Luke, already seven feet tall, craned up his head to stare into the bloodshot eyes. He was surprised as a slow smile spread over the beast's face. “Hell!”
“Hell is what I face every day.” A huge finger ending with a sharp and hooked nail pointed at Luke. “I will give you a taste of hell!”
It took a while for Luke to understand the guttural voice. His heart pounded, and his legs trembled at the nine-foot bundle of muscles, teeth, and nails. If Maya’s strength were anything to go by, this beast would be in a class of its own. Luke’s impulse was to press his back against the wall, pass through the wall if he could. He darted a look at the children. They cowered in one corner, pressing against the far side of the cage, their cries filling the room. If he lost, the children would be lost too. He knew nothing about combat but he’d defeated two bogs and Julian. The same instinct possessed him now. He shook his head. He couldn’t afford that.
“No,” Luke took a step out of his corner, “I will send you to hell.”
Luke twisted his head, following the flight of the beast over his head and across the arena. Impossible, but it was happening in front of him. He whirled, a moment before the beast landed behind him, again. Then pain blinded him as he hit the wall, hit in the middle by the onrushing beast. He swiped his curved claws at empty air. The beast glared malevolently from the other side of the arena. The look in its eyes was oddly readable, the look of someone who knew that they had won even before they started.
Aiming to finish the fight as quickly as possible, Luke charged. He met only the harness of the glass wall and a bitter pain in his side from the beast’s claw. He clenched his teeth, refusing to howl or resort to any vocalization that might make him look like this human beast. Blood streamed down his side as he turned to meet the infuriating grin. He lost hope. There was no way he could talk to the vestigial humanity in the beast. He had only one way to talk to it, to speak its language, to become a hunter that chose to toy with its victims. He backed into the nearest corner. Crouched on his feet, he waited.
The beast waited too in a corner. Luke wondered if his tactic would work. What he was doing was obvious to even a small child, and would only be effective if the beast had lost most of its human intelligence. He was right. After a few minutes of a battle of stares, the beast launched from its corner. Luke launched himself upside down a split second too late, but that was the plan. White light blinded him as the heavy impact crushed his waist against the wall, rough hair scraping his face. With all his strength, he held off the massive arms, buried his face between the beast’s legs, and bit hard. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and then he lifted off a hunk of flesh. He thudded head first on the floor, the beast’s wild shrieks filling the arena.
It lay huddled on the floor, its hands gripping the gaping hole between its legs. Luke glanced at Maya. Her face was expressionless as if he’d done nothing impressive. She wasn’t satisfied with his performance. Damn her! He looked up at the hysteric children. Did he not say he was ready to do anything to free them? He advanced on the beast, a sharp movement of the head, and he was back in his corner. He watched as the once human, almost animal being twitched on the floor, bleeding through where its throat had been.
“Impressive,” came Maya’s Voice. “Very impressive indeed.”
Luke jerked up his head, making sure he kept his bloodied face from the children. “Give me my pupils, and you may survive.”
“I’m sorry you will not.” Her eyes on Luke, she said, “Bogs, reenergize and send in specimen 240 and 290. Luke, let me see how you will survive that.”
The bogs sprang into action. They administered antidotes and goaded the snarling beasts toward the arena door. Luke wished it was Maya who was coming into the cage so that he could get this over with. He knew that he probably wouldn't escape the facility, and the children would be doomed. Instead, he should focus on surviving. He backed against the wall, determined to do his worst as the door opened.
CHAPTER 19 MEETING WITH THE GODDESS
The hulking beast in the front was ten and a half feet tall. Even so, a hint of humanity peeked out of his eyes, but that was all. The rest of him was rippling muscles, nails, and teeth. And he had a spiked knuckle duster around each fist, just like the other beast. He stretched out a hand, grabbed the side of the arena doorway. Luke ducked instinctively at a sharp report. Red fluid sprayed on the entrance. The beast tumbled headless on the floor.
