Noni’s rough chanting was ringing out over the beach and the black smoke was pouring forth so thickly that the whole area appeared to be covered in a haze. It wasn’t thick enough to block his vision of the Bure, however. There was a brief flash of movement and Thomas had just enough time to see his sister run out of the building with a bundle cradled in her arms. By God, she did it! The realization filled him with a renewed courage and he stopped his legs from retreating and braced himself against the coming storm.
Then Daucina was on him.
The beast closed to within reach and stretched two massively powerful arms out to grab hold of him. Thomas ducked and swept beneath both grasping limbs, then did a quick pivot in the sand to face Daucina’s back. With a great cry of effort, he brought the thick, spiked club around to connect with the lower part of Daucina’s back. It was a brutal blow, one that would have crushed the bones of a normal man and left him incapacitated, but this was no man at all. To Thomas, it felt more like engaging with a telephone pole than a flesh-and-blood creature. The massively wide back took the shot with no noticeable damage. The only sign that It may have felt anything at all was the abruptness in which He stiffened upright, but the effect was over instantly, and another blow came swinging around in a wild backhand. The rippled forearm caught Thomas high up on the left shoulder and sent him flying, landing only a few feet from where Bolo’s limp body had come to a rest, half-buried in the soft sand.
Thomas rolled to his good side, away from his newly damaged shoulder, which currently felt like somebody was holding a glowing hot cattle prod to his arm. For a moment, he was face-to-face with Bolo, who was looking back at him now, confused but alive.
“Join me if you can, stay very still if you can’t!” Thomas hoped for the help.
“Sala?” Bolo’s voice came out slow and heavy but his eyes were clearing, looking frightened and concerned.
Thomas, working himself to one knee while trying to ignore new bolts of electricity that were now shooting through the length of his left arm, was about to tell him that Sala was still unconscious, but before he could get the first word out, he was lifted high into the air and flung toward the smoking fire pit. The ground met him with an extraordinary lack of hospitality, knocking the wind out of him and jumbling all his flow of thoughts. He saw a momentary starburst of color in his field of vision. Still, it was preferable to another of those terrible strikes that had debilitated his arm.
Once again, Thomas struggled to get to his feet. He marveled for a moment at how sluggish his body moved, as if the air around him were full of molasses. He also had a moment to marvel at the speed with which this Thing moved. It covered ground so quickly! No doubt there was another blow coming at any moment, maybe the last strike that would be needed to end him, but his body responded as if he were just trying to roll out of bed after a long night of drinking.
Thick footfalls were pounding toward him. Thomas readied himself for the next impact, knowing he couldn’t get out of the way. This one he anticipated would either cave in his skull or snap his back. Either way, he’d offer nothing more in the way of help for Sophie and Kai.
I hope you make it, sis. I hope you’re running ass off toward that boat and not looking back.
37
Sophie made it through the lake at a snail’s pace. With Kai’s back on her chest she had used one arm to propel herself backward while she stared up at the sky. The water covered her ears and all she could hear was her own heartbeat and the rush of air pushing and pulling in and out of her heaving lungs. It frustrated her to no end, moving so slow and not seeing or hearing what was transpiring on the beach. But she had made it safely, with Kai’s little face still blessedly free of all but random drops of water.
Standing on the sand, her baby clutched tightly to her chest, she could see everything that was going on now, and it made her heart leap. The old woman was still at her fire, singing up to the skies and waving her arms. Bolo was on his hands and knees, lifting his wife up into a sitting position. Sala appeared to be moving and talking. It was her brother who her heart jumped for. He was lying on the ground in front of the fire, struggling to raise himself. Daucina, frighteningly large, with so many muscles they seemed to fight over each other as he moved, stalked toward Thomas in a very purposeful manner. His intent was death and destruction.
Sophie cried out in frustration, wanting to help with all her heart, however she might, but unable to bring herself to leave Kai alone on the beach. She had only now just got him back, she couldn’t leave him abandoned.
