The Bridge (Para-Earth Series) (44 page)

             
Veronica tightened the grip on her weapon.  “Cassie, where are you?  I need that light now!”

              Hearing Ronnie’s command, Julie looked up and saw the heiress slowly walking towards the silver-haired man standing at the end of the bridge.   Instinctively, she sprang up and grabbed the girl in a protective embrace, “Hey, you’re supposed to be dating girls, not him.”

             
The words and the physical contact seemed to break the spell.  The smaller woman shook her head and looked up. “Thank you” she breathed and planted a kiss on her rescuer. 

             
It was simple kiss but it sent a thrill though Julie she hadn’t known in a long time.  But it was a brief moment of pleasure.  The sound of approaching footsteps made them both look up.

             
The stranger was coming towards them, menace and evil radiating from every inch of his body.

             
“Where’s the sword?” she asked Cassie.

             
“I put it down when he started controlling me,” the girl answered, panic rising in her voice. 

             
Suddenly, Veronica appeared beside them, firing her weapon.  Three shots found their mark as the figure staggered back with each impact.  The last one struck him in the face, tearing the flesh away from his cheek and shattering the bone beneath. 

             
For a moment he stood there, bent backwards, as if ready to drop.  Then he righted himself, like some sinister marionette who’d had its strings pulled, and started coming towards them again.  His broken jaw, still hanging by one joint, seemed to be twisted in a horrific grin of impending triumph. 

             
Then without warning he stopped, his eyes wide. “YOU!” he hissed.

             
A young man in Regency clothing was slowly walking past the three women.  In one hand he carried the sword. 

             
“BRANDON!” cried the heiress excitedly.

             
Julie started at the sight of the young man, not so much from his attire but because in spite of the driving rain he remained completely dry.  After getting over the initial surprise and shock of his arrival she asked, “Great timing, but who the hell is he?”

             
“He’s an Elliott,” replied Cassandra proudly, “And we watch over our own.  Now, everyone be ready to run when Brandon gives the signal.”

             
Without hesitating, Julie went back and grabbed up Alex and the baby, while Veronica reloaded her weapon in case it was needed.

             
At the end of the bridge the white-haired man had already started backing up.  As he did so, Brandon raised his blade with the grace of a duelist and closed the gap between them.  When they were mere feet from one another, the young man lunged at his opponent,  just as a particularly bright flash of lightning blinded all who were watching. 

             
A moment later, the blade clattered noisily on the stonework.  The two men were gone.

             
“THERE’S OUR EXIT, GO!” shouted Cassie, bending down to retrieve the wooden part of the walking stick, which doubled as the sword’s scabbard.  But as she did so, a black tentacle shot up from between the stones.  Before she could scream, her hands were bound and she found herself pulled down and pinned to the stonework. 

             
“CASSANDRA!” Veronica cried looking back.  She and the others had almost reached the end of the bridge, when they saw what was happening.  Quickly, she emptied the rest of her magazine at main body of creature, which was still emerging from the center of the bridge.  But the bullets were having no effect.  And now more of the black appendages had appeared from between the stones and were heading toward the helpless girl. 

             
Julie put Alex and the baby down and grabbed the discarded sword.  Turning to face the threat she ran forward screaming, “BACK OFF, SHE’S MINE!”

             
The appendages seemed to sense her coming and tried to retreat, but not fast enough.  With one stroke of the blade, she sliced through them and kept swinging until she reached the trapped girl.  Then, with one more well aimed slash, she cut through the both black appendages and the stones freeing the girl. 

             
Immediately, Cassandra scrambled to her feet and clung to her.  Together they slowly began backing up, while keeping their eyes fixed on the mass of black ropes coming out of the center of the bridge.  This unfortunately left the two of them wide open for a new attack from the side.

             
As if in retaliation for the assault, the bridge’s railing came to life and swung at them.  The two women ducked just in time and continued to retreat.  But then the other railing struck.

             
Once more they barely ducked in time, but the stony appendage immediately reversed course and swung back towards them. 

             
Julie tried blocking it with the blade which cut through the rock and severed the mass of tentacles controlling it.  This caused the railing to break apart into its individual stone blocks which continued to fly at them like over-sized shrapnel. 

              Veronica watched in growing horror as both Julie and Cassandra were struck by the debris and knocked off their feet.  The two of them came to rest at the foot of the bridge.  Neither of them stirred.

             
Staring at her fallen comrades, Veronica realized that she was now the only one left who could fight, and her weapon was useless.  As she stood there staring at their enemy, a large shadow loomed up from behind the creature.  It took her a moment to figure out it was the other end of the bridge. 

             
‘The damn thing has worked its way between all the stonework and is bringing the damn bridge to life,’ she realized with horror.  A moment later the wall of stone started descending towards them all. 

             
Quickly, she raced over to where Julie had left Alex and the baby.  She tried to cover them with her own body, knowing it was hopeless gesture but at least the three of them would be together in the end.

