Hybrid (45 page)
Margaret shook her head. “Brawn before brains—that does sound like Erik,” she whispered.
“See!” Brianna accused. “You wouldn't believe me.”
“He was escorted by two young women,” the Major continued, “one who had been with him since he had been admitted.” The Captain then mumbled something about purple hair.
“Shanda!” Margaret and Brianna spoke simultaneously.
“What else did your father say, child?” the Major asked intently.
“He said that we should go with the soldiers because Lisa needed medical treatment; he said that he was going to take care of those creatures,” Brianna replied.
“Interesting,” the Major mumbled. “But how can one man hope to succeed where we've failed?”
“If you saw him, you wouldn't have to ask,” one of the children spoke up. “The rock that those things put in front of their cave entrance had to weigh tons, and he just smashed through it like it was made out of cardboard. Plus, he's huge, bigger than the biggest body builder—”
“That's enough,” the Major snapped, cutting the child off in mid-sentence. As he turned back toward his men, Ross looked over at the Pendletons and knew that soon this tent would be filled with parents. He gestured to the Captain to follow him outside. “Stay with the children, Corporal,” Ross ordered as he left the tent, his assistant right on his heels. Both men walked back to their command center.
* * * *
Major Ross sat behind the small desk in the command tent and stared hard at his second in command. “What's your take on this whole thing, Bill?”
“I don't know, sir,” the Captain replied honestly. “But if somebody told me yesterday that we'd lose forty armed men to some strange creatures in some backwater hick town, I'd have said they were smoking crack.”
The Major chuckled as he considered what each child had said. “Every kid said the same thing: there's some massive cavern up there on the top of that mountain, and somebody just went through a great deal of time and effort to seal it up forever.”
“I think that it's safe to assume that whomever sealed the cavern up are the same people responsible for unearthing it in the first place. From the way the Knight child was talking, it seemed as though they were walking through a mining tunnel of some sort,” the Captain added.
“I think that it wouldn't be too far a leap to assume that whoever dug that tunnel freed those things from the chamber they were sealed in,” the Major replied, picking up where the Captain left off.
“I agree.” The Captain nodded. “The question is who? From what our records show, that area is state conservation land. Nobody should be doing anything up there.”
“True.” Ross nodded. “But apparently, somebody wasn't paying attention to the rules, or felt that they were above the rules. Either way, that's not our mess. I just want our boys out of there so we can regroup and get some more sophisticated tracking equipment. I'd like some sophisticated IR goggles, and some heat-seeking LAWS Rockets for the next group that tangles with those bastards.” Ross noticed the Captain shaking his head. “Okay, what's wrong, Bill? I know that telltale shaking of your noggin.”
“What do you make of that whole Erik Knight thing? I can't make it add up. If he is alive, and the hospital claims that he is, how did he get up miles and miles of woodland, before our men, and why didn't these things take him out the way they've been killing our boys?” he pondered. “And what's with him becoming all silvery? I think we can assume that he was normal-looking when he left the hospital. I can't imagine somebody's skin becoming silver and growing in body mass as details likely to be omitted from a hospital report.”
“I don't know,” the Major replied. “That's just another mystery that we need to solve. I can't believe that the children just simply made him up. Somebody had to have freed them from the mine; it's unlikely that they could have escaped themselves and dragged the other child behind them in a pitch black tunnel.” Ross smacked his hands together. “No! Didn't the earlier police reports say that Knight fought these things earlier, both in the woods and in the youth park, and then again at the schoolyards?”
“Yes,” Bill answered.
“In those reports, didn't they all say that the creatures had glowing eyes, like the children said that Knight now has?” the Major questioned.
“Yes” the Captain answered again.
“Then somehow Knight is tied into this whole equation, tied in directly with these creatures, maybe even infected by one of them during their previous encounters. That could explain his remarkable recovery and the mutated skin. If we can find him, we'll most likely get all the answers we need,” the Major added.
“Or,” the Captain countered, “Knight was never there. The children managed to free themselves and concocted the whole story.”
“Do you think that that's likely, Bill?”
