The other men stepped back, out of range of the swinging arms. The bear lowered its head, spread its arms wide with claws out, and hissed at them. It turned its head, scanning the semi-circle of men from left to right. The men who hadn’t run away feinted toward the bear, swinging their swords its way, and backed up whenever it looked ready to lunge at them.
This was more like it. The King stretched out his own arms as far as his damaged exoskeleton would let him, then flexed his fingers. Time for a good fucking fight.
He hadn’t seen a bear so big in a long time, since they’d killed most of them in the first few years after landing on this crappy planet. They must be growing back. Or maybe it came over the mountains somehow. Good news, either way.
The hounds hissed at his side, and pulled against their chains. The bear stared at them, and hissed back.
One of the men took advantage of the distraction, and swung his sword at the bear. It stomped back, and dodged the blow. Its claws raked across the man's back as the sword swung past, and he tumbled to the ground, moaning. Blood oozed out of the gashes in his leather jerkin.
“Stand aside,” the King yelled. “The King is here.”
He released the hounds’ chains. They hissed, then raced ahead, the chains rattling as the hounds dragged them across the ground. The bear stepped back, and raised its arms to protect itself. The biggest hound jumped, trying to grab the bear’s wrist, but the arm swung and knocked it aside. The hound tumbled to the ground, and hissed as it pushed itself to its feet.
The King stomped forward as the hounds distracted the bear. It swung again, and the hounds dodged back, trying to stay out of range of the claws that swished through the air around them. Then it glanced toward him. Steam hissed from his back as the engine boosted its pressure, ready to fight.
One of the hounds lunged for the bear, jaws wide open and claws aiming for the bear’s face. The bear stepped back, and raised its own arms. Its paws clamped together around the hound’s neck. The hound twisted in the bear’s grip, and slashed the bear’s arms with its claws. The other hound lunged for it, but the bear swung around. The first hound smacked into the second, sending it tumbling across the dirt until its back smashed into a tree. It slumped down and whined.
The hound the bear held swung desperately, and snapped its jaws as the bear's paws pressed harder on its neck. The bear swung the hound in its grip, and smashed it into a tree. The hound’s tail flicked around as the bear swung it the other way, and bones crunched against the tree trunk on the other side.
The King grabbed the bear’s arm. The blades on his fingers dug into the bear’s furry skin. Its head flicked around, and its jaws opened wide. Sharp teeth snapped toward the King, and its tongue flicked in and out of its lips. It twisted its arm, trying to pull away. The King pressed harder, and the blades dug deeper, but steam hissed out of the pipes by his ear, and his metal hand froze. The bear twisted its furry wrist clear.
It backed up, and stared at him. The King shifted his weight from side to side on his feet as they sized each other up. If the exoskeleton was working properly, the bear would have been dead in seconds. With the damage it had taken, this would be more of a fair fight.
And he so hated fair fights.
He raised his arm until his hand was in front of his face, about level with the bear’s chest. Then he motioned the bear toward him. It leaned forward, hissed, and sniffed the air. It glanced toward the men in the trees, and they stepped back. It took a step forward, then toward the King’s flank, looking for an opening. It bared its long teeth and hissed, and clouds of dust rose around it as it slammed its feet into the ground. Then it raced toward the King, arms outstretched, claws ready to strike.
The King lunged forward. He grabbed the bear’s wrists, and pushed its arms apart. The bear’s chest smashed into his, and his feet fought for grip as the momentum pushed him back. He pushed hard with his feet, and the spiked metal toes dug into the dirt. The bear continued to push, but the toes dug deeper, and his arms shoved the bear away from his body. He pushed his hands apart, trying to force the bear’s limbs wider until they dislocated or broke. The steam engine whistled, and the gauges in the helmet moved toward the red. The bear pulled against him, and they struggled to a stalemate.