             
But nothing happened.

             
After several seconds she looked up. 

             
The end of the bridge was hovering about 20 feet above them. 

             
Why had it stopped? 

             
She turned to Alex and gasped.  Both he and the baby were staring intently at the menacing wall of stone, with red glowing eyes.  There were no pupils or whites, just two sets of crimson infernos.

             
‘They’re holding it back,’ she realized and hope sprang back into her heart.  Then she looked back at the wall of stone and thought, ‘And if they lose their concentration we’ve all had it.  What do I do?’

             
Suddenly Alex spoke in a tight voice, “You need to get us and the other two off the bridge, Luv.”

             
Thank God, he’d sensed her thoughts.  Immediately, she helped him to his feet and half carried him towards the foot of the bridge, where Cassie and Julie were slowly getting up.

              Getting to her feet, Cassandra could feel the power emanating from Alex and the baby.  It was taking a lot out of them and they needed help.  Looking around she spotted the sword lying on the bridge, just a few feet away.  Knowing it was their only weapon she instinctively reached for it and nearly screamed. 

             
Clutching her right side, which felt like it was on fire, she barely managed not to fall to her knees.  A couple of her ribs were cracked if not actually broken, she realized.  But she couldn’t let it stop her, Alex and the baby needed help.

             
Biting back the pain she moved forward again and lunged for the sword. 

             
Her hand had almost touched it when a pointed black tendril shot up from between the stones and into her left shoulder.

             
For a moment, she couldn’t move.  All she could do was stare at the blood seeping down the tentacle.  It took a moment for her to realize it was her own because her mind was focused elsewhere.  She could feel the other end of it stretching out of her back and trying to wrap itself around her.

             
Suddenly, an arc of white flashed before her eyes and a muscular arm grabbed her around the waist, as the offending limb crumbled to dust.  “I’ve got you Baby,” a voice murmured in her ear.

             
Looking up, she saw blood dripping down the side of Julie’s face.                “You’re bleeding…” she managed to say.

             
“Never mind that,” Julie told her, “Can you walk if I help you?”

             
Cassie nodded, “Keep the blade ready… it’s the only weapon we’ve got…”

             
“I know.  Now just hush,” Julie replied moving the two of them back towards Alex and Ronnie.  She was mindful to keep the blade pointed at their enemy.

              Veronica, still supporting her own two charges, waited for them.  The far end of the bridge still loomed overhead, but was staying put thanks to Alex and the baby.  ‘But how much longer can they keep it up?'  she wondered.

             
Finally, Julie and Cassandra reached her. 

             
From there, they all backed up slowly in a group.  Their attention fixed solely on the creature which was still emerging from the stone slab.

             
After what seemed like hours, Veronica felt one foot sink into the mud and she started to fall backwards, when several pairs of hands caught her.

             
“Easy there, Rookie!  We’ve got you.”

thE final stand

             
“GET SOME LIGHTS ON! WE NEED TO SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING!” shouted Ryan.

             
Searchlights from police cruisers on both sides of the stream illuminated the nightmare scene.

             
“Holy shit the bridge is moving!” cried one officer. 

             
Another patrolman yelled, “What the fuck is that thing in the center of it?”

             
“Watch out, it’s going to try and crush us!” warned another.

             
Chief Peterson’s commanding voice restored order, “Everyone who has a rifle, prepare to open fire!  We’re taking that thing down!  The rest of you, get these civilians to safety!”

             
The sound of weapons being cocked and loaded filled the air, punctuated by the flash of lighting and the roll of thunder.  Then silence.  No one moved or spoke, as the raised section of the bridge creaked ominously, still struggling against the psychic force holding it back.

             
Cassie and Julie were already behind one of the patrol cars, but Veronica was still struggling with Alex and the baby, in spite of being helped by two of her coworkers.  Her love could only move slowly; otherwise his concentration would be broken.

             
At that moment her two helpers, tired of their slow progress, tried grabbing him up in a fireman’s carry.  It proved to be a mistake. 

             
The towering wall of stone came crashing down, flattening the nearest patrol car and scattering several officers, including the two trying to carry Alex.

             
“FIRE!” Peterson roared.  

             
Immediately, the sound of guns erupted on both sides of the stream, with bullets bouncing uselessly off the moving rock.   Seeing this, Veronica ordered her fellow officers to aim at the creature itself. 

             
More searchlights came on, bathing the black-iridescent being in their powerful glare.  The creature began to emit a high-pitched sound and tried to move away from the powerful beams.  Once more the end of the bridge was brought down on another vehicle, extinguishing its hateful light.

             
Still holding onto Alex, Veronica turned to her boss.  “Did you see that?”

             
“Yeah,” her old partner nodded, “It must hate light, which is why we never had trouble around here in the daytime.” He called out to his team to break out some flares and to throw them at the creature.