“Look out,” Thorn shouted.
“I see it,” the pilot said, banking the helicopter out towards the bay as the other chopper collided with the guard tower. The heat from the explosion passed through the open doors for the aircraft, making the billionaire gasp for breath.
“Did anyone make it out.” Thorn asked, scanning the wreckage for signs of life amid the flames.
“Not that I saw, but one of your creatures went down with it.”
“Which one?”
“Some big thing with antlers. It was hanging off the side. Looked like it had a hold of one of your men.”
Thorn laughed and clapped his hands like a giddy schoolboy. “The Wenlutah. Thank goodness. I have another one of those on the way.”
The pilot shook his head and turned back towards the cloud of black smoke now billowing up from the ground. “That’s going to draw some attention.”
Grabbing his smartphone out of his pocket, Thorn punched in a number and put the phone to his ear. “You are correct. I’ll buy us some time. Keep your eye on what’s happening down there. Get ready to pick up and move.”
***
Drake and his men were pushed backward by the force of the explosion. Peplow went down hard, exhaling loudly as his butt hit the ground.
Stumbling backward, Drake dodged a piece of shrapnel by the barest margin. Anders and the Rake were not so lucky. A piece of the rotor blade sliced the Rake in half as the explosion lifted him off the ground. Another piece of shrapnel connected with Anders’ forehead with the force of a speeding bullet, passing clean through and taking off a large chunk of the back of his head.
Drake and Peplow ran to the side of the guard building and pressed themselves against the concrete wall, hissing as more pieces of the chopper flew past them or landed by their feet.
“What the fuck?” Peplow groaned, watching as the top half of the Rake pulled itself across the ground, trying to reach them.
“To hell with that.” Drake unholstered his sidearm and put a bullet through the creature’s head, stopping it for good.
“What about those orders?” Peplow smirked.
“Fuck that. I’m calling Thorn’s chopper and getting off this fucking rock. If that crusty old fuck wants to give me grief, I still have bullets in this gun that he can argue with.”
“Count me in, brother.”
***
“What happened?” Bits said, patting at his body as though checking to see if he was in one piece.”
“You’re safe,” Salem said, staring at the wreckage of the downed helicopter.
Bytes scrambled to his feet while the pilot and Chalmers looked too dumbfounded to move.
“Something wrong, Bytes?” Salem asked. Before he could respond, she heard the answer in her head. “What did you drop?”
His eyes went wide as he dropped to his knees and began scrambling in the dirt, looking for the blocking device that had fallen from his ear when he hit the ground. “It’s nothing,” he said.
“Oh, it’s something. It’s how you are all able to block me out,” Salem said, reaching down to pluck the small metallic disc from the ground. “Is this what you are after? Of course, it is.”
“It’s not what you think,” Bytes moaned, hands raised in surrender.
Salem placed the device inside her ear.
“Mother, can you hear me?”
Silence. She removed it.
“Mother, can you hear me.”
“Salem, you are alive?”
“Alive and well. Where are you?”
“I’m by the entrance to the old guard building. What about the rest of them?
“One man down from our helicopter. I saved the rest, unfortunately.”
Salem turned her attention to Bytes, who was crying and begging for his life. “Why are you crying?”
“I don’t want to die.”
Salem laughed. “Is that what you think of me? You believe me to be some heartless bitch? I saved your damn life, so why would I kill you now?”
The pilot stood and dusted himself off. “I owe you. What do you want me to do to help?”
“Stay out of my way. Bytes, can these little devices be shut down?” Salem asked, flicking the metallic disc in his direction.
“Not without my laptop,” he replied, staring at the billowing smoke from the crash.
“What about you?” Salem asked Chalmers.
“I’m going to sit the rest of this out if that’s okay with you. That’s quite enough weird shit for one day.”
“I’ll be back for you. I’m going to end this.”
