Dakota Run

Chapter Sixteen

Blade whipped his Bowies from their sheaths as the blue G.R.D. charged him. The scaly skin, the fiery red eyes, and the unruly black hair presented a disconcerting aspect, enhanced by the creature’s maniacal countenance. Its bulk alone was intimidating, and Blade knew if he was caught in those massive arms he’d be crushed to a pulp as easily as he could squash a moldy mushroom.

He wasn’t about to give the thing the opportunity.

The blue monster lunged at Blade with outstretched hands, its tapered teeth white in the morning sun.

Blade ducked under the G.R.D.’s arms and pivoted, driving his left Bowie up and in, feeling the point penetrate the chest of his opponent. The Bowie was buried to the hilt before the thing could arrest its momentum, and it savagely wrenched the knife from Blade’s grasp as it spun, clipping the Warrior’s head with the back of its left hand.

Staggered by the glancing blow, Blade stumbled for a few feet, then recovered. He saw Gremlin and the one called Ferret grappling on the grass and Sherry standing nearby with her mouth open in astonishment.

Big help she was!

The blue creature was glaring at Blade, ignoring the knife in its chest, its bony fingers clenched into claws.

“Ox want you bad,” the G.R.D. hissed. “You hurt Ox!”

“So your name’s Ox?” Blade rejoined, grinning. “The Doktor obviously didn’t name you for your brains!”

Ox, livid at the slur, roared and leaped, hurtling through the air and striking Blade around the mid-section, bearing him to the ground.

Blade stabbed Ox’s back as he fell, three times in rapid succession, planting the second knife between Ox’s shoulder blades. His breath was caught short as they crashed on the grass, Ox on top, the thing’s forehead in his stomach.

Ox gripped the second Bowie in his right hand and tore it free of Blade’s grip. “See how you do without little pin,” he sarcastically cracked, tossing the knife aside.

Blade surged against the G.R.D.’s heavier mass, striving to flip the thing over.

Ox, straddling the Warrior, laughed. “Try again, puny man! You can’t hurt Ox!”

Blade, twisting and thrashing, spotted Gremlin and Ferret still locked in combat. Ferret appeared to have the upper hand. It looked as though Gremlin had tripped over a log, and Ferret was on top, flailing away with all his strength.

Sherry suddenly recovered her voice. She faced the cabins, cupped her hands to her mouth, and stretched her vocal chords to the limit.

“Hhhheeeellllpppp!”

Ox glanced up, distracted.

“Shut her up!” Ferret barked, still pummeling Gremlin.

Sherry took a few steps toward the cabins.

“Hhhhheeeellllpppp! Help us! Over here! Hurry!”

“Damn it!” Ferret fumed. “Shut her up now!”

Ox immediately obeyed, forgetting Blade, hastily standing and running at Sherry.

Blade rolled to his feet. “Sherry! Look out!”

She heard him and turned, her initial panic gone, replaced by grim determination.

Blade ran toward them, fearing for her life. She was unarmed, untrained, and the G.R.D. outweighed her by a good three hundred pounds. What could she possibly do against the hulking deviate?

Sherry was in motion, racing toward Ox instead of in the other direction.

The G.R.D. slowed, perplexed by this unexpected development, its dull wit encumbering its exceptional reflexes.

Sherry was only two feet from the creature when she abruptly dropped to the grass, tumbling, her body striking the blue thing across the shins and causing it to lose its balance.

Ox attempted to stay erect, but his impetus prevented him from stopping completely. Before he could recover, he lost his footing and fell, his knees inadvertently striking Sherry on the left temple as she tried to dodge aside, stunning her.

Blade, intent on Sherry’s dilemma, failed to notice Ferret coming at him until it was too late. He was bowled over, and before he could regain his feet, in a flurry of brutal punches and jabs, the diminutive G.R.D. dazed him, almost rendering him unconscious.

