The screams of agony and fury mixed together so loud it made Seb’s head spin—that and the lack of oxygen, the smoke getting thicker with every passing second.
It felt like an age had passed before Seb finally heard SA. We’re down. The road’s clear. Come now.
The light on the top of Seb’s blaster had turned from green to orange. After swapping weapons with Bruke, he paused for a moment. Loyal to the team, Bruke would have stayed there for as long as they needed him to. But one of them had to go next. “Leave the guns, and we’ll hold them off until you’re down.”
Although Bruke looked like he wanted to argue, good sense must have told him not to waste any more time. He stood up, nodded as he moved the two weapons closer to Seb and Reyes, and ran out of there in the direction of the hosepipe hanging through the smashed window.
The second Bruke left them, Seb heard it. A deep baseline growl, it shook the walls and his vision. Although he kept firing blind into the thick smoke, he looked at Reyes. Before he said anything, SA came through to them. What the hell was that?
I’m guessing the giant we saw run past the hotel earlier, Reyes said.
Damn. Hurry up, Bruke, Seb said. The metal stairs then shook beneath his feet from what must have been the monster’s ascent. He continued to fire, a deep ache balling in his shoulders from his weapon’s recoil.
Reyes paused to swap guns. In the brief moment where she didn’t attack, several small creatures like the one Seb had stamped on burst from the thick cloud. The world still in slow motion, he picked them off one at a time, each one exploding when he shot them. Boom. Boom. Boom. The blasts of air from each one drove the hair back from his forehead, dried the sweat on his face, and cleared the smoke momentarily. Then Seb saw the last one, its little mouth opened wide as it readied to bite him. It came to within a metre of him before he burst it with laser fire. Another loud boom, the foul little thing’s sticky innards coated his gun, face, and hands.
Reyes returned to Seb’s side with her gun, and for the next minute or so, they saw the faces and bodies of some creatures as more of them made it through the black smoke. They’d capitalised on Reyes’ slight pause in fire, closing the gap between them. All different shapes and sizes, thankfully none of them were impervious to laser blasts—at least none of the ones they’d encountered so far. For someone who didn’t have slow motion like Seb did, Reyes picked them off with a deadly accuracy better than him.
Is everything okay? SA asked.
A glance at the light on his gun, Seb watched the orange turn to burnt orange. We’re alive, he said. The creatures now driven back into the smoke, they continued to release their shrill calls of pain as he fired where he couldn’t see. The thud of the giant continued to climb the stairs. If it stamped down too hard, it felt like the entire staircase would collapse.
Slow motion on his side, Seb spun around, switched weapons, and fired into the darkness again. He’d managed to move quickly enough to keep them pinned back in the acrid smoke. At least, he hoped he’d kept them back; it was quite possible the smoke had thickened, reducing their vision and only making it seem like they were winning. The taste of burned rubber on the back of his throat had gotten worse.
Another loud roar boomed up the stairwell at them. The vibration of it nearly took Seb’s feet from beneath him, and he stopped shooting. When he looked at Reyes, he quickly kicked back into gear. How the hell are we going to take that thing down?
Sweat glistened on Reyes’ face, and veins stood out on her neck. She clenched her teeth as she shook with the blaster’s rapid fire. Although the others would have heard him, Reyes responded, We can only deal with it when we see it. I’m hoping the answer will be obvious then.
Another switch of her gun, Reyes spun back around, and they continued to stave off the attack. The thud of footsteps continued to climb the stairs, a slow, torturous progression amidst the chaos. It told them nothing could stop it.
SA, Seb said, speaking so everyone could hear, where’s Bruke?
We haven’t seen him yet.
Seb and Reyes stared at one another before returning to the fight. WHAT?
He hasn’t appeared.
BRUKE! What the hell? We need to get out of here. Where are you?
“Here.”
Both Seb and Reyes looked behind them to see Bruke. He panted from the effort of rolling the large metal barrel he had in front of him. He’d flipped it on its side. It had white linen stuffed into one end.
