Chapter Twenty-Nine: Backs are Now Against the Wall

July 20, 2010

Silver City, NM

Pinos Altos was a typical old mining town. It was now home to just a few dozen structures, the largest of which was the Lobo. Seasonal cabins and a few off-grid residences like Marc’s Cabin rounded out the small community. There should be less than two hundred people in the entire area, but they were cut off from Silver City. Even if someone was able to get a call through to town, it would be a couple of hours at least before anyone was able to get all the way up to them.

If a goblin horde was descending on the town, they would certainly do significant damage, and anyone caught outside would be in serious trouble. A lot of the houses around were pretty cheaply built, so the situation was pretty bad overall. Even for the Lobo, it was only a matter of time before the beasts started tearing into the walls and smashing through windows.

The best chance they had was for Marc to deal with this quickly. He hoped the group was not focused on the Lobo yet. Just one scout in the kitchen might indicate that they may still be working in smaller groups.

The first barrier was to get to his truck. From there he could be at his cabin in minutes. Hopefully, there wasn’t any problem there. After that, things would get tricky.

With Ryan and Matt covering him, Marc unlocked the door nearest to the staircase. The icepick was in his belt and he held the steak knife in his right hand. It wasn’t much, but he had something better in the truck.

Signaling that he was ready, Marc stepped out of the room and onto the landing. He quickly closed the door and checked the corners and shadows. The lights were still on in the saloon, so as he descended the stairs he had visibility to the front entrance.

Luckily there was still no sign of any break-ins. His truck was on the side of the Lobo, so the fastest route would be out the front entrance and around to the side. It was just twenty feet or so out in the open, plus a few seconds to unlock the truck.

Marc had debated just skipping the truck and making a run for his cabin. It was just up the road, and the vehicle noise would draw more attention than he wanted, but he needed the truck for the next part of the plan. Not that it was a very good plan to start with.

With the knife at the ready, Marc slid down the stairs and up to the front door. He unlocked the large heavy door, the slowly pushed it open.

He realized he wouldn’t be able to lock it behind himself. Yet another flaw in his brilliant strategy. Hopefully, the weight of the door would be enough to keep the small monsters out for a while. He knew from experience that it wouldn’t stop them for long.

With his car keys at the ready in his left hand and the knife in his right, Marc ran for his truck. He noticed the shadows starting to move the instant he started his run. They were out there, and there were a lot of them.

Ten feet to the truck and he saw one. Standing right on the top of his truck’s cab was a lone goblin staring straight at him.

Marc’s arm shot out instinctively and the knife flew right into the center of the torso. It hit with enough force to knock the beast backward off the top of the truck.

Goblins were noisy animals. They could communicate over long distances with each other, and Marc could remember countless nights out in the wild, listening to their cries and songs. One of their more annoying traits, however, was that they, like many other predators, were silent hunters. Without hearing a sound, he knew they were starting to gather and track him. As soon as they had a chance, they would charge.

He slid the key into the lock without trouble. He was calm, but the adrenaline was pumping. The door opened, and he was about to jump in the cab when he heard the shout.

“Marc!”

Before he could turn, he heard the shot. The silent night atmosphere was banished with the crack of a gun, coming from just a few feet behind his back.

As he turned, his peripheral vision picked up a few shapes moving.

A goblin was falling backward into the bed of the truck. A girl was standing with her hands stretched forward towards him, just four or five feet away in the direction of the entrance of the Lobo. More shadows were moving quickly toward them from behind her.

Crap.

His hand reached into the truck and pulled the Machete from behind the driver’s seat. Flicking off the scabbard, he was already moving forward towards Selina while his brain was still assessing the situation.

Two large steps forward and he grabbed the front of her shirt with his left hand as his right swung the large blade. The machete sliced the goblin in two, just as it reached its claws towards her head.

Two more of its friends were crouching on the ground, ready to leap.

Marc pulled Selina forward, using her mass to get him close to the goblins. This time he flipped the blade around, using the convex back of the blade like a hook to grab the closer pest and drag it into the other, allowing him to smash them both into the ground with one strike.

He brought his boot down on the pile with a soft crunching sound as he scanned around for another attack.

There were shadows moving in every direction and ugly green faces appearing with glinting sharp teeth. Marc turned back to the truck and Selina was spinning back to face him.

“Get in!” He shouted and pushed her towards the truck cab.

The pack was staying back and repositioning after they saw Marc dispatch three of their number so quickly.

This gave Marc enough time to push Selina into the front seat and climb in after her. He slammed the door shut and peered out the side window.

The shapes receded into the shadows, content to watch and see what their prey would do.

Marc checked locked the doors, then slammed his key into the ignition and started the truck.

Several shapes darted from underneath the truck as the engine roared to life. Seconds later, he could hear and feel the vibration of objects hitting the sides of the truck like someone throwing basketballs at it. Throwing the truck in reverse, he pulled out of the parking lot and started heading up the road toward Whiskey Creek.