Daucina closed in on Thomas and brought both of his long arms up above his head, hands close together and clenched into giant fists. A memory flashed in her mind of her watching fights on television with her brother. Intense fights where men had the smallest of gloves on and would kick and punch and grapple with each other in a nearly no-holds barred type of contest. There was one fight where an enormous black man with a shaved head had knocked out another giant man and afterward, in his victory furor, had dropped to his knees and slammed the mat hard with both fists. Thomas had laughed then, delighted at the act. “What a beast!” he’d said, “a Donkey Kong punch, sis.” And now, here she was, watching the vicious irony of life play out before her, where her brother was about to be decimated by the same type of blow he’d found so humorous before.
Then, most unexpectedly, Daucina’s forward progress was stopped just as the final blow was about to descend. His giant form staggered back and His arms windmilled. Confused at what had brought on this reaction, Sophie started to silently urge on Thomas. Move damnit, move! Please! Whether it helped, or the timing was purely coincidental, Thomas staggered to his feet. Good, now run, brother, just go! She wanted to scream it out loud, but she feared that if she did, she’d bring Daucina’s attention on her.
If He saw the baby in her arms she was as good as dead.
38
Thomas teetered for a moment on his feet, surprised he was even still alive, but recognizing quickly why he was. Noni was dancing around at the side of the fire, tossing handfuls of powder up at Daucina, who dwarfed her. Whatever the stuff was, it was working well. Even without any eyes to speak of, the demon was flinching away, waving His arms to ward off the bright yellow cloud that was drifting around His head.
Thomas took the chance to locate his weapon, which lay half buried in the sand, in between where he had left his feet and where he had earlier landed next to Bolo.
Then he realized that Bolo was up. He was bent over his wife, who was also standing, though she teetered unsteadily. He felt a surge of relief at seeing them both alive, but he had no time to inquire as to their condition. Urging his legs to get their shit together, he lurched back toward the club. Bending over for it caused black spots to dance around the edges of his vision, and fearing he was close to losing consciousness, he had to stand again and wait for it to pass. Vital seconds ticked by, but gradually the spots faded and he made a second, successful effort.
With the reassuring weight of the club in his right hand, he turned back toward the fray. Daucina was wading forward now, swinging madly, while Noni was darting away, moving like an gymnast. Every giant step the huge figure took toward her, she took three away to match the distance. Thomas allowed himself a moment to be amazed at her physical prowess, moving like a sixteen-year-old girl. This time he looked on not with suspicion, but with a grateful heart. If it weren’t for her, he’d be a dark red splotch soaking into the sand right now.
It’s not too late for that, he thought to himself as he urged his legs forward. He knew that by continuing with this madness he was surely going to end up dead, but he would never seriously consider running. Not unless he knew his sister was safely away. Even then, what would stop the Beast from pulling another of His tricks? No, this had to be finished, if possible.
By the time he neared the back of Daucina, he was moving at a trot, his legs coming back to life. Using his forward momentum, and only his one good arm, Thomas brought the club around
in a long, powerful arc to connect this time with the back of Daucina’s knees. There was a universal rule known to all, that if a man was bigger than you, go for the knees. That was what his thinking was and there was a brief elation at the feeling of the blow, so strong and solid, placed in the perfect spot in the crook of the legs directly behind the caps.
The elation didn’t last. The strike only slightly buckled the monster, who then turned toward him and wrapped two powerful, long-fingered hands around his throat, lifting him high up into the air.
Thomas thrashed and struggled to free himself but the Thing’s grip was like iron, slowly pressing in on his throat and choking the life out of him. The black spots were returning now, growing in his vision until all he saw was a small tunnel of light, and at the end of the tunnel, the black swirling void that was Daucina’s face. It grew closer and closer, then the squeezing stopped, even let up. Just a little. Just enough to get a thin whistle of air down his throat. Then the vision took over.
