Blood, Blades and Bacon (Thorns of the Shadow Book 1)

by Matthew Roys

  “Birdy, Six, maintain current rate of fire. Esten, you’re on support. The rest of you, initiate melee in three, two, one!”

  The majority of the gunfire fell silent in unison. The woman slung her gun onto her back then grabbed a staff that had been stabbed into the earth beside her. She counted to two then swung. The staff connected with an armoured head then flowed in a smooth arc to intercept an incoming attack. All around her, metal met chitin in a vicious clash.

  “DD, you in position?” she said into her headset as she ducked beneath a wide swipe.

  There was a crackle of static in her ear. “You bet. Target in sight.”

  “Good. Tanto, is your squad ready?”

  “Hell yeah we are,” answered a woman’s voice.

  “Okay. DD, take the shot. Tanto, give ‘em hell.”

  A single shot rang out louder than the others. Seconds passed then a ripple ran through the terropods, slowing their relentless assault. Then a fresh peal of machine gun fire sounded off from behind the creatures.

  The woman smiled and pressed her attack. Terropods were a hivemind controlled by a queen. The queen never fought near the front, but for a sniper, that was hardly an issue. Take out their leader and the rest lost their purpose and organisation. Throw in a sudden flanking attack and the battle was as good as won.

  “Hey Glory, you about done?” asked a new voice in her ear. She batted away a stinger before replying.

  “More or less. What’s up? Bit late to try and make yourself useful now, Ace.”

  “Jungles are not the best environment for large helicopters. The local government weren’t too happy with your original plan of napalming a mile wide area of rainforest either. I think that I worked hard offering you guys moral support. But anyway, a call came for you during the battle. It’s something you should probably take a look at.”

  Glory scanned the battlefield, her eyes darting through the carnage. “Sure. I’m done here. Six, take over for me. Finish things up quick.”

  Her staff flashed an angry red colour and started to make a low whining noise. She stuck her tongue out at it. “Quit your moaning. You’ve had your fun. Surely you want something more challenging than squashing bugs?”

  The staff beeped forlornly but the glow faded. It constricted in on itself until it was a quarter of its full size. The woman slid it into a strap on her back then disengaged from the combat and jogged through the thick undergrowth. Up ahead was a large helicopter that sat between the site of the battle and the town as a last wall of defence. A short man with boyish looks stepped out to meet her.

  “Ace, how are the sensors?”

  “All clear. No more terropods detected.”

  “Looks like it’s a job well done then. What’s the message?”

  Ace led her into the helicopter. It was a beast of a machine, big enough to carry two squads of soldiers and their equipment. Glory lounged across the co-pilot’s seat while Ace sat at the controls.

  “The call was from the English Moot. They have a job for us.”

  Glory frowned. “The English Moot? It’s not like them to come to us. They have their own army. Why hire mercenaries unless the job is not strictly legal?”

  “Oh, it gets better. You see, they want us to hunt down a bounty. We're talking crack covered hooker sort of money too.”

  “Yet you don’t sound happy about it.”

  “Ace started to chew thoughtfully on a pen. “No. The job is for us to hunt down and execute the man known as Déaþscúa.”

  “Déaþscúa? I didn’t even know he was back in the UK. Last I heard he had wandered off into the Himalayas. Well fuck me. Are they crazy?”

  “It seems he killed one of the prophesied ones. News is spreading fast. Moots around the globe are in a panic.”

  Glory closed her eyes. A thousand calculations sped across her brain. She didn’t like any of the answers that she was reaching.

  “I don’t like this. If Déaþscúa has done something so reckless then he must be on the warpath. He’ll be expecting repercussions and won’t go down without a fight.”

  “You want to skip the job then? There’s a cushy job taking out some rogue mages in China we could do.”

  Glory shook her head. “Bollocks to that. We need to get back to England and see what’s going down. I know Déaþscúa and I know the people he’ll rely on. He is dangerous. On the other hand though, I know the English Moot too. There are more cloak and dagger politics going on behind closed doors than I’m comfortable with. I don’t trust them. I need to know which way the wind is blowing.”

