"That guy." Donna pointed to a man standing by a large metal brake. "A grip-man operates that lever to grip and release the cable that runs under the street," Donna explained as she leaned out of the trolley. "He controls the brakes so the trolley won't go crashing into the bay.
They caught the California Street line cable car that ran a straight course through Chinatown and over to Nob Hill. Jane marveled at the architecture while the cable car rolled up the steep hills of the Bay City.
"I really don't know what the fuss is all about, but the tourists like to see it," Donna explained when they briefly stopped to visit Lombard Street. They had time to spare, so they went to see the curvy street while they waited to catch the Powell-Mason line, which would take them just three blocks from Fisherman's Wharf. "Lombard Street is known as the most crooked street in the world, but it really isn't."
"It's beautiful." Jane studied the brick-lined street that zigzagged around the residences' bright flower gardens.
"Come on! We have more to see." Donna hauled her to the approaching trolley car.
The smells and sounds of Fisherman's Wharf were tantalizing, and for the first time since the Keeper's death, Jane forgot about her plight. She and Donna salivated over fresh Dungeness crab served steaming hot at one of the outdoor stands, each took in a lungful of the fresh sourdough bread baking from the local bakery, and then they savored some locally made chocolate. As the two women strolled towards PIER 39, Jane peered at the sea mammals gathered on the docks, cavorting, eating, and basking in the sun. When she leaned on the railing to watch the animals, one of the creatures raised its head and stared back. One by one, the other sea lions followed suit until all remained quiet. The tingle of power started to build inside her, but she quickly quenched it before it had time to manifest.
"That's weird," Donna proclaimed when the lead mammal wobbled over to where they stood and bumped against the railing.
Jane stared into the brown eyes of the sea lion and once again felt a spark of energy deep inside her chest. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she fought to extinguish the flare of power. The desire to touch the creature was fierce, but the Keeper's warning not to use her Gift overruled the instinct. Stiffening her back, she tried to calmly stroll away, hoping the distance would help. The sea mammals barked, snorted, and occasionally bumped their heads against the pier in a futile attempt to get her attention, and she didn't hear the stop until she was out of site.
"Man, those seals sure liked you!" Donna exclaimed when they left the pier. Jane caught Donna glancing at her from the corner of her eye. She could tell her new friend was starting to form questions in her mind.
"Yes, they did." She tried to sound surprised, yet a nervous giggle escaped. When she could no longer hear the creatures bellowing, she located the nearest street performer, and pretended to listen. Beside her, Donna tapped her tiny foot in rhythm of the music. But Jane didn't hear a single note. She was surprised how the sea lions reacted to her, and some questions of her own were bubbling to the surface once again. Who was she? What was she?
The Gift had almost imprisoned her in her own mind, and she was afraid to tap into the power again. The energy within her reached out to anything living and she had to find a way to keep it under control. She gave her friend a sideways glance and wondered what her reaction would be if she witnessed her wield the Gift. Would Donna be afraid of her?
"Come on, Jane. There's more to see!" Donna grabbed her arm and hauled her down the street. After a leisurely tour of Alcatraz Island and a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, they ended their sightseeing at Coit Tower, perched on Telegraph Hill, to get a bird's-eye view of the city.
"I love this place," Donna said softly as they watched the sun slowly set into the bay and a thick, evening fog eerily floated onto the streets.
"We'd better head back," Jane said, an uneasiness stirring inside her. The elderly couple's death two days ago had given her pursuers her location and by now they would surely be in the vicinity. She doubted the smells of the city would put them off her trail for long, and she worried what the night might bring.
It was dark when they returned to Donna's tiny apartment. Jane crawled out the window, onto the narrow fire escape, and crouched down on the tiny balcony to peer at the night sky. To her disappointment, the city lights prevented her from seeing the stars. She still found it difficult to believe she had come from one of the twinkling specks hidden by the lights.