“What the hell Selina?” He shouted, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

She sat there in shock, her eyes wide open and her mouth slack. Marc saw the silver object in her hands and slammed on the brakes.

Reaching over slowly, he gently removed the gun from her grip, like he was disarming a bomb. The last thing he needed right now was a hole in his front windshield.

Pocketing the small revolver, he called out to her again.

“Selina? Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?” He looked her over, checking for missing ears, or cuts on her arms or legs. Luckily she seemed untouched but was still mute.

Marc put the truck back in drive and started back up the road. He intentionally left the headlights off and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he scanned the trees for movement.

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As he pulled up to his cabin, things looked ok. He just needed a couple of minutes. He knew what he needed, so this should be quick.

He stopped the car and shut off the engine. Looking at the frightened girl beside him, he ordered her as calmly and as forcefully as possible.

“Stay here. Do not move an inch. Understand. Do not leave the truck.”

She turned to him, slowly waking up from the shock. Then, as he reached for the door handle she grabbed his arm.

“No!”

“I have to get something inside. I’ll be right back. It will just be a minute and I’ll be right back.”

“NO!” Panic tightened her grip on his sleeve.

“Hey! I told you to stay in the restaurant. I need to get something and we don’t have any time to screw around. You’ll be safe in here, and I’ll be right back. It’s your own fault.” He said, rapping her head with his knuckles.

The blow caused her to scowl. He could see some of her personality start to filter back into her eyes. Then he added,“Thanks, by the way,” He brought his hands up, miming shooting a pistol.

“You’re a good shot. That’s a surprise!”

She released his arm finally, but her scowl deepened at his backhanded compliment. Marc was still pissed, but he had long ago learned how to bury his anger in times of crisis. Time was of the essence and he needed to move.

Closing the door firmly behind himself, Marc sped to the door of the cabin. Everything looked undisturbed, it looked like the goblins had not moved this far at least.

Marc ran through the cabin, grabbing a large bag, then quickly collected various items. He went into the cellar opened the freezer. He pulled all the organs from the dire wolf and shoved them into the bag along with as much meat as would fit.

He ran out of the cabin, threw the bag into the truck bed, then ran to the shed.

He picked up the large tank of gas for his generator, a hammer, and his rifle bag. Then brought them out and put them in the truck.

He got back into the cab and started the engine.

“Marc! What the-“

“I already explained what was going on.” He snapped, some of his irritation bleeding into his voice.

The rebuke was enough to weaken the scowl chiseled onto the young woman’s face. Realizing she had stepped into this mess willingly.

“Sorry, I know it’s a lot to take in. But I don’t have time to explain now. We need to go and help everyone before things get worse.” He explained. They were now heading back to the Lobo, but this time the headlights were on and he was driving as fast as he could.

“I thought you were going for help.”

“It will take too long to get here from the city.”

“But, they are safe upstairs right?”

“I don’t know. Probably, but I can’t risk it. I need to take care of them.” Marc growled. He pulled the truck to a stop at a new building construction site, just a few hundred feet short of the Lobo.

Marc didn’t know what was being built here, but he had passed the site every day for weeks. There wasn’t much finished, just a big hole where a basement or a cellar would be put in. Right now it was just a large pit, fifteen feet deep into the earth.

Thinking through his plan, Marc realized it was going to be hard to pull this off by himself. He should have brought Cryus after all. Then he looked at the girl sitting next to him in the truck.

“Actually, I could use some help,” he said cautiously.

Fear flashed over her face as she looked around outside the truck’s windows into the dark.

Marc grimaced. He felt bad about this, but if the goblins all showed up too early…

“How did you learn how to shoot? You hit that goblin with this thing. That’s pretty nuts,” Marc patted his jacket pocket.

“Basic self-defense. Why do you think I’m not already knocked up? I made my first boyfriend teach me, then I made sure all the rest knew I can do it.”

“What about long guns?”

“Rifles? Nah. It’s not that I like guns. I just keep one in case. I have the same one, but I left it in my car. S&W 642. I had to practice for weeks just to get used to the double action.”

Marc realized that this was Sheila’s gun. Selina must have grabbed it from Matt and rushed out behind him.

“Okay. Then no more shooting. It’s a miracle you didn’t take off my head. Anyway, I need to set something up in that pit. Do you think you can help me? I can’t carry everything and fight at the same time if something comes after.”

“Why can’t we just go get help?” She complained.

“I told you, not enough time. This should be over in a couple of minutes it if works.”

“But-“

“Look, I don’t have time. If you can help, fine. If not, I gotta go now.”

She looked at him, about to protest more, then nodded her head.

“Fine! Let’s go.”

Marc got out of the truck and quickly pulled out his rifle, loaded it, and slung it over his shoulder. He left the scabbard for the machete in the parking lot, so he just slid the blade carefully into his belt.

Then he lifted the heavy bag with the meat and held it out to Selina.

“Can you carry this?”

