by Russ Watts
“I need more time,” said James calmly.
He drew the knife sharply across Akecheta’s throat, cutting a deep line across from left to right, slicing open the skin and tissue to expose the oesophagus. Akecheta grabbed his throat as blood spewed out, trickling through his fingers. Surprise sprang from his wide eyes as his life gushed from his neck.
“I just need more time,” announced James as he abruptly shoved Akecheta backwards and over the rooftop.
Mackenzie saw a bubble of blood rise up and burst from Akecheta’s mouth as he fell backward, and that was the last he saw of him. There was a thud as Akecheta hit the ground and Mackenzie felt his knees go week. This was too surreal. He had no idea what to do next. Had that really happened? Did James just kill Akecheta? Mackenzie Brown was an ordinary guy who didn’t so much as have a parking ticket to his name, yet now he was facing a dinosaur and a psychotic killer.
“That should keep it busy for a while. I’m outta here.” James looked at Mackenzie. The knife in his hand glinted in the sun, and a droplet of blood dripped off the tip onto James’ shoe. The alcohol had given him the confidence finally to take control. If anything, he felt relieved that it was over. Akecheta had been a thorn in his side from the start of the day, and he had no problem in disposing of problems. It wasn’t the first time he had been forced to deal with someone in that way.
“I can’t let you do that.” Mackenzie straightened his back and stared at James. He had nothing to go on, no experience of how to handle someone armed and dangerous, but there was no way he could let James go now. The way with which James had so easily killed Akecheta told Mackenzie this wasn’t the first time he had been in this situation. Was that any excuse to turn away though? Mackenzie hadn’t had to face many dangers in his mediocre life, and whilst running his own business and raising a step-daughter had its own fair share of problems and pressures, nothing could prepare him for this. He could feel the monster’s presence, and yet the Goliath was taking a secondary importance now that he was facing a killer. James had tricked them all, given them the illusion that he was nothing more than a spoilt brat, another whining tourist who came to hot places like the Mojave just so they could complain about the heat. James was using the guise of being a plain old traveler to fool them, to travel when he couldn’t let the real man out. He was cold, selfish and cruel.
Mackenzie drew in a deep breath and steadied his nerves. He clenched his hands, and took solace in the thought that Laurel was safe, underneath the roof, away from this monster. And it occurred to him that it didn’t matter he hadn’t stood in front of a murderer before—how many times had James stood in front of someone prepared to stop him? Mackenzie owed it not just to Laurel but to everyone to stop James from escaping. He owed it to himself, to Amy, to Myles, to Akecheta and even Alyce’s dog. Akecheta had quite literally saved Mackenzie’s life earlier when Myles had been taken. The time to let James leave was gone.
James shrugged. “So be it.” He raised the knife and pointed it at Mackenzie. “I’ll just have to…”
“Stop right there, you motherfucking asshole.”
Mackenzie heard Maria’s voice, and kept staring at James. With the stress of everything his left eye was beginning to twitch, just beneath the lower lid, yet Mackenzie couldn’t afford to take his eyes off James. He was only a few feet away, and any attempt to retreat or go to Maria would only allow James to attack, to gain the advantage.
“Maria, get out of here,” said Mackenzie. As his eyes bore into James’, he could see uncertainty there. The bravado was slipping, even if the mask wasn’t.
“Maria, you’ve got to understand, there was nothing I could do.” James softened his voice and lowered the knife slightly. Mackenzie noticed he still held it firmly though. “Akecheta was going to take the car. I was just trying to stop him. It was all an accident.”
“Don’t listen to him, Maria. James is a pathological liar. He’s deranged. He threw Beers off the roof and then killed Akecheta.” Mackenzie heard more booming noises echo across the desert. He couldn’t tell what direction they were coming from exactly, as the noise just bounced around between the rocks and sparse trees, between the store and the Kelso Depot, so that it sounded like it was everywhere and nowhere. It didn’t sound like thunder, yet he couldn’t explain what it was. He just hoped they weren’t about to be joined by a second Goliath.