The other beast’s head exploded in a red mist.
Luke whirled as the bogs streaked across the room. Their metal carcasses along the floor, slamming slammed into the hall entrance. There, Mrs. Conway stood with her rifle glued to her cheek. He looked above the arena. Maya was no longer where she hovered to watch the fight. She now hung in the air, above the children’s cage, looking like some ancient god waiting for a blood sacrifice. She seemed to be struggling with the thick steel cable suspending the cage.
Mrs. Conway joggled into the room, her rifle angled up at the cage. Maya flitted to the other side. The children massed into the front, tilting the cage, drawing more cries from them.
Luke dashed out of the arena. “Don’t shoot! You’ll hit the children!”
He skidded to a stop, the black muzzle of the rifle pointing at him. A ripping sound drew his attention. Maya zipped across the ceiling at what must have been supersonic speed and vanished through the doorway. Mrs. Conway managed to snap off two shots, sending ricochets whining into the room. Ready to rip her apart, Luke crouched to spring when, her long hair waving around her head like a hallo, she swung the rifle back at him.
“Damn you! You distracted me. You let Maya escape!”
“You could have hit the children. She was right behind them.”
“I never miss!”
“You just did...”
“Thanks to you, Luke.” Mrs. Conway lowered the rifle. “Follow me. Now.” She headed to the far end of the room, toward the children.
The woman, who brought him here, spoiling his plans to rescue his pupil, also saved him from fighting two beasts at once. At the back of his mind, he knew it was irresponsible, but he missed the fight, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to give a quick hug to the silver-haired personification of anger. She strode resolutely to the other side. He caught up with her with one long step.
“I know you’re Mrs. Conway, but who are you?”
“Major Mary Conway, 973 Resistance Battalion.”
“You wish…”
She flashed a fierce glance. “The world is less in disorder than many think. There’s a true government for which your General Helen Hazard worked.”
“That’s my granny you’re talking about. She was never a General.”
“You don’t know your history.”
“I know she was a member of some resistance.”
“The resistance is just a name. The people we fight are the actual resistance. We’re the government.”
“You called yourself a mercenary when you captured me, right?”
She stopped and fixed Luke with brilliant azure eyes. “I’m acting on my own. The nearest help is hundreds of miles away so I needed a cover.”
“You want me to believe that?”
“Shut up, private. Let’s find out how to get these children out of here.”
“I’m a teacher, not a private.”
Mrs. Conway glanced at him and chuckled bitterly. “Look at you, almost eight-foot-tall, with shiny black hair all over you except around your eyes, nails like that of a gorilla, muscles all over, I mean who’d let you near their kids?”
“Mother!” Sarah called from above. Like one jolted away, Conway set off at a fast jog, Luke behind her, until they reached the end of the Hall. Close up, the cage was just as he’d suspected, a square steel mesh suspended by a long steel cable under a smooth ceiling. The cage swung as the children rushed to the side, following Luke and Conway’s movement.
“Damn!” Conway looked around sharply. “How do we get them down? That was
what I needed Maya for before you helped her escape.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were on my side then. Besides, I didn’t plan to let her escape. I only wanted to save the children from bullets.”
“Really? Have you heard of the term collateral damage?”
“Will you kill an innocent because you have to kill a criminal?”
“Not exactly in that way. The killing is more unavoidable than unintentional.”
“What if you hit Sarah?”
“Collateral damage, as long as we save the other kids.”
Luke leaned back, a surge of dislike flowing through him for a woman who was brave enough to risk her daughter’s life. All the while, her small eyes darted all over the large space. She seemed composed in the earshot of the children’s cries, her daughter’s shrill voice overshadowing that of the others.
“Not a single handhold on the wall,” she said.
Luke shook his head. “And no sign of the lift mechanism, too.”
“There is. It’s a hover platform mounted with a cage. Unlike Maya’s brainwave-controlled hover chair, the platform, a common storehouse pallet turned to other uses, would be remotely controlled. We have to find the control before Maya.”
