by Thom Reese
Julia allowed herself a weak chuckle. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want my system unstable.” Though, to herself she thought everything else in her life was instable, why not her system? “How’s the baby, Minya? Healthy?”
“Kicking,” smiled the reyaqc girl as she rubbed the last of the salve into Julia’s leg and then picked up a frayed green dishtowel and wiped her hands.
“That’s a healthy sign,” said Julia. “When are you due?”
“Two months.”
Julia began to ask her how long a reyaqc’s pregnancy typically lasted, but it was then that the lights and air conditioning went out. Five seconds later there was a horrible scream followed by shouts and clamoring. Minya’s ears twitched, her nose flared, she stood rigid for only a moment and then she was beside Julia, whispering in her ear, and tugging at her arms. “Hurry, Dr. Julia. We must flee downwind.”
Rising unsteadily to a sitting position, Julia mumbled, “Why? What’s going on?”
“Raid. Now, hurry. Stay with me.”
Did she say “raid?” What kind of raid? Had the police somehow found out about her abduction? Had some authority learned of the reyaqc community and now attempted to round them up? “What do you mean, raid, Minya? What’s happening?” Julia’s head swam. This sudden movement was unsettling.
“Another reyaqc pack, Dr. Julia. Please, we must get downwind before they find us.”
Julia had dozens of questions. Why would one reyaqc pack attack another? Were they in some kind of war? What would happen to her if captured? But she understood that she could ask none of these now. In truth, just standing upright was challenge enough. Minya pulled her forward, cracked the door open, and sniffed at the night air. Julia could now hear the sounds of steady conflict—harsh guttural growls, the thuds and scuffles of hand-to-hand combat, the shrieks of agony.
“There is a small shed about fifty feet to our right,” whispered Minya. “Just beyond that is a pile of discarded wooden pallets. We’ll move first to one and then to the other. Once we feel it safe to move again, we’ll climb the hill behind the woodpile. If we get separated, find the metal tracks leading out of the mine. Follow those into the cave entrance and keep going as deep as you dare. It will be utterly dark. You’ll need to feel your way. But do it anyway. It might be your only hope.”
Julia scanned the night, but saw little more than the occasional shadowy form race one direction or another. Still, she could hear the fighting, could hear the barked orders and quick military-like responses. “Why?” she asked in a stark whisper, “What will they do to us if we’re caught? What do they want?”
Minya turned toward Julia, her expression firm, her face seeming years more mature than it had only two minutes before. “Me, they will use for breeding and sport; you, as a giver, and not gently. Most likely, four or five females would take your essence in the space of a day. You wouldn’t survive. Now, come. We have no time.”
With that, Minya tugged Julia’s hand and they were through the doorway, slinking between ramshackle buildings. Julia’s head seemed to sway this way and that in sloshing waves. Her legs quivered and she seriously wondered if she had the strength to make it the few dozen feet to the next structure, much less up the side of a steep, rock-strewn foothill. Slipping behind a small wooden hut, Julia bent, placing her palms on her knees for support, and gasped in huge gulps of the hot night air. Waves of nausea assaulted her and she closed her eyes, willing herself not to vomit.
Moments later, when Julia had temporarily stayed the rising bile, she opened her eyes to see Minya standing tense, her back slightly arced, her head tilted back, and her nose flaring. “Do you see them?” whispered the reyaqc girl.
Julia squinted, staring into the darkness of the foothill rising behind the building. She didn’t have Minya’s cat-like eyes. All was black with only sporadic slashes of gray. “I don’t see anything.”
“They hide about three quarters of the way up the slope—a secondary raid party. Their purpose is to capture or kill any who seeks to flee. We’ll need to find another way.”
There was a sudden crash and clatter. Julia turned to see two reyaqc, both beastly, both naked, not twenty feet away. One had thrown the other against the small mountain of discarded wooden pallets and now thrust his face into the base of the other’s neck, ripping and tearing. The pinned reyaqc clawed at his attacker’s back but the other merely intensified his attack.
“Come,” said Minya. “We must keep moving or the raiders will catch our scents.”
