deformed, miserable-looking creature slithers through. It has the general shape of a woman, but her flesh is bubbling with sores and boils. Pus and blood seep from wounds all over her body. There’s a rancid stink. The eyes are swimming bowls of madness in a ruined face. The mouth is a jagged gash. I know who this abomination is from Dervish’s description, but I would have recognized her anyway.
“Hello, Grubbs,” the thing that was once Juni Swan gurgles. “Have you missed me?”
There’s no time to answer. Right behind Juni, dozens of guards file in three abreast, weapons cradled to their chests. Spreading out, they take aim. Before a stunned Shark and his team can react, an officer bellows a command and the air around us is ripped apart by a lethal hail of bullets.
OPEN SEASON
WITHOUT magic we’d have perished instantly. But magical energy streams through the window, as it always does when a passageway between universes is opened. Tapping into that instinctively, I throw up a barrier between us and the guards. The bullets mushroom against it and drop harmlessly to the floor. As more troops flood into the room, I strengthen the barrier and start thinking about ways to make it a one-way shield, so that we can fire at them.
Before I can do that, Juni barks a short command. The window pulses, then snaps out of existence. The flow of magic stops, and though a strong residue is left in the air, I now have to work off a dwindling supply. Altering the shield would take a lot out of me. Too much.
“How long can you hold that?” Shark yells.
“A couple of minutes,” I guess.
“Pip!” he roars.
“On it,” she mutters, darting to the rear of the wall to my right. There’s a corridor on the other side that bypasses the section of the building we came through. Shark was keeping it in reserve in case we needed an escape route.
As Meera frees Prae Athim, the guards on the other side of the shield part to allow Juni Swan and a smirking Antoine Horwitzer to advance. They come to within a couple of inches of the barrier. Juni smiles crookedly at the shield, then at me.
“Nice work, Grubbs,” she gurgles, her voice a hoarse mockery of what it once was. “But what more can you do in the absence of demonic energy?”
“As much as you,” I snarl.
“Possibly,” she chuckles. “But I don’t have to do anything. Not with so many finely armed humans to depend on.”
“Did you pay them much?” Shark sneers.
“Antoine recruited them on my behalf,” she says.
“Most humans have a price,” Antoine chuckles. “I’ve always been adept at calculating such sums.”
“I’ll have your head for this, Horwitzer!” Prae Athim screams, ripping the tape from her mouth and thrusting a finger at Antoine. “You’re finished!”
“Don’t be silly,” he coos. “You can’t do anything to me. Your reign has come to its natural end. I run the Lambs now.”
“Why this way?” she snarls. “You were always power-hungry, but you’d have squeezed me out eventually. Why betray us to monstrous fiends like this?”
“Careful,” Juni growls. “You don’t want to hurt my feelings.”
“It’s the dawn of a new age.” Antoine smiles. “Our associates can provide us with the cure for lycanthropy, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I was never much interested in that side of the business. While you were wasting money on werewolves, I was busy making it in other fields. We’re already a major force, but when we move into areas of supernatural energy, we’ll be in a class of our own.”
“I’m ready,” Pip calls.
“Give us a minute,” Shark says, then squares up to Juni. “I never liked you. When you were Beranabus’s assistant, all you ever did was complain. You’re weak and petty, a disgrace to the Disciples.”
Juni stares impassively at Shark. “Insult me all you like. You’ll be dead soon. We’ll see who’s laughing then.” She looks around and spots Meera. Her smile blossoms again. “You had a lucky escape in Carcery Vale. You won’t get away this time.”
“You were in the Vale?” Meera frowns.
“Of course,” Juni says. “I was outside. I was sorely tempted to break into the cellar. I could smell the three of you and I knew Dervish was incapacitated. But my master warned me to be wary of Bec… of the Kah-Gash.”
“So that’s what this is about,” I snarl, our suspicions — that the attacks were the work of Lord Loss and the Shadow — confirmed. “You want the Kah-Gash.”
“Obviously,” Juni sniffs. “Did you think my master would stand by and let you wield the most powerful weapon ever known? That he’d wait for you to learn how to use it, so you could destroy our universe?”
“But why try to kill us?” I frown. “The werewolves could have ripped Bec to pieces. Surely you need her — and me — alive.”
“Not at all,” Juni sneers. “Our new master deals in death. I’m proof of that — he released my soul and let me walk among the living again. I’m here to harvest your spirit, just as I would have harvested Bec’s if she’d been killed. It’s simpler to let others do our dirty work, then steal your parts of the Kah-Gash as you perish. We weren’t sure how powerful you might be, so —” She gasps, clutches her chest, and bends over. Takes several breaths, then stands again.
“You don’t look too healthy,” I laugh wickedly.
“This body won’t last long,” she says. “A shell for my soul to inhabit. I’ll return to death soon, and return gladly. But rest assured, your uncle’s in far worse shape. I saw him just before I came here.”
I stiffen fearfully. “You’re lying.”
“No,” she says. “He was on a pleasure cruiser, although he didn’t seem to be getting much pleasure out of it. My new master decided to deal with Bec personally, and since Dervish and Beranabus were with her, they’re dead now, or will be soon. Just like you when your barrier crumbles.”
