Flight from Mayhem (31 page)

“You stay here. No arguments. There's nothing you can do in there to help and we'd probably end up having to rescue you, which would dilute our focus. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you have to wait here. If for some reason we don't return in twenty minutes, or if one of the other creatures comes out, get the hell out of here. If you have to hide in the woods, hide until morning and then get back to the Range Rover. There's a spare key beneath the front left tire well.”

Tonya was about to protest, then stopped. “I understand.”

Ralph transformed into his werewolf shape, and once again I marveled at the beautiful white wolf. We shifted positions, Chai and I moving up front with Alex, and Ralph falling back with the werewolves. We were as ready as we were going to get. It was time to go rescue our friend.

*   *   *

T
he entrance to
the cave was narrow; there was only room for two of us to walk side by side. Alex had told us that it would widen out into the main chamber only a few yards in.

Alex and Chai went first and I followed directly after, Ralph padding at my side. Next came Frank and José, and then George and Thomas. Tonya fretted but did as Alex requested and stayed outside.

It was difficult to see, but true to what Alex had said, a faint light filtering in from up ahead dimly illuminated the passage. But even though we moved as quietly as we could and didn't have a light source, chances were good that they knew we were here. Creatures like werespiders and other Supes tended to have an uncanny sense when something was trying to sneak up on them.

Suddenly, Alex held up his hand.

He had been correct about the passage being short. The opening loomed ahead, leading to the main chamber. Alex counted down from five using his fingers. Five, four, three, two,
one
.

As we swung into the room Chai let out an incantation, his voice booming through the silence. As his words crackled in the air I closed my eyes, guarding against the intense flash of light that shimmered through the chamber. I sucked in a deep breath and opened my eyes.

It was as if the sunlight had found its way into the depths of the earth. Suddenly worried, I glanced over at Alex, but he seemed unaffected and I realized that, as bright as the light was, there was no heat coming from it and it wasn't a captured sunbeam.

The werespiders were shading their eyes, trying to avoid the light. They were hideous creatures—huge and bloated, looking for all the world like giant black widows with male torsos attached to them. Their legs ended in what looked like razor-sharp points, and protruding fangs glistened from their mouths. They had arms like men, but their heads were more spiderlike, with multiple eyes encircling them, and no hair to speak of.

I have seen some hideous things in my life, but these felt like a freakish mockery of both spider and man.

“They're constructs,” Chai said. As he raced toward them, his scimitar appeared in his hand.

“What do you mean?” Alex called as he followed, holding Juanita—his wickedly sharp bowie knife.

“They are magical creatures; they aren't natural.” Chai was already taking on the nearest one. As he swept the scimitar down, the creature lunged forward toward him and they were engaged in battle.

I forced myself to turn away from the fight and turned to look for Bette, but instead, I found myself staring into the face of the diatrofymata.

Alex was right. The thing reminded me of a walking skeleton with a thin, stretched sheet of skin clinging to the bones. Its eyes were pinpoints of light glowing within deep black sockets. The mouth was round, and razor-sharp teeth glistened like tiny needles encircling the orifice. It was standing
right over me, a good eight feet tall, and before I realized what was happening, it swept one arm forward, connecting with my shoulder to knock me off balance. I went sprawling back on my butt, unprepared for the attack.

As it leaned over me, Frank and one of the other werewolves attacked, diverting its attention away from me. I scrambled to my feet again and, as I looked around, I saw Bette and Gerta tied up against one wall. They were sitting on the ground, their hands and feet duct-taped together.

I darted through the fighting, dropping to my knees as I unsheathed my dagger. I sawed at the duct tape, glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was behind me. Within seconds, I had freed Bette. As she struggled to her feet, she grimaced and I realized she had been in that position for far too long. Melusine or not, muscles were muscles.

“Give me your dagger, and I'll cut Gerta loose. You go help them.” Bette held out her hand and I slapped the dagger into her palm.

