by A. R. Daun
He panted audibly as Jaq set a torrid pace. The land was sloping upwards, covered in trees that blocked out most of the sun, and he was not used to physical exertion at this level. His breath came in short gasps, and his legs felt like they would freeze and lock in exhaustion at any moment. Idly he wondered whether they were actually running from anything, and perhaps this was an unnecessary detour that had been the result of nerves that were wound too tight.
Suddenly the sun came out, and he realized they had cleared the forested area and were now approaching the rockier uppermost part of the summit. Granite outcroppings loomed before them, and Jaq disappeared into one of the many nooks and crannies that pockmarked the bleak landscape, vanishing so suddenly that Pham stopped, unsure of where she had gone to ground. But the oni went past him and looked back, its features a mask of impatience, and he followed it to where Jaq had hunkered down to wait.
She had chosen a depression flanked by a pair of large rock formations. Behind them was a steep downward slope littered with scraggly brush and small stunted trees that strained awkwardly against the pull of gravity. In front the area was clear of obstructions for about a hundred meters or so down slope, with almost vertical drops to either side of the kill zone.
Jaq had unlimbered her bow and had nocked an arrow to it, although she was holding it loosely and casually. Her breath came in a slow measured cadence, while Pham was still gasping for air. He had never seen someone so small run so fast, and for the hundredth time during their short journey he promised himself he would start a daily regimen of training and exercise if they ever got back.
Three forms glided furtively out of the tree line on the other side. They were tall and exceedingly slender, with sharp protrusions arching every which way from their dark red bodies, and came forward in flickering,darting motions that chilled Pham to the bone, and he held his spear tighter. To his right Jaq drew her bow halfway and briefly nodded to him, and a faint rumbling growl emanated from the oni.
The three stalkers became a blur. They rushed towards the hiding place in great leaps and bounds, their long elongated arms outstretched as if they had grown wings and were trying to fly. They covered the hundred meter clearing in an eye blink and Pham realized there was no way they would survive this encounter. He screamed, as much in anger as in fear, and threw his weapon at a blur that moved in from the right. It jinked to the side and the spear flew past, but in the next instant it flew backwards as one of Jaq's arrows struck it in one eye and drove it to the ground.
Pham had just enough time to grab his second spear when another figure loomed before him. He thrust it blindly as he fell backwards and it wedged into the ropy mass of muscle that armored the thing's chest. Pham had secured the other end of the weapon solidly against the hard ground, and the creature was flipped up and over him to smash against the rocks. It bounced and landed on its feet, seemingly none the worst for wear. More ominously, Pham noticed that the touch of the spear had seemingly no effect on it. He saw no bubbling or foaming at the point of impact, nor any other indication at all that the essence of Lord Marco was at work on its flesh.
Meanwhile, the oni had grabbed the third attacker as it tried to hurtle past. The two combatants rolled on the ground in a frenzied heap, all claws and sharp teeth and tangled limbs. A sudden swipe and the oni shrieked as the other Risen broke one of its arms, then hurtled out of the fray and bounded towards Jaq, who was coolly nocking another arrow.
Pham saw her aim and fire. It struck the creature dead center on its chest as it was in the midst of its leap, and Jaq dodged to one side as the Risen tumbled past and landed on all fours. It jumped again, the arrow jutting from its chest, and Pham realized that she would not have time to launch another before the creature got to her. She raised her arms to protect herself, but the instinctive response was a useless gesture.
He run to intercept the creature, although he knew he was already too late. Then something tore the backpack from behind him and as he tumbled helplessly to the ground he realized it was the creature he had flipped with his spear. He stared up as it loomed above him, his only regret being that his adventure would end so suddenly and so abruptly.
Something hurtled past him. It was so fast that Pham could only see it as a frenzied ball of dark fur surrounded by whirling limbs. But his attacker staggered back as whatever flew past struck it and latched onto its chest. Then three more of the small things leaped into view and clung to the struggling Risen, one on each arm, and the third grabbed onto the unlucky creature's face. Pham gaped in surprise as he realized the small attackers were identical to the toby that had followed them earlier!
He looked around wildly. All three of the larger Risen had been dragged down by groups of brown-furred toby, who were clinging to their opponents desperately as the latter flailed and rolled on the ground. Several toby already lay strewn on the battlefield, their bodies decapitated or crushed, and a few more with missing limbs were dragging themselves weakly back towards their prey. Gore-encrusted chunks of the Risen were also in evidence, as if they had been bitten off, and Pham instinctively jerked back when one of the toby holding onto the forearm of the nearest Risen faced him. It was as if its entire chest and abdomen had caved in, a black hole around which sprouted an endless row of small triangular razor teeth, and in the next second the maw had closed on the unfortunate Risen's hand, severing it cleanly at the wrist.
“Let's get out of here!” He said weakly, still gasping for air.
Someone grasped his arm and pulled him to his feet. He looked up and saw it was the oni, and Pham thought wryly that this was getting to be a regular occurrence. One of its arms hung limply by its side, but he knew it would only be a few more minutes before it became fully functional again. The susuwatari that comprised oni were virtually indestructible, and could regenerate entire limbs from scratch if needed. Jaq was behind it, her bow fully drawn and covering their backs, though as far as Pham could see their three attackers were still busy defending themselves against the marauding toby.
