Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest or any works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. I am making no money off of this and it is purely for fun and enjoyment.
A/N: 04JAN16, I made a slight update to chapter 20 in the scene with Jonny and Benton.
Chapter 21
Race shielded his eyes as the brilliance of the enlarged sun burned into his vision. The cramped Cessna had left the hastily assembled, overnight camp that the team, to include the crusty old pilot Allen Christy, had departed only a few hours prior. The first day's journey had proved uneventful, and now, as they headed to their final destination, the mood within the plane had grown somber.
As the plane chugged onward, Race struggled to keep his attention on his duties as Christy's co-pilot, re-familiarizing himself with the controls of the small, private aircraft. Yet, strange thoughts invaded his mind. A sense of dismay loomed over him as they drew nearer to the mountains, which rose from the ice in the distance. The sight of the massive range filled him with a sense of awe, an amazing wonder that not many people were fortunate to ever be able to lay their eyes upon. But Race knew full well that the privilege of visiting such a marvel was only due to the horrific state of affairs in which they were unwilling sucked into.
"Do you see 'em?" Christy asked over the headset. Each person in the plane, with the exceptions of Sheppard and Kumar, wore the listening devices. "Beautiful aren't they?"
"But frightening as well." Benton's tone was flat; he no longer attempted to hide his exhaustion from the others.
"We'll circle as best we can," Christy stated. "Try and find a place to land."
Race gave the pilot a thumbs up as the frozen mountains drew closer as an unsettling silence once again fell upon the passengers of the plane.
A little less than an hour later, the massive range engulfed the tiny plane. Race whistled as his eyes took in the serene, but treacherous landscape. "Amazing."
"I'll circle around," Christy turned the controls, banking the plane to the right.
The Quest team studied the ice covered land, searching for some hidden feature that could direct them towards their destination.
Jessie tapped Sheppard's shoulder. The gaunt man was stoically silent, his eyes locked on the control panel between her father and the pilot. Jessie wondered if the man's fears were due to being in the tightly packed airplane or if something about the mountains had paralyzed him, she assumed it was probably a combination of both or else his mind saw something that none of them could possibly fathom. The latter thought scared her more than the mountains themselves.
"What?" He hissed at her as he finally tore his gaze away from the array of blinking lights and gauges.
Jessie removed her headset and leaned closer in order to enable him to hear her more clearly. "Where do we need to go?"
"To the book." He replied, his face contoured with a look of confusion. Jessie understood Doctor Quest's request to be patient with the deranged man.
"But where is the book? How do we get to it?" Jessie kept her tone gentle.
Sheppard laughed, drawing the attention of the others. He wiggled a bony finger at the red-head and said, "Only those that have seen the truth can take possession of it."
"What do you mean?" Hadji asked, sliding closer to Jessie.
"Once you have stared into their eyes, once you have gazed upon their hideous glory, once you have accepted them as the true elders and rulers of this plane of existence, then and only then can you understand what it is that controls our destinies."
"This guy is whacked." Jonny grumbled, his feelings towards Sheppard's mirrored those of his bodyguard versus his father.
Sheppard blinked at the boy's comment then straightening his back, he spoke with a clarity not yet heard since they had found him in the hovel in Damascus. "You may consider me insane, young man, but I am saner than any of you can possibly imagine. You face a threat unbeknownst to the majority of this planet's petty inhabitants. Even those that wish to destroy you have no idea of the powers that they are attempting to control. They will seal the fate of this entire planet if they are not stopped."
Jessie made no attempt to hide her shock at the man's revelation. "They possess the Necronomicon. They've summoned Cthulhu."
Utter seriousness took over the man, leaning down, only inches away from Jessie's face he said, "You think that Cthulhu is so powerful?"
"What are you saying, Jacob?" Benton asked, a sense of uncontrollable terror filtered through his bones.
Sheppard held Jessie's gaze a moment longer, then straightening back up he gestured towards the mountains beyond the aircraft's windshield, "Behold the Mountains of Madness. The resting place of The Elder Things."
All eyes turned in the direction the man pointed. As if on cue, Race piped in, "There!" He exclaimed, pointing out the window as well. "It looks like a door."
