Jungle Of Steel And Stone Part 16

Guns barked in the darkness, and bullets slapped through the leaves just above Veil's head, but he kept running. He shifted the gun in his waistband back against his spine, then slowed as he approached the open, moonlit area in front of the trees where he had left Reyna. He sucked in a deep breath, then slowly walked out into the cold, pale moonlight. He stepped up on a grave marker and raised his hands in the air.

"Here I am," Veil announced, tensing his stomach muscles in antic.i.p.ation of a bullet he was certain was about to slam into him. "Don't hurt the woman."

A disembodied voice came from somewhere inside the wooded area. "Right this way, pal."

Veil, keeping his arms raised, stepped down from the grave marker and walked toward the sound of the voice. He sighted Reyna the moment he pa.s.sed into the trees. She was standing in front of a large oak tree, flanked by two men with guns. The man to her left had the fingers of one hand wrapped in her hair and was holding Reyna's head back at a sharp angle. The second man had his gun pointed at Veil's chest.

"That's it," the short, swarthy man holding Reyna said as Veil came within a few paces of them. Veil stopped. The man turned his head slightly, shouted, "I've got Kendry and the woman! Any sign of the African?"

"No!" a man's voice called back. "Hey, that son of a b.i.t.c.h killed Richie!"

"What do we do with them now?" the swarthy man asked his partner.

"We know the n.i.g.g.e.r's out there; that had to be him doing the screeching. We gotta go out and get him."

"Maybe he'll come to us if he knows we're going to kill his friends."

"Nah. The guy's a f.u.c.king savage. He won't give a s.h.i.t. We're wasting our time with these two. Let's kill 'em like Nagle said we should do in the first place, then we'll go help the other guys look."

"Right," the swarthy man said perfunctorily, tightening his grip on Reyna's hair as he leveled his gun at Veil's head.

Veil watched the man's finger begin to tighten on the trigger. He was about to dive and roll to the side when a dark, silent shape literally seemed to rise from the night behind the man holding Reyna. There was a strangled scream, and suddenly there was an arrow protruding from the man's neck. The dead man's finger twitched on the trigger, sending a bullet whining past Veil's left ear.

Startled, the second man had jumped, then started to turn around as his partner had screamed. What he saw was a black wraith hurtling through the air toward him. The gunman shrieked and fired wildly as a spear narrowly missed his head. Then the bushman was on him. The man pounded at Toby's shoulders with the b.u.t.t of his gun. Finally Toby's body went limp, and his fingers slipped from the man's throat as he slumped to the ground and lay still.

There was no time for Veil to pull his gun from his belt, and no way to fire past Reyna if he could. He leapt forward and swung. The gunman, taking aim at Toby, caught Veil's movement out of the corner of his eye and turned just enough to take the full force of the blow over his left ear. Veil's fist smashed into the man's temple, crushing the thin layer of bone and the brain beneath.

Reyna dropped down beside the fallen Toby as Veil grabbed his gun, crouched and turned, ready to fire at any sound or movement.

"Hey!" a voice shouted somewhere out in the night. "What the h.e.l.l's going on over there?"

Veil knelt down beside the sobbing Reyna and felt for Toby's pulse. "He's alive," Veil said, relieved to feel the faint but steady beat of the bushman's heart, "but barely. The wound on his head looks as if it may be infected, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has a concussion."

"Hey, Jimmy!" the voice called. "You guys still over there?" There was a pause, then a tense, "Okay, I'm going to get some help!"

"Let's go," Veil said, lifting Toby in his arms. "You take the Nal-toon."

"Go where?"

"Straight ahead, through the bottleneck and into the other section. We need a place to hide, and this certainly isn't it."

"I'm going ahead," Reyna said, picking up the Nal-toon and darting away, gliding over the ground like some huge moth in the moonlight.

Cradling Toby high on his chest, Veil trotted at a steady pace and, after a time, emerged from the bottleneck into a field of older graves marked by towering tombstones and an occasional mausoleum.

