Coyote Gorgeous (14 page)

Madison couldn’t hear
anything. The night had grown perfectly still. The small hairs at
her nape rose.
"
The monster
is here, isn’t it?
"

Kal nodded gravely.
"
Whatever happens now, I beg you to
trust me. And don’t be afraid of what I become. I
will
protect
you.
"

As he dropped from the boulder, he
looked much taller, darker of skin, and more muscular than she
remembered. Then, in front of her eyes, Kal’s body stretched into
the shape of the beast she had glimpsed a month ago. The coyote
head grew fangs and tall pointed ears.

Heart pounding, Madison took two steps
back and raised her rifle. In an instant, she recognized Kal’s
favorite statue. The Great Coyote. Kaletaka had become his
art.

Frozen, Madison wondered what to do.
Was he the killer? He looked like the beast she had shot. But he
said the predator was coming from the hills. Madison could see
nothing on the slopes. Had he lied?

No. The half-man half-beast in front
of her didn’t make any threatening moves, as if waiting for her to
make up her mind, shoot him, or accept him at his word. Could he
even be killed? Cold, snaking fear wrapped around Madison’s heart.
She aimed the M-14 at his chest. He still didn’t move.

Felix the bobcat snarled at the rifle
aimed at his master, but Kaletaka-the-coyote appeased the cat with
a soft groan.

"
Okay,
okay.
"
More confused than
scared, against all logic, Madison wanted to trust this strange
Kaletaka beast. Her finger relaxed on the trigger. This was the man
who’d come to warn and protect her, a guardian of the people, not a
killer. She lowered the rifle.

Dropping his shoulders in relief,
Kaletaka-the-coyote nodded then turned his back on her and sniffed
the night, like an animal. A growl escaped his throat. Then another
growl answered up the slope. Good God. There was the evil one. What
a nightmare. But Madison was wide awake, adrenalin pumping through
her veins.

Squinting through moonlight, she saw
the other beast rise on hind legs, emerge from the slope in the
distance, black and furry, twice as large, and more powerful than
what Kaletaka had become. It looked like a giant black panther on
steroids, with powerful arms and claws, and it came straight toward
them.

Kaletaka-the-coyote stepped in front
of Madison protectively, but did he stand a chance against a
monster twice his size? The memory of the mangled animals brought
up images of Kal, killed in the same manner. Madison couldn’t let
that happen, no matter what her friend had become.

Next to her, Felix roared a challenge
at the intruder.

Raising the M-14, Madison gazed
through the night scope and aimed.

Chapter Seven

Madison’s muffled shot
popped like a wet firecracker. Through the night scope of the M-14,
she saw the bullet impact the black panther creature. A throaty
roar pierced the desert night in response. No time to rejoice,
though. The panther did not stumble or even flinch.
Damn!

Kaletaka-the-coyote all lean muscles
and speed, rushed after the giant black panther, Felix loping in
his wake.

Madison aimed at the panther again.
Not fast enough. The evil creature ducked behind a boulder with
lightning speed. Could she have taken up an impossible endeavor?
What if, as Kal suggested, that evil couldn’t be killed?

Adrenalin rushed down
Madison’s spine. In a state of total focus, she couldn’t feel her
body anymore. Rifle in hand, she followed Kal across the moonlit
desert landscape, but as hard as she pumped her legs, she could not
keep up. Her breath came in rasps.
What
had she gotten herself
into
?

She should go back to the truck, radio
in for backup, but there was no time. If she left Kal to fight this
thing alone, he could get eviscerated in an instant. With such a
lethal foe, the outcome would be decided before the rangers could
respond. Still, she must try. No time for pride. While running, she
pulled out her cell and pushed Jake’s personal number still on
automatic dial.

"
This is
Jake’s phone. Leave a message.
"

"
Jake, I need
all the help I can get here, at the house on Cave Creek between the
two farms that were attacked.
"
Without missing a step, she returned the phone to her
belt.

Tendrils of fear crawled
through Madison’s mind. Even in coyote shape, even with her help,
how could Kal possibly overcome a bulletproof creature twice his
size? But this situation defied logic, and she could not allow
logic to get in the way of victory. They had to succeed. If she
allowed that evil to run loose, it would kill anything alive, just
for the thrill of it, starting with Kal. Her heart lurched at the
thought.
Unacceptable
.

Two hundred feet ahead of her, the
monster stopped and spun around to face Kal. They eyed each other
on the bare slope, silhouetted against a field of stars. Felix
reached his master’s heel as Madison ran, closing the distance, a
death grip on the rifle. Would she get there in time?

Her mother had died a hero in the
Middle East. Madison could be just as brave, no matter what her
father and brother said. She’d read somewhere that an assailant
willing to sacrifice his own life to prevail couldn’t be defeated,
and Madison was determined to do whatever it took.

But what would it take to
kill this beast? If a bullet in the chest didn’t slow it down,
maybe a shot through the head? It had to have a central nerve
somewhere. Madison stopped to catch her breath, holding the stitch
in her side, not daring to get any closer. Panting, she stabilized
herself and aimed for one eye with unwavering resolve.
"
Let’s see if you mind being
blind.
"

The shot rang softly and
the black creature roared again, shaking its head. But instead of
retreating, it faced Kaletaka and pounced. She’d infuriated
it.
"
Damn!
"

Kaletaka-the-coyote
side-stepped. With incredible speed and agility, he avoided the
claws and fangs of the evil black panther. How long could he dodge
such attacks? It didn’t seem likely that Kal could hurt the
creature at all.
"
How would
you like multiple shots, Blackie?
"

Kaletaka sprung at the panther’s head,
but the evil black cat absorbed the impact then slung him in a wide
arc. Kal landed on gravelly dirt. Still alive? He didn’t move at
all but Madison dared to hope his coyote form could withstand more
punishment than a simple human.

