Valmont Sharp: Monster Hunter

by David Raymond II

  While Wayte is dealing with Tarque, Francois Luminare was moving closer to Anton Rast waiting for an opportunity to act. “You don't want to do that sir.”

  Rast shakes his head, “No I don't.”

  “So drop the gun.” Francois responds. His own hand gun is pointed at Rast. He has seen men like Rast before. People whose very essence has been destroyed by a magic wielding psychopath. Strong willed men who were striped of what made them individuals and reduced to hallow husks. “I have seen worse you know?”

  Rast shakes his head, “There is no one more pathetic then me.” His eyes are tearing up, “Kill me to save Chris. If you are fast enough I can't fire.”

  Francois will do that if it comes to that but he is shifting ever closer to Anton Rast and the possessed man does not realize it. He is too easy to distract.

  Chris is looking up at Francois, he can see that the man is creeping closer and closer. Chris is still struggling to move any part of his body. If he could move and arm he could trip Rast and save himself. While his mind is telling his muscles to move they are not responding.

  “I don't want to kill you Rast. You're a victim here. You're fighting him aren’t you?”

  Rast stutters, “I, I am al...always fighting him. It's a losing battle.”

  “Yet you never gave up? Why is that?” Francois looks town at Chris for a second and gives him a sign with his hand.

  “I...I have a family. I mmmay be able to rrrreturn to them.” Rast sounds more hopeful then confident.

  Chris realizes that Francois is buying time for him. Francois expects him to do something. Perhaps Francois knows something Chris does not? He has experience after all. Maybe he has been paralyzed like this in the past and knows what to do? Chris closes his eyes and focuses his attention on his left arm. It starts to twitch, Chris tries to get it to swing.

  Francois notices Chris's movements and a small smirk appears on his face, “I will make sure you will see your family again. I will also see it it that Tarque does not harm you again. You need to trust me.”

  “Moore then I I I trust myself.” Because he is looking at Francois Anton does not notice that Chris is starting to move. He can't move his gun from Chris's head but he was not told he had to keep looking at him. Chris should not be able to move. So when he feels an arm strike him in the leg he is shocked. Anton Rast tumbles to the ground backwards due to the unexpected blow. The gun falls out of his hand and lands between himself and Chris.

  Francois puts away his gun and picks up the Anton's weapon. “Good job Chris I knew you could do it.”

  “I didn't.” Chris is smiling ear to ear, “It took me a while to figure out what you were doing. I figured I had to trust you so I gave it a try.”

  “That's all it takes.” Francois bends down next to Anton and makes him sit up. He takes the lawyer's hands and cuffs them behind his back. He then cuffs the man's legs together. “This is for your own good.”

  “I know. thank you.” There is a calm determiner to Anton that is very strange for someone who was just cuffed. “I feel safe now.”

  “Yes well you won't do any harm to yourself and to others.”

  With Anton dealt with Francois turns to Chris, “Do you think you can stand?”

  Chris moves his lets and tries to get up. He gets up to his knees and then falls. His muscles feel like they are made out of putty, “No I don't think I can.”

  Francois offers him a hand, “Here let me help.” He then helps Chris up and then uses the stairs to stand up himself. “I know your feeling weak but the type of powder you were hit with, I have seen it before. It does not actually paralyze you it relaxes the muscles and it can be fought, as you have done.”

  Chris leans up against Francois, “Thank you.”

  “Chris? Francois?” Wayte calls from the other side of the basement near the museum display cases.

  Francois turns his attention to the museum exhibits, “Everything's fine over here.”

  Wayte gets up, feeling that it's not a total loss if the kids are okay. He moves over to the stairs and sees Chris Sharp leaning up next to Francois Luminare. The two of them are holding each other up. “How are you feeling? Wayte asks Chris.

  The paralyzing powder seems to be fading and Chris can move more by the second. He smiles weakly, “I'm okay.”

  Francois smiles too, he has a gun in his hand, Anton's gun. The lawyer is on the ground his hands tied up behind his back. Anton Rast has a look of relief on his face. “I handled it.” Francois said happy that he was actually useful.

  Wayte gives a sigh of relief as he walks over to him, “What about Yosif?” He looks toward the room, “You know stay here.”

  “No problem,” Francois replies, “I'm feeling weak.” He leans down and sits on the stairs.

