by C W Hawes
Mostyn took a look over the battlefield. “Where’s Helene?”
Shrugs and a few “I don’t know”s answered his question.
Mostyn keyed his mic. “Helene, respond if you can hear me.”
“Anything?” Kemper asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Where the hell is she?” He closed his eyes, formed a picture of her in his mind, and thought, Where are you?
In his mind, he heard her say, I am on the other side of the door. It is an entrance to a cellar. We need to be here.
Okay, he thought back. Come back here.
Yes, my husband.
“Well?” Dotty asked.
“She followed the cave passage to the door that Ramsey mentioned and passed through into a cellar.”
“She just left us…?” NicAskill didn’t get to finish her statement because Helene materialized next to Dotty.
“There are very interesting things in the cellar I visited,” Helene said.
“You just abandoned us?” NicAskill said, her hands on her hips.
“Oh, no. I dematerialized and went behind the creatures and helped you.” She pointed. “See?”
Barely visible in the cave walls, floor, and ceiling were the soles of a couple dozen feet.
NicAskill didn’t say anything. She walked over to the cave wall and touched one of the soles. The flesh gave as her finger poked it. Only then did she mutter, “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Mostyn asked, “Can you dematerialize all of us together so we can check out the cellar?”
“I don’t think so, Mostyn Pierce. This many people is difficult to manage.”
“Listen up,” Mostyn began. “Jones, Lillibridge, NicAskill, and myself will go with Helene—”
Kemper interrupted. “Oh, no you don’t, Mostyn. No. I’m taking NicAskill’s place.”
“Wait one minute,” NicAskill began, but didn’t get to finish.
A scream rent the air, followed by the sound of automatic weapons fire. Charging down the cave tunnel were more of the Cerberus-like monsters, followed by several two-headed ogre-like creatures.
Jones, who had been on point watching for more monsters, returned fire with his shotgun.
The team dropped to the cave floor and returned fire. When his shotgun was empty, Jones tossed a stun grenade, and began shooting his pistol.
One of the three-headed dogs got by Jones and launched itself at Lillibridge, who had stood up to get a better angle of fire after the flash-bang of the stun grenade. All three hundred pounds of the beast landed on the special agent, three sets of jaws biting him. Then the monster was gone. Only a tail reappeared hanging from the ceiling.
Two of the ogre things charged into the team. A third creature had Jones pushed up against the cave wall.
A stream of lead from NicAskill’s submachine gun stopped one of the two-headed creatures. The other one disappeared. The third creature had a hand around Jones’s throat and had lifted him off the ground. Suddenly the creature roared, Jones dropped, and the thing staggered back: its entrails falling to the cave floor. Baker fired his submachine gun at it, and the monster shook with the impact of the bullets and fell backwards onto the floor. Jones wiped his knife off on the thing’s leg.
“How many of these things have they created?” Gerstner asked.
“Too goddamn many,” Dotty replied.
Mostyn keyed his mic. “Beau, it’s time for you guys to move in.”
Dale’s voice sounded in their ears. “This is Sky Command. We’re detecting lots of activity now.”
“What kind of activity?” Mostyn asked.
Beauregard’s voice. “Two armored cars just came out of the southeast drive, like the proverbial bats out of hell. I’ve dispatched pursuit vehicles.”
Dale’s voice. “A helicopter has just taken off. And now there’s smoke. It looks like they’ve torched the place.”
Mostyn spoke. “Beau, get your people in there and try to put the fire out.”
“Copy, Mostyn. On our way.”
To his team, Mostyn said, “Looks like they’re abandoning ship. As you heard, they have set fire to the mansion. We need to act quickly. Helene, Jones, Dotty, you’re with me. We’re going to check out the cellar before it’s too late. The rest of you, get out of here. Lillibridge?”
“He’s lost blood and I think he has broken bones,” NicAskill replied. “We’ll get him out.”
“Good,” Mostyn said. He turned to Helene, and said, “Dematerialize us.”
