Rescue Or Recovery

by Dave Hazel

  “What the hell is chasing them? What is coming?” He asked in a panic. “What’s coming? What’s coming?” He yelled again and tried to creep closer to the edge of the vehicle to see what the impending threat was, but he couldn’t muster the nerve to look at whatever was approaching. He felt the ground thud and shudder. “What is it?” He asked but was afraid to look. It sounded very big and enormous. “Is it another play thing of Ziggy the Stardust bastard?” He yelled and with the growing thumps he believed it was a man eating dinosaur. “Is it T-Rex? Is it bigger?”

  “Mykal come on. Hurry, come on Myk,” Mathis yelled from behind him.

  “Is it bigger, you freakin scumbag?” He yelled to express his anger, but wouldn’t look behind him to see Mathis. He wanted to sneak a peek from around the front of the vehicle to see what was being loosed against them, but couldn’t force himself to take a look. Something inside him told him that this big monster, this strange dinosaur creature that he hadn’t even laid eyes on yet had Doninka. He was terrified because he didn’t think he could fight a dinosaur, but he knew he had to if it had Doninka.

  “Don’t Mykal. Come on, come on,” Mathis yelled. “Wake up Mykal. You’re having another bad dream. Come on Mykal. Wake up,” Mathis said and gently shook Mykal’s shoulder.

  Mykal jumped forward in his seat with his fists balled tightly and his teeth clenched almost as tightly. His breathing was as if he just stopped running a mile in thirty seconds. “You friggin bastard,” Mykal hissed into Mathis’s face before he realized who he was actually facing. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you,” he snapped.

  Mathis stepped back just in case. “It’s okay Mykal. You’re having a really bad dream. You’re allllll right. Everything is just fine,” he said calmly and tried to ease Mykal’s mind. “Everything is just fine,” he added and used his hands to have Anka and Nelson back up so they would get behind him. Roy Jr. and Randy were there but they were behind Anka and Nelson.

  “Everything is alright? Are you sure everything is alright?” Mykal asked softly though he stared around him in wide eye terror and breathed heavily. “Where is Doninka?” He asked and his voice rose when he remembered the battle and everything that took place was about Doninka.

  “She’s here,” Mathis said and pointed to her sleeping form in the seat. “She’s here and everything is fine,” Mathis said and started to laugh. “Here I’ll show you.”

  ‘What, is he laughing cuz I’m having a bad dream?’ Mykal wondered and pressed the button to illuminate the digital numbers 3:45 on his watch. “Believe me Radio Boy, this isn’t funny,” Mykal said and his breathing slowly relaxed.

  “Look,” Mathis said and pulled Doninka’s blanket from her face.

  ‘Yeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhh,” Doninka screamed and bolted upright and hissed like a demon possessed person. She lunged at Mykal with long pointy teeth similar to what the Crymontox had. Doninka’s eyes were black, and blood drooled from her mouth. Her face was marred and scarred so badly that it reminded Mykal of the young girl Regan in the movie the Exorcist played by Linda Blair. She even began to shout vulgar curses at Mykal just like the 12 year old girl possessed by demons who was tied to the bed and spewing green pea soup.

  Mykal tried to back up but was grabbed by two men who held him in place to allow the little monster on Doninka’s bed to lash out at him. She dove at him biting frantically and viciously trying to pierce his flesh with her yellow fangs.

  “No, no no no,” he yelled out but couldn’t get away from the two big men holding Mykal’s arms in place.

  “Mykal, Mykal, wake up,” Mathis yelled when Mykal seemed to be throwing a fit in his sleep. “You’re okay. It’s alright, it’s alright. You’re having a bad dream.”

  Mykal’s breathing was fast as if he had run a mile in thirty seconds. Mykal looked around him to see what he thought might be different. He realized he had a dream that had a dream. But thankfully he woke from both dreams. He continued to breathe deep as he tried to take in the truth of being awoken from his sleep.

  Anka, Nelson, the Dosch brothers and Mathis where in front of him and they genuinely looked like they wanted to help him. He looked at the illuminated digital numbers of his watch, it read 06:26. “I’m alright?”

