Chapter 4
Chapter 4
They spread out and started north with Jarlaxle D'Arthre and Artemis Entreri behind and to Zak's left while his son and Masoj Hunett stayed on his right. Directly in front of them was a sparse strand of trees, and as the Alpha's chopper blades revved down, Drizzt could smell burning fuel as he spotted wisps of smoke curling through the foliage.
They moved quickly through the wooded area as their visibility dropped off sharply beneath the needled branches of the towering evergreens. The warm scents of pine and earth were overshadowed by the unpleasant smell of burning, the acrid odor growing stronger with each step. From the dim light filtering through the dense foliage, Drizzt saw that there was another clearing ahead, high with brittle grasses.
"I see it! Dead ahead, Captain!"
Drizzt's heart felt like it had sped up a million miles an hour when he heard his father's excited shout. Suddenly, they were all running, hurrying to catch up to their point man.
As he emerged from the copse of trees, with Masoj beside him, he could see Zak was already at the downed chopper with Entreri and Jarlaxle in hot pursuit. Smoke was still rising from the silent wreck, but it was thinning. If there had been a fire, it had died out before they had arrived.
Drizzt and Masoj reached the others and had to stop, staring as no one dared to speak as they surveyed the scene. The long, wide body of the helicopter was intact, not a bent or a scratch visible. The port-landing rail looked a bit dented, but besides that and the dying haze of smoke from the motor, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. The hatches stood open, the beam from Jarlaxle's small flashlight showing them an undamaged cabin. From what the former ranger could see, most of the Bravo's gear was still on board.
What the hell is going on here?
It didn't make any sense.
It hadn't been fifteen minutes since their last transmission; if anyone had been injured, they would have stayed. And if they had decided to leave then why did they leave their equipment behind?
Jarlaxle handed the light to Masoj and nodded toward the cockpit. "Check it out. The rest of you, spread out. I want clues; tracks, shell casings, signs of struggle, anything! You find something, I want to know immediately. And above all else, stay alert."
Drizzt hesitated a moment, staring at the smoking chopper and wondering what could have happened.
Uthengental had said something about a malfunction. Okay, if that was so, possibility number one could be that the Bravos had set down. Then what? What would have made them abandon their best chance of being found, leaving behind emergency kits, weaponry…
Drizzt saw a couple of bullet-proof vests crumpled next to the hatch and shook his head, adding it to growing list of seemingly irrational and unexplainable events. He turned to join the search as Masoj hopped down out of the cockpit, looking as bewildered and uncertain as Drizzt him self felt. He waited to hear what Masoj had to report as the Drow handed the light back to Jarlaxle, shrugging nervously.
"I have no idea as to what happened. The bent rail suggests a forced landing, but except for the electrical system, everything appears to be in order."
Jarlaxle sighed and scratched his clean shaven head in a baffled manner. He raised his voice then, so the others could hear as he gave the next order. "Circle out, people, three meters apart and widen as we go! I want a thorough search!"
Drizzt nodded and moved over to take up a position between Entreri and Zaknefien, both men already scanning the ground at their feet as they slowly moved east and northeast of the helicopter. Jarlaxle stepped into the cabin, double checking the young Hunett's efforts, probing the darkness with his mini flashlight. Masoj headed west into the waiting and rapidly darkening woods, a sense of foreboding dread creeping its way into his stomach and settling there.
Dry and brittle twigs, leaves, and grass crackled underfoot as they widened their circle, the only sound in the still, warm air except for the distant hum of the Alpha helicopter engine. Drizzt used his boots to search through the thick loam and undergrowth, brushing the tall grasses aside with each step. The trained ranger's senses told him that in another few minutes it would be too dark to see anything clearly and they would need to break out the flashlights. Drizzt contemplated why the Bravo's would leave theirs behind…
Drizzt suddenly stopped, his keen elfin ears listening. As a ranger, his acute connection to the earth and wilderness around him was uncanny. He could sense and feel the presence of animals and any other living creature around him; could feel and sense their feelings, their pain and suffering. He could even speak to the spirits that resided in the very trees. But as he listened, straining to hear some semblance of life in this eerily empty forest, he found that there was nothing there.
The soft sighing of the breeze, the faint crackling steps of the other Alpha members, and the faint drone of their choppers engine was all that could be heard and nothing else. Not a chirp or a single chatter. Absolutely nothing. It was as silent as death. They were in the woods in the middle of summer. Where were all the animals and insects? The forest was unnaturally still with the only sounds coming from the searchers. For the first time since they had set down in this gloomy and spooky place, Drizzt found that he was afraid.