I start to press her for more information, but Shark grips my arm. “We’ve learned all we need to know. Time to get out of here.”
“But Dervish —” I cry.
“— will have to look after himself,” Shark finishes. He yells at Pip, “Now!”
There’s a small explosion. As the dust clears, Pip slips through a hole in the wall and the others push after her. I glance at Juni. She’s smiling.
“My team will catch up with you outside,” she says. “And I’ve another surprise lined up. I’ll wait here. I don’t need to be too close when you die.”
“Any last words for the board, Prae?” Antoine asks. She hits him with some of the foulest insults I’ve ever heard, but he doesn’t even blink. He’s loving this. It would be easy to blame myself for not seeing through him before, but he conned us all. Besides, there’s no time for self-blame. If we reach the helicopter before Juni’s soldiers, we might get out of here. We’re not finished yet — if we’re fast.
“Later!” I snap at Juni, locking gazes with her, letting her see how serious I am. I mean to kill her the next time we meet, as slowly and painfully as possible.
Juni only laughs with mad delight at the threat, then waves mockingly. “Run, run as fast as you can, but I’ll catch you, little ginger-haired man.”
“Grubbs!” Shark shouts. He’s standing by the hole in the wall. Everyone’s gone through except him and Meera.
I hold Juni’s gaze one last second, then turn my back on the mutant and her troops, and dive for safety. As I squeeze through the hole, I hear the sounds of dozens of feet scuffling out of the room as the soldiers set off to intercept us.
The race is on.
Running as fast as we can, Timas in the lead. He’s playing with the tiny console on his gun as he runs. He looks the least worried of us all.
“I can’t believe you trusted that charlatan,” Prae Athim pants, glancing over her shoulder at me.
“He told us you stole the werewolves,” I growl. “Based on your previous threat to kidnap Bill-E and me, why wouldn’t we believe him?”
“Anyway, he worked f
or you,” Meera chips in. “Why didn’t you see this coming?”
“Enough!” Shark huffs as Prae bristles. “If they catch us before we make it outside, it doesn’t matter who’s to blame — we’ll all be crapping bullets.”
We push on in silence. I’m finding it difficult to keep up. Although I’m fit, I’m used to operating on magic. It’s been a long time since I worked up a sweat. I’m out of practice.
I can hear Juni’s guards, their cries to one another. They’re keeping pace with us but can’t break through. We have a slight advantage, but it’s very slight. And if they make it to the yard before us, or if there are more out there already…
The corridor feels much longer than it appeared on the map. I start to think we’re in a maze, doomed to wander in circles until we run into Juni’s troops and are mowed down. I consider using magic to guide us out. But that would be a waste of energy. I have to hold it back. Use it only when the situation is truly desperate. Which probably won’t be long.
Timas bursts through a door and sunlight streams in. Finding an extra burst of speed, we hurry through, out into the yard where we fought with the first group of guards. It’s deserted except for James and Marian in the Farrier Harrier. As soon as they see us, James fires the engines up to full, readying the helicopter for a swift getaway.
We race for the chopper. I picture myself clambering to safety along with everybody else. We lift off, zip out over the water, laughing at our narrow escape, leaving Juni behind to curse and rant. But in my heart I know it won’t be that easy. And sure enough, before we’ve taken six strides, Juni’s troops hit the scene and the gunfire starts.
Pip LeMat is ahead of everyone, having overtaken Timas, so she should have been the safest. But she’s the first to catch a spray of bullets. She hits the ground hard and doesn’t move, blood already seeping from beneath her still form.
Shark and the others spin 180 degrees, even as Pip is falling, and open up with their own weapons. “Run!” Shark yells at Meera and me. “Get out of here. We’ll cover you.”
I start to protest, but Meera pushes me forward. “Don’t argue!” she shouts.
“We can’t just leave them,” I cry as half of Terry’s head disappears. He remains standing a moment, then slumps forward. Leo takes a hit to the shoulder. He roars with pain, but continues to return fire. Prae Athim grabs Terry’s gun and pitches in with the others, screaming manically.
“You heard what Juni said,” Meera snarls. “You’re the only one who matters. If she gets her hands on you, we’re done for.”
“Like we’re not already!” I shriek.
“All the rest of us have to worry about is death,” Meera says. “From what Juni said, that’s only the start for you. If the Shadow gets your piece of the Kah-Gash…”
I stare at her helplessly. I know she’s right, but these soldiers have become our friends. We can’t simply abandon them.
“A barrier,” I wheeze. “We can construct a shield and —”
Meera slaps me hard. “Get in that helicopter or they’ll have died for nothing.”
I stare at her numbly, then lurch forward. Bullets rip up the ground close by my feet, but I don’t flinch. My eyes are filling with tears. I don’t want to escape if the cost is losing Shark and his team, but Meera’s right. We have no choice. The Kah-Gash mustn’t fall into the Shadow’s hands.
