Fire Defender

by Rodney Hartman

  Glancing down the stairs, Tess saw Grandma lying in a pool of blood near the entrance to the kitchen. All thoughts of mercy and kindness were driven from Tess as she hammered the bat into the first man’s face with all her strength, not once, but twice. Jumping over the railing, she landed next to the second man’s body and did the same to him.

  “Grandma!” shouted Alec as he rushed past Tess to kneel beside the old woman.

  The hole in the old lady’s head and the massive amount of blood told Tess it was hopeless. No one can survive that kind of damage, she thought. She’s dead.

  Tears streaming down his face, Alec pulled his grandmother to his chest. “Grandma. Grandma.”

  Dropping the bloody bat, Tess picked up one of the assault rifles and a pistol, then kneeled beside Alec. She noticed he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Must’ve slept in his clothes just like I did, she thought delaying the moment she had to intrude on his grief but knowing she must.

  Placing a hand on Alec’s shoulder, Tess said, “She’s gone. I’m sorry, but there are more of them outside. We’ve got to go. We’ve got to go now.”

  “No,” said Alec shaking off her hand. “I’m not leaving her.”

  A burst of automatic fire came through the front window. More came through the kitchen windows. Tess pulled Alec to the floor, praying the walls of the old farmhouse were as thick as she thought they were. Rounds poured through the windows, but none penetrated the foot-thick, hundred-plus-year-old beams. Tess heard a thud from the direction of the living room and turned to see a fist-sized metal ball rolling along the floor.

  “Grenade,” Tess shouted pulling Alec close while using her own body to protect him from the blast.

  Boom!

  The grenade went off, filling both the living room and kitchen with smoke and flying bits of debris. The grenade had come to rest against the stairway, which took most of the blast and spared her and Alec. With ears ringing, Tess pulled at Alec in an attempt to get him away from his grandmother’s body.

  “We’ve got to go,” she said praying he would listen to reason. “They’ll be throwing more grenades and coming inside.”

  Whether she could’ve convinced the teen to leave his grandmother, Tess never got a chance to find out. The old woman’s hand reached out and grabbed the assault rifle from Tess’s hand.

  “Tess is right,” croaked Grandma. “You’ve got to get to the cellar.”

  “Grandma?” Alec said, dumbstruck.

  The old woman wiped her sleeve across her face to get the worst of the blood away from her eyes. Tess noticed an angry scar in the center of Grandma’s forehead, but the wound had closed over and was growing less red even as she stared.

  “I told you my ring heals me,” said Grandma, her voice growing stronger. She rolled onto her side to check the assault rifle. “What’d you think was going to happen?”

  More automatic fire came through the windows.

  “You’ve got to get to the cellar,” said Grandma. “Take the packs and make your way to the barn through the tunnel. Use the four-wheelers to get to the cabin. I’ll send Scott with word when it’s safe to return.”

  “What about you?” said Alec. “You’ve got to come with us.”

  “I’ve got my ring,” said the old woman. “I’ll cover you. Once you’re gone, I’ll get out somehow. You’ll draw some of them away when they hear the four-wheelers.” She shoved Alec. “Now go!”

  Grandma began crawling toward the living room. She only made it halfway before a metal ball came through a broken window and landed on the floor. It was followed by two more metal balls.

  Tess noticed one of the grenades rolling toward Alec and her. For one split-second, she locked eyes with Grandma. She knew the old woman was too far away to help. Then Tess felt Alec knocking her to the side, placing his body between her and the grenade.

  Boom!

  The blast rolled Alec and her over. As the smoke began to clear, Tess looked into Alec’s eyes. They blinked. She placed her hand behind his back with the intent of dragging him into the kitchen, then felt something wet and warm. She pulled her hand back to find it covered in blood.

  “Alec, no,” Tess said feeling an emptiness in her stomach. “I can’t lose you too.”

