Land of Nod, The Child (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 3)

by Hoover, Gary

  “What the… ” Trina said then looked at Jeff. “I have a feeling he may be here to pick up that piece of jewelry of yours.”

  We’re not too late… yet. Jeff thought.

  He moved a little farther into the clearing and focused his viewer on the opening as the pheerion paused just outside. He hovered for a while, then entered and disappeared from sight.

  Jeff turned to the others. As he did so, he saw Jacqueline quickly draw her sword.

  What’s she…

  With a quick motion, she tossed the sword up, then grabbed it in a new position so she could throw it like a spear. She wound up and launched it in Jeff’s direction, but it flew over his head. Jeff turned his head upward and rotated his body to watch it. A shadow passed over him and then his field of vision filled with black. Something collided with him, and he flew ten feet in the opposite direction.

  Jeff twisted in pain and held his ribs as he tried to suck air back into his lungs.

  There was a large black shape writhing and flailing. The bird!

  He recognized it as the enormous hawk-like bird he had seen earlier. It had tried to attack him, but Jacqueline had thrown her sword into its chest before it could reach him.

  As Jeff watched, Jacqueline approached and pulled her sword out of its chest. She raised it, and Jeff cringed as she brought it back down on the back of its neck. The blade went twelve inches into the flesh, but the bird’s neck was much thicker than that. She swung several more times but never made it all the way through. The bird continued to flap on the ground even though Jeff was sure its spine had been severed.

  Jacqueline was tired from the exertion and let her sword fall to her side. She looked over her shoulder at Jeff.

  “Dinner,” she said simply.

  “Well thank you,” Jeff replied. “Without you, that’s what I’d have been.”

  Jacqueline smiled – one of the few smiles Jeff had seen from the stoic group.

  Chapter 31:

  Jeff looked back to the spot of the bird attack from his new vantage point at the top of the cliff. He kicked a few pebbles off the cliff’s edge. They fell until he lost sight of them, but a puff of dust from the ground far below confirmed they had made it.

  Jeff hadn’t seen the pheerion exit and hoped he was still inside. Dave had suggested the pheerion’s jump-scoot probably needed to be recharged, and that would take some time.

  The others were hauling ropes and climbing-gear from the vehicle as Jeff examined the area. Below and to his left, he could see the opening to Lucreeza Duanan’s cliff dwelling.

  Nobody had done anything to try to stop them… yet. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I guess it’s good that we’re not being attacked… but what’s that say about their confidence in their defenses at the actual entrance?

  Trina dropped a rope at his feet. “You have any climbing experience?” she asked.

  Jeff nodded. “I used to go climbing with my father all the time.” He looked around and saw the others preparing. Dave seemed completely perplexed as he awkwardly wrapped the rope around himself. Nahima looked like she knew what she was doing, and nearly everyone else seemed well practiced.

  Jeff picked up his rope and looked over the side. He bounced the rope in his hands a few times, then tossed it aside.

  He turned his back to the cliff, got down on his knees, eased himself over the edge and started climbing down.

  He could hear several surprised questions amongst the group as faces popped over the ledge to peer at him, but nobody questioned him directly. Jeff didn’t pay much attention to them as he carefully picked hand and footholds.

  What am I doing? Showing off? Thrill seeking? Testing myself? Death wish? All of the above?

  He looked up and saw several of the others positioning themselves and adjusting their ropes. It was a relatively smooth cliff-face and the most difficult Jeff had ever attempted. He was making progress, and the distance to the opening was slowly shrinking. He estimated it was still sixty feet down and twenty feet to his right at that point.

  Trina was starting to lower herself over the edge, and while Jeff watched her, his right foot slipped off the inch wide foothold. His heart jumped, and his free right hand instinctively grasped for something to hold as his falling right leg nearly took the rest of his body with it.