He stared into the bear’s furry face as it stared back at him. There was a dark, red hole in the beast’s forehead. Someone had shot it there, and the fucker still didn’t die. That could explain why it didn’t seem at all scared of the overwhelming odds. A normal bear might risk taking on the King, but it would have crept back into the woods at the sight of his army. One man might be supper, but a few dozen, and the hounds they brought with them, would wear it down soon enough.
A bear with a bullet in its brain might not think so clearly.
Or, maybe, whoever shot it just pissed it off.
Then the steam pressure needle hit the red zone, and a loud whistle filled the woods as the steam engine’s relief valve opened. A cloud of steam spread around him, and the bear howled and tried to pull back as the hot steam blasted its furry skin. The King’s arms froze as the steam pressure dropped and the power faded. The bear pushed against them, trying to force its way closer to him, jaws snapping as it tried to eat his face.
The steam engine hissed as the King threw his helmeted head forward. The metal forehead smashed into the bear’s skull. It whined as it pulled its head back, Then its jaws opened wider, and it threw its full weight against the King’s arms. His tendons strained as the bear pushed his elbows apart, struggling against the resistance from the exoskeleton's pistons.
The bear's chest smashed into his again, pushing him back. Then its jaws opened like a red-rimmed cave, and bone smacked against metal as it wrapped them around his neck.
The men yelled, and moved forward among the trees, bows and guns ready.
“Get back,” the King hissed. “The King will handle this.”
They stopped, but raised their weapons anyway. The metal bars of the exoskeleton creaked as the bear tried to tear into the King's neck, but they held. Then the steam gauge dropped back to yellow. The whistling hiss of the relief valve faded away.
The King raised his steam-powered right knee, and slammed it into the bear’s groin. It released his neck and howled, then twisted in his grip. One of its wrists pulled away from the King’s hand as the pistons relaxed under the lower steam pressure, and the bear swung it at him.
Pistons hissed as the King stepped back. The bear’s claws scraped across the metal exterior of the exoskeleton. Fuck this. He squeezed harder on the wrist he still held in his right hand, and twisted his whole body at the waist, pushing against the ground with his left leg. The bear shrieked as the King lifted its feet from the ground, and swung it around him. Dust and splinters filled the air as the bear’s back smashed into a tree. The roots creaked, then pulled out of the soil under the impact. The tree toppled, and men jumped aside as it fell toward them.
The bear slumped down on top of the trunk, whimpering, with a broken bone protruding from its furry chest. The King stepped forward, raising his fists to smash them down on the creature. He yelled as he swung, but the bear rolled aside. His hands smashed onto the tree trunk, tearing out chunks where the bear had lain a few seconds earlier.
The bear’s head swung, and its jaws clamped down on the King’s wrist. The metal creaked, and the frame pressed against his arm inside the suit. He swung his other hand, and smashed into the bear’s face. The jaws pressed tighter.
The King smashed it again. The steam gauge rose toward the red. He was going to need more wood after this fight. And more water. Not like the old days, brawling at the mines back home. The nuclear power pack only needed replacing every few years. When he got the Brain back, the fucker was going to make him one, or his little pet would do a Trotsky. He'd find an icepick somewhere, even if this shitty place had no ice.
The bear’s claws swung at the King, and scraped against the metal skin of the exoskeleton. A third punch to its head,
and its jaws slid from his arm. It yelped as it fell away, and jumped back to avoid the King’s next swing. The bear hissed at him, its face distorted by the bones the King had broken.
He stepped forward, and swung again. The bear ducked, and dodged behind a tree. Like that was going to work. The steam gauge was down in the green. Time to show the men just why they should fear their King.
He crouched, and wrapped his arms around the tree trunk. His metal-clad fingers punched through the bark, and dug deep into the wood beyond. He adjusted his position, then pushed up hard with his legs.
He grunted with the exertion as he pulled on the tree trunk. Smoke and steam poured from the engine as the needles rose to the red. He pulled harder. Steam oozed into his helmet, and the heat of the engine warmed his back. Dammit. It wouldn’t take much more.