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His insides burned with rage and contempt. Watching the reporter and her companion through his secret peephole he felt the hate brewing inside of him. His orders were to watch and report on their actions, nothing more, but he was tired of it. He was tired of being ordered around by outsiders; outsiders that knew nothing of the ways of Innsmouth or of the Old Ones. They wanted revenge and power, but they had no idea of what they were about to unleash. Perhaps he could still make a difference, perhaps he could still prove his worth to the Cult and then they would assimilate him into their group; he could become a true acolyte.
He watched the dark haired man in the suit; he saw the man's gun. He knew this man was more dangerous than he had first anticipated, but no matter. A distraction, perhaps. That was all that was needed. If he could distract the man, then he could take the curly haired woman for his own. Once he had his way with her, he would take her and the troublesome man to the two women. They would give him the woman as a reward; he cared not for what they would do to her friend, perhaps they would even let him kill the partner. That would be fun indeed.
Hearing the water shut off, he watched as the fellow stood, then move out of his line of sight. Sneering he pushed away the illicit thoughts that crept into his brain, thoughts that his grandmother always said were unhealthy and unclean.
As the woman emerged from the bathroom and into his view, he was disappointed that she was fully clothed. She was drying her luxurious hair with a towel. The sight energized him and renewed his conviction that he must act upon his desires.
He would have her, no matter what.
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"Change of plans," Phil told Heather as she emerged from the shower, toweling her hair.
"Such as?" She tossed the wet cloth onto the bed, then reached for her brush.
"I'll explain on the way." Phil replied. His tone made Heather stop and she glanced at her impromptu companion and protector.
"You look like hell yourself," Heather replied as she finished brushing her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. "You don't want to rest?"
Phil shook his head, he knew that they were not safe at this motel. Something about the place unnerved him and he had no desire to talk about their situation within the structure's walls. "Maybe later. We need to get going. Trust me."
"Alright," She sighed as she grabbed her purse. She saw he had already gathered up his small bag as well. "Are you ever going to tell me what's really going on here? Where's Doctor Quest and the others?"
"I'll explain as best I can, but let's get moving." He turned his back to her and she watched as he withdrew his sidearm, but kept it parallel to his leg. 'What set him off?' She wondered as she gathered her belongings. She eased up behind him, suddenly very scared.
"We'll take my car." He said as he opened the door. Stealing a quick glance outside, it appeared clear. Nodding back at her he said, "Let's go."
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Race breathed a sigh of relief as Christy brought the plane down in a near perfect landing. Flying in such cold, thin air was always dangerous, but the expert pilot proved his value as the aircraft came to a stop about a quarter mile from the strange entryway that Race had spotted from the air.
While the sheer size of the mountains was visible from the air, it wasn't until landing that the awesomeness of the formations could truly be appreciated. The entire range was completely covered in a thick blanket of years upon years of ice and snow. As the plane powered down, the team clambered out, finally able to stretch their legs after the long expedition into the exotic land of ice.
"There," Race pointed at the base of the closest formation of rock. Even from their current distance, the doors appeared massive in size, larger than was necessary for any human to enter. Even the world's largest animal would have no problem clearing its way through the gigantic doors.
"What is this place?" Jonny shivered. Even with the sun high in the sky, the temperature was immensely colder than it had been at Professor Wells' camp.
"One must see," Sheppard replied, a devilish grin appearing upon his craggily face. His insane banter had returned after his brief moment of clarity back on the plane.
They had all donned large parkas and pulled on their hoods and goggles on to protect them from the fierce winds and deathly cold. Race and Kumar both hefted large backpacks filled with supplies onto their backs and both men carried rifles. Race even had his sidearm snuggly secure in an inner pocket of his parka. Christy stayed with the plane, never once offering his assistance with the expedition. While the salty old man was pleasant enough, Race had noticed the change in the man's attitude as they landed. He was afraid of this place.
"Let's get moving," Race ordered and trudged off in the direction of the sinister portal.
Moving as quickly as possible, the team crossed the barren land without speaking, reserving their energy for whatever may lie beyond the threshold of the mountain. Shadows loomed at the gateway, the sun blotted out by the enormous peaks. The short trek proved more taxing than anticipated and as they came upon the door, each member was visibly breathing heavier than when they had left the landing zone; each member with the exception of Sheppard.
