by Greg Ballan
" I think they were rescued by Mr. Knight. As far as the silver skin and pulverizing tons of rock, I'll ascribe that to overactive imaginations. Somewhere out there," the major gestured toward the direction of Hopedale Mountain, "Knight is wandering around, looking for a rematch, no doubt. If we could just get him here, get our hands on him…."
"Excuse me, sir," the captain asked. "Just how are we supposed to find Erik Knight in over seventy-plus square miles of woodlands?"
"We won't have to," the major answered as he lit a cigar and began puffing on it. "He'll come to us, eventually. We have his daughter, and if Erik Knight wants to get her back, he'll have to come to us."
"What about the girl's legal guardians, her mother and stepfather?" the captain questioned.
"What about them? Their daughter has been exposed to some unknown creatures. God knows what kinds of strange bacteria or germs the children have been in contact with. They must all be quarantined in a biohazard facility as soon as possible. Extensive tests must be conducted to assure they are all safe. Her parents have been exposed to their daughter. If we have to, we'll lock them in a med lab too. We'll get our answers, Captain. One way or another, we'll get our answers," the major added with a dramatic pause. "Don't you think?"
"That's a hell of a shaky card to play," the captain responded to the major's underlying threats. "Pendelton is no ordinary yokel."
"True," Ross agreed, "but we've got the backing of an entire federal bureaucracy behind us. I don't want to keep them too long, just long enough to draw Mr. Knight to us." Ross paused. "If it comes down to that," he quickly amended.
"Major, what you're suggesting is a violation of several military laws pertaining to civilian relations and abuse of federal power," the captain responded in a curt military demeanor.
"Shove it, Bill. I lost forty men in this jerkwater town – forty good men, men with wives and families. That's a lot of condolence calls to make. I want to know why they died, for what reason, and exactly what killed them. I can't ask those godforsaken creatures, but I can ask Knight. I'll get my answers, I owe it to those men and to their families. To Hell with regulations. Am I clear, Captain?" Ross added, emphasizing his second's lower rank.
"Yes, sir, Major," the captain replied tersely, emphasizing his disapproval with his vocal tone.
"Look, Bill," Ross began in a softer tone, "I'm just going to bend the usual protocol slightly. I don't plan on trampling over these people, and I don't want to cause the child any more stress than the poor kid has already had. But an exam is required for all the children by one of our doctors. We owe it to our men to get to the bottom of this. I need you with me on this. Can I count on you?"
The captain nodded and sighed. "Yeah, I'm in. We do owe the families of our fallen something, and Knight seems to be the man of the hour today. Let's just hope he doesn't join the list of deceased before the day is over with."
Chapter 17
Hopedale Park Army Encampment, 8:16 p.m.
The last of the Army search party had reported in and darkness settled upon the base encampment. The Red Cross tent was now filled with parents and children, excluding the parents of Lisa Reynolds, whom the Army was in the process of contacting.
Lisa Reynolds had been taken by ambulance to the local hospital for treatment of shock and dehydration. Brianna Knight, with help from the other children, had told and retold the story of their experiences and terrors at the mercy of both creatures, and how they were rescued, to a captive audience of parents and soldiers alike. Included in the audience of listeners were Shanda Kerwin and Alissa Penney. Margaret vouched for both women when they arrived upon hearing word of Brianna's rescue.
Shanda sat by herself outside the tent, staring up at the dark morass that was the looming mountain.
"Can we talk?" a voice called out, breaking Shanda's solitude.
She turned to see Margaret Pendelton. "Sure." Shanda gestured the woman toward the bench she was sitting on.
"I know you've been questioned already, and I know you and your friend weren't exactly forthcoming with information. That's all right," she added quickly. "But now I'm going to ask you, between just the two of us – lover and ex-lover of Erik Knight – what happened to him? Was it really him up there? Is Brianna telling the truth? Or is she just in denial about her father?"
Shanda turned away from Margaret and stared back up at the mountain looming like an ominous giant in the darkness. She considered the question for fifteen seconds before answering. "Yes. It was Erik," she whispered. "What's left of him."
