torg 02 - The Dark Realm Read Online Free Page B

sound that rivaled the clamor of the Wild Hunt. Metal bats streaked toward him, his mind shouting the word Lord Uthorion gave him — "airplane." But to the Horn Master, "iron bat" made more sense. He raised his horn and blared an order, and immediately a wave of hunters rushed forward.
    Yes, the Horn Master thought as he replaced the instrument, now the challenge begins.
     
    7
     
    Captain Burke placed his fighter on a course that would take it over the heart of the city. His instruments still showed the "all-clear," and he was beginning to think they had been scrambled for a wild goose chase.
    "Anybody have anything to report?" he asked his wingmen.
    "Negative," replied Zahn.
    "Not a peep on the screens," answered Whit.
    "Let's do a flyby and see what we see," Burke said.
    "Hey, Captain," Whit came back excitedly, "take a look at your two o'clock. What do you make of that?"
    It took Burke a moment to distinguish the rolling black storm cloud against the backdrop of ash, but when he did it was easy to track.
    "Looks like one hell of a storm," Burke said over his radio. "But I can't get it to register on my scopes. Zahn?"
    "Negatory, Captain," Zahn responded quickly. "According to the radar, it isn't there."
    Now Burke was becoming concerned. Not nervous, mind you. Just concerned. Perhaps, he thought, our scopes are down. Or worse, maybe the enemy has a way to disable the radar. If that was the case, then the unidentified threat could be anywhere.
    "Stay alert, people," Burke ordered. "If the radar is down, then we're going to have to rely on visuals."
    "That's not going to be easy in this volcanic crap," Zahn said.
    "Heads up!" Whit shouted.
    Part of the storm broke off from the main host and moved toward the approaching F-15s. Not drifted, Burke told himself, but moving as if with purpose and intent, l ightning flashed, and for a moment the storm was f ilied with riders on horseback and packs of dogs. Then the flash was over and the dark cloud was closer.
    "Evasive action!" Burke screamed into his radio. "Move it, people!"
    Burke forced his fighter into a roll, not waiting to see if the others were following his orders. But a second later, he knew that Whit had hesitated by the chatter coming back through his headset.
    "Captain, what's the problem?" Whit asked. "It's just a cloud for God's sake. Wait a minute. Will you look at that. Captain, there's a guy with a sword —"
    Whit's voice was cut off and an explosion followed. Burke strained to see out his cockpit. He saw the bright flash of the exploding plane. And he saw that the cloud was turning, placing itself on an intercept course for him and Zahn.
    "What do we do?" Zahn asked over the radio.
    "Do? We do what we came to do," Burke replied. "We fight and destroy."
     
    8
     
    The Horn Master howled in delight as the iron bat fell from the air. What a masterful stroke the hunter had delivered! If this was challenge, then the High Lords would take this sphere without raising a sweat, the Horn Master thought. He watched a moment longer to make certain that the hunters were engaging the remaining iron bats — airplanes, he corrected — then ordered the rest of the hunt to descend.
     
    9
     
    Behind the drawn shades and bolted doors of Cheyenne, people became increasingly afraid. It wasn't the unnatural ash that coated the sky that caused this new fear. They had grown used to that in recent days. It wasn't the long day or the promise of a long night to come. That was a fear that had been with them and was almost familiar. The new fear was much more immediate — and much more intense.
    It was a fear carried in on the storm winds, a fear that blew against the houses and shook them with a ferocity that inspired images of someone — or something — trying to get in. It was a communal fear, a deep-rooted fear from the depths of primal memory, a fear that shouted to run and hide.
    Outside, people heard the storm rushing through the air. But other sounds echoed in the storm