A commotion erupted from a large, corrugated, building to the north. Flames shot out of the few small windows and smoke seeped through the arched roof. There were shouts and screams, roars and howls. “They’re setting fire to the settlement,” shouted Minya as she grabbed Julia’s hand and pulled her toward the south. “This is how they drive inhabitants out for the slaughter. Hurry! Run for the animal cages. Our scents may be lost to the raiders as we get close to the beasts.”
Julia did as she was told, still fighting nausea and quite possibly unconsciousness, she willed herself forward, slinking along a jagged row of small structures that lined the east side of the compound. But she doubted they could make it to the far side of the place. There were only sparse buildings to hide behind. Much of the area was wide open and barren. Chaos erupted on all sides. A barn-like building to the west was now engulfed in flames. Julia saw forms grappling with one another, could hear the slashing and rending of flesh, the agonized cries of the dying. No matter which direction she turned, shadowy reyaqcs raced about tumbling and fighting. Torches bobbed in the night as raiders went from building to building igniting the compound. The hot desert air became heavy with glowing soot. It was nothing short of pandemonium.
Julia’s stomach twisted. She gasped, fell to her knees. Nausea overtook her like a thundering wave against a worn and rotting dock. She leaned forward, palms flat upon the gravel-strewn ground, vomiting like a dog that had eaten chicken bones. She heard Minya’s frantic voice as the girl urged her to rise. Julia lifted a hand, waving her forward, but the young reyaqc came back for her.
The assailant seemed to rise up out of the night, his powerful body glowing reddish yellow in the flickering firelight. The reyaq’s forehead was domed, his face sweeping into a long muzzle, and framed by shots of short wiry hair. The eyes were round, as were the black-furred ears. The arms were broad and seemed perhaps more powerful than the legs. Julia tried to scream a warning through her horrific retching, but it was too late. The thing swiped a claw across Minya’s back, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“No!” cried Julia as she launched from the ground, heedless of the spasmodic jerks still racking her form. Grabbing a softball-sized rock, she hurled it at the thing, striking it on the left shoulder.
It turned, growled, and then grinned. “A human female,” it said. Its voice was low and beastly.
Still dizzy, Julia turned to flee. The thing laughed, but didn’t follow as she’d hoped it would. Instead, it turned its attention back to Minya, who was still writhing on the ground. Julia cursed. The girl was pregnant, injured. Julia had wanted to draw the beast away. Minya screamed as Julia reached the tall mound of discarded wooden pallets where two reyaqc had battled just minutes before. Quickly, she found a broken pallet, pulled a plank free with a sharp crack. Two rusted nails protruded from the far end.
Minya clawed and kicked as her assailant dragged her across the stony ground. Julia’s first strike connected with the reyaqc’s right cheek. The nails first punctured the skin, and then ripped it as Julia followed through like a major league slugger. The reyaqc twirled and roared, but Julia was already into her second swing. This one connected with the upper chest. Julia tried to pull the board free for a third blow, but the frenzied reyaqc ripped it from her hands, heaving it to the ground.
Before the assailant could advance on Julia, Minya launched onto its back, her long claw-like nails penetrating his upper chest, her legs wrapping around his torso, and her sharp, needle
-like teeth ripping at the exposed flesh of his neck. The reyaqc twirled and flailed, his arms reaching wildly back in a crazed attempt to dislodge the young girl. But his limbs were too thick, too inflexible to find the mark. Retrieving her fallen weapon, Julia clubbed the beast on the side of the head again, again. Each time the nails shredded more flesh. She heard the awful popping as an eyeball burst. Still, she struck him yet again. Now he staggered. Minya bit deeper. Julia drew her arms back and swung with all her might. “Go directly to hell. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two-hundred dollars, freak face!”
The blow connected with a sickening crack. The reyaqc toppled backward, landing squarely on Minya, who shrieked in pain. Dropping the wooden plank, Julia grabbed a now-limp arm of the unconscious reyaqc, and with three sharp tugs, pulled him off of the girl. Minya gasped, her eyes wide. Blood and water poured from between her legs drenching her simple brown smock. “Dr. Julia!” she shrieked. “The baby! The baby!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
At the faint sound of the first strike, Tresset Bremu rose from his seat, ears twitching and nose flaring. “Dolnaraq,” he said. “It seems you’ve distracted me from a much larger problem than a single rogue terrorizing a human city.”
