Clickers III Read online

  Clark snickered, stepping out into the aisle. Encouraged by his audience of one, Tony continued.

  “There’s town’s in the Jersey Pine Barrens that have more people than this place.”

  Ruby paused in the aisle and motioned for Tony to step out before her.

  “I know,” she said. “I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the Pine Barrens.”

  “Oh, yeah? Me, too.”

  “But for different reasons. You were seeking to hide something, Tony. Bodies, I believe. I was seeking to find something.”

  “What were you looking for? Some big-eared mutant redneck sitting on his porch and playing the banjo? Because most of that is gone now. A lot of the Pine Barrens have been paved over and turned into strip malls.”

  Ruby smiled. “No, nothing so grotesque. I was searching for the Jersey Devil.”

  “The Jersey Devil,” Clark said, mostly to himself. “So that fucking thing is real?”

  “Absolutely, Mr. Arroyo,” Ruby answered. “Or, at least, it was. We fear it may be extinct, as a new specimen has not been sighted in quite some time. Sad, really. It is a member of a very old, very sophisticated race of beings. Not entirely unlike the race of beings that wreaked so much havoc in the United States and much of the world in 2006—the Dark Ones.”

  This is insane, Tony thought as he walked down the aisle. She’s equating the Jersey Devil with the fucking Dark Ones? What next? Bigfoot? Chupacabra?

  “On the contrary,” Ruby said. “Bigfoot is a member of Gigantopithecus, a race of primitive ape that many anthropologists believed became extinct several hundred thousand years ago. Gigantopithecus is a distant relation to modern day orangutan’s, and like orangutan’s they possess the same body hair, smell, and behaviors…namely their secrecy and their habit of dragging their

  dead to remote areas of the forests they live in for burial. This is why genuine remains of a Gigantopithecus have not been found.”

  “No shit?” Tony brushed his hair from his eyes and thought, Jesus, I wish she’d stop with that mind reading shit.

  “As for Chupacabra,” Ruby continued, “that is the result of mass hysteria. There’s actually no such thing. And I wish I could stop reading your mind. It’s not a very nice place to visit.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Clark said. “Chupacabra, I mean—not Tony’s mind. I have a brother in New Mexico who claims he saw one in the desert. Even took pictures of it.”

  “Yeah?” Tony asked Clark.

  “Yep.” Clark grinned at Tony again.

  “Enough,” Amethyst said as they approached the open door. “Caution, Ruby. You’ll never make it past adept status if you continue to reveal so much information to the uninitiated.”

  “Mr. Arroyo won’t be telling anybody.”

  “No,” Clark agreed. “My lips are sealed.”

  Tony watched the silent interplay between Amethyst and Ruby. The baby-faced team leader—if indeed he was in charge—seemed angry with Ruby about something, but Tony couldn’t figure out what. His expression had momentarily changed when Ruby said that Clark wouldn’t tell anybody. It had been a strange look, as if Ruby had just revealed some great secret—there really wasn’t a Santa Claus or there was really another shooter on the grassy knoll the day JFK rode through Dallas.

  Before Tony could consider it further, Diamond gestured at him to disembark. The big man’s features were impassive and serious. Tony couldn’t resist needling him.

  “You don’t say much, do you, Diamond?”

  “I don’t need to.”

  They disembarked and stood on the runway. The whine of the jet engines faded and then died. A hot breeze whipped across the clearing, ruffling Tony and Clark’s hair. They stood looking at each other and then turned toward the jungle. Even from this distance, they could both hear the all-too familiar sound.

  CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK!

  “Fuck me,” Tony said. “There must be hundreds of them.”

  “Why are we just standing here?” Clark glanced nervously toward the tree line and then back to Amethyst. “Shouldn’t we be taking cover?”

  The younger man smiled calmly. “There’s no need.”

  “No need?” Clark gaped at him.

  “The fuck do you mean there’s no need?” Tony wheeled on Amethyst. “You saw that shit when we were landing, same as we did. Those damn things are all over the island, and judging by that sound, they’re heading this way, too. We need to get to some place safe. Secure.”

