Jerk Number One pinned her from behind in a bear hug. She could almost hear her bones creaking and moaning as they threatened to pop like twigs. Her breath was completely cut off. Her lungs couldn’t expand one inch. Jerk Number Two, who should have been writhing on the floor, stood in front of her, blood pouring from his nose like a sieve. His eyes -- solid black orbs -- kept her from having to use what brain cells hadn’t died from asphyxiation to wonder how he was still mobile. He was a lesser demon, the lowest on their psychotic totem pole, but still dangerous. A little broken nose wouldn’t keep him down, but the actor who was being mentally ridden like Sea Biscuit would be pretty upset when he was himself again. Oh, well -- his nose was already out of joint. No one would notice.
“Let her go.”
A voice, commanding yet unconcerned, cut through the din of Quinn’s curses and parted them all quicker than Moses did the Red sea. She’d heard that voice before in her dreams. Aamon.
In a section of the room where the lights didn’t work, Jordan strained her eyes to see…anything. She could only make out vague shapes and a pair of glowing white eyes. As if watching a tennis match, her head pivoted back and forth from the Kongamato (still stationary) to the unlit section. She had no idea what to do!
“There’s no need for violence. Everything is under control.”
Jordan almost laughed at the absurdity of the words. Everything was under control? Either this demon was blind as a bat or had a sick sense of humor. Her brother and uncle were bleeding to death in the corner and Quinn…
“Where is my brother?” she yelled. “Quinn, are you okay?”
From the darkness, he answered, “I’m fine, just pissed off!”
He sounded okay, but Jordan would only believe it when she could actually see him. “Come into the light, Aamon! You obviously want something from us, so stop hiding and let’s get on with it!”
In an instant, the gas lights in that section sprang to life. Her brother was surrounded by several demons. He was unable to move (one of them was using some mojo to keep him frozen in place), but he appeared unhurt. Aamon and Ivy stood to one side. Jordan would like to say she was surprised to see the demons from her dreams, but she wasn’t. Deep down, she always knew a confrontation was inevitable.
Aamon looked bored. Ivy seemed worried. Jordan, well, she was tired. She wanted to get her family out of here, get a shower, and sleep at least a full eight hours.
“What do you want?” she asked, throwing dirty looks to Jerk One and Two.
Aamon smiled, seemingly happy that she was willing to be reasonable, at least for now. What else could she do? He had her brother incapacitated and she needed Quinn’s help to beat the creature standing before her. She didn’t think the Kongamato was holding off on eating them just because it was curious to hear some good gossip. Pretty soon, it was going to go postal and she doubted she could stop it on her own.
Aamon’s eyes glowed pearl white for a moment and then reverted back to normal – a warning for her. He wasn’t possessing anyone she’d ever seen before. Then again, he was probably thousands of years old. Way before her time.
“I want to make you a proposition, Jordan.” His voice was soft, alluring. Jordan felt a yearning deep inside. She had to force herself not to go to him. Thankfully, the sound of Quinn’s familiar voice helped.
“We don’t make deals with demons! We send them back to Hell.”
Aamon strolled, as casually as one walking through a garden on a spring day, to where Quinn was standing. With a flick of his wrist, her brother began to cough violently. Blood spewed from his mouth, decorating the floor around them.
“Stop it!” Jordan screamed, lunging for her brother. The Jerks grabbed her once again. “I’ll listen to what you have to say, but please don’t hurt Quinn!”
Aamon turned back to her. She expected to see triumph in his eyes, a satisfied smirk playing around his mouth. Instead, there was nothing. He seemed to place no more importance on torturing her brother than one would about taking out the garbage. It was a chore – a job to be done -- and nothing personal. God, she hated demons.
He placed his hands under his chin as if deep in thought. Jordan checked the Kongamato’s position again. It was still in the same place, but appeared to be looking behind her, maybe waiting for something.
Aamon cleared his throat and she turned back to him. Damn, she felt stretched too thin, like a tiny amount of peanut butter trying to cover an entire piece of bread. Oh my God, peanut butter? Really, Jordan? Her stomach growled. So not the time.