Ferret spun on Ox, still on his hands and knees next to Sherry. “Can’t you do anything right?” He pointed at the Warrior. “Bring him and I’ll carry Gremlin!”

“Ox thought we were going to kill them,” Ox stated, crossing to Blade and easily lifting the muscular Warrior in his brawny arms.

Ferret knelt and hefted Gremlin over his left shoulder. “We are,” he told Ox. He rose and began moving toward the trees. “But that woman’s big mouth has alerted the Family and they’ll come to investigate. The Warriors will come. We can’t be here when they arrive.”

“Ox isn’t scared of the stupid Warriors,” Ox declared.

Voices were being raised in alarm from the direction of the cabins.

“Move your ass!” Ferret barked, leading the way.

They entered the woods and headed due east, skirting the fields, sticking to the heavier underbrush, and listening for any sounds of pursuit.

There were none.

“Ox still don’t see why we didn’t just kill them,” Ox protested.

“Because,” Ferret said over his right shoulder, “the Doktor told us to terminate Gremlin a certain way. Remember?”

Ox grinned at the memory. “Yes. Doktor wants us to make an example of Gremlin.”

“That’s right. The Doktor doesn’t like it when one of his little charges goes traipsing off on its own. It makes the Doktor look bad and the Doktor doesn’t like that.”

“No, Doktor doesn’t,” Ox snickered.

They covered over five hundred yards before Ferret was satisfied they were temporarily safe.

“Drop him here,” Ferret directed when they reached a small clearing.

“This will do.”

Blade and Gremlin were deposited side by side on the grass.

“Now?” Ox asked eagerly, licking his lips.

“No, not yet,” Ferret replied. He leaned over Gremlin and slapped him three times across the face.

Gremlin came awake, still woozy. “You!” He attempted to rise, but Ferret shoved him onto his back.

“Stay put, traitor!” Ferret ordered. “Enjoy the few precious moments of life left to you.”

“Now?” Ox inquired again.

Ferret glared at his companion. “Let me guess. You’re hungry again!”

“Of course,” Ox responded. “Ox is always hungry.”

Ferret looked at Gremlin. “I’m sorry about this, but orders are orders. It’s nothing personal, you understand.”

“Gremlin understand, all right, yes?” Gremlin answered, nodding.

“Gremlin knew Doktor would send someone, no? But why you?”

“The Doktor created you,” Ferret said sadly, “and me. He knows us, our limitations and our capabilities, better than we know ourselves. He knows how fast you are, and he knew my speed is superior to yours. I may be smaller, but I’m equally as strong as you. He sent the lummox here,” and Ferret jerked his right thumb toward Ox, “as added insurance.”

“What’s a lummox?” Ox wanted to know.

“Doktor must be monitoring us right now, yes?” Gremlin said, staring at the collar around Ferret’s hairy neck.

“Undoubtedly,” Ferret agreed, studying the scar on Gremlin’s throat.

“It’s amazing you were able to discard yours,” he said in a low voice, a tinge of admiration in his tone.

“A miracle, yes?” Gremlin acknowledged, glancing at Blade. “Gremlin owe it to him.”

Ferret gazed into Gremlin’s eyes. “How? How was it done? You know what happens to us if we try to remove the collars. How were you able to do it?”

“Gremlin not sure,” Gremlin admitted. “Blade and Gremlin were fighting, yes? In Flathead Lake in Montana, no? Possible water shorted circuit.”

“I’m seeing it,” Ferret said, fingering his own metal collar, “and I still can’t believe one of us is free.”

“Why all this damn talk?” Ox demanded. “The Doktor said we must kill him. Let’s do it before someone comes!”

“How are you to kill Gremlin, yes?” Gremlin questioned.

Ferret frowned. “The Doktor said he wanted an appropriate example made of you. A fate to match the crime, as he put it.”

“What fate, yes?” Gremlin goaded him.

Ferret’s face reflected his loathing as he looked at Ox. “I’m to hold you down while Ox here eats you alive.”

