The Scarecrow of OZ (22 page)

The reptilian hybrid’s sharp talons were getting closer to his face. “I think you’ve underestimated my position here, Jasper.”

His muscles screamed with fatigue as one sharp talon pierced his cheek, blood bubbling up through his fur. Pain shot through his whole body. As soon as he couldn’t resist any longer, the hybrid would slash through him with razor-sharp talons and then quickly finish off Taylor and Jasper.

Of all the ways Caleb had envisioned his death, he never imagined it would be at the hands of another hybrid.

The monster was suddenly jerked backward out of his grip and flew away from him. Jasper was just rolling to the side, and barely missed being crushed, when the hybrid impacted with the wall. He collided with the wall with such force, it crumbled inward. As the dust settled, they could see the reptilian’s lifeless legs poking out, half buried in rubble, from the newly punctured hole in the wall.

Jasper was back on his feet and dusting himself off. “I almost forgot about the chain retraction switch. I didn’t think we’d be able to get past the lizard to activate it.”

Caleb shot to his feet and pinned Taylor against the wall. “This whole time, the collar was useless?”

Taylor smirked. “The threat of violence is far more coercive than the act of violence itself. Besides, we still have Dorothy.”

Despite Taylor’s attempt at bravado, Caleb could smell the fear emanating from his pores. There were many things he wanted to do to this man, but he was right. The threat of what they could do to Dorothy would keep him in line.

Jasper tugged on his arm. “Caleb. We have to get out of here. Randall helped me find some people to guard the box. I should’ve trusted my instincts, but I didn’t know anybody here. He acted so… I thought he was simple. We have to get there before he moves it.”

Caleb ignored him and held his face close to Taylor’s and bared his fangs. “If anything happens to Dorothy, I will tear you apart.”

Jasper pulled harder on his arm. “Caleb. Caleb!”

Caleb spun on Jasper. “What!?”

Jasper flinched, but held his ground. “If you want to get the box before Randall moves it, we have to go now.”

Taylor spoke up. “I thought you said there was no way out?”

Jasper pointed to the new hole in the wall. “There is now.”

Jasper disappeared through the hole that led to the inner workings of the chain assembly. It took only a few turns through the labyrinth behind the hybrid’s feeding chamber to reach the door at the other end of the twisting tunnel. Jasper paused at the door and waited for them to catch up.

“The box is just on the other side of this door, unless Randall has already moved it.” He looked at Taylor. “You really think you can open the box?”

Taylor responded immediately. “We have the key and a flask of Dorothy’s blood to activate the lock. We can open it.”

“A flask of her blood?” Caleb gripped Taylor’s collar. “I thought we needed Dorothy to open it?”

Taylor shook his head. “The key has needles that extract blood from the person using it. You hold this flask in your hand, and the key won’t know it’s not Dorothy.”

Why hadn’t he thought of that? He could’ve left Dorothy with the Southern Marshal. Then she never could’ve been used to control him. She would have been safe.

Jasper nodded his head and pushed on the door handle.

Nothing happened.

He pushed harder. “The door’s stuck.”

“It’s locked?” Caleb asked.

“No. There’s no lock on this door. There’s something wedged into the frame on the other side. Help me push.”

The three of them leaned their shoulders into the door and slowly pushed it. It popped open, the small piece of wood that had been used to jam the door clattered across the floor.

This chamber was nearly identical to the reptilian hybrid feeding chamber. It was a single, circular room that stood three stories high with a single square shaped opening at the center of the ceiling to let light in.

Jasper ran up to the table in the middle of the room. It was the only piece of furniture in the otherwise empty room. He slammed his hands on the empty table, dust rising up from its surface.

“It was right here!”

He continued to bang his fist on the table in exasperation when Caleb heard something strange coming from the hallway they had just been in. It sounded like the steady rush of air escaping a poorly sealed steam engine, only it was growing louder.

No. It wasn’t getting louder. It was getting closer.

And the closer it got, the more he realized it wasn’t a single sound, but a multitude of similar sounds happening simultaneously.

