Wild Anderson: Part 2 Story with Finn and Mateo

Part 2:

Leo knelt. "Forgive me Father. " "I confess the sins of anger and greed."

The priest's face was drawn but composed. His expression held a kind of lightness that had long been missing. "I was in a dark place Leo. My fears overwhelmed me. But now I am myself again. "

A rustling sound came from outside. Both men stopped, Leo cocking his head to one side and settled back on his haunches, his hand gliding behind him in search of a weapon.

The sound came again. And again. When it came it was sudden, bowling through the doorway, filling it with a stench of blood and ancient reptilian odours. It held a spear and it was strong. Leo tumbled backwards, the big man suddenly an acrobat towards his pack. It surged forwards almost on top of the priest, paused to raise its spear for the fatal strike.

Father Mateo uttered a string of oaths, unintelligible and inhuman, his voice hoarse and straining with the effort. He stood straight and solitary, a boy before a monster from the darkness, illuminated by a pale light between them.

"Get down, let me shoot!" But Mateo simply held up his arm. There was no lantern, his arm itself was ablaze with a cold fire that danced and wove sheer lines up and down from his hand to his elbow.

The monster tried to reel back, but its own bulk told against it. It fell into the cold sword of light and was pierced through by it, and the flames danced in the wound and it shrank back howling and shrieking with horror and pain.

A gunshot rang out, flat and deafening in the small room, a third eye blooming in the monsters temple. It fell back, shuddering and dead against the doorframe.

Leo stepped forwards, gazing at the priests arm, quite normal now, just that of a man. "The lord is with you Father."

"And also with you Leo."

Finn cautiously poked his head in through the doorway. "Did you kill it?"

...

They fled for their lives, fulled by fear, bleeding and sore. The creatures were everywhere; snake eyes gleamed and shone from shattered doorways. The sphere weighed heavily in his pack. Finn was somewhere behind in the darkness.

“Run, Father.”

“I can free your leg Leo.” In truth it looked a mess, broken and swollen, slashed across with bite marks. The trap was old, rotten wood and fragile, but in the dark it had been good enough and Leo had gone down hard.

“You can’t free me in time. Go!”

Mateo fled through the ruins, gasping towards the light. His lungs burned and he did not look back.

The harsh rattle of Leo’s rifle sounded, and again, still loud despite the distance. It crashed angrily and then there was silence. Mateo listened intently. He heard running footsteps, pounding skittishly towards him. They echoed closer and bursting out into the clearing came Finn.

“You’re well Father.”

“Did you see Leo?”

“I did Father.” Finn smiled “He asked if I might stop and help him.” Mateo frowned.

“I had to leave Father, the things were mighty hot on my heels.”

A single crack rang out. And another.

“Thank God, he’s still alive.”

Finn chuckled, “Down to his pistol now. Time for us to be off Padre.”

He stood, stretching and turned to be off.

“No Finn! We will not.” He felt a touch of the madness and rage, and saw it in Finn’s flinch. “We will pray, down on our knees.” Angrily he knelt and Finn reluctantly followed.

The humming ceased. It was as if they suddenly heard anew now it was gone, though they had not noticed it before. It had been a deep, bone throbbing sound, racing up and up, hidden beneath their blood pumping fear. The silence was deafening. And there in it they heard the desperate gasping of a dying man crawling through the entrance.

“Why didn’t they kill you?” Finn was all wide eyed astonishment.

“They meant to.” Leo was finding it hard to breathe. His skin was an unnatural colour, pale and tinged with sweat. “They could have. They were summoned back I think. It can’t last, we have to go.”

“Let me help you Leo.” Finn was all solicitous support, lending his strength. “We make a fine team you and me.”