Easier to talk through SA despite their close proximity, Seb said, What are you doing?
Still struggling for breath, Bruke said, Stand back.
Although Seb and Reyes moved back towards Bruke, they continued to fire down into the stairwell. The creatures continued to vocalise their agony and rage as their shots landed.
When the giant roared again, Seb noticed Bruke jump and nearly send the barrel down the stairs too early. It took for him to step closer still before he smelled it. Where did you get the fuel from?
Don’t tell me you’re starting MORE fires? Sparks said.
As much as Seb wanted to ignore her, he knew her fear. You’re down there. This won’t come anywhere near you.
His breathing back under control, Bruke pointed toward the two penthouse suites. They have a generator up here. I drained it of fuel. I also found the rest of their supply.
Three more barrels were lined up in the hallway, all of them had white linen poking from their tops like giant Molotov cocktails. Next to them, Seb saw a large red metal can.
I also found this. Bruke held up a lighter for Seb to see.
The light on the top of Seb’s gun had turned orange again from him continuing to shoot. My gun’s about to run out, Bruke. Are you ready to send it down now?
By way of response, Bruke put the lighter’s flame to the white linen. It caught, and fire engulfed it within seconds. Stand back.
Although aware of Bruke’s actions, Seb focused on swapping his gun around again. He looked up in time to watch the flaming barrel bounce down the stairs into the smoky abyss.
More screams than before, it clearly hit some of the creatures on the way down. And then it stopped, glowing in the smoke.
Another deep roar, closer than ever, and Seb watched the barrel get stamped out, the fuel igniting for a second before it got completely smothered. The vibration of the giant’s foot shook the entire hotel.
Are you okay? SA said.
Fine. Reyes looked at Seb and Bruke before returning to where she’d been standing and firing down into the darkness again. For now.
Before Seb could return to her side, Bruke had another barrel on fire and rolled it down after the first. He sent a third one straight after it.
The orange glow of the flames came to an abrupt halt about four metres below them as it hit what must have been the wall of creatures they were holding back. Seb watched the fire swell as all the barrels burned together. Too much for one giant to stamp out. Send the last one down. We need that fire as big as we can make it. Hopefully it’ll give us a chance to get the hell out of here.
Both Reyes and Seb stopped shooting and moved out of Bruke’s way for him to send the final barrel down after the first three. It crashed into the others, the flames reaching higher than ever. The giant yelled. From the way the flames danced and weaved, it looked like the creature was trying to bat them out, with little success. Its voice rang much higher in pitch than it had a few seconds ago.
Reyes then ran off into one of the nearby rooms. She came back a moment later, shoving an armchair in front of her. When she got to the top of the stairs, she grunted from the effort of lifting it before she lobbed it down. It disappeared from sight, an uneven roll sending out thuds as it hit random stairs on its awkward descent. It smashed into the flaming barrels, momentarily disturbing the hypnotic orange sway.
Seb smiled in spite of their situation. Reyes, you’re a genius! He and Bruke took off at the same time and ran to the rooms to get more furniture to build their bonfire
.
Chapter 20
Holding the last piece of furniture he could find, Seb yelled out as he threw it down the stairs into the burning barricade. A coffee table, this time it rolled no farther than a metre before it hit the stack of backed-up furniture. At least a flight of stairs deep, only the side of the pile closest to the creatures burned. He allowed himself the briefest moment to watch the flames before nodding. That should hold them.
Reyes stepped beside him and looked down. I think you might have spoken too soon.
Despite their clear screams of pain, Seb watched as the creatures grabbed the burning furniture, lifted them to their tipping point against the railings, and then sent them down the gap in the centre of the staircase. An armchair chased the headboard of a bed to the ground, smacking against the metal barricades all the way down, aggravating the creatures climbing up.
