Fire And Steel (The Merryweather Chronicles Book 2) (8 page)

CHAPTER 8

      The night of the dance, Gerrick drove Brandon to Claire's house, letting him out at the curb. As Brandon climbed out, adjusting the sword on his hip, Gerrick said. "Be watchful tonight. There's dark magic in the air. And just because I don't think anything will happen at the dance tonight, doesn't necessarily mean nothing bad can happen. Sha'ha'Zel is still out there. He may not be able to kill you because of the curse, but he can still hurt you. And Claire. Keep your eyes open and your guard up."

      "Yes, sir." Brandon said. "Be careful on the hunt tonight. And good luck."

      Gerrick just nodded. "Have fun if you can. Good times may be few and far between in the coming days, so you have to savor them when they appear."

      Brandon smiled and said. "I'll try." He closed the door and watched his uncle drive off before turning and walking through the gate to Claire's house. He walked through the early evening light, the cool wind cutting across his stockinged legs, and took the steps up to the porch two at a time. He was about to knock on the door when it opened and Diana smiled out at him.

      She said. "Happy Halloween, Brandon." She looked at his costume and smiled. "You look great." She stepped back and let him into the house. Brandon kept his hand on the pommel of his sword as he stepped into the living room.

      Claire's dad was sitting on the living room couch, watching TV. He stood as Brandon stepped into the living room. Smiling broadly, he said. "You two are going to match perfectly."

      "Quiet, you." Diana said, shushing her husband. "Let's let him be the judge, okay?"

      Kevin chuckled. "I suppose you're right." He smiled at Brandon and said. "Claire should be down in a sec."

      Diana was about to say something, but stopped as Claire appeared at the top of the staircase and started down. She smiled and said. "You look beautiful, honey."

      Brandon had to agree. Standing at the foot of the stairs, he watched Claire walk down and felt his jaw slowly drop. Her dress was the same shade of green as his jerkin, with a ragged hem that stopped shorter than some mini skirts. It was cinched at the waist with a narrow leather belt that accentuated her curves. She wore flesh colored stockings. The dress was also cut lower than Brandon had anticipated. Her father cleared his throat as she made it down the stairs. He said. "It's going to be chilly tonight. Don't you think that you might need a jacket?"

      The look Claire shot her dad was cool. Diana arched an eyebrow at her husband, but she was smiling. Kevin shrugged and smiled a hopeless smile. He said. "You look stunning, baby doll. Just fantastic!"

      "Thank you."Claire said to her dad, as prim as you please. But she was looking at Brandon. Her beautiful green eye was full of nervous anticipation. Her eye patch was a matching shade of green, with a scatter of glitter across the fabric. A pair of glittery wings rose above her bare shoulders, accentuating her bangs and completing the illusion. "Hello, Peter Pan."

      "Hello, Tink." Brandon said. He was proud that his voice was even and didn't squeak when he spoke. "You look absolutely gorgeous." It sounded lame, he knew, but he couldn't find the words to describe how incredible she looked. Not with her parents standing there.

      "You don't look so bad, yourself." She said, smiling at him. She did a little spin, showing off her glittery wings, and laughed. "I feel like I could fly to the dance. It's a shame I don't have real fairy dust."

      Brandon smiled and held out his hand. "I'll fly with you, if you'll let me?"

      Claire took his hand and then looked over at her dad. "We're ready to go, dad. If you want to drive us?"

      Kevin was already pulling on his coat. He smiled at her, his eyes a little tight around the corners. He couldn't help but see his little girl when he looked at the young woman looking up at him. She was growing up so damn fast. It was hard to believe that only a few years ago the idea of going to a dance with a boy would have set her off giggling and hiding her face. Now he looked at her and saw a mirror image of the woman that he fell in love with. He looked at Brandon and said. "I want you two to be careful tonight. There's a lot of bad things going on lately and nobody seems to be able to get anywhere with stopping any of it."

      Brandon nodded, his face solemn. He said. "We'll be careful, sir."

      Claire just smirked at her dad and said, her voice playful."We'll be a lot more careful when we're at the dance, dad."

      Kevin smiled and said. "Let's go then, Tinkerbell. Neverland is waiting."

