When the bottom of the door reached eye level, a flash of movement from outside registered in his peripheral vision.
He rolled to the side just as a massive claw swung down and sparked against the concrete. It was at moments such as this that he was thankful for his small stature and graceful speed. A bigger man might have been torn in half.
The M4 barked to life as he unloaded upon the hulking figure, but the beast barely registered the attack and seemed to regard the bullet strikes as a minor annoyance. As it slowly looked him over, Knight had the distinct feeling that the creature was playing with him. But this allowed him, for the first time, to receive a clear view of his enemy. He didn’t like what he saw.
It stood at least nine feet tall and seemed almost as wide. Every limb of its enormous body bulged with sinewy muscle. It wore the shredded remains of black BDUs and moved like a man. But its arms hung low, and its skin was covered with greenish iridescent scales. Its ears were almost human but were deformed and pointed like those of an iguana. Sharp claws tipped the massive five fingered hands, and a bulbous, elongated and hairless head sat upon muscular shoulders and held a snouted face, yellow eyes and a mouth full of gleaming, curved fangs. It reminded Knight of some freakish coupling of a man and Hydra.
He had seen enough. He unleashed a barrage of fire into the creature’s eyes. It stumbled back and Knight tried to move away, but within a few seconds, the damage to its face had repaired itself.
A low rumbling that seemed all-to-similar to laughter emanated from somewhere deep within the creature’s throat. The sound filled Knight with dread. The more he saw of this beast, the less it seemed like an animal. And the more it seemed almost human.
The thing made no more advances toward him, but as he inched toward the Humvee, it shadowed him. He knew that if he took off he’d never reach the transport before the beast tore him to shreds.
It croaked out another short laugh and then drew back a giant clawed arm.
He prepared to leap away and kept his eyes locked with the creature’s, hoping that its eyes would choreograph its movements.
The sound of screeching tires drew its reptilian gaze back into the warehouse just before the black Humvee slammed into the creature’s side. Beck accelerated with the beast clinging to the front grill of the vehicle and hissing in a way that no longer seemed human at all.
Knight watched as the Humvee barreled across the parking lot, burst through the fence and slammed into the concrete wall of a neighboring building. He ran after the damaged vehicle, and after a few seconds, the Humvee pulled back from the wall.
Beck screamed, “Grab on!”
He didn’t have to be told twice.
He leapt onto the running board and grabbed hold of the vehicle’s frame. “Go!”
Beck slammed her foot to the floor, and the Humvee sped away. Knight swung his legs up through the window and slid inside the vehicle. Then he moved to the hatch in the transport’s roof that was normally used by the gunner. The well-oiled hinges swung open easily, and he poked the upper half of his body into open air.
He looked back to where the beast should have been splattered against the wall, but instead of a bloody smear, he saw the thing stumble back into the street. The monstrous face turned in his direction. The impact had caved in half of its head, and one of its arms had been severed cleanly above the elbow.
But before his eyes, the face began to reform, and a new limb sprouted from the bloody stump.
The thing bent back its body and roared. The two wing-like ears on either side of its head slapped against its skull when it roared, creating a distinct rattling sound Knight remembered all too well. The shriek was full of rage and agony and made Knight feel very small and helpless. After a few seconds, the beast lunged onto all fours and charged after them.
Knight ducked his head back into the cab of the Humvee and said, “I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
Beck glanced in the rearview mirror. “I think we’re going to need a few Apaches with Hellfire missiles.”
12.