by David Meyer
A short distance away, he spotted Mills. She lay at the edge of the tree line, her gaze focused on Saber.
He dropped to his belly next to her. “Howdy stranger.”
She nodded at the mega behemoth. “It looks like Saber decided to crash the party.”
“Actually, I sent it an invitation, etched in smoke.” He arched an eyebrow at her. “What are you doing out here anyway? I told George to gather everyone in the vault.”
“So I heard. But come on. Did you really expect me to let you have all the fun?”
Roaring, Saber strode through the forest, its monstrous paws driving tree trunks deep into the earth. It stopped on the opposite side of Savage Station and bared its horrible curving teeth for all to see. Its lava-orange eyes, hotter than a blazing inferno, took in the scene before it.
Abruptly, it charged down the old road, tearing up pavement and leaving deep impressions in the soil. Archaics, screaming and howling, vanished underfoot.
Saber slid to a halt on the opposite side of Savage City, tearing up even more pavement and soil. Its jaws plunged to the ground and it bit down on a bunch of fleeing archaics. Blood and gore splattered across the dirt.
Melted snow began to mix with the churned-up soil. Hard dirt turned into viscous sludge.
“I think Saber packed on a little mass,” Caplan whispered.
“A little? It looks like it swallowed another behemoth whole.”
Smacking its lips, Saber paced into the forest and stomped out Caplan’s second fire. Then it began to feed on the dead archaics. In the process, its paws crushed down on more snow, causing it to melt and mix with the sludge. Before long, a giant mud trough ran through the center of Savage City’s ruins.
The mega behemoth reached the other end of the ruins. Stopping short of the hatch, it rotated its head in both directions. Then it took a few sniffs at the air. A growl escaped its lips and it looked toward the forest.
All in all, this was going well, even better than Caplan’s wildest dreams. The archaic army was dead or scattered. The vault remained intact. And Saber’s attention, at least for the moment, was focused elsewhere.
“I think it smells the soldiers,” Mills said.
“Just as long as it’s not us.”
Soft rustles rang out from the forest. The soldiers, moving in tight formation, advanced on the mega behemoth.
Her jaw fell agape. “Have they lost their minds?”
He rubbed his jaw. “They didn’t have much of a choice. Like you said, Saber already sniffed them out.”
“Then they should be running for their lives.”
He cast a glance at Savage City, laying eyes on dozens of squashed archaics. “And end up like them?”
“Good point.”
“We need to get to the vault.” He sheathed his axe and returned it to his belt. “Start crawling as soon as the gunfire starts.”
The wind picked up speed. The snowflakes fell faster. Peering through the blizzard, Caplan looked for the soldiers. He could no longer see them. But Saber’s hulking mass was impossible to miss.
Rapid bursts of gunfire filled the dark, snowy sky. Caplan and Mills exchanged nods. They crawled forward, staying just inside the tree line. They snaked between trees and around small boulders, over hills and past dead bushes.
Roaring, Saber sprang at the soldiers. The gunfire intensified, then turned sporadic. Bone crunched. Flesh squished. Anguished screams floated into the snowy night.
Bile rose up in Caplan’s throat. He crawled a little farther, dragging his body across the snow.
Metal shifted. A bright light poured out of the ground. Squinting at the hatch, he caught a glimpse of a single figure, cloaked in red. The figure grabbed hold of a ladder and descended into the hatch. Metal scraped softly against metal. The brightness vanished.
“Was that Chenoa?” Mills whispered.
He nodded. “She used her soldiers as a diversion.”
“What a snake.”
He continued to crawl through the forest. To his right, he recognized the blizzard-obscured ruins of Savage City. They weren’t at the vault yet. But each second brought them closer to their destination.
The anguished screams died out. New sounds—thumping footsteps, splintering wood, deep-throated growls—started up.
Saber’s hulking mass trotted out of the forest. It sniffed the air for a moment. Then it walked into Savage City.
Hide, Caplan mouthed.
Mills crouched behind a large rock. Meanwhile, he pulled up behind a thick cedar tree and pressed his back against the damp, mossy bark.
