Kraken Rising

CHAPTER 47

Casey stood just inside the line of hanging vines, watching the two men in the clearing. Rising up behind them, nearly invisible in the gloom, was the cliff wall, and the source of the signal. Somewhere at its base, or even inside, their goal resided.

So close, she thought. She looked back at the men. There was the brutal, black-eyed soldier, their leader — she assumed — one of the men she had briefly fought only just before. Behind him was the giant she had seen take down Jackson and Rinofsky. The massive soldier didn’t look human, and she assumed he was afflicted by something like acromegaly, the gigantism syndrome. His features were big and broad to the point of being ogreish. But instead of the lumbering gait she would have expected from someone like that, he moved fluidly, athletically. She knew he’d be a problem.

Peeking out behind him was Aimee Weir. By the way Aimee held her shoulders, she guessed her hands were tied.

“Show time.” Casey grit her teeth and stepped forward.

She knew that though Aimee wasn’t being used as a shield, her proximity meant going in shooting was not an option. She also bet that the other PLA solders were close by, and a single word from their leader would bring them from the trees and trapdoors.

The soldier in front of her stood at ease, his hands clasped behind his back. He brought a hand around, making Casey brace, but it was empty. He motioned her forward.

“HAWC Casey Franks.”

Casey waited, watching.

“What now,” Jackson whispered.

“Now? Now, we join the party.” Casey continued in, her gun cradled.

The soldier smiled, but the lift of his lips never reached his blank eyes. “I am Captain Wu Yang of the PLA Special Forces, Dragon Brigade. You are Casey Franks of the American Special Forces, HAWCs.” He half turned. “Your chief scientist speaks very highly of you. She tells me we need you and your team’s expertise to survive.” He chuckled and looked around. “In this strange and savage place.”

“You bet you do,” Casey said.

“I think I do.” He nodded. “But I do not think I need you, though I do think we need your armaments. However, I am generous. Hand over your weapons and join us. It makes sense for us to combine under my leadership. I outrank you, Lieutenant.”

“Not in my army, pal.” Casey didn’t flinch.

Yang smiled grimly. “We could have killed you all. Many times. Please don’t make me regret that decision.”

“We’re just gonna find what we came here to find, and we’ll take Dr. Weir back. No one gets hurt, no one wastes time, energy, or ammunition. Then we all go home.”

“Go home?” His expression hardened. “I believe you shut that door… and killed our people.” His arms dropped to his sides. He spoke a few words in Chinese, and the giant turned to put a large hand on Aimee’s shoulder and pull her forward.

Yang took hold of Aimee and looked into her face for a few seconds. “I know you Americans, very well. You value the individual, where we in China have learned to value the whole. One life is worth nothing.” He gripped Aimee by the hair, dragging her head to one side.

Aimee grimaced, but never made a sound.

“I won’t ask you again.” His eyes slid back to Casey.

Casey’s jaws clenched briefly. “We all know where this is going. Let’s just get to it.”

Yang turned. “Last time.”

Casey didn’t want a firefight, not while Aimee was so close. She needed to make some space. “I coulda kicked your ass — still might.” She needed more time; her eyes traveled to the giant. “How about I chop Dumbo down to size first.”

Yang stared for a moment, perhaps not believing what he was hearing from the woman. His face broke into a grin and then he started to laugh. He half turned to speak a few words to the giant. In return the big man’s eyes widened momentarily, before he too started to laugh, the sound like two buzzsaw blades grating together.

Jackson leaned forward. “Maybe I should take that guy on, you know, because…”

Casey half turned, snarling. “Because you’re a man, huh? Listen, boy scout, he already handed you your ass once. I can take him, you haven’t got a chance.”

The huge PLA soldier leaned down towards Yang and spoke in a deep slow voice. Yang listened, grunted and then nodded. “His name is Mungoi. Maybe if you defeat him in unarmed combat, I might let you live. If not…” He grinned. “You won’t be here to know about it.”

Yang let Aimee’s hair go and clapped his hands once. “Trial by combat. Yes, this is appropriate for warriors. You have my permission to kill him, if you can.” He turned and spoke rapidly to Mungoi, and the huge man grinned, his eyes sliding to Casey. “And he has my permission to kill you.”

Yang clicked his fingers, and his men came from the trees. Several escorted Blake, Rinofsky, and Jennifer.

“Ah, fuck.” Casey felt her spirits sink.

Yang ordered them tied up, the same with Jackson. All their weapons and provisions were taken and piled before them. “You really must update your concealment techniques.” He smiled without humor. “Good, now we are all here as witnesses. If at any time, Casey Franks, you wish to retire before you are beaten, I’m sure Mungoi will be happy to fight your replacement.” He chortled, and spoke again to the giant PLA soldier. Mungoi nodded vigorously. Yang turned back to Casey. “Perhaps he could fight you all at once, if you’re feeling a bit nervous.”

Casey balled her fists. Never had she wanted to break someone in half so bad. She wanted to rip through the big dummy, and then wipe the floor with Yang. Her problem was, her people were unarmed, and Yang’s soldiers were fully armed. She doubted that she would be spared even if she were victorious.

She had no choice, and deep inside, she didn’t want one. She just wanted to fight.

Alex could sense the huge presence close by, but couldn’t get a fix on where it was. It felt like it was in front of him, behind him, and all around him. Maybe it was just the terrain, maybe this might have been the killing field or foraging ground for the creature before, and that’s what made its presence loom so large.

