Chapter Twenty:
Swarms
The last time he had almost died, Ezra Standish was struck by how blue the sky was, despite the carnage surrounding him. In the aftermath of the battle that left him broken and bleeding, what struck Ezra most about the whole situation was the contrasting beauty of the sky above, when around him there was nothing but death.
He had been lying against the cooling body of his beloved horse Chaucer, who had been his mount for most of the war, trying not to weep tears because Ezra was forced to put a bullet in the animal's head to end its suffering. In the charge that left him with an almost certain mortal wound, Chaucer was felled by a broken leg and riddled with bullets. Aware he would not be long for the world after, the gambler had sworn his last act on Earth would not be to let his trusted steed suffer.
Once the deed was done, Ezra had relinquished his hold on the weapon, allowing it to tumble into the mud next to him. Instead he reached into his soiled tunic and retrieved the deck of cards he'd carried with him throughout the war, feeling a little closer to the mother he had not spoken to since joining the army.
Around him, the battle raged on but Ezra was beyond noticing, since he was preparing to die. After three years in the trenches, seeing so many others die, their bodies lying across No Man's Land like uncovered graves, Ezra knew he intended to shake off the mortal coil with dignity.
Appearances Ezra , his darling mother would say. Appearances are everything.
However, it appeared he would not be meeting his end alone when Vin Tanner skidded next to him. Covered in mud and clearly showing his age, Ezra once again wondered how on Earth any recruiter could have seen a young man when it was so clearly a child in front of him. Vin was trying not to panic, even though his blue eyes widened like saucers seeing Ezra's current condition.
"Sit with me, Private Tanner," Ezra had offered him a smile, trying to assuage the terror he saw in Vin's eyes. For himself, Chris Larabee and Buck Wilmington, it was almost reflex to comfort the boy. "Indulge me in a game as I see out the end."
"No!" Vin balked at the suggestion. "I'm gonna get you help! You can't die! You...you...ain't told me what happens to Hercules when he goes to fight them lady Amazons. We still got more labours to get through!"
Despite the pain he was suffering, the life draining out of his body, Ezra couldn't help smile at recalling those fireside chats where the boy would listen in rapt attention as Ezra filled his head with tales of minotaurs and flying horses. Vin had emerged from the orphanage with a middling ability to read and it occupied Ezra's time strengthening those skills to an acceptable level.
"I'm sure I've aided your reading enough for you to pick up a book without my assistance. I'm sure you'll be able to read the conclusion of our Greek hero's adventures on your own."
"NO!" Vin had shouted vehemently and run off, leaving him on the battlefield to stare at the sky and resign himself to the fact, he was going to die alone.
Today, the sky was that same shade of blue and Ezra wondered if Lady Luck was trying to tell him something. Especially when he stood at the edge of the denuded roof of the ancient ziggurat, staring into the horizon of dunes and craggy terrain, straining to listen for the sound both he and Nathan recognised almost immediately.
Not that either Buck or Josiah was in any way less expert than them in such matters. Both men could identify, just by the rumble it made and know immediately, that screed in the air wasn't the hard wind blowing but the subtle nuances of a piston engine. From a BMW114 to a Manasco Buccaneer, Buck and Josiah knew their craft well enough to be able to identify, the make, model and the function of a plane's engine before it even appeared in the sky.
Just like he and Nathan recognised the thunder of horses when they heard it.
With white robes flowing around him, he looked very much like Lawrence must have done, comfortable among the desert dwellers, save for the sea green eyes squinting into the distance, trying to see past the landscape of craggy hills and rolling dunes to determine the direction of where the charge was coming. Just like he had been when he was astride Chaucer, the horse he still missed, staring into the ruined landscape surrounding the Oise River, Ezra wondered the same thing.
Where was the charge coming from?
"How many do you think?" Nathan asked, no trace of usual mischief in his voice. Nathan had joined the cavalry after the Oise-Aisne Offensive but mostly functioned as K Troop's medic. The true cavalry man was Ezra, who had ridden alongside Chris Larabee since the beginning of the war. If Nathan could detect the riders on approach, Ezra would be the one capable of offering more specific information.
