Chapter 5
There are laws in place for henchmen stating that while it’s commendable to try and preserve their lives they are ultimately a block that can hurt a Hyper Exterminator and worse delay a HypeEx from stopping someone from using their powers on the innocent. This I remembered as I was momentarily in the air.
When I landed on the truck with a thud the cluster of white robes turned their heads from their lynching targets to me. If I just stood there shooting they’d get to me. Eight of them, only one giant wearing red. I had no silver to end the lycanthrope but I had a clear shot to my target. Aim and fire! The back window of the cabin shattered, it was too dark to see. We kept moving. Did I miss the driver? None of these Klansmen were stupid enough to come at a guy with a gun so they began drawing there own.
The red one spoke. “Boy, you just made your last mistake.”
Before there could be a firefight the truck lurched right. Everyone fell down onto the aluminum. I managed to grab the rear door as we span donuts onto the property. It took all I had to hold onto the metal flap that kept me from flying. The spinning kept me from seeing anything so I had to focus on my loose grip. Suddenly the truck came to a stop with a shock. What was left of my grip managed to keep me from flying to my death. When I was sure the vehicle wasn’t moving I surveyed the damage. The truck had crashed into a tall pine at the edge of a clearing. This clear area was cleared for a field of solar panels a few hundred acres wide. There were figures cloaked in white scattered from the road clearings and a few in trees. One of the Klansmen was still clinging to the side of the truck and was getting and up going for his gun. It was gone, lost in the twister, but by the weight in my hand I knew I still had mine. He put up his hands as I pointed my piece at him. I gestured for him to turn around, approached him and punched him out with my right hand while my left still held the gun. The Klansman went down with a loud “ungh”.
As soon as he was unconscious I scanned for the red robe. He was all the way by the solar panels. Immediately I jumped out of the truck bed and ran towards him. The red robe slowly stood up. I was charging at him, closing the distance, he drew out his gun, I made a finger gun. Instantly the white laser wireframe in the blocky shape of a pistol formed around my hand and enclosed it in a type of force field that was invisible to the naked eye. We both fired, and both missed, two of his bullets striking the ground next to me as I ran, my white bolts tearing through one of the solar panels. His third bullet missed my head, but from him dropping like a rag doll I could see my third bolt struck.
Continuing my run, I arrived at the body. Even though I knew it was pointless without silver bullets I still had my regular revolver drawn. When I reached the body I put it away, freeing me to check the red robed “Kleagle’s” pulse. Definitely dead. I sighed in relief and dismissed my weapon.
Sitting down to catch my breath, I looked around the field. There was another white robe soldier shining in the setting sun, running towards me. I redrew my gun in anticipation of another firefight. The Klansman was getting bigger, bigger than I thought he would if he was just coming closer. Oh, no.
Putting my gun away I backed my leg into the solar panels. I looked down, would it support my weight. No choice now. When I ran up the angled surface it crunched beneath my feet. How much did these cost again? Every step sounded like another four hours working bags at the grocery store. As soon as I reached the edge of each frame I pushed off landing right on the surface of the next one. At three frames I thought I was keeping a good distance when the shadow appeared above my head. Landing five feet in front of me, obliterating the solar panel, was the hulking figure of a blonde furred humanoid. The white robe laid in tatters about it’s form with the only part remaining being the mask barely containing its bulbous head. When it turned towards me I could see the flap only covering the upper jaw, the lower half jutting out to reveal a mass of razor sharp teeth between which a river of drool flowed.
Acting quickly, I fell into a crouch and ducked under the panel past the support legs until it slanted too low for me to crawl under. Almost as soon as I reached it a shadow approached. The beast crammed itself under the panel but I was just out of reach. It retreated back a bit before taking a huge bite into the top of the panel. I began to move after it took two more bites grew impatient and began smashing it with it’s strange long nubby arms.
My first real fight!
Crouch running away from the monster was even slower than running on top. Once the creature destroyed the first panel it kept smashing them flat following me along. It had reached the one right behind me, I had to tuck and roll out, making it out from under it just before it got flattened. I was flat on my back, the beast had me right where it wanted me. The massive form leaped at me, claws bared. As luck would have it however, providence shone upon me as the time limit was up in my head. My arm extended in a handshake gesture summoning a flat shining laser square surrounding a field that contoured around my hand. The square met the left paw slicing it a good three inches, the other missing me and indenting itself into the earth. Roaring in agony the wretch pulled itself back on its hindlegs placing its bloody paw into the uninjured one. The hulking form moved back slowly as I approached it with my blade, the forcefield partially revealed by the crimson blood. When I got close to it the beast snapped its mouth at me, but I was prepared I jumped back taking a slash that met its lower jaw. Another roar of pain. It wasn’t used to being hurt, probably not since it had the change. Truth be told I wasn’t totally sure my weapons would be effective against lycanthrope. I felt a slight relief that it had worked, but not enough for me to let my guard down. One of us was going to die tonight and I wasn’t about to let that be me.
At least that’s what I thought. From just past the flattened panels a fat figure in a white robe came running. Hunching over, coughing, and panting he called to the monster.
“T! Billy’s alive but very hurt, we need your help getting him to the hospital.”
The Lycanthrope tried keeping its head on me but had to turn it completely to look back to his friend. It stood there silently for about ten seconds before roaring at me and leaping over multiple panels back to the entrance of the farm. His fat buddy waddled after him.