He also sensed the bodies up ahead. People, and he knew now it was his team, as there was one he could feel more strongly than all others. His heart rate kicked up a notch, not from any sort of adrenalin kick, but from the thought of seeing her again. Aimee, Aimee Weir, it could only be her.

Alex was torn between his excitement at her being so close, and also his outrage at her decision to leave Joshua behind. He needed to understand why she had abandoned their son… for this. Alex bulldozed through some clinging vines. For the first time in years, he felt something strange — a nervousness that he found both worrying and exhilarating.

There was a grunt from behind, and Cate called out. He ground his teeth and spun, indecision momentarily wracking him. He needed speed, but with the thing lurking somewhere close by, leaving Cate behind was out of the question.

Alex sprinted back to her, and lifted her. “Keep your head down, it’s here.”

Cate looked shocked, and then tucked her head into the crook of his neck. Alex turned and accelerated, holding one elbow up in front of them, and smashing through the foliage — faster, and then faster again.

His neck tingled. Just out of sight, something heavy slid through the undergrowth. Plants were pushed aside or flattened as it kept pace, or perhaps only part of it needed to follow them. Alex felt like they were small prey, being hunted down… or worse, they were being herded exactly where it wanted.

“Bring the pain.” Casey advanced.

Mungoi made fists and brought one trunk-like leg forward and stamped it down hard. He then went through a few karate katas, a detailed pattern of combat movements. For a big man, he was fluid, and controlled — not what Casey wanted to see.

She knew how to fight bigger opponents. She was tall for a woman, but in her game, some of the players were more than a head taller. This guy happened to be twice that, but the basic rules still applied: big guys were blind to overhand bomb-punches — they never expected to be hit down upon. She would leap in the air and punch down at him. She would also go to his body, use front kicks, and try and get inside his huge reach. But it was a risk. His arms were as thick as her thighs. If he got hold of her it’d be all over. Finally, if possible, she would need to get him on the ground. Once there, everything was even.

Casey knew her training was superior, and she would be much faster. It’d have to be enough. She sucked in a huge breath, and breathed out evenly through her nose. She felt calm, she felt good. She attacked.

She darted in, and immediately ducked under a swinging arm that created a breeze over her head. She punched out twice, hard and fast into his kidneys. Mungoi didn’t flinch. The man had a layer of fat and slab-like muscle running around his torso.

She came back again, this time feinting one way, and then coming back lightening quick to shoot out a kick with her armored boot, straight at his knee. His legs might have been able to support thousands of pounds, but the kneecap, if forced back on itself, was surprisingly weak.

Her leg flicked out, but before she could complete her full motion, Mungoi braced himself, her boot bouncing off the bent forward limb, and then a backhand blow caught her on the ear. She staggered.

The huge PLA soldier’s fist was half as big as her head, and had raised knuckles like knobs of rock. Her head rang like a bell, and her ear immediately felt wet. She shook her head to clear it, and was relieved to feel she hadn’t lost balance and could still hear. That meant the eardrum wasn’t perforated, and it was probably just the cartilage and flesh that had been smashed.

Mungoi advanced, and Casey backed up. She edged to one side, then the next. But every time she shifted, so did he. The bigger man was boxing her in.

Fuck it, Casey thought. The big asshole is trying to reduce my field of movement. Can’t let him corner me, or I’ve had it.

She then saw her opening. Mungoi kept his arms low, exposing his head and neck — she needed to come in over the top. She mentally went through her movements: spring forward, jink left, then leap high and bring the two large knuckles of her right fist down hard against his temple where the skull bone was thinnest.

Casey looked into the giant’s eyes, grinned, and then flew at him. She side-stepped left away from his lunging blow, and then leapt high — everything went to plan, except for the lightening fast blow that knocked her from the air, and also the wind from her lungs.

Casey landed hard, but rolled fast, and just as she sprung back to her feet, a massive boot flew in a back-kick to strike her spine. She felt the impact from her kidneys to her fingertips. And then he was on her.

Mungoi lifted Casey up a few feet by the rear collar of her armored suit and punched the back of her head. She thumped down onto the ground. He kicked her ribs, cracking several, and then reached down to lift her again, punching her in the gut. The breath whooshed from her lungs, and her shocked diaphragm refused to draw another breath in — she was winded, and becoming dizzy.

Blake and Rinofsky strained at their ropes, yelling in fury. Jennifer had stopped watching, her face turned away, while Jackson worked furiously at his bonds. Aimee simply watched, her fists balled.

Mungoi held onto the shattered HAWC, and briefly grinned at the bound Americans. Casey felt him change his grip, holding her now by the neck and lifting, her feet coming free of the ground. He turned her one way then the other, studying her like a shooter looks at a downed partridge, examining his future meal. The huge PLA soldier then looked down at the ground, searching for a few seconds. He found what he sought, and threw Casey to the dirt like an old sack. He said a few words to Yang, and then waited for his captain’s response.

“Last chance, Lieutenant Casey Franks,” Yang said.

Casey turned and tried to sit up but couldn’t. The pain in her body was near unbearable and she could only manage to turn her bloody face towards the PLA captain, and rasp out a few hoarse words: “Fuck you.”

Yang shrugged, and nodded to Mungoi, a small smile on his lips.

Mungoi reached down and picked up a damp log. It was big, six feet long and about two wide. The big man strained under its weight, grunting as he lifted it. He turned it around, holding the stump end over Casey’s face. He lifted it pile driver style, holding it momentarily.

“Do it-tttt!” Casey screamed the words up at the giant.

The log came down.