Chapter 4: IV
The explosion was about the last thing any of Erixâs foes expected, just as planned, big and loud enough to be seen and heard, even around the bend.
From the way they cried out her name, even aboard the Albatross, it stood to reason Roxy was the one who stepped in it. The only thing he regretted more than failing to draw any of the others into the blast radius, was not getting to see the look on her face. He allowed himself a moment to savor that mental image before turning his attention back to the next step.
Which went over even better than he hoped, as Max not only joined his friendsâ alarmed shouting, but jumped out of the plane to go join them in person, leaving the cargo door hanging wide open, paying Erix no heed as he slipped inside behind him. Though he was sorely tempted to shoot him while his back was turned, he didnât want to draw attention to himself until he was ready to make his next move. Leaving his enemies to speculate if he had fled or not at this point.
A man, who was presumably the pilot, also cried out in horror from the cockpit, so engrossed in the catastrophe unfolding outside, he completely failed to notice Erix until his power pistol was right up to his face.
âNot one word, fat boy,â Erix warned him, âand not one move. Youâre my ticket out of here. If you value your life, youâre going to start these engines and haul ass.â
âItâs not that simple,â Roger told him, half afraid to speak, but all too well aware of how a lack of cooperation without any explanation would be construed. Though he kept a revolver concealed under the dash, as a last resort, he cursed himself for not arming himself sooner, as it may as well be out on the nose of the plane for all the good it was doing him now. Instead, he struggled not to even look in its general direction, for fear of giving it away. âWe took some heavy damage from the storm,â not wanting to go into the whole Black Angels business with anyone who didnât personally witness the attack, âand lost both engines.â
âDo you expect me to believe that?â Erix demanded. âJust what kind of fool do you think take me for?â
âNo fool, I assure you,â the pilot replied, still struggling to regain his mental footing after being caught unawares like this. Sweating, trying hard not to think about the hidden killswitch concealed among some of the older control switches, which he had installed years ago, as an anti-hijacking measure. And engaged behind everyone elseâs backs after they embarked on this ill-fated hunt for the man who now stood behind him. âWeâre as stranded as you are.â
âStart the engines now,â Erix repeated, âor Iâll just kill you and figure it out for myself.â
âIf youâve never flown a plane from my realm before, you wouldnât figure it out in time anywayâŚâ Roger sighed, reaching for the controls, relieved that he thought to engage the killswitch before anyone else could board, fearing that even the slightest hint of operability might arouse suspicions of sabotage or subterfuge. âAs you can see, weâre grounded. Believe it or not, the bounty hunter was looking to capture your ship.â
âThatâs rich,â Erix snorted. âWouldnâtâve done her any good anyway.â
âRoger, who are you talking to?â Shadesâ voice piped up on the radio, for Rogerâs mic was still set to voice-activated, and the pilot winced, having no idea how his captor might react.
âBut Max is out hereâŚâ Justin pointed out.
âThen that meansâŚâ There was no mistaking the alarm in Maxâs voice as the three of them arrived at the same ominous conclusion.
âRoger,â Shades called out, âis Erix in there?â
For his part, Erix slid his free handâs index finger across his throat in a gesture the pilot understood all too well.
âI see him!â Justin called out. âHeâs inside with him!â
âHe means to maroon usâŚâ Shades realized aloud. If there were any doubts about Erixâs ability to leave this place, that explosion just put them down hard.
âBack to the ship!â Max called out.
âNot so fast!â Erix told them, well aware that his previous ruse was at an end. âIf youâve figured out Iâm here, then you already know I have a hostage. If you value his life, you wonât show your face anywhere near this plane.â
âThe jokeâs on you, Erix,â Shades informed him. âThat bird wonât fly anymore.â
âWay ahead of you,â Erix countered, âso donât get smart with me. Iâm taking this man as both insurance, and as my personal pack animal. He looks like he could use the exercise⌠Weâre going to be rounding up some supplies, and then youâre going to let us just walk right out of here, got it?â
âDammitâŚâ Justin muttered.
âHeâs got us right where he wants us,â Shades reminded him.
âBut what aboutâŚâ Max seemed to take some unseen cue to zip his lip.
âYou, get up,â Erix commanded. âSlowly, and no funny business. Your life ends at the same time as your usefulness to me, remember that. Your only hope of surviving this is getting me back to civilization, or a working ship out of here.â
Roger doubted that, not just based on Roxyâs accounts of him, but a strong intuition that his first statement was truer than the latter, that even making it that far with him was no guarantee of survival. Despite several hours of elevation and applying cold packs, his leg was still extremely stiff and sore, so there was no hiding the full extent of his injury as he attempted to limp across the cabin at gunpoint, nearly falling on his face once he ran out of modular seats to lean on.
