Part 101 (2/2)

Gareth pressed the b.u.t.ton on the box. 'You are troubled,' whispered Lucas's voice, sounding tinny and small through the earphones. Gareth flipped the microphone into place.

'What can you see?' he asked, turning his head slowly, allowing the tiny camera on the headband a view of the plain below.

'Move your head to the right - about an inch,' ordered Lucas.

'What is it?' Gareth's heart began to pound, and he slipped his Desert Eagle automatic from its shoulder holster.

'A beautiful spotted owl,' said Lucas. 'It's just caught a small lizard,' Gareth swore. 'There is nothing on the plain to concern you,' the machine chided him. 'Calm yourself.'

'Easy for you to say, Lucas. You haven't seen your own corpse.'

'As a matter of fact, I have. I watched the original Lucas collapse with a heart attack.

However, that is beside the point. Your resting heartbeat is currently one hundred and thirty-three beats per minute. That is very close to panic, Gareth. Take some long, slow, deep breaths.'

'It is a hundred and thirty-three beats faster than the poor son of a b.i.t.c.h in the jeep,'

snapped the young man. 'And it is not panic. I've never panicked in my life. I won't start now.'

A hand touched his shoulder and Gareth lurched upright. 'One hundred and sixty-five beats,' he heard Lucas whisper, and he spun round to see Amaziga standing calmly behind him.

'I said use the machine,' she told him, 'not get into an argument with it.' She held out her hand. 'Let me have Lucas, and then you can get some sleep.'

'I've another two hours yet.'

'I'm not tired. Now do as you're told.' He grinned sheepishly and carefully removed the headband and boxes. Amaziga laid aside her Uzi and clipped the machine to her shoulder rig. Gareth moved to his blanket and lay down. The Desert Eagle dug into his waist and, easing it clear, he laid it alongside him.

Amaziga turned off the machine and walked to the edge of the trees, staring out over the moonlit landscape. Nothing moved, and there were no sounds save for the rustling of leaves in the trees above her. She waited until Gareth was asleep and then waded back across the stream, past the ruined jeep and on to the scene of the feast. The body - or what was left of it - was in three parts. The head and neck were resting against a boulder, the face -thankfully - turned away. Amaziga flicked on the machine.

'What are we looking for?' asked Lucas.

'I am carrying a Sipstra.s.si Stone. There is little power left. She should have an identical Stone. Scan the ground.'

Slowly she turned her head. 'Can you see anything?'

'No. Nothing of interest. Traverse to the left ... no ... more slowly. Was it in the trouser pocket or the s.h.i.+rt?'

'Trouser.'

'There's not much left of the legs. Perhaps one of the beasts ate the Stone.'

'Just keep looking!' snapped Amaziga.

'All right. Move to the right.... Amaziga.' The tone in his voice made her blood grow cold.

'Yes?'

'I hope the weapon you are holding is primed and ready. There is a beast some fifteen metres to your right. He is around eight feet tall . . .' Amaziga flipped the Uzi into position and spun. As a huge, grey form hurtled towards her the Uzi fired, a long thunderous roar of sound exploding into the silence of the night. Bullets smashed into the grey chest, blood sprayed from the wounds, but still it came on. Amaziga's finger tightened on the trigger, emptying the long clip. The Devourer was flung backwards, its chest torn open. 'Amaziga.r shouted Lucas. 'There are two more!'

The Uzi was empty and Amaziga scrabbled for the Beretta at her hip. Even as she did so the beasts charged.

And she knew she was too slow . . .

'Down, woman!' bellowed Shannow. Amaziga dived to her right. The booming sound of Shannow's pistol was followed by a piercing howl from the first Devourer which pitched backwards with half its head blown away. The second swerved past Amaziga and ran directly at the tall man at the edge of the trees. Shannow fired once; the creature slowed. A second shot ripped into its skull and Amaziga was showered with blood and brains.

Shannow stepped forward, pistols raised.

Amaziga turned her head. 'Are there any more of them?' she whispered to Lucas. There was no answer, and she saw that one of the leads had pulled clear of the right-hand box.

She swore softly and pressed it home.

'Are you all right?' Lucas asked.

'Yes. What can you see?' asked Amaziga, turning slowly through a full circle.

'There are riders some four kilometres to the north, heading away from us. I can see no beasts. But the cliff face is high; there may be others on the higher ground. Might I suggest you reload your weapon?'

Switching off the machine Amaziga rose unsteadily to her feet. Shannow handed her the Uzi just as Gareth came running on to the scene, his Desert Eagle automatic in his hand.

Thank you, Shannow,' said Amaziga. 'You got here very fast.'

'I was here all the time,' he told her. 'I followed you across the stream.'

'Why?'

He shrugged. 'I felt uneasy. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to your watch.'

'Son of a b.i.t.c.h,' said Gareth, staring down at the three dead beasts. They're huge!'

'And dead,' pointed out Shannow as he strode past.

Gareth moved alongside Amaziga, who was pressing a full clip into the b.u.t.t of the Uzi.

'Jesus, but he's like an iceman He stopped speaking, and Amaziga saw his gaze fall on the moonlit head of the other Amaziga. 'Oh, my G.o.d! Sweet Jesus!'

His mother took him by the arm, leading him away. 'I'm alive, Gareth. So are you. Hold to that! You hear me?'

He nodded. 'I hear you. But, Christ . . .'

'No buts, my son! They are dead - we are not. They came to rescue Sam. They failed; we will not. You understand?'

He took a long, deep breath. 'I won't let you down, Mother. You can trust me on that.'

'I know. Now go and get some sleep. I'll resume the watch.'

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