For a brief moment, the waxing moon showed its face before the silvery mist of fog obscured it. Jane observed how the streetlights illuminating the thick haze made it seem denser.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a flash of movement, but when she turned her head, she saw nothing. Her heart skipped a beat when another shadow emerged from the grey mist, then she recognized the shape of a jogger, darting from one light to the other. A shaky chuckle rattled out of her chest. Unnerved by her own imagination, she took a moment to breathe and rose to her feet.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?" Donna popped her head out the window before crawling out to stand beside her. "Isn't this fog creepy?" Donna peered at the street below. "This fog can get so thick you can barely see your hand in front of your face." An inhuman screech filled the quiet night before Jane could respond to her friend's comment.
"What the heck was that?" Donna gasped in alarm.
"It's a Glauc-tuko." Although Jane's heart pounded at the shriek, she was not surprised to hear the creature's call. By the echo, the creature was still far away. Trying to remain calm to consider her options, she turned to look at her puzzled friend. "Do you have a gun?"
"Yes, I do." Donna stared at her in disbelief. "You aren't serious, are you? There is no such thing as a Glauc whatever!"
"I didn't believe it either, until those creatures started chasing me." When she saw disbelief in Donna's blue eyes, she grabbed her shoulders and gave her a rough shake.
"Those monsters are real, Donna, and they're coming here." On cue, another howl filled the air, followed by another from the opposite direction. "I need to get out of here." She abruptly released her friend and crawled back inside the apartment to gather her belongings.
"There's more than one?" questioned Donna, following her inside. Without waiting for an answer, she retrieved the gun hidden under her sofa. "How many are there?"
"Go to the loft and hide, Donna," Jane ordered, as she bolted the door and pushed a chair under the knob. "I'll lead them away. When they start to follow me, leave the city as fast as you can and don't come back. They will kill you just for being my friend."
"Wait!" Donna vaulted up the ladder and started rummaging around in the tiny loft bedroom.
"What are you doing?" Jane yelled, throwing her backpack on. "I don't have much time."
"I'm coming with you." Donna practically jumped to the lower level with a backpack in tow.
"No you're not!" Jane said, rounding on her friend in anger. "Those things will kill you!"
"According to you, they'll do that anyway, just like they killed that elderly couple." Her friend glared at Jane like a boxer at a press conference. The tension in the room seemed to grow as the seconds ticked by.
"Come on then!" With a sigh of reservation, Jane broke their stalemate and strode to the window. "We'll go down the fire escape."
"What exactly is a Glad-toga?" With a ghost of a smile that let Jane know she was proud of her victory, Donna followed her out the window.
"They're similar to small dinosaurs, about the shape of a velociraptor, with long claws and sharp teeth, minus the tail." She smiled at her friends' bravery while she described the beasts. "I think they are like hunting hounds, and they have been after me since I left Canada." She visualized the wild river ride in the tree trunk and quickly added, "And they don't like water."
"I know where we can get a boat." Donna placed a hand on her forearm when they reached the second-floor platform. "We'd be safe in the middle of the bay." Another shriek of the Glauc-tuko echoed around the street.
"They're getting closer. We have to run for it." Jane hurried down the rusty ladder and jumped the last few feet to the street below.
"I'll run as fast as I can!" Donna said before she vaulted off the fire escape, "I can't believe this is really happening."
"Me neither!" Jane spied both directions of the alley while she quickly retrieved the curved blade hooked to the side of her pack. "Which way?"
"This way." Donna tapped Jane's elbow before she bolted down the street.
"Try to stay in the light," Jane softly ordered when she caught up to her companion. In silence, they sprinted down Washington Street towards the bay.
"Man, I'm out of shape," Donna wheezed when they paused in a lit area of an intersection. "My legs hurt, and I have a cramp in my side."
"You'll get stronger," Jane said, giving her friend a sideways grin. She could easily have outdistanced the woman but she refused to leave her side.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Donna glared at her, her ego bruised. The two women jumped when a Glauc-tuko screech filled the air, and Donna seemed to forget her momentary grudge. "Damn, they're right behind us," Donna exclaimed, with a frightened glance towards the sound.
