Bertha frowned. “I’m tryin’, Josh, but I can’t say as I understand much of this. Z tried tellin’ me about God a couple of times, but it was no good then too.”
“Zahner believes in God?” Joshua asked her.
“Of course. Z used to be a Horn before he started the Nomads.”
“Of course.”
Bertha stretched. “All this talkin’ is hurtin’ my head. I think I’ll take a walk and clear the cobwebs.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer to remain in the SEAL?” Joshua anxiously inquired.
“Safer maybe,” Bertha admitted. “But I need some fresh air. Your friends have been gone a long time.” She opened her door.
Joshua reached into the back of the SEAL and picked up the Smith and Wesson Pump shotgun. “Here. If you insist on going outside, the least you can do it take adequate protection.”
Bertha happily took the gun. “Ain’t this a beaut!” she exclaimed, admiring the firearm. “I wish I’d of had one of these back in the Twins! I wouldn’t have worried about nothing.”
Joshua stayed in the SEAL, nervously scanning the trees and the nearest buildings. He didn’t like the idea of her leaving the safety of the transport. There was no telling what might be out there. More Watchers, Mutates. Or more like the thing that attacked Blade near the park.
The sun was high in the sky, white clouds floating lazily overhead. Four robins were half a block away, searching for worms and insects in a patch of grass.
It looked harmless enough.
Bertha had moved nearer the trees. She was holding the shotgun loosely in her hands, gazing at the wall of vegetation.
Joshua closed his eyes and concentrated, mentally probing, seeking any fluctuations, any disruptive patterns in their immediate area, utilizing his empathic ability as Hazel had taught him to do, trying to perceive the emanation of hostile emotions.
“Hey, Josh!” Bertha called, turning her back to the trees. “It’s beautiful out here! Why don’t you join me?”
Joshua felt… something… touch his mind,, something primitive, something elemental, something savage.
“Come on, Josh!” Bertha urged him. “Don’t worry! I’ll guard you, keep you safe from the boogeyman!” She laughed, her back still to the trees.
Joshua opened his eyes, terrified, reaching for the doorknob, knowing he had to warn her, to get Bertha back to the SEAL. Even as he opened the door, he saw the leafy green foliage behind Bertha part, revealing a hideous, leering dark face with a countenance straight from his worst possible nightmare.
“Come on!” Bertha waved to him.
Joshua’s feet touched the ground, his eyes widening as the creature stepped in view. Dear Father! No! It was a female version of the brute that had assaulted Blade, start naked except for a skimpy piece of buckskin around the waist, covering her private parts. It had the same big nose, and the same huge mouth, open now, revealing two rows of sharp, jagged teeth. The heavy body was blackish, rough, displaying dozens and dozens of scars. Two immense, pendulous breasts swayed as the creature walked toward Bertha!
“What’s the matter, Josh?” Bertha asked, noting his expression.
Joshua started to bring his hand up, to point, at a loss for words.
Bertha crouched, spinning, the Smith and Wesson up and ready. Too late.
The thing was already directly behind Bertha, calmly standing there, apparently studying her.
“Look out!” Joshua finally screamed.
The brute lashed out, its right arm knocking the shotgun to the ground.
Before Bertha could recover, the creature struck with its left arm, catching Bertha on the side of the head.
“Bertha!” Joshua shouted, taking a few steps in her direction. What should he do? Try to distract the thing, make it come after him?
Bertha was lying on the ground, groaning. The shotgun was out of her reach.
The female brute stood over Bertha, watching her, saliva dripping out of the corners of the cavernous mouth.
Joshua waved his arms, frantically striving to distract the thing. “Here! Over here! Leave her alone!” Maybe, if he could draw the creature away from Bertha, Bertha might be able to get the shotgun and shoot the brute.
“Try me! Leave her alone!” Joshua yelled.
The creature ignored him, kneeling, reaching down to touch Bertha’s hair.
“Leave her alone!”
The brute looked up at Joshua, annoyed by the noise.
“Over here, you monstrosity!”
The thing decided Joshua wasn’t much of a threat and returned its attention to Bertha.
Bertha’s eyes flickered open. “What the hell…”
The brute growled, the long fangs exposed.
Bertha tried to rise.
The creature slammed her to the ground with its left hand, then placed that hand on Bertha’s chest, pressing down, preventing Bertha from rising.
“Let me up!” Bertha screamed, furious. “Let me up, you ugly bitch!”
The brute hissed and cuffed Bertha with its right hand.
“Joshua!” Bertha shrieked. “Joshua? Help me!”
Joshua wavered, his mind racing. What should he do? If he went any closer, the thing would get him too. He had to stop the creature! But how?
“Joshua!” Bertha screeched, her voice breaking. “Where the hell are you?”
The brute, growling, picked up Bertha’s left arm with its right hand and raised the arm to its face.
Dear Father! What is the thing doing?
The creature was sniffing, running Bertha’s arm under its bent nose.
No! No! It couldn’t be! Joshua suddenly perceived what was coming.
The thing opened his mouth, wide, and bit down on Bertha’s arm.
Bertha screamed, twisting and turning, trying to break free.
The brute held the left arm in its mouth, blood dripping over its chin, the jaws slowly working.
Dear Father! It was eating Bertha!
“Joshua!” Bertha was hysterical now. “Save me!”
What do I do? Kill the thing? Could he do it? The brute appeared to be slightly human. How could he morally condone killing the creature if there was the slightest possibility that it was endowed with a minimal spiritual capacity?
The thing was licking Bertha’s arm, savoring the tangy taste of blood and flesh.
“Joshua!”
Joshua, wild with anxiety, frenziedly searched for anything nearby he could use as a weapon. A rock. A limb. Anything.
Nothing.
“Joshua!” Bertha renewed her feeble efforts to break loose.
Joshua ran toward them, then stopped. The shotgun was too close to the brute. If he tried to grab it, the thing would nail him.
Dear Father!
“Joshua! Joshua, please!”
Were there any guns left in the SEAL? Joshua dashed to the transport and jumped in. The Warriors had taken their firearms with them, and the rest of the confiscated weapons were hidden at the edge of town.
Bertha was sobbing and thrashing as the brute gnawed on her arm.
Joshua couldn’t stand to look! He glanced down, at the floor behind the driver’s bucket seat.
A gun!
The Ruger Redhawk he had dropped on the floor, the gun they’d taken from the motorcycle rider who’d tried to kill them!
“Joshua!” Bertha wailed pitiably.
Joshua leaned down and scooped up the Redhawk, flinging his body from the SEAL, running toward the brute and Bertha. Was the gun loaded? There wasn’t time to check!
The thing saw him coming and released Bertha, rising.
Joshua stopped, amazed at how tall the creature was.
“Shoot it!” Bertha had twisted onto her side, and was holding her left arm pressed close to her body.