James Axler – Shadow World

“He’s right,” Nara stated. “It’s best if we go after first light. It’s not more than a couple of hours away.”

They all sat down on the concrete roof by the ventilator and waited for the sun to come up. After a while the wind started to pick up and it got bitterly cold. There was no shelter. When Nara leaned against Ryan, he could feel her shivering through her thin lab coat. He put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer.

“Thanks,” she said, looking up at him. “I’m about frozen.”

“No problem. It’s warming me up, too.”

The blonde snuggled in, getting as comfortable as she could. After a moment she said, “Ryan, don’t worry. We’re going to get back. We’re going to make it. We’ve got to.”

Ryan didn’t reply. It was a waste of breath. He closed his eye, lowered his head and tried to rest.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Krysty awakened with wrenching pain in her right shoulder. Her arm was twisted and pinned under her side, and her cheek rested in the dirt. It felt like something was stretched over her face and head. Above a line of collapsed roofs, above the black wall of the ridge, the sky was beginning to lighten, fingers of pink clawing through the lavender. She knew at once that she was back in the ville of Moonboy, but she didn’t remember making the trip. There was a steady hissing noise, too loud even for mutie snakes, she thought.

She was aware of a warm, heavy weight on top of her. Whatever it was, it was snoring softly. Krysty tried to move forward, out from under the pressure, and found she couldn’t. Something that was stretched over her head prevented her. With her fingers, she felt the mesh of a net.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember. The effort made her head spin, and she thought she was going to be sick.

Then she heard footsteps. Turning her head as far as she could, she saw four black figures moving across the street. They stopped in front of a huge shape silhouetted against the morning sky. When she saw the missile, and the steam jetting from its base, Krysty’s confusion began to lift.

She remembered trying to rescue Ryan, and failing. She remembered fleeing with the companions over the ridge to the shore of the mud lakes. She remembered the battle with the coyotes and facing down the gunship. There, her memories ended. Whatever the men in black had done to her, she was now trapped.

With her free hand she felt around above her, and caught the snorer by the ear. From the frames of the wire-rimmed glasses, she guessed it had to be J.B. She gave his ear a hard shake.

“Uhhh,” J.B. moaned in protest, but he didn’t wake up.

She shook him harder.

“Easy, Krysty, or you’ll tear the damned thing off,” a voice behind her whispered. It was Mildred. “And he won’t even feel it. He’s still narcotized, dead to the world.”

“Where are you?” Krysty said. “Sort of behind you, and turned sideways. Is this your calf?”

“Ow.”

“I thought so.”

“What about Doc?”

“I’m facing his boots.”

“My back must be turned toward him. I can’t see him. Jak and Dean have got to be on top of J.B.”

“Did they take all your weapons?” Mildred asked. “I’ve got nothing I can reach. Probably got nothing, period.”

Krysty felt for her Smith amp; Wesson. It was gone. “They got my blaster, too.”

“Man, this net cord is tough stuff,” Mildred said. “It’s way too thick to bite through.”

“I could’ve snapped it,” Krysty said, “if I hadn’t already used up my powers.”

“Have knife,” said a soft voice from above.

“Jak and Dean, are you okay?” Krysty said.

“I’m okay, Krysty. My head hurts, though,” Dean replied.

“Cramp in foot. Ache in head. Have knife. They missed it. Had it hid inside my sleeve. Cut net.”

“No, wait,” Krysty told Jak. “Not yet. Not until J.B. and Doc wake up. We can’t make a move while they’re still unconscious.”

“I wake J.B.,” Jak said.

From above there came the sound of a muffled blow, followed by another, then another.