by J. F. Penn
He hopped on the bike, flipped the kickstand back, and pushed the ignition button. The BMW motorcycle started up and Ben gunned the throttle while kicking it down into first gear. He glanced into the side mirror as he rode down Quay Street, catching a glimpse of the ash cloud as its shadow moved across the harbor towards the crowd.
28
As the sun set, Ben rested the motorcycle against the gate to Waipoua Forest. He needed to stop for a rest and he was drawn to this spot by the memory of visiting the ancient tree here years ago. Tane Mahuta, Lord of the Forest. He could use some of that ancient wisdom now.
There was dust and ash in the air and Ben could taste sulfuric grit in his mouth despite wearing a bandana over his face during the ride. What I would give for a beer right now. Ben smiled at the thought.
The motorcycle's hot engine pinged as it cooled. He was careful not to let his leg touch the exhaust pipes as he dismounted on shaky legs. The ride north had been challenging. Some people helped others at times of crisis, but some saw chaos as a dark opportunity. Ben had seen both on the road, but he didn't stop. Time was running out now. He felt an urgency spill from the talismans that rested on his chest.
He stood on the edge of the forest and let his eyes adjust to the dark. Kauri trees towered above and the smell of rain on ferns hung in the air. He breathed the cool air deep into his lungs.
A branch snapped nearby.
Ben started. He held his breath and waited, listening intently.
Nothing.
He scanned the forest around him. The black shapes looming above him seemed less welcoming now. He didn't have a flashlight, yet he still felt drawn onward. Tane Mahuta was further in, and you did not ignore the Lord of the Forest.
Ben took two steps down the trail and then looked back over his shoulder at the motorcycle. All he had to do was jump on it and ride away. He could find somewhere to hide out from this madness. After all, could he really have any impact on what was happening to the country?
He shook his head. It seemed like a crazy quest, but he had come too far to stop now.
He carried on down the trail.
The low-hanging branches reached for him, thin skeleton arms snagging his shirt. A spider web, invisible in the dark, wrapped around his face. Ben's heart pounded as he swatted at the darkness, ripping the sticky threads from his skin. He imagined the smoke of Whiro winding its way through the forest after him, the talons of the demon reaching out to rip his flesh from his bones.
Stop it, Ben thought. He pushed away the image of his grandfather's death. It wouldn't help him now.
He followed the footpath through the forest until he reached the great Lord of the Forest himself, Tane Mahuta. Ben put his hand against the trunk, feeling the rough bark under his palm.
There was no beating heart, but this great kauri tree was thought to be over two thousand years old. It had stood here, quiet in the forest, as the great empires of the world rose and fell. Most of the Northland kauri trees had been felled over the years, but this one remained among a few of its kin. The trunk was so wide that twelve people could stand around its girth with arms outstretched and still not touch each other's fingers.
Ben leaned forward, rested his forehead against the bark and closed his eyes. He felt powerless and insignificant standing beneath the ancient tree and strangely, that was comforting. The giant kauri had grown here as generations of people were born and died. It would outlive whatever came to pass in the days to come. Not that he knew what that would be.
He felt for the talismans around his neck. They had become lighter as he traveled north and now it seemed as if they rested, waiting for something. Why am I here?
There was another crack in the darkness, back along the path. Ben turned from the kauri.
"Who’s there?" he called.
Then, the trees around him shivered as a huge figure emerged from the dark.
It barreled into him.
Ben went down hard, air rushing from his lungs. In the dark, he saw black hair and fierce teeth. A fist raised, about to crash down into his face.
"Ben?"
The voice was soft, hesitant. He recognized it immediately.
"Lucy?"
"It's alright, Rangi. He's a friend."
Rangi climbed off Ben, and then Lucy was there. In his arms at last. They clung to each other.
"I thought –"
"Are you –"
Their words tumbled over one another, both of them laughing as they embraced. Rangi stood watch over them as they caught up quickly on what had happened to them both after the tidal wave. It seemed incredible that they had both made it this far.