“Maria,” said James taking two steps forward so he was only an arm’s length from Mackenzie, “Maria, you’ve got to see the only way out of this is to act quickly. Your car can save us. You and me. You can drive us back to Baker. I’ll protect you. I’ll help you. What do you say? You can save your store, save your sister, and get help for the others. Don’t listen to Mac, he’s been in the sun too long. I was trying to help Akecheta. I wouldn’t willingly hurt anyone.”
Mackenzie wondered how Maria was taking James’ lies. How much had she seen? How much had she heard? The rooftop groaned and creaked and shuddered as if breathing its last breath. The loose solar panels jumped up and down as the store began to roll again, and Mackenzie suspected the Goliath was on the move. The sun was truly gone now, hidden behind a deep dark cloud. The store felt as fragile as James’ state of mind.
“Maria, this place is turning into a glass coffin. Leave him to me.” Mackenzie clenched his hands into fists. How dare James threaten his family and friends? How dare he do this? The Goliath was doing what it did because what else would an animal of that size do? If it found smaller prey, of course it would attack; of course it would try to kill them. James was the true monster here, killing for self-preservation, for motivations that were cowardly and greedy and baseless.
“No, Mac, I know what I’m doing.” Maria’s voice was closer now, behind Mackenzie’s shoulder. “This asshole comes into my store and behaves like this? I saw what he did to Akecheta. He’s a cold-blooded murderer and when this is all over, I’m going to make sure he’s locked up for the rest of his pathetic life.”
James sighed. “Well, I tried.” He raised the knife, and lunged at Mackenzie.
Raising his arms in defense, Mackenzie prepared to feel the icy cold blade slice through his skin. He knew he had to stop James even if it meant getting hurt. His twitching eye had picked up the pace, to the extent that he could practically feel his eye pulsing. Although his stomach was doing somersaults, he didn’t feel scared anymore. Mackenzie wanted it over. James could try to fight his way out of this, but there was no way he was going to win. Mackenzie would force them both over the edge of the roof if it came to it. He instinctively closed his eyes and waited for the impact, but instead there was nothing. Nothing touched him and no blade felt its way into his body. Suddenly, he became aware that James was gone. He opened his eyes and felt Maria’s hand on his shoulder.
“Mac?” Maria whispered into his ear, and he knew what it was. He opened his eyes and looked up.
The Goliath had a massive claw wrapped around James and was silently lifting him up into the air. As the monster rose to its full height, Mackenzie could see James’ face, a twisted, tortured mix of bewilderment and terror. He was wrapped firmly in the grip of the monster so only his head poked out of the top, and his feet from the bottom. Mackenzie saw the monster’s head look from side to side, and then at James, at its prize. The dinosaur’s red eyes had penetrating black orbs in the center, as black as midnight ebony, and although Mackenzie wanted to look away, he found he couldn’t. It was peculiar. He knew James was finished. He knew there was no way to escape the Goliath, and he had no interest in watching any man suffer and die, yet somehow he couldn’t take his eyes off James. Something inside of him was forcing him to watch, so he could see the end with his own eyes.
The Goliath squeezed its huge claws and roared. Blood oozed from James’ eyes, and Mackenzie was thankful he was too far away to hear the man’s screams. The Goliath roared again and Mackenzie watched in awe as its terrific power destroyed James. The pressure applied to his body was just too much, and as the monster
squeezed tighter and tighter, James’ head came off like a bottle top. His skull was ripped from his shoulders and his head fizzed into the air with a faint popping sound. A fountain of blood exploded from the monster’s grip as James’ body imploded.
Mackenzie and Maria stood on the rooftop as they were showered with the remnants of James’ body, hunks of meat and a waterfall of blood cascading down over them like soft rain.
“Maria, let’s get back in before it comes for us too.” Mackenzie hoped the monster stuck to tradition and backed off. It had always stopped in the past when it had neared the rooftop. He didn’t want to be around while pieces of James fell from the sky, nor did he want to wait to be next.
