Cry For Tomorrow (29 page)

Keeping a tight grip on the sled and whispering reassurances to Dusty, I studied the building we’d arrived in. There was a long, low-roof overhead and it was open on all four sides.

“Looks like a bus or airport terminal on our world, doesn’t it?” said Ben as he swam close to give me a hand with the sled.

“Yes, well, except for those,” I laughed and nodded at the dozens of transport tubes like the one we’d traveled through that were scattered across the surface of the large pool of water that comprised the center of the building. The water was filled with swimmers that were moving between the tubes and the surrounding deck, evidently arriving or departing in the same manner as our own party.

When we reached the side of the pool, Ben and I followed Orin up a ramp to the surrounding deck before releasing the squirming dog from her captivity. Dusty’s legs seemed a little shaky but she happily greeted Kelly and Jennie and even licked Ralph’s slippery head for good measure.

My legs felt just as shaky as the dog’s and I didn’t mind a bit when Ben wrapped one arm around my waist to steady me.

“Wow! What
was
that thing back there?” Kelly demanded as she joined us. “I thought it had you guys for a minute there.”

“Orin! Was that what I think it was?” demanded Rainor as he strode toward us.

“‘Fraid so. I haven’t seen a gar-shark this close to land in years,” Orin’s face was definitely two shades paler than what it had been. “We need to warn City Security so they can send a maintenance team down there. It’s not going to take long before it rips through the tube.”

As if on cue, a pair of men wearing uniforms of deep blue sarongs cinched at the waist by leather weapons belts appeared on the dock, hurrying in our direction. I was relieved to see that they were each well armed with sheathed knifes and holstered tasers as well as the spears they carried.

“Rainor! We picked up flack from the steeds—they’re squealing about a breach. Is this so?” demanded the larger, dark-haired man.

“Graemer! Glad you’re here.” Rainor clasped the man by his shoulder. “You heard right.
A gar-shark hit the tube about two miles out and tracked us to the Elbow. He’s trapped in the globes not more than half a mile from the City. You need to send an armed team—” The transport station erupted in an explosion of water and screams from the people running or swimming in every direction.

“Shark! Run for your lives!”

People that had been casually swimming were now splashing onto the deck as fast as they could. Most paused to help their traveling companions to safety before running from the building, but there were still dozens of people milling about in panic both in the water and on the deck when the gar-shark raised its blunt nose from the water.

Charging a small cluster of stragglers, it snatched a woman floundering at the edge of the pool and crushed her in its jaws before tossing the body into the water. Ignoring the steeds jumping and dashing about the length of the pool, the gar-shark began swimming the perimeter. With its head and bloody jaws still held above the water and its eyes tracking the human prey scrambling about on the deck, the shark headed toward a low ramp at one end where an assortment of crates and wrapped packages were stacked to one side.

With one effortless lunge, the creature lumbered up the ramp on four stumpy legs and mounted the deck. The thick, muscular tail thrashed from side to side, knocking packages and crates into the water as it scuttled after the frightened people still trying to get out of the depot.

Deciding that the guards were more experienced and better equipped than we were to deal with these creatures, I grabbed Kelly by a hand and was hurrying after Jennie and Jake in the direction of the nearest exit when Kelly jerked against my grip, screaming.

“It’s got Ralph!” she shrieked. Snatching her arm free, she shrugged out of her backpack and was running back to help the frogg before I could stop her.

Snagged by the tip of the gar-shark’s tail, Ralph had been sent rolling across the deck in a tangle of fat legs. He came to a stop a few feet behind the shark, where, too stunned or frightened to get back to his feet and run, he’d curled up and lay motionless.

My throat was too tight with fear to even scream my sister’s name when I ran after, my eyes locked on her darting figure as she ducked behind a thick support pillar.

“Over here!” I shouted as I jumped into plain sight to draw the creature’s attention to me. It worked! I threw a quick look behind me as I darted across the deck away from the frogg and Kelly.

Kelly barely waited until the shark lunged after me before darting in and grabbing the frogg by one leg. She dragged him clear and into cover before the gar-shark even knew she was there.