  Amethyst shrugged. “I can assure you both, there is not a safer place on Naranu than where we are currently standing. As long as we remain inside the circle, neither the Clickers nor anything else can hurt us.”

  “The circle?” Tony glanced around. “What fucking circle?”

  “Do you mean those standing stones?” Clark pointed at the white stones Tony had noticed when they were landing.

  Amethyst nodded. “I do indeed. You catch on quick, Mr. Arroyo. Perhaps it was fate that delivered you to our operation after all.”

  Tony stared at the circle of white stones. They were spaced evenly—about ten feet apart, encircling the clearing and the landing strip. Each one stood four feet high and was roughly rectangular. All of the stones had a strange symbol carved on the side of them. The jungle grew thick beyond them.

  “So,” Tony said, “do they have electronic eyes inside of them or something? Little red beams of light—give off a silent alarm somewhere if you walk between them?”

  “No,” Amethyst said. “Not quite. They form a circle of protection, Tony. I can’t really go into detail right now, as we have more pressing matters to deal with. Suffice to say, I meant it when I said that this is the safest place on the island.”

  “I’d feel a lot safer,” Tony replied, “if I had a fucking gun in my hand.”

  “Indeed.” Amethyst turned to Diamond and nodded. “Lead on.”

  The big man waved his hand, indicating that they should follow him. The group fell in line behind him and walked quickly across the tarmac. Tony wondered what the pilots and the stewardess were doing. They hadn’t left the plane. Were they just going to sit inside, waiting for the others to return?

  “That’s exactly what they’re going to do,” Ruby said, answering his unspoken question.

  Tony sighed. “You know, I really wish you’d stop doing that.”

  They approached the small white shack at the end of the runway. As they drew closer, Tony noticed that there was a symbol painted on the door of the shack. It appeared to be the same design as on the

  stones. Diamond reached for the door handle and turned the knob. Tony arched an eyebrow, surprised that the door was unlocked. Diamond stepped inside the shed.

  “You guys always leave your shit unlocked?”

  “Why?” Onyx asked.

  “Well, aren’t you worried about the natives ripping you off?”

  “They can’t,” Amethyst said. “You’re not understanding, Tony. Nothing can pass through the circle of protection unless we allow it. Not the Clickers. Not the Dark Ones. And not the island’s inhabitants. The same applies to the shed. Had you or Mr. Arroyo tried to open the door, it would have remained closed.”

  “But I thought I was special.” Tony couldn’t resist teasing them again. “I thought I was one of the seven most important people in the universe?”

  “You are,” Onyx confirmed.

  “And that,” Diamond said, reemerging from the shack, “is why you get to carry one of these.”

  He handed Tony a black M16 rifle. Tony took the weapon from him and checked it over. Then he laughed.

  “Now we’re talking! And this ain’t semi-auto, like the ones you buy at the gun store.”

  “I assume you know how to use it?” Diamond asked, producing a handgun. “And this, as well?”

  Tony nodded, and took the smaller weapon from him. “Nice. A .45 ACP. Hell, it almost feels like I’m back home.”

  Diamond stepped back into the shack and t
hen returned with two identical weapons for Clark. After Clark had taken them from him, Tony elbowed him in the side.

  “I guess you’re special, too.”

  “No,” Clark said, sighting the gun on a nearby coconut tree. “I’m just a good shot.”

  After Tony and Clark were given extra ammunition belts, and the others had armed themselves, Diamond shut the door. For a moment, Tony was tempted to step forward and try the handle for himself—see if what Amethyst had said was really true. But then he heard the clicking sounds in the jungle, and thought of Jennifer.

  “Okay,” he said. “What’s our next move, Amethyst?”

  “Simple. We go out there,” he pointed into the jungle, “and stop the Dark Ones from bringing Dagon to this dimension.”

  “And find Jennifer and the others.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “We’ve got to rescue Jennifer and the other scientists, too.”

  “Oh, yes. Doctor Wasco and her associates. Quite right.”

  Tony’s voice became a low growl. “Don’t fuck around with me, Amethyst.”