  “Yeah, you’re alright. You were having a really bad dream again,” Mathis answered.

  “Doninka? Where’s Doninka?”

  “She’s sleeping soundly,” Mathis answered. “She’s right there.”

  “Oh damn, that dream was so friggin real and so damn bizarre,” Mykal gasped and put his head in his hands. “Man, it really was so friggin strange. But it seemed so damned real,” he repeated because of the visual authenticity of his nightmare.

  “Mykal, you seem to have a lot of dreams. Bad dreams that is and all the time,” Mathis said. “Do you think you should see someone about that?”

  Mykal suddenly looked at Mathis as if he was accusing him of having mental problems. He caught himself and realized Mathis wouldn’t attack him, but rather Mathis would do all he could to help him. He tried to understand where the sudden hateful thoughts came from because he liked Mathis a great deal, and yet the thoughts that popped into his mind where violent and hateful toward Mathis because of his innocent remarks that ‘accused Mykal of having mental problems’, but it was true.

  “Yeah, I might have to talk to someone about that,” Mykal replied and looked down at the ring. ‘This friggin ring is causing me so much trouble. But I can’t get rid of it. I’d be a sitting duck,’ he argued mentally.

  “Are you Myk?” Mathis asked as if he had already asked the same question without a response.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

  “I asked if you were alright now.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m doing fine especially now that I see that Doninka is okay and safe.”

  “Great, because you have been through a lot,” Mathis replied in a way that showed his genuine concern for Mykal.

  “Get Diaz and Finley on the horn and find out what we’re gonna do. Man, that friggin nightmare gave me a headache,” he chuckled to show his exaggeration. “This crap in Towbar’s world is gonna drive me to drinkin’,” he laughed and they laughed with him. He looked down at the gold ring on his middle finger and knew if anything was going to turn him to alcohol or drugs it was going to be the magic of the ring.

  “Mykal,” Mathis called to him after speaking on the radio. “Captain Diaz wants to make sure all the men have eaten and then we’re going to move out. He would like Towbar to try the green fog again, a little later in the day, and see if maybe we can get back to the Pass.”

  “Uh oh, we have some flying creatures coming this way,” Anka yelled from inside the turret. “I don’t see them yet but the others see them,” he shouted and sounded like he was ready to combat the problem.

  “Damn it,” Mykal yelled and grabbed his rifle to get out of the vehicle. “Those friggin bat things throw boulders,” he snarled and wanted to get outside of the vehicle to be able to shoot at them.

  “Calm down, calm down, calm down,” Anka yelled. “My bad, my bad. It’s not an attack,” he said with a light laugh. “It’s Lanorear and the Hawkmen coming from our back side.”

  “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” Mykal yelled up into the turret, but he was happy and no longer angry.”

  “I’m sorry Myk,” Anka called down into the vehicle and shrugged. “I was going by what the others were saying. So if I caused your blood pressure to spike, I truly do apologize.”

  “No problem. I’ll take good news like that any time,” Mykal replied happily and got out of the vehicle to join the Hawkmen. He was surprised to see that only Lanorear landed. He landed by the six Elves and the rest of his Hawkmen clan stayed in the air and circled the area.

  “What do you think that means Myk?” Roy Jr. asked as he, his brother and Mathis followed Mykal.

  “I dunno. But it never friggin ends around here,” he scoffed. “There’s obviously something going on since t
he others are circling in the air.”

  “Or it could be they’re looking for food,” Mathis retorted. “Munch munch.”

  Without even looking at Mathis, Mykal started to laugh. He couldn’t understand how Mathis had the magic button to press to make Mykal laugh despite any situation they were facing. As they walked along to join the group that joined the six Elves, Diaz and Finley who were speaking with Lanorear, Mykal couldn’t contain himself and continued to laugh out loud.

  Just those two words by Mathis, ‘munch munch’ put Mykal in giggle fits and he couldn’t stop. ‘They’re gonna think I’m a friggin idiot,’ he chuckled in thought but couldn’t stop laughing. “What the hell?” He whispered to himself and tried to make himself stop.

  “What’s wrong Myk?” Randy asked quietly as they approached the important gathering.

