Matt Archer: Redemption Part 16

"He was hoping," Will said, rolling his eyes.

"We're beat," I said. "Let me sleep a few hours, then you can tell me what to expect."

He nodded and pointed at the tent across the way from his. As a rule, we couldn't bunk in the same place-we had to keep the wielders separated as a safeguard in case we were attacked.

Five minutes later, I was crashed out on a hard cot. I didn't even take my boots off.

"It's hard to remember much about him," a woman with dark red hair says. "It's been a long time."

"Since he died," another woman says.

"Yes."

The women sit on a couch in a hotel lobby, drinking coffee, and have their backs to me. They don't notice I'm there, but something about the first woman's voice is familiar, so I creep forward.

As soon as I'm even with the couch, the woman turns and all I see is a flash of green eyes before the world goes pitch dark.

"Matt!" Mamie screams.

Hot breath rasps against the back of my neck and another voice I recognize, a voice made of shadow and hate, whispers in my ear, "You won't even be a memory to her. I'll take it all and there won't be anything left."

I startled awake, the scratchy army blanket clutched tight in my fists. My heart slammed against my ribcage and I felt like throwing up. The woman ...

Oh, G.o.d. The woman had been Ella.

Are you all right? Tink asked. Your nervous system is firing across the board and it's making me a little twitchy.

"Fine," I muttered, balling up my pillow and rolling over to try to get comfortable again.

Your dreams are getting worse. I can't see them, but I can sense how upset you are. Want to tell me about it?

"Not really." I sighed. "It's like we're holding back a tide and pretty soon there won't be enough of us to keep the world from being overwhelmed. What if we fail?"

"Don't give up now. Stay strong a little while longer. You have a long way to go, and it doesn't end in the rainforest.

I shuddered. I'd thought those exact words in Peru, but hadn't ever said them out loud. How did she know? Or had I voiced some thought of hers back then without knowing it? "What do I do until then? Until the Dark army comes?"

You find who you seek. The one I said would come. Even now, he searches for you, as your father hunts for him. Hold on until you find him, because this man might have the answers to help you find what you need most.

"Which is?"

Hope.

Hope. A fragile thing in the face of so much death. But if I knew anything, I knew my hope wasn't tied to my own survival, but to Ella's, Will's, my family's. And that's where I'd find the strength to go on.

"Thank you."

Yes, well, don't get used to me being nice. I'll still pop you in the head if you sa.s.s me too much.

"Good. I don't think I'd like it if you went soft on me."

Never. Now, sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.

I did what she said, and this time, I didn't dream.

Chapter Twenty.

Having slept most of the night away, I woke up early. My watch said four in the morning. My body said it was eight p.m. Knowing it was useless to try to sleep anymore, I rolled off my cot, stretched and crept outside. Lanningham and Blakeney were out cold and didn't even stir as I opened the tent flap and let a stiff breeze in.

After finding the latrine, I stoked up the fire and ate an MRE of oatmeal, sausage and canned pears, which I supplemented with a protein bar. The protein bar tasted better.

Footsteps outside the firelight caught my attention and Will came over to sit with me, MRE in hand. Except for Jamison, who'd drawn the short straw for o-dark-thirty watch, the camp was quiet. I let Will eat in peace, enjoying the warmth of the fire on a cold morning. A new moon set over the horizon, leaving only the stars for light.

"It's November and we're halfway up a mountain range," I said. "You happen to have any GORE-TEX my team can use?"

He nodded. "Kelly-the guy who drove the captain yesterday-trucked in a bunch of cold-weather gear for you. I'm hoping we're not still here in December or January, but we're covered either way."

"Weird, isn't it, having everything we need?"

"Yeah. I thought about asking for something ridiculous like Twinkies, just to see if we'd get them, but why test a good thing?"

I shifted, stretching my legs out in front of me. My boots were showing serious signs of wear. Trips through abandoned subway tunnels, sewers and across roofs took their toll. Maybe instead of GORE-TEX, I should go more basic for my next shopping list.

I was about to ask what Will had planned for us today when a low growl sounded in the trees. Tink perked up, which wasn't a good sign. "That anything we need to be concerned about?"

Will stood, head c.o.c.ked to listen. "Don't know. The Pandas don't growl."

Another growl answered the first, this one on the other side of camp. I pointed at my chest, then to the trees. Will nodded and drifted out of the firelight to crouch next to one of the tents.

Moving slowly, walking heel to toe like Schmitz had taught me all those years ago, I crept toward the first growl, ever mindful that its friend probably could see me. As I came closer to the trees, the growl sounded to my left.

I drew even with where I thought it would be hiding and a ma.s.s flew from the trees with a shriek, showering me with leaves. At first glance, I thought it might be a monkey-there were primates in this part of China.

Then it bit my leg.

I kicked, trying to free myself, but the thing wouldn't let go. Its teeth were sunk deep into my calf and white spots of pain scattered across my field of vision. Through it, Tink's rising anger began spinning me up, but that would take too much time, so I swiped at the creature with my knife and it finally let go.

Blood trickled down my leg in four places, but I didn't have a chance to wrap anything around the wound before the trees started thrashing and a dozen shadows came my way.

"Will! Get out here!"

"Right behind you."