Salem strode purposefully back onto the wharf, heading towards the guard quarters. Anger ate at her insides, her stomach churning as she thought about what Thorn might be hiding from her. With a flick of her hand, she lifted the blazing remains of the helicopter and tossed it out into the bay.
“I see you, child.”
“Who is that with you?”
“The Aswang. I fear she is the only one of my group still alive.”
“You have me, too.”
“Stronger together.”
Salem could see her mother standing in the doorway, the hag creature by her side, sniffing the air as her barbed tongue flicked in and out.
“Yes, stronger, beautiful child. You are a vision.”
As they moved to meet one another, Thorn’s helicopter moved in behind Salem while Drake and Peplow came out from the side of the building, weapons raised and ready to fire on Raven and the Aswang.
Raven reached out and took the creature’s hand, the Aswang instantly taking on her form.
It was enough to make Drake pause for a moment. He had no problems taking down the Aswang, but Raven was a different matter. With Thorn watching it all happen from the inside of a helicopter loaded with all kinds of ammo, he didn’t like his chances of getting out alive if he played the wrong card.
Salem saw the hesitation and raised her hands, ready to take them out, only to feel a sting in her neck and two more in her back.
As she fell to the ground, she spun around and saw Chalmers with his gun still aimed at her.
“I guess I’m a liar,” he said, as he fired once more.
***
“The one on your right is the Aswang, Lionel. Kill it and tranquilize the witch.”
Without giving it a second through, Drake put three darts into Raven before pulling his handgun and emptying the clip into the Aswang.
The creature rolled on the ground, screaming as it changed into many different forms before settling.
“Do not approach it, Lionel. Trust me, she is quite alive. I’ll take care of it in a moment.”
The helicopter touched down and the pilot hustled around the craft and pulled out a ramp built into the cabin. Thorn gave him a little nod as he left the ramp in his powerchair, heading in the direction of the Aswang.
He stopped on his way and reached down to stroke Salem’s hair. “Not much of a fight, little one.”
Bits and Bytes and the other pilot stepped out of their hiding spot, all looking rather sheepish in the presence of their boss.
“Well, what a pleasant surprise,” Thorn said.
“She saved us,” Bits said, nodding at Salem. “But she also knows about the blockers.”
Thorn dismissed the statement with a wave. “None of it matters now.” He turned to the pilot, his expression changing from calm to furious in the blink of an eye. “What happened up there?”
“One of your precious pets attacked my chopper. We’re lucky…”
“Excuse me. Your chopper?” Thorn interrupted.
“You know what I mean, you crazy old fuck.”
Thorn regarded the man for a moment and then turned his powerchair back in the direction of the Aswang. From a sheath on the side of his chair, he pulled out a bolo knife and ran his finger along the blade, hissing as it drew blood.
“Lionel. One more bullet into this hideous beast, please. Oh, and one in the head for that mouthy pilot.”
As the bullet tore through the flesh of the Aswang, Thorn pushed the bolo knife down between its shoulder blades. His eyes lit up as he watched her squirm, rivers of black blood flowing from the wounds. She writhed for a few more seconds before falling still, her withered body sinking in on itself.
“One more for the pilot, remember.”
Drake shrugged and lifted his weapon, shooting the pilot through the head.
“Load up those bitches and come with me in the helicopter. Bits and Bytes will stay behind with your men and arrange a clean-up crew.”
“What about that?” Drake asked, nodding towards the police boat bobbing by the dock.
“I’ve made a call. It’s taken care of. Now, let’s head back and get these two back where they belong. We have some work ahead of us.”
Drake looked around at the mess and wondered how he was getting out alive. “Why did you kill the Aswang?” he asked.
Looking at the shriveled creature, Thorn shrugged. “Easy, really. I didn’t know her long enough to have an attachment. You do know how I love all my children.”
Heading back up the ramp and onto the helicopter, Thorn tapped the pilot on the arm. “As soon as we are loaded up, take me home.”