  After a fraction of a second of terror, he was able to grab a chunk of rock and steady himself. Pay more attention, dummy. You’re hundreds of feet in the air. He paused for a moment to try to steady his breathing but was quickly on his way again.

  Trina caught up with him and worked her way down to his left. “You okay?” she asked.

  Jeff nodded and focused on where he was putting his feet and hands. He looked up and saw the others descending at various rates.

  As he approached the opening, he became aware of just how vulnerable they were at that moment. If anybody pops out with a gun, they could probably take just about all of us out with little effort. Trina seemed confident their guards would wait until we’re at the opening. I’m not sure how she could be so sure. Maybe she was just saying that so we wouldn’t realize how screwed we are.

  He thought he saw a movement in the opening and froze.

  Trina looked at him then at the opening.

  They were close enough that neither wanted to speak and alert anybody who might not know they were there already.

  Jeff considered his options if someone did start shooting. Should I shoot or try to use my bat to absorb the shots? One of his powers included the ability to draw shots from energy weapons into his baseball bat – a power he was counting on to get into the fortress. I could try to move fast and make myself a difficult target… but moving fast on this cliff could be more dangerous than being shot.

  Jeff hadn’t seen any more movement, and he continued tentatively toward the bottom of opening. He found some solid footing that would allow him to rise into the entranceway from a fairly strong position.

  He tucked himself in and waited for the others to get into position.

  Chapter 32:

  The other members of the group took positions around the opening. Other than Nahima, Dave and Jeff, only Trina and Danielle had modern guns. Two others had crossbows, and the rest were armed primarily with their swords.

  What’s with these people and their goofy weapons? Jeff thought as he reached for his baseball bat, then he smiled at the unintended irony. Here goes.

  He began to raise the bat as he stayed crouched beneath the lower edge of the opening. He had his feet well planted and a firm grip on a rock edge with his left hand. He held the bat with only his right. He inched it up and prepared for impact as he expected the automatic guns to fire once they detected anything in the opening.

  The top of the bat was a foot above the bottom surface, but nothing happened. Jeff paused. His muscles were tense and started to ache. He exhaled and tried to relax.

  After repositioning slightly, he continued to raise the bat – wiggling it to try to trigger the guns.

  Nothing.

  Jeff had the bat extended as far as he could without also exposing his hand. He twisted it so that it moved in and out of the opening, but still nothing happened.

  He had his left shoulder and side pressed against the rocky cliff. He twisted himself so that his chest was against the cliff while he still held the bat in place. From there, he began to raise his body. His hand and arm were exposed up to the elbow, but his head and body were still sheltered.

  He reached up with his left hand to get a firmer, two-handed grip, but that reduced his ability to hang on to the cliff. He felt a surge in his chest as he imagined what might happen if the gunfire slammed into the bat with a sudden, strong blast.

  He tried to sure up his footing, but the ledge was narrow. It was enough to support his weight, but a strong push could knock him off.

  He raised himself until his eyes were just above the lower edge. That gave him his first real look into the complex. There was a very long tunnel. At it
s end, he could see a more open area, but it was so far away he couldn’t tell much more than that.

  Jeff shifted his focus to the walls of the tunnel. He could see at least twenty mounted guns pointed toward the opening. There were some electronic boxes and controllers that seemed associated with the guns, but except for those items, the tunnel walls were bare. He continued to wiggle the bat to attract fire and lifted himself to a full standing position so that his shoulders were above the lower edge.

  He heard something. A click? Then, almost simultaneously, numerous lights on the controllers and guns illuminated.

  A fraction of a second after that, the guns erupted with energy blasts.

  Chapter 33:

  Jeff cringed and gripped the bat with both hands as energy beams slammed into it. It didn’t hurt – Jeff actually enjoyed the feeling of the energy surging through his hands and into him, but there was a vibration transmitting through his arms. That made him nervous about his tenuous footing.

