Gaston’s horse bolted and headed toward the G1, galloping at full tilt. It had traveled fifty feet when the first worm burst through the ground to its right. As the horse raced past, its thorax bent, and its mouth latched onto the animal’s back. The horse bucked and kicked. Because of the angle in which the worm had bitten, it could not pull the animal into its mouth, so it released its grip. The horse fell to the ground with a thud. It flayed around in the dirt, too severely wounded to get up. Lowering itself to the ground, the worm slithered across the field, circling its prey to come in from behind. The other two worms disappeared into their craters, the one feasting on Sook-kyoung’s horse spitting out the animal’s remains as it disappeared. They reemerged on the opposite side of Gaston’s horse. The three creatures ripped the animal to shreds as each attempted to feed.
“Shit,” said Ustagov.
“What is it?” Jason asked.
“Those things detect sound waves on the surface. That’s how they homed in on Sook-kyoung and Gaston.”
“If we stay still, they know we’re here and will keep searching until they find us.”
Ustagov thought for a moment. “We have a chance if we head into the storm. The noise of the dust scraping across the surface might mask our movements. Even if it doesn’t, once above ground their sensory receptors will be useless.”
“That storm is a mile and a half away. How do we get to it before those worms get to us?”
“I have an idea.”
Jason spun his horse around. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I.”
“No time to explain,” Jason yelled to the others. “We’re heading into the dust storm. Do exactly what the doctor tells you and we might make it out of this alive.”
“What about the anti-matter device?” Haneef asked. “Sook-kyoung carried one of them.”
“We’ll come back for it.”
Nudging his horse in the abdomen, Jason headed toward the storm with the others trailing after him. Lilith and Lucifer stayed close by their master. Soon the team rode at full speed.
Detecting the vibrations, the three worms descended back into the ground and set off in pursuit.
Chapter Sixteen
As Jason’s team raced toward the dust storm, Ustagov kept checking over his shoulder. The first time, the worms were still visible, feeding on Gaston’s horse. The next time, they had disappeared, and three waves headed straight for them. He timed it carefully, calculating the speed of the horses with that of the worms. When the waves vanished, Ustagov knew the creatures were diving before resurfacing.
“On me!”
The doctor veered his horse right and the others followed. A moment later, the three worms broke through the earth where Jason’s team would have been if they had kept going straight. After a few seconds, the worms descended beneath the surface and the triple waves rushed toward them. Ustagov waited for the worms to dive before swerving left. Again, the creatures broke through where Jason’s team should have been. By now, several of the others had figured out the doctor’s intentions and kept their own eyes on the worms’ progress, maneuvering out of the way before they resurfaced. They kept this up for several minutes, avoiding the creatures and closing the gap with the approaching dust storm.
Through everyone performing their own maneuvers, the team had broken up into smaller groups that were now spread out. Jeanette, Antoine, Ian, and Vicky were more than half a mile to the left. Even more troubling, the waves were no longer visible. Jason sidled his horse up near Ustagov.
“The worms aren’t following us. Do you think they gave up?”
The doctor checked over his shoulder and muttered a single word. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“They didn’t give up. They’re learning.”
The worms broke through the surface in a triangular formation directly in front of Jason’s team.
Sook-kyoung groaned as she tried to push herself up. The muscles in her chest and arms ached. Her vision blurred, so she closed her eyes for a moment to clear it. She barely remembered what happened. She recalled heading south away from the giant worm—
She rolled onto her back, half expecting a fanged head to be hovering over her, ready to consume its meal. The only thing nearby was the partially-devoured carcass of her horse. Crawling to her feet, she wondered where the rest of the team had gone. Then she recalled the second worm bursting through beside her and tossing her into the air like a ragdoll. She searched for the rest of the team but could not find them. Had they left her because they thought she was dead? Were they forced to escape certain death? Or was she the only one still alive?
Gunfire to the west attracted Sook-kyoung’s attention. Over a mile away, the rest of the team battled the worms. She considered joining them and ruled out the possibility. Even if she could make it that far without one of the creatures hunting her down, the dust storm would engulf the team well before she reached them. Her best chance lay in heading southeast and finding shelter. Once the storm passed, she would figure out how to meet back up with Jason.
Sook-kyoung raced over to the remains of her horse. The front portion of the saddle was chewed up, and her rations and water were ruined. Miraculously, the anti-matter device had not been harmed thanks to the specially-designed saddle bag. Ten feet from the carcass lay the gas mask she had been wearing. Picking it up and placing it on top of her head, and slinging the case holding the device over her shoulder, Sook-kyoung located the direction in which she had been heading and broke into a run.
Jason’s team tried to maneuver around the three worms that towered in front of them. Most would have succeeded if the creatures had not bent their thoraxes at forty-five-degree angles and swept back and forth. Jason and Ustagov were knocked out of their saddles. One slammed into Slava’s horse, tossing both animal and rider into the air.