  Grandma crawled next to her. Tess turned away from Alec long enough to look at the old woman. Blood was streaming out of several wounds on her chest and arms. Tess could see blood spurting out the side of Grandma’s neck. The spurting slowed. Tess noticed the wound begin to close over.

  Grandma pulled Alec onto his back. The old woman grabbed her right ring finger with her left hand, then locked eyes with Tess. “He won’t last ten seconds without the ring. Tell him I love him.” With those words, Grandma jerked the ring off her finger and placed it on her grandson’s right hand.

  Through her own ring, Tess sensed the connection between Grandma and the blue-gemmed ring switch over to Alec. She looked into the old woman’s eyes, which were already beginning to dull.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t take the load myself,” Grandma said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Find Mamie. She’s got the notebook. You’ll need it in order to have any hope.”

  The light in Grandma’s eyes faded completely and her head slumped to the floor.

  Alec groaned. He moved his hand, weakly reaching out for his grandmother.

  Not giving the attackers any time to throw more grenades, Tess began dragging Alec along the floor into the kitchen. She spotted an opening next to the cupboard she hadn’t seen before and began crawling toward the opening, dragging Alec behind her.

  “No,” said Alec beginning to struggle with more strength than Tess would’ve thought possible given his wounds. “We can’t leave her.”

  “She’s dead,” said Tess. “She gave you her ring to save you. Don’t let her death be for nothing. We’ve got to get away.”

  “No,” said Alec breaking free.

  A part of Tess’s mind noted that the automatic weapons fire from outside had stopped. Suddenly, the side door to the mud room burst in and two men in black outfits fired assault rifles as they came through. Their aim was high. Tess aimed the pistol she still clutched in her right hand toward the two figures and pulled the trigger. All the hours at the practice range in Texas served her well as a round caught the lead attacker in the throat. The second attacker fired around the leader, putting a burst of rounds into Alec’s chest.

  “No!” Tess said jumping to her feet and firing as she went.

  Pulling the trigger as fast as she could, she rushed forward and leaped into the air, landing a kick to the side of the second man’s head. He slammed into the wall and slid down to his knees but remained conscious. He raised his weapon in an attempt to bring it to bear on Tess. She didn’t give him a chance to complete the maneuver. At point-blank range, she put two rounds into his face. She pulled the trigger to put in a third but only heard a click.

  Turning to the first man, Tess saw he was dead as well. Bile rose in her throat as the realization that she’d just killed two more men hit her. She had never killed anyone before today and never wanted to kill anyone again. A look at Alec’s bloody body lying on the kitchen floor made her suddenly want to kill them all. A feeling of heat almost to the point of burning rose from Tess’s right hand to encompass her arm. Fire appeared around her hand along with a desire to harm those outside. Before she could act on the impulse, she heard a groan.

  Alec’s feet twitched as his hands clutched at his bloody chest.

  Tess rushed to his side, hope replacing the hot anger inside her. The fire surrounding her hand faded away as she knelt beside him. His blood-soaked t-shirt made it impossible to tell if his wounds were healing, but she took a gamble they were since he was wearing his grandmother’s ring. Returning to the two men, Tess grabbed their assault rifles and stripped the ammo belt off one of the bodies. She hurried back to Alec and began dragging him through the opening next to the cupboard and down the previously hidden stairs while he was still to
o weak to resist.

  I only hope he’s regained enough strength to ride a four-wheeler by the time we get to the barn, she thought. Otherwise, we’ll be trapped there.

  * * *

  The gray-robed man glared at the house. Things were not going as Harrison had promised.

  “Why must I work with fools?” he shouted at the man standing near him. “Must I do everything myself?”

  Drawing energy into a ball he formed between his reptilian-skinned hands, the gray-robed man pushed outward, sending the spell straight toward the farmhouse. The ball of energy went through the front window and exploded in a flash of bright light.

  Boom!

  Fire and debris shot out of every window on the bottom floor of the old house, but the walls held firm. The gray-robed man knew he’d overdone his spell, but he would never admit it to the sniveling human next to him.

