按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
It was over； the look in his eyes told the story。 Waning life。 The strength of the man was sapped。 Bdos Err； mightiest of Eden； was dying。 And a gentleness came into his eyes。
He whispered as blood oozed from his lips。 He uttered his last words： 〃I am loyal。 All my life I have served the government。。。〃
〃Yes； you have；〃 said Rockson； catching the sagging body； letting the weight of the man sag to the floor as the dark eyes rolled up。
〃Yes； you have。。。〃
CHAPTER 28
Rockson thought that Stafford must be heading to the damned probe。 The probe in the shaft that led to the surface。 He was going to put the canister of ultimate death in the probe； fire it up to the surface。 He had perhaps picked the moment when most of Eden slept to perpetrate this ultimate act of evil。
Rock checked the adjoining bedroom and another room； but he knew he would find no one。 He was gone； and the means to destroy all life on Earth was with him。
Rockson ran back to the throne room。 The Freefighters were all there； except for Archer。 Archer soon appeared； dragging a senator by the scruff of his neck across the floor。
〃Good work； Archer；〃 Rockson said。 Archer bowed； dropping the little frightened gray…robed man summarily in front of his big feet。
Upon sharp questioning； the senator stuttered out that the surface probe was at the far end of the Crypt Cave。
〃The Crypt Cave is the burial palace of high officials。 It is the closest place to the surface；〃 Danik exclaimed。
〃Let's go；〃 Rock snapped out； 〃and burn down anyone that gets in our way。〃
Danik led them to the easternmost point of the city； just beyond the little metal 〃park。〃 Rockson saw an archway with a lot of plastic flowers in pails on both sides of the portal。
〃That's it；〃 said Danik； breathing hard from the run … or the excitement。
Once inside the triangular door； Rockson and his team raced along between the marble sarcophagi； thousands of silent repositories for the people who never seen real sunlight or known love； for people who had lived and died in the stale atmosphere of this prison city。
Rockson soon was in the lead of all the Freefighters； and was first to plunge up the steeply inclined staircase that led to the probe shaft。 There was a chance； he realized； making the fifth landing。 Stafford was way out of shape； he probably was huffing and puffing not too far ahead。 Rock stopped for an instant； and listened。 Yes； labored footfalls； about three stories above。 Madly he doubled…stepped the stairs； heading up with his burner at the ready。 The lights on the stairs； bare bulbs connected by strings of wire tacked along the staircase ceiling； went out。 He continued along the staircase in the darkness； feeling his way along the metal bannister。
Chen was； Rock surmised by the soft rapid foot…falls； ing up behind him。 The martial arts expert was swift in darkness； sensing rather than seeing where he was headed。 Good； there might be a need for his hand…to…hand skills； especially if Stafford was armed and managed to kill Rock。 Perhaps Chen could take over and save the day。
A flash of light seared the air； and Rock tumbled down a half flight to avoid it。 A beam of heat from a disintegrator gun。 He had caught up to Stafford。 Now what？ There was silence。 As he lay there； a hand touched Rockson's shoulder。 Chen。 Rock acknowledged the nudge。 They were two against one now。 But how could they press that advantage？ Had Stafford reached the level where the probe was situated？
〃Stop。〃 Rockson yelled。 〃Let's talk； Stafford。 Don't do it。〃
There was a high…pitched screech in the area above。 What the hell？ It wasn't a human scream。 That came a moment later。 There was the sound of leather snapping in the air； a wind coursed down the staircase。
The horrible human scream continued。 Stafford's scream。 There were flashbeams behind the two Freefighters； others of their pany ing up the stairs。 Danik was one of the first to reach them。 〃I heard；〃 Danik gasped。
〃Was it a giant bat？〃 Rock said。 〃How could it get in here？〃
A trip to the top of the stairs showed how the seemingly impossible event had occurred。
〃A tremor must have opened up the wall of this excavation to the cavern；〃 Rock said as the flashbeams played around the ragged hole in the left wall of the small probe room。
Danik played his flashbeam around； finding the narrow shaftway that led upward； the missile…like surface probe still poised in it。 Rockson rushed to the device and opened its partment door。 No Factor Q canister。 So Stafford hadn't had time to put Factor Q into the missile。 The bat had gotten Stafford first。
Rockson took up McCaughlin's electron binoculars and peered into the darkness of the cavern through the aperture in the wall。 Desperately he adjusted the infrared power and the magnification to maximum； scanning the far reaches of the cavern … and saw a flapping thing； far away。 A black shape。 The bat； winging away with Stafford in its claws； heading away； away； down the long cavern corridors。
He put down the instrument。 How was he to follow？ And yet he must。 He must be sure the canister was not burst open。 Even if that happened in the depths of the cavern； the germs would spread slowly； make their way over time to the surface。
He pulled the powerful instrument from his eyes； and asked Danik for his flashlight。 He played the light down into the cavern below them。 He saw that the way was steep； but one could climb down。 This he proceeded to do。 He scrambled down the shifting sands of the underground embankment with no real plan in mind。 He knew one thing； though。 He had to retrieve that canister。
Once on the limestone floor below； Rockson considered waiting for his panions who were following； then changed his mind； plunging ahead at breakneck speed。
He ran for what seemed an hour but might have been just a few minutes； then； exhausted； he fell heavily against a jutting rock formation。 He was breathing heavily。 It was silly； this running after a flying thing。 A thing more powerful than a hundred men。 A thing by now lost in the bowels of the Earth。