  Ace nodded. “Understood. We’ll hit the skies as soon as we finish up here.” He paused uncertainly. “Glory, I sure hope we don’t have to fight Déaþscúa. He scares the shit outta me.”

  “So he should. Let’s just pray to whichever gods might give a shit that it won’t come to that.”

  Chapter 10.

  It wasn’t long before they left the main roads and delved into the forest paths that crisscrossed the land in every direction. It had started to snow again but the SUV’s heating pumped warm air through the vehicle, leaving its innards cosy in contrast to the icy world beyond the windows.

  “Do you think that Dad and the others will be in this fort?” Kai asked. Until that point they had all been seated in silence, everyone gazing absently outside.

  “I believe so,” Déaþscúa answered. “Forces connected with Annis captured the fort and attacked your aunt’s lodge within days of each other. If she’s using it as a base then it would make sense to take her captives there. Even if they aren’t, hopefully we can find some clues as to where they actually are.”

  Kai snorted. “So all we have to do is fight through a horde of monsters and break inside of an ancient fort to maybe find a clue?”

  “Essentially yes. Don’t worry; I do this kind of thing all the time. It only sometimes goes terribly wrong.”

  “Yeah!” added Jearl “Like that time you fell into that trap and all the mercenaries you were with were ripped to shreds by zombies. You made it out by the skin of your teeth on that one. Or that time in Russia with the werebear that was in a vodka induced rage. Or-”

  “They get the point, Jearl,” Déaþscúa cut in when he noticed KT and Kai’s faces growing pale. “We wouldn’t want to worry them too much.”

  “Course, boss. Sorry, boss.” Jearl turned to the backseat, completely taking his eyes off of the twisting path. “Don’t you worry. Déaþscúa here hasn’t let anyone die in at least four months. I suppose he hasn’t actually interacted with anyone in about that time but my point still stands.”

  “Jearl, sometimes I want to punch you. I think you became my driver so I cannot indulge in that want without you crashing and killing us all in a huge fireball of death. You're a cunning man.”

  “Cheers,” Jearl said brightly, focussing in on the complement alone. “I pride myself on me brains. I went to Eton after all.”

  “Being hired as pest control does not count as an Eton education.”

  “I like to think of it as a crash course in douchebaggery.”

  “Touché.”

  The SUV descended back into silence as the drive continued. Snow was building up outside, the wind stirring the flakes into the start of a blizzard. The sky was dark but the headlights illuminated the snow, turning the world into a ghostly visage. Jearl handled the icy roads with a skill that his bedraggled appearance would never suggest.

  “The MacFeelans’ camp is just ahead,” Déaþscúa said after a while. "You're about to meet some of the strongest folk in all of Scotland. They're legends in our circles. Or used to be, anyway.”

  The trees grew sparser until they entered into a clearing. A circle of log spikes were stuck in the ground at an angle, pointing outwards like old fashioned fortifications. Sandbags and corrugated metal sheets formed a basic wall just behind them. Jearl slowed the car and entered through the single gap into a clustered group of wood and stone huts. A lone sentry tower stood at the camp’s cent
re which Jearl parked beside.

  Men started to emerge from the huts. They were giants with powerful muscles, flaming ginger hair, and kilts. Oversized weapons hung from their backs ranging from double-bladed axes, hammers and claymores. They looked like every picture of a stereotypical Scottish warrior that KT had ever seen before.

  Déaþscúa stepped out from the car to greet them and was instantly taken into the arms of the lead warrior in a crushing bear-hug. He wore his hair and beard in intricate braids and the claymore across his back made even Déaþscúa’s blade look puny.

  “Déaþscúa! ‘Tis good te see ye. Ye has nae aged a flamin’ day. Ye come te partake in the skull crackin’?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world and you know it, Niall,” Déaþscúa laughed as he returned the larger man’s greeting. “How’re you holding up?”

  Niall beamed down at Déaþscúa. “Things are just gettin’ interestin’. There’s plenty o’ killin’ te be done each day. Annis took the fort and is gatherin’ forces there. We’d launch a full attack but she’s been assailing us each night. We’ve missed this kind of battle. Come, join us fe a few mugs of ale and we’ll fill ye in.”

