Inca Kings

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Drake saw the first of the half-dozen flickering torches descending from the mountains and knew their inexorable destiny approached. The villagers were prepared, the team well-placed. The shadow of inevitability approached, driven by some twisted desire, a ravenous, unstoppable fate.

Alicia crouched at his side; the two alone for the briefest of moments in the steady passage of time. “It’s good to be together again,” Drake said. “I miss you when you bog off, gold hunting.”

“Aw, you’re such a silver tongued old bastard.”

“Old? Thanks. Now I’m wondering why I missed you.”

Alicia snuggled in for just one second. “Because I’m the love of your life?”

He felt her pull away, then looked askance. She studied the hills, the flippant comment now a concrete moment in an unsteady past. If they meant so much to each other why were they still fighting for others, with others? Shouldn’t they be off somewhere together, living life?

In the greatest way, the change in Alicia Myles was what brought them together again. Perhaps life and circumstance helped, but Alicia herself was the catalyst.

“How do you rate our chances, Drakey?” She didn’t turn her head, just waited, as if weighing a lot on his words.

Over on the other side of the roof, he saw one of the village youths starting to get antsy and knew they didn’t have time for this discussion right now. “All depends on how you brush up on your car knowledge, love. There’ll be tests next week.”

“Really? Want me to join you in petrolhead heaven? I forget, is the Sprite a car geek too?”

Drake saw the danger in any reply and let it drop, which was probably what Alicia intended. The youth stared straight at him as he approached.

“It’ll be okay, mate,” Drake said. “You’ll do great.”

“Should I be scared?”

“Only of me,” Alicia said as she approached. “If you don’t buck up, I’ll kick your ass harder than any of ’em.”

She ruffled the lad’s hair and took a casual look over the side of the roof. Signals were passing between several knots of villagers. Drake looked to the spot where Smyth lay and then to the others’ positions. He sought out Curtis and Desiree, Anica and Marco, but could not be certain he saw them among the shadows. His heart went out to them, defending their home.

“Once more to the arena,” he said. “Once more, we risk tomorrow.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Alicia asked.

“I just made it up.”

“Fuck off.” She chortled. “Thick bastard like you couldn’t make up a bed.”

At least it made the youth laugh.

Drake finally saw the shadows moving as the creatures made their final approach to the village. He saw the oncoming wave, still chilling, the joint movements enough to set his skin to crawling.

“This time,” Dahl said over the comms, “we’re gonna catch one alive.”

“Don’t think we haven’t tried,” Drake said.

“But this is me speaking now,” Dahl came back. “Maybe I’ve been away too long and you forgot my voice.”

“Nope. I’d recognize the Swedish chef almost anywhere.”

“You want a little wager, Pork Pie Boy?”

Drake took offense, not at the inferred insult but at the fact that the best pork pies weren’t made in Yorkshire. “I’ll take that.”

“Me too,” Kenzie said.

“And me,” Alicia agreed.

Drake made ready, knowing the friendly bluster would only make them sharper. The first screams began as the creatures triggered several traps. Drake found it hard to tell with the shadows but thought he saw two ditches already uncovered and a man swinging by his leg. Another rope looked to have misfired and caught someone about the waist, but they’d take every fluke they could get.

“Do it,” he said through the comms.

Someone lit the touch-paper and columns of fire went up around the town — stakes covered in tar, rudimentary but enough to illuminate most of the town. With nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and sneak and slither, the creatures abandoned their pretensions and rose up on two legs, ripped off masks and took out bows and arrows. Drake took it all in before moving.

The comms crackled again. “Heads are up, guys,” Yorgi said. “I see two handguns out there.”

