Scanned by Highroller

  Proofed by Highroller

  Death Master Strike

  David Robbins

  Dedicated to Judy, Joshua, and Shane.

  CHAPTER ONE

  The scorching sun baked the Arizona countryside, causing rippling waves of heat to distort the view in all directions. For the three people trudging eastward across the blistering desert, the arduous trek was a harrowing ordeal.

  In the lead strode a giant of a man, seven feet tall and endowed with the prodigious build of a Hercules. His bulging muscles gave his body a sculptured look, as if a supremely talented sculptor had created him out of living bronze. His hair was dark, his eyes a striking shade of gray. A black leather vest snugly covered his broad chest, and sweat-soaked green fatigue pants clung to his stout legs. Strapped around his narrow waist were two big Bowie knives, and clutched in his left hand was an M-16. Secured to his back was a brown backpack, and a green canteen hung over his left shoulder.

  Next in line came an attractive woman. Fine, luxurious brown hair hung to the small of her back. Her brown eyes scanned the inhospitable terrain eagerly, in anticipation of spotting their goal soon. She wore fatigues and combat boots. Like the giant, she had both a backpack and an M-16.

  The third member of the trio also wore fatigues and held an M-16. His hair, in contrast to that of his companions, was blond, his eyes an alert blue. Two inches over six feet tall, he possessed a superbly proportioned body that would have been the envy of an ancient Greek wrestler. Both he and the woman sported .45-caliber automatic pistols in holsters on their right hips.

  "We can't be that far," the woman announced.

  "You hope, Athena," said the blond man.

  "I had no idea you were such a pessimist, Captain Havoc."

  The officer wiped the back of his left hand across his brow. "I'm a realist."

  "And you doubt we'll find Mesaville?"

  "I doubt the place even exists."

  "If you're so skeptical, why did you come along?"

  "Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment."

  Frowning, the woman gazed at the giant. "And what about you, Blade? Do you believe we're on a wild-goose chase?"

  The colossus glanced over his right shoulder. "If I did, I wouldn't be here. Provided the intelligence gathered by General Gallagher is accurate, we should spot the mesa soon."

  "Which reminds me," Captain Havoc said. "I've been meaning to ask you a question ever since we left Los Angeles."

  "Ask it."

  "Why the hell did you accept Gallagher's word? After all he's done, after he tried to destroy the Force from within, after he sent those instructors from the Special Forces Training Center to stop you from finding Athena, you still accept his word about Grizzly? It makes no sense. Do you have a death wish?"

  A smile creased the giant's lips. "No. I fully intend to see my wife and son again."

  "Then enlighten me, sir, if you'd be so kind."

  "Yeah," chimed in Athena, "I'd like to hear your reason too, Blade."

  The man with the Bowies pointed at a cluster of boulders not far ahead. "Why don't we take a break there and I'll explain everything?"

  "Okay by me," Athena replied. "I could use a rest. My legs are killing me."

  "So are mine," Captain Havoc said. "But what do you expect? We've been hiking across this godforsaken desert for almost three days now. We haven't seen any sign of water for a day and a half, and if we don't find some soon our canteens will be empty."

  "Leave it to you to point out the bright side," Athena said.

  "Why are you always on my case?"

  "Maybe it's the heat."

  Blade looked back at them again. "You'd both conserve energy if you talked less."

  "I know," Athena said. "I just can't help myself."

  "How do you mean?"

  Athena gazed overhead at the blazing sun, then surveyed the barren, almost alien landscape. "I can't believe I'm really here. If I had any sense, I'd be safe and sound back in San Francisco, instead of traipsing around in the heart of the Outlands. Who knows what we'll encounter out here? We could all wind up dead."

  Captain Havoc chuckled. "Now who's looking at the bright side?"

  "It's just all so unreal," Athena said softly. "At least when we're talking, when my thoughts are distracted, I can forget all about the reason we came here and what might happen if we succeed. I can fool myself into believing this is a perfectly normal situation and I won't wind up with my throat ripped open or in the hands of a lousy slaver."