A worm bent over Jason and lunged, its fang extended. The werehounds morphed into their demonic forms to protect their master. Lucifer jumped on top of Jason and arched his back as the worm’s mouth closed around him, unable to penetrate the werehound’s scales. Lucifer swayed back and forth, driving the three-inch spikes along his shoulders into the soft tissue. The worm shrieked, emitting a high-pitched muffled cry that came from deep in its throat, yet it refused to release its prey. Lilith circled around and jabbed her tail along its thorax, injecting the creature with paralyzing fluid. After several thrusts, the worm grew listless, yet still maintained its grip on Lucifer, the fangs desperately trying to pull him in.
Bringing her horse around to the side, Sasha slid out of her saddle and unsheathed her saber. Raising the weapon above her, she brought it down behind the worm’s head. The blade cut into the slimy skin, creating a gash two feet deep. The worm let go of Lucifer and concentrated on Sasha. Because of the paralyzing fluid, its movements were sluggish. Sasha continued her attack, slicing two more deep wounds. When the creature opened its mouth to consume her, Sasha drove her saber into the soft tissue. Once the blade punctured the interior, she twisted her wrist, gouging out a chunk of tissue. The creature shrieked and stood erect. As it tried to descend back into the ground, its thorax wobbled. The worm collapsed dead between Jason and Sasha, missing the former by inches.
Sasha rushed over and helped Jason to his feet. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve been banged around worse than this.” Jason reached down and petted Lucifer on the head. Even in his demonic form, his tail wagged. “Forget about me. We have to protect the devices.”
Ustagov attempted to stand, stumbling forward onto his knees. Getting bowled over along with his horse had knocked the wind out of him worse than he realized. One of the worms slithered across the ground toward him, its extended prostomium having detected him. The doctor braced for the end, a part of him scientifically curious what it would be like to be eaten alive.
A sustained burst of automatic weapons fire lashed the worm’s head. It stopped and shrieked, whipping its thorax back and forth t
o stave off the stinging. Haneef sat ten feet away on his horse, reloading his AK-47, while Jonah and Matthew stayed on either side of him to protect the device. Another burst of automatic weapons fire from the left punched into the creature. Jason and Sasha ran up on Ustagov’s left, the latter helping the doctor to his feet.
“Come on.” Jason reloaded and fired a three-round burst into the worm’s head. “Grab your horse and let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to tell me tw—”
The worm lunged again. Jason raised his AK-47 and emptied the rest of his magazine into its mouth as Haneef fired a broadside into the side of its head. With a screech of agony, the worm stiffened and disappeared into its crater.
“Now, while we have the chance.”
Ustagov mounted his horse and headed in the direction of the dust storm. It was now five hundred feet away.
“We’ve got problems,” said Antoine.
Jeanette stopped and spun her horse around toward the sound of gunfire. Half a mile away, the rest of the team fought the three worms. From this distance, it did not appear as if the battle was going well.
“We have to go back and help them,” said Jeanette.
Antoine shook his head. “It won’t do any good. The battle will be over by the time we get there.”
“We have to do something,” Vicky protested.
“We could provide a distraction,” said Antoine. “Didn’t the doctor say those things are attracted to vibrations?”
“He did.” Jeanette slid out of her saddle. Antoine and Vicky joined her. As she stomped her feet against the ground, Jeanette wondered if this would work, and what they would do if they succeeded.
Slava lay face down, dazed and with blurred vision. He heard shouting and automatic weapons fire. With the greatest of effort, he raised himself onto his hands and knees, and fell face first back on the dirt when the pain in his left arm caused the muscles to give out. When he opened his eyes, the ground beneath him spun. Slava squinted. Once the dizziness subsided, he pushed himself into a kneeling position using his right arm and opened his eyes again. One of the worms charged in his direction.
The worm did not attack Slava; it went after his horse, which had fallen beside him. The animal cried out as the fangs dug into its flanks. Slava reached out to the animal. A pair of hands grabbed him under his right arm and pulled him back. Luther leaned forward and said, “We have to get out of here.”
“No.” Slava pushed Luther away and headed back.
“You can’t save him.”
“I’m not trying to save the horse. The anti-matter device is attached to the saddle.”
By now, the worm had devoured the horse up to its neck and had begun on its abdomen. Luther clutched the edge of the saddle and yanked while Slava struggled to unhitch the bag containing the device. Despite Luther’s grip, each undulation of the fangs drew the horse deeper into the worm’s mouth. The front part of the saddle was already being consumed. Slava worked frantically to release the bag. Just as he freed it, the worm thrust its thorax forward, knocking him and Luther onto the ground. The bag landed twenty feet from them. Slava rolled over and crawled after it.
“Watch out!”
The worm lowered its mouth toward Slava. The Russian rolled out of the way a moment before the creature’s head slammed into the dirt beside him.