Benton took note of the subtle changes in his one time colleague. Since disembarking the plane, the man seemed more alive than he had previously. While he body was still fragile, he pulled himself up a bit straighter when he walked, his eyes were focused, no longer darting wildly back and forth. Something about this place had given Jacob Sheppard a new life, and Benton found himself wondering if his assessment of the man had been wrong, even with Sheppard's insane babblings. Perhaps he wasn't the scarred, damaged, broken man they thought he was. Benton shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind; he had to stop second guessing every decision he made. His mind needed to be clear if he was going to get his family out of this situation alive.
The strange entrance was even larger up close than it had at first appeared. The double doors stood at least thirty feet high, made of the same ice and stone as the mountain, as if it had been carved where it stood. The construction of such a magnificent sight could not have been created by any human hands, not in such harsh and unforgiving conditions that the Quest team currently found themselves in.
"What now?" Jonny asked as he hopped lightly from one foot to the other.
Jessie moved to touch the door, intrigued by the ornate carvings that adorned them. Strange symbols and depictions of things that appeared neither plant nor animal, yet somehow appeared to be both, were engraved upon the doors. Raising her eyes skyward, she could tell the entire length of the massive doors were covered with the grotesque pictures.
As she raised her hand, Race snatched his daughter's wrist, "I don't think that's a good idea, Ponchita." He warned.
Turning towards Sheppard, Race grilled the man, "So how do we get in?"
"Are you sure you wish to enter their domain?" Sheppard voice was crystal clear.
Race sneered back, "No, we want to stand out here at freeze to death!"
"Race, that's not helping." Benton interjected, but he understood his friend's frustration, not to mention in the shadows of the mountains the temperature was becoming almost unbearable.
"Jacob, how do we get in?" Benton asked, trying to sound as appeasing as possible.
Approaching the doors, Sheppard answered, "All you must do is knock." He faced the door then raised his scrawny arms above his head, gazing towards the heavens. A low chant emanated from his lips, "Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater; Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater."
With each iteration his voice became louder and louder, to where it boomed against the encrusted rocks surrounding them," Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater; Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater."
"Doc, I don't like this," Race murmured to his friend as he tightened his hold on the M4 Carbine rifle.
Sheppard roared, "Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater! Ya rola le ti der mina shoggoth inexil par reem Faater!"
The ground shook, ice cracked and the ancient doors parted. Sheppard disappeared into the gullet of the mountain.
The inviting darkness beckoned the Quest team onward.
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"Where are we going?" Heather asked from the passenger seat. The temperature had dropped since she had arrived back at the motel and the blackness of night was not helping her relax. She glanced at Phil, who had kept his eyes on the road, occasionally glancing back at the rearview mirror.
"Are we being followed?" She inquired.
"You ask a lot of questions, you know that?" Phil grumbled.
"I am a journalist, it's in my nature." She shot back.
Phil frowned visibly. He was already regretting asking Heather to come to this unholy place, but now she was here and he felt a sense of duty to get her to safety. "I'm taking you to my plane."
"What?"
"You heard me. I made a mistake asking you to come here. This is no place for you."
"Oh hell no, Mister!" She shot back. "You got me into this,"
"And I'm getting you out of it." He cut in.
"Stop the car." She demanded.
"No." He replied.
"Stop the damn car, Phil!" Heather shouted.
Swearing under his breath he pulled the car to the side of the deserted road and threw it in park. Glaring at her he asked, "What's the problem?"
"You are not getting rid of me so easily! We had a deal."
"This wasn't part of the deal. I knew what we were up against, but not until I got here did I realize that asking you to come here was a mistake."
"How so?" Heather asked. She didn't care for the tone in the man's voice.
"It's too dangerous and this isn't the line of work you are used to."
"Don't belittle me like that!" Heather spat. "I can hold my own."
Phil continued to stare daggers at the woman.
"I found the Zin sisters for you. Doesn't that count for something?" She claimed.
"We would have found them eventually."
"You're an asshole, Phil." Heather's accusatory inflection appeared to have wounded the agent. Heather clung to his sudden shock, "You can't do this. These people are after me as well. You need to fess up and tell me what's really going on! I'm no damsel in distress that you need to sweep off to safety."
Phil's stare bored into the woman, but he eventually sighed and said, "Did you even realize what was going on back at that motel?"
"What do you mean? It was creepy, sure, but..." she didn't know what else to say.
"Something wasn't right about that place. About this place." He gestured at the surrounding countryside. "Innsmouth isn't even supposed to exist."