âYouâre off to a bad start,â Erix chided him. âPlaying gimp will do you no good. After all, if you canât haul supplies, then your use is at an end as soon as Iâm clear of them.â
âJust⌠just give me a momentâŚâ Roger groaned, seeing something Erix apparently didnât know about. Wincing in both pain and guilt, unsure how he could face Max after whatever happened next, he turned toward the compartment next to the tiny bathroom near the rear of the plane, telling his captor, âI keep some old military rations in here, in case I ever got strandedâŚâ
Sure enough, Erix was so focused on watching Rogerâs every move, he failed to notice the black-and-white panther, still hiding behind some empty cargo crates after being spooked by the explosion, until Bandit reached out with a snarl and slashed Erixâs leg as he moved belatedly to evade him.
âHoly shit!â Erix lost his grip on his power pistol as he staggered back against the cargo door.
As the big cat lunged at Erix again, Roger wasted no time locking himself in the bathroom, while Erixâs second evasion caught his wrist on the door latch, hauling the cargo door back open.
Pouncing again as Erix regained his balance, this time dumping him on the ground outside.
âBandit!â Max wailed, watching them wrestle on the ground before Erix came out on top, holding one of his now-activated laser claws up to the big catâs head. Bandit, seeming to realize the threat, his struggling ceased.
âGood kitty. Thatâs more like it,â Erix remarked, dragging both of themselves to their feet. That cry, combined with the look on Maxâs face, told him everything he needed to know about this one. Which was a good thing for him, since he could now see that they had the Albatross covered from three points, with his back to the sea, and whatever lurked down there. âNext, youâre going to toss me some rope to make a leash out of.â
âTake me,â Max said instead, dropping his power pistol and raising his hands.
âNice try,â Erix taunted. He already understood that killing Bandit would set all three of them off. That for all his self-righteous talk, Max would kill him, or die trying. Under other circumstances, that could make for an interesting contest, but here it would be three against one, surrounded, with nothing to even the odds. âBut I want to see you squirm, for the way you humiliated me back in Anchor Point. If I canât have a pack animal, Iâll settle for a meat-shield until Iâm clear of you.â
âBut Bandit was injured in the crash,â Shades protested, figuring Erix would find out soon enough anyway.
âTake me instead,â Max repeated.
âBut you know he wonât let you live,â Justin pointed out.
âHow about I take you instead?â Erix drew his other power pistol to cover Bandit as he pointed at Shades. âWe had so much fun last time, didnât we?â
Shades swallowed hard at that prospect in spite of himself.
Though Erix kept a firm hand on the scruff of Banditâs neck, the angle prevented him from piercing the big cat directly with his claws, instead keeping the pistol trained on him as he stood the rest of the way up.
âIâm not going to tell you again,â Erix warned them. âLower your weapons, and prepare to pack. One of you is going to be my newââ
All eyes on Erix, so none of them saw it coming when a box went flying out of the cargo door, hitting Erix across the back of the head, knocking him flat on his face before he could make a move.
âThatâs fat man, to you!â Roger blustered as he staggered over to the cargo door. When he nearly tripped over Erixâs other power pistol, he merely scooped it up and appropriated it as his own as he hobbled over. âNobody hijacks my Albatross!â
For his part, Bandit bolted the second Erix lost his grip, scampering over to Max as fast as his injured paw would allow.
âYou killed my client, troublesome as she wasâŚâ Roger now stood over Erix, power pistol in hand. âYou even tried to kill the rest of my passengers when weâre already stranded in the middle of goddamn nowhereâŚâ
âRoger!â Justin shouted. âFinish him off! Now!â
Raising his own crossbow to do just that, as he feared this pilot lacked the wherewithal to go through with it himself.
Max reached over to retrieve his dropped power pistol.
Just when it looked like Erix was going to die at the hands of some civilian pilot with almost no combat experience to speak of, Roger looked over at them, as if realizing for the first time where he was, or what he was doing, and saw Shades facepalm at him.
Thus Erix took Roger completely by surprise when he scissored his legs, tripping him.
Roger howled in agony, landing on his injured leg.
âYouâre as soft as the rest of them,â Erix muttered as he snatched up his other gun, pointing it at the pilot while they were still entangled, before Justin could even readjust his aim. âNobody move!â Rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, still keeping his weapon trained on the pilot. He could feel blood oozing down his torn pantleg, and wanted more than anything to shoot that damn cat, but knew he needed the right moment. âYou may not serve as a pack animal, but youâll still do as a human shield. Now get up.â
âBut my legâŚâ Roger groaned.
âIf you canât get up,â Erix warned him, âyour worthless life ends here.â
âThen so does yours,â Max told him. Steadying his power pistol with stern effort. Trying not to think about what just happened to Bandit, lest he pull the trigger too soon and get Roger killed for sure.
âWe have you surrounded,â Shades reminded him.
âYou canât shoot all of us at once,â Justin added.
âIf I die, I wonât die alone,â Erix assured them, watching Roger struggle back to his feet. âI can take at least one of you with me, and youâll have no one but yourselves to blame.â
Once the pilot was back on his feet, Erix started leading him back into the woods, to the left of the lodge, keeping the pilot between himself and his enemies, to serve as a human shield if they tried anything else.
The others kept their distance, while trying to stay spread out, uncomfortably aware that Erix could hide behind his hostage, and still get off shots at them if push came to shove.