Ezra didn't speak, he merely listened. Closing his eyes, he took stock of the clouds of dust beginning to appear on the horizon, how far they stretched across the dunes, the rumble of hoofbeats and the low rise of a war cry, growing in tempo as it approached. When he faced Nathan again, the pleasant gambler's demeanour, so full of affable charm was gone. In its place was an expression of hard steel, a look Nathan recognised when the man was about to make the kill.
"Mr Sanchez, we have incoming!" He shouted. "Gentlemen, I believe we may be in for a deluge."
"Oh shit!" Nathan swore and saw Josiah hurrying towards the machine gun he set up a short time ago, getting into position behind the sight in readiness to fire.
"What have we got?" Buck demanded as he hurried up to Ezra, his eyes searching the dunes and finally catching sight of the dust cloud approaching them. He couldn't tell exactly how many of the Erran were approaching them, but it took no feat of genius to know that there were a lot.
"At least a regiment," Ezra remarked as they faced the hordes converging on them. "Our best option at present is to cut down their numbers before they reach us."
"What about Chris and the others?" Nathan asked, glancing at the entrance to the temple.
"They're on their own," Buck stated before Ezra could. "With any luck, he'll hear the ruckus and do what he has to do to keep the girls safe or lay low until it's all over."
"It may not end the way we wish," Ezra pointed out.
"That's what I like about you Ezra," Buck scowled. "Always with the optimism."
"I prefer a dose of reality."
"I prefer it if you three get your asses into position before they get here!" Josiah hollered at them, his normally gravelly but erudite voice sounding like a demand from the Almighty above.
"Right," Buck agreed, thinking Ezra's strategy and Josiah's order was a good one. Searching the breadth of the platform they were occupying, he spotted a large enough slab of stone behind which to take cover. "See you over the top."
"Could you pick a better salutation Mr Wilmington!" Ezra grumbled as they spread out evenly across the plateau, each settling into their own nooks, taking cover from the inevitable barrage of artillery they would soon be forced to deal with.
Ezra found himself a similar refuge, the remains of a wall that had long since crumbled, leaving behind only a few feet of bricks for him to use as cover. His own Ceska Zbrojovka vz. 30 poised ready to fire, he held his breath watching for the enemy to come into view. He could hear their voices now, riding the wave of a battle cry that rode the dry, desert wind rolling towards them.
They rode out of the dust storm created by their mounts, like the horsemen of the Apocalypse and as many as Ezra had thought they were going to be, there were more. Just looking at the line of riders on fast approach to their location, Ezra knew there were almost fifty of them, about to overrun the temple. It was more than ten to one odds without Chris, Vin and JD in attendance and the gambler in Ezra knew poor odds when he saw it.
However, that didn't matter, they were going to have to hold the line, just as they had done in the war.
"Jesus!" Ezra heard Buck exclaim. The pilot was unaccustomed to facing a battle from this vantagepoint and Ezra knew, he was going to have to step in and take control of the situation in Chris Larabee's absence.
"Steady!" Ezra shouted to his comrades. "Do not fire until they are within range of your weapons! We must make every bullet count if we are to prevail!"
"Just say the word," Josiah called back. "And I'll let God sort it out for himself."
As they faced front, watching the enemy through the crosshairs of their weapons, the riders approaching were undoubtedly Erran. As they became more than specks in the distance, the four men waiting to receive them with artillery fire, recognised the distinct red robes and wondered if they knew such colours did not aid this ambush. If nothing else, it made it easier to pin down targets.
Three of the four waited for the gambler to give them the word, it was Nathan who was reminded that next to Chris Larabee, the highest ranking officer had been one Ezra P Standish. The gambler, despite being a pernickety cynic, was capable of employing the formidable intellect that made him such an expert cardsharp at the tables, to military strategy when the moment took him. In recent years, Vin Tanner had taken up the role as Chris's Lieutenant but Nathan remembered the time when it was Ezra they looked to for direction when Chris was occupied elsewhere.
"FIRE!" Ezra shouted.
The explosion of gunfire was deafening and as four guns blazed in unison, its sound travelling across the desert terrain like claps of thunder, their effects was evidence by the tumbling of bodies into sand as the bullets met their mark. Gaps began to appear in the line of riders as bodies fell and horses pulled up in an effort to avoid them. The battle cry began to rise in pitch and fervour and that was murderous vengeance they could hear in the enemy's approach.