Without taking his eyes off the Goliath, Mackenzie slowly stepped backward toward the hatch. Maria still held onto him and shuffled back toward the hatch. The prehistoric creature lowered its head and looked at them. Mackenzie understood it was no more than luck that it had taken James first, yet he was relieved. He was relieved to still be alive and relieved that James was dead. Prison was too good for people like that.
Mackenzie heard a roll of thunder blanketed by thick clouds in the distance. The storm was closer now, tangible, charging the air with electricity; Mackenzie wanted the rain to come, to wash away the death that surrounded him, to wash away the bloody remains of James littering the rooftop, and to remind him he was still breathing, that he still had a foot in the real world.
“Maria. I don’t think we’re going to make it,” Mackenzie whispered as the monster crouched lower over the store. Each time previously this had been the point at which it had backed off.
“We’re almost there, Mac. Just a few feet more.”
Mackenzie heard Maria whispering into his ear, felt her hand on his shoulder, but was unable to look at her. He wanted to keep his eyes on the Goliath and watch for any clues as to its next move.
The monster raised an arm and smashed it down upon the store, instantly causing the front to collapse and take with it a section of the roof. Shattered solar panels slid off the roof like glistening confetti, and Mackenzie barely managed to remain standing.
“It’s not stopping. It’s not stopping, Maria.” Mackenzie noticed the shimmering solar panels reflecting back the monster, only now they couldn’t show its whole face, just broken pieces of it: an eye, a tooth or a piece of bloody skin. What was it Akecheta had said about the Moerkhanee only being scared of each other? Had there been something about its reflection that had stopped it? Were the solar panels the only thing that had been stopping it from attacking? Chris had said something that registered now, about how it probably had poor eyesight from living underground. It just might be that it hadn’t realized when it approached the roof it was seeing itself reflected back in the solar panels. It was scared of its own reflection. The problem now facing them was that those panels were smashed, and there was nothing else it was afraid of.
Edging around toward where it had smashed the front of the store, Mackenzie watched as the Goliath lowered its head and inspected the wreckage. The rubble and broken roof tiles were of no interest to it, and it swung its head around, taking off another few feet of the roof. There was an audible tearing sound as the eastern wall began to buckle, and a cloud of dust rose up into the stifling air.
“It’s going to destroy the whole store. It’s not stopping. It’s taking us all.” Mackenzie knew that the reason it had backed off previously had gone. The monster wasn’t afraid, wasn’t retreating underground, and wasn’t going to stop until it had killed every last one of them.
Swinging its huge body around, the Goliath reached a muscly arm down and Mackenzie watched as it picked up Akecheta’s limp body. Instantly, it threw him into its jaws and began to chew loudly, obliterating the body in seconds and swallowing the last of the dead tour guide.
Suddenly, Maria stepped in front of Mackenzie. She glared at him. “Get down that hatch and try to get the others to my car. Get away from here. Get as far away as you can.”
“What are you doing?” asked Mackenzie as Maria turned back to face the monster.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it destroy my store without a fight.”
Maria raised the gun in her hands and began firing at the beast. She unloaded the entire clip and the Goliath just stood there watching on bemused, as if nothing was happening. The bullets hit it, but had no effect. Mackenzie grabbed Maria’s hand and pulled her toward the hatch, knowing they were unlikely to have another chance.
“Come on, Maria,” he shouted as the Goliath smashed another leg into the store. “Hurry!”
CHAPTER 15
The storm clouds were making the light dull and had dampened the dry heat, but night was a long way off. “Down! Get down!” Mackenzie shoved Maria toward the hatch, but he could sense the Goliath behind him, still coming, still intent on attacking them and leveling the store. It wasn’t stopping like it had before. Waiting for nightfall was no longer an option. “Last chance saloon,” said Mackenzie.
He knew in his heart this was it. The thing wasn’t going to stop now. Why should it? It had got the taste for blood. A few old bricks stood between them and the monster, and Mac knew it wasn’t going to be enough stop it. He just wanted to get back down to Laurel. If he was going to die, if they were both going to die, he at least wanted the last thing he saw to be his wife’s face.