By the time the strange noise sounded like it was right outside the open door, it had attracted even Jasper’s attention. “What is that?”

As if in answer to his question, hundreds of snakes flooded through the opening of the doorway, like honey forced through the nozzle of a syringe.

The first wave of snakes writhed across the floor away from the door making room for the snakes being pushed in after them.

Jasper was already at the door on the far side of the chamber. It was the only other way out of the room. And the only way that wasn’t filling fast with snakes. He slammed his whole body against the door repeatedly before giving up and running back to the center the room.

“It’s locked from the outside.”

A few snakes made their way to the center of the room and the three of them took turns kicking them away.

Taylor tucked his foot under the middle of a writhing snake and flung it across the room. “They’re still coming through the door. How many of these things are there?”

Jasper kicked at, and missed, the two snakes bearing down on him. He hopped up onto the table to get away from them. “Enough to fill this chamber three feet deep in snakes.”

Taylor joined him on the table. “That’s way too many snakes.”

Caleb leaped over the snakes as they slithered across the floor and landed on the table. It creaked under their combined weight, but held.

For now.

He looked into Jasper’s eyes and saw only fear. “Did you know about the snakes?”

Jasper shrugged. “It’s why I kept the box here.”

Taylor crossed his arms. “Well, you’re an idiot.”

Caleb shot him an angry look. “We need to focus on getting out of here, now.”

Taylor sneered at him. “I’m open to whatever suggestions you may have.”

By now, there wasn’t a single section of the floor not covered in snakes. And every minute another hundred were spilling in through the door. Above him, the opening in the ceiling beckoned. What he wouldn’t give to have his flying suit right now.

The floor was a boiling mass of writhing snakes. There were so many, they filled the room halfway up the legs of the table.

The three of them were trapped, with no way out.

“Hey!” Taylor yelled as he shoved Jasper off the table. Caleb’s reflexes kicked in and he snatched Jasper out of the air and pulled him back to the table.

He snarled at Taylor. “If somebody’s going into the snakes, it’s you.”

Taylor jabbed a finger in Jasper’s direction. “He hit me in the head.”

Jasper puffed out his chest. “I did not.”

“Something hit me in the head.”

Just then, something bumped into Caleb’s back. Thinking it was a jumping snake, he spun around and grabbed it, ready to throw it as far she could.

Instead of a snake, his hand gripped a rope.

A rope that went up.

His eyes followed it up and out the square window in the ceiling.

Relief flowed through every muscle in his body.

Taylor pulled Caleb’s hand off the rope and bumped him aside with his whole body. “Outta my way.”

Taylor climbed the rope faster than Caleb thought was humanly possible without the benefits of hybrid strength and dexterity. When Taylor reached the top, he was pulled through the window by helping hands.

Caleb held his hand out to Jasper. “After you.”

Jasper climbed just as quickly. The snakes, having reached to within an inch of the top of the table, were a great motivator.

Caleb didn’t wait for Jasper to reach the top before pulling himself up the rope. He lifted his foot at precisely the same moment the snakes overran the table.

Caleb clung to the rope as it was lifted through the hole in the ceiling. He was dangled a foot above the roof next to the Tin Man. In fact, it was the Tin Man who had pulled him to safety.

It was just the two of them on the roof. Jasper was already halfway up the ramp of the airship that waited on the far side of the roof.

The Tin Man lowered his arm, setting Caleb gently down. “Nero is tracking the box. We have to go before they take it underground and we lose it again.”

Without a word, he followed the Tin Man up the ramp and into airship. As soon as he stepped off the ramp, two men pulled on the ropes to withdraw the ramp, and the airship throttled up into the air, gaining speed quickly.

As he turned the first corner, a strange sight greeted him. Two men were binding Taylor’s hands together with rope and stuffing a gag into his mouth to silence him. More soldiers were tied up and seated uncomfortably along one wall. Some of them looked like they had fallen down a flight of stairs, or had been in a huge fight and lost.