They gingerly retrieved their belongings, then hurried down the path they had come on the way up. A few of the toby stared at them with beady eyes as they passed, but none blocked their way. It was a surreal moment for Pham, and one he knew he would never forget anytime soon. He had no idea why the toby had come to their rescue, but he decided the more pressing question was why their attackers had not been affected at all by the Essence of Lord Marco. If they survived the toby, he had no doubts the three Risen would soon be back on their trail.
Several hours later, his thoughts were still on the fight and their predicament, and he almost stumbled when his foot caught on a loose rock. The oni caught and steadied him with an inhuman speed and grace, and he nodded gratefully at the creature.
“Thank you Tara,” he said, and it took him a second to realize that he had called it by name. He glanced surreptitiously at Jaq, and his companion was grinning at him. He smiled back, though somewhat defiantly, then sighed and decided he should concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.
They walked on. Ahead of them the Great Road stretched to the far horizon, its fractured surface a weather-beaten sign post to a destination and a fate that they could neither predict nor fully understand.
CHAPTER 45
Day -247 A.R.
San Antonio, Texas
Banyans are sometimes called strangler figs because they can start out as epiphytes in the branches of other trees, which later become their victims when the banyans encircle them and choke off their food and water supplies.
They stayed at a Day's Inn at the outskirts of San Antonio while they thought about their next move. They had parked the Corolla, which now had long vicious dents and streaks on its hood, near the lobby entrance where the light from overhead fixtures was strongest, and Haley had waited anxiously in the car while Richard went in quickly to get rooms.
He came back with keys for two adjoining rooms on the third floor, and after freshening up a bit, they had hu
ddled in Haley's room to discuss what they had seen, and more importantly, what to do next. They had been to a police station on the first night, though it had not turned out the way they wanted.
The officer behind the desk had been a big beefy man with a round face, short neatly trimmed hair, and a pug nose that was slightly reddish in tinge. Haley thought he looked remarkably Irish for a city that was predominantly Hispanic.
All around them the ebb and flow of a large metropolitan police station in the throes of a typical weekday night had manifested itself as a noisy, and to Haley rather smelly, assortment of urban dwellers, some of whom were cuffed and either dejectedly ruminating with heads lowered or loudly protesting their innocence.
“You say this...thing....was not human.” The cop had said dryly, then perhaps seeing that Haley was about to interrupt raised one finger and added. “But that it looked like one of the staff members in the ranch. That right?”
Beside her, Richard had sighed. They had been going over the same thing for the last 15 minutes.
“Why don't you just send someone over there to check it out?” He had asked patiently.
The cop had swiveled his head slowly from one end of the crowded station to the other, as if inviting them to also look around and see how busy they were at this time of night.
“Because that place is out of our jurisdiction,“ he had grunted, when he had once again been facing them. “I'll tell you what. I'll contact Bandera and have them send out a patrol. Satisfied?”
They had reluctantly agreed. They had given the sergeant Richard's cellphone number, then shuffled back out, not knowing what else they could do.
But it had now been a day since they had left the station and there was still no word from the police. They sat listlessly in the room, Haley sitting up against the headrest of the single bed, while Richard sat on a rather grungy looking chair next to the flat screen TV mounted on one wall.
“Are you sure that was your friend?” Richard asked, perhaps for the tenth time.
Haley sighed. She was tired and was about to snipe at him when his cell rang. They both glanced at it almost fearfully, then Richard swiped it open and held it to his ear.
“Yes?” he said, then listened intently for almost a full two minutes minute.
“Yes we can,” he finally said, then hang up and looked at Haley.
“What is it?” she asked, the fear in her voice almost palpable.
He juggled the remote and switched off the TV, which had been tuned to CNN. They had not talked explicitly about it, but Haley knew they had both been expecting some news alert during the day about a murder rampage in Bandera.
“The Bandera police want us over at the station as soon as possible.” he replied. “They want to ask us more questions. He said the entire ranch was deserted, with signs of violence everywhere but no bodies.”
He looked at her worriedly.
“They want us to come now, as soon as we can,” he finished.
Haley glanced anxiously out the motel window, which overlooked the parking lot. It was getting dark fast, and she wondered whether the benefit of talking to people who would finally listen might balance out the risk of going out at night.
Richard must have been thinking the same thing, because he smiled at her reassuringly.
“I think we'll be fine.” He said. “We can't be any more safer than in a police station right?”
Haley gave him a faint nod, though one of her favorite classic movies had been The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a 1984 film where one of the most memorable moments was the destruction of an entire police station by the cyborg from the future.
Richard nodded back more firmly and opened the door, motioning for Haley to follow him. He turned to walk out and suddenly stopped, and Haley almost bumped into him.
She was about to mutter a sharp protest when he whirled about, pushed her back into the room and quickly closed the door. He moved to the window, and carefully parted the drapes at one edge, then peered out onto the motel parking lot. Haley joined him, and Richard placed a finger across his lips then pointed down to where they had parked the Corolla.