"As we drove north, I felt drawn here somehow," Lucy said. "That's how we found you."
She pulled her pendant out and Ben tugged his own from under his shirt.
Rangi shone a torch down onto them as they examined the talismans. He reached out a finger as if to touch them, his eyes curious, and then he pulled away.
"Do you – feel – anything when they touch your skin?" Lucy's voice was hesitant, and Ben understood how she felt.
"Yeah, weird, eh."
They both laughed softly.
"Now I feel a tug north again," Lucy said.
"I wonder how far we have to go." Ben tucked the talismans back into his shirt.
"All the way to Te Rerenga Wairua, Cape Reinga." Rangi's voice was solemn and deep. "The leaping-off place where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld. My grandmother told me to take you there, Lucy."
"She's a kaumatua," Lucy explained to Ben. "She's helping Amber, and I trust her word."
"It's further north," Ben said, "so that makes sense. If we go now, we can make it within a few hours."
"You're not going anywhere."
The voice came from the darkness in the trees around them. The three of them spun around, looking for the source.
A man stepped out of the shadows, a serrated knife in one hand.
Rangi started towards the man but five more figures emerged from the darkened forest, guns at the ready. They were dressed in pig-hunting gear, rifles held easy in their hands. Rangi stepped back, hands raised.
"It's OK, man," he said. "We're moving on. Not looking for any trouble."
The leader turned his torch on, shining it up under his chin. The light caught the edges of two ugly wounds on his cheeks, the slashes turning his visage into a nightmare.
"Too late," he said. "You brought this trouble upon yourself."
29
Lucy gasped as the man's face was revealed. Rangi's fists tightened, and one of the men shoved a gun into his back.
"What's going on?" Ben asked. "What trouble?"
Sitona grabbed Lucy's wrist and pulled her forward, spinning her around. He curled one arm about her neck and held the knife against her cheek in the same place as his own wounds. Ben saw wisps of black smoke curling around the man's clothes. Whiro.
"Tell him, pretty one," Sitona said.
"He had Amber," Lucy stumbled over the words. "He was taking children."
"Merchandise that you stole from me," Sitona spat in her ear. He tucked his knife away and reached around to cup her breast. "But you'll make up for your sister, at least." He squeezed her breast hard and Lucy whimpered, her face frozen in fear.
"Leave her alone." Rangi rushed forward, trying to get to her.
One of the hunters stepped forward and slammed the butt of his gun into Rangi's middle. As Rangi bent in pain, the hunter whipped it round and jabbed it at the big man's face. There was a crunch and Rangi fell to his knees, hands to his nose as blood gushed from the wound.
Sitona laughed.
"You're gonna have to do better than that. It's hunting season and I promised these guys an animal to practice on."
Ben heard the dark promise in the man's words even as he assessed the rough men around them, looking for possible escape. Pig hunting was sport up here, with dogs and knives and guns. It wouldn't have cost much to get these guys onside, and t
hey would relish a fight. With Rangi injured, there was no way out. Not yet.
"Let's get them back to the camp," Sitona said, shoving Lucy in front of him.
One of the hunters jabbed Ben in the ribs with his gun, forcing him onto another track that wound away from the giant kauris and off the marked trail.
As they walked, torches flickered from the men in front and behind. The night felt heavy on Ben's shoulders, as if the evil seeping through the forest would prevent the sun from rising. As the hunters marched them deeper into the forest, Ben felt the calm peace of Tane Mahuta's kingdom recede. In its place, Whiro's presence surged.
Lucy walked in front of him and Rangi behind. Ben could hear the big man wheezing, his nose bloody from the beating. Lucy tripped on a trailing root. One of the men grabbed her by the elbow and yanked upward. She cried out, stifling the sound as the man pulled her towards him, taking the chance to touch her skin.
"Where are you taking us?" Ben asked, trying to draw attention away from her.
A gun barrel cracked into his ribs. He bent in pain and a meaty hand slammed down on the back of his head. Ben's vision exploded with stars.
"Keep walking, boy."