"I'm not following you, Phil. And frankly, you're kind of freaking me out."
She watched him glance out the windows again, then turning his attention back to her, he explained. "There's something wrong with these people. I don't know what it is for sure, but I think they are infected. Likewise for the cultists we encountered in Damascus."
"Infected? How so?"
"Back at that farm they are breeding a mind controlling parasite that they use to infect their followers."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I dug one out of Race Bannon's arm the other day."
Heather's eyes were wide, her heart pounding in her chest. "You're not serious."
Phil shook his head, "I wish that was the case. But even those things are not the worst of what is going on here. You saw that creature in the sea, you felt the presence of that one in your mind back at the hospital. This situation," He paused contemplating the right words, "it's not going to end well and I don't want you to be a part of it. Leave now, with what lucidity and purity you still have."
"Why such concern for me?"
Phil shot her a half smile, "I'm not as callous as you seem to think I am, Heather."
"I never said that you were."
"Well stop acting like it. I deal with stubborn, bullheaded agents every day. Throw the Quests, Race Bannon and his dogged daughter into the mix and my life is full of enough drama. I don't need any more."
Remaining quiet for a moment, she studied the Director intently. Observing his body language, she felt there was more behind his reasoning than he was revealing. 'Does he have feelings for me?' She wondered, but pushed the hopeful thought to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to be getting mushy over the man.
"I'm staying." Heather announced. "The only way you're getting me off your back is if you throw me out of this car. Now is that something a compassionate man such as yourself would do? Leave a woman stranded on the side of the road in Monster Country?" she smiled caustically at him.
Shaking his head, he threw the car into Drive and gunning the engine, made a wide U-Turn, heading back towards Innsmouth. Heather beamed inwardly, but she tried not to gloat.
"You know, I'm not even married anymore and I get more crap from women as of late than I did from my ex-wife!" Phil growled.
"Well that's good to know." Heather blurted out without thinking.
"What's that?" Phil asked.
"That you're not married." She swore she heard him choke.
"Where are we headed?" She figured she needed to recover quickly from her little slip.
"To the farm."
"What for?"
"If you're going to stay then I might as well take advantage of an extra set of hands."
Heather stared at him, "For what?"
"You want to blow some shit up?" He smiled back at her.
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Benton switched his lantern to the ON position as the team crossed the threshold, entering the Mountains of Madness. Concentrating on keeping his hand steady, he felt Race come up to his side.
"Sheppard's gone." Race's voice was low.
"There's only one direction he could have gone." Benton replied as he flipped his hand forward, the lantern casting an eerie glow into the darkened depths.
Race turned towards the others. "Everyone stay close." He instructed.
Each of the teens held a similar lantern to the one that Doctor Quest possessed, but only Hadji turned his on at the moment. He hung to the rear of the group, next to his faithful bodyguard Kumar who was currently positioned to watch the rear of the team.
"Let's get moving." Benton stated and headed off down the wide corridor, with Race at his side, the three kids sandwiched between them and Kumar at the back.
As the team traversed the corridor, heading deeper into the caverns, Benton's lantern swung back and forth, casting ghostly shadows upon the smooth interior walls. He briefly glanced upward into the dark, but could not discern how high the ceiling must have been.
"Any idea what's in these mountains, Jess?" Jonny asked.
Shaking her head with a frown she replied, "No."
Approximately thirty meters from the entrance, the corridor came to a fork, with two passageways veering off in opposite directions. The temperature had risen significantly the deeper they went and Race found himself starting to sweat. "What now?" He asked as he unzipped his jacket slightly.
"I do not advise splitting up," Benton stated.
Race nodded. "Agreed, Doc."
"So which route should we take?" Jonny asked. As if in response to the boy's inquiry, a hideous snarl seeped forth from the passageway to the right. The source of the terrifying noise could not be seen, but movement within the shadows set Race to high alert and he pushed Benton behind him. "Stay back." He ordered as he raised his rifle.
Moments later the form of Sheppard stepped into the light cast by Doctor Quest's lantern. Relieved, Benton exhaled. He motioned for Race to lower his weapon, which Race did, but only begrudgingly.
"Where did you go?" Benton asked as the feeble man came to stand before them. A wicked smirk was spread across his lips. He had shed his jacket and goggles, but steam rose from the man's body as if he was overheating.
"To see," Sheppard replied.
"To see what?" Jonny questioned.
