Book Read Free

The Shadow Above The Flames

Page 17

by Daniel Swenson


  Henry watched in satisfaction as Mr. Perkins appeared visibly shaken.

  Mr. Perkins swallowed hard. "It appears that I have completely underestimated you and your skills. Your file may be missing some critical information in that regard."

  Henry stepped up to him and got so close that he could smell the whiskey on Mr. Perkin’s breath as well as his overpriced lavender cologne.

  Henry leaned in close to Mr. Perkin's ear. "You can try to talk your way out of this, but I know the truth, and if there is even a hair missing from Rick’s head, I'm coming back for you."

  The older gentleman grunted and stumbled back.

  Mr. Perkins took a moment to collect himself and then yelled for one of his guards to collect the papers in his hands. "Make sure you retrieve every item on these lists and have the helicopter ready to take these two to the airstrip, and make sure the Union Forest jet is ready to take off in the next fifteen minutes."

  Henry chuckled as he watched the muscle-bound fool tremble as he grabbed the papers from Mr. Perkin’s hand and rushed off to do as he was told.

  Mr. Perkins turned to Henry. "Well played, Mr. Morgan; well played. Now is there anything else you feel the need to extort today?"

  "No, that’s all." Henry smirked.

  "Good. Then can I escort you up to the helipad?"

  Henry nodded to Lenny and both men walked out into the hallway with Mr. Perkins. Henry marveled at the chaos in the hallway, where people were scrambling to complete their orders. They took the elevator up to the roof where a helicopter awaited them. As they exited, Mr. Perkins informed Henry that everything they requested would be waiting for them on the jet, which was being fueled on the tarmac as they spoke.

  Henry and Lenny jumped into the helicopter, closed the door, and fastened their seat belts. Soon after, the helicopter lifted up from the roof. Mr. Perkins stood impassively watching the helicopter fly away.

  Lenny gazed out over the city as they flew. "By damn, that worked! Mr. Perkins is the toughest son of a bitch I've ever seen, and you had him eating out of the palm of your hand. Now all we have to do is sit back and rescue that kid brother of yours. This is going to be one easy trip."

  Henry stared out the window, watching Mr. Perkins. "I'm not going to sugar coat things; this won't be an easy trip by any means. There is one thing you should know, and I can't deal with you freaking out right now, so I need you to remain calm. What I’m about to tell you should come as no surprise, but I've found proof that Union Forest lied to Rick, his team, and whatever stupid official allowed this mission to happen."

  Lenny looked down at his seatbelt and then out the window watching the world sweep by.

  "Last night, after you fell asleep, I found something," Henry said.

  Lenny watched in amazement as Brooklyn whooshed passed. "What did you find?"

  "I’ll show you when we get to France because I don't trust any of these Union Forest employees. But think about this, the creature we call the Beast is some form of reptile, correct?"

  Lenny nodded.

  "Well, the thermal images and Dr. Silver's report got me thinking. What if the Beast, like a reptile, burrowed itself deep underground and slept there for the last few years. That would explain why they haven't seen it in any of the satellite images."

  Lenny abandoned his gleeful view of the passing city below. "Okay, let’s say that’s true. Wouldn't its body heat still have shown up on the thermal images then?"

  Henry nodded. "I asked myself the same question, and then I thought if this thing is a reptile, then I bet like most reptiles the damn thing is cold blooded and losses its body heat as it sleeps, which means it needs to find a heat source to keep it warm. I bet it burrowed too deep for the thermal images to pick it up. That's why they haven't seen it."

  Lenny's face paled. "So what are you telling me?"

  The helicopter began to descend towards the tarmac, where their jet awaited.

  "The damn thing has been practically invisible to our technology because we've been thinking about this all wrong. Just because it spits out fire, doesn't mean it gives off a heat signature. That thing is still in Ireland, and Rick and his team have, unfortunately, run into it."

  Henry watched as Lenny took it all in and the look of trepidation that shown on his face told Henry volumes.

  "How do you know that Rick's team has run into the Beast?" Lenny asked.

  Henry leaned forward and whispered, "Do you remember that meteorological feed we pulled up last night the one that tracked the storm over Ireland from a few days ago?"

  Lenny nodded.

  "Well, while you were sleeping, something happened: the center of the storm lit up like a Christmas tree. I went back to review the feed, and when I did, I zoomed in on that spot, and for a brief moment, the clouds cleared due to a large explosion, and that’s when I saw it!"

  The large rock rolled into place, sealing off the cave entrance. McAvoy wiped away the cold sweat that rolled down his forehead. It had taken all the courage and strength he could muster to move the rock into place. He knelt down in the mud and applied a thick coat of makeshift mortar around the boulder. He made sure to mix in twigs, dead bugs, and other foul-smelling things to mask their smell.

  All around him, the world seemed to be on fire, and the weather became more turbulent and dangerous with every passing second. Bolts of lightning that had once danced among the clouds now crashed down as if thrown by a vengeful God. Trees and boulders exploded on impact by the lightning that lanced down from the sky, filling the air all around him.