I circled back, putting several pillars between me and the gar-shark before rejoining my sister. “Kelly! Are you out of your mind?” Taking her by an arm and the frogg by a wrinkle in its skin, I dragged them further away from the creature’s path and toward the opposite side of the building. I didn’t even bother to reprimand her when she reached for the straps of her pack as we hurried past, running for the relative safety of the door leading to the outside.

When I decided we were well clear of the gar-shark’s path, I pushed Kelly and my pack into Jennie’s arms. “Stay out of the way and let the guards do their job!” I warned my sister.

“Halie, no,” gasped Jennie when she realized that I intended to go back.

“I’ve got to, Jen.” I shook my head at her and held up a hand to warn her not to follow.
What if Ben is hurt? And what would happen to our mission if Rainor were killed?

Careful not to attract the attention of the rampaging gar-shark, I eased in behind one of the support pillars where I could safely watch the two men as they joined the security police in their efforts to drive the creature back into the water. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Dusty slid into me from behind. Jennie pantomimed
I’m sorry
when I shot her an angry look. I really did not want the dog so close to the action. Patting her head, I pulled Dusty close to keep her quiet as I returned to watching the men.

Twice I saw Rainor close in, firing his weapon at the gar-shark’s head, but it was having only a minimal effect. The creature’s thick hide seemed to be providing some protection from to the electronic weapon fire. My back was to the pool and my attention on the men when the water erupted in another spout, drenching us in cold water. The temperature of the water was not what made my blood turn to ice—it was the sight of a second gar-shark, nearly as large as the first. Rising from the water, it ambled up the ramp only a few yards away.

Alerted by my screams and Dusty’s furious barking, Rainor and Ben both turned to face the new attack. They repeatedly fired their weapons at the gar-shark, but nothing seemed to slow its determined pace.

Seeing that the men were in deep trouble, the man called Graemer joined them, using his spear to stab at the beast’s side. Unfortunately, the razor-sharp tip left only a shallow cut in the shark’s tough hide.

Taking advantage of the distraction the other men were providing, Orin snatched a discarded spear from the deck and joined him, darting close enough to slash its soft underside. Enraged by the wound, the gar-shark turned and charged, managing to rake Graemer’s bare leg with its long claws before he could jump out of the way.

“Hey! Over here!” Ben shouted, jumping and waving his arms to draw the wounded shark’s attention. When the beast immediately responded, charging after his tormentor, Orin and Rainor grabbed Graemer’s arms and began dragging him out of range.

Distracted by the battle, I must have loosened my grip on Dusty’s collar. She jumped and twisted and she was free. Excited by the scent of blood, she darted across the deck to join the battle.

“
Dusty! No!”
I screamed, but she completely ignored my call. Darting in, she snapped at the gar-shark’s legs and underbelly before ducking away to return again. Terrified that she was going to be killed, I ran after her.

Employing the hit and run strategy that was natural to the dog, she repeated her attack, biting at the shark’s exposed legs before darting under the swinging tail and coming back on the opposite side. But this time the dog misjudged and the tip of the shark’s long tail caught her in the side.

Yelping in pain, Dusty was sent rolling under the gar-shark’s belly.

The scream of fear lodged in my throat felt like a chunk of ice, choking me, but the energy surging through my hands was causing sparks to fly from the white hot metal of the sword gripped between them.

Fortunately the gar-shark’s attention had returned to the wounded man being dragged away from it, and it didn’t see the dog, or me closing in on it. I was drawing the sword back to strike when, without so much as a snarl of warning, the shark turned and lunged, teeth and claws reaching for me. I ducked under its awkward, short-armed slash, and stabbed up, aiming for the dull black eye.

Putting all one-hundred and ten pounds of me and all of the terror I was feeling behind the strike, I drove the white-hot tip of my sword into the eye and
pushed
, hoping to hit the gar-shark’s pea-sized brain.

For one terrible moment, I was afraid that I had failed. The gar-shark twisted, trying to free itself from the pain, but I didn’t dare release my grip on the sword. I held on for as long as I could but it was jerked from my hands.

