“I don’t think that will make any difference,” said Kirby, stating the obvious.
“I know. I just hope it will be enough to get its attention.”
Cait picked up the radio and tried desperately to reach the others. “Drew, are you and the others okay? Come in, Drew. Can you hear me?”
Through the static interference she could barely make out Drew’s voice. Most of his words were garbled, but she clearly made out three words before the signal died. While they were almost inaudible, she heard them with more clarity in her soul than any other words that were ever spoken. “I love you!” said Drew through the static. She knew some greater power allowed her to hear and feel these words as she had. She was sure that it was the same power that, three years before, had allowed Tom to tell her he had passed from her life. She prayed this wasn’t Drew’s way of saying goodbye. She thought of the same constant that she knew ran through everything if you just opened your heart to it. The endless river of love that flowed through the universe was pouring over her, giving her comfort.
“You aren’t going to get a signal on that thing, Cait. They’re too far now.”
Cait smiled as she snapped off the radio. “I know.”
The creature now began to emerge from the giant pool of liquid rock. Its tentacles reached out to help pull it from the broken earth. Its red eyes looked around for its prey as it finally emerged from deep below the earth. Gene knew instantly when he looked into its devilish eyes that this was indeed the same creature he’d faced in the coal mine in Pennsylvania. Cait looked as if she was going to pass out as the image of Corrado filled her brain. He was laughing, as this was his ally, the minion he was able to convince to follow him, and it was going to do his bidding no matter what Adrian decided. He wanted her to know exactly what would take her life before it happened.
“Cait. What’s wrong?” asked Kirby, seeing his daughter’s distress.
“This is Corrado’s doing, Father, not Adrian’s. This isn’t the awakening, at least not yet. This is more like revenge, from what I can feel. It will follow Corrado’s commands no matter what. It’s here for us, and then it will emerge and begin to destroy. We have to find a way to stop it.”
“For right now, let’s see if we can get its attention,” said Gene, pulling the pin from the grenade as he tossed it forward. The explosion was almost lost to the sound of the shaking that was still taking place as rock fell from the roof of the tunnel with an ear- shattering crash. He quickly pulled the pin on a second grenade, and this one did the trick. The creature turned and caught sight of Gene shining the spotlight directly at it. The monster had seen this creature before, and it had escaped. In its simple mind, it knew only one thing: this tiny creature would not escape again. With surprising speed, it began to pursue the Raptor as Gene pushed the pedal to the floor. Its mouth opened, and fire shot out as its growl shook the ground even more violently.
“Hang on everyone, and get ready with that box!” Gene shouted.
***
Drew and the others hadn’t said a word to one another as they sped off. It was Antonio who broke the silence first.
“What will we do, Drew? I don’t think we can outrun it.”
“I don’t know, Antonio. All right? I’m not Gene, and I don’t have all of the answers.”
“I think we have another problem,” said Don as lights began to approach in the distance.
“Oh shit! The mercenaries,” said Antonio.
Drew brought the Raptor to a stop. “Well, if either of you have any ideas, now’s the time.”
“Maybe we can reason with them—tell them what’s coming,” said Don as he fumbled for his weapon.
“Sorry, I don’t think they would believe us.”
The sound of the engines was deafening as the dirt bikes surrounded them and the ATVs pulled in front of them, blocking their path. A man jumped from his seat with his rifle aimed directly at Drew’s head. It was the same man Corrado had promised to reward for bringing them back dead.
“Well, look what we have here. Where are your friends?” the man asked.
“What friends?” answered Drew as he and the others were pulled violently from the Raptor. “We’re just off for a little joyride.”
“Shut up! Tell me where they are before I put a bullet in your head,” said the man as he smashed the butt of his rifle against the roll bar just over Drew’s head.
“Look, I don’t expect you guys to believe me, but if we don’t get the hell out of here now, we’re all going to die. I’m sure you’ve noticed that your boss isn’t exactly human, or has the smell of money blinded you to it? There’s a creature coming this way, and it will kill us all! Or didn’t he bother to tell you that?”
Several of the men looked at one another suspiciously since their doubts about Corrado were indeed strong. The leader quickly intervened before his men were shaken further.
“These men are going to be rewarded handsomely for delivering you and your friends, so save your breath. Where’s the woman, and where’s the silver box?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Drew unconvincingly.
“You don’t know, huh?” said the man now aiming his gun at Antonio.
“How did you get away, little man? I thought you’d be dead by now,” he said as he and the other men laughed.
“Listen to me,” pleaded Antonio. “Corrado Valente is lying to all of you. You saw what he did to me. He doesn’t have any intention of paying you a dime.”
The man struck Antonio across the face with the back of his hand and now aimed his sights on Don.
“You—fat boy,” he shouted as the others once again laughed. “Do you know where the others are?”
Don pulled a grenade from his pocket and pulled the pin, holding the handle tightly.
“Hey ugly, who are you calling fat boy?” said Don as the others took up positions behind him.
***
“It’s catching us, Gene, We have to go faster!” yelled Kirby as he looked out from the rear seat.