  “I don’t know,” he giggled quietly. He turned and pointed a finger in Mathis’s face and couldn’t stop the wide smile and laughter coming from him. “You friggin sonovagun. Stop it,” he ordered as if Mathis was intentionally tickling him.

  “What did I do?” Mathis whispered and held his hands out before him. He began to laugh because Mykal was laughing. Mathis nodded to Captain Diaz.

  Mykal looked at Captain Diaz who appeared to be extremely serious and didn’t look to be in the mood for any foolishness. Diaz glanced at Mathis and Mykal remembered the same look on a junior high teacher who glared at Mykal and one of his school friends for clowning around in class during a test. Mykal and his friend had been kicked out of the class and sent to the principal’s office for disrupting the class room during an important test. Mykal feared he was going to disrupt the meeting and quickly excused himself. “Fill me in on what’s happening,” Mykal said loudly to Diaz. “I’m gonna go check on Doninka.”

  Mykal returned back to the vehicle and couldn’t understand why he was struggling with fits of giggles. He was so grateful that the flying creatures were the Hawkmen and not the enemy. He knew they would brief him on the dangers at hand. He really did want to spend a few minutes with Doninka before they departed. ‘Is it cuz of the worms that were injected into my neck?’ He wondered and felt the bandage that was still covering the opening in his throat from where the medics removed the two tiny worms or rather centipede like creatures.

  2.

  “…Well I’m just glad that you’re feeling better,” Mykal said to Doninka. He sat in the vehicle with her and Corporal Renner, the medic, who had been treating her. Private First Class Anka stood in the turret with another Marine and two of Sergeant Barry’s men sat in the front of the vehicle waiting for orders to depart.

  “I do feel much better. My body hurts all over, especially my head. However, I do feel better,” she said with an inviting smile. “How do you feel Mykal? Renner explained to me that you had been stabbed in the neck by one of the strange creatures. He also explained that the creature did you significant damage when it stabbed you in the neck,” she added and looked at the field dressing that was applied to his throat.

  “Yeah, I’m doing alright,” he replied and shyly turned away. “I wasn’t really stabbed. That creature shot something into my neck and that hurt a little.” He didn’t want to tell her of the strange mental experience he had due to the ‘worms’ that had been shot into his neck. She was out cold and he wanted to leave her in the dark so she wouldn’t be more fearful over things she had no power to control.

  “Do you know when we will be able to travel back to Gartolin?” She asked and her voice clearly carried the ‘home sickness’ tone of the music she was singing.

  “I’m hoping a little later today,” he answered only to tell her what she wanted to hear. Based on what Towbar experienced by being blocked from using the green fog Mykal truly believed they wouldn’t be allowed to travel to the other side of the world until they had their ‘mano a mano’ confrontation with Zizmon-Tarl. If he was being honest with himself Mykal knew the hand to hand, one on one, battle with the world’s ultimate bad guy wouldn’t turn out well for them.

  The door opened and the Dosch brothers along with Mathis entered. Mykal was glad because he didn’t want Doninka to press him for a more concrete answer as to when they were going back to the Pass. A couple of soldiers followed them and then Towbar entered behind them.

  “Hey boss man, where did you go to?” Roy Jr. asked.

  “I wanted to come and see how Doninka was doing,” Mykal answered and started to laugh. “Plus, ‘numb nuts’ here,” he said with a smirk and nodded to Mathis, “was making me laugh and I had giggle fits that I couldn’t stop and I didn’t want to be a distraction. I hadda get the hell outta there so I wouldn’t look like an idiot.”

  “What did I do?” Mathis asked innocently while looking like he had been falsely accused of a crime.

  “Yeah right,” Mykal laughed with a mocking expression. “So what was said when Lanorear landed?” Mykal asked and he turned serious.

  “The bird man was just saying that the army with the Things, those big ol’ monster dudes,” Roy Jr. said which caused some of the men to laugh. “Is coming after us. He said they’re not far behind us so Captain Diaz said we gots to move out to keep our distance from them.”

  “Good,” Mykal replied and nodded while thinking how far they would be able to get before they had to stand and face the small army. Or maybe part of the plan was to chase them right into the arms of Zizmon-Tarl and whatever army he has with him. “Did Lanorear say anything about some of the creatures we had to deal with?”