Suddenly Reyna, out of breath from the exertion of running with the Nal-toon, appeared beside him. "There's an old mausoleum off to the left," she said, panting. "A big one. It's hard to be certain with all the shadow, but it looks as if the seal might be broken and the door slightly open. The problem is that there's a high fence around the whole thing, and it's padlocked."

"Go," Veil said curtly.

For the past few minutes the night had been filled with the sound of sirens as the police, alerted by the gunfire, had converged on the cemetery from all directions. Now, as Veil jogged after Reyna, beams of light began carving the darkness around them, and the static-broken voices of men speaking through walkie-talkies could be heard.

Veil rounded a sculpted angel and found himself before a huge, fenced-in mausoleum. Reyna, shaking with panic, was punching at the ancient, rusted padlock on the gate.

"Get away from there," Veil said evenly as he gently lay Toby down on the ground.

Veil stood with his legs slightly apart before the lock, staring down at it, emptying his mind of all concern about the strength of the metal and the approaching police. He waited until he felt power manifest itself as a small, warm ball just behind his navel, then abruptly raised his right arm and chopped with the heel of his palm against the upper part of the lock. Nothing happened. Calmly, ignoring the walkie-talkie voices that now seemed to be all around them, Veil relaxed his muscles, then squared off again. He waited for his power to focus, then snapped his hand at the lock again. The lock snapped apart.

Reyna removed the lock and pushed the gate open. Veil lifted Toby in his arms, stepped into the mausoleum courtyard, turned, and waited. Reyna stepped through with the Nal-toon, then closed the gate behind her, wincing as it squeaked on its rusty hinges. She reached through the bars, put the lock back in place, and squeezed it shut. Rust and friction held it in place.

"You go ahead!" Reyna whispered urgently, placing the Nal-toon on top of Toby's still body. "I have to clean up behind us!"

Veil crossed the courtyard and squeezed through the narrow opening where the door was ajar and into the utter darkness of the crypt. He eased Toby and the Nal-toon to the floor, then turned and watched as Reyna, crabbing backward on her hands and knees, attempted to erase the evidence of their pa.s.sage. Her hands flew as she straightened the tall gra.s.s and clumps of weeds that had been bent or crushed. She made it to the crypt and slipped through the opening just as two uniformed policemen appeared from behind the stone angel.

Veil and Reyna huddled together as one of the policemen tested the gate. There was the grating squeal of metala"but the lock stayed in place. The policemen moved on.

Veil and Reyna moved back and sat down on the dirt floor of the moldering crypt. Despite the fact that they were touching, they could not see each other. Except for the bar of moonlight at the opening, the heavy, dank darkness was total. Things scuttled around them on the floor. They sat without speaking, listening to Toby's rattling, hoa.r.s.e breathing as they waited for the dawn.

Chapter Sixteen.

Veil rested on his haunches, back braced against the rough, clammy stone of the crypt, staring out through the narrow gap at the entrance. He felt Reyna come up behind him, grunted with pleasure when she put her hands on his shoulders and began to knead the thick, stiff muscles around his neck and collarbone.

"How's Toby?" Veil asked quietly.

Reyna sighed as she rested her head on Veil's back. "He's conscious, but he's burning up with fever. The wound on his head looks terrible. It's very swollen, and there's a lot of pus."

Veil straightened up and went to the rear of the mausoleum where, two hours earlier, they had built a small fire to see by and to ease Toby's racking chills. Cracks in the stone provided some ventilation, and Reyna had carefully selected the wood to be burned, but there was still enough smoke to make Veil's eyes tear. Toby did not seem to mind. The warrior-prince sat propped up against the fungus-covered burial vault. His one good eye glowed like a cat's in the firelight as he stared back at Veil. Veil smiled, but Toby's face remained impa.s.sive.

"I'm looking at one tough man," Veil said thoughtfully. "I can't believe he got this far, much less had the will, strength, and guts to attack those two men. Please tell him for me that he is the finest warrior I have ever met, and I honor him."