Margaret shook her head. "I'm sorry, you said 'what's left of him'?"
"I can't explain it to you. You wouldn't understand, nor would you believe it. He sacrificed all that he was to save his daughter. He sacrificed any chance we ever had of being together. I lost the man I loved," she replied bitterly. "I can never have him back the way he was. Right now, for all I know, he's engaged in some life-or-death struggle with those monsters alone up there. If he dies up there, he'll die alone, and if he lives through the battle and is victorious, he'll still be alone. If you believe there is a deity that watches over humanity, you'd better pray that Erik wins, because his death will herald the end of our race as we know it, and the end of humans being the dominant species on this planet. Those things will use us all like cattle," she concluded as tears streamed down her face. "That's all I can tell you, I'm sorry. Brianna spoke the truth. What she saw was Erik, what he's become, what he's always been on the inside."
"Dear God," Margaret whispered. "I'm so sorry." She put her arm around Shanda's shoulder as she wept.
The two women sat quietly, staring at the mountaintop nestled underneath the evening starlight. Shanda felt a faint tingling inside her head. Her body began to shudder involuntarily.
"Oh my God!" she whispered to Margaret. "Erik must have lost. Those creatures are here, nearby."
"How can you tell?" Margaret replied as she peered into the darkness.
Behind them, they heard several screams of shock and panic. Both women turned to see a patch of blackness, blacker than the surrounding night, spread throughout the Army encampment. A nearby soldier screamed with horror as a black claw reached through the darkness and took him by the throat. The sound of his neck breaking reverberated throughout the small area.
Both Seelak creations emerged from the portal and immediately began to close on the Red Cross tent. Somewhere, gunfire broke out, and rounds sparked and deflected off the Seelak's thick armored hide. Another soldier leapt in front of the creatures and opened up with his service pistol. He was struck in the shoulder with one of his gun's deflected rounds. The felinoid pounced upon the wounded man, and grasped him between its vice-like jaws. With slowly increasing pressure, the jaws closed. The soldier's shrieks of agony didn't end until blood sprayed out of his mouth from punctured lungs and severed arteries. The creature dropped the lacerated corpse and continued moving forward.
Several soldiers formed a hasty line in front of the advancing monsters, their various rifles and pistols aimed at the enraged creatures. The creatures rushed the line as the soldiers commenced discharging their weapons. Several rounds found their mark, but the creatures were now on top of them. The soldiers were slaughtered in less than a minute.
Shanda and Margaret retreated behind a nearby jeep, helplessly watching the carnage unfolding before them.
"They're hideous," Margaret whispered. "They can't be stopped. They're going for my baby again." She broke from her cover and ran toward the tent where Brianna and the other children were.
"Wait! You'll be killed," Shanda screamed as she followed the panic-stricken woman.
Margaret Pendelton stood directly in the creatures' path, blocking their advance. Shanda quickly joined the courageous woman.
"No!" Margaret screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice trumpeted above all the other noise, causing a sudden hush of silence. "You won't take them again. You can't have my baby." Margaret ignored the pleas for her to run. She glanc
ed over at Shanda and held her ground. Richard yelled for her to escape, but she gestured him away. "You've done enough damage. Go away, please."
The enhanced Seelak warrior approached the two women, his claws outstretched and reaching for the kill. The creature stopped dead in its tracks, its expressionless eyes seemed to widen slightly. The large felinoid growled and retreated two steps. It clawed the ground questioningly, tearing up the pavement with its large paws.
The women heard a sound behind them. An angry hissing reminded Shanda of an enraged reptile. Her entire body tingled and goosebumps emerged. Both women slowly turned their heads and looked behind them. Standing like a titanic sentinel with its massive arms crossed, staff firmly grasped in one hand, and wearing an undisguised look of pure hatred, was Erik Knight the Hybrid.
The Hybrid stepped in front of the stunned women and dramatically dragged its staff in a line in front of them and the Red Cross tent, daring the creatures to cross. He swung the staff with blinding speed, performing complicated motions that were only a blur to the human eyes. The routine ended, and he adopted an aggressive combat stance, staff ready to strike. The staff seemed to whine and murmur in anticipation of the coming battle.