  Déaþscúa nodded then knocked on the SUV’s window. KT and Kai climbed out and became the centre of attention among the group. The MacFeelans crowded around them, talking amongst themselves in low voices, their accents so thick that even the words that the teens heard were unintelligible.

  “MacFeelans, these are KT and Kai. They’re searching for family members taken by Annis. KT and Kai, these are the legendary MacFeelan clan. We have the head of the family, Niall and his five brothers Friseal, Garbhan, Sèitheach, Maon and Ailean. Let’s not forget Niall’s wife, Maridia either. There are a good number of cousins too but I’ll not overload you with names.”

  One of the men, Friseal, stepped closer to KT and reached out a hand. His hair was more blond than the others. She flinched back and Kai stepped between them. Friseal lowered his arm but continued to stare at her.

  “Is she o’ the pure blood?” he asked in a slow voice.

  Déaþscúa smiled at him and patted the man’s broad shoulder. “You don’t want to go after her, Friseal. She’d as soon castrate you as kiss you. She has too much fight in her to settle down now.”

  “Sounds perfect. Wife need te be strong to keep thick headed man alive and raise strong bairns.”

  Niall stepped up to his brother and led him away. “Donae ye worry, Fri. We’ll go te the city after all this is over and we’ll find ye a good strong lass.” His other brothers gathered around Friseal and took him inside the largest of the huts. Niall turned back to the teens and offered his hand to them both.

  “Sorry aboot young Friseal. He was bashed in the head by a troll as a toddler. Great fighter but hasnae got the wits of a grown man. He means well though.”

  They entered into a large hut beside the watch tower and were hit by a wall of sound. The building was packed with Scottish warriors, both male and female, all drinking heavily. Laughter and raised voices flooded the space. Niall led them to a gap on the longest of the tables and no sooner had they all seated themselves than frothing mugs were placed before them. Niall and Déaþscúa drank deeply before slamming the mugs down. Kai took a mouthful and nearly choked. Just the smell of it was making KT’s head feel light. Kai braced himself and continued to drink. He hated to look like the drink was too strong when the others were chugging it down like water. KT relented too and tried a few sips.

  Niall grinned at them both, seemingly enjoying their attempts at stomaching the ale. “That’s the spirit! We don’t bother wi’ any o’ that piss they sell in the shops. This is alcohol as nature intended.”

  “Brag about your brewing skills some other time.” Déaþscúa told him lightly. “Catch me up on events first.”

  Niall nodded and turned his attention back to the man. “We’ve been attacked nightly fer almost a week now. It isnae nothin’ we cannae handle but it’s wearin’ at our supplies and keeping’ us tied doown.”

  “And you’re sure it’s Annis? Gathering an army was never her style.”

  “Aye. We took some o’ the buggers captive and they said it was the blue skinned witch. She hasnae been hidin’ the fact. I think she wants us to ken she’s here. I just donae ken why. I fear she is tryin’ te use the curse somehow.”

  “You’re right,” said Déaþscúa in a grim tone. “She’s trying to get a lot of power fast. I think she has something big planned.”

  KT looked between the two men and the darkening sky outside the window. “What time do the attacks usually happen?”

  “Any time now,” Niall shrugged.

  “Should you all really be drinking if we’re on the edge of an attack?” Kai spluttered.

  Niall clapped him hard across the back. “O’ course we should. It fires up the blood and numbs us te any pain we may suffer.”

  A horn sounded nearby, its deep note cutting through the room’s banter like a knife. Every mug in the building was drained then slammed down as the warriors stood.

  “Speak o’ the devils,” Niall said as he drew his sword. “Lads and lasses, get te ye battlelines! Show these wee scunners the might of the MacFeelans!” The warriors cheered as they piled out of the hut in a rush of kilts, orange hair and steel.

  “Déaþscúa, we have a breech at the south o’ the camp we havenae patched yet. Take ye apprentices and keep it clear.”

  “Will do, so long as you help me,” Déaþscúa answered with a sly grin.

