Zap and Troy: The Legendary Journeys
folder
1 through F › Final Sacrifice, The
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
10
Views:
1,043
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Final Sacrifice, The
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
10
Views:
1,043
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own "The Final Sacrifice" or any of the characters depicted. I make no money from this or any of my writings
Chapter Eight
We were awakened some time later by the now familiar sound of gunfire coming from the mouth of the mine. The cult had found us again.
We quickly dressed. Zap found his pack. Digging in the bottom, he pulled out what I recognized as a handgun Aunt Betty had bought not long after Rowsdower had brought me home the first time. She said she felt safer with it, though as far as I knew she’d never even fired it. I’d borrowed it a few times though, and was a pretty decent shot.
Rowsdower saw me looking at the gun and shrugged. “Saw it at your house. Thought it might come in handy.” He double-checked the safety then stuck the gun in the back of his belt where it was hidden but he could still draw it easily. “Bring the artifact. I won‘t ever give it to them, but maybe we can use it to gain some bargaining room.”
We crept back to the mouth of the mine. We could tell we’d been asleep for some time as the sun had gone down; the cult had parked a number of their cars around the entrance, the headlights shining into the tunnel. Rowsdower stopped us just at the limit of the light, so the cult couldn’t see us though we could make out their silhouettes. One in particular caught my attention.
If Satoris had been tall, dark and--let’s face it--a little goofy-looking, this man was almost the polar opposite. Only about as tall as Rowsdower, with blonde hair well styled. He had a sort of rugged handsomeness, but that didn’t stop me from feeling the evil wafting from him. This strange man was the only one not wearing one of the black masks, so I guessed that I was looking at Caliban, the new leader. My guess was confirmed when he spoke in that eerie deep voice.
“I may not be able to see you, Rowsdower, but your Ziox blood, diluted though it is, calls to me. I know you’re close enough to hear me. I imagine Troy is with you too. That’s good, as he should hear this.
“Your friend at the city was certainly strong, but ultimately he broke before the power of our race. He told us you had come here. He still lives, along with all the other weaklings that were there. Give us the artifact and they all go free.
“Resist, and they will endure unimaginable agony. As will you and the boy.”
It’s strange, how one can become used to threats like that, but I’d heard it so many times before, and lived in fear for so long, that at this point his words really had no effect on me, other than to make me angry. Rowsdower must not have been any more scared than I was, because about halfway through the speech he started whispering a plan to me. It was chancy, but it might work. I handed Rowsdower the artifact and asked him to give me the gun. He did, and stepped forward into the halo of light cast by the cars, holding the artifact above his head.
I knelt once again, aiming the gun carefully.
As soon as they saw him, the cult members raised their own guns. Caliban’s eyes widened. “Fools! If you miss and hit the artifact, you’ll destroy us all!”
Rowsdower chuckled. “That’s right, you can’t shoot me. The problem is, I’m not going to give it to you, either. This is the kind of deal where, if you want it, you’ll have to come get it.” Still holding the precious artifact above his head, he began to back towards the entrance of the mine again. The hooded cult members began to follow; Caliban stayed where he was. My aim didn’t waver. As soon as Rowsdower reentered the darkness of the mine, I fired.
A small black hole appeared in the center of Caliban’s forehead. A little higher than I’d been aiming, but it’d do. Shooting him was easier than shooting Satoris had been, mostly because I was imagining what he’d done to Mike Pipper, and the pain he‘d caused Rowsdower.
The cult members stood stunned for a moment as Caliban dropped to his own knees. He couldn’t have spoken above a whisper, but we all clearly heard him say “Get the artifact.”
He fell forward onto his face, and didn’t move again.
We quickly dressed. Zap found his pack. Digging in the bottom, he pulled out what I recognized as a handgun Aunt Betty had bought not long after Rowsdower had brought me home the first time. She said she felt safer with it, though as far as I knew she’d never even fired it. I’d borrowed it a few times though, and was a pretty decent shot.
Rowsdower saw me looking at the gun and shrugged. “Saw it at your house. Thought it might come in handy.” He double-checked the safety then stuck the gun in the back of his belt where it was hidden but he could still draw it easily. “Bring the artifact. I won‘t ever give it to them, but maybe we can use it to gain some bargaining room.”
We crept back to the mouth of the mine. We could tell we’d been asleep for some time as the sun had gone down; the cult had parked a number of their cars around the entrance, the headlights shining into the tunnel. Rowsdower stopped us just at the limit of the light, so the cult couldn’t see us though we could make out their silhouettes. One in particular caught my attention.
If Satoris had been tall, dark and--let’s face it--a little goofy-looking, this man was almost the polar opposite. Only about as tall as Rowsdower, with blonde hair well styled. He had a sort of rugged handsomeness, but that didn’t stop me from feeling the evil wafting from him. This strange man was the only one not wearing one of the black masks, so I guessed that I was looking at Caliban, the new leader. My guess was confirmed when he spoke in that eerie deep voice.
“I may not be able to see you, Rowsdower, but your Ziox blood, diluted though it is, calls to me. I know you’re close enough to hear me. I imagine Troy is with you too. That’s good, as he should hear this.
“Your friend at the city was certainly strong, but ultimately he broke before the power of our race. He told us you had come here. He still lives, along with all the other weaklings that were there. Give us the artifact and they all go free.
“Resist, and they will endure unimaginable agony. As will you and the boy.”
It’s strange, how one can become used to threats like that, but I’d heard it so many times before, and lived in fear for so long, that at this point his words really had no effect on me, other than to make me angry. Rowsdower must not have been any more scared than I was, because about halfway through the speech he started whispering a plan to me. It was chancy, but it might work. I handed Rowsdower the artifact and asked him to give me the gun. He did, and stepped forward into the halo of light cast by the cars, holding the artifact above his head.
I knelt once again, aiming the gun carefully.
As soon as they saw him, the cult members raised their own guns. Caliban’s eyes widened. “Fools! If you miss and hit the artifact, you’ll destroy us all!”
Rowsdower chuckled. “That’s right, you can’t shoot me. The problem is, I’m not going to give it to you, either. This is the kind of deal where, if you want it, you’ll have to come get it.” Still holding the precious artifact above his head, he began to back towards the entrance of the mine again. The hooded cult members began to follow; Caliban stayed where he was. My aim didn’t waver. As soon as Rowsdower reentered the darkness of the mine, I fired.
A small black hole appeared in the center of Caliban’s forehead. A little higher than I’d been aiming, but it’d do. Shooting him was easier than shooting Satoris had been, mostly because I was imagining what he’d done to Mike Pipper, and the pain he‘d caused Rowsdower.
The cult members stood stunned for a moment as Caliban dropped to his own knees. He couldn’t have spoken above a whisper, but we all clearly heard him say “Get the artifact.”
He fell forward onto his face, and didn’t move again.