Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) (10 page)

"
Those monsters are real, Donna, and they're coming here." On cue, another howl filled the air, followed by another from the opposite direction. "I need to get out of here." She abruptly released her friend and crawled back inside the apartment to gather her belongings.

"
There's more than one?" questioned Donna, following her inside. Without waiting for an answer, she retrieved the gun hidden under her sofa. "How many are there?"

"
Go to the loft and hide, Donna," Jane ordered, as she bolted the door and pushed a chair under the knob. "I'll lead them away. When they start to follow me, leave the city as fast as you can and don't come back. They will kill you just for being my friend."

"
Wait!" Donna vaulted up the ladder and started rummaging around in the tiny loft bedroom.

"
What are you doing?" Jane yelled, throwing her backpack on. "I don't have much time."

"
I'm coming with you." Donna practically jumped to the lower level with a backpack in tow.

"
No you're not!" Jane said, rounding on her friend in anger. "Those things will kill you!"

"
According to you, they'll do that anyway, just like they killed that elderly couple." Her friend glared at Jane like a boxer at a press conference. The tension in the room seemed to grow as the seconds ticked by.

"
Come on then!" With a sigh of reservation, Jane broke their stalemate and strode to the window. "We'll go down the fire escape."

"
What exactly is a Glad-toga?" With a ghost of a smile that let Jane know she was proud of her victory, Donna followed her out the window.

"
They're similar to small dinosaurs, about the shape of a velociraptor, with long claws and sharp teeth, minus the tail." She smiled at her friends' bravery while she described the beasts. "I think they are like hunting hounds, and they have been after me since I left Canada." She visualized the wild river ride in the tree trunk and quickly added, "And they don't like water."

"
I know where we can get a boat." Donna placed a hand on her forearm when they reached the second-floor platform. "We'd be safe in the middle of the bay." Another shriek of the Glauc-tuko echoed around the street.

"
They're getting closer. We have to run for it." Jane hurried down the rusty ladder and jumped the last few feet to the street below.

"
I'll run as fast as I can!" Donna said before she vaulted off the fire escape, "I can't believe this is really happening."

"
Me neither!" Jane spied both directions of the alley while she quickly retrieved the curved blade hooked to the side of her pack. "Which way?"

"
This way." Donna tapped Jane's elbow before she bolted down the street.

"
Try to stay in the light," Jane softly ordered when she caught up to her companion. In silence, they sprinted down Washington Street towards the bay.

"
Man, I'm out of shape," Donna wheezed when they paused in a lit area of an intersection. "My legs hurt, and I have a cramp in my side."

"
You'll get stronger," Jane said, giving her friend a sideways grin. She could easily have outdistanced the woman but she refused to leave her side.

"
What is that supposed to mean?" Donna glared at her, her ego bruised. The two women jumped when a Glauc-tuko screech filled the air, and Donna seemed to forget her momentary grudge. "Damn, they're right behind us," Donna exclaimed, with a frightened glance towards the sound.

"
How much further?" Jane asked, while they trotted across the intersection. She had counted three of the dead beasts when they attacked at the river, and she feared there were many more pursuing her now. She considered using her Gift for protection, but discarded the idea. It would do her more bad than good, and besides, the forest had saved them last time. There was far less vegetation in the city, and her power had almost made her lose herself only hours ago. She would have to make do without.

"
Four more blocks." Donna said, lifting a tired arm towards the tall buildings in front of them. As they ran in the middle of the street, their eyes darted from side to side, scanning the road for the unseen creatures.

Jane slowed their pace when they drew near a small park to their right. They had not heard a Glauc-tuko screech in three city blocks but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Ahead of the two women, a car turn onto the deserted street and sped towards them. When the headlights of the automobile briefly illuminated the fog-shrouded park, she caught a glimpse of three monstrous shadows ducking behind the brushes to hide from the light.

