Ink Portals

The showdown

27

Arthur woke up shivering from a short-lived nap. The fire was dwindling into a pile of dimmed embers. He rubbed at his weary eyes and saw it was still dark out. A chill gripped him from the small of his back up to the nape of his neck; his blanket had slipped down onto the floor while he slept. He glanced at the tangle of blankets beside him, reassured to see Abby still snuggled up next to him.

The room was silent, except for the wind, whistling softly around the outside corners of the temple. Then Arthur heard a buzzing sound. The sound struck a chord of fear that knotted up his insides, he instantly thought about the hornets - Chong was there. But wait, Chong was dead, Arthur thought. It couldn't be. When he listened closer he realized it was more of a shrill, robotic whine than a buzz. Arthur crept to the door and slid it open just a few inches, then peeked outside. He choked on the frigid air that met his face and let out a stifled cough. A full moon hung in the sky, illuminating the garden in a clear white glow.

Then Arthur saw the buzzing thing outside. It was darting back and forth outside the temple, hovering sporadically at one window then darting off to another. It was a little drone. Arthur felt a sickening drop in his stomach when he saw the silhouette of a man outside in the garden under the moonlight. It dawned on him that Jack and Pierre must've fallen asleep.

The stranger was sitting on an off-road motorcycle, wearing a pair of black goggles. He was holding what looked like a remote control in his hands. Arthur rubbed at his eyes, trying to refocus the image as he stepped out onto the deck, wobbling slightly from legs still half-asleep, trying to convince himself he was dreaming. But the cold air on his skin was bringing his senses back up to speed.

This guy was scouting the temple with his drone, Arthur realized. The man took of the video-streaming goggles from his face and put them down on the bike's fuel tank. Arthur noticed there was a dark grey bundle, strapped to the back of the bike; something that looked like the rolled up tents a hiker would carry.

"You..." Arthur managed as he stumbled over the little bridge. He slipped on the icy, wooden boards and caught the side rail.

"Oh, good," Kurtis said. "Finally, someone's awake."

"You're?" Arthur started then trailed off when he saw the gun in the man's hand.

"Kurtis Shaw, renowned treasure hunter and seeker of fortunes lost, pleased to meet you."

Arthur made a half turn back towards the house then hesitated.

"Go on," Kurtis said in a calming voice. "Go get your friends. Go get daddy to come and help you."

Kurtis reached over and pulled the hood off from his hostage. A tangle of dark hair spilled out over the mudguard of the motorcycle.

"Go get that eight-legged freak too. I'm sure he'll want to see this."

There was a woman, tied up on the luggage rack of the motorbike. Kurtis slapped the brunette's buttock and she let out a muffled scream from behind the gag in her mouth.

"Jack!" Arthur shouted as loud as he could, his eyes going black as ravens started to claw out from beneath his shirt.

"That voodoo won't do you any good," Kurtis said, jabbing Annabelle in the back of her head with the muzzle of his gun. "Not once there's a bullet in her head."

Mei was the first to come rushing out at the sound of voices in the garden. She was in a sleeping robe with the sheathed katana clutched in one hand. Jack and Pierre came pouring out of the door close on her heels, still wearing the same creased clothing they had fallen asleep in.