Reyna translated Veil's remarks, but Toby remained silent. He took a large pinch of the heroin that had dribbled from the base of the Nal-toon, sniffed it. His eyelids fluttered.

"From the way he's been snorting that stuff," Veil continued, "I'd say he's on his way to becoming a fullblown addict."

"It's all right," Reyna replied in a firm voice. "It's a miracle that a substance which destroys countless lives helped to save Toby's. It kept him going. G.o.d provided it for him. When the time comes that Toby no longer needs it, G.o.d will take away the craving." She paused, bowed her head. "d.a.m.n, I could hang myself for losing that radio. Now we don't know what's happening or who could be out in the cemetery looking for us. Toby needs medicine and bandages, and we all need food and water."

"We can't move yet, Reyna. You'd better believe that the bad guys are still out there someplace." As well as Carl Nagle, Veil thought, but he didn't say so. "What were you two talking about before?"

Reyna shrugged her frail shoulders. "Nothing important. I was just trying to ease Toby's pain with talka"and rea.s.sure him. If and when we do get some medicine for Toby, I'm afraid that it may be a job to get him to take it. He thinks the heroin is the only medicine he needs."

"Well, that's understandable. It's all he's had to hold him up so far."

"Also, he still isn't sure he trusts us." She paused, smiled thinly. "When I picked him up at the airport, I told him we were in New York City. All this while he's been thinking that we're all one tribe called 'Newyorkcities.' Betrayal of the tribe is not something a K'ung can easily understand. Good grief."

Veil studied Toby, the filthy, festering wound on the bushman's face, and made a decision. "I know something about thirst," he said in a flat voice, "and this man is suffering. I'm going out to get some things. We can't wait until night. Without water, Toby may not last through the day."

"No!" Reyna cried as she grabbed at Veil's sleeve. Toby started at Reyna's sharp tone, but Reyna turned and spoke rea.s.suringly to him. Toby eased himself back against the vault, and Reyna again spoke to Veil. "You can't go. What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me."

Reyna emphatically shook her head. "Although I sometimes wonder, you are not Superman. You could be killed, or arrested by the police. Without you Toby is lost. I can't carry him, and I don't know what plans you've made. It won't make any difference if I'm caught. Besides, I move as well as you doa"and there's a good deal less of me to spot."

"No," Veil said curtly. "I don't want to frighten you, but I also shouldn't have to remind you that Carl Nagle could be out there somewhere."

Reyna paled at the mention of the man's name, but her mouth remained set in a determined line. She raised her chin slightly. "Toby does need water to make it through the day, Veil. I'm going to get it, and you can't stop me." She turned to speak to Toby, but the bushman had lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Here," Veil said resignedly, handing Reyna a slip of paper. "If you can get to a phone, call this number. Either Victor Raskolnikov or a man named Walrus will be at the other end. It's a secure line, so you can talk freely. Both men know who you are. Let them know what's happening."

Reyna nodded as she put the paper into a pocket in her jeans. She kissed Veil quickly, then slipped out into the day.

Reyna had been gone almost an hour and a half. Veil was debating whether or not to go look for her when she suddenly appeared at the entrance. She was carrying two large bags of groceries.

"Hey, am I glad to see you!" Veil said as he took Reyna in his arms.

"Take it easy, Veil!" Reyna replied with a grin, her eyes gleaming. Relief at returning safely had made her euphoric. "You're squashing the sandwiches!"

"Anybody see you?"

"Are you kidding? Spot the chief tracker? No way." Reyna's smile slowly faded. "There are still men out there, though, and they're not cops."

"Were you able to talk to Victor or Walrus?"

"Walrus." Reyna paused, smiled. "He's a funny man."

"Mmm. His friends think so."

"I told him that we had Toby and that we were going to lie low for a while here."

"Is everything ready in Flushing?"

"Yes. He said to tell you that everything's in place and he's ready to go when you are. He gave me another number, and we're to call him as soon as we get out of here."

