Subterranean

Just as Sin'jari grabbed Ashley's throat with a bony hand, a noise erupted from the wormhole. Sin'jari twisted his neck around to look.

Ashley jumped as the transport sled blasted out of the wormhole and flew across the chamber, colliding into several of the silaris, knocking them off their feet.

The distraction was enough to allow Ben to crawl from the wormhole. He was standing before anyone was even aware he had appeared. He raised the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at Sin'jari. "Mate, I suggest you let the lady go."

Sin'jari hissed at him and plunged the dagger toward her chest.

Ben fired.

Ashley saw the left side of Sin'jari's head fly away. His body stood there for half a second, dagger still poised, then crumpled to the floor.

A couple silaris rushed toward Ben. He swung his rifle, and in two shots, two bodies lay on the floor. "Any others?"

Suddenly, from behind the group of silaris, as if by magic, a troop of hunters appeared, bristling with long spears.

"Meet a few of my friends," Ben said with a smile. "I placed a quick call before arriving. This bloody heri'huti means of communication could put the phone company out of business."

The silaris, without their leader, put up little fight and were roughly herded away.

Ashley rushed over to Ben and wrapped him in her arms. "You're okay. I didn't know… didn't know what Sin'jari had done up there." She squeezed him and, muffled against his chest, said the words she had held so long in her chest. "I love you."

"Ay? What was that?" he said, pulling back to look her square in the face.

"I… I love you."

He slipped back into her embrace. "Oh, that. I knew you did. I was just wondering when you'd figure it out."

"Shut up." She reached up and kissed him.

Ben then moved his lips to her ear. "You know, there's someone up top who's waiting for a big hug and kiss too."

She pulled back from him, her hands clenched on his shoulders. "Do you mean-"

He nodded. "Jason's fine. Just a bit shook up like the rest of us."

Tears blurred her vision as Ben smiled down at her. He then pulled her into a tight embrace. In his arms, she felt the strength of family she'd never experienced before.

Still in his arms, Ashley watched Bo'rada stalk into the chamber, confusion evident on his features. Crossing to the scarred figure, he spoke heatedly to Tru'gula, who answered with repeated gestures. Bo'rada's eyes grew wide.

"I leave you for a second," Ben whispered, "and see how much trouble you get into."

Once Tru'gula finished, the leader stared with disgust at Sin'jari's body, then turned to Ashley and Ben. He bent his head solemnly in their direction. As apology or thanks, she wasn't sure.

Ben broke free of her embrace. "I forgot." He crossed to Sin'jari's body and fingered open the pouch on the dead man's belt. He reached inside and pulled out the diamond statue.

"Ohna!" Ben held the figure up for all to see, then crossed over and placed the female statue on the pedestal next to the male figure. "They make a nice couple, don't you think?"

THIRTY-SEVEN

JASON SAT ON A SOILED CHAIR IN THE DEMOLISHED RECEPTION room of Blakely's office. He had his cracked Nintendo Game Boy in his lap and was trying to tape it together. Harry and his companion creatures were outside somewhere, patrolling, keeping an eye on things. Ever since the explosion of the elevator, Harry wanted the area watched closely.

Jason knew he was supposed to stay with Sandy back in Blakely's office, but she was giving him the creeps. All she did was stare off into space, fiddling with her hair. She didn't even say a word when he got up.

He thought about how Ben had saved him, and hoped desperately that he would return soon with his mom.

Then a soft scritch-scritching noise from outside froze him in the chair. It was probably Harry or one of the others. Wasn't it? The noise came again. It sounded like a bunch of boards was being shifted around.

He quietly stood up and took a step toward the hallway, toward safety. When he heard the noise once more, his curiosity got the better of him. He took a step toward the decimated entrance to the building.

He'd just take a peek. It might be important, or nothing at all.

Holding his breath to avoid any detection of his position, he snuck around an overturned desk to get a clear view out the building.

He stared, waiting for the sound to repeat so he could tell where it was coming from, afraid even to blink in case he should miss something. Nothing was out there besides the crater from the explosion and piles of debris strewn around the edge by the blast. Nothing moved.

He started to straighten from where he crouched. Probably just-

Then he heard and saw it at the same time. A muzzle, protruding from under a pile of tumbled lumber and bricks, about twenty yards away. It was easy to miss, camouflaged well with the black rock and scorched debris. If it hadn't moved, he'd have overlooked it.

It moved again, shifting the debris until a black eye swung clear. It seemed to be staring straight at him. Jason knew it was the beast who'd been sniffing him when he was tied up. The one Ben called Tiny Tim. Jason froze, afraid to draw its attention further.

He watched as it dropped its head back to the floor, obviously still dazed, groggy, recovering from the explosion. Jason needed to warn someone that it had survived.

Then a new sound intruded.

A voice. A familiar voice. Female. Crying.

He watched as Linda ran into view, her eyes glued to the crater. Her face was smudged, her hair in stringy tangles. Tears swelled in her eyes.

Khalid stepped into view behind her, smoking a cigarette. "It's done," he heard Khalid say. "The boy's gone."

Linda stumbled to the crater's far edge and began walking around it. Jason realized she was going to cross within a yard of the buried monster.

Jason dashed from the building and ran to the crater's edge. He called across the hole to her. "Linda! Get back! Run!"

Linda jumped at the sight of him, her hands fluttering around her cheeks like scared birds. "Jason?" His words and sudden appearance seemed to shock her. Her foot slipped, and she tripped into the crater.

"Watch out!"

With a roar, the beast reacted, erupting from the pile of debris like some bloody jack-in-the-box. It reared up. A white bone protruded from its side where its arm had been. Its entire flank was charred. It lunged at Linda, who cowered on the crater floor.

"No!" Jason screamed.

Khalid reacted first, in panic, firing madly at the beast. The beast swung toward Khalid, drawn by the noise of the gun. Yelling, Khalid pawed at his pocket, his eyes so wide they bulged. He barely seemed to react when the monster snatched him up. Only a weak groan escaped his lips as he was yanked upward, his waist trapped in the beast's jaws.

The man's weight, however, proved too much for the beast in its weakened state. It collapsed back into the pile of debris with a crash, still clutching Khalid in its jaws.

Linda scuttled on her hands and knees to the far side of the crater, her face a mask of horror as the beast crept away, dragging the Egyptian with it.

Khalid thrashed in its teeth, his arms still free. He had the pistol in his hand but wasn't using it. Instead he was trying to free something from his pocket.

With a fierce yank and a yell of triumph, blood flowing from his lips, he pulled his hand free. Jason recognized the object. Khalid had showed it to him before. A radio transmitter for setting off bombs.

Linda spotted it too. "Don't!" she screamed.

Khalid smiled painfully. Blood flowed freely from his lips. He raised his hand.