Mud splashed as Saber entered the trough. It surged forward, heading for the vehicles. The sounds of footsteps grew louder and louder. And then, inexplicably, they vanished. Sharp sniffs filled the air. A deafening growl pierced the dark, snowy night.
A shiver ran down Caplan’s spine. The mega behemoth was close, about as close as it could get to him and Mills without leaving the trough.
It’s got new scents, he realized. Our scents.
Gunshots punctured the air. Twisting his neck, Caplan saw three soldiers hobble out of the dense blizzard. Their faces were blotchy and full of ire. They stopped at the edge of the tree line, not far from his position. Shouts and curses, laced with lunacy, rang out.
The soldiers kept firing until they ran empty. Then they lowered their weapons. Their faces paled. Their ire gave way to fear. Twisting around, they bolted into the dying forest.
Caplan’s body tensed up, ready to run as soon as Saber gave chase. But there were no sudden movements, no shockwaves coursing through the soil. After a few seconds, he snuck a peek around the edge of the tree.
The mega behemoth stood in the trough, showing no interest in the fleeing soldiers. It paid no attention to the blizzard, the forest or the ruins. Instead, it just stared.
At him.
Its nostrils flared. Its lava-orange eyes swirled and Caplan saw frenzied fury within them. But he saw something else, too. Something much more unnerving.
It knows me, he realized. It remembers me.
All of a sudden, he felt miniscule compared to the mighty beast. His feet moved on instinct, taking a few steps backward.
Saber climbed out of the trough. Its paws crashed down on the ruins of old stables, reducing them to dust and smithereens.
Some mammals, such as cows, were capable of holding grudges. But certainly not for seventeen months. That kind of petty ridiculousness was exclusive to humanity.
And mega behemoths, he thought.
Saber’s eyes boiled with anger. Its lips spread into a strange, satisfied smile.
Caplan’s brain shifted back to their previous encounter. Seventeen months ago, he’d fled from Saber. But without a helicopter, that wouldn’t work this time.
“Get down,” Mills whispered through clenched teeth. “It’ll see you.”
“It already did.”
“Hang on.” She reached for her quiver. “I’ll give you a distraction.”
“It won’t work. Just get to the vault, okay?”
“Zach …”
“Get to the vault.”
Caplan ran. But not into the depths of the dying forest. No, he ran straight at the mega behemoth.
Saber’s lava-orange eyes flashed with confusion. Its head lunged toward the ground.
He dodged to the side. Saber’s teeth slashed deep into the ruins of the stable, puncturing heaps of concrete and steel. He smelled the creature’s hot, rancid breath. He sensed its power, its confidence.
A dark shadow fell over Caplan as he darted underneath Saber’s enormous head. The mega behemoth could no longer see him. But that didn’t mean it would give up. Very soon, it would start to move, to search around. Its mighty paws would come crashing down again. Quite possibly, right on top of his head.
He sprinted to Saber’s front right leg. Grabbing hold of fur, he pulled himself onto its paw.
The mega behemoth ripped its teeth out of the ruins, causing chunks of concrete t
o fly through the air. It curled its toes ever so slightly, sending fierce vibrations through its entire body.
Ignoring the vibrations, Caplan crawled to the ankle, then wrapped his fists around the coarse fur. Chuckling humorlessly, he shook his head.
Worst. Plan. Ever.
Chapter 64
Date: December 3, 2017, 2:16 a.m.; Location: Sector 214, Vallerio Forest, NH
Saber’s teeth gnashed together. Buckets of drool slipped out of its jaws and dripped down onto the snow.
Wind whistled as the mega behemoth twisted its shoulders from side to side. More vibrations stole through the behemoth’s body and Caplan doubled up his grip on the fur.
He turned his gaze to the forest. Mills crouched at the edge of the tree line. Her eyes were big and round. Her jaw was wide open.
He turned back to the creature’s massive ankle. He hadn’t come up with a plan yet. But hey, there was no time like the present. And so, he quickly formulated an escape route. Eventually, Saber would start walking. He’d wait until it moved close to the vault. Then he’d drop to the ground and run for it.
