Leviathan(138)

Connor smiled.

Yeah, it was clear.

Leviathan wasn’t healing up. At least, not like before. It had recovered enough to launch a last attack. But if it was struck down again it would be down forever. It had never managed to overcome the grievous wounds sustained in the battle with Thor.

They had starved it and wounded it and taken it down over and over and now it was exhausted – starving and dying. And Connor knew he was going to help it along.

He wondered if the Dragon had regenerated its flame-throwing abilities and then it sent a blazing blast of flame down the corridor, igniting all that could be ignited.

In a white holocaust the flames stopped less than a hundred feet away and Connor realized that the maximum range of the blast was about three hundred feet. He would have leaped aside if he had had the chance, but it happened too quickly, so he used the opportunity for scorn. He shouted, hoping it would realize his intent.

“Come on!” Then Connor added, more quietly. “Let’s see how much of you survived Thor.”

With a cautious step the beast advanced, crouching low to clear the top of the tunnel. Connor reflexively glanced at the bare wires hanging from the ceiling, forty feet in front of it. With two gigantic strides Leviathan had reached the junction. Green eyes narrowing, it raised its head, studying the wires. Then it lowered itself even more to clear the copper strands, stepping toward a section of walkway wired with 10,000 volts.

Just enough to make it mad.

Connor eased back, moving for the corner because it was closing on three hundred feet. He knew that he had to exhaust what flame remained before the Dragon reached the power plant.

So he took the Beretta semiautomatic pistol from the small of his back and raised it with a cold aim toward the beast. At this distance it was a useless weapon, he knew, but Connor wasn’t trying to injure it – just enrage it.

He fired a full clip, aiming high.

Leviathan winced as the bullets struck and Connor fired the full fifteen rounds. But the beast held its ground, unmoving and unprovoked. The Beretta was smoking in Connor’s hand as he lowered it slowly to his side.

Leviathan glared, jaws separating.

Connor stared back, grim.

“One more step,” he whispered. “Come on … Take it …”

Leviathan snarled.

It took it.





* * *





Chapter 39



Connor dove to the side as the clawed foot struck the walkway and the corridor exploded, shards of steel cascading from the tunnel to tear chunks of calcite from the walls, floor.

Instantly Connor was on his feet, into it now, sweating, something within him fired by the impact. He held the M-79 close as he ducked his head around the corner to see

Roaring fangs ...

With a shout Connor fired point-blank, his finger closing on the trigger without his will and the grenade went into the face of the beast, striking in a concussive blast that rocketed fire from the tunnel like a volcanic eruption. Connor screamed and twisted away to hit the ground hard, and then he was on his feet again, staggering and without thought breaking open the M-79 to tear out the spent grenade canister.

Leviathan shrieked over him and Connor spun to see that it was too close. Shouting, Connor dropped to one knee and saw the beast crawling beneath the upraised vault. It was fully engulfed in white, spiraling phosphorous flames, a cloud of fire.

Then Connor saw the vault cable and knew it was his only chance. Instantly he ripped out the pistol at his back to hold a dead-aim at the steel cord and then he was pulling the trigger as fast as he could move. Howling lead fragments and splintered steel lanced the air and him but Connor barely felt it and suddenly the steel cord snapped.

With a thunderous descent the vault slammed on Leviathan's chest, crushing it to the ground. Connor heard himself howling, leaping to the side as he wildly ejected the pistol's clip and slammed in another. With a curse he dropped the pistol in the bag and shoved a grenade into the M-79, snapping it shut instantly.

“Come on!” he screamed. “Show me what you can take!”

Leviathan shrieked and twisted, squirming to its back. Its claws lashed out to strike the titanium, and it bellowed, pushing down with the forelegs to crawl from beneath the crushing weight. Connor estimated that he had less than three minutes and then he was running, his mind racing ahead of him.

Ten seconds, twenty ...

A reptilian roar thundered like a storm-blast along the walls, and Connor knew the beast was quickly scrambling free. Surging with fear, Connor slung the M-79 across his back and ran with all his strength, ignoring torn muscles and infinite, infinite pain that was coming hard now, despite the drugs.

Connor made two hundred yards in thirty seconds, saw the fifty-yard section of flooded tunnel looming up before him glistening with red light and he dove, smoothly slicing the water. When he surfaced he was halfway across, rising to a bestial roar. Then he heard a titanic crash and knew Leviathan had followed him into the water, fearless now, closing.