The silent, dark forest swirled about them, then Ben saw lights ahead. They came to a clearing in the forest lit by the orange flicker of a campfire, with two more men sitting next to it. One turned a spit and the other pulled a crate of beer towards him. Dogs ran out from the fireside, barking and growling as they bared their teeth at the strangers. Ben had seen pig-dogs like these tear animals apart, snarling at the kill. He stepped warily around them.
The smell of roast pork wafted over from the fire as chunks of meat charred in the flames. Ben's mouth watered and his belly rumbled. But under the rich scent was the smell of butchered animals and blood.
Two cocoon shapes hung from branches at the perimeter of the camp, wild pig carcasses from the day's hunting. The dogs turned away from the strangers to nose at a pile of entrails under the carrion. The wind pushed the meat back and forth, the pigs' eyes staring out into the dark.
"We eat now, play after," the biggest hunter said with a tone of authority.
Sitona nodded. "But tie them up first. And tie that one up good." He nodded towards Rangi.
The hunter pulled Lucy towards him, running his hands over her buttocks. "I'll tie this one up."
"Careful," Sitona said. "She's merchandise now."
The hunter pushed his face close to Sitona's. "I won't mark 'er but I will have 'er."
Ben saw the lust in the man's eyes and heard a growl from Rangi's throat. They would not last long here.
The hunters pushed them down under the carrion tree and tied their wrists with rough rope, the same used to hang their kill. Sitona watched as they wrapped cords around Ben and Rangi's feet, hobbling them. The big hunter leered at Lucy.
"I'll leave your legs free, darlin'. Easy access for later." He laughed as his hungry eyes raked over her bound body. She cowered under his gaze.
"Let her go," Ben said. "Keep us here, but let her go, please."
The man grunted. "My door don't swing that way. And me and my boys gonna have some fun tonight. Maybe you two can even watch." He hefted the knife at his side. "Then we'll have some hunting practice with you animals."
He hawked and spat, the stinking spittle dripping off Ben's chin as he walked back to the campfire to drink. Sitona followed, glancing back to check his merchandise was safe before he nodded and accepted a beer. The clink of bottles soon filled the air and the men began to feast on the roasted meat.
"Are you alright?" Ben whispered.
"Fine." Lucy was curt. She turned to Rangi. "Are you hurt?" she asked the big Maori.
"Not enough," Rangi said, his voice sharp even with the broken nose. "They'll pay for this."
Ben grinned. He was glad to have Rangi on their side.
"My rope isn't very tight," Lucy whispered. "They didn't want to mark me so I think I can slide my hands out."
"Careful," Rangi whispered back. "Go slowly."
Lucy wriggled a little, working at the bonds that held her. One of the dogs looked up from the carcass. It snarled and then turned its attention back to the intestines.
Ben saw the rope drop away and Lucy shuffled slowly over to Rangi. Ben kept an eye on the campfire. The men shared jokes, laughing and drinking. One man stood to take a piss and collapsed in a drunken heap. Two of the others jumped up and proceeded to kick him in the ribs, high-fiving each other and taking more swigs from the bottles. Smoke from the fire obscured them, but Ben thought he saw their faces contorted into empty skulls as the black mist swirled about them.
Then Lucy was behind him, working at the knots with her slim fingers.
A minute later, Ben felt the pressure on his wrists release and he used his right hand to massage his left wrist, then did the other.
"We need to hurry," he whispered. "They're almost done."
"Across from the fire. There." Rangi nodded his head in the direction of three Jeeps parked side by side.
"The dogs?"
Rangi looked over his shoulder. A couple of them were still gorging themselves on pig entrails and two others lay asleep, sated from the feast.
"We can make it." Rangi nodded at them both. "You ready?"
Ben and Lucy nodded. This was their only chance. Ben took one last look at the campfire. The pig hunters were drunk, but these were hard men. The three of them could probably get to the Jeep. But after that, he wasn't sure. Whiro didn't give up.
"Go," Rangi said.