19
The cellar looked more like a lab than a place where grandma stored her pickles and preserves. The walls were white and the room was brightly lit. There were three rows of metal shelving filled with glass containers. In each container was a tiny monstrosity, and there had to be hundreds of them. Tubes and wires ran from the containers to junction boxes and from the junction boxes to wall outlets.
Dotty peered closely at one container. “This one’s going to be a three-headed dog.”
Jones looked at another. “This one has two heads.”
“This is the nursery from hell,” Dotty said.
“This one is a worm,” Helene said. “We have not seen any worms.”
“Not yet,” Mostyn replied. “And I’m guessing it’s a snake and we probably don’t want to meet it.”
“We need to take some of these with us,” Dotty said. “The proof is in the pudding and here’s the pudding.”
Mostyn looked at a container with its tubes and wires. “Can these be disconnected?”
“They can,” Dotty replied. “Although the creatures will probably die.”
Mostyn nodded. “But they shouldn’t deteriorate before we get them to a government lab. Right?”
Dotty shrugged. “Probably not.”
“Jones, do you think we can get this door open?” Mostyn asked.
He looked over the heavy metal door, then shrugged. “We could if we had tools. Or we could use the thermite grenades.”
Mostyn shook his head. “Don’t want to use the thermite. Everyone grab a container.”
When everyone had a container in their arms, Mostyn gave the order for Helene to dematerialize them.
The four OUP operatives vanished and then reappeared on the other side of the cellar door.
“Okay, people,” Mostyn said, “let’s get the hell out of here.”
Down the cave they walked at a brisk pace. When they reached the place where the branch that descended deeper into the earth split off, Mostyn set down his container, pulled the submachine gun around from his back, slipped the sling off his shoulder, and listened intently at the opening.
After a few moments, he waved the rest of his team on. He lingered to make sure Van Dyne didn’t have any stragglers coming late to the party. When he was satisfied all was going to remain quiet, he slipped the sling over his head, and put the submachine gun behind him. He picked up the container, and caught up with the rest of his team.
“I think Van Dyne’s exhausted their supply of uglies,” Mostyn said.
The hill above them shook.
“What’s happening?” Helene asked.
“Off hand,” Jones said, “I think they’re blowing up the place.”
“Makes sense,” Mostyn added. “Too much evidence could survive a fire.”
A dull thud reached their ears, and the cave shook.
“That one was closer to home,” Mostyn said. “Let’s double time it.”
They ran towards the cave entrance.
“I still think this is too easy,” Jones said.
“Don’t jinx it,” Dotty replied.
Coming up to the bend in the cave that signaled they were near the entrance, they heard a dull thud, followed by a sound like thunder, and then felt the cave shudder. Kemper and Jones stumbled, but stayed on their feet. From behind, everyone felt a rush of wind.
“What is that?” Helene said.
Mostyn turned, and his helmet lamps picked up two glowing eyes. From their size and their distance
apart, he guessed the head to be huge. He dropped his jar, which broke on the stone floor, and pulled his submachine gun around. Everyone else turned and the combined beams of light revealed the head of a giant serpent. A head which almost filled the cave tunnel.
Mostyn opened fire. The snake opened its mouth, scooped up the special agent, and closed its jaws.
20
Jones and Kemper opened fire, their glass jars lying broken on the floor where they’d dropped them. The two streams of bullets poured into the snake’s head, destroying the thing’s eyes.
The giant reptile’s tongue flicked out of the huge mouth. It hit Helene and knocked her into the cave wall. She collapsed to the floor.
Jones and Kemper slammed new magazines into their weapons. From inside the creature, they heard gunfire and then silence.
The mouth opened revealing two large fangs. Jones and Kemper fired into the gaping orifice before them.
“The roof of the mouth to get its brain,” Dotty yelled.
Jones adjusted his aim. The creature began writhing. Its mouth opening and closing. It bashed its head into the cave wall and lay still.
“We’ve got to get Mostyn!” Dotty yelled. “Your knife, Jones!”
They began slashing at the thing.