“No, sir. It's just another possibility. As long as we're postulating, we may as well throw out all the possibilities.”
“No, I don't think so. I think they were rescued by Mr. Knight. As far as the silver skin and pulverizing tons of rock, I'll ascribe that to overactive imaginations. Somewhere out there,” the Major gestured toward the direction of Hopedale Mountain, “Knight is wandering around, looking for a rematch, no doubt. If we could just get him here, get our hands on him....”
“Excuse me, sir,” the Captain asked. “Just how are we supposed to find Erik Knight in over seventy-plus square miles of woodlands?”
“We won't have to,” the Major answered as he lit a cigar and began puffing on it. “He'll come to us, eventually. We have his daughter, and if Erik Knight wants to get her back, he'll have to come to us.”
“What about the girl's legal guardians, her mother and stepfather?” the Captain questioned.
“What about them? Their daughter has been exposed to some unknown creatures; God knows what kinds of strange bacteria or germs the children have been in contact with. They must all be quarantined in a biohazard facility as soon as possible. Extensive tests must be conducted to assure that they are all safe. Her parents have been exposed to their daughter; if we have to, we'll lock them in a med lab too. We'll get our answers, Captain. One way or another, we'll get our answers,” the Major added with a dramatic pause. “Don't you think?”
“That's a hell of a shaky card to play,” the Captain responded to the Major's underlying threats. “Pendelton is no ordinary yokel.”
“True,” Ross agreed, “but we've got the backing of an entire federal bureaucracy behind us. I don't want to keep them too long, just long enough to draw Mr. Knight to us.” Ross paused. “If it comes down to that,” he quickly amended.
“Major, what you're suggesting is a violation of several military laws pertaining to civilian relations and abuse of federal power,” the Captain responded in a curt military demeanor.
“Shove it, Bill. I lost forty men in this jerkwater town—forty good men, men with wives and families. That's a lot of condolence calls to make. I want to know why they died, for what reason, and exactly what killed them. I can't ask those godforsaken creatures, but I can ask Knight. I'll get my answers. I owe it to those men and to their families. To Hell with regulations. Am I clear, Captain?” Ross added, emphasizing his second's lower rank.
“Yes, sir, Major,” the Captain replied tersely, emphasizing his disapproval with his vocal tone.
“Look, Bill,” Ross began in a softer tone, “I'm just going to bend the usual protocol slightly. I don't plan on trampling over these people and I don't want to cause the child any more stress than the poor kid has already had. But an exam is required for all the children by one of our doctors. We owe it to our men to get to the bottom of this. I need you with me on this. Can I count on you?”
The Captain nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I'm in. We do owe the families of our fallen something, and Knight seems to be the man of the hour today. Let's just hope he doesn't join the list of deceased before the day is over with.”
Chapter 17
Hopedale Park Army Encampment, 8:16 p.m.
The last of the Army search party had reported in and darkness settled upon the base encampment. The Red Cross tent was now filled with parents and children, excluding the parents of Lisa Reynolds, whom the Army was in the process of contacting.
Lisa Reynolds had been taken by ambulance to the local hospital for treatment of shock and dehydration. Brianna Knight, with help from the other children, had told and retold the story of their experiences and terrors at the mercy of both creatures, and how they were rescued, to a captive audience of parents and soldiers alike. Included in the audience of listeners were Shanda Kerwick and Alissa Penney. Margaret had vouched for both women when they arrived upon hearing word of Brianna's rescue.
Shanda sat by herself outside the tent, staring up at the dark morass that was the looming mountain.
“Can we talk?” a voice called out, breaking Shanda's solitude.
She turned to see Margaret Pendelton. “Sure.” Shanda gestured the woman toward the bench she was sitting on.
“I know you've been questioned already, and I know you and your friend weren't exactly forthcoming with information. That's all right,” she added quickly. “But now I'm going to ask you, between just the two of us—lover and ex-lover of Erik Knight—what happened to him? Was it really him up there? Is Brianna telling the truth? Or is she just in denial about her father?”