Luke wagged a finger at her. “We’re not leaving the children dangling high there and going somewhere.” He froze his finger under Conway’s nose. He didn’t know her eyes could turn bluer, a darker shade of cobalt. He shook off the impression he had that he was setting up himself for another thrashing like the one granny gave to him in the vault. Conway placed a finger on his chest, right over his pounding heart.
“Rule number one,” she said. “Never wag your stupid finger at your superior.”
“You’re not my officer…”
“Rule number two, you must obey all legal orders given to you by your superior.”
He knew she could talk, but he would act. “All right, go on and waste your time.”
“Let’s get these children out of here.”
“That’s not an order. It’s what I’m here for, even if I’m going to die for it. I’d have been ready but for a matter of one little thing.”
“We’re wasting time. What is it?”
“Can I hug you for saving me?”
"Twice already, remember the mercenaries?"
"Jake and Shem. Hey, thanks for that."
“Move, private.”
Her rifle held at the ready, she jogged away.
"Mum!" Sarah called in a hoarse voice. “We’re coming back for you,” Luke said, and, feeling like it was about to be a beautiful dawn, the type he only dreamt of, he jogged after Major Conway to the single entrance out of the hall.
CHAPTER 20
Conway halted at the doorway, a finger on her lips. “We won't know if Maya opened all the doors,'' she said. Do you have a weapon?”
Luke flexed his muscles. “I am the weapon.”
“Joking is inappropriate at this moment. You haven't seen some of those former humans. I have only a clip of ammo left. They will rip us to pieces unless I can convince them otherwise.”
“How?”
“follow me. I don't look into the eyes of any of them. Walk calmly with long, easy strides. Let’s go.”
“The woman was brave, Luke admitted, making a mental note to ask her how she managed to enter the facility in the first place. Her rifle held muzzle down, she walked along the middle of the corridor. Luke did as he was told, holding himself from looking through The eyes of The beast. But he was aware of movements because all the doors were ajar. Without looking, he knew eyes followed him. His first balled into tight balls, he tried to match his wide steps with Conway's.
She pressed on until they passed the halfway mark. Luke heard a soft patter on barefoot. He was not surprised. He’d expect that as they passed each door, the occupants would emerge and come to see what these two strange creatures were doing in their territory. Conway must have heard the feet too but the only sign she did was a slight increase in her stride.
It was hard not to look back to see if some of the beasts haven’t gone to attack the children. The hair behind his neck rose on end, a tingle running down the center of his back. He leaned forward as if to avoid a blow. His instinct was to run.
“
“Run!” Conway screamed. Her feet pounded down the center of the corridor.
Luke glanced back. A beast whose head touched the ceiling matched his steps from behind. He carried a blade almost the same size as Luke. The passage behind the giant was jam-packed with creatures, all their eyes on him. That was enough.
Luke raced after Conway, grabbed her, and ran. Mark! Mark Conway screamed, her cries filling the corridor. “shut up,” Luke said. “You are bringing the whole place down around us.”
Heads poked out of doorways followed by shoulders. Large figures slinked out of the many rooms. Luke slid to a halt. Hulking creatures blocking the way. He didn't need to look behind to know that the scenario was the same. He turned all the same to find the giant blade pressing against his throat. He refused to gulp. As he stared into the dead eyes, the creatures seemed ready to stay like that forever. He tapped Conway on the side.
“What do we do now?”
“You’re the biology teacher. Don’t you have a way to communicate with them?”
“You told me not to look into their eyes.”
“You already have.”
It was true. The giant beast didn't blink. It must have lost the learned response.
“What do you want,” Conway said, still clutching her rifle. “Let us go, we mean you no harm.”