  He was about to ask for some help to take out the guns, but before he could say anything one of the guns exploded. Jeff glanced to the side and saw Christy re-loading her crossbow. The rest joined in, and soon energy blasts and crossbow bolts flew from all directions.

  One by one, the guns began to go silent, but that was of minimal comfort to Jeff as he saw guards taking up positions in the tunnel. He and the others would be completely exposed when they entered while the guards settled in behind strategically placed barriers that were halfway between Jeff and the wider opening beyond.

  Eventually all the robotic weapons were decommissioned, but the guards waited patiently.

  “Wait for me. Let me go first,” Jeff said forcefully. He prepared to charge but found himself in an awkward position. It would be difficult to climb up into the opening without both hands, but that would mean putting down the bat – his only protection if the guards opened fire.

  He took the bat in his left hand and tried to push himself up with his right – expecting he wouldn’t have enough leverage – but to his surprise, he shot up nearly effortlessly.

  He smiled to himself. I keep forgetting how strong I am, but it sure is nice to have the strength when I need it. He gripped the bat with both hands and held it upright in front of himself to shield his chest and head as much as possible.

  One guard fired a single shot, and Jeff felt it strike his bat harmlessly.

  “Wait! Wait!” another guard shouted.

  Jeff smiled and felt an odd sense of confidence wash over him. I just took on a massive barrage of fire from a battery of huge guns while barely clinging to the side of a mountain. What can these yahoos do to me?

  He took two lunging steps toward them and then started to pick up speed. The guards opened fire and the energy bolts began to slow down, but they were still moving fast. All were harmlessly absorbed into his bat, and by the time he was half-way to the barriers, several guards stood and turned to run – in slow motion. Jeff wasn’t running at a full sprint because he had a distance to go, and he wanted to have some energy left for the real fight. He saw some energy blasts coming from behind him as his colleagues did their best to keep up and help the cause.

  Jeff watched the guards continue to scatter and retreat in slow motion as he approached. He imagined that he must present a frightening sight – invincible and super-fast.

  By the time he was within twenty feet, all but two were running deeper into the structure. Jeff slowed. The guard on his right, a woman wearing light armor and crouching behind a barrier, fired several shots, and Jeff absorbed them with a few waves of his bat. When she saw how ineffectual her weapon was, she began to back away but stayed in a crouch and didn’t turn her back to him.

  That allowed Jeff to focus his attention on the one on his left. That one was a man dressed in similar armor. He was standing and seemed frozen with uncertainty.

  His gun was still aimed, so Jeff held his bat in a defensive position as he walked slowly toward him.

  When he was close enough, he quickly snatched the man’s gun. As he did so, the man lurched backward, stumbled and began to fall, but because Jeff moved quickly, he fell in slow motion. Once Jeff had the gun and was no longer moving, the man went from slow motion to normal speed as he finished his fall.

  He scrambled on the ground to get away from Jeff and back on his feet, then turned and ran away.

  Jeff smiled but tried not to be too pleased with himself as the others rushed to catch up with him.

  Chapter 34:

  The group collected around Jeff, and then he moved toward the wider opening. Once they reached it, Jeff could see it was a large garage area where approximately ten vehicles of various shapes, sizes and designs were parked – including the flying motorcycle that the pheerion had flown. Jeff could see a number of tunnels leading away from the circular garage area like spokes of a wheel. In the garage area, there were tools, electrical-boxes, control-panels etcetera. The pheerion’s vehicle was parked at the edge closest to the exit, and Dave was inspecting it from a crouched position.

  Jeff turned his eyes up and saw several cameras and guns mounted near the ceiling. He slipped his bat into its belt loop and pointed to show the others they needed to be careful of them. He drew his gun, took aim and blasted one of the cameras. It exploded in a satisfying shower of sparks.

  The others followed his lead and fired at the remaining cameras and guns until they were nothing but burnt, shattered units.

  Jeff looked at Trina with a concerned expression. “I don’t know. This place looks pretty big and well secured. We got in, but where do we go from here?”