Ezra saw the incoming riders and knew without a doubt in his mind, that he and his friends were not going to be able to stop them.
"Those are Arabian fat tailed scorpions!" JD exclaimed as the swarm came towards them, quickly covering the walls as well as the ceiling of the chamber they had entered. "They're native to this area and pretty lethal. I think they inject some kind of neurotoxin."
Both Chris and Vin let out an exasperated groan corresponding perfectly with the predictable squeal of horror from the two women next to them following that statement. As it was, the tide of black, bloated bodies, each the length of a man's hand, scurrying across the faded tiles of the columns in front of them and along the fresco covered walls, were forcing both of them into retreat, towards the steps they had descended to reach this chamber.
"Stay where you are!" Chris barked, using such a tone of command, it didn't just freeze Mary and Alex in their tracks, but startled JD and the Professor too. "We've got to get through them if we're going to reach the tablet!"
"You must be joking!"
Of course, it would be Mary that offered him argument.
"Use the torches!" Chris ordered grateful they hadn't yet extinguished the flames on the torches carried by everyone except himself and Vin. Considering the circumstances, the torches were now their only protection against the arachnid deluge about to sweep past them.
"Alex, stay close to me!" Vin told the lovely young doctor who obeyed without question, having concluded since she met him, there wasn't much beyond the sharpshooter's ability. Since they'd met, despite all the insanity they seemed to get into, his ability to navigate her through it couldn't be questioned.
"No problem there!" She bit back as the first of the scorpions came into view above their heads and she shuddered, raising her torch above her head and finding some sense of relief when the ceiling reappeared at the creatures retreat from the fire.
Meanwhile JD and the Professor were flanking them, using their own torches to drive away the swarm of scorpions attempting to reach them. Stemming from the rear entrance they had to pass to keep going, the swarm had almost covered half the chamber by now. It was clear no progress to the tablet could be achieved without first going through these creatures. Furthermore, the scorpions all seemed to be converging on the trespassers, trying to reach them from every direction.
Mary brushed up against Chris, staying close because she was terrified and wished she'd put her hair up when she came down here. Now more than ever, she was conscious of her golden locks and what might get ensnared in them. Waving the torch over her head as she saw the creatures scurrying on the ceiling, she hated showing vulnerability, especially in front of this man, whom she found intriguing, if he were not such a chauvinistic jackass.
"Will you stop doing that?" Chris growled at her as she pressed her body against his as he tried to clear a path for them through the scorpions on the floor like Moses parting the Red Sea. The flames were forcing the creatures away and he felt his jaw clench in disgust watching them climbing over each other to escape the heat.
"Doing what?" Mary asked as she waved the torch once more, to keep the creatures from dropping onto his back and her hair. The idea of any of those monsters in her hair made her cringe in horror.
"Stop rubbing your body against me, it's very distracting."
Mary shot him and look and considered briefly turning her torch on him. "This is hardly the time for you to practise your ancient mating rituals!"
"Really?" Chris grunted as scorpion fell from the ceiling in front of him and he swatted it aside with his torch, sending it tumbling into the darkness. "I don't know, it's dark, there's candlelight and an interesting view." He tossed her a smirk before facing front again.
"You are an idiot," she bit back.
Chris didn't answer because he was thinking hard. It was taking too long to get through this and sooner or later, they were going to get stung by one of these creatures. Perfectly aware of how dangerous this species was, Chris knew he was going to have to get creative before the women fainted or something. Yeah, he was being sexist but he was a product of his times and not about to apologise for it.
"JD, gimme that bottle of whiskey you got stashed in your pack!"
"This is not the time for drinking!" Mary stared at him aghast. Chris however, ignored her.
JD who was presently brushing off a scorpion that had fallen on the Professor's pack with a torch straightened up in confusion until his mind quickly grasp what Chris was asking.
"I gotcha Mr Larabee!" He said enthusiastically and quickly reached into the satchel he'd been careful to retrieve from the Shah's boxcar before his escape and produced the bottle of Red Eye and handed it to Chris.