Drake moved, knowing the rest of the team would be fully invested now. He fired several shots from the rooftop, gesturing for the villagers to kneel up and use whatever projectiles they’d managed to gather together. The streets below were crawling with enemies. Drake saw one fall flat, shot through the leg; another ran for a house door, took a rock the size of a wing mirror to the temple, and collapsed without a sound. Arrows whizzed through the air, shooting up over the roof, most landing harmlessly behind them. A villager screamed as a bolt lodged through his bicep, then went down clutching the muscle. Their designated nurse rushed over, trying to help. Drake knew the older man would do all he could — they’d only had chance to train a handful in the basics of first aid, but natives living out in the wilds always had their own ways.

The villagers stayed atop the roof whilst Drake and Alicia rushed through a hatch and headed for the street below. They came out the back of the house, straight into a wandering attacker. Drake grabbed him by the waist and threw him to Alicia.

“One to help you along, old girl.”

Alicia took it, knocked him unconscious and tied his hand to a black railing. A gasp of horror escaped her when she saw the two-fingered hand before her.

“The downside of being a cannibal,” Drake said, “is when your boss fancies a snack.”

The man pulled hard at his bonds, making blood spill across his wrist. Drake saw sharpened teeth and a feral snarl. “What does it take to get from human to that?”

“Must be tricky for a stoner,” Alicia said. “I mean, if one night you just say: ‘let’s share a joint, dude.’” She weighed both hands. “What happens?”

The man showed no sign of understanding, no humanity at all. Drake intercepted another attack, doubled the man over and threw him up against the same railing. Snarling, the attacker came right back, blood flying from his skull and hand hanging at a ridiculous angle. Drake winced, but was forced to disable the man again. Even with a broken foot, arm, and blood blinding his eyes he attempted to rise and pounce again.

“They have to be on some kind of drug,” he said. “Hallucinatory? Listen,” he tapped the man on the knee, “if I promise to rustle you up a set of Swedish meatballs will you answer a few questions?”

The face shot forward, the jaws snapping an inch from his fingers. Drake cringed. “Guess not.”

They left both men tied up and moved into the street. Figures stood at every doorway, trying to gain entry. Frustration showed on all the faces they could see. Drake saw many hobbling and bleeding, and assumed the traps they’d fashioned were working just fine. He didn’t shoot anyone except when attacked, but every creature they saw turned and attempted to pounce.

They saw Kinimaka in the middle of the street, throwing smaller beings left and right. His victims struck walls and cracked doors and even went halfway through windows. The Hawaiian was beset with worry for Hayden and just wanted this attack to be over; wanted the morning to come so that they might get word. Drake was worried too, not over their boss’s prowess but over her recent behavior. The thing she was looking for might never show up — what then?

Out in the street and with all the torches still blazing he took in a good view of the village. Knots of villagers accompanied by Mai, Yorgi and Kenzie kept the attackers at bay. Curtis stood at the top of a narrow junction, shooting all who emerged. Desiree stood at his back, facing the other way. Together, the pair scared off more creatures than they shot. Drake grinned and gave them a thumbs up.

“That’s reet good!” he cried. “Watch out for that tosspot!”

Luckily, Curtis didn’t need a translation and noticed the attacker creeping up on them. Drake finally found Dahl, waving a lit torch in the face of three attackers. As he approached, a pair of goats clattered across the dirt road between them, adding more of an unreal sense to the scene. Dahl was standing his ground, but the creatures were on two feet, snarling, lunging at the fire, and pulling back at the last moment. Their faces were savage and barely human in the flames, eyes blazing and mouths drawn back in a hateful rictus.

“Which one of you is first?” The Swede sounded remarkably calm. “Because I assure you, I’m taking all of you down.”

Alicia yelled a warning as a fourth black-clad man leapt from the shadows. Dahl lunged aside, but not fast enough. The cannibal fastened on to Dahl’s leg… with his teeth.

Dahl yelled, striking down with the torch. That gave the three he’d been holding at bay chance to attack. Drake was already in motion, racing to his friend’s aid with Alicia a step ahead, but neither of them were truly fast enough.