I jumped up and turned around, trying to figure out where I could do the most good. Chai was still fighting with his werespider, trying to dodge the razor-sharp tips of its legs as it stabbed at him. Alex was on the back of another one, trying to get hold of its throat. Frank and José were fighting the diatrofymata. Thomas was curled up on the floor, down for the count. And George was being backed into a corner by the other werespider. I raced across the cavern floor to help him.

I didn't have any weapons, but the werespider didn't see me coming. As I approached the bloated abdomen, I let loose with a punch that could have broken through a wall. My hand met its exoskeleton, and the reverberation almost knocked me back. The damn thing was as hard as armor. But I had made enough of an impact that it left off attacking George and turned toward me.

Oh, hell. Now what was I supposed to do? Bette had my dagger. I was strong, but somehow I didn't think I could pull off a Samwise Gamgee move. This wasn't a movie, and the
werespider wasn't Shelob. As it closed in, I did the only thing I could think of. I turned and ran like hell. It followed me, which was what I was hoping it would do, giving George enough time to get out a weapon.

“This is the last time I go into battle with just a dagger,” I shouted to no one in particular.

Suddenly, a white wolf leaped past me. Oh hell, Ralph. I didn't want him getting in the way because this creature could take us both on and come out unharmed. But Ralph growled, loudly, and drew the attention of the werespider away from me. Frantic to prevent him from getting hurt, I looked around for anything that I could use as a weapon.

Over in the corner, I spotted a broken stalactite lying on the floor. It must have been two feet long, and it looked wicked sharp at the tip. I dashed over and grabbed it up, hefting the weight in my hands. It was solid and heavy enough to have a good knockback potential.

I whirled around just in time to see the werespider looming down on Ralph. He was backing away, whimpering in fear. I took aim, targeting in on the werespider's chest, hoping that its heart was in approximately the same place as a human's.

With a deep breath, I hurled the stalactite, sending it spinning toward the monster. The werespider didn't notice the approaching missile until too late. As the stalactite drove itself through its chest, it let out a tremendous roar, arms flailing as it reared back. As I watched, it lurched to one side, scrabbling to pull the stalactite out of its chest.

Ralph took the opportunity to get away, running toward Bette.

Another roar echoed against the cavern walls. Alex had managed to slit the throat of the werespider he was riding. It tried to claw at him, but it couldn't reach behind its neck, and Alex stabbed the eyes in the back of its head as a dark viscous blood began to spurt out of its severed jugular.

Chai was making headway with his opponent. He had
managed to sever several of its legs and it was leaning precariously to the left. The djinn had several long deep scratches along his arms, and I realized the creature had managed to attack him, but if it had venom, Chai didn't seem to be affected.

Frank was embroiled in a wrestling match with the diatrofymata. The creature was holding him down, clawing for his eyes with its long, bony fingers. I was close enough to join in, and I wrapped one arm around the diatrofymata's neck, yanking hard to pull it away. We went sprawling to the ground, and the creature grabbed hold of my ankle and bit down, its needle-sharp teeth digging into my boot. I kicked it with my other foot as Frank came in behind, brandishing a wicked-looking dagger. He stabbed at the diatrofymata's back, and I heard the impact as metal screeched against bone.

The werespider I had been fighting staggered, finally crashing to the floor. Alex's werespider followed suit. Alex leaped to Frank's side and neatly brought Juanita across the diatrofymata's throat as he grabbed hold of its head and yanked backward. Frank placed his hands against Alex's and, together, they ripped the head clean away. No blood flowed, but the body fell to the floor, arms flailing, and then was still. Another moment, and it melted into a sludgelike goo, soaking into the dirt of the cavern floor.

Chai finished off his werespider and propped his scimitar against the floor, point first. He leaned on the pommel. “We better get out of here because where there's one werespider, I assume there are more. And I don't want to be here when they arrive.”

Silently, glancing over the carnage, I crossed to Bette and Gerta to make certain they were okay. Frank and José carried Thomas out of the cave. We had managed to finish what we had set out to do, but I couldn't help but wonder what else lurked inside these mountains.

*   *   *

T
onya was waiting
for us. When she saw Bette, she broke into a wide smile. “I take it everything is all right?”

