Theo dropped through the open and slammed the grill into place so forcefully it jammed. He fell onto Henry and the monster. An ice axe headed for his face. Theo screamed.
Richard, stunned by the monster’s brutal attack against Henry and the amount of blood pouring from the man’s life threatening wounds, turned to flee when he remembered he wasn’t completely weaponless. He whipped off the rucksack and pulled out Eli’s ice axe. He stepped forward and raised the axe above his head. He aimed for the Hunter’s face. Before the axe had covered half the distance, Theo dropped atop Henry and the monster. The tip of the axe narrowly missed Theo’s face when the man jerked his head to the side. The axe point entered one of the monster’s eyes. It howled and bucked. Theo and Henry were thrown to the floor. Richard pulled out the axe with a gruesome slurp and struck another blow that smashed through the monster’s teeth and tongue. A third blow entered its forehead. The monster’s frantic throes pulled the axe from Richard’s grasp. He backed away. The monster’s movements grew weaker until it moved no more. Panting heavily, Richard slid down the wall to rest.
Theo rushed over to Henry. A quick examination of the man’s wounds told him his friend wouldn’t survive. He felt a hand grip his arm weakly and looked at Henry’s pale face when he spoke.
“You are alive, my friend.” Henry’s voice was weak.
Theo smiled. “Thanks to you, old man.”
Henry nods at the wounds he cannot see. “Is it bad?”
Theo nodded sadly.
Henry smiled weakly. “It’s just as well. I’m too old for this adventurous lark.”
Henry and Theo glanced up at the vent. They’d forgotten about the other Hunter. Its claws appeared through the grill slats that still separated it from its meal. The bending metal screeched with its efforts to pull it free.
Henry pushed Theo away. “You must go before it gets through, or my sacrifice will have been in vain.”
“But I can’t―”
“You must. Now go, quickly, you don’t have much time.”
Richard climbed to his feet. “He’s right, Theo. There’s no saving Henry, but we can save ourselves. I’m leaving with or without you.” He turned away.
With tears misting his eyes, Theo looked at Henry, who grew weaker by the minute. Death wouldn’t be long in coming.
“Go, Theo, please.”
Though reluctant to leave his dying friend, Theo backed away. “Goodbye, Henry.”
“Goodbye, my friend.”
Theo turned and fled.
Henry stared at the Hunter monster glaring back at him through the vent. It could smell his blood and it wanted a taste. The Hunter’s attempts to free the slatted cover increased. Henry glanced around. His eyes came to a rest on the axe buried in the dead monster’s head. He dragged his weak body painfully over to the corpse. The tortured screech of metal rang out. The grill dropped to the floor with a loud clatter.
Henry gripped the axe handle and wiggled it free. The monster dropped to the ground and roared. Gathering his last vestiges of strength, Henry swung the axe at the sound. The monster grabbed Henry’s arm that held the weapon and twisted. A loud crack of bone accompanied Henry’s pain-filled scream. The axe slipped to the floor. Henry faced the monster and stared into its evil, soulless eyes. The fiend’s jaws opened. Its tongue slid across sharp teeth. Though he dreaded what was about to come, Henry smiled defiantly at the monster. Claws neared his face. He knew there would be pain. He almost welcomed it, because death would soon follow, and he would be frightened no more. At least the time it spent eating him would give his friends a chance to escape.
Driven by its primordial need to eat and kill twinned with an indomitable will to survive and its lack of any empathy, dispatching its prey quickly to spare it pain wasn’t something the Hunter considered. It dragged one of its sharp talons from its prey’s forehead down to its chin and bathed in the scent of fresh blood, red and thick, seeping from the cut. It leaned closer, ran its tongue along the blood trail and lapped it up. It licked its lips with a satisfied slurp. It wanted more, much more. It gripped a flap of skin and tore off a chunk.
Henry felt the pain and heard the scrape of claw upon bone, his bone. The creature’s rough tongue scouring the sensitive cut brought a fresh wave of torment. The sound of ripping skin, his skin and the intense pain almost brought him the relief he desired, but unconsciousness abandoned him. He remained alert to witness his pain and death. He felt his warm life-giving blood run down his face and neck and saw the claw reach out for more. Death won’t be long now. I’m coming, Martha.
Henry screamed.
When Death welcomed him into its fold, he was glad to be there.
CHAPTER 16
Escape
JANE PULLED THE WALKIE-TALKIE from her pocket. “I’ll try to reach base camp. Scott and Pike must be worried about us and, if I can reach them, I can let them know what we’ve found. They might be able to contact someone to get us some help once the storm dies down.”
“Good idea. I’m sure as soon as NASA finds out about the spaceship they’ll move Heaven and Earth to get here.”
Jane smiled. “If they believe us, that is.”
“Good point. If you do get through, let them know Richard and I are here and to let those at Byrd Station know we’re okay.”
“Will do.” Jane pressed the speak button. “Jane to Ice Rift base. Are you receiving me? Over.” She released the button and waited. Only static and shrill white noise replied. She tried again. “Jane to Ice Rift base. Are you receiving me? Over.”
The static continued.
Jack glanced up at the opening. “The storm must be blocking the signal.”
“And being below the ice doesn’t help.” She looked up at the hole. “Reception might be better if I climbed up to the opening.”
“If you think it’s safe, it’s worth a try.”
They turned on hearing footsteps. Richard and Theo approached. Both looked like they had been in a battle and some of the blood on their clothes looked fresh. Theo walked with a slight limp and wore a sad expression. With the absence of Henry and Max, it was an indication something awful had happened. Richard smiled at them; he no longer looked smug.
“Where’s Henry and Max,” Jane asked, fearing the answer would confirm her suspicions.
“Dead!” was Theo’s reply.
“The monster’s got them,” added Richard. He noticed the sandwiches, walked over and helped himself.
Jane laid a hand gently on Theo’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Theo.”
Theo glanced around the cavern. “Where’s Lucy?”
Jane quickly explained that she was still on the ship and why they’d left her there.
“So we have to go back,” said Theo, not relishing setting foot on the monster infested spaceship again.
“Some of us do,” said Jack.
“Well, I’m not going,” said Richard, between mouthfuls.
Jane glared at him. “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
Richard smiled.
She noticed Theo looking up at the hole. “The blizzard hasn’t lessened any.”
“I was afraid of that,” said Theo, wearily. “So we’re stuck down here, with them!”
“Until the blizzard passes or abates enough for us to risk facing it.” Jane held up the walkie-talkie. “I can’t get a signal down here, so I’m going to climb up just below the hole to see if I can get through to Scott. Let him know what’s happening and what we’ve found.”
Theo glanced at the rope dangling from the opening. “It might work, but be careful.”
Jane slipped on a harness, grimaced when the straps pressured chaffed skin caused by her earlier fall, and attached the rope.