  The officer glanced around. "But this is perfectly normal for the southwestern corner of what used to be Arizona. The region receives very little rain and there's practically no vegetation."

  "That's not what I meant," Athena said. "I was referring to how much everything has changed since World War Three. Let's face it. One-hundred-and-six years ago a person didn't have to worry about scavengers, raiders, mutations, or other threats to life and limb. Back before the war, the wildlife was generally under control. Since then, the animals have multiplied to the point where they're a serious problem, especially the larger predatory beasts." She sighed. "Coming with the two of you is undoubtedly the stupidest thing I've ever done."

  "Then why did you?" Havoc asked.

  "I guess I feel I owe it to him."

  "What if we can't locate him?"

  "In a way, I almost wish we don't," Athena said and stared at the giant. "You understand, don't you, Blade?"

  "Yes," he said.

  "Good. I wouldn't want you to misconstrue my remark."

  Blade focused on the boulders ahead, reflecting. Yes, he truly did understand, and he felt sympathy for Athena's plight, sympathy eclipsed by the anger that welled within him every time he thought about the devious manner in which the Force had been manipulated. One life had been totally ruined and others immeasurably saddened by the deception. He could understand her reason, but he still couldn't bring himself to forgive her.

  She shouldn't have lied.

  They'd been her friends, damn it!

  The bitter memories returned in a rush. He recalled the very first mission the Force had gone on, when Athena had guided them to the Kingdom of the Spider. She'd been held prisoner there as an unwilling breeder for seven years before she had escaped and managed to reach civilization. The Kingdom was located in northern California, in a secluded valley in the Marble Mountain Wilderness; it had been ruled by a vile genetic abomination. Although the Force eventually accomplished its mission and terminated the Spider, a member of the team perished in the attempt.

  Blade frowned. If only he could have foreseen the future! He might have been able to prevent some of the tragedies that followed. In a way, he blamed himself for the outcome. He'd been the one who finally granted Athena's request to join the unit, although doing so was against his better judgment.

  Why had he let himself be talked into it?

  Oh, sure, Athena had trained diligently with the California Ranger Corps in order to qualify for the Force, but her motives had been all wrong. Instead of being devoted to the ideal of preserving the Freedom Federation and safeguarding the remnants of civilization, she'd joined for a selfish reason: to further her journalistic career.

  Before her capture by the Spider, Athena had been one of the top newspaperwomen in the Free State of California. She'd been on her way to Yreka to do a story about a flood when the plane she was in went down and the Spider took her prisoner. After her escape, she became intensely determined to make up for all the lost time. Her ticket to wealth and fame, she believed, lay in joining the Force so she could cover their assignments firsthand.

  Blade had known of her ambition and her plan to do a syndicated feature on the Force. She'd been honest with him from the very beginning. And he'd known her lack of experience could well jeopardize her life, not to mention the lives of her teammates. But he let himself be talked into accepting the proposal anyway. He should—

  What was that?

  A flicker of movement registered on his peripheral vision, and Blade glanced up at the boulders. He placed his finger on the M-16's trigger. So far, ever since the VTOL had deposited them at the base of a low mountain range to the west, they'd been lucky. There hadn't been a sign of raiders or mutations. Except for a few lizards, toads, insects, and an occasional hawk or two, they'd seen no other living creatures.

  The boulders were now only 20 feet away.

  Blade slowed, probing the shadows between the enormous slabs of rock, but detected nothing out of the ordinary. He speculated that he'd glimpsed one of the fleet, small lizards as it darted for cover.

  "Did you see something, sir?" Captain Havoc inquired.

  "Yes, but don't ask me what. Stay frosty just in case."

  "Can we take a few sips of water when we stop?" Athena asked. "My throat is parched."

  "Just a few."