  “What are you waiting for?” Mr. Gray shouted. “Get in there and get me those rings. Find the old woman. Cut her hands off before she is able to self-heal.”

  The colonel and two men in black uniforms rushed forward to obey. Before they were able to enter the house, the gray-robed man heard the roar of engines from the direction of the barn. Out came two four-wheelers heading toward the pasture gate in the direction of a large pond. Using his night vision, Mr. Gray watched the four-wheelers skirt around the pond and head down a trail leading toward a thick forest at the far end of the pasture. He sensed the presence of the Fire Ring coming from one of the riders. He scanned their path ahead, noticing a range of foothills beyond the forest leading to a tall mountain.

  “Go after them, you idiots,” Mr. Gray shouted as he jumped into the passenger seat of the nearest SUV.

  Men loaded into a couple of vehicles and roared through the yard toward the barn. Mr. Gray looked at the redheaded woman in the driver’s seat of his SUV. She started the engine and asked, “Do you want me to go after them, sir?”

  The gray-robed man heard sirens in the distance, then noticed lights on in several of the houses on the street leading to the cul-de-sac. Groups of foolish humans were beginning to congregate in their manicured front lawns, staring and pointing toward the old farmhouse.

  “No. Take me back to the safe house. The boy must have the Ring Defender now. Since I can still sense the Fire Ring, he must not know how to shield it. When the others get here with the asset, we’ll track the two down and finish this once and for all.”

  The SUV pulled out of the gravel drive, and speeding through the subdivision, made it to the main highway just as a car with flashing blue lights rushed past. Looking out the back window, Mr. Gray noticed more flashing lights heading toward the subdivision.

  The redheaded woman glanced in his direction. He pointed a long black fingernail at her. “You advised against a full assault? Is this what you expected?”

  The redheaded woman turned a corner before replying. “Yes, sir. I believe two agents could’ve done the job without the mess. Sometimes too many people just get in the way.”

  Mr. Gray pulled his hood back onto his shoulders, exposing his hairless, brown-reptilian skinned head. He noticed the woman glance out the corner of her eye, but her face remained expressionless. She’s got courage, he thought. “Overwhelming force has its merits,” he told the woman. “In this case though, I think perhaps you were right. What is your name again?”

  “Cynthia,” said the woman. “It’s Captain Cynthia Jager.”

  Mr. Gray hissed a laugh. “Not anymore. From now on it is Major Jager. I have a feeling once Mr. Black hears about the fiasco created by our dear Colonel Harrison, we are going to need a new leader for this operation. Do you think you can handle the job?”

  The redheaded woman smiled. “You can bet on it, sir.”

  “So, Major. What would you suggest we do now?”

  The woman pulled the SUV to the side of the road and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “We’ve got two imps with us. Harrison and the others aren’t going to be able to keep up with those four-wheelers once they get in the woods. I’d send the imps to follow the boy and girl. They’ve tasted both of the kid’s blood. They can’t get away.”

  Mr. Gray smiled, thinking, For once I’m not working with a fool.

  Chapter 32 – The Cabin

  _________________

  The ride through the pasture combined with the twisting, muddy path of the forest was something Alec would never forget. Most of his strength had returned by the time they’d gotten down the cellar’s steps, although he definitely hadn’t been at full strength. As a result, Tess had been able to force him down the tunnel leading to the barn despite him wanting to go back for his grandmother. By half-carrying, half-dragging him to the barn, talking all the while, Tess had convinced him not to throw his life away by trying to return to the house. By the time they’d climbed the ladder up into the barn itself, he’d come to his senses enough to know Tess was right. His grandmother was gone. The only thing they could do was try to get away and live to fight another day. At Tess’s urging, he’d mounted one of the four-wheelers with a pack on his back and an assault rifle strapped over his shoulder.