I jumped back and out of range barely in time to avoid the gar-shark’s blindly swinging head and claws. Exhausted, I tried to draw a breath but was brought to my knees, gagging and coughing on air permeated with the thick, rancid odor of the shark’s burned flesh. When Dusty slammed into my side, panting and licking my face, I grabbed her collar to keep her from returning to the wounded shark.

“Yeah,
now
you’re worried about me!” I rasped breathlessly. Wrapping my hand tightly in the dog’s collar, I staggered to my feet.

Blinded by pain, the gar-shark continued to stumble about for several minutes before it finally collapsed to the deck. I waited until its death throes had ebbed to mere tremors before daring to grab the hilt of my sword. Reluctantly I released the dog’s collar to free my other hand.

It took both hands and considerable effort, but I finally managed to jerk the blade free. I did not intend to be deprived of my only weapon.

“Good work!” Ben whispered in my ear as he put an arm around my waist. “Are you two okay?”

“Yes,” I croaked in surprise. He’d scared me half to death, sneaking up behind me like that. “I’m just fine, and so is she!” I nodded my head at the dog quietly wagging her tail-feathers at my feet. Embarrassed, I cut my gaze to his face. I was surprised to catch a flash of a smile and amusement in his twinkling blue eyes. Before I could say anything else, he gave me a quick hug and was gone to help the wounded guard.

“Graemer, are you going to be all right?” he asked as he helped him to his feet.

“It’s just a flesh wound,” the guard growled as he retrieved his spear. “We’ve got to kill the other one before it can make its way into the city.” He refused Ben’s help as he limped toward the battle still being waged with the first shark.

The guards had managed to slow the gar-shark down enough to allow most of the people to escape the building, but it was looking like their efforts to contain it were going to fail, until reinforcements finally arrived.

Rising like wraiths from a mist, the newcomers leapt from the water pool, propelled by the long fins that were part of their feet. They looked almost human until you actually focused on their features. Their eyes were large and bulbous and set too far to the sides of their faces and their mouths were too large, but that was only to contain the longer-than-human pointed teeth. Some had hair of a deep sea-green, others had dark, golden hair and all had a crest of iridescent turquoise rising from the center of their foreheads and running the length of their heads and backs. They each wore only a basic loin cloth that left the rest of their scaled bodies naked. The males had well-muscled torsos, legs and arms, and so did the women, who were distinguished only by their slightly smaller builds and small breasts. Best of all, they each came armed with spears and tridents rather than the useless taser weapons.

“Sil warriors. I was hoping they would get the call,” Rainor said with relief. “Stay back and give them room to do their job!” he warned us as he and the security guards also backed away from the gar-shark to give the new arrivals the space to deal with it.

Interpreting the sudden retreat of the humans as weakness, the shark closed in, its voracious gaze roving over us like a hungry man inspecting a steak dinner, until it encountered the tall Sil warriors. Unlike the sharks I was familiar with, there was intelligence and recognition in the dull, black eyes
.
The creature snorted water from its gills and nostrils and began weaving its great head back and forth, teeth gnashing and snapping. Gathering its feet under its belly, it spun around, lashing at us with its long tail in one last attack before making a desperate run for the water.

Unfortunately, Graemer’s partner had foolishly positioned himself between the gar-shark and the pool. Only his quick reflexes kept him from being trampled.

The humans were more than willing to give the creature the room to return to the water, but not the Sil. They had plainly come to fight and had no intention of letting their quarry escape so easily. With a speed and grace it was hard to believe from creatures with such long, webbed feet, they leapt into the gar-shark’s path, stabbing and thrusting with their spears and tridents.

Forced to fight or die, the shark reared back so that it was balanced upright on its back legs and tail. It slashed with deadly claws and teeth at them, but the Sil were fearless. They quickly closed with the beast. An expertly thrown spear struck the shark, the serrated edges of the head slicing through the hide and muscle under its exposed rib cage. Staggering, it roared in pain as the Sil moved in for the kill. The barbed prongs of their tridents easily pierced the thick hide.