"Them." Sheppard replied, he appeared giddy.
Race exchanged a worried glance with Benton who then asked, "Where is this book?"
"With Them." Sheppard replied.
"Who are you talking about?" Jessie asked.
"We should keep moving, Doctor," Race whispered through the side of his mouth. "This could be a trap." His distrust of Sheppard once again solidified by the man's vague responses.
"Agreed," Benton said. "Just stay alert and no one wander off."
"Follow me, Doctor," Sheppard instructed. "You will soon know all."
Another snarl emanated from the passageway that Sheppard had just emerged from, causing the group to freeze in their tracks.
"Shhh," Sheppard hissed, "They know you are here. The shoggoth are stirring. They are suspicious."
"So am I," Race growled under his breath as he tightened his grip on his rifle.
"Come now," Sheppard waved them forward and once again vanished into the dark. Quickening his pace, Benton strode to keep up with the scrawny man.
"How much farther?" Benton asked as placed a hand on Sheppard's bony arm, causing the other man to stop, then turn to face him.
"There is no end." Sheppard smiled and stepped backwards into the darkness.
"Jacob," Benton started but as he stepped forward, the lantern showed the passage was empty.
"He's gone." Hadji exclaimed.
"Vanished into thin air." Jessie agreed.
"Screw this, Benton," Race said, "Let's get out of here. We can head back, meet back up with Corbin who should be in Innsmouth already, and figure this out."
"We need the book." Benton stated.
"According to who?" Race grilled. "That lunatic that has us standing under a damn mountain?! We don't even know…"
Multiple snarls cut into Race's rant. This time they were from behind the group.
"Shit," Jonny mumbled.
"Keep moving," Benton stated with a firmness that left no room for argument.
The snarling grew closer; the Quest team ran ahead into the unknown.
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By the time they reached the desolate farm, darkness had taken over, only a slight illumination from the moon assisted their vision until their eyes were able to adjust. Phil steered the vehicle off the road, keeping a safe distance from the isolated structure that loomed in the foreground.
"You sure you're up for this?" Phil asked as he killed the engine and the lights.
Heather gave a curt nod, "Yeah, just tell me what to do."
Exiting, Heather followed the Director to the trunk of the vehicle and watched as he withdrew a large black bag. Setting it on the ground, he then removed his cell phone from his jacket and slid it into his pants pocket. Removing his suit jacket and tie and tossed them into the trunk of the vehicle. He then crouched down and unzipped the bag. Heather crouched down next to him.
Phil grabbed a flashlight from the bag, clicked it on, producing a low red glow. Lowering his voice he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt then stated, "These blocks are C4. All we have to do is place them around the vats inside, flip the activation switch, then come back here. I can set them off remotely."
"We've been driving around with C4 in the trunk?" Heather laughed.
"It's perfectly safe until activated." Phil explained.
Heather shook her head, "Yeah, got it. Sorry. I guess this type of stuff doesn't rattle you."
Phil studied her for a moment then joked, "I've found that most problems can be solved with the application of high explosives."
A shrill wailing stabbed through the calm night air and both agent and reporter turned their attention towards the farm and the direction of the sound the cut through the dead of night like a banshee.
"I forgot to mention," Heather whispered, attempting to keep her voice from cracking, "I thought I saw something in those woods."
"I see," Phil grumbled. His own nerves shaken by the hellish report from the forest. "Let's just do this quickly and get out of here. We'll figure out the next move later. Hopefully by then Race will have called or texted me back."
"Where are they anyways?" Heather stood as Phil hefted the bag over his shoulder.
"Antarctica."
"Really? So jealous right now." Heather joked.
"Hmph. I just hope they've found what they are looking for. If not, this will all be for naught."
The duo jogged across the open terrain until they reached the entrance to the derelict barn. Covering her nose and mouth, Heather said "It stinks."
Pushing through the door, the stench of the vats grew even more intense. Heather followed the I-1 agent as he made his way down the center, between the two rows of vats. She noticed that he did not look at the circular pools at all, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him. As he reached the last vat, he set the bag down and withdrew a couple of the blocks of explosives. Handing one over to Heather he said, "Just place it next to the vat and flip the switch. We'll move back down the line."
Heather nodded and took the square device from him. Following the instructions, she snugged the block up against the closest vat then flipped the switch.