She grunted as she hefted the bag, but shouldered it defiantly.

Marc grabbed the gasoline tank and they ran to the pit.

“Go down the ramp and empty everything in the bag into a pile in the middle of the pit,” he ordered.

“She looked at him hesitantly, then into the pit. It was illuminated by the truck headlights but still looked frightening considering the situation.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you,” he said as he unscrewed the cap from the gas tank.

She nodded and started to quickly walk down the dirt ramp used by the construction crew to get into the pit.

Marc stated pouring the gasoline on the ground as he followed her. He had to admit, he wasn’t so sure about this part of the plan. This was something he had only seen in TV movies when he was a kid. He was sure Kira would have some sharp rebuke for trusting such flimsy evidence, but it seemed reasonable enough in his head. If it didn’t work, well there was always Plan B.

Selina had finished dumping everything out onto the ground as Marc moved up and stood next to her. He had emptied about 1/3 of the tank and after pouring more gas onto the ground around the pile of meat he placed the tank next to the pile.

He found the bottle of kitchen vinegar on the ground that he had put inside the bag. Then he pulled a piece of folded paper out from his pocket. Inside was a powder that he had made a few minutes ago by crushing several Mana crystals with a hammer in the cellar.

“Okay. We are going back to the truck. Get inside and lock the doors.”

Selina nodded but still looked unsure.

Marc dumped the powder into the vinegar. The liquid started to glow. Dimly at first, but quickly getting brighter until it lit up the entire pit.

He poured the liquid all over the pile of meat. The whole pile took on a weak glow and started to emit a wretched smell.

“Go!” Marc shouted.

Selina had caught a whiff of the smell and her face snarled in disgust. Then she turned and started running up the ramp. Marc pulled out the machete and then followed her.

She was halfway up the hill when she saw them.

It was like a dark wave of black water was approaching. She shrieked and stopped as dozens of inky black shapes ran straight at her.

“Go! Don’t stop!”

“But-“

“GO!” He pushed her towards the wave of goblins.

Just as the wave hit, she covered her face and…

Nothing.

She opened her eyes and the wave of dark demons simply spread around her to pass her, as though she was nothing more than an obstacle on their migration.

“Go!” Marc pushed her and she started to run to the truck again.

As she got into the truck she heard a horrible shrieking noise. It was like bats singing death metal. Hundreds of them.

Selina looked out of the truck and saw that the wave of goblins had filled the pit. The frog-like monsters were fighting each other for scraps of meat. It was like some nightmarish mosh pit.

Marc stood at the top of the ramp and pulled out a lighter. He lit a handkerchief that he had dipped into the gasoline and it quickly burst into flames. Dropping the burning fabric onto the ground, Marcc was surprised and delighted to see the gas-soaked dirt ignite and a path of flame snake through the mass of goblins until it reached the center of the pit.

Unlike the movies that Marc had envisioned, there was no explosion. Instead, a giant flame grew from the pile of screaming beasts in the center of the pit.

The bonfire continued to grow at an alarming pace until the pit was full of flaming, screaming, and panicking goblins. Marc watched closely, watching for any that tried to escape. He fired his rifle three times, each time hitting a goblin trying to climb out of the fire pit. His machete took care of another dozen making a run for the ramp.

In minutes, the carnage was over. The smell was… unbelievably bad. Selina could smell it inside the truck and it was all she could do to keep from vomiting inside the cab.

Marc checked to make sure all the goblins in the pit had perished. With the horde destroyed, any stray goblins would not last long. Local predators would have the advantage. So long as nothing worse had come through the portal.

Just as Marc had that thought, he noticed a movement from just behind the truck.

He ran and got to the truck just in time to see a small shape moving back towards the Lobo.

It moved quickly, but he could tell it was injured. Likely in the chaos as the goblin mob was attracted into the trap.

He chased after the limping goblin which ran behind the Lobo, passing right by the head of its friend that had been ejected from the kitchen by Cyrus’s swing hit.

As Marc came out the back he saw it.

Just a few feet behind the Lobo’s rear entrance, floating a few feet in the air was another portal. It was exactly like the one Marc had seen outside the Cutter’s property.

Marc watched as the goblin stood just below the portal. Then, gathering all its remaining strength it leapt into the air. Just as it passed the threshold of the gate, it exploded into thousands of sparks. Pieces of goblin fell to the ground in flames.

Marc stared at the portal, now sure that it would not be a good idea to try it out.

He stepped forward, and just like before, the portal “saw” him. He could feel it looking at him, and then it was gone, leaving just a few pieces of smoking goblin behind.

As Marc stared out into the darkness, Selina noticed a car driving out of Pinos Altos toward the city. It was the first non-monster activity she had seen since the birthday party, but before she could get a good look, it was gone. All she could say was that it was a late-model sedan with two people in the front.

Then her phone started ringing in her pocket.

“Hello? Mami! ¡No vas a creer lo que me acaba de suceder!”