He peered up. Saber’s face, obscured by the heavy snow, was focused on the forest. Evidently, it didn’t even feel his weight. And no wonder. Caplan was, for better or worse, an insect next to the mega behemoth.
Its head drifted downward. Down, down, down, all the way to its paws. Moving fast, Caplan crawled around the outside portion of the mega behemoth’s ankle. Wrapping his fingers around fur, he braced himself against the creature’s thick hide.
Saber sniffed its front right paw. Then its head lifted skyward again. Twisting around, Caplan crawled back to his original position. His breath turned bated as he regripped the coarse fur.
A growl filled the night as Saber backtracked. One by one, its paws splashed into the trough cutting through the center of Savage City, sending bits of mud flying onto Caplan’s clothing.
Its front right paw was last to move. It curled backward with big, jolting movements. Caplan’s body bounced off the paw and he swung wildly into the air, supported only by his grip on the fur. Abruptly, the paw descended and curled inward. He braced his feet again just as it struck mud. Shockwaves rocketed through his arms and all the way to his brain. He barely had time to recover before he found himself repeating the process all over again. It’s like a roller coaster, he thought. Just without the souvenir photo.
Saber walked to the far side of town. It stopped short of the broken bridge and the dry creek bed. Releasing the fur, Caplan stretched his cold, aching fingers. Past the creek bed, he could see the vehicles, shrouded in snow. Ahh, what he wouldn’t give to sit in one of them at that very moment. To relax in a nice seat, to warm his hands by the vents.
The mega behemoth dipped its head to the ground once again. Again, Caplan swung his body around the outside of the ankle. Saber sniffed the paw, then snorted. Hot air crested into Caplan, nearly blowing him off his perch.
It’s still got my scent, he thought as he returned to his former position. That’s how it knows I’m here.
Twisting around, the mega behemoth retraced its path, carefully sniffing along both sides of the old ruins. Meanwhile, more snow melted into the trough, mixing with the mud.
Sharp tingles ran through Caplan’s fingers. His hands started to hurt. The pain quickly turned excruciating. Then it faded and his hands turned numb.
Fur slipped through his cold, stiff fingers. He grabbed more of it, but his grip continued to fail.
Saber’s front right paw descended back to the mud. It crashed into the trough and he lost hold of the fur. He was still a good distance from the vault. But he knew he’d never last that long.
He slid off the paw. His boots landed on the two-foot deep mud and he sank into it.
Saber froze. Its head twisted downward.
It’ll see you, Caplan thought. It’ll smell you, too.
He dropped to the mud and rolled. The thick gooey, slop stuck fast to him. Grabbing up more mud, he caked it over his face, his arms, and his legs.
Saber peered down at him from high above. Then its head swooped to the trough. Its nostrils flared and it took a couple of sniffs.
Caplan held his breath. He didn’t move a single muscle.
Saber’s nostrils flared again. It took a few more sniffs. Then its head rose back into the sky.
And it walked away.
Chapter 65
Date: December 3, 2017, 2:28 a.m.; Location: Sector 214, Vallerio Forest, NH
Move. Caplan’s breaths came fast and furious. You’ve got to move.
Twisting onto his belly, he crawled through the trough. Slimy, cold mud slipped into his ears and mouth. It slid into his shirt and down his pants. It worked its way into his socks and shoes.
Saber stomped up to Savage Station. A deafening growl, angry and full of frustration, stormed out into the night.
Caplan crawled out of the trough and alongside the ruins of an old store. He hurried to the rear, then planted himself against a concrete wall.
Twisting around, Saber stomped back through the mud trough. Its head shot from side to side. Its lava-orange eyes blazed trails through the dark night.
It passed by Caplan. Rising to a crouch, he hustled to another set of ruins. He continued forward and the vault materialized in the dense blizzard.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Saber standing near the dry creek bed. With increasingly erratic movements, it shifted its paws, sniffing and growling at everything in sight.