Bruke, Seb said, the thick smoke damn near blinding him despite him shielding his eyes with his forearm, is there any more petrol in that can? We need to light the rest of the furniture while we still have the chance.
Although he didn’t reply, Bruke darted into the hallway before rushing back in with the red fuel can in his hand. He undid the lid as he ran, discarding it on the metal stairs with a ting. He then doused the fire before saying, Get back.
Both Seb and Reyes stepped away as they watched Bruke swing the still-open can backwards before launching it onto the pile. For the briefest of seconds, the can disappeared into the smoke.
Has he missed it? Reyes said.
Whoom! The petrol caught, lighting the stairwell brighter than Seb had seen it so far. The fierce rush of heat shoved them back.
Seb covered his eyes again as he backed away several more steps into the hallway. When he pulled his arm down, he stared at where they’d come from.
Bruke? Seb said. Before he could say anything else, the thickset creature appeared.
Seb ran forward and checked him for burns. Are you okay?
Bruke nodded.
Now he knew his friend was okay, Seb peered into the smoking and fiery mess. He couldn’t see anything, yet he still knew the truth of it. They have more bodies than the fire can burn. Their sheer numbers will win out sooner or later. We have to block the doors too.
Before either Reyes or Bruke could respond, Seb ran back into one of the rooms and straight over to a window. He jumped up, gripped the long curtain rail above it, and yanked it down as he landed. They needed as many as they could get, so he ran to the next window and did the same. A quick glance at the door showed him Reyes sticking her head in before she ran into the room opposite.
All the poles from the one room in his arms, Seb ran back to the double doors, dropped them on the floor with a clattering splash, and picked up just one. He slid it through the handles. Bruke, he then said, come here.
The lizard creature came to his side, and Seb nodded at the curtain pole. Can you bend that around the handles?
Impatience in her voice, Sparks said, What are you guys doing up there?
Setting fire to shit, Seb said as he watched Bruke bend the metal pole. He picked up the next one for him and slid it through the handles like he had with the first. Now stay hidden, stay quiet, and only come out when you see us coming.
Chapter 21
Every time Seb or Reyes slipped a curtain pole through the door handles, Bruke bent and tied the metal like he would a rope. By the time they’d done the last one, Seb shook his head at his friend. He laughed in spite of their situation. You’re a beast.
A slight sagging of his shoulders, Bruke whined.
Not in that sense. Like a beast-mode beast.
And that’s good?
A loud roar in the stairwell was followed by the thud of more falling furniture. Seb batted his hand through the air to end their conversation. Doesn’t matter. Get down the hose now.
Although Bruke looked like he wanted to argue about who went first, it only took for Seb to scowl at him before he turned his back and ran to the room with the smashed window.
A few seconds of silence between Seb and Reyes, they watched where the hose was attached to the wall. It pulled taut when Bruke started his descent. Reyes kept her eyes on it as she said, “Who’s next?”
“You. Then me.”
Like Bruke had, she looked like she wanted to argue, so Seb cut her off. “That’s an order, soldier.”
A deep inhale and sigh, she nodded. “I’ll wait by the window so I can go the second he’s jumped off.” A moment’s pause, she then hugged Seb. “Good luck, and don’t do anything stupid.”
As Seb stood in the hallway—smoke squeezing through the gaps in the doors—he felt more alone than he had in a long time. The creatures’ fury, and now their pain, had rung shrill for so long he shut it out as no more than background noise. Then he heard it again. The thud, thud, thud of more falling furniture. He already knew it, but in case he’d forgotten, the creatures’ desire to get to him and the others burned stronger than the flames holding them back. Bruke and Reyes had better be quick.
Chapter 22
How are you doing, Reyes? Seb asked her.
About halfway down. Bruke’s safe too. We’ll be ready for you shortly.
Seb had already stepped several paces towards the hotel room with the smashed window. With a tight grip on his blaster, he watched the double doors leading to the stairwell through unblinking and stinging eyes. The thuds on the other side beat with more frequency. The beasts were dumping the furniture quicker than ever. No doubt some of the creatures down there were impervious to fire. Maybe they’d found their way to the flaming blockade by now and were helping out.