Taking advantage of a clear glimpse of
the adversary in the moonlight, Madison shot in quick succession,
hoping at least to weaken the monster, stop it from finishing off
Kaletaka. She emptied her rifle, and the upright panther turned
away from Kal to face her.

As if understanding, Felix the bobcat
rushed the evil creature, leapt at the head and sank his fangs into
the throat in a death grip, hanging by the jaw. Shaking its head,
the creature slapped the bobcat like a kitten, razor claws slashing
deep. Felix screamed and loosened his jaw then flew through the
air, blood spurting from deep gashes in his flank.

Enraged, Madison slammed a new clip
into the rifle, locked it, but as she loaded the chamber, a sound
of running steps behind her made her jump. A quick glance revealed
Jake in a state of disarray.

"
How did you
get here this fast?
"

"
I was in the
area.
"
His voice sounded
strained.
"
I called for
reinforcements.
"

"
Thanks
...
"
Then she remembered the feeling of being watched.
"
Were you spying on
me?
"

"
I didn’t
trust you with this guy, but never mind. We have a bigger problem.
Let’s get this thing, whatever it is.
"
Jake stopped next to her and aimed.

So did Madison. Together, they emptied
a clip on the beast. It simply rose higher on hind feet and rushed
toward them.

Jake’s rifle jammed and the beast
pounced on him. Jake fought it with the butt of his
rifle.

"
No!
"
Madison reloaded
and kept firing.

Barely acknowledging her bullets, the
black monster bit off Jake’s head and kicked his body aside, then
turned upon Madison, a few feet away and pounced.

Too late to run. In that instant,
Madison knew she would die in the most horrible way. But if she
sacrificed her life, at least she’d make it count. As the huge
shadow obscured the moon, she shot straight up through the soft
part of the throat. Still, the gleaming fangs descended upon her,
as if in slow motion.

Madison shot into the mouth, again,
and again. At such close range, the M-14 had to be
devastating.

The black creature engulfed Madison.
Slashing pain seared her back and legs. She dangled in the air,
each shake of the evil jaws sending sharp raw pain through her
whole body. The rifle, wrenched from her grip, clattered against a
boulder. Lightning flashed, and thunder rolled in the cloudless
sky. The hills shuddered. The monster flung her aside, and she hit
the ground with the force of a cement block.

Then, as if in a dream, white light
surrounded her, washing away the pain, and she floated just above
the ground on a soft cloud. Below her lay her mangled body. She
hated to die like this. Mostly, she hated leaving Kal, who now
seemed to regain consciousness. Even in Coyote shape, he couldn’t
win. Would he follow her in death?

*****

Madison!

Kaletaka couldn’t let his
grief blind him. Not now. Despite the pain wracking his body, he
leapt upon the creature’s back, to distract it from the prostrate
form of Madison.
Great Coyote, please let
her live!
Why had she intervened, risking
her life when she couldn’t win? Yet she had weakened the creature
somewhat. But was it enough?

Kaletaka embedded his clawed feet into
the black, furry hide. Then he buried his fangs into the evil cat’s
nape in an effort to sever the spine, and slashed at his opponent’s
throat. The creature jerked its shoulders and neck, trying to shake
him loose.

The weakened monster swatted at
Kaletaka, who ignored its futile attempts to dislodge him. But
could he hold on long enough to kill the evil creature?

Great Coyote, if I’m doing
your work, please help!

Distant thunder answered his call. A
warm whirlwind blew across the desert. Kaletaka’s acute vision
discerned swirling dust devils. His victim howled at the
manifestation of the divine presence. Did it sense its own death
coming?

Strengthened by the presence of the
Great Coyote, Kaletaka renewed his efforts. His fangs lengthened
and clenched deeper into flesh and bone. His claws grew sharper and
slashed into the black panther’s throat, eliciting a river of dark
blood that reeked of evil. He felt sullied by the unholy, viscous
blood drenching him. Slowly, the beast folded upon itself as it
collapsed, then lay in a heap, lifeless.

Or was it?

Kaletaka didn’t dare release his hold.
What if the creature could regenerate, even revive itself after
nearing death?

A resounding roll of thunder told
Kaletaka the Great Coyote still watched over him. As Kal retracted
his claws and unclenched his jaw, the monster seemed to shrink.
What lay beneath him now wasn’t a beast at all, but a
woman.

Mrs. Esteban? Horror and pity mixed in
the pit of his stomach.

In an instant, Kaletaka
himself turned back to human shape. Nearby lay a headless ranger in
uniform. Kaletaka didn’t care. His concern was for Madison. He
rushed to her side.
"
Madison!
"

Her eyes remained closed. Kneeling
beside her, he felt for a pulse at her bloody throat but could only
feel a very faint flutter. So much blood! She only had seconds to
live, and Kaletaka didn’t have the power to bring her back from the
brink of death. He couldn’t bear to lose her.

Turning to the heavens,
Kaletaka implored.
"
Great
Coyote, Grandfather, Creator of the universe, I am grateful for
your help. But I still need you.
"
Would the Great One agree to heal a stranger to the chosen
tribe?

A whimper escaped Madison’s parted
lips. A good sign? Or was she dying?

At a loss, Kaletaka now
begged.
"
Great Coyote,
Grandfather, I implore you, take my life, but save the woman I
love.
"