  He looked across the river and took in what was left of the town of Limavady. The Beast wasn't supposed to be here, he thought. According to all the satellite images and thermal scans Union Forest gave me, the Beast hasn’t been seen anywhere near Ireland for well over a year. Why had it returned now?

  He shook his head because, honestly, it no longer mattered. What mattered now was that the men under his command survived, and they could continue with the mission even if he couldn't.

  He picked up the small leather satchel of explosives from his pack before he stuffed the pack down the cave entrance. He had brought it as a last-minute precaution he had hoped he’d never have to use. Unfortunately, now was the time.

  The thunder boomed in McAvoy's ears as he slowly walked over to where the boat sat on shore. The water surged and frothed, splashing against the side of the boat, threatening to pull it back into the angry river. He inspected the rusted engine to make sure there were no leaks and that it still had a decent amount of gas. Once he was satisfied that the engine would still function, he rearranged some of the dead wood and debris they had lashed together to the front of the boat. It wasn't much, but it was arranged in a way that it would conceal him and much of the boat if the need arose.

  McAvoy stashed the satchel under the branches, tossed a small flare gun on the bench next to the motor, slipped a detonator into his pocket, and made sure his side arm was still in its holster on his hip. Once everything was ready, he clicked his comm over to a private transmission, where he recorded a message that would only replay when one of the two men clicked on their comms. Until then, it would store on their micro-ram memory chip.

  He recorded: "I want to let both of you know that it has been an honor and a privilege serving with you. I'm not sure if I will survive what I am about to do, but if I don't, I hope it gives you the time you need to find a way to escape this island and get back home. I only ask that you do two things: please make sure to get Wells back home for a proper burial, and even though she already knows it, please inform my wife that I love her and that I won't be home for dinner this time. She'll know what that means."

  Tears trickled down his face as he recalled sweet memories of his wife. He clicked off his comm, yanked it off his jacket, and then tossed it into the raging river. He gritted his teeth and heaved the boat with all of his strength. The mud held the boat firmly to the bank, but it eventually gave way, and the water pulled it back into the river
.

  McAvoy jumped into the boat and seated himself next to the engine. He yanked the cord hard a few times, but the engine only sputtered. He tried again, but the engine kicked out a few puffs of black smoke and then quit. He checked the throttle, adjusting it before grabbing hold for one last yank on the line. Lightning flashed overhead with thunder booming seconds after. McAvoy yanked with all his might. This time, the engine sputtered as if it were gagging on gas. Several puffs of smoke wafted from its exhaust port before it roared to life.

  McAvoy grabbed the stick and turned the boat down river towards the Beast. He knew that what awaited for him there would surely end his life. He picked up the flare gun from the seat, checking to make sure it was loaded. He pointed it up to the sky and whispered, "Margaret, please forgive me." Then he pulled the trigger. The small aluminum projectile flew up, rocketing through the air before exploding with a loud bang, releasing a brightly burning flare.

  A bright light flared to life in the west. The Beast instantly turned its massive head and soared towards the burning object that floated in the sky. Its upper lip curled into a mirthless smile, showing some of its ash and dirt covered teeth. The small object drifted upon the strong winds, beckoning the creature forward.

  The Beast wasn't sure what this bright object was, and it almost disregarded the light because it wanted to take another pass at the town, reveling in the destruction, since its search for the humans had become fruitless.

  The wind shifted and carried with it the normal scents of small rodents, birds, deer, and other creatures, as it usually did. However, this time, the wind also carried a faint scent of musk mixed with sulfur. The same musky smell from the tunnels below the town.

  The Beast snarled furiously as it considered how these insolent humans had gotten so far away without its notice. But that didn't matter. It had found them, and they wouldn't escape its grasp again. The humans had made a fatal mistake that would cost them their lives. The Beast grinned in satisfaction as it decided that it would torture them before it snuffed the lights out of their eyes.

  Its hatred of these humans reverberated through every cell of its body; the air around the Beast thrummed in accord with its anger. It flew up into the clouds, surrounding itself in the violent storm. Once inside, it tapped into its power and summoned the storm to swell into a violent maelstrom.

  The clouds spun, forming into giant tendrils that reached out and touched down upon the ground sucking up everything in its path. Gigantic bolts of lightning arced from the skies, punching down onto the ground, creating massive crystalline craters. The storm’s intensity grew to match the fury and hatred embedded in the ancient lizard’s heart.

  The Beast dropped down below the clouds, hovering over the burning town, and watched the faint burning object snuff out. Then it spotted a small boat, half-covered in broken branches and flotsam, floating down the river towards it.

  The Beast snarled once more as it summoned its power and spoke to the water. Speaking in its ancient tongue, it bid the water to increase its current and rush towards the ocean. At first, the water resisted its call, but the Beast increased its control, gradually making the annoying element give way to its strength. The Beast roared its triumph and watched the river quicken its pace.

  The boat lurched forward, almost spinning out of control. McAvoy gripped the control stick and the side of the boat as the river surged forward. The reloaded flare gun slid off the seat when the boat spun around out of control.