  A large explosion from the house had been the impetus for them to start their four-wheelers. They’d sped off toward the pasture throwing mud from their tires high into the air. An SUV and a van full of men had come after them firing weapons out of every window. How he and Tess had made it to the forest without getting hit was beyond him. Once again, providence had come to their aid in that the four-wheeler paths he and Scott had cut into the forest over the years were large enough for their four-wheelers but too small for their pursuers’ massive vehicles. Within five minutes of leaving the barn, they’d left the men who’d attacked the farmhouse far behind.

  Alec raised a hand and adjusted the night-vision goggles his grandmother had thoughtfully placed in his pack. He glanced behind him to make sure Tess was still there. They both had their lights off to avoid discovery, but even though Tess wasn’t wearing night-vision equipment, she somehow seemed able to traverse the winding forest path with no problem.

  Well, she did tell Grandma and me that she’d been able to see in the dark the other night. I guess it must be working again.

  The thought of Grandma created a stab of pain in his heart. Alec knew it was a pain that no mere ring could make go away. Although he wore gloves, he felt warmth in his right hand from his grandmother’s ring hidden beneath.

  No, he corrected. It’s my ring now. Grandma’s gone. I’m just going to have to deal with it. Tess told me Grandma said to get to the cabin and wait for Scott. She said to get in touch with Aunt Mamie, that we’d need her notebook.

  Alec thought of his aunt. He knew she would take the news of Grandma’s death hard. The two sisters had been closer than most. He supposed it was partly from sharing the secret of the ring but had a feeling it ran deeper than that. He dreaded having to be the one to tell his aunt her sister was dead.

  A chill ran through Alec. We’re getting higher in the mountains. It won’t be long now. Maybe another hour at the most until we reach the cabin. He shivered. Assuming we don’t freeze to death first.

  Relaxing his grip on the throttle, Alec let the four-wheeler coast to a stop in the middle of the trail. He had no desire to give away their position by having the brake lights come on. Once the bike came to a complete stop, he dismounted and leaned his assault rifle against his four-wheeler, then set his backpack on the cycle’s seat and began rifling inside.

  “Why are we stopping?” said Tess. “I told you Grandma said to get to the cabin.”

  Pulling a wool sweater out of his pack, Alec said, “Hey, maybe you’re warm with that leather jacket of yours, but this t-shirt isn’t hacking it. I need something a bit more substantial.” He pulled a padded jacket out of his pack and laid it on top of the sweater. Looking at Tess he said, “You’d best get something warmer as well. I know these mountains at this time of year. Hyperthermia will sneak up on you. That won’t do either one of use any
good.”

  Without waiting to see if Tess complied, Alec pulled off his night-vision goggles and bloodstained t-shirt and replaced the garment with the wool sweater and jacket. After putting the night-vision equipment back on, he held out the t-shirt and stared at the three holes in the chest. The thought that he’d had three matching holes in his own body caused him to involuntarily raise his hand to his chest. He felt no pain. Turning to Tess to make a comment about the ring’s healing ability, he just as quickly turned back around after he caught sight of a whole lot of bare skin. To his embarrassment, she was in the process of pulling off her shirt to put on a wool sweater of her own.

  “You can look now,” Tess said almost sounding amused. “I’m all decent; dressed and everything.”

  Glad the darkness hid his red face, Alec turned to look at his companion. She’d pulled her leather jacket over the wool sweater. The bulky clothing made her look frumpy, but he wisely kept his opinion to himself. Staying warm in the mountains was definitely more important than style.

  “I’m guessing we’ve got about an hour until we reach the hunting cabin,” Alec said. “How are you doing on fuel?”

  Tess looked down before replying, “I’ve got a quarter of a tank. Will that be enough?”

  Alec nodded his head. “Plenty. Scott and I’ve made the trip loads of times on these four-wheelers over the years. I just wanted to make sure a stray bullet hadn’t hit your tank. We keep extra gas at the cabin, so we’ll fill them back up when we get there. The cabin’s accessible by jeep taking backroads, but it’s a good sixty miles of mountain trails to get there the back way. The four-wheelers are the best way we’ve found to go back and forth. It’s pretty much a straight shot for them.”