She looked down and gasped.
Their Corolla was parked between a dark colored Land Cruiser and what looked to be a Gen 2 Prius hybrid. Pacing back and forth behind the larger SUV was a tall shadowy figure that moved in quick erratic jerks, interspersed with sudden sniffing motions that Haley thought was eerily reminiscent of a bloodhound combing the air for scent.
Richard turned to her.
“We've got to get out of here,” he whispered. “Don't take anything, just follow me.”
He opened the motel door again slightly, then slipped out. Haley followed behind him as they walked in a crouch towards the west end stairways, sticking closely to the rooms and away from the motel's white iron railings. She could not help but glance anxiously towards the parking lot, where the figure was now slowly moving towards the motel central stairway, which led directly up towards their room.
Richard must have seen the same thing because he suddenly gripped one of her hands and pulled her quickly along at a slow jog. They reached the stairway and went down a few steps, but instead of continuing down, Richard motioned for her to peer back into the third floor while he carefully scanned the flight of stairs below for any signs of the creature. Haley realized that he was making sure they didn't descend in a headlong flight down the west end stairways only to meet it coming up.
She froze as the creature materialized at the top of the central stairways. It sniffed the air one more time, then slowly made its way to the door of their room, where it hesitantly pawed at the wooden door. Flecks of the door's green paint came sloughing off in long strips as it did so, and Haley nodded to Richard.
They sprinted down the rest of the stairs to the ground floor. They were about to cross the lit parking lot to the car when a shrill ululating scream echoed down from the upper floors, and the sound was so unnerving that they literally stopped in their tracks.
“Oh my God,” Haley moaned, and she suddenly felt herself trembling all over. It was something that she could not stop, as if all the nerves in her body had suddenly decided to trigger at the same time.
“C'mon,” Richard hissed, and again took her by the hand. He half dragged her to the waiting car, then fumbled with the keys as Haley looked back towards the motel and suddenly saw something emerge from the west end stairway and streak towards them.
She screamed. Richard jumped and the car keys fell from his hand, cluttering onto the ground and immediately becoming lost in the darkness. He knelt down and hunted frantically for the missing keys.
“Shit!” He said in a quavering voice. “Under the car!”
But when Haley started to move towards the Corolla, he shook his head and pointed to the Land Cruiser, and they quickly crawled under and lay side by side beneath the large vehicle.
A few seconds later, they heard strange clicking sounds coming from one side of the SUV. Haley could hardly breathe, but she turned her head slightly to that side and saw a pair of taloned feet positioned less than 3 feet from her prone body. Each of the five toes had short keratinized claws on them, except for the middle toes, which featured long recurved talons that must have measured nearly 5 inches long.
The creature made a slow circumference of the Land Cruiser. In the distance Haley could hear a growing hubbub as more and more motel guests came out to investigate the source of the scream. She had the faint hope that the thing would be forced to leave before it finally realized where they were, but it continued to make a leisurely circuit of the SUV, its claws making clicking sounds as they scratched at the asphalt.
Richard made a gurgling sound and scrambled sideways towards her side of the car. A muscled forearm swiped at his retreating back, and Richard yelped as his blue plaid shirt was ripped open from shoulder to mid-back. Haley had a quick glimpse of red rimmed eyes glaring at them from a warped face that still held small remnants of the man who had
once been Juan, then the creature stood straight and hurled itself at the truck.
The Land Cruiser had a curb weight of approximately 6000 pounds, but it rocked on its suspension then slid a few inches to the side as the creature rammed into the driver's side door and caved it in. Both wheels of the SUV on that side lifted a few inches from the ground before thumping back down, and Haley ducked her head as she suddenly had a vision of the heavy tires rolling onto them. She started to crawl out from the safe side of the vehicle, but Richard gripped her arm and shook his head vehemently.
“We won't be able to outrun it!” He said in a voice that cracked with fear and exhaustion, and Haley knew that he was right. They were trapped and the creature would sooner or later pull them from under the Land Cruiser and kill them just like it did all the people in the ranch.
They waited for the second impact. The sound of police sirens came from far away, but with increasing volume, though they knew it would be too late for them.
“Mr. Richard, so nice to see you again,” a calm measured voice suddenly said, and both of them gave small shrieks of surprise.
A face peered at them from the driver's side of the SUV. His features were quite human, and his jet black hair hang loosely down, almost touching the ground. A wry smile touched the corners of his full lips.
“If you don't mind,” he continued. “I suggest we make haste and leave the premises before the police arrive. I...persuaded...your ugly friend there to leave, but I believe my powers of persuasion may not be enough to keep him away for long.”
“Who...who are you?” Richard stammered.
“Why don't you come along with me and I'll explain everything,” the man offered, and gestured with one hand. “I promise I won't bite.”
Richard looked at Haley, and she shrugged. She decided they really had no choice in the matter. They could entrust themselves to the care of the police, but the creature did not seem particularly impressed with their coming, and Haley had a feeling the police might simply decide to blame everything on them given the lack of proof and fantastical nature of the real cause of the disappearances.