“We’re never going to get through these scales,” Jones said.
“We have to get him out. He’ll suffocate in there.”
“Can we get under it?” Jones asked. “The underside should be easier.”
“I don’t see how. It’s too big. Practically fills the cave.” Dotty hung her head. “This is never going to work.” Suddenly her head shot up. “The thermite grenades. We’ll burn a hole in the son of a bitch.”
“Whoa, Dot. They burn too hot. You might burn Mostyn.”
Dotty’s face was mere inches from Jones’s. “He’s dying! Give me your goddamn grenade.”
Jones was too slow and Dotty grabbed the thing off his belt. With her knife she carved a small hole in the snake, pulled the pin, and shoved the grenade into the hole.
She and Jones ran back from the creature. A brilliant flame shot out. The smell of burnt flesh filled the cave. After half a minute, there was a large crater in the snake. Dotty ran up to the thing and checked the hole.
“Not big enough,” she said, grabbed her own grenade, pulled the pin, and shoved it into the crater. She ran back to Jones. In four seconds a brilliant white flame shot into the air. Burnt flesh scented the damp cave air. And thirty seconds later the flame was gone.
She and Jones ran over to the creature and began digging through the cooked and burnt flesh with their knives.
“He can’t be in too far,” she said. “The snake didn’t have time to get him down its gullet.”
“Hey! What’s this?” Jones asked.
“The thing’s throat! We can do it! Just follow until we get to Mostyn.”
They continued carving their way through the snake’s flesh, like surgeons doing emergency surgery. “Come on, come on.” Dotty kept muttering under her breath.
“A boot!” Jones yelled.
“Here’s the other one!” Dotty said. “Pull, Jones!”
The agents grabbed Mostyn’s boots, and pulled. Stopped a moment, and pulled again. Out he popped like a baby being born. He was covered with slime and blood and burnt snake flesh.
“Oh, God, he’s not breathing.” Dotty started giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and Jones began pushing on his chest. After a moment, Mostyn gasped, then coughed. His eyes fluttered open.
“He’s alive!” Dotty said. “Oh, God, Mostyn, I thought we’d lost you.”
“Lose Mostyn? That’d be like losing Superman,” Jones quipped.
Mostyn lifted his head, shook it, and groaned. Dotty hugged and kissed him.
“Is it getting hot in here?” Jones asked.
“The fire,” Kemper said. “Must be getting closer. We have to get out of here.”
Jones scooped up Mostyn, said, “I got him. You see to Helene,” and made for the cave entrance.
Smoke was beginning to seep around the giant snake carcass. Dotty looked at Helene lying on the cave floor.
“I could just leave you here, couldn’t I? Leave you, and have Mostyn all to myself. Just like it was before you showed up. Just tell them I couldn’t wake you, and the smoke drove me off.”
She stood there looking at the K’n-yanian. For how long she didn’t know, although it probably wasn’t more than a few seconds. Then she turned and picked up the specimens and headed for the tunnel entrance.
After a dozen steps Dotty Kemper stopped. She turned around and looked at Helene. The smoke was beginning to get thick in the cave. She set down the embryos, and ran to Helene.
Dotty shook her. “Come on, Helene, wake up.” When there was no response, she took the K’n-yanian’s canteen and emptied the water on her head. Helene sputtered and opened her eyes.
“Come on. We have to leave, before we’re nothing more than smoked long pig.”
“Long pig? What’s that?”
“Later.”
Dotty helped Helene to stand up. “Can you walk?”
“I, I think so,” Helene answered. She took a few tentative steps, and nodded.
They made for the cave entrance, retrieved the embryos of the monsters, and continued walking until they reached the fence. NicAskill was waiting for them.
“Come on!” NicAskill said. “The cave is starting to fill with smoke.”
They pushed through the fence opening and came into the clearing, where Jones, Mostyn, and Gerstner were waiting.
“Is everyone accounted for?” Mostyn asked.