The roots groaned, and his feet sunk into the dirt as he strained against them. The needles rose higher. Then a few centimetres of root slid from the soil as the tree began to move. He pulled again, and the roots came free, leaving a deep hole behind where the tree had been.
The bear watched, then turned to run. The King swung the trunk, and smashed it into the bear's back. Bone cracked, and the bear howled as it flew forward. Its forehead smacked into another tree, and the creature bent almost backward along its spine. Then the body slumped down into the small bushes nearby. It rolled over, and tried to push itself up. Its claws scraped on the dirt, and its chest and limbs moved erratically as it tried to stand.
The King raised the tree trunk high above him, ready to bring it smashing down on the bear. Then the steam engine hissed and whistled. He stumbled backwards as the strength left his arms. The trunk fell, and smashed into the bear's chest with a crunch of broken bones. Then rolled aside.
The bear’s chest moved one last time, then stopped. Its head slumped back, and turned to the side. The eyes went dark.
The King reached down, one metal-clad hand on each side of the bear’s head. He put his left foot on the bear’s shoulder, and twisted the head from side to side. The bones of its short neck crunched louder each time it turned, and the head felt looser. He twisted again and again until the spine gave way with one final snap. Then he pushed down on the shoulder while he pulled on the skull. The skin tore apart, and blood and goo gushed out as he ripped head away from the body.
He held it high, and turned around on the spot so everyone could see. “This is the fate of all who defy the King.”
The men cheered. Their hounds lunged forward, ripped chunks of furry flesh from the bear’s body and tossed them down their throats. They lashed at each other as they fought for the best parts, then retreated to the shelter of the trees where they could eat in peace.
That livened up the trip. Would make a good story to tell the girls when he got home. Maybe it would even be a good omen for the day.
Fucking better be.
One of his hounds still whimpered by the tree. The other lay in a crumpled mass beside the bear. Whatever bones the bear hadn’t broken in the fight were crushed beneath the tree.
“Pig-Face. Better get me some more of the Royal Hounds.”
“Sir,” Andy said. “We found someone.”
Moses stumbled from the trees, Dean holding one arm, and Liam the other. Smoke still rose from Moses’ burned hair. His cheek was a spreading, dark sore that oozed blood, and more blood dripped from deep slashes across his chest. He’d certainly had a run-in with the bear.
And, from the look of him, he was lucky to have survived.
“And who’s this fat shit?”
Dean smacked the back of Moses’ head. Then wiped his hand on his leg as blood and burned hair came away. “That trader, Moses. He’s the one who sent the kid to blow up the castle. Least, that’s what the kid said when we were torturing him.”
The King’s legs creaked as he crouched to stare into Moses’ face. “He does look like an evil little turd.”
“That wasn’t me,” Moses said. “The boy was lying. We had a disagreement...”
Dean nudged Moses. “Got tired of you fucking him in the ass, more like,”
“We had an unhappy love affair... you must know how vengeful unrequited love can become.”
The King chuckled. “My love's never been unrequited. At least, not if they want to stay out of the dungeons.”
Hounds hissed at Moses, and lunged toward him until they reached the end of their chains.
“I've never been that lucky.”
“But you expect me to believe you, and let you live?”
“No. I expect to let you me live, because I’m on your side.”
“And what possible reason do I have to believe your lies?”
“I know where the fuckers are going,” Moses hissed. “I’ll take you to the Brain.”
CHAPTER 76
Daniel followed the others through the woods. Guy hobbled at the front, on his wounded leg. The other guy brought up the rear. Who was he, anyway? Daniel had never seen him before. About all he had done since they met was mutter to himself, and Guy hadn’t introduced them. After they saw the King’s army heading their way, Guy had just grabbed him and pulled him to his feet, then pushed him on into the woods.
The air was growing cold. Daniel wrapped his arms around himself, but that just made his ribs hurt.
“Can I get some clothes?”
Guy glanced back as he pushed between two bushes. “All I've got is what I'm wearing. You should have thought about the weather before you took them off. Or did Moses do that?”