"You thinking we can make a run for it?" Vin asked, guessing Chris's plan and decided it was a good idea. Alex was ready to climb on his back and the way she was handling that torch, someone was going to get singed pretty soon. She was mighty jumpy. The woman was perfect in every way but like all her kind, she was just no good with bugs. Vin made a mental note to never take her camping.
"Yeah," Chris nodded as he unscrewed the bottle. "You okay with that Professor?"
While Orin Travis wasn't exactly decrepit, the man was advanced in years and this would require speed. What he intended was dangerous but they had no choice. They had to reach the doorway and hopefully escape this chamber. Chris only hoped this deluge of scorpions wasn't endless.
"I'll keep up," Orin answered, unoffended by the question. In his youth, he was quite the field archaeologist but he had been inside for the last decade. It was part of the reason he sought out Chris Larabee and his friends to take up the role of relic hunters for him. Still, he was by no means completely out of shape, though he appreciated the sentiment behind Chris's question.
Tossing the bottle a few feet ahead of him, the glass shattered against the paved floor with a loud crash, sending shards and liquid in all directions. A small island formed around the broken fragments as the creatures steered away from the glass fragments as well as the smell produced by the whisky. Wasting no time, Chris hurled the torch in his hand soon after.
The floor lit up with flames as the whisky ignited, spreading out as far as the liquid had sprayed when the bottle was smashed. As the room lit up with amber light, Chris grabbed Mary's hand and started running. He ignored her horrified squeals as her boots crunched the creatures underfoot as they rushed through the wall of fire. While it was dangerous to cross the space in such conditions, Chris knew they would be alright as long as they could get through fast.
"JD! Professor!" Chris called out behind him as he and Mary ran along the burning path. The kid would be smart enough to help the Professor if needed and no doubt Vin would ensure Alex was safe as they made the same journey.
With the flames illuminating every corner of the large chamber, the door at the rear was well lit now and Chris could see through it well enough to know there were no scorpions beyond the doorway, much to his relief. Running across the floor, he continued their rapid pace, dragging Mary along even though they were now beyond the range of the whisky fuelled flames. He ignored the crunching beneath his boots, even though he knew the sound made would turn even the most sensible woman into world to utter goo upon hearing it.
"Oh God..." he heard Mary's complaint and tried not to smirk. It was nice to know there were some things about her that were still inherently female.
They reached the doorway a few seconds later, leaving behind the chamber of horrors behind them or so they thought. Turning around, Chris saw Vin dragging Alex across the carpet of arachnids in much the same fashion as he had done with Mary. Still clutching their torches, they were soon followed by JD and Orin. Orin didn't move as fast as Chris would have liked but the old man was still pretty spry and join them in the hallway beyond the chamber a short time later. Behind them, the room continued to burn with the scorpion hordes moving through the passage they had descended, presumably heading towards the safety of the next level.
"Everyone okay?" Chris asked when everyone was in the hallway with him and pausing a moment to catch their breaths.
"Oh, I'm just peachy," Alex grumbled, brushing her hair furiously to make sure none of the creatures had inadvertently hitched a ride and would send her into hysterics when it finally made its appearance.
"We're good," Vin threw her a sidelong glance.
"JD, Professor?" Chris looked to student and teacher in quick succession. After what JD managed to do while in the company of the Shah and his men, the leader of the seven was no longer as concerned about the youngest of them being able to fend for himself. Still, it was habit that made him ask.
"We're fine," Orin said dusting himself off and throwing a glance behind him at the sight of the flames and the nest they had just escaped. "It has been some time since I've had to go through one of those. Nice to know I still can keep up."
"OH MY GOD!"
Chris winced and realised he left Mary alone. Spinning around immediately, he realised the woman had gone ahead into the next chamber. If it were not for the fact her father was present, a number of choice words would have escaped him as he stormed after her. After being confronted with scorpions, not to mention the last time she was left alone to her devices, she had almost gotten them all killed, Chris wasn't about to let her wander off alone.
"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" He shouted after her.
Vin shook his head, grateful he and Alex had shared an instant connection upon meeting because Chris's approach to mating left a lot to be desired. "Man's going to give himself an ulcer." He grumbled before following Chris up the hallway.
"Welcome to my world," Orin sniggered softly.