  “Yer a tough man te deal with, Déaþscúa. A fair man too though. Ye have me word. Now git oot there and spill some blood.”

  They stepped out of the building, Niall rushing to join his brothers while Déaþscúa motioned for KT and Kai to follow him south. The air was thick with snow, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. KT’s breath misted in her face, decreasing her vision yet further. Her eyes scanned the shadows but couldn’t make out any details.

  “Ready your pistols,” Déaþscúa ordered them as they took their position among a gaping hole in the wall littered with broken wood. “You won't have the vision to utilise longer ranged weapons and against goblins you don’t want to waste your heavier guns. Individually they're weak but don’t let them gang up on you. If I tell you to shoot something, combine your fire and take it down. Stay together no matter what.”

  KT held a single pistol in hands that she tried to stop from shaking. She peered through the darkness, flinching at every movement. She had seen what the goblins were capable of. She looked over at Kai. He too stood stiff with his larger pistol in a double grip.

  “Here they come,” Déaþscúa said softly.

  KT looked but couldn’t see anything. Then black shadows leapt from the snow veil and materialised into snarling gray creatures who ran with a loping gait on all fours. Déaþscúa shot. He was using his old revolver. A goblin crashed into the snow missing half of its face. KT fired and missed where she was aiming but clipped the beast behind in the knee. It fell and was trampled by those that followed. There were so many of them.

  All three of them had opened fire now, bullets slamming into flesh in a barrage of thunderous death. KT’s pistol clicked weakly. It was out of ammo. The goblins were close now. She fumbled with her second pistol, dropping the first in the process. Kai was reloading, his face set in a snarl to match any of the goblins.

  The next thing KT knew she was on her back in a silent world. Pain flared through her then sound returned to her in a tidal wave of pure noise. She rolled over to see a new hole in the wall. Fire burned everywhere. She blinked. Were there men emerging from the smoke? Men with guns and a rocket launcher?

  She scrambled away as the rocket launcher fired again, blowing up one of the huts in an explosion of dagger-like splinters. The goblins used this distraction to swarm the defenders. KT could see the MacFeelans taking what cover there was to exchange fire with the men while trying to hold back the goblins. They had hunting rifles to complement
their brutish melee weapons and used them with deadly expertise. Glowing lights flashed bright through the night as magic joined the blades and bullets.

  The ground was churned up around her in sprays of dirt as bullets flew. Kai charged at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind the closest hut. He holstered the pistol and drew the shotgun. There was a fire in his eyes that KT hadn’t seen for a long time. All of his fear, nerves and anger were just fuel to him now. It was as though he belonged here.

  He dashed out into the open. KT cursed but followed him without hesitation. The mini-launcher was in her hands and her eyes were searching out the men in the snow. She hammered the trigger and explosions blazed a trail of destruction. Bullets slammed all around her. She dove behind a pile of debris an instant before it was pitted by dozens of singed holes. She raised the weapon and continued to fire, rolling from her cover to get a better shot at the men on her other side. She could see Kai still running through the snow and smoke. The men were more occupied by her and the hellfire she was raining upon them.

  A strange exhilaration coursed through her. She felt sickened by the blood and death, but deeper down a different sickness was filling her. A sickness that she was enjoying it. Her heart pounded and adrenaline flooded her system in a way that she had never experienced before that night at the lodge. She could die at any second but at this very moment she was gloriously alive.

  Something slammed into her shoulder and threw off her aim. A group of goblins flew through the air where her rocket exploded. Another impact stabbed into her calf, jolting her leg back, then more pain jolted through her chest. She hit the ground with no breath in her lungs. She struggled to gain a gasp of air but little more than a thin wheeze made it through.

  From where she lay she could see Kai close with the gunmen. With KT down they now turned their attention back to him. The first swung his gun around to face Kai but was too late to react as the teen slammed his gun’s butt into the man’s face. He stumbled to the side then sprinted at the rocketeer. The man panicked and fired. Kai skidded below the projectile, sliding through the snow between the man’s legs where he lifted the shotgun and fired. The man collapsed, dropping the launcher with a hellish scream.