      Of course, leaving wasn't as simple as all that. They had to pose for a dozen or so pictures that Claire's mom insisted on taking. It was full dark when they finally reached the school. The high school and cafeteria parking lots were packed with cars. Students and teachers alike. There were police cars parked at each end of the cafeteria. Officers watched and patrolled the school grounds, walking in the early evening darkness with their guns on their hips. There were also parents posted at different points around the school grounds. The rest of the police, as well as the state investigators, were out hunting in the stretch of Briar woods surrounding the old mill. Looking for any sign of the missing kids and police officers. Brandon knew his uncle would do his best, but it was still likely that men would die tonight.

      Claire's dad dropped them off in front of the cafeteria, asking them to be careful one last time before driving off. Claire looked at him, her eye shining with excitement. She said. "How am I excited and nervous at the same time? I know it's just a stupid school dance, but I've got butterflies in my stomach." The path up to the cafeteria entrance was flanked by carved Jack-O-Lanterns, the flickering candlelight contrasting with the purple Halloween lights draped in the branches of the trees surrounding the cafeteria. Ghosts and skeletons hung from the lower branches, shaking and wailing with hokey canned sound effects.

      Stopping just outside the doors, Brandon took Claire's hand and said. "You look so beautiful. Whatever else might happen to us, we have tonight."

      Claire leaned into Brandon, putting her arm around his waist and resting her head against his chest. She never wanted this feeling to end. The love she felt for this strange boy was so pure and strong. She knew that he loved her just as much as she loved him. Stepping back, she looked up into his handsome face, her single green eye filled with all of those powerful emotions and she said. "You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet, Brandon Merryweather. Let's get inside. I'm ready to dance with you."

      Brandon flashed her a broad smile and said. "Let's go. Second star to the right and straight on til morning." Hand in hand, they walked into the cafeteria.

      As Brandon and Claire were stepping out onto the dance floor for the first time, Faux and Teague were arriving at the old Kirkman Mill. Teague parked behind Baker's waiting S.U.V. and the two men climbed out. There were two officers already waiting at the mill. They stood next to their car, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee from a thermos. Baker and his team were standing with Underhill and another old man next to the big silo. Everybody was dressed warmly and armed. It was cold. A hard wind cut through the trees and kicked up dust clouds across the broken concrete.

      Teague and Faux joined the others at the silo and Teague said. "Winston, I'm proud to see you brought your dogs. But are you sure you're up to climbing the mountain in this cold?"

      Winston grinned, showing stained dentures, and said. "Me and my dogs will run you into the ground, Chief. No offense."

      "None taken." Teague said, turning to address the rest of the hunting party. "Gentlemen, we're going to do this nice and easy. Keep your eyes open and your radios on. And if you shoot, make damn sure you're shooting at an animal and not one of us."

      There were a couple of nervous chuckles, but everybody knew that friendly fire was going to be a real risk once they went into those woods. Baker watched the woods with wary eyes, his team gathered close around him as he gave last minute instructions. Faux stood close to Teague and his deputies. Underhill and Winston began walking, letting the dogs get out ahead, and everybody else followed. Faux eased his gun in its holster and tried to ignore his gut feeling that they were walking into a trap.

      Gerrick ghosted through the trees, careful to stay downwind of the dogs as he followed the hunters. The group moved well, despite the fact that they had no idea what they were hunting or what was waiting for them in the forest. The old man in the lead had a steady hand with his dogs, keeping them close but giving them their head when they caught scent, and he was a fine tracker. They moved steadily deeper into the forest, leaving the mill parking lot behind them as the dogs followed one of the dozens of trails blazed through the woods by the grohlm. It didn't take a great tracker to follow the grohlm. The woods were lousy with them. Trails crisscrossing trails, easy enough to find if you knew what you were looking for.

      The old man didn't know exactly what he was hunting, but he wasn't stupid. He focused on the bear tracks, what he saw as the apex predator of these woods. But he also seemed properly wary of the scattered wolf and dog prints, larger than any he'd ever seen before.