Lucy jumped up and ran. Ben stood quickly, but his legs felt soft and weak. Rangi grabbed him by the arm, hauling him forward.
The dogs barked, racing after them.
Shouts and the sounds of bottles breaking came from the campfire.
"Get them!"
Ben turned to see the silhouette of the big hunter running towards them. His knife gleamed in the firelight. Sitona raced after him, the other men behind.
Ben jumped into the driver's seat. The keys dangled from the ignition. Northlanders didn't worry about having their vehicles stolen this deep in the forest.
"Go," Lucy said, her voice strong in Ben's ear.
He stomped on the clutch, turned the key, and gunned the accelerator. The engine came alive and Ben dropped the Jeep into first gear while slamming the gas pedal to the floor.
The rear tires spun, throwing dirt and rocks into the faces of the pig hunters, buying Ben a few more precious seconds. He grabbed the headlamp switch and the beams illuminated a two-lane dirt road. The rear tires finally caught, and the Jeep fishtailed back and forth across the road before picking up speed.
Behind them, Sitona and the hunters jumped into two other vehicles and roared after them.
30
Ben shifted gears, speeding along the track.
"They're coming," Rangi said, his hands clutching the roll bars as he looked out the back.
Ben glanced into the rearview mirror. Headlights bobbed behind them as the Jeep bounced along the track through the bush.
"Turn here!" Rangi shouted.
They skidded out of the bush and onto Ninety Mile Beach, sand spraying out from beneath the wheels.
Ben yanked the wheel hard and pressed the accelerator down. They zoomed onto the flat of the sand and pulled away as the two other Jeeps emerged from the bush, one of them jumping a dune to land a few meters away.
Lucy turned to see the frenzied faces of the men in the Jeeps. Their eyes were crazed and feral, like they were possessed by something beyond this world.
They hooted like animals and bared their teeth, screaming for blood – a pack of predators closing in. They were all just animals now.
"Faster!" Rangi shouted.
He climbed into the back of the Jeep, pushing Lucy forward towards Ben on the front seat. He picked up a wrench and hung out the back of the vehicle, cursing at the men in Te Reo.
"Can we outrun them?" Lucy said.
"We're going
to try." Ben clenched his teeth as he shifted gears and zigzagged towards the surf. The sun glinted on the water. Out west, Lucy thought she saw the huge curve of a monster's tail and the dark undertow of giant creatures. The water wasn't safe, but neither was the land. They were trapped.
Sitona drove one of the Jeeps closer and rammed them hard.
Ben struggled to maintain control of the vehicle. The front wheels touched the water, slowing them down. He swerved inland again.
One of the men jumped over the gap between the vehicles, his hands grabbing the roll bar.
He barreled into Rangi in the back. The two men went down, clutching at each other.
The feral man scratched and bit, but Rangi was faster. He smashed the wrench into the other man's face.
Lucy heard the crunch of bone and bright blood spurted out. Rangi hit him again and the man slumped on the floor of the Jeep.
The big Maori picked up the man's body and hurled it at the vehicle in pursuit. They ran it over, barely stopping, laughing and hooting. Lucy looked over and one thrust his crotch at her.
"Won't be long, pretty," he shouted, his words whipped away by the wind.
Rangi panted with exertion, and Lucy could see how tired he was. He couldn't hold them off by himself, and there was nothing in front of them but miles of beach.
"Fuel's low," Ben said. "We can't keep on like this."
Then, the two 4WDs pulled alongside.
The ferals slammed into the car from the side, the metallic clash ringing out over the noise of the surf. Ben dipped in and out of the waves, fighting to keep control.
The Jeep bucked when it hit a rock.
Ben lost control and they skidded across the slick sand. The Jeep tipped over, spilling the three of them into the waves, tumbling over each other as they came to a rest in the shallow surf.
Lucy landed heavily, pain shooting up her arm as it broke her fall. The cold of the water made her gasp, and she struggled out from beneath the side of the Jeep, aware that the men were only meters away. The rev of their engines came to a stop, and the thump of their feet landing on the sand made her look round in despair.