As he was about to call out to the others, Masoj shrieked from somewhere behind them, his voice high and cracking, causing the rest of the team to jump at the unexpected sound and whirl around in his direction, weapons poised and aimed.
"Yaahhhh!! Over here!!"
Drizzt started jogging back and saw Entreri and Zak do the same. Jarlaxle, who was still by the helicopter when Masoj had cried out, had also drawn his weapon and held it pointing in front of him as he broke into a run.
In the murky and quickly fading light, Drizzt could just make out Masoj's shadowy form as the Drow appeared to be sitting down in a slanted position, hand out stretched in front of him as he pointed at something on the ground before him in the high grass near some trees a hundred feet past the downed helicopter. Instinctively, Drizzt double-timed his pace, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of encroaching doom. He and the others caught up with Jarlaxle as they rushed to Masoj's side.
Masoj stayed immobile in his sprawled position, his body quivered in uncontrollable fear and his hand was trembling as he continued to point with a long finger at the ground before him, his eyes wide with horror. For a split-second, the ranger's mind couldn't accept what he saw laying on the ground in front of the petrified Hunett, as he neared.
They were only a few yards from their companion but their pace suddenly slowed as they saw what lay in the dirt.
It was a S.T.A.R.S. handgun…
With a disembodied, pale skinned hand curled around its handle.
...
"What…the…fuck?" Entreri whispered under his breath as the beam from his flashlight rested upon the grotesque object.
The hand appeared to have been hacked clean from the wrist, the patch of earth around it muddy with bloody soil. As they gawked at the scene in stunned silence, there was a sudden deep and guttural snarl from behind their prone companion emanating from darkness of the trees. A terrible animalistic growling joined by a second raspier one that seemed to grow in crescendo which was quickly followed by a terrifying, throaty shriek, and then the woods suddenly came alive as several dark, powerful shapes erupted from the dark forestry, lunging at Masoj from behind.
"MASOJ!!"
With Drizzt's scream ringing in his ears, Entreri dropped his light and stopped his mad dash to aid their fallen comrade and took aim, trying to get a clear shot at the raging beasts that were attacking the helpless Drow. Jarlaxle's own flashlight sent a beam of light over the wildly thrashing bodies of the creatures and illuminated a horrific nightmare.
Masoj's body was completely hidden from view by the three animals that tore at him, ripping him apart with viciously gnashing, dripping jaws. For a second, Entreri thought they were dogs. Or at least had been at one point. They were the size of German Sheppards but didn't look like any he had ever seen before. In fact, these things didn't look like anything he had ever seen before in his life. These things had no fur, and the little bit of grisly skin they boasted was shredded and torn to nothing but ribbons that hung from wet, bloody sinew and muscle.
Jarlaxle's light wavered at the sight, the dog like creatures shrieking and snapping in a frenzy of bloodlust. Then Masoj screamed one last time, a burbling, liquid sound as he flailed weakly at his savage attackers, blood pouring from his torn and tattered body. It was like watching a swarm of piranhas have at a wounded fish. It was the ghastly scream of the dying Drow that suddenly threw him back into this horrible reality. Realizing that he had hesitated one second to long, Entreri targeted and opened fire.
Nine rounds, three for each monstrosity, smacked wetly into the wretched bodies with a sickening, muted thud. There was a high-pitched yelp from one of the beasts that he scored a fatal hit on and it went down, its sides heaving in its last gasps for breath that wouldn't come. The other two animals continued their assault, displaying complete indifference to the stinging rain of lead that peppered their twisted bodies. As Entreri watched in horror, one of the snarling demon dogs lunged forward and ripped out Masoj's throat, almost decapitating him as blood spurted from the brutal wound, showering the surrounding grass and a traumatized Drizzt, who had been the closest to their fallen teammate, in a spray of red. There was nothing left but a gapping hole and a thin strip of skin keeping the Drow's had on his shoulders, the glistening slickness of bone put on display as the severed spinal cord lolled out and hung limply.