“As I said before, I have a proposition for you. I think it is something you will want to hear.”
Jordan wanted to see how much leeway she had with him. If she was going to give Aamon the audience he craved, then he would have to give a little, too. She nodded to the two demons flanking her. “How about calling off Beevis and Butthead here? After all, you have my brother. I’m sure as hell not going anywhere without my family.”
He nodded and the two Jerks joined him, giving her space. Baby steps – one demand at a time.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’ll get to the point. I want you to come with me.”
Jordan frowned. “Come with you where?”
Ivy bowed her head. It didn’t go unnoticed by Jordan. She wasn’t going to like what he said next. Then again, he was a demon. They weren’t known for spreading good news and cheer.
“To live with me, of course. After all, families must stick together.”
Oh great, a delusional demon. Just what she needed right now.
Quinn actually laughed. “I think you forgot to take your crazy pills this morning, dumbass. Jordan’s no more a part of your family than Satan is a part of mine.”
Aamon glanced at Quinn. “Let’s leave my father out of this, shall we? “
Her brother shrugged. “Fine by me, but Jordan isn’t going anywhere with you.”
“Oh, I think she will. I have an offer she won’t be able to refuse.”
“No, she won’t,” Jordan interjected irritably. “There’s nothing you can say that could make me change my mind. I don’t know where you’re getting your information from, but we are not family. You are a demon. I am a human. There’s no possible way.”
She looked at Quinn. He nodded ever so slightly. That was all the encouragement Jordan needed. In two seconds, she had her silver knife in her hand, flinging it at the nearest demon who was possessing some poor soul in a ghastly plaid jacket. The knife arced over and over, gas lights reflecting off the blade making it twinkle like a deadly star. It buried itself up to the hilt in his heart. Jordan winced as he fell. She hated having to kill humans in order to send a demon back to hell. They only did in extreme circumstances -- and she didn’t have the time to perform an exorcism.
Aamon shook his head and sighed. He pulled the knife out, wiping the blood on the ugly jacket. His eyes were blazing once again.
“Jordan, I don’t know why you insist on making things so difficult.” He twirled the knife on the palm of his hand. “That was very foolish, young lady. You will learn that your defiance will have consequences. There is no better time than the present to start teaching you this valuable lesson.”
He stared intently at her brother and Quinn’s feet began to drag across the cement floor as his body moved toward the demon. When they were almost toe to toe, Aamon thrust the knife into his thigh. Quinn screamed out in harmony with Jordan. His language, however, was more colorful.
“You demonic bastard! When I get loose I’m gonna take that knife and shove it so far up your ass you’ll be able to pick your teeth with it!” He was cursing, so he was okay.
Aamon slammed her brother against the wall. Quinn’s body slid to the floor, where it lay as limp as a beached jellyfish.
“Stop!” Jordan started for her brother, but froze when Aamon pulled the knife back for another strike.
“We can make this has hard as you want, Jordan. I didn’t come h
ere with the intent to hurt your family, but I will if that’s what it takes to convince you. However, if you come with me of your own free will, I swear that no harm will ever come to your family from any demon. You have my word.”
“No, I won’t leave my family.”
“I am your family, Jordan.”
She shook her head, gears turning in her brain, as she tried to think of a way out of this.
Ivy came forward. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, looking awkward and shy. This was a different Ivy from the one in her dreams. She seemed more…personable. Of course, it was probably an act. But still, there was something in her that Jordan felt she could relate to. “Jordan, he means what he says. He won’t let anything happen to your family. I should know; mine is still alive.”
Suddenly, the Kongamato grew restless. It began pacing back and forth, still staring over Jordan’s shoulder, back the way she came in. Something worse was about to happen.
Aamon must have felt it, too. He raised a fisted hand. “Jordan, decide. Either you come with me or I kill your brother and leave him for this creature to rip the flesh from his bones.”