Cait looked at the speedometer and could see they were already approaching one hundred twenty miles per hour. She heard a faint beeping coming from a small device below her feet.
“What is this, Gene? It’s making a noise.” She held up the small device.
Gene was trying hard not to lose his concentration as the creature pursued them relentlessly. It was still over one hundred yards away but closing fast.
“Unfortunately, something tripped the motion sensors. There’s no way they made it that far yet, so we either have more of these things coming, or those mercenaries have caught up. Under the circumstances, I don’t think it’s going to make any difference. If I’m right, this thing will be heading their way shortly anyway.”
Cait was sad with the implications that his statement carried with it. Yes, Corrado’s men would be killed, but most likely so would Drew and the others. She was jolted back to reality by the evasive maneuver Gene had to use to avoid a small hole in the tunnel floor. Any imperfection in the ground at this speed could be deadly, and Gene was using every bit of his concentration to avoid them.
“We can’t keep this up much longer, Gene. We’ll surely be killed if you lose control. We have to use it, now,” shouted Kirby above the engine’s noise.
“No, Father. We have to buy Drew and the others more time to get away,” pleaded Cait desperately.
“You can see how fast it is. Their fate is now in God’s hands. We have to keep our mind focused on the bigger picture. We have to reach the tomb, or none of this makes any difference.”
“Kirby’s right,” said Gene “Get ready to open the box on my signal. There’s nothing more we can do. Everyone hold on!”
The creature saw its prey now only fifty yards ahead. It reached out with its giant tentacles to try and pull it closer but missed the target as it wa
s still too far away. It longed to destroy as it had always done. It was created by Adrian for this purpose out of the sheer hatred he once had for all of his Father’s creations. Eons of waiting were over. Corrado had seen to it, and he would repay him by destroying these small things in its path.
The Raptor turned suddenly, slid to a stop, and faced the mighty beast.
“Now, Kirby! Open it now! Hurry!”
Kirby’s aged hands once again fumbled with the box as he tried to open it. It slipped for a moment between his legs as he struggled to grab it.
“Hurry, Father!” screamed Cait.
The creature was seconds from reaching the Raptor with its fiery breath when the familiar white light flooded the tunnel. The screams of the beast shook the ground as it fought to push forward. It didn’t understand pain. It only knew how to destroy and follow orders, but its instinct took over. The creature turned swiftly, burning out tons of rock and reducing it to a sea of red liquid as it fled back through the tunnel.
Gene and Cait looked back at Kirby, who was sweating profusely and using the old handkerchief to wipe his forehead.
“You had me worried,” said Cait, holding her father’s hand.
“Yes, my dear. I had myself worried for a minute there.”
“Nice job, Kirby. I never doubted you for a second,” said Gene, rolling his eyes. They all laughed for a few seconds until the reality set in that their friends would be the next to have to face this beast, but they’d have nothing to protect them. Without another word, they continued forward to find Khaheet’s tomb.
***
Don continued to hold up the grenade, showing all of the men surrounding them.
“Don’t do anything hasty, fat boy,” the man said as he trained his sights on Don, who walked cautiously back toward the Raptor.
“You shoot me, and you’re all dead, so just shut up and listen. I don’t care if you believe us or not, but in a few minutes something nasty is going to be coming through that tunnel. I, for one, don’t plan on being here, so you tell your men to back off and let us go.”
“Nobody do a thing. Everyone hold your fire,” shouted the man as he motioned for his men to stand down.
“Yeah that’s right, back off!” said Don to the man blocking their way back to the Raptor. He and the others got back inside as the ground began to shake savagely.
“We have to go!” shouted Don. “Get us the hell out of here.”
“You read my mind,” said Drew, hitting the throttle as the red glow began to fill up the tunnel. Antonio looked back to see the mercenaries scrambling to their vehicles as the ground thundered underneath them. Soon there were headlights following close behind them as they pursued or fled; he wasn’t sure.
“That was a good move back there,” said Antonio.
“Thanks,” said Don. “I must be spending too much time with my asshole friend, Gino. He’s rubbing off on me.”
“Why don’t you put the pin back in that thing?” said Drew.
“Oh, shit. I almost forgot,” said Don as he nervously slid the pin back in the grenade’s safety handle.
“That thing is approaching awful fast. Can’t we move any faster!” asked Antonio.
“I have it to the floor now. I have an idea, but it hinges on those assholes back there being a little closer. It’ll be close. We’re almost back there. I just hope I don’t miss it. I think it might be our only chance.”
The red glow from the beast was now overtaking them on both walls as it closed in on them. Don looked back and could see the frightened faces of the men on the dirt bikes. They were clearly trying to escape and no longer cared about anything but that. They heard the screams of the men in the slower vehicles as the creature overtook them. The first vehicle was incinerated as the beast reached out with its flaming tentacles, slicing it in two. The second vehicle tried desperately to outrun its pursuer, only to have a wall of fire overtake it. The men screamed as they burned, but only for a few seconds as the monster overran them.