He ran up to the vault and rapped on the door. “It’s me,” he whispered as loud as he dared.
The door opened. He darted past Mills and she shut the door behind him.
“Oh, I see how it is.” Nose wrinkling, she turned to face him. “We’re all cooped up in here. Meanwhile, you’ve been enjoying a mud bath.”
“You know how I love to exfoliate.”
She laughed and wrapped him into a fierce hug. Mud squished onto her clothes and skin, but she didn’t complain. Taking his hand, she led him down the staircase.
Some forty people occupied the vault. They sat on the ground, quiet and still. Their stomachs rumbled. Their eyes looked hollow.
“You made it?” Aquila looked at him with dead eyes. “I figured you for a goner.”
“We heard you hitched a ride on that monster,” Tuffel added. “How was it?”
“Bumpy,” Caplan replied.
“How’d you do it?” Ross shook his head. “How’d you make it back here in one piece?”
“Like this.” He stared down at his mud-caked body. “Saber’s tracking people by scent. Maybe by sight, too.”
“That was Saber?” Dr. Sandy frowned. “It’s bigger than you described. A lot bigger.”
“It is bigger. It’s a mega behemoth now.” Caplan’s adrenaline began to wane. The mud started to feel cold against his skin. Crossing his arms, he fought to control his chattering teeth. “Where’s Sydney?”
Teo lifted a bruised arm. “Over here.”
“Still think you can get us through that hatch?”
The ground rumbled. “Not with that thing out there.”
Ross exhaled a tired sigh. “Then I guess we’re stuck here until it leaves.”
“It might not leave at all,” Caplan replied. “Unfortunately, Saber seems to have the hots for me.”
“Then maybe we should just feed you to it,” Toland said matter-of-factly.
Mills stared at him in disbelief. “If anyone’s getting fed to that monster, it’s you.”
“It doesn’t want me.” He looked at Caplan. “It wants him.”
Caplan’s look turned thoughtful.
“Shut up, Brian,” Ross said.
“Why? Because I’ve got a point?”
“Because you’re a jerk.”
“No, he’s right.” Caplan furrowed his brow. “Saber definitely remembers me. Maybe we can use that to lure it away from Savage.”
George gave him a dumbfounded look. “How?”
“
I’ll sneak back to the cars and start one up. It’ll think it’s me and give chase.”
“It’ll catch you.”
“Not if I drive fast enough.”
“What are we supposed to do once we get through the hatch?” Dr. Sandy asked. “We won’t survive five minutes without you.”
“She’s right,” George said. “Chenoa will be waiting for us with more soldiers. And you’re a good fighter. Maybe our best one.”
“What if Saber only thinks he’s leaving?”
The voice, soft and wavering, caught Caplan by surprise. Twisting around, he looked at Elliott. “What do you mean?”
“What if we trick it? What if someone else takes your place instead?” She took a deep breath. “Someone like me.”
“No.” Teo shook her head. “Absolutely not.”
“I can do this,” Elliott told her.
“Yes, but—”
“I’m not a good fighter. You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. I’d be useless in that station. But I’m a darn good driver. Plus, I paid attention to our route. I can navigate it. I can stay ahead of Saber.”
“Not forever.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to escape it.” She took Teo’s hand. “I promise.”
Teo’s face screwed up. She turned her gaze to the floor.
“Well?” Elliott looked at Caplan. A rare look of defiance crossed her pale visage. “What do you say?”
He didn’t like the idea. He didn’t like it at all. But George and Dr. Sandy had made good points. Like it or not, the group needed him in Savage Station. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Then do it.”
Chapter 66
Date: December 3, 2017, 2:52 a.m.; Location: Sector 214, Vallerio Forest, NH
“Okay, remember what I said.” Caplan waited for Teo to finish plastering mud across Elliott’s cheeks. “Get to the forest and don’t be shy about it. Then head for your car. You’ve got the keys, right?”
Elliott held up a grubby keychain.
“Good. Wait until Saber crosses to the opposite end of Savage City. Then start up the engine.”