Corbin had already placed his and moved on to the next vat when she came back to get another. "Is it really that easy?" She breathed as she snatched another block from the bag.
"We don't have time to mess with intricate instructions while in the field. The simpler the better."
Heather grinned, as frightening as their current predicament was, she was actually getting a thrill out of her task.
Minutes later they had emplaced all the explosives and exited the barn. "Hurry." Phil said as he ran back towards the car.
"Right behind you." Heather stated, staying on the man's heels.
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Boots pounded against the slick, stone floor as the Quest team ran through the darkened tunnel. The reverberations from the snarling creatures behind the group resonated off the walls, creating the illusion of being surrounded.
"Hurry!" Race called.
"Up ahead!" Benton shouted, his eyes drawn to a peculiar glow at the end of the darkness. "Look!"
Pushing themselves at hard as physically possible, they sprinted ahead. The greenish-yellow glimmer growing larger and brighter with each stride.
An ear-shattering barking flowed through the tunnel, immediately followed by howls and snarls from behind. Just as abruptly as evil cadence started it stopped. The snarls of the things that pursued them ended.
Even though the pursuit appeared to have ended, the group continued forward, reaching the end of the tunnel. Stopping to catch their collective breaths, the Quest team cautiously stepped forward.
"My God," Benton muttered as his eyes took in the magnificent horrors that stood before him.
"This is surreal." Jessie mused.
The group moved as one into the wide, circular chamber. The greenish-yellow light illuminated the entire room, yet scanning the area Benton could not discern its source. The chamber itself was at least fifty feet wide and rose to a height beyond measure. Upon the far side of the room, four massive blocks of ice shimmered, reaching at least fifteen feet high.
"These things should not exist in our world." Hadji proclaimed.
Encased in the ice were creatures that could only be described as alien. Their skin appeared smooth yet rubbery, colored a dark grey with splotches of green and red. Tentacles were frozen at the sides of the bodies and no distinguishable head could be seen. Large, folded wings protruded from their backs and stubby legs with massive blackened claws at the ends. Jessie noted that they resembled the crude engravings on the doors that led into the mountains.
"Doctor, those things…" Race started, unable to avert his eyes. "Four blocks of ice…"
Benton gulped, "And only two are occupied."
A shrill laughter broke their concentration, drawing their attention back to normal levels. At the base of the entombed creatures stood Jacob Sheppard. He stood next to a pedestal, upon which sat a large, ancient tome.
"The book!" Jessie exclaimed.
"Yes, the book that you seek." Sheppard replied as he strode forward towards the team. He had removed his shirt. His skeletal appearance was a repugnant sight, but the tattoos upon his body were truly repulsive, that artwork was alive, twisting and churning upon the man's pale flesh.
Raising his arms above his head he proclaimed, "Gaze upon the magnificence of The Elder Things."
"What's your game, Sheppard?" Race growled.
Sheppard made a tsk, tsk sound at the bodyguard then turned his attention to Doctor Quest. "You can appreciate such brilliance. You and the girl."
"I don't understand." Benton replied, genuinely confused.
"The Elder Things are the enemy of the Great Cthulhu, however they care nothing for the troubles of man."
"The book," Jessie said again, hoping to somehow appease the maniac's wild obsession with the trapped creatures. "We must have it."
Sheppard sneered at Jessie, a slithering tattoo crossing over his throat. "You must ask."
"How about I break your face and just take the damn thing!" Race said stepping forward.
All of Sheppard's previous behavior had vanished, replaced by the confident, adoring man that stood before them. Race's threats did not faze him. "That would be unwise, my friend."
Snapping his fingers, Sheppard grinned. Snarls echoed throughout the massive chamber. Swinging his head around, Race saw shadowy creatures emerge, clinging to the edges of the blackness.
"Stop this!" Benton ordered. "You tricked us into bringing you here, Jacob."
Sheppard shrugged, "My apologies, kind Sir."
Benton blossomed with anger, he jabbed an accusatory finger at the man he thought was an ally. "What do you want from us?"
Sheppard took a step backwards, his face clouded with evil intent. "I want you to die."
The glow in the chamber dimmed, shadows slithering inward. A tentacle lashed out from the darkness.
Kumar screamed as the appendage wrapped around his large frame, dragging him towards to gloom.