"Good." Veil took the bags from Reyna, set them on the floor, then took Reyna in his arms again and kissed her hard.

"I'm afraid I spent all the money you gave me, Veil," Reyna said when he had released her. "Do we have anything left?"

"Just change for phone calls," Veil replied as he began to empty the bags Reyna had brought. He set antiseptic, bandages, and bottled water off to one side. "But money's the least of our worries right now. d.a.m.n, you're lucky you didn't break your back carrying all this stuff. You are one h.e.l.l of a lot stronger than you look."

"You and Toby give me strength, Veil," Reyna said seriously.

"No. The strength is all yours."

"Oh! You'll find a New York Times and Daily News at the bottom of one of those bags. Just in case you want to keep track of our press notices."

"Outstanding," Veil said as he took the newspapers from the bag and began scanning the leads.

Reyna went to Toby, spoke to him softly and at length before opening a bottle of water and giving it to him. He drank it without hurrying and gave no indication that he wanted more. She gave him three pears, which he wolfed down while Reyna used water from a second bottle to begin washing his face wound.

Veil finished with the papers, then went to help Reyna medicate and bandage Toby's wound. The K'ung warrior sat stoically, sucking on an orange, as the man and woman worked on him. The only sign of his discomfort was an occasional flickering of an eyelid. He finally agreed to swallow four aspirin, after what seemed to Veil a long and torturous debate. But he also sniffed a large amount of heroin.

"There were three other reported sightings of Toby last night," Veil said as he gently rubbed antiseptic salve over Toby's eye and the side of his face. "All in different sections of Queens. The police must be getting tired of it, which could explain why they aren't roaming all over the cemetery right now."

"But the police must know he's here," Reyna insisted. "What about the bodies of the men who were killed?"

"The police claim it was gang warfare."

"In a cemetery, in the middle of the night? Do you think they really believe it?"

"No," Veil replied after a pause. "The arrow through the one man's throat is a giveaway, but it's not even mentioned in the stories. The police may not want to create a panic in the neighborhood, or they don't want a mob tearing up the cemetery, which is exactly what would happen if the police told all they knew or suspected. You're righta"they have to know we're here. They'll be waiting and watching." "How did the men who attacked us last night know where to look for us?"

"Nagle. They were his mena"probably street thugs too low on the totem pole to know he's a marked man."

Reyna's hands began to tremble as she finished bandaging Toby's head. "Besides us, he's the only one who knew for certain that Toby was in the building. He looked at a map and made the right guesses. He knows, doesn't he?"

"I think so."

"You know so," Reyna said in a hollow voice. "We're trapped."

"We'll see," Veil said evenly. "n.o.bodya"cops or crooksa" can be certain that we didn't get out of here last night. In any case, it would take an army to guard the entire perimeter of this cemetery. There'll be cracks, and we'll get through. Let's not waste mental energy worrying about anything until we see what it is we have to worry about. Is the car where we left it?"

"Yes, but it looks to me like somebody's watching it."

"s.h.i.t," Veil said without emotion. "It figures, though. Nagel saw it. It means we're going to need other transportation."

"Lord, Veil, won't anything go right for us?"

Veil raised his eyebrows slightly. "Toby's still alive, isn't he? And we're all together. Doesn't Wesley Missionary College teach you people about mustard seeds?"

"Touche," Reyna answered with a wry grin. "You're right, of course. Can Walrus or Mr. Raskolnikov pick us up somewhere?"

"Using Victor is a possibility; Walrus has to stay where he is. The problem is that I'd also like to keep Victor where he is, right up to the point where I'm certain I don't need him by a telephone any longer." He paused, absently began to peel an orange. "Let me think about it."

"I need the heroin in the Nal-toon."

Reyna, who had been sitting next to Toby and cradling the K'ung in her arms, glanced up at the spot where Veil had been standing in silence for more than an hour while night fell. She could not see him. "Why, Veil?"

"Talk to Toby."

"I don't think he'll give it to you, Veil," Reyna said guardedly.