“What’s going on here?”

The Tin Man continued walking, ignoring the tied up soldiers. “We have regained control of the airship.”

Levi, bound in thick rope at the front of the line called out, “For now.”

The Tin Man brushed past him and into the control room. Caleb couldn’t help smiling at Levi as he passed by.

If they could keep control long enough to destroy the ancient hybrid weapon, they would successfully derail the Directors’ plans. But they had to get to the weapon first.

Inside the control room, Nero sat in the captain’s chair. It was more accurate to say he leaned heavily to one side of the chair. The armrests were the only thing keeping him from falling to the floor.

His face was purple and bruised. One eye had swollen shut and a trickle of dried blood formed a crimson trail that led from one ear down into the open collar of his shirt.

He collapsed to the floor when he saw Caleb.

Caleb rushed up to him and lifted him back up into the chair. “What have they done to you?”

Nero’s words came out mumbled and slurred. “Don’t worry about me. Finish the mission. You are in command now, son.”

Nero slumped into his arms.

The Tin Man immediately barked orders to those standing around in the command center. “Get Nero above deck and make sure he’s comfortable. Caleb is now your commander. You will do as he says.”

One of the command crew slipped his shoulder under Nero’s arm and helped him out of the room.

All eyes fell on Caleb, waiting for him to say something.

Anything.

He was suddenly in charge, and they were all waiting for him to make a decision. He’d never been in charge like this before, and had no idea what to do, or say. But he did know one thing, they had to get the weapon before the Directors arrived in a few days.

He cleared his throat and everyone snapped to attention.

“Where…”

His voice cracked and he coughed to fully clear his throat again.

“Where is the box now?”

A crew member glanced at a readout on his control board. “It is to the east, and getting further away.”

Jasper was at his side. “The northern entrance of Chambers is in that direction.”

Caleb’s brow furrowed. “Chambers reaches into the Northern Territories?”

Jasper nodded. “Chambers extends into all areas of OZ. If they take it in there, it could stay hidden underground forever. Or until they are ready to bring it back out.”

“Then we get it before they go inside.”

Jasper turned to the pilot.” You heard the commander. Full speed ahead!”

The pilot spun in his seat and started punching buttons on the control panel in front of him. “Yes, sir.”

The airship surged forward and pressed Caleb fully into the captain’s chair.

Jasper regarded him with a faint smile. “You look at home in the Captain’s chair. It suits you.”

He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “I don’t know. I much prefer the silent stalking of my prey. I’m used to working alone and only relying on myself. I still don’t think I’m leadership material.”

Jasper shrugged. “I think you’ve got what it takes.”

The spotter, still tightly clutching the binoculars to his face and staring out the front window of the airship, called out. “Target in sight.”

Caleb’s hands gripped the armrests. “Can you see where they are headed?”

The spotter shifted his binoculars. “The entrance to Chambers is directly ahead of them.”

He asked the next question he didn’t really want to know the answer to. “How long?”

“At their current rate of speed, they will be at the gate in less than ten minutes.”

He took several breaths to calm his nerves. They couldn’t let the weapon disappear in to Chambers. They would never find it then. They would never be any closer to getting it than they were now. This was their one chance, and they had to take it.

Jasper touched his shoulder. “If you are going to do something, better do it now.”

Jasper was right. If he was going to do anything, now was the time.

“What can this airship do?”

The weapons officer spun in his chair to face him. “We have forward facing cannons. We could seal the entrance before they get to it.”

Jasper was shaking his head. “The people in Chambers are a bit defensive, for obvious reasons, but nobody has ever openly attacked them. There’s no telling how they will respond. I say it’s too risky.”

He remembered that while growing up, even Nero spoke about the people in Chambers only in private, and even then, in whispers.

Nero, the man who never feared anything, seemed to fear them.

The spotter broke the silence. “They are getting closer, sir.”

He looked from Jasper to the pilot. “Can we get ahead of them?”

“The best we could do is get there just as they enter,” the pilot replied.