Knight closed his eyes and braced himself for death with the knowledge that at least he had bought enough time for Beck and the kids to escape. Plus, the monstrous creature would be dead within a few minutes anyway.
He had accomplished his mission. His last mission.
But then he felt his stomach shoot into his throat as the van flew into open air. A blank white billboard loomed ahead, and the van smashed through it and flipped back over in the process. Before he could realize what was happening, the van struck the ground and skidded to a halt in the middle of a construction site. It grooved a long channel into the dirt, but the van finally came to rest.
Knight pulled his pistol and put a bullet into the airbags holding him in place. He thanked God and the patron saint of auto-designers for all of the modern crash safety features built into automobiles these days.
As he dragged himself from the wreckage, he felt a terrible pain in his side. It was difficult to breath. His head throbbed and blood was running into his eyes. He suspected that he had cracked ribs and either a broken nose or a fractured skull. He smelled gas and knew that he’d have a lot more injuries to contend with if he didn’t get out the vehicle immediately.
He stumbled away from the van just as the creature’s arm slammed down on it, compacting the mini-van into scrap metal. The impact shook the ground and jarred his bones. He toppled forward into the red dirt of the construction site.
Years of intense training were all that kept him moving forward, and he pushed himself to his feet and toward the skeletal frame of the skyscraper being constructed on the site. The creature apparently hadn’t seen him yet, since he could hear it continuing to pound the van at his back.
He looked up at the frame of the building. It was only about six stories tall so far, and the top level held a large crane with a steel I-beam hanging suspended from its arm. He could see an open cage elevator sitting at ground level ahead and limped toward it.
He pushed through the belly of the building, past small concrete mixers and palettes of various building materials. The lift was only a few feet ahead.
The ground shook again, and the urge to look back overwhelmed him. But he fought down the impulse and pressed forward. He rushed into the lift, pulled the cage down and slammed the button to raise the elevator.
His breathing was shallow and labored. He wiped the blood from his eyes and fought to clear his vision. Dizziness and nausea swept over him.
Then, as he reached what he guessed was the structure’s third level, a giant clawed hand clamped over the elevator’s caged surface and blocked out the sun.
36.
Knight closed his eyes and prepared to be crushed. The lift’s motor whined against the pressure and fought to pull the cage upward out of the creature’s grasp. Smoke rose from the cables and the winch. The smell of burning rust was thick in the air. The cage around him began to buckle inward.
But then another sound drew his attention. He opened his eyes just as the creature pulled its hand away. He looked through the top of the cage as a chopper buzzed by the monster’s head. The beast roared and swiped at the helicopter.
With the sound of grinding metal, the lift began to move again. Within a moment’s time, Knight had reached the top floor. He stepped out onto a small wooden platform, but it only covered an area of about twenty feet. The rest of the floor was nothing but naked girders and sharp falls. The crane sat against the far opposite edge of the building.
He forced himself to breathe as he stepped out onto the girder. He felt like a tightrope walker in the circus, only he was performing without a net. With every step, breathing became more difficult, and he wondered if one of the broken ribs had pierced his lung.
The beast continued to howl below, and he could hear the chopper buzzing by. But he tried to maintain his focus on not falling to his death.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature leap into the air and swipe at the circling chopper. He realized what was coming and tried to brace himself, but he wasn’t quick enough. The beast came hurtling back down to earth. As it hit, the entire structure swayed and shook.
Knight lost his balance and tumbled over the girder’s edge.
37.
Knight reached out and caught the edge of the girder. The downward force tore against his shoulder, and he felt like he had been stabbed in the chest as his broken rib grated against his internal organs. His breath left him, and his vision grew dark. He fought to keep hold of the girder, his only lifeline.
He reached down somewhere deep inside and found the strength he needed to hold on. He had survived terrorists, rebels, regenerating zombies, Neanderthal hunters, billionaires with god complexes, golems, giant insects, mutated reptiles and mythological beasts, and he would be damned if he was going to allow this big, ugly thing to be the death of him.