Shanda turned away from Margaret and stared back up at the mountain looming like an ominous giant in the darkness. She considered the question for fifteen seconds before answering. “Yes. It was Erik,” she whispered. “What's left of him.”
Margaret shook her head. “I'm sorry, you said ‘what's left of him'?”
“I can't explain it to you. You wouldn't understand, nor would you believe it. He sacrificed all that he was to save his daughter. He sacrificed any chance we ever had of being together. I lost the man I loved,” she replied bitterly. “I can never have him back the way he was. Right now, for all I know, he's engaged in some life or death struggle with those monsters alone up there. If he dies up there, he'll die alone, and if he lives through the battle and is victorious, he'll still be alone.
“If you believe that there is some deity that watches over humanity, you'd better pray that Erik wins, because his death will herald the end of our race as we know it, and the end of humans being the dominant species on this planet. Those things will use us all like cattle,” she concluded as tears streamed down her face. “That's all I can tell you, I'm sorry. Brianna spoke the truth; what she saw was Erik—what he's become, what he's always been on the inside.”
“Dear God,” Margaret whispered. “I'm so sorry.” She put her arm around Shanda's shoulder as she wept.
The two women sat quietly, staring at the mountaintop nestled underneath the evening starlight. Shanda suddenly felt a faint tingling inside her head, and then her body began to shudder involuntarily.
“Oh my God!” she whispered to Margaret. “Erik must have lost; those creatures are here, nearby.”
“How can you tell?” Margaret replied as she peered into the darkness.
Behind them, they heard several screams of shock and panic. Both women turned to see a patch of blackness, blacker than the surrounding night, spread throughout the Army encampment. A nearby soldier screamed with horror as a black claw reached through the darkness and took him by the throat. The sound of his neck breaking reverberated throughout the small area.
Both Seelak creations emerged from the portal and immediately began to close on the Red Cross tent. Somewhere, gunfire broke out, and rounds sparked and deflected off the Seelaks thick armored hide. Another soldier leapt in front of the creatures and opened fire with his service pistol. He was struck in the shoulder with one of his own gun's deflected rounds. The felenoid pounced upon the wounded man and grasped him between its vice-like jaws. With slowly increasing pressure, the jaws closed. The soldier's shrieks of agony didn't end until blood sprayed out of his mouth from punctured lungs and severed arteries. The creature dropped the lacerated corpse and continued moving forward.
Several soldiers formed a hasty line in front of the advancing monsters, their various rifles and pistols aimed at the enraged creatures. The creatures rushed the line as the soldiers commenced discharging their weapons. Several rounds found their mark, but the creatures were now on top of them. The seven soldiers were slaughtered in less than a minute.
Shanda and Margaret retreated behind a nearby jeep, helplessly watching the carnage that unfolded before them.
“They're hideous,” Margaret whispered. “They can't be stopped. They're going for my baby again.” She broke from her cover and ran toward the tent where Brianna and the other children were.
“Wait! You'll be killed,” Shanda screamed as she followed the panic-stricken woman.
Margaret Pendelton stood directly in the creatures’ path, blocking their advance. Shanda quickly joined the courageous woman.
“No!” Margaret screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice trumpeted above all the other noise, causing a sudden hush of silence. “You won't take them again. You can't have my baby.” Margaret ignored the pleas for her to run. She glanced over at Shanda and held her ground. Richard yelled for her to escape, but she gestured him away. “You've done enough damage; go away, please.”
The enhanced Seelak warrior approached the two women, his claws outstretched and reaching for the kill. Suddenly, the creature stopped dead in its tracks, its expressionless eyes seemed to widen slightly. The large felenoid growled and retreated two steps; it clawed the ground questioningly, tearing up the pavement with its large paws.
The women heard a sound behind them. An angry hissing reminded Shanda of an enraged reptile. She then felt an overpowering presence. Her entire body tingled and covered with goosebumps. Both women slowly turned their heads and looked behind them. Standing like a titanic sentinel with its massive arms crossed, staff firmly grasped in one hand, and wearing an undisguised look of pure hatred, was Erik Knight, the Hybrid.