I’m about halfway to the Farrier Harrier when a horn blares, overriding the noise of the helicopter and guns. I shouldn’t stop, but I can’t help myself. Pausing, I glance back and see Juni’s men retreating into the building. At least a dozen have been killed or are lying wounded. But everyone else is ducking out of sight.
Shark was crouched low, but now he stands and stares after the departing troops. He’s as confused as I am. Then, as the squeal of the horn dies away, we hear something else. A grinding noise coming from the outer wall of the compound.
We whirl as one, just in time to see the wall split in several places. We should have seen this coming. Timas told us, when he was explaining about the grooves in the ground. Everything here is built out of metal panels that can be swiftly slid together — or just as easily slid apart.
As we watch with a sickening sense of helplessness, panels roll back, leaving gaping holes in the wall. Seconds later I spot the first werewolf sniffing at the gap. Then it catches our scent and bounds ahead, followed by dozens more. They converge on us like giant locusts, screeching, howling, free at last to attack and kill.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
THE helicopter!” Shark roars, leading the break for our only hope of survival. We pound after him, but I see within seconds that we haven’t a snowman in hell’s chance. The werewolves are closer to the helicopter than we are, and they can run faster.
Alert to the danger, James starts to take his Farrier Harrier up, out of the reach of the onrushing werewolves. But he’s not quick enough. One of the larger beasts takes a running leap and grabs hold of the skid on the pilot’s side. Marian levels her gun at it, but the weight of the werewolf causes the helicopter to lurch and she’s jolted off target. The werewolf hauls itself up onto the skid and drives its fists and head through the pilot’s window. It locks its jaws on James’s terror-stricken face and savages him.
James battles hopelessly against the werewolf, tries to thrash free, fails, then goes limp. The helicopter spins out of control, swishes left then right, then banks and smashes into the compound wall. The rotors snap off with an ear-splitting squeal. The blood-spattered glass shatters and the body of the helicopter buckles inwards. But it doesn’t explode like I expect it to.
I spot a shaken, bloodied Marian struggling from the remains of the wreckage. Three werewolves jump her while she’s half out of the helicopter. They drive her back inside and finish her off, fighting over the scraps.
The first werewolf is on us before we can feel any pity for James and Marian. Shark takes careful aim and fires a bullet through the center of its head. Then he changes direction and darts for the helicopter that was already here when we arrived. He bellows at us to follow.
Werewolves quickly fill the area around us. Shark and his remaining soldiers fire at them freely, wounding, maiming, killing. I can’t work up any sympathy for my unfortunate relatives. It’s them or us now.
Timas stoops over Pip’s body as we pass, swiftly loosens her backpack, and burrows through it as he runs, whistling casually. He picks out a device, smiles, shakes his head, and carefully replaces it. Never drops his pace, keeping up with the rest of us even though he’s not concentrating.
Some of the werewolves are distracted by the stranded, wounded survivors of Juni’s forces — easy pickings. The ground between us and the helicopter partially clears. Shark and his team focus their fire on those who remain in our way, opening a path. Hope flares within me. The despair I felt seconds ago evaporates. We’re going to make it!
We reach the helicopter. More and more werewolves are closing on us, but it doesn’t matter. Liam, Stephen, and the injured Leo cut down those closest to the helicopter and stand guard outside, keeping the area clear while the rest of us clamber in.
Shark and Timas bundle into the cockpit. Shark whoops and tries to start the engine. There’s no response. He frowns, ducks, looks beneath the control panel. Comes up pale-faced. “They removed…” He curses, then stares at Timas with wild hope. “Any way you could… ?”
Timas takes his nose out of Pip’s backpack long enough to peer down. “No,” he says. “This is going nowhere.” He continues rummaging through the backpack.
“The boats,” Meera gasps. “Werewolves can’t swim.”
“It would take at least two minutes to lower a boat,” Prae says miserably. “We could cut one free and drop it, but we’d still have to climb down the ladders. They’d clamber after us or hurl themselves off the cliff on top of us. We’d never make it.”
“I could put a shield in place at the top of the ladder,” I pant.
“You’d need a bigger shi
eld than that,” Timas murmurs. “Didn’t you notice the slits in the cliffside walls of the compound when you were studying the maps? They’re so the guards can fire at anything attacking from the seaward direction. They can pick us off if we try to descend.”
“Could you cover us from gunfire and werewolves all the way to the bottom?” Shark asks.
“I don’t know,” I groan. “I can try.”
“I don’t like it,” he growls. “We’d be too exposed. Any other suggestions?”
“Can you get us inside the compound again?” Meera asks Prae.
“No. I don’t know the security codes.”
“Timas?”
“I could figure them out,” he says calmly, “but it would take several minutes.”
There’s a scream. Leo goes down, tackled by a pair of small werewolves. Liam and Stephen fire into them, but it’s too late. When they fall away, Leo’s eyes are wide and lifeless, a shredded mesh where his throat should be.
“Out of time,” Shark sighs. “Let’s try for the boats and just hope for —”
“Caves!” I shout, flashing on an image of a map of the island. I grab Prae’s right arm. “Are there caves near here?”
“I don’t know.” She scowls. “I wasn’t involved with this project. I haven’t —”