“Thomas is severely injured, but I think he'll live. We all took our lumps and bruises,” I said. “But the diatrofymata is dead, along with three werespiders. Later on, I want a look at your bestiary to see if it talks about what they are.” I motioned to Bette. “Are you sure you're okay? You're not hurt?”

She shook her head. “Takes more than a few giant arachnids to harm me. Seriously, though, I have a feeling by morning I wouldn't have had my eyes or my tongue.”

Alex almost said something, then caught himself. “Well, luckily we won't find out.” But he glanced at me, and I could see the wariness in his eyes. I gave him a silent nod, a promise that I would keep my mouth shut about what he had told us. But as I watched her, I realized my curiosity was eventually going to get the better of me. I would have to watch myself.

As we approached the vehicles, Gerta remained silent and suspicious. It occurred to me that the real Gerta had never met us. We had been talking to the diatrofymata the entire time. I motioned to Alex and we stepped one side.

“What should we do about Gerta? She doesn't know any of us except Bette, and she only knows Bette from what little she saw her in the cavern. Should we ask her if she even wants to go with us?”

Alex glanced at the Elder Fae. Hell, come to think of it, we really didn't know if she even
was
Elder Fae. “You make a good point. The last thing I want is for her to feel like we're kidnapping her, too.”

He motioned for everybody to stop, then turned to Gerta. “You don't know who we are, but we have an idea of who you are. The diatrofymata was imitating you. What do you want to do now that you're free? Do you want to go with us?
We're headed back into the city—into Seattle. It would help if you could answer some questions for us, but we understand if you don't want to. We have the general idea of what happened with you, Stone Weaver, and the diatrofymata.”

She held his gaze for a moment, unsmiling. Then, in a voice that sounded like she was speaking through wind chimes, she said, “I don't like cities. They unsettle me. I just want to return to my home.”

“Where do you live?”

“The realm of the Elder Fae. I know there's a portal near here. I can find it on my own.” She paused, then asked, “Is it true that Stone Weaver is dead?” Her voice wavered ever so slightly, enough to tell me that the diatrofymata had it right. Gerta had truly loved the Elemental Fae. That was one thing the creature hadn't lied about.

In a soft voice, Alex said, “Yes, it's true. I'm sorry.”

“Then I'll go home. There's nothing left here for me now.” And a stream of tears trickled down her face, falling to the ground in the shape of golden coins. She looked at them, then looked at us. “Consider them my ransom fee, paid in full.” And with that Gerta, the Golden Frog, turned and vanished into the forest without a sound. I wondered if we would ever see her again.

*   *   *

T
he return trip
was silent. Thomas had been seriously injured, but he would survive, and he was in the back of Frank's vehicle. Bette leaned against the left backseat door, her feet up and resting on Chai's lap. Tonya was on Chai's right, and Ralph rode home with us, in the back with all our supplies. Chai was rubbing Bette's ankles, which still bore the marks of the duct tape that had bound her.

“I suppose Chase will be happy to hear that the serial killer is dead. And trust me, that creature
was
the killer.” Bette sounded discouraged. “I suppose you're wondering what happened?”

“Well, yes. Ralph went to the boat to drop off something and found the mess there. But we know what happened.” I went on to explain what we had figured out about how the diatrofymata had created a persona to mingle with the others, and how it had imitated Gerta. “So it managed to pinpoint its marks well ahead of time. As Estelle, the creature was able to dig into the background of everybody there. It wouldn't take much spying to find out that you work for a private investigator. And, as Gerta, it listened in to our plan to set you as bait.” That explanation was true, yet skirted anything that might expose what Alex had told us.

“Damn thing thought of everything, didn't it? I hope to hell they're a rare breed because I don't ever want to go up against another one. Anyway, I was getting ready to go down to the center when Estelle came knocking on my door. Of course I let her in because, hey—it was Estelle. Once she was inside the boat . . .” Bette's voice drifted off. “You know, I don't remember anything else until I woke up in the cave, strapped up tighter than a hog on butchering day. I don't know what happened.”