The doc rose as well, also sniffing at the air. “Who are the intruders? What’s the situation?”
“Bytneht Noavor, a young upstart chieftain. I found a claw earlier and recognized it as from a jackrabbit molt. Noavor uses these as spies because they hear well and flee quickly. I have anticipated this assault, but apparently misread the timing.” The lights went out then, along with the air conditioning. Immediately, Tresset marched through the doorway, barking orders to his pack, the doc following at his heels.
Stepping through the doorway, Shane saw Tresset stride into the darkness, calling out names, ordering reyaqc into predetermined positions. There was a certain glee to his voice as the first sounds of battle ensued. Shane’s gut tightened. What kind of lunatic got off on the slaughter of his people? He’d heard of pack raids, read of them in Donald Baker’s Histories. They could be brutal things.
No, not could be. They were outright savage—always.
The raiding party would seek to kill all males, for they wanted no further opposition from the pack. The females were dragged away to be passed among the ranks. They would find a place in the new pack as breeders, little more than slaves, but at least they would live. The human givers would be treated similarly. Shane’s only small encouragement was that these reyaqc packs shunned the use of weapons. It was a matter of pride that these death battles be done hand-to-hand. The only exception was the use of fire as this drew the sleeping community out of their homes and into the fray.
Stepping forward, Shane grabbed the doc just above an elbow. “We’ve got to get Jules and get out of here. If we’re captured, they’ll drain us both till we’re dust.”
The doc nodded absently. “You have the keys to the Hummer. Get Julia. Take her away. I’ll contact you in the morning.” He paused. “That is, assuming I’ve survived.”
“Come with us. This isn’t your fight.”
The doc shook his head slowly. “There you are wrong, Mr. Daws. This is very much my battle. If ever the reyaqc are to rise above savagery, if ever we are to escape extinction, these petty slaughters must cease. I hope to be a voice of reason amidst insanity. Now, go. Julia is in peril. Get her away—the young pregnant molt, Minya, as well.” He turned, vanishing into the darkness. It was the last time Shane would see Donald Baker.
Clinging to the shadows, Shane slipped quietly around the low narrow building housing Tresset’s office. The hut where Julia rested was not too far distant, but he needed to be cautious. The reyaqc had keen night vision and sense of smell. Shane was at a distinct disadvantage and could be of no help to Julia if he was captured or killed.
Figures raced in every direction; reyaqc rolled about the rocky ground clawing and biting at one another. There was a loud whoosh from the north. Shane turned to see a large corrugated building ablaze. Flames and smoke shot out from the windows and doorway. Reyaqc raced from the inferno into the waiting mob.
Shane sprinted to the next building; a small shed similar to the one occupied by Julia. Hers was now the next to the south. Glancing in each direction, he made his way to his intended destination and peeked around the front of the hut. The door was closed. There was a rush of activity to his right, but he couldn’t distinguish the action. Another building went up in flames. Already, the air tasted of bonfire. Five quick steps and Shane slipped around the corner and in through the unlocked door.
Empty.
Now what? Where had Julia gone? Had she been caught? Shane cursed himself. If on their first meeting he hadn’t encouraged her to seek the doc’s help, she never would have become involved. If she died it would be his fault. Hearing the harsh sounds of battle, Shane wondered how he had ever found the reyaqc romantic or noble. Had he been so blinded by the mysteries of this race that he’d failed to see the reality of their condition? How could he have been so gullible?
Loneliness, he supposed. A need to belong. He wondered how many were led down similar paths of destruction by these simple human desires.
But, Julia?
Where to find Julia.
None of this was her fault. Unlike Shane, she wasn’t a willing participant in the matters of the reyaqc.