âLimp for your life,â Erix ordered as Roger hobbled along. âThis is where we part ways. I wonât release him until you turn back for the ship.â
âAnd just how will you release him?â Shades pressed, ignoring the sweat pouring down his neck with an effort. âJust from you, or also from the world of the living?â
âWhatâs worthless around here is your word,â Max stated, âand he has no reason to cooperate if youâre just going to kill him anyway.â
âWhich leaves us at an impasse,â Erix admitted. âThat bounty hunter wanted me, but you just want to live, right? Iâm going to move over next to that cabin, and Iâm going to let him go just before I step around the corner. I wonât shoot any of you as long as none of you shoot at me. Agreed?â
âVery well,â Shades agreed, looking among his friends and seeing even Justin had no objection, though he did start to shift toward the other side of the cabin, just in case this was some kind of trick. Figuring this was their last chance to save him: âAs long as you spare Roger, and leave us in peace, you haveââ
Not even Erix saw it coming, just a slight rustle in the bushes, followed by an energy beam that pegged him in the arm, even as he belatedly shifted his stance. His gun clunked to the ground as he lost his grip and staggered back, a second shot hitting Roger in the chest and dropping him instantly. Erix cursed under his breath as he fled behind the aforementioned cabin, his stunned arm flopping uselessly at his side.
âTch!â Roxy popped up out of the bushes, tracking him with several more shots.
âThe hellâŚâ Shades mumbled, taking it all in. âHow did you?âŚâ
âThe rocks,â she replied, still keeping a keen eye on the cabin. Caked with sand and soot from head to foot, hair blown all to one side in a manner that put Shades in mind of old cartoons. âJust barely enough timeâŚâ And clearly shielded her from the worst of the blast. âThen maintained radio silence.â
âBut what about Roger!â Max blurted. âYou just shot him!â
âOn stun,â the bounty hunter pointed out. âNow quickly, before he tries anything else!â
Gesturing for them to surround the cabin.
âShoot the hostageâŚâ For Shades, it clicked, recalling those words from some action flick or another. Roxy wasnât just trying to get Erix, she was also trying to save Rogerâs life. Wounded, Erix could still pull the trigger, if only out of spite, but stunned, he wouldnât get the chance. Even stunning Roger would make him useless as a human shield.
He couldnât help but wish heâd thought of that.
Yet Erix was already fleeing into the woods, using the bulk of the cabin to block their shots, and zigzagging to keep as many trees between himself and his foes as possible, shouting back, âThis isnât over, bitch!â
âIt is if I have anything to do with it!â And Roxy wasted no time pursuing him.
âFall back!â Shades called. âWe canât leave the Albatross unguarded! Or Roger!â
Max remembered Bandit and stopped in his tracks.
âBut what about Erix!â Justin called back. âWhat if he comes back?â
âDo what you have to,â Roxy said over the radio, as she was fast moving out of earshot, âbut Iâm not coming back without his head!â
âShe made her choice,â Shades concluded as Max returned, and snatched up the power pistol Erix dropped, one less weapon for their adversary. âNow letâs get him back to the ship.â
As the two old enemies chased each other out into the woods, Max and Shades hoisted the unconscious pilot between them, one propping up each shoulder, hauling him back while Justin covered them as best he could.
Along the way, Shades looked over at the derelict logging equipment fenced in between that cabin and the seashore. Most of it looked as if it had been here at least as long as the camp. A mystery, in and of itself. Though without fresh fuel and parts, as well as skills none of them but possibly Roger possessed, those rusty hulks werenât going anywhere. Without ground or sea transport, they were reduced to traveling on foot, wherever they went next.
There were no other vessels docked in front of the lodge, only a rack of rotten canoes. Both Max and Shades took one look at them and forgot about it.
It was slow going, worrying about another ambush all the while, and by the time they got back to the Albatross, Roger was starting to come around, groaning as he drifted back up from unconsciousness. If âwalking it offâ was any good for their situation, their brief excursion wouldnât have left them both even more hobbled up, both Roger and Bandit worse off for their little tussle with Erix. The only good thing about this whole mess being that Roxyâs return greatly diminished the chances of Erixâs.
As they approached the plane, Shades thought he saw a patch of seaweed top a wave, then lost it as it vanished under the next swell. He wondered for a moment why a scrap of seaweed would bother him so much, especially after such a violent storm. Then he was inside and preparing to shut the cargo door against the outside, and his mind turned to more immediate matters.
Just before they reached the Albatross, Max spotted the diving gear Erix had hidden behind the rocks, nearby, and went over to fetch it while Shades brought Roger aboard. They found Bandit waiting for them back at the plane. Inside the plane, and looking out at the woods with a distrust that even their return couldnât fully dispel. By the time Roger came around, he seemed to have overheard enough of their conversation to have some idea what was going on as they planned their next move.
âSo what the hell do we do now?â Justin muttered.
âWe investigate the lodge,â Shades proposed. âBefore we can make any useful plan, we should try to figure out where the hell we are, and whatâs been going on out here.â
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