  “Yes,” Mathis spoke up quickly. “Lanorear was completely shocked and surprised that we took out The Forty-Three without sustaining any injuries. Lanorear said he would have been more fearful of The Forty-Three than the Klardfurdam and Crymontox.”

  “What is the Klard-fun-dion, fun-ion, or whatever you just said?” Randy asked and struggled with the name.

  “They are called Klardfurdam and the riders were Crymontox,” Mathis answered confidently. “They were the beast that looked like a rhinoceros without the horn.”

  “Oh yeah,” Randy agreed and snapped his fingers. He knew what they were but he didn’t know what they were called.

  “The Crymontox was the very tall skinny creatures that rode on top of the Klardfurdam.”

  “I remember all too well the Crymontox,” Mykal chuckled. “It was one of those things that hit me in the neck with its blowgun. Did Lanorear say what the tall flying bat faced creatures were?”

  “He did mention their name once but I don’t remember what he called them,” Roy Jr. replied.

  “He called them Tah-kahseebown,” Mathis answered. “You’re talking about the large flying bat faced like creatures that throw large objects, right?”

  “Yes, they almost got me a couple of times,” Mykal declared and thought of how they carried William away.

  “Yes they are called the Tah-kahseebown. Tah kah see bown or Tahkah seebown,” Mathis answered. “All I know is that they are ugly evil flying creatures.

  “Well you got that right. Did Diaz say what our plan for right now is? Or are we just gonna wing it and try to stay away from them?” Mykal asked since he excused himself from the meeting.

  “For right now he wants us to put some distance between us and the army chasing us,” Mathis answered. “And when we stop for a meal he said we’ll come up with a solid plan.”

  “Good. And when we stop for a meal, Towbar, how about if you try the green fog again?”

  “I will do that my friend,” the giant answered and looked carefully at his close friend with concern. “How are you feeling my friend?”

  “I’m fine. I really am,” Mykal answered. “I think I just need to get a little more rest.”

  “How are you feeling Doninka?” Towbar asked and his voice sounded soft and compassionate.

  “I am doing very well Towbar,” she replied and looked to have tears in her eyes. “I only wish to be back at Gartolin. I would even accept to return to Beramus,” she added in reference to the
capitol, the Great Walled City where her father and mother were.

  “I know that my dear Doninka,” he said and gently stroked the side of her pretty face with his massive hand. “We will try to go there today some time. I have been told, Dear One, that you are fortunate to be alive.”

  “Yes. It is due to Mykal pestering me to wear the confining seat tie downs,” she said and smiled at the giant.

  “They’re call seat belts, and you’re gonna wear them from now on, right?” Mykal grilled her.

  “Yes Mykal. I will always wear your belts while I am in one of your crafts,” she replied and smiled at Mykal. “Despite how confining and how uncomfortable they are,” she said and suddenly stopped. “I jest. I only jest,” she added and started to giggle.

  “Ah, I can see this one has been with you for too much time,” Towbar said playfully. “She seems to have picked up on your sense of humor and jesting or joking as you would say my friend.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Mykal laughed. “Stay with me kid, and you’ll go places,” Mykal continued to laugh and gave her a thumbs up and an exaggerated wink.

  “Honey, I’d be real careful about staying too close to this guy,” Roy Jr. said as the vehicle started to drive forward. “D’ya see how many times he’s almost been killed lately? You might wanna go get yourself into a different vehicle all together,” he laughed which caused all those who heard him to laugh.

  “Yeah, I have been getting my ass kicked a lot lately,” Mykal said with a self-deprecating chuckle while he patted the field dressing attached to his neck. “Seriously though, like Corporal Renner says, you need to get some rest,” he added and winked at Renner in the hopes he would back him up.

  “That is correct Miss Doninka,” Renner agreed and nodded enthusiastically. “To help with your healing process you do need to get as much rest as possible.

  After a brief argument she agreed to try and attempt to sleep or at least to rest quietly. Mykal moved to the other side of Towbar. Mathis and the Dosch brothers moved as close to them as they could.