  Chris walks over with Wayte but stumbles and almost falls over. “I can do this.”

  “No Chris you're still weak, you should rest too.”

  Chris Shakes his head, “I have to see if Charolette is okay.” Thinking about Charolette gives him some extra strength.

  Wayte slows down and waits for Chris to catch up, “Alright grab my shoulder.” When Chris does he starts walking slower, “Alright keep up.”

  When they walk into the room they see Victor Randal standing over Cole with a victorious smile on his face. Officer Nate Jefferies has Cole pinned and Cole is still struggling and saying that it's over but Randal won't let Jefferies let go. “He might be faking it.” Victor yells. Yosif is shaking his head in disappointment knowing he can't stop it. James Milfred apparently over powered Cochran freed himself. The magic bonds holding Maya and Breaker seems to have faded. Cochran’s legs and hands are cuffed. Unlike Cole Cochran is not begging to be free, he's content about it like Rast was.

  “Victor tell your man to release him.”

  Victor's eyes grow sharp, “He could still be a threat.”

  It's not Nash who answers but Yosif, “I keep telling you he's not, the dark energy is gone.”

  Victor scoffs at this and is about to speak up but Nash cuts him off, “It's over, Tarque is gone so his slaves are free. You saw Cole's eyes right?”

  “Yes.” Victor Randal says sceptically.

  Nash motions for Randal to look behind him, “Well they are different now, that shows it's over.”

  Randal stares deep at Cole for a second before he finally speaks, “Okay okay let him go.”

  With that finally done with Yosif stands up, “Well this is all good and fine. I have to go get Charolette.” He walks slowly to the back wall and opens up a small panel, “Alright you can come out now.”

  Chris followed Yosif, even in his weakened state he was able to keep up with Yosif. “You had her hide in here?”

  Yosif turns his head and looks at Chris, “Yes, just in case.”

  The wall opens up and Charolette walks out, “I take it it's over? I was not sure if I should go though the tunnel or not. I know the wolf trouble was over but who knows.”

  “Well it's all over now.” Chris says, he weakly smiles at her.

  “What happened to you?” Charolette did not see Chris get hit by paralyzing powder and is shocked by his appearance.

  “Do I look that bad? Yeah I feel like I was hit by a train, what was that?”

  “Probably a powerful narcotic enhanced by magic.” Yosif says as if he dealt with something like that on a daily bases. “When this is all over with I will have to see if any of it is left on the ground.”

  Nashton Wayte looks around at the room, everyone is safe and accounted for. Things could have been worse, sure Tarque got away, the book of Thoth is back in play and Valmont is injured but there was a limited loss of life and the kids are safe. Now is time to end the show for a second time. Wayte walks over to the camera, “Come with me.” He says to the camera man.

  Wayte takes the camera man over to the stairs, “Stand over here.” Wayte positions the camera man so that he has Francois in the shot. “This is Nashton Wayte for the Sharp Monster Experie
nce. What you just saw here was an unplanned event. Horrible things have just happened. All of Valmont's Sharp's secrets have been relieved. A new enemy has shown himself and an artifact of great power has been unleashed into the world.” The fans will just love this, while this will be terrible for team Sharp the general audience will think we have set up plans for the new year.

  “Thanks to Francois Luminare here Chris, Valmont's son is safe. Thanks to chief Victor Randal everyone else is safe. I screwed up, allowing the book of Thoth to return into play and allowing an enemy to escape.” Wayte knows what it means to fail and the world will pay for it in the future.

  Francois pushes Wayte aside, “Allow me to talk for a minute,” the French man was very polite as he takes over. He knew there would be a day when he would do the closing comments for a Sharp show, ever since he joined the team he knew this day was on it's way. “Everything you have seen before was only building up to the events at hand. There are forces at work here that are beyond human understanding. In the coming year the Sharp show will take a darker turn with twists at every corner. I am Francois Luminare speaking on behalf of Valmont Sharp and we hope you will be there when we return.”

  Wayte motions for the camera man to shut off the camera, “And we are done. This time for good I hope.” He turns to Francois, “That was good, you have been watching Valmont?”

  “Yes I have,” Francois says slowly, he then plops down on the stairs, “Oh man.” He closes his eyes, “I could sleep for a week.”

  Chapter Thirty Seven