Part 16 (1/2)
”He was hoping,” Will said, rolling his eyes.
”We're beat,” I said. ”Let me sleep a few hours, then you can tell me what to expect.”
He nodded and pointed at the tent across the way from his. As a rule, we couldn't bunk in the same place-we had to keep the wielders separated as a safeguard in case we were attacked.
Five minutes later, I was crashed out on a hard cot. I didn't even take my boots off.
”It's hard to remember much about him,” a woman with dark red hair says. ”It's been a long time.”
”Since he died,” another woman says.
”Yes.”
The women sit on a couch in a hotel lobby, drinking coffee, and have their backs to me. They don't notice I'm there, but something about the first woman's voice is familiar, so I creep forward.
As soon as I'm even with the couch, the woman turns and all I see is a flash of green eyes before the world goes pitch dark.
”Matt!” Mamie screams.
Hot breath rasps against the back of my neck and another voice I recognize, a voice made of shadow and hate, whispers in my ear, ”You won't even be a memory to her. I'll take it all and there won't be anything left.”
I startled awake, the scratchy army blanket clutched tight in my fists. My heart slammed against my ribcage and I felt like throwing up. The woman ...
Oh, G.o.d. The woman had been Ella.
Are you all right? Tink asked. Your nervous system is firing across the board and it's making me a little twitchy.
”Fine,” I muttered, balling up my pillow and rolling over to try to get comfortable again.
Your dreams are getting worse. I can't see them, but I can sense how upset you are. Want to tell me about it?
”Not really.” I sighed. ”It's like we're holding back a tide and pretty soon there won't be enough of us to keep the world from being overwhelmed. What if we fail?”
”Don't give up now. Stay strong a little while longer. You have a long way to go, and it doesn't end in the rainforest.
I shuddered. I'd thought those exact words in Peru, but hadn't ever said them out loud. How did she know? Or had I voiced some thought of hers back then without knowing it? ”What do I do until then? Until the Dark army comes?”
You find who you seek. The one I said would come. Even now, he searches for you, as your father hunts for him. Hold on until you find him, because this man might have the answers to help you find what you need most.
”Which is?”
Hope.
Hope. A fragile thing in the face of so much death. But if I knew anything, I knew my hope wasn't tied to my own survival, but to Ella's, Will's, my family's. And that's where I'd find the strength to go on.
”Thank you.”
Yes, well, don't get used to me being nice. I'll still pop you in the head if you sa.s.s me too much.
”Good. I don't think I'd like it if you went soft on me.”
Never. Now, sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.
I did what she said, and this time, I didn't dream.
Chapter Twenty.
Having slept most of the night away, I woke up early. My watch said four in the morning. My body said it was eight p.m. Knowing it was useless to try to sleep anymore, I rolled off my cot, stretched and crept outside. Lanningham and Blakeney were out cold and didn't even stir as I opened the tent flap and let a stiff breeze in.
After finding the latrine, I stoked up the fire and ate an MRE of oatmeal, sausage and canned pears, which I supplemented with a protein bar. The protein bar tasted better.
Footsteps outside the firelight caught my attention and Will came over to sit with me, MRE in hand. Except for Jamison, who'd drawn the short straw for o-dark-thirty watch, the camp was quiet. I let Will eat in peace, enjoying the warmth of the fire on a cold morning. A new moon set over the horizon, leaving only the stars for light.
”It's November and we're halfway up a mountain range,” I said. ”You happen to have any GORE-TEX my team can use?”
He nodded. ”Kelly-the guy who drove the captain yesterday-trucked in a bunch of cold-weather gear for you. I'm hoping we're not still here in December or January, but we're covered either way.”
”Weird, isn't it, having everything we need?”
”Yeah. I thought about asking for something ridiculous like Twinkies, just to see if we'd get them, but why test a good thing?”
I s.h.i.+fted, stretching my legs out in front of me. My boots were showing serious signs of wear. Trips through abandoned subway tunnels, sewers and across roofs took their toll. Maybe instead of GORE-TEX, I should go more basic for my next shopping list.
I was about to ask what Will had planned for us today when a low growl sounded in the trees. Tink perked up, which wasn't a good sign. ”That anything we need to be concerned about?”
Will stood, head c.o.c.ked to listen. ”Don't know. The Pandas don't growl.”
Another growl answered the first, this one on the other side of camp. I pointed at my chest, then to the trees. Will nodded and drifted out of the firelight to crouch next to one of the tents.
Moving slowly, walking heel to toe like Schmitz had taught me all those years ago, I crept toward the first growl, ever mindful that its friend probably could see me. As I came closer to the trees, the growl sounded to my left.
I drew even with where I thought it would be hiding and a ma.s.s flew from the trees with a shriek, showering me with leaves. At first glance, I thought it might be a monkey-there were primates in this part of China.
Then it bit my leg.
I kicked, trying to free myself, but the thing wouldn't let go. Its teeth were sunk deep into my calf and white spots of pain scattered across my field of vision. Through it, Tink's rising anger began spinning me up, but that would take too much time, so I swiped at the creature with my knife and it finally let go.
Blood trickled down my leg in four places, but I didn't have a chance to wrap anything around the wound before the trees started thras.h.i.+ng and a dozen shadows came my way.
”Will! Get out here!”
”Right behind you.”
Camp had woken up, too, and Jamison appeared out of nowhere, holding his rifle at the ready.
The creatures stopped twenty feet short of the tree line. Their eyes glowed a faint red, making it easy to pick them out-and disturbing as h.e.l.l.