Surviving Demon Island Part 25

He turned to his team. 'We gotta retreat until the others show up. Run like h.e.l.l and stay alert.'

He hated it, but they had no choice. No way could they face that army alone. Not until backup arrived. Linc led the way, and he'd never seen anyone so big run so fast. Derek kept the pace easy, wis.h.i.+ng he could pick them all up and zip out of there before the demons caught up.

And they were were catching up. He sensed them closing in, the hairs on the back of his neck rising with every step he took. He glanced over his shoulder, unable to see them anymore, yet feeling them drawing near. catching up. He sensed them closing in, the hairs on the back of his neck rising with every step he took. He glanced over his shoulder, unable to see them anymore, yet feeling them drawing near.

'Hurry up, dammit,' he yelled.

If they could close the gap between themselves and the others, they at least had a fighting chance.

How many G.o.dd.a.m.n demons were on this island, anyway? Did the Sons of Darkness bring them all?

If one of them tripped and fell, the demons would be on them. Derek prayed they'd stay upright, but he focused on Gina, ready to swoop her up at a second's notice if she should stumble.

He wasn't going to lose her.

Fortunately she was agile, hopping over logs, lifting her legs and maneuvering her way swiftly through the jungle. He heard her, felt every one of her sawing breaths as she fought to keep moving. He pulled his laser and fired on a demon who had moved to his line of sight, obliterating it in a melting flash. Then another. He blasted it, too.

Not one of those G.o.dd.a.m.n things was going to get past him and get to Gina or the others. This was his fault.

'Dalton, where are you?' he commed.

Dalton gave his location. Okay, not far. They could do this. They were going to make it.

'We're at four point six,' he commed back to the others. 'Everyone keep your fingers on your triggers, but no firing. We don't want you shooting each other.'

Finally, he saw the other teams and breathed a sigh of relief.

They were going to have to fight first. His team was winded and needed a break. But as soon as they met up with the others his hunters surprised him, pulling their weapons and turning around, aiming and firing at the demons who were already within reach.

It was like an explosion of light as they blasted all around him. Derek did the same, taking aim at the first demon he saw.

His hunters formed a circle, knowing the demons would attempt to flank them and come at them from be hind. The UV lasers flashed all around them, a display of screaming demons, bright light, and melting flesh.

Derek heaved in big gulps of air, grateful to be standing, his team still alive. Sonic bullets whizzed past him, finding their intended targets as the first wave of hybrid demons made their way in. Their gelatinous flesh exploded around them, their tortured screams of pain music to his ears.

'Stay in formation!' he commed. 'Don't break up yet!'

Gina fired the UV as a whirlwind of activity scattered around her. Coc.o.o.ned within the safety of the other hunters, she'd never felt more protected. Earlier, fear like she'd never known before had hit her when she'd heard from Lou that a ma.s.s of demons was headed their way, and then she'd seen the ominous look of foreboding on Derek's face. When he told them to retreat, she knew it was bad.

Really bad.

But now it was awesome, banded together with the hunters and kicking some serious demon a.s.s. Thank G.o.d they'd managed to backtrack with the other teams in time before the demons had caught up with them. She'd never run so fast in her life, had never felt such fiery pain in her lungs as she squeezed out every bit of air she could, forcing each breath, forcing her burning legs to keep pus.h.i.+ng past the pain.

She'd heard Derek fire behind her before they'd teamed up with the others, knew the demons were that close, but was too afraid to turn around and look, not wanting to waste a precious millisecond on finding just how close they really were.

She worried for him, but she did what she was told and kept running, knowing it was what he wanted her to do.

And now she could only hope that they'd manage to fight off these demons before they drew close enough to start taking on the hunters one by one.

The stench of so many of the hybrids was awful. She'd never grow used to that smell.

And for every demon they killed, two or three more advanced. They weren't making any headway.

'Branch out,' Derek commed. 'Form a line and start targeting.'

There didn't seem to be any more pure and half demons. Just the hybrids now, slowly approaching. Gina shuddered at the thought of one of them getting close enough to grab her. And every hunter was busy fighting his or her own cl.u.s.ter of demons.

Forcing revulsion aside, she pretended she was at an amus.e.m.e.nt park and the hideous creatures approaching were cute little ducks. She aimed her weapon and fired at one. It paused and looked right at her, tilting its head to the side before grimacing in pain. Its features twisted, its mouth opening wide and showing her its long fangs. She shuddered as it continued to approach. She hit it again and it began to melt into itself, feet first, smoke pouring from it as it oozed into nothingness.

How much firepower did these UV laser weapons have, she wondered? One of those things she'd never asked and should have. She hoped it was a lot, because more were coming.

How many of these d.a.m.n things were there?

Now that they had branched out, she felt more isolated. Pus.h.i.+ng the thought aside, she concentrated on the ones near her, the ones she needed to kill.

She had two dispatched when one came toward her. This one looked different, but she couldn't put her finger on it until it drew closer.

It wasn't as bulky as the rest of them. And it appeared to be more human. It had a long wound running across its chest from its left pec to its lower right abdomen. It looked like it'd been injured recently.

And it was determinedly heading straight for her, its arms outstretched, its claws reaching.

Gina backed up, the hairs on her arms rising as the niggling sense of familiarity a.s.saulted her once again. What was it about this demon, this haunting sense of dej vu?

