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Miriam kept her face as impassive as possible, not deterred or swayed by the man’s smarmy grin. He was more than a pilot, and she knew enough to take the threat of him seriously. Her survival depended on her own ability to convince him that she also posed a threat. At least for a few minutes.
Kim crept silently behind the man, her knife working slowly and surely on the ropes that kept Usa pinned. The creature hadn’t stirred yet, but when she did, she’d have the best possible chance at escape. Hopefully without any more carnage.
“So what then?” Radley asked. “We stand here pointing guns at each other until my team comes back? I’ll make you a deal. Walk away now, and I’ll let you go. One of my guys finds you threatening me, and you’re dead. This way is a better deal.”
“What makes you so sure your guys are even alive?” Miriam asked. “You think they can fight off a devil with their training?”
“Oh, trust me, they’re trained perfectly well to fight whatever monsters are in these woods.”
“They’re an extraction team. Your poachers have already left.”
She didn’t know that for sure, but she took the gamble that it was true. She’d seen no sign of Abby since Kawa went down, which implied that she’d completed the job. And if she had no hand in getting the carcass out, then someone else had to, and these guys fit the bill.
Somehow, Radley’s smiled widened. “Smart girl. Still, I haven’t heard any signs of a commotion.”
On that, he was right. But then, she didn’t expect to hear any commotion. Recordings of the devil would hardly put up a fight should they find them. Hopefully, Macy had found a hiding place safe enough to evade detection. Macy had already followed Miriam’s clear instructions to only play the sounds for a few minutes. Enough to pique their interest, but not enough time for them to pinpoint the source of the sounds.
“Well, I guess we’ll see how fast on the trigger I am, then,” Miriam said, forcing confidence despite her heart pounding. “We’re either both gonna die, or neither of us is. That’s up to you.”
Radley raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s your counteroffer, then?”
“You leave. You and your team. Without the dobhar-chú.”
“Is that what they are?” he asked. “I don’t really know nearly as much about cryptids as I should.”
Miriam fixed her eyes on his, waiting for his gaze to wander. She couldn’t safely check on Kim’s progress without his notice, and that meant she didn’t know how much longer she needed to stall.
She got her chance to check when Usa huffed and shook her head, her eyes not yet open. The tranquilizer’s effects had started to wane, though. Radley turned to look. Miriam rattled her gun at his face.
“Nope,” she said sternly. “Eyes on me.”
Radley seemed to respect the threat enough to stop his turn. Kim knelt frozen behind Usa, not nearly as hidden as she probably thought. Radley hadn’t seen though, Miriam didn’t think.
“So if I let the creature go, you let me go?” he asked. She didn’t trust his tone. A man like this wouldn’t make a deal that ended in him not getting what he wanted.
“Yes,” she replied. “Simple. Just leave.”
She watched Radley’s mouth twist up in thought. “I’m going to have to consider that.”
“Consider quickly,” she said. “I’m running out of patience.”
Mostly true, though she worried she would run out of time instead. His team would come back, and they would shoot, and as confidently as she stated her willingness to die, she really didn’t like the sound of that outcome.
Usa huffed again, this time her eyes creeping open. Timing seemed to be working out in Miriam’s favor.
“It’s waking up,” Radley said. “If I’m going to let it go, I need to remove the ropes now.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Kim said from behind. Radley’s smile melted.
He turned, ignoring the threat of the tranquilizer gun in favor of something that could tear him limb from limb. The wheels had started to turn now, and no matter how much Miriam preferred that Usa run off into the sunset, she was an uncontrollable force of nature. Usa slowly stood, her height easily eclipsing that of the three humans standing around her. She blinked her eyes, shook her head. Miriam couldn’t be sure that Usa even knew that she was awake yet.
Miriam shared a look with Kim. For the shortest of seconds, Miriam considered aiming her tranq gun at Usa and bringing the beast down yet again, but if she did, then Radley would certainly win. His men would soon discover that they’d chased a recording, return, then slaughter them all. At this point, the die had been cast, and Usa would do whatever was best for survival.
Kim started to back away slowly, into the tree line. Miriam took the hint and did the same. Radley stood there staring up at the creature that now stared down at him with laser-focused, beady eyes. Drool dripped from Usa’s jowls. Her whiskers twitched.
Then...
Radley was gone in an instant, snatched up, chewed, swallowed. An unceremonious end, to be sure, but perhaps one that he deserved. He didn’t even manage to scream.
Miriam’s stomach turned. She’d seen death before, but this...
Usa bellowed into the woods, her cry echoing a warning to any who would cross her. Miriam took the hint, realizing now that despite whatever relationship Kim might have had with this dobhar-chú, it wouldn’t be enough. Not now. The stories foretold of an extremely strong bond between mating pairs, and real life had proven the legends correct. This poor, previously gentle creature would never trust humans again.
And, maybe, that was for the best.
It was only a matter of seconds before some of the guards started pouring back into the clearing. Chaos and confusion reigned. Guns fired. Screams echoed. Usa turned into a tornado of fur and blood. Miriam would not make Radley’s mistake. She turned and ran, leaving behind Radley’s men to fend for themselves.
Kim appeared beside her after only a few long strides, panting, arms pumping, legs pushing hard. For the first time, Kim seemed scared, and that rattled Miriam even more.
“We have to get Macy,” Miriam said, coming to a stop at least fifty yards away from the clearing. A small distance for a giant dobhar-chú.
Kim skidded to a stop just a few feet past Miriam, slapped her hands on her knees and gasped for breath. She nodded. “Yeah. Of course.”
“Do you remember where she is?”
Kim stood and looked around, gained her bearings and pointed. “That way.”
“Let’s go.”
Miriam took off in a run towards Macy’s position, using the horrific death-sounds as a barometer for how much time they could afford.
None of this had gone how she’d hoped. The time had come to abandon all hope, get out of the woods, and finish the job.
