Ice-Age 21

[Guest guest]

ICE-AGE

By Andy Savage

http://www.andysav.free-online.co.uk/savage.htm

 

Previous chapters at:uniquethings/

 

Chapter 21

A long, loud drone that sounded like a horn being blown from the far end of the arena echoed around like some sort of siren. The bear turned its head towards the source and stuck its nose high into the air.

Dave felt like he was hanging by a thread on death row, expecting to be horribly killed at any moment in the fearsome jaws of the formidable, white ogre towering over him. He could not take his terrorised eyes off those butchering teeth inside that drooling, inky mouth.

The horn reverberated once more, now seeming to be coming nearer, and this time it was followed by a shrill, sharp voice that shouted, " Cleo! "

Dave pricked up his ears. He felt a vague chill of recognition, but he was still transfixed by the bear. He wanted to cough, but he held it in, afraid of regaining the beast’s attention.

" Cleo! " yelled the voice again. Dave felt uneasy. It was clear that somebody was approaching fast, but he did not dare look.

Then, like an avalanche, the mighty mammal slammed down onto all fours, its fatal claws just missing Dave’s rigid body by a whisker. Its grubby, matted, furry side rubbed his face. Dave never wanted to be so close to one of these animals ever again.

" Yo! Cleo, get back! " called the shrieking voice.

To Dave’s disbelief, the giant polar bear began backing off. Its eyes looked full of staring rage, as if making itself a promise to settle this unfinished business some other time. Dave’s heart was pumping like an engine, but he did not stir, he did not want get his hopes up, he was not sure what was going on, he still sensed the clasp of death.

With a nonchalant shake of its rippling bulk, the bear turned around and slowly lumbered away. Dave watched anxiously and wiped the sweat from his forehead. When the bear had retreated some distance he allowed himself a sigh of relief, but he remained motionless and kept his eyes firmly fixed on the lurking, hulking goliath.

Device now screamed urgently, " Run! "

Dave was confused and stupefied. He glanced over and saw Device still standing by the fire, frantically gesturing, but Linda had started heading out in Dave’s direction. Dave cautiously stood up and took a couple of steps towards her, when he heard that shrill voice again, " Don’t move another inch, scum! "

A spasm of panic bounced through Dave’s body like a shock wave, and he twisted around to see who was there. He found himself being swiftly surrounded by a fence of four shapes just five or six metres away, all dressed in white furs and all wielding base ball bats. They all seemed horribly familiar. The bold headed one on the right hand side was a real giant, nearly seven feet tall, and grossly overweight.

" Get your hands in the air! " shrieked the figure at the left end, who quickly separated from the others and approached alone, pointing a primed bat at him. Dave instantly obeyed and for the first time he was able to see who it was who had spared him from the bear. He found himself looking at the most wrathful, sour, unfriendly face he had ever seen. It belonged to a young woman with long, golden hair and a slug shaped scar on her right cheek. As she got closer Dave saw pure, white teeth beaming from behind her narrow, blood red lips, and her dark eyes seemed to be chewing over whether to crack open his skull or not.

Dave thought he had better make clear his genuine intentions. He smiled graciously, " Thank you, " he said, with as congenial a voice as he could muster, " I thought I was going to end up being a polar bear’s lunch back there. "

The woman hesitated for a second, as if almost won over by Dave’s charm, but then she glanced back at her three unmoved male colleagues, and her eyes constricted and she sprang forward and spat on Dave’s boots, " Shut your face! " she hissed with venom, " You’re trespassing! "

Dave could not fail to notice her small, taut hands which flaunted long, glassy finger nails and the word ‘hate’ tattooed across her left set of knuckles. He was sure he knew who she was, " OK, I’m sorry! I didn’t know! " he said, beginning to seethe inside.

" Who the hell are you? " snarled the woman.

" I’m friendly. I don’t want any trouble, " replied Dave.

" Oh that’s nice! " said the woman sarcastically, and her companions at the back jeered and sneered and brandished their bats, " So who are you with? Who’s the one coming over? " she then demanded.

An image of Simon’s despairing face raced across Dave’s mind. He turned and saw that Linda was still approaching, " Don’t come any closer, Linda! " he warned, but she ignored him.

" Shut it! " screamed the blonde woman.

" Waste him, Tina! " urged one of the three men behind her. He was a short, scrawny, scruffy soul, who reminded Dave of a vulture.

Dave was both excited and afraid. He was almost certain that these were the people who had taken Simon, " We’re just coming to get my son, " he said boldly, " Maybe you can help us, Tina? "

" I didn’t give you permission to use my name! " responded Tina venomously, " What were you doing with my bear? "

" I didn’t know it was your bear! " said Dave, fighting to control his rage.

" Let me kill him! " squawked the short man.

" No! He’s mine now! " said Tina, slapping her bat against her palm.

" And that freaky one hiding over by the fire is mine! " declared a muscular, fair haired man standing next to the short one.

" What do you need another bloke for, Kier? " said Tina, " I’m starting to worry about you! "

" Then the one on its way over here must be mine! " said the runt of a man, pointing at Linda.

" Yeah, go for it, Jakey! " said Kier, grinning at his meagre comrade. He then slapped the huge, bold giant on the head and said, " But that leaves no one for our big Barry! "

Dave looked over his shoulder and saw that Linda was now just a few paces away. He could see her delicate eyes through the hole of her balaklava. She seemed so vulnerable, like a butterfly about to be snared in a spider’s web. He remembered what she had told him about the slave trade, and how women and children were particularly valuable. He felt he had let her down, and feared for what they might do to her. He turned back round and glared furiously at Jakey, " She’s with me you scumbag! You keep your filthy hands off her! " he growled.

Tina’s mouth blazed and she stabbed Dave in the stomach with her blunt bat, " Or else what, jerk? " she screeched, " Maybe I’ll just kill the girl right now in front of you! "

" Is she your wife, then? " said Jakey, provocatively licking his lips, and the others laughed like a pack of hyenas.

Dave now had no doubts, " She’s just helping me get my son back! " he said, " We don’t want any trouble. We know you’ve got him! "

There was another outburst of cruel cackles, " We don’t want any trouble! We know you’ve got him! " mimicked Jakey.

" I don’t give a toss about your stupid son! " hissed Tina, and she hit Dave again with her bat, this time on his elbow. Dave winced and held his stinging arm.

Linda now arrived and stood in silence next to Dave. She seemed a bit odd. Dave guessed that she must have some sort of plan. He only wished he knew what it was. He decided it was better to let her get on with it.

Device was watching from the fire. There was no expression on his face, but that was no surprise. Dave was sure that if Linda had a plan, Device must for certain be part of it. If he was not, there was absolutely nowhere for him to run. Dave wondered if maybe Device had found his gun, and that Linda had come over to negotiate. Kier was staring solely at Device, and practically salivating.

Tina eyed Linda up and down for a few moments, and then she said in a harsh voice, " Get that thing off your head and show me your face! "

Dave raised a maddened fist and squared up to Tina, " If you lay a finger on her I’ll kill you! " he barked.

" Get out of my way! " retorted Tina violently, and the waspish woman cudgelled him across the face with her bat, decking him flat onto his back.

Dave looked up, dazed, and watched as Linda her whipped off her balaklava. There was silence for a second and then both women grinned.

" Kerry! " exclaimed Tina with delight.