“Oh, God. Drew, it’s almost here! We have to do something!” screamed Antonio desperately.
“Hang on. This is it!”
The men on the dirt bikes had pulled within ten feet of the Raptor and were flanking either side. Drew saw it up ahead and fought to keep the nose of the vehicle straight.
“Kill all the lights, front and back. Maybe it won’t see us. Quickly Don!”
Don hit the switches on the front panel, turning off the lights. The men on the dirt bikes looked puzzled as the Raptor went dark and then disappeared before them. The creature saw the glow of the taillights ahead of him. He would not be denied his chance to destroy, not again. He reached out and grabbed the first man. As his flesh sizzled, he screamed before the blood in his body boiled and he was pulled into the creature’s mouth. The second man tried to go faster but lost control and was consumed by the creature before he hit the ground. He knew there was one more, but he couldn’t see the small creatures anymore. He moved faster through the massive tunnel created by his master’s most trusted servant. He was no longer restrained but free to destroy at his own will. Corrado had given him that. Soon he would emerge from the earth and feed his insatiable lust for destruction.
Chapter 22
The Raptor rolled quietly to the edge of the great abyss as Cait turned off the engine.
“I don’t see a way around.”
“We have to be ready for anything, I’m going to scout out around the edges and see if I can find a way around to the other side.”
“Be careful, Gene. We’re close now. I can feel it.”
Gene nodded as he snapped on the light on his gun and walked into the darkness. Both Cait and Kirby stepped out to assess the massive hole that blocked their path.
“We knew we were going to have to deal with this eventually, Cait.”
“I know. This tunnel is much bigger. This was created by the creature in my vision that stood with Adrian over Egypt,” said Cait somberly.
“This is what mankind was meant never to find. Those beasts are down there waiting for the command to destroy. This is why he forced them to build the Great Pyramid and protect his secret. The tomb must be very close now.”
Cait knelt down and put her hands over her eyes. Kirby could see the sorrow beginning to set in on his daughter.
“I know how you feel, my dear. I’m scared for our friends too. Drew is a good man, and he loves you very much. He always has, Cait.”
“So you knew all this time?”
“Yes, I knew. I think just about everyone knew except for you.”
“I feel like a fool. How many years have I wasted brooding over Tom? I was feeling sorry for myself for so long.”
“You are no fool, Cait. I never told you this, but after your mother died, I was in a state of depression for many years. You had your work to keep you busy so you never knew. When we love others, it takes time to let them go. Drew knew this, which is probably why he never pushed you for anything more.”
Kirby hugged Cait, and she couldn’t help but feel safe and secure in his arms as she always had as a child. He kissed her softly on the forehead just as he had when she was a little girl. It still made her feel safe after all these years.
As Gene surveyed the giant opening, he found more human bones scattered around the right side of the rocky ledge.
“Cait. Kirby. Come over here,” shouted Gene.
They quickly released their embrace and walked to where he was examining something on the ground.
“What is it?” asked Kirby.
“It looks like more of our Egyptian friends. Charred bones that seem to lead over there,” said Gene as he aimed the light toward the far right side of the abyss. He stood and slowly walked, following the ghostly trail of carnage to what looked like a dead end at the edge of the tunnel wall.
“What now?” asked Cait a
s Gene walked closer, again shining the light in all directions. He knelt down and peered over the side as he had back in the mine in Pennsylvania. For a moment he flashed back to the horrific scene and once again heard the primal screams of the men who were incinerated right before him. Panic began to build in his gut; he’d felt it before many times, usually before a dangerous mission. He often laughed at his friends who thought he was indestructible and felt no anxiety over such things. He’d always try to explain that these feelings were human, and there was no turning them off. The difference, he’d explain, was that he and those so specially trained can control those feelings and use them to their advantage or to the detriment of their enemy. It was always the guys who pretended not to feel anything that he thought were full of shit, and more often than not they failed or died before the others. If there was ever a time to keep his emotions in check and use them to save his life and the lives of the others, he thought, this was it.
“Looks like our friends found a way around,” said Gene, shining the light out over the opening, exposing the jagged narrow path that seemed to hug the edge and lead to the other side.
“That’s impossible. It’s six, maybe eight, inches wide. We’d never make that.”
“I disagree,” said Cait with renewed energy. “Thousands of slaves obviously made it across from the other side with no equipment. If they did it, so can we.”
“I’m glad you feel that confident because I can’t see all the way to the other side,” said Gene, still trying to assess the situation.
“Look. We’ve come this far, and this is apparently our only way around. I say we load up what we need and start moving on foot. We have to be close now, and we don’t have much time. The Great Pyramid must be directly above us now; the entrance to Khaheet’s tomb has to be on the other side.”
Gene led them back to the Raptor and immediately started loading backpacks with explosives, food rations, and water.
“We have to make sure we bring enough C-4 to get the job done. One way or another, I have a feeling there will be no coming back this way,” said Gene as he handed a backpack to Kirby.
The Awakening Page 21