  "Thanks."

  They drew nearer to the boulders. Many of the larger ones reared 15 to 20 feet in the air.

  Athena stepped to the base of the first monolith and sank to her knees, uttering a grateful sigh. "At last I'm off my feet!"

  "You've been holding up very well," Havoc said.

  "I try to keep in shape." She grinned. "But all the jogging and swimming in the world didn't really prepare me for crossing a desert."

  "At least we don't have to go all the way across," the officer said.

  Blade removed a map from his right front pocket, squatted, a

nd unfolded it in front of him. He studied the topographical markings, running his right index finger over the paper. "We've been following a zigzag pattern ever since we started our search, and I'd estimate we've covered over thirty miles already. If we don't spot the mesa within twenty-four hours, I'll be tempted to call the whole thing off."

  Athena straightened. "Why not give us forty-eight hours?"

  "Because we've already gone father than initially projected. Based on the information provided by that tracker, we should have found the mesa by now."

  "He could have supplied incorrect figures. It's easy to lose track of distance in the desert. Maybe he went forty miles west of Mesaville before he hit that last mountain range. Maybe he went fifty."

  "And maybe he made the whole story up," Captain Havoc said.

  Athena looked at the officer. "Why would he have done that?"

  "Who knows?" Havoc responded with a shrug. "There could be any number of reasons. He was apprehended trying to cross the California border at an unauthorized point by an army patrol, and when they interrogated him, he told a lot of wild tales about all the incredible sights he'd encountered during his travels. Mesaville was just one of them."

  "Mesaville doesn't sound so far-fetched to me," Athena said defensively. "Refugees from Phoenix or Tucson could have fled into this area during the war and established a community that flourished."

  "Not unless they lucked out and stumbled on a water supply," Havoc said and mopped his brow. "A big water supply."

  Blade leaned his M-16 against his left leg and folded the map. "I tend to believe the trader told the truth."

  Havoc seemed surprised. "You do? Why?"

  "Because of the details he supplied about the furry man with the retractable claws. The description he gave fits Grizzly perfectly, and we know he ventured into the Outlands after Athena's fake funeral."

  Athena winced as if from a physical blow. "Please don't bring that up again."

  "As you wish," Blade replied flatly.

  At that moment, a loud, ferocious hiss issued from above them, and a huge shadow fell across Athena.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Blade whipped his M-16 upward, and it was well he did.

  Perched on top of the boulder, its red lash of a tongue flicking in and out, was a massive mutation, a genetically warped specimen possessing a toad-like head and bulging eyes. Its body, though, was lizard-like, with a long, sloping spine and an even longer spiked tail, giving it the appearance of a dinosaur brought to life. The thing uttered a raspy snarl and tensed to leap.

  "Look out!" Athena cried, as she threw herself out from the base of the monolith.

  Blade saw the thing start to spring, and he flicked the selector lever from Safe to Semi and opened fire.

  A half-dozen rounds smacked into the mutation's head before its legs cleared the rim of the rock. Seemingly unfazed, it opened its mouth wide as it plunged toward the woman below.

  Standing firm, Blade sent more slugs boring into the monstrosity, stitching a line of holes from its head to its tail. The beast twitched and shook as it was struck, and the impact knocked its scaly bulk to one side.

  Athena rose to her knees, took one quick look, and rolled for all she was worth. She only covered a yard before the creature crashed down with a thud.

  The reptilian horror tried to stand on feeble legs and inhaled in great, ragged breaths. For a moment it glared at the giant human, then wheezed and expired, its body going limp, its head sinking to the soil, blood oozing from between its thin lips.

  "That was too close for my liking," Athena said as she stood. She began brushing dirt from her fatigues and glanced at Blade. "Thanks. You saved my hide. Again."

  "What are friends for?"

  The reply caused Athena to frown.

  Captain Havoc moved over to the dead mutation and studied it closely. "I couldn't get off a shot, Athena," he said. "You were in my line of fire."

