Fear the Night
Chapter 15-The Cave

Chapter 15: The Cave

“Watchyour step,” Joshua warned as Maverick and Yukio still carried Isabella over thethreshold of Joshua’s house and into a dark room. Natalie trailed behind Yukio and Joshuashuffled around the room lighting candles and oil lamps hanging from theceiling and walls.

“Puther over on the couch,” he instructed and the two young men shuffled to thecouch under the window and placed her gently onto it then took a moment tostretch. “We’ll have to get her off ofthe stretcher.”

“Isit safe to move her?” Natalie wondered as Joshua stepped over to her.

“Youbrought her here in a wagon and you’re worried about moving her?” Joshuasmirked which earned him a glare from the heiress. “It’ll be fine. Maverick…Kid, I’ll need you to lift her and I’llyank the stretcher out from under her.”

“Myname is Yukio,” the young mangrumbled and leaned forward to lift Isabella up by the arms, carefully butbefore he even touched her, a pair of hands shoved him away.

“Takeher feet,” Maverick ordered as Yukio stumbled toward her feet. He chuckled and took her feet as Mavericktucked his hands under her shoulders. They lifted her carefully and Joshua pulled the stretcher out from underher to place it against the far wall.

Maverickcarefully held her head still and sat on the couch, cradling her in his arms asYukio set her feet on the couch. Nataliestepped toward Yukio as Joshua turned back to the couch and knelt down to takea look at Isabella’s head.

“Ifyou pull anything---!

“Don’tyou trust me, Yukio?” Maverick cutin, looking up at the other man with a burning gaze. Yukio shrunk back but nodded and Maverickcontinued, “Well I trust him. Kinda like you trust her.”

Henodded at Natalie and Yukio glanced at her with a defeated gaze. He knewthat was going to come back and bite him in the ass.

“Well,”Joshua chimed in, “she might have a concussion, but I’ll need a betterexamination than just using my senses. I’ll need my med bag.” He lookedup at Maverick to add, “and you’ll have to let me work unrestrained.”

Joshuashifted his eyes in Yukio’s direction and Maverick understood his subtlesignal. He carefully set Isabella’s headon the couch as he stood and Joshua turned to head toward a door farther insidethe house.

“Comeon, you two,” Maverick urged, placing a hand on Yukio’s shoulder and leadinghim to the door, Natalie clutching onto Yukio’s arm. “Let’s get some fresh air.”

“Andleave Izzy alone with him?!” Yukio hissed as Maverick shoved them to the door.

“Justcome outside you blockhead!” he hissed back, finally getting them outside andshutting the door. Yukio charged him toget the door, Natalie standing back to watch as Maverick shoved him back.

“You’dleave her alone with him?!” Yukiodemanded again. “Who knows what he’ll doto her?!”

“I’lltell you what he’ll do,” Maverickreplied through clenched teeth. “He’llexamine her, figure out what’s wrong with her, help heal her up then send ushome. He can’t do any of that properlywith you breathing down his neckabout every little thing he does to her!”

“Idon’t know him!” Yukio shot back. “Tome, he’s a creepy guy, living in the woods with shutters all over his windowsand a freaky scar on his face! He lookslike a murderer!”

“Ididn’t hear any complaints from you when we were on our way here!” Maverick retorted. “You actually see the guy and you flip out! May I remind you that this was youridea?!”

“Youmay not! And I---!”

Yukiowas cut off when he heard a scream and both men froze then whirled around towhere Natalie had been standing. Another scream pierced through the silence ofthe woods and both men took off in the direction of the source.

“Damngirl’s gonna get herself killed!” Maverick gritted through his teeth as Yukiocalled her name. They heard her screamout for Yukio and them men turned abruptly toward the sound.

“Hangon, Natalie!” Yukio shouted as he ran, dodging tress on the way then hegrowled, “If anything’s happened to her, I’m gonna kick your ass, Maverick!”

“Howthe hell am I responsible for your goddamn girlfriend?!” he shotback. They both came to a stop in asmall clearing where a cave gaped open at them, trees growing above it, darkand ominous farther in. Silence loomedover them until they heard a blood-curdling scream echo loudly from inside it.