  The younger man smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  He started forward across the clearing. Diamond fell in step behind him, followed by Tony, Clark and Ruby. Onyx brought up the rear.

  “I’m surprised you’re all carrying firearms,” Clark said. “I’d have thought you’d just rely on spells or ESP or some-thing.”

  “A bullet is a lot more accurate than a spell,” Ruby said. “Although before this is over, we might have need of both.”

  Tony and Clark both slowed down as they neared the stone circle. They eyed the standing stones warily.

  Amethyst and Onyx turned to face them.

  “Come on,” Amethyst said. “Nothing to be afraid of. The circle won’t harm you as long as you’re with us.”

  “Maybe the circle won’t,” Clark whispered. “But what about them?”

  One by one, the others turned to see what he was looking at. Three Clickers emerged from the jungle. Each of the creatures was the size of a full-grown cow and their pincers were big enough to sever a man in two. Spotting the group, the monsters raced forward, claws scissoring as they skittered toward their prey. Their tails swayed back and forth, poison dripping from the barbed stingers. Tony and Clark both fell into a combat stance, raising their weapons and pointing them at the onrushing enemy, but Amethyst and Diamond stood in their way, seemingly unfazed by the attack.

  “Drop,” Clark shouted. “You’re in our line of fire.”

  Tony was more succinct. “Get the fuck out of the way!”

  “There’s no need,” Onyx said from behind them. “Watch.”

  The Clickers scuttled forward, their intentions clear. As they crossed between the standing stones, there was a dazzling flash of blue-white light. Tony flung a hand up to shield his eyes from the glare, but not before he glimpsed shadowy silhouettes of the three beasts superimposed against the light. There was no sound. The entire process was silent. When Tony looked again, the three Clickers had been reduced to piles of smoldering ash. The air smelled faintly of ozone, like just before a thunderstorm—and something else, as well.

  Seafood.

  “Holy shit,” Clark gasped. “What the hell just happened?”

  “Exactly what we told you would happen,” Amethyst said.

  Tony blinked his eyes, waiting for his vision to return to normal. There were dark spots floating in the periphery. He sniffed the air again.

  “Too bad we don’t have any Old Bay seasoning on us,” he said, grinning. “I could go for some steamed crabs right about now.”

  Ruby shook her head. “You never stop, do you?”

  Tony shrugged. “I’ll stop when I’m dead.”

  “We’re wasting time,” Amethyst said. “Let’s get moving.”

  They walked toward the circle of stones. Nothing moved beyond the clearing, but they could still hear the Clickers rampaging out in the jungle. Diamond and Amethyst took the lead, followed by Tony and Clark. Ruby and Onyx brought up the rear. The two point men passed between the stones unscathed, and motioned at Tony and Clark to halt.

  “That thing gonna fry us the way it did those Clickers?” Tony asked.

  “No,” Amethyst said. “As long as you come through with Ruby and Onyx, you’ll be fine.”

  Ruby took Tony’s hand and Onyx did the same with Clark.

  “You guys go ahead,” Clark said, swallowing hard. “Ladies first and all that.”

  Tony steeled himself. He wanted to ask Ruby to wait but she was already stepping forward, pulling him along. He had no choice but to follow. They entered the circle and the hair on his arms and head stood up with static. He heard an odd, faint ringing sound—like a chime had been struck. Then they were through the circle and standing on the other side. Clark and Onyx followed.

  “Okay,” Amethyst said. “Same formation as before. Diamond and I will continue with taking point. Tony and Clark, I’d like you in the middle. Ruby and Onyx will bring up the rear. Let’s stay grouped together. No more than ten feet between us. We move quickly, but quietly. Diamond has the GPS. We follow his lead. No needless chatter until we reach our destination.”

  “And what is our destination?” Clark asked.

  “We’re going inside Mount Rigiri,” Amethyst answered. “There is a subterranean network of tunnels that run beneath the island—both manmade and natural. We’ll access those and they should lead us where we want to go.”

  Tony frowned. “Your GPS gonna work underground?”

  “It’s a very strong satellite,” Diamond explained.