Kenzie shot from the darkness like a ghostly avenger, face set as hard and grim as old stone. The katana flashed straight down and to the side, flames dancing down its silver blade, glinting along its edges. A creature fell, gurgling his last into the ground. Another flurry of fire, another body fell. Kenzie twisted and turned with grace, evading a clumsy lunge, ending up behind her enemy and running him through. He fell, still with the katana in his chest, wrenching it out of her hand.

“Poor form,” Alicia growled. “There goes your super samurai badge.”

Dahl lifted the fourth attacker, whom he now had gripped around the neck. “Bloody hell! I wanted them all alive.”

Kenzie reached down, stuck her foot on the dead man’s back and yanked her sword free. “Sometimes,” she said. “We don’t always get what we want. But we keep on living.”

Drake wondered about the double-meaning, if indeed there was one. Kenzie always played it close to the chest and Dahl knew her better than anyone. The Swede watched as Kenzie wiped her blade off.

“Thanks for the help.”

Drake surveyed the town. The creatures still came at the citizens in any way they could. From experience he now knew that when he left the area creatures would sneak in and try to steal the bodies of their slain. Not this time. The team rounded up the dead and tied them to nearby stakes or railings, anything they could, with bonds they’d fashioned earlier. If this brought the enemy out of their comfort zone, then the mistakes they made would be all the bigger.

Moving down Main Street, the four made more than a powerful image, they were a force of nature. Kenzie took lead, swinging her katana in epic fashion to left and right, cutting down a swathe of foes. Drake and Alicia came next, to the sides, using handguns to stop charging creatures in their tracks. Arrows whistled between them, passing dangerously close but parting nothing but air. The Mad Swede brought up the rear, tackling foes with a low shoulder, hefting them in the air and bringing them down hard on their spines or necks. Drake grew accustomed to the sight of bodies tumbling through the air and sprawling headlong close to his feet. He broke away quickly to deal with a black-clad individual that appeared to be getting the better of a villager, helped the local pierce the attacker with his own knife, then motioned for the villagers to join them.

And proceeded once more up the street.

More melees were stopped, more knots of aggressors taken out. Villagers crowded around the original four, stalking the streets alongside them. Machetes were raised and used, kitchen knives thrust into flesh. Kenzie stayed that little bit ahead of the wedge, unnerving Drake intensely when a severed head flew off the edge of her sword right past his face. Another inch and they’d have been nose to nose.

Kinimaka joined them from the right and Yorgi from the left, the Russian confirming that the two shooters had long since been taken care of. Curtis and Desiree and a dozen others joined them. The slow-marching phalanx was unstoppable, buzzing with energy and comradeship, each person watching the other person’s back, every pair of eyes searching out danger not just for themselves, but for everyone. Drake felt the mood of the villagers change right then, the instillation of belief and confidence a tangible feeling. Those that were scared stood strong. Those that were strong led the way. And the SPEAR team walked with them, proud to be a part of it, happy that they had helped make a difference.

Ahead, Mai waited, an exhausted enemy in each hand, letting them hang so their knees scraped the ground. Her flawless white face was serene as she singled Alicia out among the pack.

“How many, bitch?”

“Three, probably. I don’t think it matters now though, Sprite, do you?”

Drake felt happy for his girlfriend. Inspired enough to suspend her war of words with the Japanese ninja. The ground was littered with dead and groaning bodies, the creatures trying to spirit some away, fleeing between buildings and screaming as they ran, most likely tripping snares on their way back. Smyth reported that he was carefully dispatching a handful, but didn’t want to reveal his position in case he was needed again. Drake stopped as the march staggered to a halt, the villagers looking at each other, around at the village and then to the skies.

They had successfully defended their homes against a superior force. Many fell to their knees, some in gratitude, some in exhaustion. Many cheered and began to hug their friends. Drake found himself at the center of a group celebration amid the dirt and the blood and the biting winds. He clasped shoulders, grinned stupid grins with the villagers and let the tension go for just a few minutes. He danced around with one woman, high-fived a man, and saw people he knew by name holding bloody daggers and half-broken cleavers. He saw Brynn directing people to round up the captives and make them secure. Brynn is a teacher! Well, she makes a bloody damn good general as well. They moved to the village square, happy to be alive, and the SPEAR team managed to come together.