"How much further?" Jane asked, while they trotted across the intersection. She had counted three of the dead beasts when they attacked at the river, and she feared there were many more pursuing her now. She considered using her Gift for protection, but discarded the idea. It would do her more bad than good, and besides, the forest had saved them last time. There was far less vegetation in the city, and her power had almost made her lose herself only hours ago. She would have to make do without.
"Four more blocks." Donna said, lifting a tired arm towards the tall buildings in front of them. As they ran in the middle of the street, their eyes darted from side to side, scanning the road for the unseen creatures.
Jane slowed their pace when they drew near a small park to their right. They had not heard a Glauc-tuko screech in three city blocks but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Ahead of the two women, a car turn onto the deserted street and sped towards them. When the headlights of the automobile briefly illuminated the fog-shrouded park, she caught a glimpse of three monstrous shadows ducking behind the brushes to hide from the light.
"Stop, Donna!" She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her to a halt. "We're not going to make it to the water. When that car passes, we'll run toward that building." She pointed to the skyscraper to their left. "When they attack, try to keep your back to the building."
"Okay."
Jane saw her hands shake as Donna pulled the gun from the waist of her pants. "I'm with you, girl!" she said, and Jane's heart warmed even more to the woman.
The car appeared to start to pass them, but it abruptly skidded to a ninety-degree angle and rocked to a halt. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air, assaulting Jane's nostrils. She could hear the monsters hiss as the headlights lit the fog like two large spotlights. The car's passenger door flew open and a familiar voice called from the dark interior.
"Get in here, now!" Thane raised up, half out of the car, and raised his hand toward the park. With a whoosh, a nearby tree ignited into a fireball. The monsters frightened screeches echoed off the buildings. Taking advantage of the situation, the women raced towards the waiting car. Jane hurriedly pushed Donna into the front seat, and slammed the door behind them. Once they were secure in the vehicle, Thane jammed the pedal to the floorboard and raced towards the docks at a frightening speed.
The car struck a creature as it jumped in front of the moving vehicle, throwing it into the air only to have it smash down face-first onto the windshield. Still alive, with its bloody head stuck in the windshield, the Glauc-tuko clawed at the tempered glass to reach its prey. Instinctively, Donna raised her pistol.
A shockwave of warm air smacked them in the face as the boom of the pistol quaked the floorboard of the car and rattled their bones. The monster's brain matter and black blood spattered the interior, covering them with gore. Jane kicked the body from the windshield and watched it fall with a splat on the road. The Mlinzi leaned sideways to peer out the hole as they sped towards the bay.
"Man! Your timing is impeccable!" Donna half giggled at their rescuer. Thane briefly turned his piercing yellow eyes on the small woman. Jane suppressed a smile when her friend swallow hard before she spoke again. "Friend of yours?" Donna loudly whispered to her.
"More or less." Jane peered into the side mirror and saw three of the monsters in hot pursuit. With tires squealing, Thane pulled the car around a tight corner and raced toward the bay. Plowing the car through a barrier at Pier 12, The Mlinzi spun the car into a half circle before bringing them to a stop. The bright lights of the vehicle illuminated the murky street and prevented the creatures from advancing.
"Get out!" Thane scrabbled out of the car and roughly grasped Jane's arm. He pulled her down the pier, leaving Donna to run behind them. "That won't hold them for long."
"Wait!" Jane tried to stop their momentum. They were easily outdistancing Donna, while the smaller woman desperately tried to keep their pace. "We have to wait for Donna."
"Let them have her," Thane barked, pulling Jane down the long pier. "That will buy us some time."
"NO!" With all her strength, Jane dug in her heels to stop him. "I'm not leaving her."
"We don't have time for this, Princess!" With her jaw stubbornly set, Jane narrowed her eyes as she yanked her arm free of his grasp. With a mumbled curse, the Mlinzi raced back to Donna. With a squeal from the small woman, he scooped her over his broad shoulder and sprinted back. "Now move it." As he ran past, Jane gave him a satisfied smile and she saw him cringe at her torment.