  McAvoy looked upriver as he spun, searching for signs of a broken levy. However, he didn't see any waves rolling down river, threatening to flip him and the boat over. The clouds above swirled, creating several dark vortexes ready to destroy everything in their path. Lightning and thunder pealed across the sky, creating a dazzling display of lights and sound. In the center of it all, hovering like some insane God, was the Beast. It rode above it all with its wings stroking the air like a beauty pageant winner waving to the crowd.

  McAvoy fought against the pull of the river to get the boat under control. Something in his gut told him the Beast could see him as it stared intently his way. He fumbled at his pocket, trying to pull the detonator out when The Beast raised its head and let out an ear-shattering shriek. He had to let go of the control stick to cover his ears. His head throbbed from the sound, and small rivulets of blood ran out from under his hands and down his neck.

  Again, the boat surged forward nearly toppling McAvoy over the side and into the dark, turbulent waters. The boat bucked and thrashed downriver towards the Beast, tossing McAvoy from side to side. He winced in pain as his body collided with the metal ribs of the boat. Tired of the metal-log flume ride of death, McAvoy jumped at the control stick to regain control of the boat. His heart beat faster as panic started to set in.

  The river’s sudden increase in speed made no sense to McAvoy. According to the reports, this river was always quiet and placid in the fall months, yet now the river resembled a violent spring runoff. He thought about the two courageous men back in the cave, which bolstered his spirit as the river carried him towards the awaiting specter of death.

  The infernal creature landed on the ground, crushing the living and dead trees along the riverbank as it straddled the river awaiting McAvoy’s arrival. A low grumbling noise that sounded like thousands of boulders crashing down a mountainside originated from the Beast’s throat while it watched McAvoy course down the river.

  Is that thing laughing? McAvoy wondered.

  While firmly holding onto the control stick, McAvoy reached for his satchel with his foot. He pulled it across the floor of the boat and then carefully picked it up and flipped it open. The boat tried once again to break free from his control, but the stubborn soldier refused to give up.

  Inside the satchel was three pounds of Semtex he had brought along as a safety precaution. The explosive material was strong enough that when detonated it could easily raze a two-story building. He let go of the control stick long enough to place several detonation caps into the Semtex, then slipped the detonator out of his pocket, syncing it to the caps. He quickly closed the satchel, and then slid it back into its previous hiding place. All the while, the boat spun crazily.

  The Semtex was odorless, at least to humans. McAvoy hoped and prayed that the same was true for the Beast. Otherwise, his plan would be out the door, and this thing would end him before he had a chance to do anything.

  A large log slammed into the right side of the boat, knocking McAvoy from his seat. He hit the floor of the boat hard, and the detonator clattered across the floor. More debris hit the boat, but on the left side, tossing McAvoy the length of the boat where he struck his head. He sat there in a daze before the sensation of blood coursing down the back of his skull brought him back to the present.

  Only a few hundred meters remained between him and the Beast. He spotted the detonator and thanked his lucky stars that it hadn't gone over the side of the boat. He wiped the blood from the back of his neck with a rag and grabbed for the detonator as the boat crashed into a wave. It went into another spin, causing the detonator to take flight, but McAvoy caught hold of it before it fell overboard. He struggled to stand as the boat once again went spinning down river.

  He fell to his knees, desperately holding on to the side of the boat, trying to steady himself. As the boat spun, the flare gun slid across the floor and into his knee. It startled him at first, but then an idea came to his mind. He scooped up the gun, checking to make sure the flare wasn’t damaged. Satisfied, he clicked the gun shut and braced himself against the side of the boat. He readied himself, took aim, and when his target came into view, he fired, sending the aluminum pellet towards the Beast.

  The pellet hurtled across the distance into the face of the unsuspecting serpent. The Beast didn't even flinch when the pellet crashed into its monstrous visage. Fear engulfed McAvoy when he saw the pellet casually bounce off the Beast’s scaly hide. He felt all hope drain from his body as he slumped down into the boat.


  This is it? he thought.

  He stared up towards the Beast’s smug face, knowing that his time was up. But, somehow, when the pellet bounced down the bridge of the Beast’s nose, it lodged between two of its scales and exploded. The Beast recoiled instantly, momentarily blinded. It thrashed about, knocking over trees and launching bits of buildings and vehicles into the air. Something splashed into the river near the boat. McAvoy could have sworn that the object was an old rusted four wheeler.

  The Beast sunk into the river, swatting at its face trying to rid itself of the small infernal device that had burned and blinded it. The thrashing caused the river to become more turbulent, and the boat bucked wildly upon the waves. McAvoy tossed the flare gun into the river, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the detonator, gripping it tightly in his hand.

  Flames erupted up and down the river as the Beast unleashed its fiery breath and writhed in a fevered torment. McAvoy knew he didn't have much time before the Beast knocked the flare loose and regained its vision. He grabbed hold of the boat’s control stick and pushed the throttle to full speed. The little boat’s engine protested at first, but then it thrummed to life, speeding towards its destination.

  Pain lanced through the Beast’s face as it thrashed wildly about, trying to remove the torturous device that was embedded in its scales near the bridge of its nose. The bright light was so blinding and painful that nothing else in the world mattered, except to extinguish it, which it tried by dunking its head into the raging river several times. Unfortunately, the flare still burned.

 

‹ Prev