Drizzt backpedaled franticly to put some distance between him self and these hell spawned creatures and the S.T.A.R.S. numbly opened fire, sending a hail of explosive fire at Masoj's killers. Red spatters burst into the chill night air as the hell hounds continued their ruthless assault on the writhing corpse, ignoring the bullets that riddled their tormented frames. Entreri took a steadying breath to try and calm his shattered nerves and took careful, measured aim instead of the panicked rattled shots he had token up with the other S.T.A.R.S. a moment before and let fly, counting each thunderous bang as his finger squeezed the trigger. One. Two. Three. And four. That was all he needed. Two bullets for each monster: one for the heart and one for the brain. His aim was true and, with a final series of harsh, barking yelps, they fell to the gory soil and didn't rise again.
"Hold your fire!"
Entreri removed his finger from the trigger but continued to point the handgun at the fallen creatures, ready to blow them apart the second one so much as twitched. Only one of them was still breathing, growling softly through its pained and panting gasps. The other two sprawled lifelessly next to Masoj's mutilated body.
They should've been dead with the first shots! What the hell are they?
Jarlaxle had taken a single, hesitant step toward the slaughter in front of them when the blackened sky was suddenly shattered all around them by deep, echoing howls. The crisp night air was filled with the shrill primeval calls of their predators coming at the S.T.A.R.S. from all directions.
"BACK TO THE CHOPPER! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT PEOPLE!!" The former mercenary cried out urgently.
Entreri turned and ran, Zak and Drizzt in front of him and Jarlaxle behind, bringing up the rear. The four of them raced through the dark trees, unseen branches slapping at them as the howls grew louder and more frenzied. They had their prey on the run and now the chase would begin.
Jarlaxle half turned and fired blindly into the woods behind him as they stumbled toward the waiting helicopter, its blades already spinning. Entreri felt a profound relief sweep through him as he saw the chopper ready for take off as they scrambled out of the surrounding woodwork and into open ground. Berg'inyon must have heard their gun shots and prepared for take off in case the situation turned ugly. They still had a chance if they could only get to the chopper in one piece…
Artemis could hear the creatures behind them now, the sharp rustling of the undergrowth as lean, muscular bodies tore through the trees, quickly gaining ground. He could also see the youngest Baenre's terrified, wide-eyed face through the glass front of the helicopter, the reflected lights of the control panel casting a greenish glow across his panicked features. He was shouting something, but the roar of the engine drowned everything out, the blast of wind churning the field into a rippling sea, whipping their hair in and out of their sweat streaked faces.
Entreri had the sudden and sickening feeling of treachery as he saw the swift and nervous shift of Berg'inyon's eyes flickering from the controls in is hands to his teammates rushing toward him and, undoubtedly, the horrors that followed in hot pursuit.
Oh, don't you even dare…
He wouldn't! He couldn't! They were so close! Just another fifty feet! They were almost there!
Then red and silver met one last time in a meaningful glance and Entreri had his answer.
He would.
Zaknefien and Drizzt suddenly realized, too, what must have just went through their volatile pilot's mind and put on a burst of speed. As they closed the distance between themselves and their only hope for survival, the helicopter suddenly jerked into the air, accelerating wildly as the assassin caught a final glimpse of their betrayer's face and could clearly see the blind terror there, the unthinking panic that had gripped him as he clawed at the controls.
"NO! YOU FUCKING BASTURD!!" Entreri screamed, but the wobbling rails were already out of reach by the time Zak, Drizzt, and Entreri got in range, the chopper pitching forward and away from them through the thundering darkness. Jarlaxle caught up to them, his head craned up wards in angry, stunned, disbelief as his trot slowed to a gradual stop beside the last remaining members of his squad.
They were going to die.
Damn you, Baenre!
Jarlaxle's sharp hearing picked up the sound of a twig snapping close by. Turning, he fired into the darkness and was rewarded with a squeal of pain from one of their pursuers. There was at least four more behind, gaining on them rapidly and they had just lost their only means of escape. Or had they?
"Keep going!" he shouted, trying to get his bearings as they stumbled on, the piercing shrieks of the unholy beasts urging them to go ever faster. He had no idea how long they could keep running as they were. He had to think and do it quick. The moon had surfaced, full and luminous, aiding them in terms of light for they couldn't use their flashlights in this situation. In truth they didn't really need to for they had infrared vision allowing them to see clearly in the pitch blackness of the night. Well, at least three of them did…
...
