Chapter 6

Bryan Chan creeps along the corridor clutching both his shoulder and side. In the heat of the battle on deck he was struck by a bullet in the side but was unaware until moments after. Blood is practically pouring from the wound in his side. His sight is beginning to blur and light headedness is starting to come on. But he still pushes on attempting to accomplish his mission. The corridors are clear and he only hopes they’ll stay that way. The ship doesn’t have any signs to aid in direction which to go is why he spent many hours memorizing the layout of the ship. Not far to go. He leans against the bulk head to catch his breath. It is getting harder to take in air without it hurting. He is almost ready to give up, but he does have a mission to perform and failure isn’t an option. Footfalls echo through some part of the ship stirring Chan and giving him the motivation he needs to get moving. Pushing off the wall, he continues down the corridor leaving behind a large blood smear on the bulkhead he was just leaning against.

After some time, Chan arrives at the final corridor to the engine room. He is so disoriented from blood loss he almost can’t remember why he is there in the first place. As he turns the final corner, he almost wishes he couldn’t remember.

“Tíng!” shouts a soldier. “Halt!”

The entrance to the engine room is guarded by a couple squads preventing Chan from any opportunity of completing his mission. He tries to lift his pistol with no effect and instead loses his grip and drops it to the deck. As soon as the soldiers feel comfortable he is no longer a threat they rush him. The last thing he feel is the butt of a rifle across the back of his skull.

The massive double doors explode inward, spraying pieces large and small in all directions. Gunfire is instant, peppering the door way as Samantha rushes in followed closely by Spencer and Nash. She steps behind a pillar avoiding being hit. Spencer and Nash follow suit as well. “How many do you suppose?” Spencer yells over the roar of gunfire.

“Two squads, Russian soldiers. Heavily armed,” Nash answers.

“Two Goji and that big ass garg,” Sam adds.

Spencer peers around the pillar and steals a glance before having to quickly step back to avoid being hit. Sure enough there is a larger than normal garg standing right next to Avyanna. “That is a big ass one alright,” Spencer confirms. “Any idea what the hell it is?” he asks looking to Nash for an answer.

“I thought you guys knew everything,” he replies sarcastically.

“Hey, I never made that claim,” Spencer says with a chuckle.

“That’s right,” Samantha jumps in. “We know almost everything.”

“Glad you two are humble,” Nash says dryly. “That creature is a garg. It’s just larger because it was bred that way. They are rare and usually only used as familiar to the ancients.”

“Now how the hell do you know that?” Samantha asks.

“We don’t live in the dark age,” the man replies. “Besides, we have our sources.”

Spencer shakes his head. He is impressed every time he sees Nash pull a trick out of his hat. “Then it can die like the rest of them.”

“The bigger they are...” Nash says leaving the rest to hang.

“How do we go about this?” Samantha questions.

“You two take the right and work your way toward Avyanna,” Nash says. “I’ll hit the left and attempt to draw as much of their fire as I can.”

“In a hurry to meet a quick end?” Spencer asks.

“Always. It’s what keeps me alive,” the man says with a faint smile. “Besides someone has to play decoy and I don’t mind.”

Before either one can respond Nash is already around the pillar firing. Five of the soldiers go down in the initial attack totally caught off guard. The rest are quick to duck behind their respective covers as Nash takes refuge behind another pillar. The room is sparsely empty except for pillars spaced every twenty feet with a dais atop a large sloping set of stairs. The entire set up makes absolutely no sense strategically, but then again it doesn’t have to. As long as he stays alive over the enemy then in the end, it is a good thing.

Spencer slips out from his pillar following his partner’s lead as she heads up the right side of the large room. They fire at exposed soldiers as they are occupied by Nash’s abrupt attack on them. With many of them distracted, Samantha and Spencer are able to knock out seven or eight of them before they return fire.

“Having fun yet?” Spencer asks.

“As long as it’s with you,” Sam says with a wink.

Avyanna sits in the throne-like chair just as Maltaus used to. She can feel his residual power as it echoes through the chair. It is a shame Talilith had killed him. He was after all one of her most trusted. Normally she would have slain Talilith for her actions during a summoned council, but Maltaus after all was outsmarted. Not just outsmarted, but outsmarted by someone of the lower class. The thought brings a smile to her. She spared Talilith not only because of her skill but because she is a female and in the Goji hierarchy, the males are usually regarded with a higher status even though they are equal to their female counterparts. There will be a place for Talilith once the humans are enslaved. Once Avyanna completes that task she will have the power to prevent any of the other ancients to be released from their imprisonments. The world after all only has enough room for one ancient Goji.

First thing is first. It is time to see what the world’s best had to throw at them. She looks down at her garg familiar. She can feel its tenseness and anticipation. “Bezaleel, have patience. Let’s see what our guests are able to do,” she says with a grin. Then she turns her attention to the two Goji at her side. “Go. Destroy the humans.”

The two Goji nod, and without a word, are gone from the dais, swooping down in the mists of what remains of the Russian soldiers. Without warning the two Goji begin ripping into the soldiers. Their clawed hands tear through clothing and flesh. Blood splatters and insides fall to the floor from stomachs shredded open. In just a matter of moments the remainder of the soldiers are lying in a pool of blood with the two creatures standing over their lifeless corpses. Spencer and Sam don’t waste any time. They step out from behind their respective pillars and begin firing an onslaught at the two beasts. None of the bullets even come close to hitting their mark. Instead every round fired seems to fly off in another direction just feet before hitting their intended marks. Spencer casts a glance in Avyanna’s direction and soon finds his answer. “She’s preventing us from hitting them.”