“Eats alive, yes?” Gremlin repeated, shocked.

“And Ox is ready,” Ox announced, coming closer. “I’ll start with your soft belly and work my way up,” he said excitedly.

“Just think, Ferret, yes?” Gremlin remarked. “This could be you someday, too?”

Ferret pondered the prospect, his low brow knit in thought.

“Let’s get on with it,” Ox stated impatiently.

Ferret slowly nodded, his eyes conveying his regret. “I’m really sorry,” he said to Gremlin. “I have no choice.”

Ox stood next to Gremlin, towering over him, leering and drooling.

Gremlin nodded once, then attacked, lashing out with his right foot and striking Ferret in the loincloth. Ferret gurgled and fell to one side. Gremlin rolled to his left, away from Ox, hoping to make a break for it and return with the Warriors.

Ox was on Gremlin before he took two steps, gripping Gremlin from behind and pinning his arms to his sides. “Going somewhere?” Ox taunted. “I don’t like to see my meals running off like this!”

Gremlin, try as he might, couldn’t break free.

“Have a seat,” Ox advised, and followed his words with action. He savagely slammed Gremlin to the ground, knocking the wind out of him and causing a searing pain in both legs.

Gremlin contorted into a ball, clutching his injured legs, the pain agonizing.

“Now maybe you’ll stay put for Ox,” Ox said, grinning.

“Maybe he will,” someone else interjected, “but I sure as hell won’t!”

Ox whirled.

Blade was in midair. He was astounded to see his Bowie still buried in the G.R.D.’s chest, and he grabbed for the hilt with his right hand as he collided with Ox, the force of his lunge staggering the creature but not downing him.

Ox growled as he clung to Blade’s arms and endeavored to pull the Warrior toward his fangs.

Blade, stymied in his efforts to bring the Bowie into play, instead slammed his forehead up and inward, smashing it against Ox’s nostrils.

The nasal passages caved in, blood gushing from the shattered cavities.

Ox bellowed in torment and flung the Warrior aside, pressing his left hand against his nose in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

Gremlin was lying on the ground, his features twisted in misery.

Ferret was on his knees, holding his groin and groaning.

“You bastard!” Ox roared, and lunged at the rising Warrior.

Blade sidestepped and spun, watching as Ox checked his plunge and turned to confront him again. The G.R.D. was in the grip of sheer fury, reacting on a basic bestial level. It snarled and came at him, and Blade nimbly ducked under the groping arms and stabbed his Bowie into the creature’s left thigh, pulling the knife clear as Ox passed by.

Undeterred, Ox twirled and managed to grip Blade’s left wrist with his right hand.

Blade immediately buried the Bowie in the hand holding him.

Ox snarled and released Blade’s wrist, yanking his arm back and causing the knife to rip through half of his hand, tearing the flesh open from his knuckles to his wrist. Disregarding the injury. Ox swept his left leg up and caught the Warrior in the midsection,-doubling him over.

“Blade!” Gremlin cried. He was trying to crawl to Blade’s assistance.

Ox used his massive left fist and clubbed the Warrior to the ground.

Ferret was finally recovered and on his feet. “Nice going,” he complimented Ox. “Now let’s get this over with. I want to get the hell out of here.”

Gremlin, despite excruciating torment in both legs, endeavored to stand.

“No problem,” Ox said. “This will only take a minute.” He walked over to Gremlin and kicked him in the head.

Gremlin collapsed into a senseless heap.

Ox flicked his thick tongue over his lips, tasting his own blood and relishing the flavor.

“Get on with it,” Ferret snapped, disgusted.

“Don’t worry,” Ox said, grinning. He bent over Gremlin, his mouth only inches from his victim’s exposed stomach. “This will be a piece of cake.”

He opened wide, prepared to rip a large chunk of flesh from Gremlin’s abdomen.

The new voice intruded on his concentration.

“Did someone call my name?”