Clear as day, as if he were seeing it for real, the vision appeared to him of Daucina carrying the limp and naked form of his sister through the jungle, crossing the lake with her, then entering the primitive pyramid. Next, he saw Sophie being laid out on a stone altar. Then...Oh God, no, you monster. You vile fucking monster! The enormous form of Daucina was bent over his sister, heaving and thrusting between her legs, all while she lay completely still and thankfully unconscious and unaware of the horrible deed that was being performed on her.
Then the vision changed, and Sophie was gone. It was only Daucina, standing alone in the Bure, His back to him. Then He turned, and cradled in his giant, muscular arms was the form of a newborn child, still covered with the white and red smears of childbirth.
Why!? Why are you showing me this!? Thomas couldn’t shout, so he screamed the thought out silently, with all the psychic rage and force he could muster.
In his head, he was met with laughter, deep and reverberating laughter that sounded full of cruel mocking.
He’s just torturing me, Thomas realized. And showing me something. Lies! Trickery and torture.
Then the squeezing started again.
39
Sophie watched in agonized tension as her brother struggled to pick up a weapon. She wanted badly to run to his aid. Thomas, ever her protector, was willingly returning to a battle he knew he had no hope of winning. All to save her and Kai, to give them time, yet here she was, standing and watching. Her brain screamed at her to run, but her heart held her firmly in place. She couldn’t just abandon him. It occurred to her she was making a life-or-death decision. If she remained and Daucina was victorious, which seemed inevitable, then she would surely be killed and little Kai taken back into the custody of a monster. Yet even knowing that, her feet remained rooted to the ground.
It was then her attention was drawn back to Bolo and Sala, who were looking lively now. They were scanning the beach and jungle around them, looking for something, an escape route probably. Then their eyes met with hers. Bolo pointed to her and said something to his wife, who covered her face and shook her head ‘no’ in wide, dramatic sweeps from side to side. Bolo gave her a brief hug, then pushed her gently but firmly along. Sala, dropping one hand to her side and the other down to cover her mouth, began running toward Sophie.
It took only seconds and she was before her, sobbing at Sophie while trying to push words out. “He shouted at me! Told me to go with you and leave the island! We can’t do that, can we? Leave them behind? I love him!” Her large brown eyes were red and swimming in tears. It was just what Sophie needed.
“No, I can’t, Sala. You’ve cared for Kai and kept him safe, now keep him safe a little longer!” She pushed her baby toward the pregnant woman, who looked shocked, but took him nonetheless. “You’ve got two babies now, Sala. You can’t stay here. Get to the boat. I’m going to help.”
She turned back toward the commotion on the beach only to see Thomas hanging high off the ground, his feet kicking wildly in the air, while Daucina clenched at his throat.
“NO!! THOMAS!!” This was it, she was going to watch her brother die after all. She’d never get there in time to save him.
Then, out from the edge of the battle, Bolo emerged. He sprinted toward Daucina, right arm up high over his head and wielding that vicious axe. A scream was pouring forth out of his mouth. Just as Thomas’s feet were beginning to still, the kicks growing increasingly feeble, Bolo reached him. The brave man brought the axe down in a wide, flashing overhead arc that connected squarely with the left arm of Daucina, just below the elbow. It should have severed His arm, but it didn’t. What it did do was cause him to drop Thomas, who landed on the ground in a crumpled heap.
“Yes!” Sophie screamed as she started to sprint forward. “Go Bolo!!”
The next thing that happened made the feeling of victory short-lived. Daucina pivoted toward his attacker and brought his other arm down in a smashing blow over the top of Bolo’s head. It was like watching a sledgehammer drive down on a nail. Sophie, getting close now, not only saw the unnatural angle that Bolo’s head snapped down at, but also heard the crack that it made. She would never forget it.
Behind her, a great wail of agony washed over her.
I’m so sorry, Sala, thought Sophie, but please, please run!
Sala ran.