NicAskill replied, “We couldn’t retrieve Hernandez’s body.” She looked over at the smoke coming out of the cave entrance. “Maybe after the fire. Some of the Special Forces guys took Lillibridge to the hospital. Gerstner and I opted to wait for you.”
Mostyn smiled. “Thanks, Kymbra. Doctor.”
Gerstner gave him a nod.
Mostyn turned and looked at Dotty. “Did you save the specimens?”
“I did,” Dotty replied.
“Good.” Relief was written all over Mostyn’s face. “We have to get them to a lab.”
“Penn ought to have lots of fun,” Dotty said. “Too bad I’m only going to have charred remains to examine.” She paused, then asked, “How are you?”
“Other than this slime, I think I’m okay. Thanks.” He kissed her. “And thank you again, Jones.”
“Don’t mention it, Boss. All in a day’s work.”
Mostyn turned to Helene. “I heard you were knocked out. Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, I think so, Mostyn Pierce.”
“You might have a concussion,” Dotty said. “We need to get you to a doctor. That thing slammed you pretty hard against the wall.”
There was a high-pitched scream and crashing into the clearing was a giant squid on six legs, like those of an ant. One of the two long tentacles wrapped itself around Jones, yanking him back towards a viciously snapping beak.
NicAskill opened fire with her submachine gun. A stream of lead poured into the creature, severing several of the shorter tentacles and turning the beak into a bloody, pulpy mess.
The other long tentacle reached out and swept NicAskill off her feet. Kemper jumped up, ran to the side of the creature and opened fire with her submachine gun, directing the stream of bullets to just behind the eye. The monster let out a high-pitched scream and pitched forward onto the ground. It shuddered and was still.
Kemper was all smiles. “I guess I won’t have only charred remains to examine.”
Mostyn walked over to the thing. “Good shooting, Dot. How did you know what to aim for?”
“I may be a forensic anthropologist, but working for the OUP has taught me that Van Dyne doesn’t even begin to have a monopoly on the weird.”
Mostyn laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.”
Dotty added, “Besides, in biology class I learned that the squid�
�s brain is behind where the eyes are.”
“Thank God for good old biology,” Mostyn said. He turned to Helene. “You feel well enough? Do you think you can do your thing and get us back to the road?”
Helene sent her thoughts to him. Of course, my husband. And with that, she, Mostyn, and Dotty disappeared.
Epilogue
Dr Rafe Bardon sat behind his desk, puffing on his pipe. Before him, sitting in identical chocolate leather tub chairs, were Pierce Mostyn, Dotty Kemper, and Helene Dubreuil.
Bardon set his pipe down. “The Vautier mansion is a total ruin. We have a forensics team going through the wreckage to see if anything remains that the public should not discover. Otherwise, the main thing of value we have are the specimens you retrieved. Good work, you three. In fact, your entire team was exemplary, Pierce.”
“Thank you, sir. Was Beauregard able to capture any of the workers?”
“The helicopter and the armored trucks escaped. His men did round up a few of the workers, but it looks as though most escaped into the forest. Or maybe through secret tunnels. The ones we captured were low-level workers and I don’t think we’ll get much out of them.”
“That’s too bad, sir,” Mostyn replied.
Bardon shrugged. “At least that facility is out of commission. And, let me repeat, your team did exemplary work. I may even make Special Agent NicAskill a regular for you.”
“Are you replacing Jones?” Mostyn asked.
“Oh, no,” Bardon replied. “Given the nature of your missions, I’m thinking it will be better for you to have two agents.”
“I see.”
“You don’t seem too happy, Pierce.”
“Oh, no, Dr Bardon. No, sir. I think NicAskill will be a great addition. Very capable.”
Bardon was all smiles. “Good.”
“What about van Dyne, sir?” Mostyn asked.
“I got a message from him shortly after his people destroyed the mansion. In a rather bad rendition of Arnold’s voice, he said he’d be back. And I do not doubt it. We have not seen the last of Valdis Damien van Dyne.”
“Do we know why he was creating these creatures, sir?” Mostyn asked.
