CHAPTER NINETEEN LINE IN THE SAND #2
Greyeagle didn’t say otherwise, so the Hotamétaneo’o all began changing. Greyeagle changed with the others, but he wasn’t happy about it. Now Praetorian knew they could shift, and he wasn’t quite sure he trusted them. Something about them wasn’t adding up.
As he transformed, two of the Praetorian team came around the building and saw them.
Greyeagle wondered if they were going to shoot at them but was glad when they only engaged the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso.
He did hear one of them speaking with that same Rhodesian accent.
He spoke partial English, but Greyeagle still understood every word.
“Jislaaik, that’s a moerse wolf!” he shouted.
“Hou koers, mate,” said the other one.
Then they were gone. They raced off toward one of the small, prefabricated buildings that served as sleeping quarters for the rig crew.
“What the hell?” asked Mika, as he shifted. “Were they speaking English?”
“Partially,” Greyeagle replied, standing up fully transformed. “The rest was Afrikaans. The first guy said something along the lines of, ‘That’s one big wolf.’ The other one told him to stay focused.”
“What’s Afrikaans?” asked Kade.
“The language spoken in South Africa,” Greyeagle said. “And by a lot of Rhodesians and mercenaries all over Africa. I met a lot of mercs in Mogadishu.”
“Let’s move!” Kade snapped. “We’ll figure that out later! We’ve got bigger problems right now.”
“Right,” said Greyeagle. “We’ve got to buy them time to evacuate and to cap the well. Let’s hit ‘em.”
They all took off to engage the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso. Greyeagle and Kade singled out the biggest of the rock creatures.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Kade.
“High-low hit,” Greyeagle said.
“Who goes high?” asked Kade.
“You do, you’re the biggest,” Greyeagle said with a chuckle.
“Oh, so now it’s big brother who’s taking high,” Kade said, teasingly.
“If you think you can’t handle it,” Greyeagle said, tauntingly.
“Bitch, please,” Kade said, grinning. “Did you forget who taught you how to do high-low?”
With that, they lowered their shoulders and targeted the biggest of the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso.
At the last second, they launched into the creature, Kade hitting it in the chest and Greyeagle hitting it in the legs.
Greyeagle felt his shoulder separate on impact and heard Kade grunt, but the tactic was sound.
The Ma’êstse-hóhkeso was knocked off balance and fell over backward, striking the ground with enough force to shake the area and leave a crater where it hit.
“Fuck me, that hurt!” Kade said, rolling away from the creature before it could grab him.
“No shit,” replied Greyeagle, rolling the other direction.
Greyeagle got to his feet and fully extended his arm, trying to pop the shoulder back in place without success.
“Here, dumbass,” Kade said, grabbing his wrist. “On three. Ready?”
Greyeagle gritted his teeth and nodded.
“One,” said Kade, but before he said two, he yanked hard.
Greyeagle winced and grunted, but the shoulder popped back into the socket.
“Thanks,” Greyeagle said, flexing the arm.
“What about him?” asked Kade, gesturing at the fallen creature.
“He’s like a turtle,” Greyeagle said. “There’s no way he can get back up on his own.”
“Good,” Kade said. “Let’s hit another one.”
As they started to head for another target, the one on the ground split apart, and more rock emerged from the ground beneath it. Two more massive creatures were now standing before them.
“Aw, shit,” Kade said. “That backfired. Now what?”
“Just keep them away from the rig!” Greyeagle replied. “And don’t let them get ahold of you.”
“No shit!” replied Kade. “I’m the one who got thrown through a building by one of these things. Remember?”
“How can I forget it?” Greyeagle fired back. “You keep bringing it up.”
“Dick,” said Kade, grinning as he feinted at the nearest creature, trying to draw it away.
Greyeagle did the same but slashed it across the abdomen.
The creature didn’t even react. It just backhanded Greyeagle like he didn’t weigh an ounce, sending him flying across the open grass and slamming him into the side of one of the Praetorian Security vehicles.
The truck folded around Greyeagle like it had struck a tree, smashing the vehicle almost in two.
“See!” snapped Kade. “Hurts, don’t it?”
Kade feinted at one creature, then hit the other with a rock the size of a footstool. It smashed into the monster, and it swung wildly, striking the other one.
“Gotcha, asshole,” Kade said, racing over to the truck.
He grabbed the metal and peeled it apart, then helped Greyeagle get to his feet.
“You enjoyed that,” Greyeagle said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Maybe just a little,” Kade said. “What now? They adapt fast, and when we break one, two more grow. That’s not fair.”
“Somehow I don’t think these things are overly concerned with fighting fair,” Greyeagle replied. “Just keep them focused on us while they get the others to safety.”
Kade nodded and raced back into the fray with Greyeagle right on his heels. They worked in close to the creatures without getting close enough to be grabbed or struck. The creatures were fast, but Kade and Greyeagle were faster. So long as they didn’t lose focus or get distracted.