Anchored at the end of the dock were several yachts of various sizes. Thane jumped into one of the largest and unceremoniously dumped Donna on the deck. Just a few feet behind him, Jane followed the Mlinzi onto the craft. With a quick glance over his shoulder to see if she was aboard, he raced to the bridge. As she followed to the enclosed bridge, she saw him withdraw a red crystal from the depths of his cloak. Standing outside the open door she watched him touch it against the ignition. To her surprise, the crystal flared a bright crimson and the boat's engine roared to life.
The screech of a Glauc-tuko brought her attention back to the creatures just as one jumped into the boat. From years of training with the Keeper, Jane automatically reacted as she wielded her blade. Just as she sank the blade into the Glauc-tuko's chest, she heard Thane's pounding footsteps behind her. The animal howled in pain as it backed away. As if in a dance, she spun around and amputated the monster's left arm at the joint, making the deck slippery with its black blood. Before the appendage fell to the deck, Thane pushed her backward and severed the Glauc-tuko's head from its neck. Unstable from the Mlinzi's firm shove, Jane slipped on the creature's blood, bringing her too close to the flailing, headless creature. Searing pain raced through her body when the animal's remaining claw dug into her shoulder and she fell to the deck with a thump.
The engines thundered as the yacht jerked forwards, speeding away from the pier. With a swirl, Thane sliced the ropes that held the craft to the dock before they ripped the railing away. Just as the ship almost sailed out of reach, another creature jumped onto the deck. It lunged towards Jane, but the Mlinzi blocked its path. With a cry of bloodlust, he plunged his blade into its breast. Thane gave the monster one swift kick to its abdomen and the creature slid off his sword. The Glauc-tuko's death cry filled the air as it fell into the dark depths of the bay.
***
"Ch'iidii!" Inga cursed as the yacht disappeared into the dense fog. Once again, her mark had eluded her. She had been so close to capturing the princess that she was sure victory had been at hand. The bothersome Mlinzi had arrived so unexpectedly he had actually surprised her. She hated the Mlinzi warriors above anything else. Having lived in their society at a young age, she knew they were hard to kill. "I'll deal with him in due course, and I'll take great pleasure
in seeing his eyes dull with death."
Inga made her way back to the wooded area called Golden Gate Park. Stretching out her hand to the near invisible Glauc-tuko by her side, she scratched its eye ridge, making it gurgle with pleasure. She had not expected the princess's capture to be so difficult and had only brought only a handful of the beasts with her. The long months of the hunt before she found the old Mlinzi and the girl who she suspected was the princess had been tedious. If it had not been for her pets, she would have forgone the pay and just killed everyone in the place. She had bred only a few of her beauties in the dense forest during her time at the compound but they were too young to be set on the chase, leaving only eight to hunt for the princess. Now, no thanks to the male Mlinzi, only two of those remained.
Most Jeger disliked using the Glauc-tuko. They were hard to control and would often turn on their owners, but she would use nothing else. Glauc-tuko's were almost extinct in the wild, so she bred them in seclusion. If the Mlinzi ever found her compound, they would slaughter the bunch. Just one more reason to kill the princess's Mlinzi. He would surely inform his Counsel of her 'pets' on Earth.
""Ch'iidii!" she cursed again and strolled deeper into the fog. Since she disabled the gate at the isolated farm, she had a fair idea where they were heading. There was no other place to go in order to return to Sora.
The Glauc-tuko butted its head against her shoulder with a gurgle of hunger. With a smile at her pet, she ordered it to hunt. There was surely a human or two for them to feed upon in the wooded area. She wanted to capture the human female as well. Her 'pets' needed fresh meat and the look on the princess's face would have been priceless when they fed on her. Since the Glauc-tuko enjoyed human flesh so much, she even contemplated moving her entire compound to the isolated farm. The place was well-hidden and there were plenty of humans to feed the creatures. Better yet, no Mlinzi to disrupt her.
Inga heard the scream of sirens racing to where they had fought and bitterly laughed. The humans would be crawling around like ants, trying to figure out what had happened. She would have liked to see their shocked faces when they discovered the body of the Glauc-tuko laying in the street. Of course, they were too dimwitted to solve the mystery. They would never know the truth. The human race was far too naive to believe in aliens. She snorted at the audacity of the princess for actually traveling with one.
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 8
