Nightbringer by Huggins James Byron

Author:Huggins, James Byron [Huggins, James Byron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James Byron Huggins
Published: 2013-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

None of them had failed to follow the tremendous battle being waged in the corridor two floors below their position and Professor Haider and Melanchthon quickly gathered Rebecca, Rachel, and the scattered monks.

Only when they were about to enter the area where the smoke was strongest—where the air itself seemed warmer, as if heated by the conflict—did Melanchthon pause and grab the professor's arm.

"Prepare yourself," he rumbled.

The professor needed no more. He was first through the opening though the others were not far behind.

The wide corridor resembled a scene out of World War II after interminable bombs had been dropped on the same city night after night. It was difficult to conceive that anyone could have survived whatever destruction had raged here. Shattered stones the size of desks lay in the walkway. Stout wooden timbers were cracked as if they'd faced the relentless force of a hurricane. Everything was broken stone, shattered wood and chalklike dust with hundreds of shining gold cartridges littering it all like treasure surrounding a shipwreck.

Cassius and Gina—Josh was resting on a broken stone beside Cassius—displayed little or no emotion as they rushed forward.

Gina didn't trust herself to make more than simple greetings. The painful noise of the MP-5 had both deafened and angered her. Her emotions were boiling from the sheer racket and would continue until her head stopped ringing and she regained at least a portion of hearing. It had even affected her balance so that she only trusted herself to sit and watch.

She was thankful that Cassius revealed none of the after-battle anger or impatience that she was experiencing. She wasn't surprised. He could probably fight all day and all night and still be as calm and composed as when he began. It was the first thought of genuine anger that she'd had toward him, and she knew it was just aftereffects of the fight.

As she watched the professor, Rebecca, Melanchthon, and Jaqual with the children, so joyous to be together again, she resented that they thought fighting exacted no toll, no price. She hoped they didn't expect her to share their relief too soon.

Cassius had been injured, but not as grievously as Gina had anticipated. In fact, other than the claw marks down his face and his wounded forearm, he seemed untouched. But he was, indeed, injured. The fact that he wasn't moving told her that much. He continued to slowly damp a strip of his shirt on his face. The blood flow had almost ceased.

"We go back to the hall now?" Gina didn't realize she was shouting until she finished.

Cassius glanced at her and nodded mildly. Then he stood holding the katana and the Colt .45.

"Okay!" he said loudly enough to gain their attention. He pointed with the katana. "We go up this staircase! I'll take the lead and Gina will guard the rear! We'll move safe and slow back to the Hall! Does everyone understand?"

They nodded enthusiastically.

To release a little anger—at least he's human, Gina thought— Cassius kicked what remained of the shattered door out of the way as he mounted the stairwell.

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