the advantage and abandoning it would be pointless.
He pulled his arm free and raised the shotgun.
Saw-Tooth immediately understood the silent command.
He broke away from One-Eye.
Bang!
Alaric fired directly into One-Eye’s chest.
The blast knocked him backward but failed to put him down.
One-Eye roared and charged through the pain, forcing Alaric to work the shotgun again.
He fired into the cannibal’s legs until the injuries finally destroyed his ability to remain standing.
One-Eye collapsed.
Even then, he refused to stop.
The cannibal dragged himself toward Alaric with his arms.
Alaric lowered the shotgun but didn’t finish him.
Killing One-Eye would waste a perfectly good containment target.
He pointed toward the wounded cannibal.
Saw-Tooth immediately grabbed his brother and began dragging him away from the firelight into the darkness.
One-Eye continued struggling, but his ruined legs made resistance almost useless.
Within moments, both cannibals disappeared among the trees.
The shotgun was empty.
Alaric casually tossed it aside.
Behind him, the watchtower continued burning brightly against the night sky.
Chris, Jessie, Carly, and Scott stood together while trying to process everything that had just happened.
None of them understood why two members of the same cannibal family had suddenly turned on each other.
At that moment, however, nobody cared enough to question their luck.
They were simply relieved to still be alive.