"Kumar!" Hadji shrieked and stretched his hands towards his captured protector. "No!" His hand latched on to the strap of Kumar's backpack, but the force of the creature's pull caused the nylon strap to rip and it fell off the man's back and out of Hadji's grip.
Kumar gasped, sheer terror replacing his once handsome and stoic visage. As it pulled him away, the tentacle wrapped itself around the Sikh's bearded face and drew him into the shadows. A wet, gurgled gasp drifted from within the shade, then a sickening crunch.
Hadji's eyes bulged as he stepped away, a river of blood flowed towards him.
Grabbing his brother's arm, Jonny pulled Hadji close to him, away from the horrific scene. Sheppard's laughter boomed off the chamber walls. Benton was paralyzed by what they had just witnessed.
"Now you will all meet the same fate." Sheppard mocked. "The Shoggoth are hungry."
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"They went inside the barn." He reported. Having trailed the pair at a safe distance, he watched as the object of his desires and her friend headed towards the barn. Concealing himself within a twisted bramble of bushes, he squinted as the two figures withdrew into the darkness.
"Stay where you are." The response was direct.
"What should I do?" He asked.
"Nothing! Just stay out of sight."
The line went dead. His body began to shake with anger, his displeasure with how the Cult and those two women were treating him overtook any sense of rational thought that he possessed.
Grinding his teeth, he seethed. Minutes later he watched as the two figures came back into his view. 'Damn them all to hell.' He thought. Balancing himself on the balls of his feet, his fingers curled around a thick, rotting log on the soggy ground beside him; he made his decision.
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Corbin reached into his pocket and pulled out the small rectangular detonator. Flipping the protective cover open, he glanced at the reporter, his new offhand partner, and asked, "You want to do the honors?"
Heather beamed, "Hell yeah. I don't think I'll get another chance to blow some shit up."
Corbin laughed as he placed the switch in her hand. They crouched down behind the rear of his vehicle and peered off in the distance towards the rigged barn momentarily. Turning away they sat on the cold grass. "All you have to do is push that button then cover your ears." Phil stated.
"Push the big red button, huh?" Heather grinned then depressed the trigger. The button flashed brightly three times and then the loudest, most thundering chain of explosions Heather had ever experienced rocked the small farmland just north of Innsmouth.
The ground shook as the barn exploded. A brilliant flash illuminated their nocturnal surroundings and Phil saw the reporter was grinning like a little kid. 'Always fun to blow stuff up.' He thought to himself.
Secondary blasts echoed through the night as the C4 detonated. Within seconds the barn had burst into flames. Heather tucked her head down as small chunks of debris flew through the air and impacted with resounding thuds all around.
The barn was aflame, the crumpling vibrations of the stressed wood crackled along with the rest of the contents of the buildings. A piercing wail, similar to the one heard earlier, rang out, drowning out the crackle and bursts of the flames. Phil and Heather glanced at each other then turned to peer of the edge of the car.
A macabre scene appeared before their eyes. From the wood line a horrid and grotesque being emerged. Aglow in the flames of the barn, Phil made of the roughly bulbous shape and tentacle mass of the creature. Only the two red glowing eyes were discernable as a facial feature on the otherwise gruesome and slimy creature. Phil watched with horrid fascination as the thing let loose another pained, deathly cry, its tentacles waving erratically as it plunged itself head first into the burning structure.
Sorrowful howls filled the brisk night air for a few more moments, then suddenly ceased. The only remaining sounds resulting from the burning barn.
"Well, that was interesting." Heather breathed as she turned away. Then a shocked gasped escaped her lips, causing Corbin to turn.
"You're mine now!" A low, malicious voice snarled in the dark.
"What the," Corbin started. As he turned to rise, the darkened shape of a man filled his vision. The intruder raised his arms above his head and struck.
All he could do was attempt to raise his arm to block the blitz attack, but he was too late, caught unaware as they had watched the barn burn. As the object impacted, Phil felt a sharp pain jolt through his arm and the large, dead log splintered and crashed into the side of his head. He was down before he knew what was happening.
"Phil!" Heather cried as her companion collapsed motionless.
Their attacker tossed the shattered log away and snatched Heather up by the arm, pulling her ferociously to her feet. Heather winced as he twisted her arm and began dragging her away into the darkness.
"Let go of me." She pleaded, her eyes darting between the man that was stealing her away and the man lying on the ground next to the car. "Phil, get up!" She hollered, but the man sneered and jerked her arm harder.