Camp had woken up, too, and Jamison appeared out of nowhere, holding his rifle at the ready.

The creatures stopped twenty feet short of the tree line. Their eyes glowed a faint red, making it easy to pick them out-and disturbing as h.e.l.l.

"What are they?" Jamison asked in a raspy whisper. His hands shook on his rifle.

I reached into my pocket slowly, hoping our guests didn't see it as an act of aggression, and pulled out a small LED flashlight. Nodding to Will, I said, "See, I haven't lost it yet."

"That's the whole reason you're still alive," Will said. "That flashlight and the St. Christopher medal Ella gave you."

"And Mamie's lucky exam pencil and the arrowhead from Jorge," I said. "Never leave home without them."

He smiled, looking ready to kick some a.s.s. "You ought to be safe from everything, carrying that many good luck charms."

Jamison gaped at us like we were crazy, but I didn't feel like explaining my talismans. They were too personal, and I had something else to worry about. I shined the beam down on our dead intruder. My guess that it was a monkey wasn't too far off. It was only about three feet tall, with overlong arms and large hands with thin fingers. But that was the end of the resemblance. Its face was disturbingly human, with high cheekbones and a delicate chin. If it weren't for the needle-sharp teeth, the dark claws tipping its fingers and the furry torso, I might've thought it was a little kid. The best thing I could come up with was goblin.

Will, after glancing at the trees, scratched his head. "I thought Parker said there were only Pandas out here."

"Guess not. The real question is what do we do about them." I nodded at the creature's friends. "They're holding back for a reason, and I doubt it's a good one."

"How's the leg?"

I put some weight on it and hissed as pain shot through my calf. "I'm not going to be running anywhere for a while."

Captain Johnson, followed by Lanningham and Blakeney, fell in next to us and peered into the trees. "Why did I know this trip had been too easy?" He glanced down at the dead monster at my feet. "We're fighting Ewoks?"

"Ewoks with homicidal tendencies," I said. My leg shook. "Anybody think we should rush them and be done with it?"

"Maybe, but why are they waiting?" Will asked.

A good question, Tink said. And I think you need to get that leg fixed quickly.

"Why? Something worse on the way?" I asked.

A huge roar came from farther back in the forest and the little goblins cried out in triumph.

You might say that.

Right. "Somebody bind up my leg," I snapped.

Kelly came running with a first aid kit and cut my pant leg open. "You need st.i.tches."

"Too late for that. Tie it up."

While he did that, Captain Johnson took off, telling Nguyen to ready ordnance. Will stepped in front of me. The trees creaked and swayed in the distance as something enormous blundered through the forest.

"It's been quiet this whole time," Will muttered. "A couple of Pandas, no big deal. Then you show up and Gigantor makes a move less than twelve hours later."

"Hey, don't blame me for this." I grunted as Kelly bound my leg tight with a layer of medical tape and several pieces of gauze.

Um, I wouldn't be so sure.

"What?"

It's entirely possible this creature has been waiting for you to show up. From what I can sense, it's been hanging around here since the very first eclipse. Why would it do that if it weren't waiting for someone? Like, say, you?

Tink sounded both intrigued and excited by the fact. Me, not so much. The string of curse words I rattled off had an eloquence I was rarely capable of.

Will laughed like a grave robber. "Told you so."

"One of these days, I wish something would go right," I muttered. "Done with the leg?"

"Best I can do," Kelly said, pressing one last piece of tape on it. "You won't want to make any sharp turns."

I didn't think I'd have much choice because the new threat was drawing even with the little goblins. "Tink, rock on."

This might burn a little bit.

I didn't doubt that, especially when she lit a fire behind my eyes, determined to char my brain.

To my right, Will was doubled over. "Dude."

"Not as bad as an eclipse," I said, blinking to clear my vision. "We're getting better at this."

Ahem. I'm getting better at this. Now, stop with the gabbing and go.

"Bossy." Still, I took a step on my bad leg. It hurt, but the pain was distant, blocked by the tingle of magic tripping through my blood. Despite the aftereffects, I loved this part. It scared me, too, having all this power. I let out a loud cry and the shaking in the trees stopped dead.

Will laughed and yelled, "Prt ou pas, nous voil!"

The forest exploded into motion. I gripped my knife, ready. "Everybody clench up. We got incoming."

The little goblins led the way, leaping out of the trees with unnaturally long bounds. Half of them ran straight at Will, and the other half bypa.s.sed me, going for the team. Rifle shots cracked behind me.

"Remember we're downrange!" I snapped. I hadn't heard Johnson give the order, which meant one of the green beans had fired prematurely. G.o.d, if they panicked and shot me or Will, I'd haunt them for fifty years.

For a split second, I considered going after the goblins attacking the team, but our bigger problem arrived. The thing skidding to a halt right in front of me had a lion's head and a bull's body and was as tall as a pa.s.senger bus. It blew out a breath stinking of rotted leaves and growled deep in its car-sized chest.

"What are you?" I muttered.

"Nian!" Jamison squeaked out. He sounded like a man on the verge of meltdown.

"What's a Nian?" I called, never breaking eye contact with the beast.

"Mythological creature from Chinese legend. Comes down at the new moon to eat children."

The beast chuckled. "The man isn't entirely correct. I came down at the blood red moon to seek one particular child."