There was a sharp thud at the side of the building, growls, the sounds of battle. Two figures snarled and slashed just beyond the doorway. And then, abruptly, there was a soft thud and the brawl was at an end. Who had been the victor? One of Tresset’s molts, or the invader? If it was an assailant, Shane was likely in serious trouble. He stood silent, breath held, eyes focused on the thin wooden door. What should he do if a raider came through the doorway? He had no weapon and doubted his strength would equal that of a battle-tested reyaqc.
Five more seconds, now ten. Shane released his breath in a slow silent stream and then inhaled with similar care. Was the victor still beyond the door? He hadn’t heard departing footsteps, but reyaqc could be stealthy.
A sound.
Had the handle just turned?
Shane swallowed. His fists clenched. And now, yes, the knob was turning, the door swinging open.
A great form moved confidently into the room. The reyaqc must have been six-five, three-fifty, with the bulk and form of a brown bear. As the molt bared its teeth and stepped forward, Shane grabbed the only possible weapon available—the cot on which Julia had lain. It was awkward but, having an aluminum frame, not heavy. Holding it before him like a shield, he charged the startled molt, hitting him just above the waist. The charge did not harm the reyaqc. It didn’t even cause him to step backward or lose his footing. But it had surprised him. As the roaring molt tossed the cot aside, Shane raced through the doorway, turned right, and then right again, racing into the darkness, away from the compound, and toward the foothills bordering the eastern side of the settlement.
Shadowed forms loomed above, blocking his escape, advancing on him even as he made the incline. Over half of the complex was ablaze and numerous eyes glowed an eerie yellow-white in the flickering firelight. Shane cut right, racing along the eastern slope. Footsteps loomed close behind. His left foot connected with a low-lying shrub, he nearly tumbled forward, but righted himself at the last. He had no choice. To stumble now would mean to die. Veering west, he darted between two small structures and onto more level ground. There came a horrific howl from behind. Shane cut left and rolled just as a dark form lunged to where he had been only a second before.
A piercing sound rose above the cacophony of battle. Something familiar, yet too faint to distinguish. There it was again. Even as he raced across the uneven ground, he cocked his head to the left. There were two shapes, just to the southwest. Was that Julia and the young reyaqc girl, Minya? It seemed the girl was in labor with Julia crouching over her to deliver the pup. But even this momentary distraction was catastrophic. Shane felt warm breath beside his th
roat, and then there was a sharp puncture and ripping.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“Shane!” cried Julia, though it was doubtful he could hear her amidst the screeches and howls of battling reyaqc. He’d appeared from between two buildings, racing as if the devil himself was at his heels. And the demon lord might well have been, for three dark and savage forms bounded after him. They would be atop him in seconds, maybe less. “Shane!” she shouted again, but then stopped herself mid-cry. To distract him was to kill him. Though, truthfully it seemed the outcome was a given.
His head snapped in her direction—only for a moment. There was recognition. But then the nearest aggressor was upon him, its jaw clamped tightly to Shane’s neck. There was no cry of pain, no prolonged struggle. The two simply tumbled to the rock-strewn ground, rolled twice, and came to a halt. The reyaqc leaped to his feet, felt about in his mouth as if picking something from his teeth, and then rejoined his companions. Shane lay motionless in the dirt, a dark puddle spreading beneath him.
Julia’s heart thundered. Shane was her only human connection to the outside world, the only one who, like herself, might seek to flee this madness. Even more, despite his connection to Donald Baker, she suddenly realized this was someone she might one day have called friend. They developed something of a bonding during their confinement. He might not yet know it, but Shane was a man of character. Julia patted Minya on the cheek, whispering that she’d return in a moment, and then, keeping low, Julia managed an uneven jog to where Shane lay. Her head swam, her vision dimmed, and it seemed she might pass out from the exertion. But somehow she made the trek and knelt beside Shane. The damage was bad. Already, he’d lost significant blood. There were several jagged wounds about the area of the carotid triangle. At least three of these were critical. A sharp curved razor-like tooth, perhaps three inches in length, protruded from his neck just beside the subclavian artery. Julia was hesitant to remove this for fear she might release another flood of bleeding. He was in and out of consciousness, his breathing labored. Even with proper medical care, it was unlikely he’d survive more than minutes. Still, Julia kicked into trauma mode: applying pressure, assessing vital signs.