"You're mine!" He spat, drool running down his stubbly chin. "He's nothing now."
"Get off me, freak!" Heather struggled against his grasp, but it was no use. He was just too strong.
"Shut up!" He hissed. Fear welled in the pit of the reporter's stomach as she was dragged off further and further. Some yards away she saw a rusty old pickup truck and assumed it belonged to her attacker.
"What do you want with me?" Heather pleaded.
"I want you." He moaned causing her stomach to lurch.
As they reached the vehicle, he pinned her against the door, his rough hands locked onto her shoulders. Leaning in only inches from her face, he sniffed her curly locks. "You smell so much nicer up close."
Heather gagged and the man let loose a villainous laugh. He pressed his body against hers, immobilizing her both physically and mentally with fear. He looked into her eyes and Heather saw the excited anticipation that his orbs held.
While still keeping her secure with one hand, he used his other to run his dirty fingers through her hair. Gripping a handful he painfully jerked her head backwards, exposing her neck. He ran his sickly tongue along her bare flesh. Heather shuddered, tensed, and sobbed all in one.
"Get off of her!" Phil yelled as he stumbled upon the scene.
"You?!" The man barked, surprised that his foe was still alive.
"I said get off of her." Phil snarled and lunged at the man, slamming into him with full force and wrapping his arms around the man's torso.
The suddenness of the blow forced the man to release his grip on Heather and as he fell she cried out as her hair was violently tugged before he finally let go; her knees weak she collapsed to the muddy ground. She watched as Phil and her attacker crashed to the ground. A flurry of punches and kicks quickly ensued. Corbin pummeled the man as he tried to squirm out from underneath his opponent, but Phil's position kept the man pinned.
Phil withdrew his sidearm just as his target lashed out and grabbed the agent's wrists. The two men struggled as the man glared at the I-1 Director, then tossed Phil to the side, the handgun skittering off into the darkness. Staggering back to his feet, Phil saw his adversary stand, searching for Heather, his intended victim. As his eyes locked onto the frightening woman, he turned towards her, his assault on his opponent temporarily forgotten.
Corbin jumped back to his feet, racing forward. Wrapping one arm around the man's neck and the other around the back of his greasy head, he pulled him backwards. Snarling the assailant lashed out with his hands, but unable to do any damage he instead tried to pry Phil's arms away from his throat.
Enraged, Phil tightened his hold on the man, his bicep pressing painfully against the man's throat, cutting off his airway. The man's struggles weakened and Phil's eyes met Heather's. Seeing the pain and fear in her features sent Phil into an even deeper rage. Not releasing his hold he quickly repositioned his hands and twisted. The resulting cracks rang loudly through the night. The villain's eyes went dead and his body went limp in Corbin's arms. Letting go, the man's body slumped to the ground.
Stepping over the corpse, Phil hurried over to Heather, kneeling down in front of the fear stricken woman. Her eyes were locked on the body of her attacker, "Heather," Phil breathed heavily, placing his hands on her shoulders.
Heather flinched away from his touch, but he kept his hands on the trembling woman. "Heather, it's me. It's okay now. It's over."
Heather's gaze drifted to his and she mumbled, "You killed him."
"Yes."
"He tried," She started.
"Shhh," Phil tried to comfort her. "Don't say it. It's over. It didn't happen."
"He touched me. He…" Her voice trailed off.
"We should get out of here." Phil suggested.
"How sweet," A voice mocked.
Phil's face turned dark. Standing he turned to face the new threat. Before them stood the Zin twins and three robed cultists.
"I'm getting really tired of you people." Phil growled, his eyes searching the ground before him for his fallen weapon.
"As we are of you, Agent Corbin." Melana laughed as she produced her own weapon and pointed it at him. "We do not appreciate you destroying our harvest."
Quickly assessing the situation before him, Phil knew their luck had just run out. Sneering at the Zin sisters he spat, "I don't appreciate what you did to my agents. So I guess we're even."
"Hardly, Agent Corbin. You still have to pay for father's death." Melana replied then squeezed the trigger.
Corbin grunted as he was hit. Staggering backwards from the impact he lost his footing and fell to the ground next to reporter. She was the last thing he saw before the real darkness ensnared his mind.
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To Be Continued...
A/N: Sorry, but I figured I'd leave multiple cliffhangers in this chapter. :-)