Jarlaxle suddenly found himself for the first time in all his time knowing the assassin, that he was deathly frightened for him. The man was practically running blind out here with little to no visibility, guessing as he went and narrowly missing trees and rocks. One trip or snag was all it would take and then the creatures would tare him apart like they did Masoj…
He shuddered at the horrible thought. Artemis Entreri had been the Drow mercenary's closest friend for many years now. If something ever happened to him…
Not only was visibility an issue here, but, even though the man kept himself in outstanding physical condition, Entreri wasn't as young as he used to be and he was pushing fifty. His heart might give out on him before his legs did and that would spell disaster. With the man's fiery spirit and uncanny determination, Jarlaxle sometimes forgot he was human.
But that was exactly what he was. Human. And as such, he was the most vulnerable on his team at the moment. With that thought in mind, Jarlaxle fired behind him again, the shot going wide as his aim was thrown astray and saw another shadowy form join the hunt. The dogs were brutally fast. They didn't stand a chance, unless…
We gotta be able to make it to the mansion! It's our only hope!
"Veer to the right!" He yelled, hoping that his sense of direction was still intact. They couldn't outrun the creatures, but maybe they could keep them at bay long enough to reach cover. He spun and fired the last rounds in his clip. "Empty!"
Ejecting the spent magazine, the Drow captain fumbled for another one tucked into his belt as both Zak and Drizzt took up the defense, firing past him and into the closing pack. Jarlaxle slapped in the fresh clip as they reached the edge of overgrown clearing and plunged into another dark strand of trees. For one horrifying second, Jarlaxle thought they had lost Entreri for he couldn't be seen anywhere. Then he saw him, blindly racing as fast as he could from the beast that was quickly closing in on him from behind, nimbly dodging and jumping over obstacles a split second before collision.
Jarlaxle had to admit that he was impressed. Entreri wasn't even bothering to make any attempts at looking back, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to see a thing. Completely blind, he literally played it by ear and guessing where his would be attacker was and using his acute reflexes to alter his course at the last possible second keeping him just a hair's breath out of the reach of slobbering, snapping jaws. Jarlaxle knew that the man wouldn't chance a shot in zero visibility when there was the possibility of hitting his comrades and so the Drow captain took the shot for him, nailing the beast in the back of its head and the thing fell to the earth with out a sound.
The four of them stumbled and dodged through the woods, tripping on uneven ground as the killer dogs came on. Lungs aching for air, Jarlaxle pressed on even harder, trying to get away from the smell of the fetid, rotting stench of the beasts. As they narrowed the distance and began to close in, he somehow found the capacity to run faster.
We should have been there by now. We gotta be close…
Entreri saw it first through the thinning shadows of the trees, the looming monstrosity back-lit by the eerie sight of the full moon. "The house! Run for the house!" He shouted as he gasped painfully. It felt as if his lungs were going to burst and his heart collapse. He wasn't sure on how much longer he could keep this up but he had to focus on that one pillar of hope in front of him. He could make it. He had too!
It looked abandoned from the outside, the weathered wood and stone of the giant mansion crumbling and dark. The full size of the structure was cloaked by the shadowy, overgrown hedges that surrounded it, isolating it from the rest of the forest. A massive outset front porch presented double doors, their only hope for sanctuary.
As his legs pumped faster, his feet pounding the earth beneath him, Jarlaxle actually heard the snap of powerful jaws just behind him, aimed at his heels and fired at the sound, instinctively aiming where his sharp ears pin pointed his assailant to be as he ran for the front of the mansion. With a gurgling yelp, the creature fell away, and the rest of the howls that rent the night air rose to a frenzied pitch with the thrill of the chase.
Drizzt reached the doors first, slamming into the heavy wood with one shoulder as he snatched at the handles. Amazingly, they crashed open and brightness from the lit lights inside spilled out across the stone steps to the porch, lighting the path for the other three. He turned and started firing, providing cover as the three gasping men ran for the opening in the darkness.
They made it one by one, to the mansion, with Drizzt diving in last and Zak throwing his full weight against the door, wedging it closed against the enraged snarls of the creatures as they closed the distance to the large heavy doors. He collapsed against it with his face streaked with glistening sweat, as Entreri found the entry's steel deadbolt and slid it home, collapsing against the wall to steady him self afterwards.
They had made it. Outside, the dogs howled and scrabbled uselessly at the doors that separated them from their quarry.
Jarlaxle took a deep breath of the cool, quiet air that filled the well-lit room and exhaled sharply. As he'd already known, the Spencer house wasn't abandoned. And now that they were here, all his careful planning was for nothing. The Drow captain silently cursed Berg'inyon Baenre not for the first time that night and wondered if they were any better off inside than out.