  Tony had his doubts, but he kept them to himself. A moment later, he wondered if Diamond could read minds as well, because the older man pulled a satellite phone out of his pocket, dialed a number, and listened. After a minute, he pressed another button, returned the phone to his pocket, and then nodded at Amethyst.

  “Are we still a go?” Amethyst asked.

  “We are.”

  “So this is what you people do?” Clark asked. “Go from location to location and save the world from supernatural threats?”

  “Something like that,” Amethyst said. “It’s a bit more complex, but you’ve got the basics. No more talking, now. Let’s proceed.”

  He and Diamond plunged into the jungle. Tony and Clark followed. Tony caught a whiff of smoke on the wind, and wondered if the fires were spreading. As the thick vegetation closed behind him, he remembered that wildfires were the least of their worries. The jungle was filled with a singular sound.

  CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK!

  A dog-sized Clicker burst from the foliage and charged. Tony snapped his weapon off and fired a controlled burst. The creature flipped over and quivered. Then it lay still.

  “Nice shot,” Clark said, clearly impressed.

  “I never miss.”

  “Let’s hope not.”

  The sounds in the jungle increased.

  CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK! CLICK-CLICK!

  “All things considered,” Tony whispered as they crept forward again, “I’d rather be in Vegas right now.”

  The sounds of pursuit grew louder as Jennifer, Wade, Susan and Ed raced after Keoni and Josel. Their trek took them steadily downward, and at times the tunnel floor resembled a slide running at an almost vertical angle. Each of them slipped several times, and Ed suffered a bad gash on his knee. He pleaded with Josel to stop so that he could bind the wound, but if the native guide heard the injured doctor, he gave no indication. Instead, he just went faster, seemingly heedless of the peril—or perhaps heeding the deadlier peril behind them.

  Soon, Ed’s lighter became too hot for him to hold. Cursing, he snuffed it out, stuck the lighter in his pocket and sucked his burned fingers. He mumbled an apology to the group and then did a little dance as the heated metal burned his thigh through the material of his pants. Jennifer barely noticed. Her headache had grown steadily worse, but it was still manageable. She had the distinct impress
ion that the darkness was moving—an amorphous, intelligent thing. It was almost as if the blackness had been just waiting for the light to go out, and now that it had, the darkness was swooping in to engulf them in its folds.

  Stop it, she silently scolded herself. That isn’t helping. You got on Susan earlier for freaking out. You don’t get to do it, too.

  “How much farther?” The gloom distorted Wade’s voice, making him sound farther away than he was. Jennifer wondered if it could be having the opposite effect on the sounds of their pursuers—making them sound closer than they really were.

  “I’m wondering that myself,” Keoni said. “Josel, are you sure you know where we’re going?”

  “Yes, yes. Not much farther now. Not much farther at all. We must hurry.”

  Jennifer noticed a strange, quavering lilt in the guide’s tone. Was it his accent? Perhaps the tunnel walls were simply distorting his voice? Or was it something else?

  He’s scared, she reminded herself. We’re all scared. Of course he has a tremor in his voice. We probably all do.

  Something hissed behind them. Jennifer and the others glanced over their shoulders and saw a pair of yellow eyes glaring at them in the darkness.

  “They’re gaining on us,” Wade said.

  “Yes.” Josel’s voice was insistent now. “As I said, we must hurry. Soon, we will—”

  A roar echoed down the tunnel. It was joined by another, and another, until there was a full chorus.

  “Come on,” Ed shouted over the tumult.

  Josel led them around several more twists and turns, ignoring a series of forks and branching tunnels, and sticking to the main corridor. Their descent grew steeper, and Jennifer found herself grasping the wall to keep from slipping. It occurred to her then that the wall was visible. She could see the nooks and crannies that served as hand-holds. Was it getting brighter or had her vision just adjusted to the gloom? As they hurried on, she thought it was probably the former. The subterranean maze seemed to glow with a soft, pale-green light. Jennifer glanced around for the source but couldn’t find it.

  Susan stumbled behind her.

  “Are you okay?” Jennifer asked.