“Aw,hell,” Maverick groaned but neither one looked away from the cave. “This is outta your league, kid.”

“Whatthe hell is in there?” Yukio breathed with wide eyes as Maverick walked pasthim and toward the cave.

“Whatdo you think?” Maverick retorted. “That’s where the Drones live. Stay here.”

“‘Stayhere’?!” Yukio cried. “And what am Isupposed to do while I ‘stay here’?!”

Maverickstopped in front of him and looked him straight in the eye as he replied, “Praythat I get her outta there, if notmyself…and pray it’s not as bad with Isabella as we think.”

Withthat he turned and headed into the cave, Yukio staring at his back with wideeyes as darkness enveloped him.

“Youbetter come back,” Yukio muttered. “Otherwise, I’ll never hear the end of it from Izzy when she wakes up.”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“

Maverickstalked into the darkness, his eyes scanning it. He relied on his senses to guide him, a skillhe’d honed while living in the woods with Joshua. It had come in handy many times, and now wasno exception as he stopped, feeling himself being watched.

“Natalie?”he called. “Wherever you are, keepstill.”

Heheard a whimper and took a defensive stance. Those things were close. He heardsomething next to him, behind him and in front of him. A growl and hiss sounded in front of him andhe knew that’s where he would be attacked first. He caught a glimpse of yellow eyes before hefell back from being tackled. Heimmediately began punching the Drone with his left arm, ignoring his stillbroken fingers on his right hand.

“Natalie!”he struggled. “Get the hell outta here!”

“butI can’t see!” she sobbed, frightened out of her mind, and he didn’t blame her.

“Followmy voice, Natalie!”

Shegasped at the voice and Maverick punched the Drone on top of him, sending itflying though the air with the force of it then shot to his feet, facing theentrance of the cave which was almost a far away dot of light.

“Yukio! Get your ass back out there!” he growled butwas stopped from saying anything else when a Drone tackled his back, shovinghim to the ground, face down.

“Natalie! Follow my voice!” Yukio shouted again. “Hurry up so I can save Maverick’s ass!”

“I’mjust fine, you stupid Greenhorn!” Maverick growled as he struggled to stand,the Drone still on his back. “Natalie,kick him in the nads when you get to him!”

“Shelikes me too much to do that, right Nat?” Yukio replied, still guiding Natalietoward him through his voice.

“Getout, both of you!” Maverick snarled, standing and throwing the Drone forwardonto the ground to kick it repeatedly. Agunshot rang out but Maverick stayed in his place. He saw the flash from the muzzle of Yukio’sgun and stared in that direction with wide eyes.

“Whatthe hell are you shooting at?!” he shouted, but shouted in pain when he feltsomething bite his leg, hard. He kickedthe Drone in the face but another tackled him from the front. This time he stayed on his feet and anothershot rang out. The flash from the muzzlewas followed by a spark that lit some dry grass and it burned a pile of it,brightly.

Wailsand squeals were heard and the Drone on Maverick leapt off of him to get awayfrom the light. The other Drones fledand Maverick glared at Yukio who held his gun in one hand, the other armwrapped around Natalie.

“Getoutta here before I take you gun and shoot you in the foot!” Maverick growled,marching toward them.

“Well,you’re welcome,” Yukio muttered as Maverick marched past them, toward theexit. Natalie pulled at Yukio’s arm asthey all hurried out of the cave and into the sunlight.

“Keepan eye on her,” Maverick ordered Yukio as they headed back to Joshua’shouse. “Your little heiress is toocurious for her own good!”

“Don’tstart fighting again, please,” she requested, holding onto Yukio’s arm thenattempted to stop them by asking him, “Why did you start shooting in thecave? You could have hit Maverick!”

“Ican see really well in the dark,” hereplied, then looked at Maverick to say, “I couldn’t let you die. Izzy would have killed me.”

“Nexttime, just listen to me, Greenhorn,” Maverick grumbled.

“Ithink it’s pretty clear, I’m not so much of a ‘Greenhorn’ anymore,” Yukiosmirked and maverick smirked back.

“No,”he agreed. “I guess not.”