      It was cold, even for October, and the woods were preternaturally quiet as Gerrick slipped from tree to tree. He kept the hunters in sight while simultaneously watching for the ambush that was surely lying in wait. He quashed any irritation he had with the police. Despite not knowing what they were going to face, they were out here hunting for the town's missing. It said something to the bravery of those below. But entering the Briar woods at night and in such a fragmented formation was foolish. They were far too spread out.

      At the first sighting of Grohlm, the group would scatter. Making them easy pickings for the horde, unless Gerrick could keep it from happening. Moving with all of his skill, he followed the brave hunters, a deadly and silent guardian in the darkness.

      Faux was on point, following close behind Winston and his dogs, when the hounds gave low growls and began tugging at their leashes. The grizzled old timer cracked a grin and said. "They picked up something, all right." His voice was a soft growl, not too different than that of his dogs.

      Faux gave a tight nod. He said. "Let's go, then." His stomach was hollow. He felt the same empty readiness that he felt when standing outside a suspect's door, knowing that he was about to crash into a room filled with guns and bad men who knew how to use them. Behind him, he could hear the others shuffling in the darkness. Flashlight beams stabbed out into the night, not seeming to cut through the darkness at all.

      Somebody spoke from the rear. It sounded like Baker, but Faux wasn't sure. They said. "What is it?"

      Then hell came crashing down on top of all of them. The only warning was the sudden squealing from the dogs up ahead as they tried to flee, pulling hard at their lead lines and nearly taking Winston off of his feet.

      Screeching and howling out of the trees, the attackers were suddenly everywhere. The woods went from total silence to pandemonium in a matter of seconds, screams and the pop of gunfire cutting through the howling of the monsters surrounding them all.

      Faux fell backwards, firing at the things exploding out of the darkness. One of them went down at his feet, squealing and thrashing as it died. Faux had only a moment to stare down at its twisted features, so much like a bird's, before another charged at him. Around him, men were screaming and shooting at the things boiling out of the trees and brush. He watched a deputy go down with a piece of sharpened steel in his leg. His lizard faced opponent raised a twisted broken tree limb over its head, making ready to bring it down onto its victim's head. A long rusty spike was nailed through the head of the misshapen limb.

      Faux shot the lizard through the eye, dropping it onto the forest floor, and rushed to help the injured man. Shouting to be heard over the screams and gunfire, Faux yelled. "ON ME! EVERYBODY FORM UP ON ME!"

      But it was no good. He shot two more of the creatures, trying to count rounds, and was surprised when Teague appeared at his elbow. The acting chief had a bloody gash on his face but was otherwise unharmed. He had a gun in each hand and shouted over the noise. "We have to fall back! These things are tearing us to pieces!"

      Faux helped the Deputy stand, letting him rest his weight against him. Faux said. "No shit, chief! Lead the way and we'll be right behind you!" He shouted hard at one of Baker's fleeing C.I.S. Techs, stopping the panicked girl before she could disappear into the woods. "You! Start gathering in men! We're getting out of here!"

      At first, the woman was too panicked to comprehend what was being shouted into her face. She tried to pull free of Faux's iron gaze but the F.B.I. agent caught her by the arm and held her in place. The mindless panic faded from her eyes and she said. "What do you want me to do?"

      "Help." Faux said, then started moving. With the Tech's help, Faux and Teague gathered everybody in, circling close around the more badly injured. The outer ring fired on the attacking creatures, keeping them at bay with suppressing fire.

      Baker had procured weapons from those too wounded to use them and handed them out to his Techs. He had a pair of Glock .17s held in each of his fists. Two monsters, both with the face of a goat, charged out of the trees, and he fired at them. One hit the ground hard, bleating and tearing at the ground with its hooves. The other ducked and cut to the right, a heavy looking hammer held tight in a grubby but otherwise human looking hand. "I think I'm losing my mind." Baker said in a weak voice. He was breathing hard as he shook his shaggy head. One of his Techs, the same wide eyed girl that Faux had saved, stood just behind him. She shot at the other goat with an injured officer's gun and hit it in the back. Baker said. "Good shot!" He shot at another, this one a giant lizard, and missed. "I don't know what these things are, but if we don't start moving we're going to be overrun. There are more of them than we have bullets."