“Yakazar-yakazaaaar!”
Mackenzie shoved Maria forward again as she neared the hatch. That strange calling noise the monster made was hideous. It signaled death. It signaled that it was in charge, that nothing could stop it. Quite what it meant to the monster Mackenzie had no idea. Was it calling for others? Was it something it did before charging? The things warm breath was on his back now. He could feel it, the warm sickly stench washing over him, cloaking him in the stench of rotten meat and the odor of something that should have died a long time ago. It was like being showered in warm sodden dirt. The roof was slowly being ripped apart, and it was buckling right underneath his feet.
Maria dropped through the hatch quickly, and Mackenzie got down on his knees. He looked through the hatch and saw Maria hit the floor. The shelves were gone, finally knocked over by the movement of the ground and the collapsing store. He slipped his feet in first, then lowered his body down and grasped hold of the roof. The monster towered over him now, and Mackenzie let go. There was no time for anything but to just drop and hope he didn’t break a leg.
Landing on the hard concrete floor, Mackenzie felt all the air drain from his lungs. Invisible hands grabbed him and pulled him away from the opening, into the dark intestines of the store.
“Mac? Mac, you okay?”
Gasping for breath, Mackenzie muttered that he was and let Laurel pick him up.
“We have to get out of here,” said Maria. Her legs were unsteady, but she was unhurt. It was no longer just the floor shaking but the walls and roof too. She couldn’t quite believe she and Mackenzie had made it back into the store. She was caked in blood, her arms and face smeared bright red. She looked like she had coated herself in war paint. There was a bloodied hairy clump of James’ scalp on her arm and she brushed it off quickly, sickened. Akecheta had fallen victim to the beast as had Mr. Stepper. Now they were all going to follow her two friends into the depths of hell, eaten by the Goliath. Maria put a hand on the wall to stop herself from fainting. She had shot it, blasted everything she had into its face, and it hadn’t even blinked.
“Oh, Christ, only you two?” asked Vic. “What about the tour guide? James? Where’s James?”
Mackenzie had blood all over him, clinging to his body and dripping from his hands as though he had washed in it.
“Mac, show me where you’re hurt,” demanded Laurel urgently as she pulled him toward her.
He plodded forward reluctantly, letting her lead him away from the hatch. He felt her hands running over him, searching for his injuries, running through his thinning hair, trying to find where the blood was coming from.
“Where are the others?” Laurel tried to catch Maria’s eyes, but they never left the floor. Laurel pulled on Mackenzie’s arm. “Mac? Where are they? Akecheta? James? Tell me.”
Mackenzie just shook his head.
“Oh my God.” Laurel took a step back and looked at her husband. He was drenched in blood. It was then that she understood. He wasn’t hurt, or cut, or injured. The blood wasn’t his. It was theirs. “It did this? It took them both?”
Mackenzie turned and looked at Maria. If she still had the gun, she hid it well. What did it matter anyway? It was no use against that thing.
“The Goliath. It was quick. It…” Mackenzie grabbed his wife’s shoulders. “It took them all, ate them; I thought it was going to…”
Mackenzie looked up at the hatch. Where was it? The Goliath had been there, right above them, watching them disappear back inside the store, yet it had stopped. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was still a way out of this. The vibrations had stopped, suggesting the monster had too. The store was still standing for the most part, but he doubted they had long. They were going to have to try for Maria’s car.
“Is it still out there?” Laurel looked for answers in Mackenzie’s eyes, but all she saw was sadness and fear. “I think the front of the store is gone. I thought the whole building was coming down. Why did it stop?”
Shrugging, Mackenzie wiped a drip of blood from his nose. “I don’t know anymore. All I know is that we have to get out of here.”
“Where’s Beers?” Alyce tugged at Mackenzie’s leg. “Where’s my dog?”
Mackenzie looked down at the quizzical expression on the young girl’s face. “I’m sorry, Alyce, but your dog…ran away. It was scared. I think Beers ran away.” He couldn’t bring himself to tell her it had been eaten by a dinosaur, or that James had thrown it off the roof.