She hesitated, not sure what to do or say. She needed to stall him while she tried to deal with the Kongamato. She could only handle one monster at a time, dammit! Her delay in answering was a mistake. Quinn’s body grew rigid. He grabbed at his throat and Jordan realized he couldn’t breathe. Aamon was using his powers to kill him.
She’d had enough. Jordan unzipped the weapons bag and pulled out the dart gun, already loaded. The silver and holy water inside the darts would hopefully give Quinn a chance to get away. She could only pray he had better weapons on him than she did. She hadn’t prepared to fight demons.
An ear-splitting howl filled the room, causing everyone to stop and look up. Even Aamon paused in his torture of her brother. Jordan could see Quinn’s chest move up and down as he tried desperately to get air to his lungs.
The howl came again, closer, and Jordan realized what it was. The Kongamato had brought its mate. Jordan was so screwed. She had no idea if she could handle one on her own. With two of them, she may as well go on home and start digging graves for Case and Nathan. Of course, they wouldn’t have to be very big -- the creatures wouldn’t leave enough of them to bury in a pair of shoeboxes. Oh, and let’s not forget about the gang of demons! This was not the day for Gabe to take a vacation.
Its mate moved swiftly into the room, smaller than the male, but not nearly small enough for it to matter any. Other than size, the two looked exactly alike - ugly all day long.
Without giving Jordan so much as a cursory glance, the female made a bee-line for her mate. Together, they turned to where Nathan and Case sat. Jordan couldn’t tell how serious their injuries actually were, but neither of them had spoken aloud through the interview with Aamon, and they would have if they could.
Without warning, the male took Nathan’s arm and made a deep cut with his sharp claw. Blood began to weep from the wound, Jordan screamed, and the female bent over to lick it up with her long, forked tongue.
Jordan stood, unable to move, with her eyes glued to the carnage before her. Her mind screamed for her to do something, but her feet refused to obey. The monster took Nathan’s other arm and slashed again while his mate drank deeply from the first wound he made. Her brother couldn’t scream, but he did whimper.
With a savage scream, she ran for the pair of ghouls, gun at the ready. She was going to die. She and her family were never getting out of this mine. She doubted anyone would even stumble over their bones in here. Maybe Wendy would tell someone when she didn’t hear back from her. If not, at least they would all lie together.
Jordan couldn’t believe it when she got close enough to fire a shot. Maybe the Kongamatos had no knowledge of weapons or they didn’t perceive her as a threat. Regardless, when the female turned to her with Nathan’s blood dribbling down her chin, Jordan aimed for the heart and pulled the trigger. The dart left the gun barrel in a puff of air and found its mark. The female let loose a dying screech and fell with a massive thump to the stone floor. Her long, powerful arms reached upward towards the male as her breaths became shallow. White foam tinged with red bubbled from her mouth. Her gnarled feet thrummed against the floor as her whole body shook. The male seemed confused. It circled around its thrashing mate, looking on and making wild noises. Soon, she was still. That was about the time Jordan remembered she didn’t get extra darts from the bag.
The male’s yellow eyes found hers. He may not understand what killed his mate, but he sure as hell knew she was dead…and who was responsible. She heard several voices screaming at her, including Quinn’s. Nice to know he was still alive.
“Jordan, get out of here!”
“Ivy, go help your sister!”
She knew it was fruitless, but Jordan couldn’t help herself. She turned and ran for the bag. The monster screamed. Dear God, she knew what that thing could do. There was no way she’d make it to the darts, much less have time to load another one into the gun. She sensed movement above her and knew the Kongamato had leapt into the air.
She looked up. The bag was only about five feet away and, standing beside it with a dart in each hand, was Ivy. She tossed one to Jordan just as the monster landed beside her. Without hesitation, Ivy plunged the dart into its arm.
Jordan didn’t take time to load the gun. She dropped it on the ground and kept the dart. The monster backed away, pulling at the silver buried in its arm.
“Why isn’t it dying?” Ivy asked as Jordan reached into the weapons bag and pulled two fanny packs full of darts out. She strapped one around her waist and handed the other to Ivy.