Luther unsheathed his broadsword and plunged the blade up to the hilt into the worm’s flank, rotating the handle to maximize the wound. The worm jerked its head up, ripping the bladed weapon out of Luther’s hands. Rather than disappear back into its crater, it lunged again, this time engulfing Luther down to his lower legs. It closed its mouth and raised its thorax upright. Luther’s muffled screams could be heard from inside the worm. He frantically punched at the interior of its throat, stopping only when he slid past the creature’s esophagus.
Slava got up and raced toward the saddle bag, scooping it as he ran past. He did not bother to look behind him, not wanting to know how close the worm was. Instead, every few seconds, he shifted direction, hoping to throw the creature off track. He felt a rumbling along the field’s surface. The worm slithered across the earth directly behind him. Before Slava could change course, it collided with the Russian and knocked him to the ground. Slava clutched the bag against his chest so he would not lose it and attempted to roll out of the way. A sharp pain exploded down his legs. The worm’s upper set of fangs had closed around his ankles and retracted, drawing him into its mouth. He cried out and tried to kick free, but his legs had been immobilized.
“Hang on!” Gabriel and Father Belsario rode up, dismounting before their horses came to a complete stop. The cleric knelt behind Slava, wrapped his arms underneath the Russian’s shoulders, and pulled to prevent him from being devoured. Gabriel used his broadsword to attack the worm’s head, hacking away chunks with each stroke. The creature ignored the assault, instead concentrating on its meal. The fangs undulated, the second set pulling Slava in deeper while the first closed around his knees. He screamed as the caps shattered under the weight. At that moment, the others rushed up. Jonah and Matthew protected Haneef and the anti-matter device; Jason and Ustagov fired three-round bursts from their AK-47s into the creature’s neck, while Sasha stood opposite Gabriel, attacking the other side of the worm’s head. The third set of fangs drew Slava in as the outer two opened and shifted position. When they did, Father Belsario yanked on Slava’s shoulders, hoping to dislodge him. Instead, the first set of fangs bit down above the Russian’s knees, tearing off his lower legs. Blood spurted across the dirt and the worm’s head as Slava’s arteries were severed. With no reason left to be careful of their shots, Jason and Ustagov switched to full automatic mode and fired thirty rounds into the creature. It bellowed a final shriek and collapsed.
Slinging his AK-47 over his shoulder, Jason rushed over to his friend. Father Belsario had laid Slava’s shoulders on the ground. Jason held Slava’s hand. “You’re going to be okay.”
Slava winced. “Thank God… you’re a better leader… than a liar.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing to say. I’m just glad—” Slava spasmed and his eyes closed. Jason felt his wrist. The Russian had a weak pulse, and his breathing had increased to thirty breaths a minute. Slava opened his eyes again. “I’m just glad… I got to help… close the portals… in Russia.”
“You did that, buddy.” Jason squeezed Slava’s hand. “Andre would have been proud.”
“Andre… would have been proud… of you.” Slava’s breathing became fast and shallow, and his pulse barely perceptible. He slipped into unconsciousness. A moment later, Slava’s life ebbed from his body. Father Belsario patted him on the shoulders and said a silent prayer over their fallen comrade. Jason wished his friend’s soul a speedy journey to Heaven.
Sasha walked up beside Jason and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I hate to interrupt your grieving.”
Jason followed her gaze. The dust storm had approached to within one hundred feet.
The distraction created by Jeanette and the others finally worked. The remaining worm detected the stomping and dived beneath the ground. She knew it headed toward them judging by the wave it created on the surface.
“What now?” Ian asked.
Jeanette checked her surroundings. The dust storm had closed to within two hundred feet on their left.
“Head into the storm,” said Jeanette as she climbed into the saddle. “Once inside, slow down and stay close so we don’t lose each other. Hopefully it won’t find us.”
The others mounted their horses and slid on their gas masks. When they were ready, Jeanette checked behind her. The worm approached rapidly, although still more than two hundred feet away.
Spurring her horse forward, Jeanette led her group into the dust storm.
Jason attached the bag containing the anti-matter device to his saddle. He reached into another bag, withdrew a hundred-foot length of rope, and tied one end to
his saddle. “There were some warehouses west of here. We’re going to walk to them and wait out the storm there. Put on your masks and make sure your horses are ready.” He passed the rope to Sasha.
She took it. “What’s this for?”
“Loop this through the stirrups. That way we won’t get separated. Now hurry.”
Everyone worked as quickly as possible, finishing moments before the storm hit. The wind picked up, growing loud enough to drown out the nervous neighing of the horses, and throwing dirt and debris against their faceplates. When everyone was ready, Jason led the way through the dust.
Sook-kyoung had been jogging for several minutes when she paused to catch her breath. As she rested, she scanned the eastern horizon for anything that could offer protection. Sadly, she couldn’t even spot a hillock or an abandoned vehicle. She would have to keep going and hopefully her luck would break good. By now, the leading edge of the storm had approached to within a hundred feet. Running would be useless. She placed her gas mask over her head, secured it, and started walking. The dust pounded against her back like hail.
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