  Trina thought for several moments. “Let’s split into two groups. You take a group and head left – searching those tunnels for the baby and working your way toward the center. I’ll take my group to the right and work over until we meet you.”

  Jeff nodded. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea but hoped those groups would be strong enough to face whatever they ran into.

  Dave and Nahima stepped toward Jeff. Ceri and Danielle also joined them and the others split off to the right to join Trina.

  Jeff holstered his gun and drew his bat – choosing defense over offense to explore the cramped and unfamiliar corridors.

  He made his way cautiously to the corridor opening and peered around the edge. The corridor extended for a few hundred feet and was empty. Doors were evenly spaced along its length – some open and some closed.

  Jeff stopped at the first one he came to. It was a simple wood door with a handle latch. Jeff tried to open it, but it was locked. He stepped back, raised the bat over his shoulder and brought it down as hard as he could against the handle.

  He winced as the metal bent and the wood shattered, leaving the door much more damaged than he had expected. He pushed it open and stepped cautiously into the room with his bat held in front of him.

  It was a small bedroom. Jeff didn’t see anybody, and there were no spots for anyone to hide other than a closet with a sliding door. He stepped slowly and deliberately toward it. Nahima was close behind while the others watched from the corridor. Jeff held the bat in his right hand and quickly slid the closet door with his left.

  Clothes.

  I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or relieved.

  Jeff poked at the clothing with his bat and then turned quickly. He nearly ran into Nahima but maintained his air of purpose as he strode back toward the corridor, bending quickly to glance under the bed as he went.

  Dave stood in the corridor with a big stupid grin. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” he asked.

  Jeff shot him an angry glare.

  No, he thought.

  Chapter 35:

  Jeff marched toward the next door with Dave’s skepticism giving him renewed drive. When he was within five feet, he froze as the door swung open. He found himself looking into the eyes of an armor-wearing guard.

  The guard, who seemed just as surprised to see him, stumbled out into the hall then ran at a terrified sp
rint down the hall and deeper into the compound.

  “Chicken!” Jeff shouted after him, fully realizing that his earth insult was probably more confusing than anything to the guard.

  He turned back toward the others and shrugged. As he did that, movement back in the garage area caught his attention.

  He pushed his way past his confused colleagues and saw something that he almost couldn’t believe. A woman holding a toddler dropped something into the hand of a pheerion.

  The locket!

  “Hey!” Jeff shouted. He dropped his bat into the loop on his belt and started toward them at a run. They both turned and looked at him in slow motion. While that encouraged him, they were much closer to escape vehicles than he was to them. The pheerion moved toward his flying motorcycle as the woman headed toward a simple, open vehicle that resembled a wheel-less dune buggy.

  Jeff sprinted as fast as he could, but he hadn’t even reached the garage area. They appeared to be moving very slowly, but he knew they were moving as fast as they could and might soon be out of reach.

  The pheerion was on Jeff’s right and slightly closer than the woman was. As Jeff focused on the pheerion, he saw a glint that he believed was the locket chain hanging from a pocket.

  When Jeff was within thirty feet, he could feel himself tiring and slowing as both vehicles began to move slowly away. He felt certain that if he couldn’t maintain his speed, he had no chance of retrieving the locket.

  He pushed himself as hard as he could manage. His lungs burned and his legs felt unsteady. Both vehicles were moving – still more slowly than him but they picked up speed with each step he took. He was within feet of the back end of the pheerion’s vehicle with every intention of grabbing it.

  But he surprised himself by veering to the left at the last moment and heading toward the other vehicle.

  Chapter 36:

  Jeff got his hands on the back of the woman’s vehicle and did a clumsy ‘leap-frog’ maneuver – vaulting himself into the rear seat. The woman looked over her shoulder with an expression of terror while the toddler giggled in the seat beside her, thoroughly enjoying the whole thing.