“The King's men did. When I was in the dungeon. What's wrong with Moses, anyway? He attacked me.”
“First, he likes naked boys. Second, he's a traitor. He got scared of being found out before the Revolution started. He was going to run to Kingston and tell the King everything about us.” Guy slapped his wounded leg. “Fucker stabbed me, and I had to get away.”
The lights of the army glowed in the darkness behind them, and their yells filled the air. The creature that had attacked them was gone, but where? Had Moses managed to kill it?
“What was that thing that attacked us?”
“They call them bears. Mostly because they’re furry, and the biggest, baddest, creatures in the forest. You don’t want to run into one without a few guns to back you up. Particularly not one that big. Never seen one that big before.”
“Do you think it killed Moses?”
Guy chuckled. “I’m not sure anything could kill Moses. He’s probably getting real friendly, and sucking its dick by now.”
Laughter filled the woods from far behind them, then faded away. What was that about?
“What happened to the Revolution?”
Guy shrugged. “We had to run, after Moses turned tail. The others all went home when you didn’t blow up the King.”
“I almost managed it today.”
“Too late. Would take years to get the gang back together after that big letdown. You had your chance, and screwed up. Now Kingston's going to continue being run by assholes.”
“It’s not all my fault. You should have made a distraction to get into the tower before they noticed me.”
“I’ll remember that, next time I try to blow up a king.”
“When are we going to try again?”
“When we’re ready. If we ever get away from him.”
Could they? The King had dozens of men, and their hounds were howling and hissing in the woods behind him. If they could smell as well as the PubSafe dogs did back home, they’d be able to follow him all night.
“Have you seen Simon?” the other guy said.
“Who’s Simon?”
“Simon’s my friend. I lost him.”
Daniel nodded toward him. “Who is this guy?”
“That’s Bob,” Guy said. “He just kind of hung around after the Revolution broke up.”
The Brain laughed. “I’m not Bob. They call me the Brain.”
Daniel’s eyes opened wide. Had he joined the Revolution, too? “What's he d
oing here?”
Guy hacked through a thick bush with his knife, opening a gap into the clearing beyond.
“OK, I helped him escape from the King. I'm taking him to a safe place where he can build weapons for the Revolution. If we don’t have the men to take down the King, we need the power. His brain can give it to us.”
“When were you going to tell me about that?”
“When we got there. The King will be even more pissed off once he discovers the Brain is missing. The less people who know where he is, the better.”
Crap. That just gave the King another reason to chase them. There'd be no rest while he had a good reason to keep hunting. He couldn’t be more than half a kilometre behind right now, and the lights seemed to be moving closer. The noise was much louder than it had been half an hour ago, wasn’t it?
Something long, orange and white hung from the trees ahead, reflecting moonlight as it twisted slowly in the wind. A parachute from one of the pods. The spiky tops of the nearby trees were twisted and broken. Others trees been knocked to the ground by something, or bent sideways with their roots torn part-way from the soil.
The Brain muttered again. Quieter this time. Daniel looked back. A pod leaned sideways, behind a fallen tree trunk. The Brain had climbed up the tree trunk, and now sat on the top of the pod, staring into the dark interior.
“Simon's not in there,” Guy said.
“He was in a pod when I found him the first time.”
Guy wandered back, and Daniel followed, at what he hoped would be a safe distance from whatever might be inside the pod. A male body hung over the side, and its left arm dangled toward the ground. Their gloves lay on the dirt below, and the fingers were chewed, but bloody flesh still coated the bones. Hundreds of pods must have landed in the woods over the years, but this was a recent crash.
Guy grabbed the Brain's shoulder. “It wasn’t this one.”
Daniel crept toward the pod. Maybe some of the supplies Guy had mentioned would still be on board. He glanced at the body. Were they really dead, or just acting like it? And what if it was someone he knew?
Condemned (Death Planet Book 1) Page 29