"Stop, Donna!" She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her to a halt. "We're not going to make it to the water. When that car passes, we'll run toward that building." She pointed to the skyscraper to their left. "When they attack, try to keep your back to the building."

"
Okay."

Jane saw her hands shake as Donna pulled the gun from the waist of her pants.
"I'm with you, girl!" she said, and Jane's heart warmed even more to the woman.

The car appeared to start to pass them, but it abruptly skidded to a ninety-degree angle and rocked to a halt. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air, assaulting Jane
's nostrils. She could hear the monsters hiss as the headlights lit the fog like two large spotlights. The car's passenger door flew open and a familiar voice called from the dark interior.

"
Get in here, now!" Thane raised up, half out of the car, and raised his hand toward the park. With a whoosh, a nearby tree ignited into a fireball. The monsters frightened screeches echoed off the buildings. Taking advantage of the situation, the women raced towards the waiting car. Jane hurriedly pushed Donna into the front seat, and slammed the door behind them. Once they were secure in the vehicle, Thane jammed the pedal to the floorboard and raced towards the docks at a frightening speed.

The car struck a creature as it jumped in front of the moving vehicle, throwing it into the air only to have it smash down face-first onto the windshield. Still alive, with its bloody head stuck in the windshield, the Glauc-tuko clawed at the tempered glass to reach its prey. Instinctively, Donna raised her pistol.

A shockwave of warm air smacked them in the face as the boom of the pistol quaked the floorboard of the car and rattled their bones. The monster's brain matter and black blood spattered the interior, covering them with gore. Jane kicked the body from the windshield and watched it fall with a splat on the road. The Mlinzi leaned sideways to peer out the hole as they sped towards the bay.

"
Man! Your timing is impeccable!" Donna half giggled at their rescuer. Thane briefly turned his piercing yellow eyes on the small woman. Jane suppressed a smile when her friend swallow hard before she spoke again. "Friend of yours?" Donna loudly whispered to her.

"
More or less." Jane peered into the side mirror and saw three of the monsters in hot pursuit. With tires squealing, Thane pulled the car around a tight corner and raced toward the bay. Plowing the car through a barrier at Pier 12, The Mlinzi spun the car into a half circle before bringing them to a stop. The bright lights of the vehicle illuminated the murky street and prevented the creatures from advancing.

"Get out!" Thane scrabbled out of the car and roughly grasped Jane's arm. He pulled her down the pier, leaving Donna to run behind them. "That won't hold them for long."

"
Wait!" Jane tried to stop their momentum. They were easily outdistancing Donna, while the smaller woman desperately tried to keep their pace. "We have to wait for Donna."

"
Let them have her," Thane barked, pulling Jane down the long pier. "That will buy us some time."

"
NO!" With all her strength, Jane dug in her heels to stop him. "I'm not leaving her."

"
We don't have time for this, Princess!" With her jaw stubbornly set, Jane narrowed her eyes as she yanked her arm free of his grasp. With a mumbled curse, the Mlinzi raced back to Donna. With a squeal from the small woman, he scooped her over his broad shoulder and sprinted back. "Now move it." As he ran past, Jane gave him a satisfied smile and she saw him cringe at her torment.

Anchored at the end of the dock were several yachts of various sizes. Thane jumped into one of the largest and unceremoniously dumped Donna on the deck. Just a few feet behind him, Jane followed the Mlinzi onto the craft. With a quick glance over his shoulder to see if she was aboard, he raced to the bridge. As she followed to the enclosed bridge, she saw him withdraw a red crystal from the depths of his cloak. Standing outside the open door she watched him touch it against the ignition. To her surprise, the crystal flared a bright crimson and the boat
's engine roared to life.

