I smiled and nodded at Artie. "Well Let's shoot for 30minutes and get on with our Journey. I don't wanna be out here where we can get destroyed by anything," I said while trying to resist the strong winds that blew. I watched as Hawke walked towards the tunnel making sure he was good to go. I waited to see if Artie needed any help.
Spencer scraped the snow out from behind the wheels, trying to get the tires clear. The real battle out here was against the elements themselves. But, it was just another situation to be dealt with, and then moved away from. The thin air up here reminded him of Everest, where he had spent the years that he looked on with equal gratitude and disdain. The brutal life of a Ghost in training had given him what he needed to survive, but in the receiving of that, he had lost a part of himself. The human part. He dug further, regulating his breathing and hoping to move on.
"Well Let's shoot for 30minutes and get on with our Journey. I don't wanna be out here where we can get destroyed by anything," "Buddy, I'm shootin' for 5 minutes. I've been freezing my nuts off up there, but it's a helluva lot warmer than down here. Do me a favor and hold a light over me while I fix this wiring."
"Sure thing, bud." I said as I grabbed a light and positioned it so Artie could do his thing. I wondered if Hawke had found anything interesting.
Hawke walked cautiously with his Desert Eagle in a one handed grip held behind his leg as he walked. Each step took was a battle against the wind. Hawke saw the glimmer of a shadow in the Tunnel’s entrance. He kept his pace and walked on until he saw the shadow move. He brought his Desert Eagle up now in a two handed grip. His legs slightly bent readied for a firing position. Nothing. He continued to walk the snow biting at his face on impact and suddenly he saw it. Hawke dropped down on one knee gun raised to shoot ahead. “Drekk.” He called out above the rumpus of the wind. A second later a bolt of red pulse laser shot past him to thud in the snow by Spencer. Hawke fired and fired a second time. Another blast of pulse laser came from the tunnel. Hawke charged forwards into the tunnel. Bang. Thump went the laser shot again. Another bang then a second followed by a thump then all went quiet. Leaving only the wind raging.
Eve came to the split junction and chose to go Eve decided to go with left and took the carrier left the snow blowing through the broken window. As she eased the carrier on the left road she found a crossing into the next mountain and brought the carrier about crossed the small ridge the carriage thudded across the road and Eve caught sight of a tunnel. Finally she thought before the carrier slammed into a crater bringing her and the carrier to a violent stop.
As Artie was under the hood connecting plugs and rewiring, he heard a noise. He wasn't quite sure what the noise was. Then he heard it again. Then he heard the Captain say something. It sounded like Drekk. The idea of Drekk gave a slight chill to his backbone. "What's that, sir?" he asked the Captain, only to see him dart off towards the tunnel, after shooting what seemed to be nothing. "CAPTAIN!!!" he yelled to the heroic cigar puffer with no avail. He then looked at David. "Where the hell is he going?"
"Drekk!" Hawke yelled. Spencer turned just in time to see a bright read bolt scream towards him and hit the snow by his feet. Immediately, he dove and rolled, his shotgun in his hands instantly. He came up kneeling, facing the tunnel's entrance as Hawke charged in. Nothing. He lowered the weapon as he stood. He yelled back to the others. "Stay put and get the truck out. I'm going after Hawke."
“For f**** sake,” Eve snapped. She left the truck running and got out desperate to move her frozen limbs. The crater had left a modest dent in the fender and Eve sore again lifting the bonnet. None of the hoses were damaged and the engine was intact that was better then nothing.
The wind surrounding group one became colder and stronger forcing Spencer to struggle with each movement. the cold also began to bte across their faces.
"Artie get this damn thing running so we can get outta here," I told him while watching as Hawke and Spencer started towards the tunnel. Here we go again another battle. I was shaking with excitement as I hoped it was the Drekk.
Hawke kicked the dead carcass of the fallen Drekk he’d just slain. Hawke looked down the tunnel shinning his torch but could see nothing else. It concerned him one Drekk alone made no sense. Unless he was the scout of a party. He walked down the tunnel slightly into the darkness his gun in a tight grip and held forwards. Yet nothing. Unless the Drekk had crashed his flyer and managed to find shelter in the tunnel from the snow. Now that seemed more like it. Hawke looked upon the brute that lay still with black blood oozing from his neck were Hawke had fired the killing blow. Hawke knew the journey through the tunnels would be quicker than the rest and should take them out near Pontains Peak and a days ride to Elwood station.
"Artie get this damn thing running so we can get outta here," "I'm on top of it, bro." he said, noting David's anxiety. He had a feeling it wasn't for the truck, but for whatever was on the other end of that tunnel. "Can you look a little less excited about that sh*t in the tunnel? We can't lose you, pal. I just had a couple drinks of some strong sh*t, I'd rather not have to drive." He went back to the hood to finish reviving the Behemoth.
Spencer stepped slowly into the darkness of the cave, his shotgun up. He flicked a switch, and a small flashlight attached to his weapon lit up the cave. He took several steps in when he saw the fallen body of the Drekk. He approached it slowly and knelt beside it. It was, he freely admitted, about the ugliest thing he'd ever seen before. Black blood was beginning to freeze around its wounds. He stood and stepped forward, keeping his eyes up and searching.