“Aim for the heart. That’s the only way to kill it.”
Ivy’s expression was priceless. “Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was.”
Her hands were shaking. Quinn was still screaming. Aamon looked on as if watching a baseball game. If she made it out of this, she would find some way to kill him. The monster finally managed to wrangle the dart from his arm. Case was right, silver did slow it down. That was good to know. Maybe if she and Ivy got enough silver darts through the skin, he would pause long enough for them to hit his heart.
“Can you teleport?” she asked Ivy as the monster began to circle around.
The girl looked at her and nodded. The Kongamato jumped at Jordan and Ivy disappeared.
Jesus, it was fast! Jordan didn’t even get her arm up to use the dart before it had her on the ground. Its claws, which looked huge, even in the dim light of the mine, raked across her face. Jordan screamed. Fire raced from her hairline to her chin. Her left eye filled with blood and began to burn. There was no way she could defeat it. The male was too quick and strong. Getting the female had been luck -- and her luck had run out.
She could hear Quinn screaming for her to move, get away. She pushed up with her arms and slid backwards. The Kongamato followed, taking its time. It knew she couldn’t go far.
“Jordan, move to your left!”
Without questioning why, Jordan followed Ivy’s instructions. She moved immediately, and it was a good thing she did. Two seconds later, the monster fell right where she had been. There were four darts planted in its back. Unfortunately, it fell on its stomach, so there was no way to get to its heart.
Ivy skipped around the Kongamato and placed a hand on Jordan’s face. Her injuries, including the ones she’d received from Corbett, disappeared with a tingling of her skin. The demon healed her. That was…unexpected.
Ivy gave her a hand up. She looked genuinely worried. Aamon had told the demon to go help her sister. Sister? Jordan was so confused.
“Are you okay?” Ivy asked, looking her over as she patted Jordan’s arm. Somewhere in all this mess, she must have slipped down the rabbit hole and landed in Crazy Land.
Jordan pushed Ivy’s hands away. “I’m fine. Thanks for…you know…helping me,” she mumbled. Ugh! That left a horrible taste in her mouth.
The Kongamato sprang up from the floor, surprising them both. It reached around with its long arm, yanking the darts free as if they were no more than splinters. It plucked Ivy off the floor and threw her like a football. She sailed through the air. The hang time alone would have impressed Joe Montana. Bits and pieces of the rock wall cascaded down when she crashed into it.
Jordan was still staring at Ivy’s crumpled form when the monster grabbed her around the middle. It took her a moment to even realize what was going on. Quinn’s screams echoed around the cavern. Aamon was suddenly beside them. He reached for the Kongamato, but it anticipated this and used its powerful wings to shoot them straight up into the air. Jordan tried to reach for the pack around her waist that held the darts but was unable to move her arms, which were pinned to her sides. The smell coming off the creature was putrid. Her face rubbed against its slime-covered feathers (they were feathers, not scales) and her stomach heaved. Please, someone help me!
She looked down. Quinn was fumbling with his dart gun, trying to load it. Aamon was screaming at his minions to get the one she’d dropped. The Kongamato flew them over to a ledge protruding from the wall. There was barely enough room for it to stand upright without hitting its head on the ceiling. The ledge was small, but it didn’t need a lot of room in order to kill her.
A dart hit the wall to their right. One bounced off the ceiling. The creature let loose a furious scream. Another dart penetrated its neck, but none would find its heart with Jordan in the way. The creature swayed on its feet. The silver was taking effect. For a moment, its grip loosened and Jordan was elated at the thought that it was going to drop her. Hell, falling to her death was much better than being eaten alive any day.
The Kongamato pulled her closer and opened its colossal mouth. Jordan’s 3-D vision of the razor sharp teeth made her fight harder to get loose. She kicked with her feet, trying to make contact. When that didn’t work, she used her head to bash its face. All she managed to do was piss it off even more. It opened its mouth even wider and went for her throat.
Blind Sight Page 18