"My God, Erik!" Margaret Pendelton whispered, looking up at her ex-husband. "What happened to you?"
Erik glanced back at the two women, his aqua-blue eyes piercing the darkness. Go, now. The two words roared in both of their heads. Shanda dragged a reluctant Margaret back into a crowd of armed soldiers.
"Hold your fire!" Major Ross ordered as he calmed the nervous soldiers whose fingers had all found the triggers of their rifles and pistols. "The kid said he's here to do our job for us. Let's give him a chance." Ross peered at the massive silver being in awe as it continued to glare at the other two creatures. "What in the hell happened to him?" he wondered aloud.
The two creatures recovered from their shock. They were so focused on their destruction that they failed to notice the Hybrid who had dropped from the trees directly outside the encampment. The Seelak leapt forward, its arms reached out in an attempt to grasp its silver foe. The Hybrid responded with an overhead swing of his staff. The weapon murmured with glee as it was smashed upon the Seelak's black-armored shoulder. The Hybrid didn't pause after that strike. He swung the staff laterally in a 360-degree sweep and swept the stunned Seelak's legs out from under it. The creature fell, landing flat on its back. The Hybrid brought his staff down, aimed directly at its head. The Seelak quickly rolled its body sideways, barely avoiding the blow that shattered the pavement where its head had been a fraction of a second earlier.
The silver Hybrid kept attacking. The Sentient Staff impacted against black-armored hide, each blow sounding like a thunderous clash of metal upon metal, spraying sparks upon both combatants. Erik succeeded in driving the Seelak back away from the crowd and the tent in which the children were being kept.
The felinoid sprang from its position, covering nearly thirty feet with its leap. It had waited until the Hybrid was facing away from it before it attacked. The Hybrid sensed the oncoming threat and executed a one-handed cartwheel, allowing the cat-like creature to sail by him harmlessly, and slammed his staff against the massive creature's flanks as it passed.
The cat landed and swung around swiftly to face the Hybrid again. It leapt quickly and collided with the silver warrior. The impact threw the Hybrid back, and the staff fell from his hand as he grappled with the much larger creature. The felinoid raked its claws across the Hybrid's massive chest, causing an ear-shattering squeal as the claws scraped against metallic flesh. The Hybrid landed a massive blow into the creature's jaw, lifting the great cat beast off the ground. The creature recovered quickly and attacked again, using its fifteen-foot tail like a great whip. The Hybrid blocked each strike with his forearms, frustrating the beast.
Erik and the felinoid charged into each other, both roaring battle cries. Erik pummeled the creature with both hands and feet, while absorbing dreadful blows from the creature's dinner plate-sized paws. There was no finesse in this combat, each participant simply lashed out with mindless fury. The felinoid, driven by its genetic coding, and the Hybrid, Erik Knight, seeking vengeance for the abduction of his offspring. The large cat tried again to pounce on its smaller opponent. Though smaller, the Hybrid possessed greater strength, and was able to catch his opponent in midair. He lifted the twenty-foot feline over his head and tossed it like a rag doll into the concrete.
From the darkness came a loud groan. A trash dumpster flew toward both combatants, missing the felinoid, and landing directly on top of the Hybrid with a sickening crunch of collapsing metal. Everyone was silent, staring at the shattered hulk of metal. Both creatures approached the ruined dumpster and stared quietly. From inside the wreckage there came a loud roar of rage. A silvery fist blew through the wreckage and accompanied the roar. The Hybrid punched and clawed his way out of the battered hulk to face his opponents again. There was, however, a gaping wound across its chest that was leaking a dark red fluid. He ripped a piece of scrap metal from the wreck and hurled it back at the creatures, then another and another, causing both to reluctantly give ground.
Erik did the unexpected and leapt between both creatures, raining blow upon blow upon both startled monsters. Both the Hybrid's hands and feet were lethal weapons; a combination of human combat excellence combined with all the generations of enhanced Esper warrior training. The creatures, however, fought back savagely. They, too, were enhanced with the skills of their ancestry. After thousands of years, the Esper-Seelak War was reaching its final, yet to be determined, conclusion.
