Against all odds (Reg Slivko - Thomas Mann Fic)

Backward

"We're going to save Kong"

As the Colonel had intuited, the seismic charges called Kong's attention. The gorilla had appeared a few seconds after they blew up a pair, and now it was burning in the middle of a swamp that they had filled with napalm. The huge mass of hair caught fire was convulsing in front of Slivko's eyes. It was burning alive. Kong groaned and tried to fight the flames, but the more he moved, the more they burned him. Then, silence came. Kong growled for the last time and fell to the ground making the earth tremble. It was done.

Slivko's heart beat a thousand per hour. Deep in his consciousness, he had wished for it to would not work.

"Men, place your charges." Ordered Packard "It's time to show Kong that man is King!"

The soldiers followed the orders. They placed the charges and Packard got ready to make Kong blow up.

"Packard!" said Conrad coming out of the woods and standing between them and the gorilla.

For a moment, Slivko felt relief. But then the tracker pointed his rifle at the Colonel.

"Don't do it," said Conrad.

Slivko and his mates pointed their guns at Conrad, not at all sure of what they were doing.

And then all got worst. The tracker was not alone. Among the trees, also came out Weaver, Marlow, and Meg. Marlow pointed a gun at Slivko's face and put his saber at Rele's neck; while Meg pointed with a gun from behind at Cole's head.

"I see you have changed your mind, after all, Slivko's girl," said Cole.

Meg did not answer. She was holding the gun with both hands and making a huge effort to do not look at Reg.

Slivko couldn't believe it, it was surreal. Maybe the smoke had caused him hallucination. He shook his head, but the image was still clear. She was there pointing a gun at his mate's head. It all had gone out of hands.

"We don't wanna fight here, Packard," said Conrad.

"This thing brought us down!" defended Packard "It killed my man"

"Kong was just defending his territory," said Conrad. "Put that detonator down"

But the Colonel had come too far to back up. He took some steps closer to the tracker, challenging him, and turned on the detonator.

"Stop!" Said Weaver. "The world is bigger than this"

The colonel laughed aloud.

"Bitch, please!" He scoffed. "Slivko! Get her out of there!"

Slivko's blood pressure rise and his body got tight. He was pointing with his M16 at Marlow, he had to turn a few inches to the right and he would have Weaver in his sights. Then just a slight movement of his index finger over the trigger and the woman would fall. He saw Meg with the corner of his eye; the image was disturbing. He heard the beating of his own heart, like a peal of drums, introducing his next movement. He could not take it anymore and turn right quickly. His M16 now pointed to his Colonel.

"Put it down, sir!" said without any trembled in his voice.

Meg held her breath.

Packard seemed surprised, but it only lasted a second. He was about to took his gun to shoot at Slivko when Conrad stop him.

"Packard!" said the tracker. "It's over"

The colonel stopped as the soldiers put their guns down.

Meg put down her gun too and finally looked at Reg without been able to hide her big smile. But it did not last long either. The earth trembled again and put everyone on alert. The water started moving as if someone had dropped a giant stone on it.

"That's the big one," said Marlow.

And immediately, from underneath the water, one of those lizards' things came out. But this one was ten times bigger.

"Fall back!" Said Conrad.

But Meg could not move. She froze there looking at the beast. She could swear that had heard her father's voice calling her from somewhere.

"Meg!" Reg approached her and took her by the arms. "Meg!" he had to shake her slightly to make her come back to herself.

She blinked a couple of times still lost. He took her face with both hands and pressed hard his lips on hers. Meg reacted and when he pulled his lips away, she took a long deep breath. It was as if he had uncovered some conduit that connected her brain with her lungs, making her able to breathe again. Reg took a deep breath too.

"Go!" said Conrad.

Reg took Meg by the wrist and drag her away from the skull-crawler as fast as he could.