Chapter Eighteen
No More Bullets
The sound of loud cannon fire echoed up from the harbor and jarred the sleeping giant awake. Stumbling up to his feet the giant looked around dumbly in search of the noise.
More cannon fire echoed from the harbor and with an enraged roar the giant took off for the sounds of war.
The giant now gone we broke cover and rushed for the slave cave. Before we even reached the cave’s mouth the iron gates clanged backward as former slaves barreled out of it as a massed group heading for the trees in the distance.
I waited by the cave entrance to see the last of the slaves free of it. They ran with a will born out of fright and the basic human desire to live free. They left none behind to face the wrath of the giants.
Mandy had stayed back with me and she now confirmed, “They’re all out.”
“All right let’s go!” I said grasping her arm and beginning to run after the others.
A loud roar of outrage punctured the scene of escape and I saw that the giant had returned perhaps thinking better about leaving his post. People screamed and ran harder at the sight of the giant who looked absolutely unhinged with rage.
His intent was to kill and maim, but he looked confused as to where to start in the fast-moving line of humanity. I let go of Mandy’s arm and shoved her on after the others as I diverted off towards the giant.
He didn’t see me as I was coming up on his blindside. I reached behind my back and pulled the flare gun from the dinghy out. I stopped running and taking aim upward I pulled the trigger.
The giant had just started to move forward when the flare burned into the back of his right shoulder. I’d never heard such a caterwauling screech as I did then.
I’d been aiming for his spine, but the giant had moved at the last moment. His right arm hung limp and I took comfort in the knowledge that at least he was maimed up some.
I popped a new flare cartridge in as the giant turned to me with glaring eyes of hatred.
“That’s right big boy I’m over here.” I said, as I pulled the trigger again.
The flare whizzed off, but the giant dodged out of the way and then lunged for me in the next moment. I sidestepped quickly away, as I fed my last cartridge into the flare gun, even as a giant arm swung through the space where I had just been.
I fired off my back foot as I started to fall over because of my over commitment to dodge away from the giant’s arm. The flare fizzled brightly as it bore its way into the back of the monster’s thigh. I hit the ground and flipped on over and without a backward glance took off in the direction of the trees confident that the giant was too maimed to follow us now.
Something took my right leg out from under me and I went tumbling. In the process of falling forward I hit my head off a rock and saw stars for a moment.
Blinking I tried to clear my head as some corner of my still functioning brain broadcasted the need for alertness. I glanced over my shoulder to see that the giant under sheer force of will had limped up to me and was even now lifting a hammer hard fist into the air with which to pulverize me into the ground.
I guess this was where things ended.
Shots rang out and I watched blood splatter all over the giant’s face as the bullets hammered out one after the other. One bullet must’ve found the brain through an eye socket, because the giant went limp and started to fall forward.
In a panic I rolled off to the side to keep from being crushed by the giant’s bulk. The giant hit the ground hard and I coughed on the kicked up dust.
Glancing upward I saw Mandy standing there with my boot pistol still clutched in her hands as she pulled the trigger over and over.
“Mandy?”
She seemed to shake free a little from her trance to glance at me.
“No more bullets honey.” I said gently.
The pistol fell from her hands as she rushed over to help me up. It was painful, but nothing was broken. I could walk perhaps even run if it meant getting off this miserable island.
With an arm about Mandy’s shoulders we started off for the nearby forest in the direction that everyone else had gone.
I squeezed Mandy’s shoulder, “Thanks for saving my life back there.” I said half out of breath because of the pain that I felt with each step forward.
She glanced up and gave me a quick smile, “I could say likewise, but the truth is that you’ve given me more than just a reprieve from being a monster’s snack. You’ve given me freedom. Freedom is more valuable to me than life!”
I squeezed her shoulder again lightly, “We’re not out of the woods and home free yet honey.” I said cautioning her gently against any possible letdowns that lay ahead.
She shook her head, “Even if I yet die in trying to get off this island I will die free! Thank you Eli!”
“You’re welcome.” I said with a grimace, as I eased forward into a painful jog.