She aimed her weapon and rested her finger on the trigger, positioning its horrid face in her sight.

Then realization hit her.

Something in the eyes, the shape of its mouth, the bridge of the nose.

The scar scrolling along its abdomen. Like a name had been carved on its belly. She squinted, trying to read in the dark, daring to allow the creature to approach so she could read the crude scrawl on its stomach.

J-A-K-E.

Was this some kind of sick joke?

She looked again, certain that had to be some kind of mistake. It wasn't; the spelling of his name was crude but legible.

No. She let the weapon drop, blinking fast to clear the tears clouding her vision. It couldn't be him. He was dead.

But the eyes, the mouth, even the way the thing curled its lips upward.

It was Jake.

G.o.ddammit, it was Jake!

She shuddered a gasp and watched it approach, looking to her left, searching for Derek. What should she do?

He was rapid-firing round after round of sonic bullets into several demons. She couldn't scream for him.

Everyone around her was engaged.

It was just her and Jake. No, her and this thing thing that was not Jake anymore. that was not Jake anymore.

It wasn't.

Logic, Gina. Use your logic. These Sons of Darkness are s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with your head. Where's the cool, kick-a.s.s Gina Bliss?

On a movie screen, that's where she was. Not here in the middle of a jungle, watching the demonic resurrection of someone she had considered a friend.

But that wasn't right. Because her friend Jake was dead. This creature coming at her wasn't him. She didn't need Derek or anyone else propping her up, holding her hand or telling her that. She knew it in her heart.

They were f.u.c.king with her in a huge way, those sonofab.i.t.c.hes. They'd sent out this thing that used to be Jake specifically to screw with her head. She didn't know why, and frankly she didn't care.

I'm sorry, Jake, but I know you're already dead, or at least the soul of you, the heart of who you were, is.

She grabbed her guns and pointed both of them at the chest of the thing and fired. One round. Two. Then three.

The demon threw its shoulder back, its arms flailing, its skin beginning to bubble. It ceased advancing, just looked at her with the saddest expression as if it couldn't believe she'd shot it.

'You are not Jake,' she said, then fired another bullet into it. It swelled like it was having an allergic reaction.

In short order its size tripled. Gina stepped far back as it exploded, feeling a sad triumph as pieces of it littered the jungle.

Gina watched it with a detached eye. It was just another demon. Whatever it had been at one time, it had been transformed into a mindless twisted hybrid programmed to do the bidding of the Sons of Darkness. Which meant it had to die. If she ever ended up like that thing, she'd hope to G.o.d one of the hunters would put an end to her fast.

She knew Jake would have wanted the same thing.

'I'm sorry, Jake,' she whispered to the darkness. 'May you rest in peace.'

'Gina? What happened?'

She turned to Derek, looking around to see the rest of the demons were gone, either returned via a portal or dead. Her gaze flitted back to Derek.

'They sent Jake back,' she said.

He frowned. 'What?'

The others approached. 'It was Jake. Changed into one of the hybrids. I killed him.'

'How do you know it was Jake?' Ryder asked.

'He hadn't completely changed yet. His face still bore the resemblance. And they'd marked his stomach with his name.'

'You serious?' Trace asked, his eyes widening in disbelief.

'Yes. It was Jake, I swear it. Same eyes, same mouth, same nose. I killed him.' She almost said 'again,' but stopped herself.

'They sent him back. The sonofab.i.t.c.hes sent him back,' Derek said, his voice low. 'I'm sorry, Gina.'

'It doesn't matter. It wasn't really him anymore. I know it wasn't. They sent him to screw with me.'

'Yeah, they did,' Derek said, shaking his head.

'Doesn't matter. I took care of it. Jake would have wanted me to.'

'You did good. Now holster your weapons, babe.'

She didn't even realize she still held a death grip on her guns until Derek slipped his fingers on her wrists, then slid his hands down along hers to pry her fingers from each weapon.

'b.a.s.t.a.r.ds,' he said as he slid them back into her holster. 'It's a mind game. They've done it before when they've taken our hunters. Sometimes they don't kill them.'

She didn't want to hear this. Not right now. Inhaling deeply and blowing it out, she looked at Derek. 'We done here?'

He looked around. 'Appears so.'

'I'm going back to camp. I've had enough.' She turned and walked away, not really caring if the rest of them followed, if more demons appeared, or if Derek yelled at her. Emotionally, she was toast. She was tired and needed to scrub the stench of demon from her body.

And if she was lucky, maybe she could wash away the memory of Jake from her mind.

Chapter Nineteen.

I t's time,' the Master said. t's time,' the Master said.

'The attack didn't generate the outcome you desired?' the second asked.

'Yes and no. But it's time to step it up.'

'Many of ours were killed in that last attack.'

The Master turned slowly to face the second, who didn't flinch. 'Do you think I'm unaware of this?'

'No. Just reiterating that we can't afford to lose so many while you play this game.'

Normally he'd punish such insolence. But this was his brother and one of the Lords, his counsel. He could not. Besides, his brother was correct.

With a sigh he said, 'Soon it will be over. It's time to play our most important card.'

'And what is that?'

'Bring her to me. Where she is, he will follow. Once we have him, we can end this charade.'

'You mean we can finally kill them?'