The combatants separated again. The Hybrid leapt backwards an amazing fifteen feet into the air, executing several somersaults landing gracefully several meters away from his opponents. Each warrior's body was now littered with several lacerations. There were several discolorations on Erik's forearms where he had blocked the whip-like attacks of the felinoid cat creature.
Erik saw his staff lying on the ground several feet away from him. With a simple gesture of his outstretched hand, the liquid metal object leapt from the ground and nestled itself in his outstretched palm. His hands closed around the weapon, and it gave off an eerie moan.
Shanda peered over at Alissa who was watching the battle with great intent. She made her way over to the young waitress. "Can you tell what's going on in their heads?"
"The Seelak were somewhat surprised, but they have been programmed to attack and kill Espers. Their minds and instincts are on total automatic. They are, however, continually being fed by the fear from those around them. It makes them that much harder to destroy."
"And Erik?" Shanda whispered intently.
"He is himself. He has adapted to the changes and his essence has survived the mutation of his body. He is one being with two sets of memories." She peered up at her. "Perhaps this is what was intended all along."
Shanda focused her telepathy on her lover, straining to find the right frequency that would let her into his mind. After a few seconds, she was able to read him, feel what he was feeling, and see what he was seeing. She could feel his unbridled rage toward his opponents, a desire for vengeance that burned like a white-hot fire, but that rage was over-ridden by an almost mystical sense of control, a feeling she had shared with him earlier in their prior link, but now much more enhanced and overwhelming.
The three adversaries collided again. The Seelak warrior rushed into Erik, absorbing dreadful blows from his staff, but it still moved in. With incredible speed, it swung its tensile tail, thrashing it across Erik's torso. The sound of the impact rang like a gunshot. Erik fell back, bleeding from the gaping wound across his stomach. Erik responded by smashing the end of his staff down upon the creature's black-armored shoulder. There was a sickening crunch as the staff shattered the armor covering.
The Seelak avoided the follow-up blow and used its tail again, but this time Erik managed to grab the appendage with his free hand. He yanked on the creature's tail mightily, lifti
ng the black-armored creature off the ground. Erik utilized this momentum and began swinging his larger opponent like a bola. He spun himself around five times, using the Seelak's own mass to increase the force of each spin. On his final rotation, he let out a cry and put all of his strength into hurling the creature into the air with as much force as he possibly could. The Seelak literally flew over fifty feet, smashing through an armored convoy truck and crushing the parked car it landed on.
Erik pressed his attack on his other adversary. He leapt high into the air and brought his staff down hard upon the felinoid who had closed in for another attack. The beast fell back before Erik's fury, but kept swinging its razor-sharp claws and threatened to bite him in two with every snap of its powerful jaws. Erik glanced over to where the Seelak was. It was still stunned, unmoving from its place on the crushed automobile. He did notice a small river of fluorescent blue dripping onto the pavement.
The Seelak was no longer an immediate threat. He had to destroy the felinoid now, before its partner recovered. He couldn't finish off the Seelak warrior just yet. As soon as he took his eye off the cat, it would pounce upon him again with tooth and claw, as well as its whip-like tail. Erik's forearms were already battered from deflecting the creature's earlier blows. The felinoid sensed its partner was out of action. It attacked ferociously, as any animal when threatened. Erik was put on the defensive as the large creature attacked with incredible strength and speed. Erik was barely able to deflect the blows that seemed to be coming at him continuously. Grudgingly, he was forced to give ground, driven back from the stunned Seelak with each fresh attack.
Erik timed a counterstrike, and landed a quick thrust into the creature's ribs. The cat responded by leaping directly on top of him, forcing him down into the pavement, and knocking his staff away from him again. The weapon shrieked at the separation from its owner, and laid out of reach, murmuring and buzzing its annoyance like an angry wasp. The beast sat on top of him, its large hindquarters pinning his legs underneath the cat with their sheer bulk and weight.