He let out a cry of utter hopelesssness。
Rockson's heart sank to its lowest level ever。 All of his struggle； the immense trek； the terrible passage through the caverns of Eden； the death of Chief Smokestone … all for naught。
Surely the canister of death was shattered someplace in the cavern now； and slowly； inexorably； over the next few days the strange and deadly germ would permeate everywhere。
The glow of his flashlight annoyed him now； for he wanted the darkness to hide his tears。 Rockson's flicked it off and wept alone in the darkness。
Giggles。 The touch of icy thought fingers to his forehead。 The damned Whisperers again。 Rock thought； with anger。 〃Go away；〃 Rockson shouted。
〃Aren't you afraid of us？〃 the soft whisper said。
〃What's to be afraid of？ The whole Earth is doomed。〃
〃How so？〃 asked the gentle voice。
Rockson said； 〃Look。 Whoever or whatever you are … you might as well know。 I'm doomed； all is doomed。 So leave me alone。〃
〃I read into your thoughts。 What you think is happening is horrible。 It must not be。 I must help you。〃 There was a swishing sound； like the rippling of silk in the wind。 A breeze caressed Rockson face。
And the voice was closer。 〃My name is Starlight。 Turn on your light and see me。〃
Curious and thinking to himself； Oh； why not； seeing this creature will fill in the last few hours of my life； Rockson turned on the light； and beheld a delightful girl child of about ten years of age … a girl dressed in a sparkling gossamer outfit； like a fairy。 She had the softest blond hair and a cherubic face。 She also bad two green tendrils that looked like bed…back antennae on either side of her forehead。 Telepathy apparatus。
CHAPTER 29
〃Starlight； can you really help？〃
〃I have powers； and friends。 It is possible。 I will call my great red friend。〃 The child whistled long and slow。 〃There； that is done。 Now while we wait … it will just be a moment … let me tell you about us Whisperers。
〃We are the missing children of Eden。 Our parents left us hideous children … we mutants look all scrunched up at birth … to die at the Sacrifice pool。 They believed the cavern beings would take us and eat us。 Many of the first to be abandoned died。 Some among us crawled away and lived off the mushrooms … and survived。 We took care of the others who were left at the waters after that。 We are not as young as we look … we age very slowly。 I am psychic； you are correct there … that is why I could immediately understand the peril。 I know something good。 The canister is yet intact。〃
There was the noise of a great flying thing swooping down from the cavern roof high above。 Rock yelled； 〃BAT！〃 and went to draw his pistol。
〃No；〃 said the child。 〃It is only Ra…we…nak。 The red bat。 He is the friend I whistled for。 He will help us find Stafford and retrieve the vial。〃
Rock flashed up his beam at the monstrous thing of leather wings that now swooped down and folded its wings。 It waddled over to Starlight and nudged the girl child with its big single…horned head。
〃Nice Ra…we…nak；〃 Starlight said。 〃You must let us ride you； you must follow the vampire bat that has taken the man。〃
If a bat could look startled and uneasy； this one did。 It shied away； trembled。
〃Do not worry； Ra…we…nak；〃 said Starlight。 〃We have a weapon； a heat pistol。 And you must do this； so that we can all remain alive。 Please。 If you like me； and want me to be your friend anymore； please do this。
The creature's eyes became watery and it seemed to nod。
Rockson was prompted by Starlight to mount the giant flying steed。 He shrugged； and holding the horn of the dark red saddle； he pulled himself up on the thing's back。 This was all a hallucination anyway； he thought。 One of the Whisperers' crazy mind…jokes。 He'd go along for the ride。
Starlight climbed aboard； squeezing her cherubic little body in front of his。 Then they took off at lightning speed； the giant red bat snapping its wings mightily to gain altitude。
It sure seemed real enough； Rockson thought； hanging on for dear life as the floor of the cavern disappeared in the darkness。
Soon they were in a dull fiery red light。 They were apparently going about a hundred miles an hour。 Rock figured that from the flashing…past of a multitude of stalactites on either side of their flight path。 They flew at the red glow in the distance。 He felt like he was inside an intestine。 And laughed。 Perhaps this twisting huge tunnel was one of the bowels of the Earth。 Ha ha； what an illusion。
And then he saw it … the huge black bat； floating along in front of them； holding Stafford's limp body in its claws。 And Stafford's hand held a long slender cylinder。 Factor Q。
CHAPTER 30
Starlight exclaimed； 〃Yes； I see it too。〃 The black bat didn't turn its prehistoric toothy head； but it must have sensed their approach； for it squawked and veered off； making a sound like a diving B…98 bomber。 It dove down a corkscrewing fifty…meter…wide side tunnel。
〃Hold on tight。〃 Starlight said。 Rockson dug his heels as hard as he could into the side of the giant red bat as it swung to the left and dropped like a meteor。 Its wings had snapped shut； hurtling them down the precipitous side tunnel in pursuit of the black bat and its human prey。 His stomach felt like it did in the high…speed elevator at Century City … queasy。
Ra…we…nak； their steedbat； snapped open its wings from time to time to change direction or make a sudden spin； following the spiraling near…vertical descent of the tunnel。 It was gaining on the black bat； which took another wild turn down an even steeper pathway in the faintly luminous underground world。
As they continued plummeting downward； the walls of the tunnel drew in tighter and tighter。 Rockson could see it slipping by like the corrugated lining of some giant dark intestine at a mile a second。 The red bat started screaming out a high…pitched sound； possibly to steer itself； listening to the echoes of its own shrill voice as a form of sonar。 The Doomsday Warrior's ears hurt； he wished he could let go of Starlight and cover them； but it was too chancy。
They wove and spun； sometimes ing perilously close to a rocky wall of the corksc