Dagon Rising(71)

Clark was about to run up to Tony to try to assist him when there was another thud, then Amethyst yelled. “Aahhh!” One of the bat creatures had flown into him. His rifle clattered to the ground as he fought with it. Ruby ducked, her hands covered the back of her neck as more of the bats flew over them. They seemed confused as their wings brushed the cave walls. Diamond swung the barrel of his rifle back and forth from creature to creature, as if he were trying to get a clear shot. One by one, the bats found the narrow aperture in the cave and flew toward it, somehow either scrambling through it in a half-flight, half-crawling motion, or by some other means.

Before Clark could leap toward either Amethyst or Tony, he heard a whisk of a steel blade. The creature that was entangled with Amethyst let out a high-pitched squeak and shuddered as blood splattered the cavern floor. Amethyst shoved the bat off him, holding a stiletto blade covered with blood. He looked like a baby-faced psycho killer.

“Aaahhhh,” Tony yelled. “Get the fuck off me!”

Clark and Amethyst ran to Tony. Amethyst plunged the blade into the creature’s back. It squealed in pain and dived forward, its teeth plunging into Tony’s shoulder. Clark’s heart leaped into his throat as Tony screamed. “You motherfucker! I’m going to kill you!”

Amethyst stabbed the creature again but it had no effect. The bat creature’s head lolled briefly on its shoulders, giving Clark a brief look at Tony’s shoulder. He was relieved to see the creature’s teeth had not broken the skin. Instead, it had torn a chunk of the strap that held Tony’s rifle over his shoulder. Tony’s rifle slipped down his pinned left arm, dangling precariously. The creature was so entangled with Tony’s arms and legs that he couldn’t fight back.

Clark ran up to Tony and placed the barrel of his M16 against the thing’s head. “Tony, take a step to your right and lean your head back! Ruby, get down!”

Ruby dropped to the ground and Tony did as he was told, giving Clark ample enough room. There was no backstop for the shot, only the pitch blackness of the cave ahead of them. Clark pulled the trigger, sending a single shot into the creature’s head. It stopped squealing and immediately dropped, its leathery, bony frame still hanging on Tony.

Tony was still flailing his arms. “Ugly ass son of a bitch.” There was the audible snapping of bone and then the thing was flung off Tony like a giant kite. He started kicking its limp form. “Piece of shit motherfucker!”

Clark looked up as more of the hideous giant bats flew over them. There weren’t that many, perhaps a few dozen. Their wings made heavy, flapping sounds as they flew through the cave and darted down the narrow passageway, squirming their way through the aperture Clark, Tony, and the Black Lodge agents had just emerged from.

The dead bats lay on the ground. Ruby stepped forward, shining her light on the creature that had almost killed Tony.

Clark drew in a breath. “Jesus, look at that thing.”

Diamond nodded. “It’s mutated, just like the spider we saw above. Other life forms that dwell in this cavern have probably mutated, too.”

Tony shuddered. “Please tell me there’s no giant snakes down here.”

Or spiders, Clark thought. One of those was enough.

“We’ve seen no sign of them,” Ruby said, reading Clark’s mind. “No webs or anything.”

Ignoring her, Clark clapped Tony on the shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. He dusted himself off. “Thanks, dude. I owe you one. Seriously.”

“No, you don’t. Consider that payback from before.”

Tony met his gaze and nodded in acknowledgement. Clark shot him a grin. If it weren’t for Tony, the Black Lodge agents would have eliminated Clark from the equation. They were bound together now as brothers in arms, despite the fact that they were on polar opposites of the law.

From the tunnel ahead of them, a voice called out. “Hello? Hey, we need some help down here! Can you hear us?”

Diamond, Amethyst and Ruby sprang into action, rifles held ready, their stances firm and alert.

“Who’s there?” Diamond called. His voice carried a sense of authority. “Identify yourselves.”

“I’m Dr. Wade Collins. With me are Drs. Susan Ehart and Jennifer Wasco.”

“Jennifer?” Tony called out. His voice had a jovial tone to it. “Hey, Jennifer, it’s me, Tony!”

From the darkened tunnel ahead of them, a second voice. Female. “Tony Genova?”

“Yeah, you got it sweetie, it’s me.” Tony turned back to Clark and the Black Lodge agents. “She remembers me!”