The huge blade clattered on the floor. The giant beast lowered his bulk, kneeling forward, the thick skin on its great forehead knitted into a deep furrow. Then he exploded in a frenzy of motion, pounding his chest and bouncing himself off the wall. Then he suddenly became quiet again. He stepped from his mates and forced Luke’s hands away from Conway.
“Leave her alone!”
In an instant, the beast carried Conway in his long, thick hairy hands. If he was not mistaken, Luke was sure he was looking at an embrace.
A guttural sound was coming from the monster as he nuzzled Conway saying, “Mharryy, Mharryy, Mharry…”
Conway stopped kicking. She pushed herself away at an arm's length and stared into the deformed face. “Mark?”
A grunt came from the giant.
“Mark, oh Mark,” Conway wrapped her arms as far as it would go around the beast, pressing her tearful face into the rugged chest. “See what Maya did to my Mark.”
“What’s going on here?”
Conway glared at him. “Look what Maya did to my husband.” The beast carrying her nodded several times.
Luke looked at the beast from head to foot. “Your husband. Great. But could you dial down on the reunion party and let's go get the children out of the cage in the sky.”
Conway sniffed, wiped her nose on the shiny hair. She giggled and then explained why she was here.
Luke’s heart pounded harder as she spoke. A silent moment, and then Mark the beast nodded.
Mark raised his voice. It was English all right but it might as well be a different language. But the result was that all the beasts shuffled back to the hall entrance and Luke with them. He didn’t fail to notice that Mark carried Conway all the way. But he also didn’t fail to recognize this little victory over Maya. With this horde on their side, he didn’t see how one person could stop them.
But he was wrong. As they all entered the arena hall, the sound of pounding feet drew their attention. they carried spiked balls on chains, long spikes, and assortments of blades. “Here comes Maya’s faction,” Luke said, his eyes on about two dozen beasts rushing towards them. They spilled back into the hall like water squirting through a small hole under high pressure. Mark glanced at Conway and stepped between everybody and the approaching attacking beasts.
CHAPTER 21
Mark stood with his giant blade at the doorway. He gestured at the far end of the
hall where the children still dangled.
“Go!” he said in his guttural voice.
Luke took a step and stopped. He grabbed Conway by the hand. “Go With the others. I think I’d be more useful here besides Mark. Conway nodded and sprinted away with their new friends following her. He turned just in time to see Mark slice off the head of the first beast that emerged.
Mark stared at Luke. “Go,” he said and whirled to meet a fresh onslaught.
The clash of metal followed Luke as he raced to meet the others where the beasts gathered under the children. From afar it seemed they were about to rip Conway apart. Mindful of stepping on any oversized toe, he pushed his way through the hulking creatures. Conway stood in their midst, explaining in baby terms what she wanted them to do.
She jabbed a finger at the children. “Help me bring them down.” The beasts peered into the ceiling, peered at each other, and looked back at Conway. She stamped her foot. “The children. Bring them down now.”
It seemed they could hardly understand what she said. Luke jumped into the fray. He mimed the act of bringing down the children.
Conway hissed. “If they don’t understand what I’m saying, they won’t understand your esoteric gestures.”
“I can’t even convince myself.” He stopped. One of the beasts grunted something to the others that Luke didn’t follow. At once, the others sprang into frenetic action.
The largest and heaviest one lined against the wall, and then the next largest ones. Then the next in size. In a minute, the beasts created a living pyramid leaning precariously against the smooth wall. The last one, a wiry female, one Luke called Sunshine for her bright looks, scampered up the backs of the others. At the top, she laid hold of the cage. The petrified children inside crushed themselves into one corner, tilting the cage. With her other hand, she pulled at the mesh until it bulged. Blood dripped down her elbow to the floor far below. The cries of rage from behind receded as Luke held his breath. He watches as she strained with all her might while balancing the cage with the other hand. The mesh pulled out. With a final push, she tore a wide hole. A soft coo coming from her, she stretched her hand. Not a child moved.
MARK OF THE EARTHWALKER: Evolution Protocol Page 7