  "I understand," the journalist said, her gaze still on Blade.

  "These mutants come in all shapes and sizes, don't they?" Havoc said absently. "There's no telling what kind we'll bump into next."

  "Your father was killed by one, wasn't he, Blade?" Athena asked.

  The giant scowled. He disliked being reminded of his father's passing, and he knew Athena was aware of the fact. Unbidden memories filed through his mind, memories of the kind man who had raised him so lovingly for so many years, the man who once held the position of Family Leader.

  Blade thought of all of his loved ones and cherished friends who were awaiting his return to the Family compound, which was located in the extreme northwestern part of Minnesota. Designated the Home by the founder of the 30-acre survivalist retreat, it was where Blade had been born and raised, where he'd spent most of his life, until the current leader, wise and kindly Plato, had selected him to be the head of the Warriors.

  Eighteen Family members were chosen by the Elders to be the guardians of the Home. Entrusted with the grave responsibility of safeguarding the lives of everyone there, the Warriors were renowned as an elite class of martial experts. Because of the many conflicts in which they had become embroiled and their many triumphs over sundry enemies, their collective reputation had spread far and wide across the post-apocalyptic country.

  It was in large measure due to that reputation, Blade reflected, that he'd later been offered the job of heading the Freedom Force. The Force, as the unit became known, was the tactical arm of the Freedom Federation, the alliance forged by seven organized factions, one of which was the Family, to preserve and nurture the lingering vestiges of civilization. A question from Athena intruded on his thoughts.

  "Are we still going to take a break?"

  "Ten minutes," the Warrior told her.

  Captain Havoc jabbed the mutation. "We could carve a few steaks," he suggested.

  "Be serious," Athena said.

  "I was. I'm tired of rations and jerky."

  "There's no way I'd eat a mutant. The flesh might be tainted with chemical or radiation-induced toxins," Athena noted. "You should know better."

  The officer shrugged. "When you're living off the land, you have to make do with whatever is available."

  "We're not out of rations yet," Athena said. "When we are, then I'll consider eating the wildlife."

  Blade reached behind him and extracted a fresh magazine from the green pouch attached to his belt. "An animal that size, even a lizard, requires a substantial water intake just to stay alive. Havoc, scout around these boulders and see if you can find a spring or a pool."

  "Yes, sir." The blond man headed around the right side of the boulder.

  "And Captain?"

  "Sir?"

  "Be careful. Where there's one mutation, there are usually more."

  "Understood, sir." Havoc gave a snappy salute and vanished from sight.

  "All military, isn't he?" Athena commented.

  "One hundred percent," Blade confirmed. He removed the partly spent magazine from the M-16 and inserted the new one, then sat down in the shade of the boulder, within inches of the dead reptile.

  "Mind if I ask you something?" Athena said.

  "Be my guest."

  "I'm curious. Why did you bring just Havoc along? What about the rest of the Force?"

  The Warrior put the used magazine in the pouch and leaned against the slab before replying. "The others wanted to come, but I refused to bring them. Since this isn't, technically speaking, an official assignment, I didn't feel justified in exposing them to the danger. They place their lives on the line daily as it is."

  "Then why bring Havoc?" Athena asked again.

  "Personal reasons."

  "In other words, you're not going to tell me."

  "Bingo."

  "I'd forgotten how tight-lipped you can be when you want to."

  "Nothing personal, Athena."

  The newspaperwoman brushed at her hair and regarded the giant critically. "I'm sorry I referred to your father. I know how sensitive you are about his death."

  Blade said nothing. He closed his eyes and waited for her to get to the real issue she wanted to discuss.

  There were several seconds of silence except for the whispering of the hot breeze.

  "You've changed," Athena said. "You're not the same man I knew when I was on the Force."

  The Warrior looked at her. "It's been a year since your so-called death. A lot can happen to a person in that amount of time."

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15