“Kimbiri lives on,” Drake said.

“But a long way to go,” Mai said. “There are other villages and we can’t be there for all of them.”

“I say we chop the head off the snake.” Smyth trotted up to them, covered in dirt and vegetation. “And I say we do it now.”

“Don’t worry, Lancelot.” Alicia winked. “Your queen will still be there when we get home.”

“Those assholes are running and they’re scared. In turmoil. We won’t get a better chance,” he huffed. “Take my advice or leave it.”

Drake studied Smyth thoughtfully and then said with some worry in his voice. “We do have to decide what’s the main priority.”

“Hayden,” Kinimaka said.

“Hit ’em while they’re down,” Dahl said. “Before they can make plans.”

“It does sound appealing,” Alicia said.

“And tonight we got a little lucky,” Mai added. “What if they’d attacked Nuno or a farm instead? We won’t get so lucky again.”

Drake nodded, gaze drawn over to the excited huddle of villagers. Curtis was beckoning him to join in. Brynn was waving them all over. It was good to celebrate victory tonight, Drake thought. But tomorrow would be a different day. Tomorrow Dantanion and his horde of cannibals could just reset and start again. A man with his means might even have an arms cache on the way. Secretary Crowe would not be held back.

“We achieved so much tonight,” he said. “But I don’t feel it’s enough. I think…” He gazed up at the mountains. “I think we have to finish this. Right now.”

“Hayden will be pissed,” Kinimaka said. “She pretty much just got there.”

“And the chateau’s still inaccessible,” Kenzie pointed out. “Nothing has changed there.”

“Not to me.” Yorgi kicked mud from his boots. “I could climb up the walls and find a way to let you all in.”

“Right into cannibal central?” Alicia drank water. “They’d just think you were the appetizer.”

“Is there another way?” Yorgi challenged.

Dahl nodded around a mouthful of food. Brynn had gotten fed up with waiting for them to join the impromptu celebration and had dashed across with a few bowls. She now listened to their conversation with interest.

“I know of a way,” the Swede said, and proceeded to explain.

Alicia rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Torsty, can’t you ever just use the front door?”

Kenzie came to his rescue. “I like it,” she said. “It breeds stamina.”

“It breeds bruises. That’s all it breeds.”

Drake eyed the Swede. “You think it can be done? I mean it’s not like we can come over the top of the mountain. The peaks are way too high.”

“Look over there. See how they shine under the full moon. What do you see?”

Drake did his best to discern anything other than shadows and lofty heights. “Shit, what did you put in that food, Brynn? The Swede’s finally lost it.”

“The passes.” Dahl waved indignantly. “Can’t you make them out against the mountain?”

“Mountain passes,” Mai said quietly. “There will be a way around the side of the mountain and thus above the chateau. It is the distance down we can’t control.”

“And how do you propose to find the right path?” Smyth asked.

Dahl nodded at Brynn, still chewing. The teacher nodded back immediately. “I do know several who could take you into those mountains. But it is up to them to decide if they want to go. Perhaps we will find one.”

Mai smiled agreeably. “Of course.”

Drake stared around at the group. “So we’re really going for the Mad Swede’s plan?”

Dahl looked offended. “I haven’t done anything mad in days.”

“Hold on, Hayden,” Kinimaka said so softly he probably thought nobody could hear him. “We’re on our way.”

Smyth shook the vegetation from his jacket. “We all going then?”

Drake smiled. “Yeah, and Lancelot can lead the charge.”

“Oh, don’t start with all that. Just don’t. I came clean, I fessed up. Don’t see anyone else doing the same.”

Silence as deep as the depthless caverns inside the mountains fell over the group, making everyone feel a little uncomfortable. In the end it was Brynn who broke it.

“Shall we ask around?”

“Yeah.” Drake eyed the path of their future. “And then finish this thing.”