Part 7 (1/2)

He was shuffling up on his gut, bringing his voice too close.

'Listen to yourself. This is nuts, no matter how you dress it up.'

Then the real accusation: 'You just packed Crayford off like some decoy in hunting season.'

'Don't forget,' Jacks snorted, 'I also gave him our trophy. If the Army can't manage to track him, their Psi is going to make sure that stays square in their sights.'

'You sold him out!'

Jacks grabbed at Lagoy's collar. 'You're getting loud, Lagoy,' she bared her teeth. 'Crayford sold us out, he gave it up. The sooner you get it through that concrete skull of yours the better for all of us. And all of us means you and me.

We're it. Whether you or I like it or not.'

She was satisfied to see some of the flame fade from Lagoy's glare. He said, 'Listen, I get that Crayford lost his nerve. I just don't get that the Army scared him like that.

What if something did come through? Something we couldn't handle? What if it's in there waiting?'

'Waiting for what?' Jacks jerked her head to indicate the patrol. 'Say Crayford was right? Say our devotions brought some invader through from the other world. D'you think they're going to let the United States Army walk around their new territory unchecked?'

She watched Lagoy watching the soldiers.

'Say there's a bunch of ETs in there, lying low until their main invasion force arrives. They're not going to be bothering anyone much longer.' She laughed, enjoying the man's dense look for a moment. 'When we get inside that building, we are going to take care of everyone and everything in one go. Wipe the slate clean.'

Jacks enjoyed the man's look of fear that little bit more.

The way ahead was wide open, but Crayford Boyle didn't trust it. A basin of white, tainted with enemies. He guessed the soldiers were somewhere out there, but he felt her her watcher and hunter, a shadow on his mind, waiting for him across that bleached plain. He fancied he could even see the men in their foxholes. Enemies everywhere. watcher and hunter, a shadow on his mind, waiting for him across that bleached plain. He fancied he could even see the men in their foxholes. Enemies everywhere.

The Army's pet Psi and her little troop of soldiers.

Crayford whimpered and tried to remember where Emilie had gone. Why did she desert him? Why would she? Watch me ran, then. Watch me run in empty s.p.a.ce.

He broke right, haring along the brow of the hill and he laughed when he thought about the surprise on all those Army faces. Especially the Psi's. The thing in his embrace beat against his chest like a second heart, and Crayford felt the alien energies pumping Into his bloodstream. He wanted to throw it away, but he couldn't let it go. Not now.

He tripped. He clasped the pack tighter as he fought his way up, glanced back as he ran on.

'd.a.m.n it!' Kristal had her radio up in an instant. 'Marotta, he made us.'

'Yeah, I see. Lieutenant,' the set crackled in response. 'I swear he never saw us. We're packed tighter than the snow here.'

'He made me, I think.' Kristal was on her feet and trotting for the snowmobile. She signalled with her free hand and the other troops were running for their vehicles. 'Saddle up and follow us. We're never going to catch him on foot.'

Leela ran to catch up both with Kristal and what had gone wrong. 'We were well concealed here. How could he have seen us?'

Kristal grimaced, seeming abashed, as she reached her vehicle. 'Our man sees the same way I can, Leela. I should have antic.i.p.ated the possibility. We knew the cult were interested in recruiting psychics. Come on. He won't get far.'

Leela moved behind her, ready to hop on. This was not her idea of hunting, but she was almost looking forward to her second ride.

The trees, if he could just reach the trees. He could lose them, lose them all. Except the Psi, but he could kill her, couldn't he?

If he couldn't take on a woman then there truly was nothing left of Crayford Boyle. Nothing left.

He sprinted, lifting his legs high and pumping them down hard. Time and distance stretched the faster he pushed himself on. Coa.r.s.e breath raked the walls of his lungs.

Then he was across the finish line and starting down the slope, brus.h.i.+ng snow from silver tree-trunks. Bare twigs clawed at his hood.

Something snagged on his sleeve.

Crayford turned. His right foot landed wrong.

As he gave in to the tumble, Crayford realised he was crying.

He was crying because his run was over. It was the only thought he had time for as he completed a clumsy roll and thumped into the base of a stout tree. A few dumplings of snow spattered on his coat and something s.h.i.+fted above him.

Crayford whimpered and thrust the pack out in front of him. It was useless as a s.h.i.+eld but he prayed it was all they wanted.

Leela leaned hard to her right, sensing the vehicle's desire to topple as it cut along the slope at a frightening angle. Even as they levelled off, Leela's b.u.t.terflies refused to settle. The snowmobile chewed ravenously at the snow, spitting clouds of soft crumbs in their wake.

They raced full pelt across the basin floor, powering up for the climb ahead. Kristal glanced aft to check on her team and gestured insistently with one hand. Two of the snowmobiles broke left and upped their speed to draw level.

Goggles down, her hood pulled up to keep her hat in place, it was impossible to read anything of the real Kristal under these circ.u.mstances. And yet, Leela's arms detected a sudden tension possessing the woman's every muscle.

Something more than the effort of driving.

Kristal wrenched their snowmobile round in an abrupt curve, like the slice of an attacker's blade. Leela braced herself for a tumble. But no, they were upright and unharmed - but perfectly still. Kristal's raised hand called a halt. To everything.

The other snowmobiles coasted to a stop and sputtered into silence close by.

For a moment, the loudest thing on the mountain was Leela's own heartbeat.

Then fear found substance.

Cras.h.i.+ng over and through the trees like a mighty breaker striking a white sh.o.r.e. Spilling over the far far ridge, where the hunted man had disappeared: a broiling ma.s.s, exploding and reforming in a relentless drive across the land. In a few seconds it had advanced enough to blot out the treetops. The brow of the hill was engulfed soon after. ridge, where the hunted man had disappeared: a broiling ma.s.s, exploding and reforming in a relentless drive across the land. In a few seconds it had advanced enough to blot out the treetops. The brow of the hill was engulfed soon after.

The sight of it left Leela hollow. 'What is that?'

'Death's pale horse,' managed Kristal, without a breath.

The tidal-wave blizzard crashed onwards, erasing the landscape as it came.

Chapter Six.

In any creepy old house, the last place you want to head is the cellar. But, following a brisk sweep upstairs and down, Joanna knew she was going to wind up down there sooner or later. She had covered all the ground the platoon had cleared, testing for loose boards, knocking at the backs of closets, and crawling around on all fours up in the roof-s.p.a.ce. Just to be sure.

By now she was past sure and the bas.e.m.e.nt was the last stop on her itinerary.

Descending the stairwell, barely one person wide, Joanna laughed soundlessly at herself. That was the trouble when you were reminded of what it was like to be a little girl: the reminiscence wasn't limited to the good stuff.