40
Thomas saw the limp form of Bolo collapse into the sand. He also saw the strange way that Bolo’s head dangled off at an unnatural angle when his body came to a rest. There would be no more help from his new friend. There would be no more of anything. Bolo, the man who had been willing to kill for his family, and who had been willing to die for the rest of them. He stared at the fallen body and felt a lump grow hard in his damaged throat. I’ll look after your family, my friend. I swear, if I make it out of this …
Before the thought could be finished he saw a blur of black from the side of his vision and felt a sudden and stinging blow take him along the side of his face. There was a brief, blinding flash, then his world split in two. He could see clearly, as if in slow motion, but he heard nothing. A moment later, the sound rushed in of his own screaming, but it came as if from another dimension. One he was suddenly aware of, but couldn’t feel. The sounds didn’t seem to be emanating from his own body, they were disconnected somehow. Then both sight and sound merged back together with a rush of agony and the burning of his already pained throat as the scream tore through him.
Something hot and wet landed on his arm. He tried to look down but found that his left eye could see nothing more than a tiny hole of gray, blurry light. His right eye seemed to have been possessed with a mind of its own as it darted around in wild, frantic movements.
He focused on that feeling of something hot and wet striking his arm. Was that my eyeball? Did my eyeball just come out of my head? The screaming that had been tearing up from his lungs changed to a manic laughter. As his mouth stretched into a wide grin, he felt the left side of his face droop and sag, like his muscles there were no longer functioning. Reaching up with his right hand, he probed at his cheek and felt a wide valley opened there, running from the outside corner of his eye, and connecting nearly with the edge of his lips. His face was split in two.
Looking down at his right hand, the one that had done the probing, he saw that it was covered in bright, red blood. As he watched in fascination with his one remaining eye, more blood splashed down in the hand, creating a pool, then cascading over the side in a waterfall. It landed in the sand and was quickly absorbed into the island.
As he stared at the growing red puddle, some distant part of his mind considered the idea that he should be expecting another attack. It was as if he were in a dream and the real Thomas was shouting down the dream tunnel to him from his other place rooted in reality. The voice was coming through all tinny and distant, begging for a response. Sophie! The voiced called to him repeatedly. Kai! Sophie! He focused and tried to pull himself together enough to understand the meaning of those words
. Save Sophie, Save Kai, Save Sophie, Save Kai. Over and over. After a few rotations, the words started to become clear and make sense, despite the thick pounding of his head.
“Fofee?” No, that wasn’t right. Sophie, his mind said. “Fofee.”
Shadows danced in his vision, blotting out the sun. Stronger and stronger they became as he watched, and faster. They swirled around the edges of his sight as he stared at the expanding red pool on the ground. The circle of darkness closed in, pushing hard from the edges of his reality and all he could see was the pool. He recognized that pool for what it was.
His life, he thought. Pouring out of him. Being drank greedily by the suddenly dark island.
41
Sophie sprinted as fast as her long legs would carry her. She saw Daucina take a great swipe at her brother, like a boxer performing a devastating uppercut, only He did it with an open hand, fingers splayed wide. Thomas’s head snapped back, throwing out a great arcing spray of ruby red droplets. Then her brother’s head drooped forward.
Oh my God, you’re too late! He’s dead, you were too fucking slow!
And she was still too slow. Daucina was preparing for a final death blow, this one to come down over the top of her brother’s head. A memory flashed back of Bolo, the way his head had snapped off crazily to the side under the power of one of those strikes. The incredible cracking sound that had reached her ears a fraction of a second later.
Oh God, please no, please no!
It was then, as she was only twenty feet away, that those dark island spirits finally joined the dance. One moment all she saw was the little witch woman, flinging her arms at the fire, and her brother, slumped over in a half-sitting position in the sand, about to be crushed. Then the next moment, coal-black forms were swooping in from all directions, flying at the monstrous form of the island God a second before He could bring that deadly blow to bear.
Cave of Bones (Dark Island Series Book 2) Page 22