Hawke heard the sudden movement and raised his Desert Eagle pistol yet quickly withdrew the weapon once he saw Spencer. “I don’t like this.” He said holstering the gun. He crouched down to take the Drekks Pulse laser a large bulky hand held weapon. “Frakker stinks.” Hawke said again looking into the darkness. “I reckon we should stick with the truck. Don’t wanna leave ‘em defenceless aye.” Hawke said.
Hawke heard the sudden movement and raised his Desert Eagle pistol yet quickly withdrew the weapon once he saw Spencer. “I don’t like this.” He said holstering the gun. He crouched down to take the Drekks Pulse laser a large bulky hand held weapon. “Frakker stinks.” Hawke said again looking into the darkness. “I reckon we should stick with the truck. Don’t wanna leave ‘em defenceless aye.” Hawke said.
"Hm." Spencer said with a fractional nod. Why only one? Unless the others had retreated shortly afterward. And why here, of all places? He turned about and followed Hawke towards the cave's entrance.
Eve looked towards the tunnel then at the crater she’d struck, she’d need planks to reverse the truck then planks again to get the truck over the crater. “What‘s happened?” Chris asked climbing out of the truck. “Just the man I needed,” Eve replied. “I need something sturdy to reverse the truck out of this damned hole. Lets hurry this up.” Chris disappeared around the back of the truck and detached the doors from the backend of the truck, Eve helped him slide them into position under the back wheels. Chris stood outside of the truck and waited as Eve slowly reversed the truck out of the crater. Then she got out and helped him move the doors to the front end on the crater. “Hold tight,” Eves shouted to her passengers as she slowly let the truck dip back into the Crater then revved it bringing it up the other side. “Nice work,” Chris said with a grin then climbed out of the truck to reattach the doors. When he returned Eve let the truck slowly roll forward the gathered speed to get up the incline. The black mouth of the cave yawned as Eve approached it. Ready to swallow up the truck.
"I don't like the looks of this." Chris whispered to Eve, taking the passenger's seat beside her. He looked back to the Doc, Steward and the Ghost. He hoped Gaston would wake up and spring into action soon, it probably wasn't a good sign that he'd been out for so long. What if he'd been turned into some kind of vegetable? Chris looked on as Truck 3 approached the dark mouth of the cave. "What if some of those polar bears, that we saw earlier, live in there?." Chris was deathly afraid of polar bears. Though polar bears, he guessed, would be better than Van Haar, or Reavers for that matter.
"What if some of those polar bears, that we saw earlier, live in there?." Chris asked as eve steered the truck into the caverns entrance. “Unless they can chew through the truck or we break down I‘d say we‘ll be okay. Unless…” Eve had forgotten about the broken windscreen for a moment. She felt stupid after all the damage was right in front of her. "So Chris what do you want to do to pass time?"
Mika had stopped digging at the sound of the shots, her shotgun almost magically in her hand instead of the shovel. She was alert, listening, and unsure whether it was good or bad that there were no more shots.
"So Chris what do you want to do to pass time?" Chris eyed Eve's face, making sure she wasn't implying what he thought she was... He wasn't sure, but decided not to try his luck, they'd begun developing a friendship, and he didn't want to put her off. "We could play the 'truth game.' I ask you a question, any question i want, and then you have to answer truthfully. Then you get to do the same. It's a good way to get to know someone." Chris said, before adding his tradmark grin. "And if you think someone's lying, you get to punch em where ever you want, as hard as you want."
Her idea of suggesting something to pass the time had worked, Eve hoped it would take his mind off the polar bears thing, Eve had the opinion he didn’t like them very much. "We could play the 'truth game.' I ask you a question, any question i want, and then you have to answer truthfully. Then you get to do the same. It's a good way to get to know someone." He paused then gave a grin that had her smiling back at him. "And if you think someone's lying, you get to punch em where ever you want, as hard as you want." That sounded fine to her, at least they’d be entertained for a little while. “Sure, since you thought of it you can go first, gives me time to think of a good question.”
Eve had a way of flustering Chris with only the slightest of glances. small cutting looks that totally disarmed him and let him know that he better walk the line because she had an uncanny ability to see through his bull****. "I guess i'll start with a simple question. D'you have a umm.. a special someone waiting for you back at home? Wait, do Orlocks even have a home or do they spend their entire lives on the road? Wait, that's too many questions. I guess I just want to know if you have a boyfriend, or some equivalent somewhere out there waiting for you."
"I guess I’ll start with a simple question. D'you have a umm.. a special someone waiting for you back at home? Wait, do Orlocks even have a home or do they spend their entire lives on the road? Wait, that's too many questions. I guess I just want to know if you have a boyfriend, or some equivalent somewhere out there waiting for you." “As far as I know there‘s not ever been a someone. I have a real talent for scaring away would be boyfriends. As for homes, Orlocks spend most of their time travelling however our elderly do need somewhere to live and children in and out of trucks all the time doesn‘t work so well. We have small establishments. For refilling stores and so on.” "No it’s your turn," Eve gave him a sharp grin, “I would ask about girlfriends with you but that‘s not very creative and something else is bugging me. Are you afraid of polar bears Chris?”
