Endworlds - Nicholas Read [41]
“It’s just wandering around,” he murmured. “Shouldn’t we try to . . ?”
As it finally decided the group’s presence was hostile, the dog-sized being chose that moment to react. Turning in their direction, it reared on hind legs and let out a savage hiss through black glistening teeth.
Demonstrating that whatever they were, they were not ears, the pair of appendages protruding from its head swiveled in their direction. Starting from the general area of the hips, a red glow appeared along the length of the creature’s back. Traveling along its spine, it shot up the neck and into the head, whereupon it was projected in the form of twin beams from the flattened, slightly concave tips of appendages that were more projectors than listening organs.
Vector and Tucker dove backward as the solid stone of the house’s kitchen wall melted and ran like brown butter behind them.
“Fire, fire!”
Holding his ground, Lion had unleashed the full fury of his own pistol, which pinged in near silence. Crouching or lying prone across the grass or brick patio, his companions were also letting loose with all the weaponry at their command. All remaining uncertainty fled, and a startled Eastwood joined in.
As Jax continued shuffling inventory between coats, neither gunfire nor razor nets had any effect on the creature. Pellets and darts bounced off hide that was far denser and tougher than leather, while energy bursts were absorbed and harmlessly dispersed along its flanks.
Retreating back behind the wall of an outcropping conservatory at the edge of the home, Eastwood sought cover from this utterly alien intruder. From time to time Castle or Tucker would lean out in search of a clear shot only to be driven back as stone and metal melted around them.
“Wot the bloody ‘ell do y’call this one?” Vector was breathing hard as he reloaded his netcaster from one of his coat’s copious pockets, hoping to get a lucky shot.
“It’s definitely some kind of Runner,” panted Lion. “Thought I knew the type, but I’ve never seen one exactly like this before.”
Castle shook his head. “Tough son of a gun. Wouldn’t want to visit its home dimension.”
Taking a deep breath he raced out across the brickwork, firing as he went. Eastwood couldn’t see if the other boy’s shots had any effect on the creature, but there was no mistaking the crimson beams that tracked him, tearing long gouges in the garden beds as they sought their target. Castle made it safely to cover on the other side behind a heavy steel and cement barbecue, where Hummer and Jax were trying to maintain a steady fire while avoiding the deadly light.
Images and terminology flashed unbidden through Eastwood’s mind. “It’s a teeleoth. A sun-grazer. It munches fusion. That’s why your weapons can’t affect it. The atomic structure is too dense.”
Lion and Vector exchanged a glance before the latter youth gaped at their younger associate. “Now ‘ow the ‘ell would you know that, Eastwood? I never ‘eard of such a creature.”
“A wasteland mutant from the fission wars of the Second Age.” Eastwood spoke with a confidence whose source was as much a mystery to him as to the others. He swallowed and looked suddenly bewildered. “I—I don’t know how I know this.”
“Never mind that.” Vector pulled back as a section of melted wall slid like grey lava down in front of them. The heat from the molten stone was blistering. “How do we end it?”
“You can’t.” Eastwood was furiously pondering their situation, willing new knowledge that refused to come.
Meanwhile constant fire from the other Longcoats across the yard kept the creature occupied.
It was Lion who came up with the strategy. He grabbed Vector’s sleeve.
“There’s something I need that Jax doesn’t have a line on. Give me a hand.”
While Hummer, Jax and Castle continued to provide covering fire, Lion led Vector through a broken wall into the home’s sitting room, down a hall and out the front door into the street beyond. Both lending their