Then Seb heard it. A high-pitched scream, the thing sounded much closer than any before. He watched the double doors. At least one of the creatures had made it to the other side. It sounded small, but how long would it take for its larger mates to catch up?
Seb took another backwards step into the room with the smashed window.
Another loud thud of more falling furniture.
The doors moved. It looked like a testing push. They slowly opened inwards. The metal poles had enough slack for the gap between them to stretch by an inch before they resisted. The second shove snapped forwards in a clear sign of the creature’s impatience.
Then what must have been a body slam hit the other side of the doors. They snapped forward again. Seb raised the butt of his blaster to his shoulder and looked down the barrel. Reyes, speak to me.
Is everything okay? Reyes said.
How are you doing?
Bang! The doors snapped forward again with even more force. The poles still held, but the gap stretched wider than before. Something much larger had made it to the top. It roared, more smoke coming through the gap in the doors. A slight tightening of his trigger finger, he heard Reyes finally reply, Nearly there.
Bang!
Seb jumped back.
Bang! This time he heard the sound of ripping wood. The poles might hold, but the doors were going to get torn from their hinges before long. Another step backwards into the room, his heart racing, his already dry throat turning drier still.
Now! As Reyes said it, the doors tore free. Still tied together with the poles, they slapped down against the floor. A gargantuan creature with thick black skin, red eyes, and a long blue tongue fell through on the back of them. But it hadn’t always been black-skinned. From the pink cracks all over its torso, Seb saw it was the giant that had chased them up the stairs. The one whose hip he’d seen pass the window of the hotel foyer. From the state of it, he guessed it must have been burning for the entire time. It looked up, fixing Seb with its glare. Its red eyes glowed brighter as if it knew it would get its revenge.
Seb turned and broke into a run at the smashed window. They’re through.
A slight slack on the hosepipe, he grabbed it as he ran and let it slide through his hands.
The sound of smaller feet and the stampeding run of the giant chased after him.
No time to look
back, Seb reached the open window, jumped up onto the ledge, and kicked off, thrusting himself out into the cold night.
A world in slow motion, Seb’s palms burned from the friction of the hosepipe as it sped through his grip while he fell.
Chapter 23
A slow-motion view of things, Seb tried to take his focus away from the burning pain in his palms. The friction bit into them. It felt like it was tearing his skin off. But he gripped on tighter. Better to be palmless than dead.
Above him, Seb noticed one, two, three, and then the giant burst from the broken window he’d just leaped from. Their desire to get to him had clouded their judgement. Their faces showed the dawning realisation too late. They clearly hadn’t seen the hosepipe in his hands. They’d clearly forgotten they couldn’t fly.
All four creatures caught up to Seb as he fell. Until that point he’d doubted the hose slowed him down. He squeezed tighter.
One of the creatures looked like a gargoyle. Short, squat, and heavy. It had tiny wings, which it beat with a ferocious intent. They must have been for decoration because they did nothing to help the ugly thing.
The giant’s mouth hung open as a cavernous hole. It roared fury at Seb, throwing a long charred arm in his direction as it passed him. The tip of its fingers caught him and sent him swinging, but he managed to hold on.
At least seven storeys from the ground, Seb finally came to a halt. The cool air around him gave some relief from the scorching hotel and his burning palms. He looked down in time to see each of the creatures hit the ground with a thump. The planet seemed to shake when the giant connected. Four dead bodies, they’d landed on the spilled white paint as if they were projectiles aimed at a target. But none of them had split like he’d expected them to. They all lay inert, and he saw blood seeping from the giant’s still-open mouth. No matter how aggressive they’d been towards him, none of them deserved to die.
The Shadow Order - Books 1 - 8 + 120 Seconds (The complete series): A Space Opera Page 121