The screech of a Glauc-tuko brought her attention back to the creatures just as one jumped into the boat. From years of training with the Keeper, Jane automatically reacted as she wielded her blade. Just as she sank the blade into the Glauc-tuko
's chest, she heard Thane's pounding footsteps behind her. The animal howled in pain as it backed away. As if in a dance, she spun around and amputated the monster's left arm at the joint, making the deck slippery with its black blood. Before the appendage fell to the deck, Thane pushed her backward and severed the Glauc-tuko's head from its neck. Unstable from the Mlinzi's firm shove, Jane slipped on the creature's blood, bringing her too close to the flailing, headless creature. Searing pain raced through her body when the animal's remaining claw dug into her shoulder and she fell to the deck with a thump.

The engines thundered as the yacht jerked forwards, speeding away from the pier. With a swirl, Thane sliced the ropes that held the craft to the dock before they ripped the railing away. Just as the ship almost sailed out of reach, another creature jumped onto the deck. It lunged towards Jane, but the Mlinzi blocked its path. With a cry of bloodlust, he plunged his blade into its breast. Thane gave the monster one swift kick to its abdomen and the creature slid off his sword. The Glauc-tuko's death cry filled the air as it fell into the dark depths of the bay.

***

"Ch'iidii!" Inga cursed as the yacht disappeared into the dense fog. Once again, her mark had eluded her. She had been so close to capturing the princess that she was sure victory had been at hand. The bothersome Mlinzi had arrived so unexpectedly he had actually surprised her. She hated the Mlinzi warriors above anything else. Having lived in their society at a young age, she knew they were hard to kill. "I'll deal with him in due course, and I'll take great pleasure in seeing his eyes dull with death."

Inga made her way back to the wooded area called Golden Gate Park. Stretching out her hand to the near invisible Glauc-tuko by her side, she scratched its eye ridge, making it gurgle with pleasure. She had not expected the princess
's capture to be so difficult and had only brought only a handful of the beasts with her. The long months of the hunt before she found the old Mlinzi and the girl who she suspected was the princess had been tedious. If it had not been for her pets, she would have forgone the pay and just killed everyone in the place. She had bred only a few of her beauties in the dense forest during her time at the compound but they were too young to be set on the chase, leaving only eight to hunt for the princess. Now, no thanks to the male Mlinzi, only two of those remained.

Most Jeger disliked using the Glauc-tuko. They were hard to control and would often turn on their owners, but she would use nothing else. Glauc-tuko
's were almost extinct in the wild, so she bred them in seclusion. If the Mlinzi ever found her compound, they would slaughter the bunch. Just one more reason to kill the princess's Mlinzi. He would surely inform his Counsel of her 'pets' on Earth.

""
Ch'iidii!" she cursed again and strolled deeper into the fog. Since she disabled the gate at the isolated farm, she had a fair idea where they were heading. There was no other place to go in order to return to Sora.

The Glauc-tuko butted its head against her shoulder with a gurgle of hunger. With a smile at her pet, she ordered it to hunt. There was surely a human or two for them to feed upon in the wooded area. She wanted to capture the human female as well. Her
'pets' needed fresh meat and the look on the princess's face would have been priceless when they fed on her. Since the Glauc-tuko enjoyed human flesh so much, she even contemplated moving her entire compound to the isolated farm. The place was well-hidden and there were plenty of humans to feed the creatures. Better yet, no Mlinzi to disrupt her.

Inga heard the scream of sirens racing to where they had fought and bitterly laughed. The humans would be crawling around like ants, trying to figure out what had happened. She would have liked to see their shocked faces when they discovered the body of the Glauc-tuko laying in the street. Of course, they were too dimwitted to solve the mystery. They would never know the truth. The human race was far too naive to believe in aliens. She snorted at the audacity of the princess for actually traveling with one.

***

The wound burned like fire as Jane
's vision lost focus. As she watched Thane clean his sword, his body distorted like a flag in the wind. When the Mlinzi turned to face her, her heart skipped a beat at his unmasked blood lust. His rugged face contorted into a wolf with glowing yellow eyes. She swallowed hard, refusing to be frightened of the Mlinzi and bravely held his gaze. She saw his expression change into concern when he realized that she was injured.