The League of Doorways (A Book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic) (The Doorways Trilogy - Book Two) by Tim O'Rourke Page B
Authors: Tim O'Rourke
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door of the car. It wailed so loud on a set of rusty hinges, that Zach and his friends covered their ears with their hands. Faraday seemed not to be bothered, as he crouched behind the rocks and watched the emaciated man search the inside of the vehicle for anything of value – or anything that he might be able to use.
Then from out of the darkness , several sets of bright white lights appeared. They seemed to skim just above the ground and they were approaching fast.
“What are they?” Bom panicked, getting to his feet as if to run away.
With lightning speed, Faraday shot one arm out and gripped the back of the Captain’s armour. “Get down and be quiet,” Faraday ordered. Then looking at us with his black eyes, he added, “all of you.”
They pressed themselves flat to the floor and watched the lights approach out of the distance. By the time the hermit had noticed them, it was too late. Shielding his eyes against the glare of the lights, he watched as if frozen to the spot as they raced towards him. The sounds of emergency sirens filled the night. Zach peered around the edge of the rocks to see several masked men approaching at speed. On seeing them, Zach blinked and rubbed his eyes. At first glance, he thought they were riding on the backs of Bengal tigers. But after taking a second look, he realised the creatures they rode were, in fact, machines.
The tiger-like creatures were similar to motorbikes, and they bounded towards the hermit with emergency lights flashing and sirens screaming. Unlike the motorbikes Zach was familiar with back in Earth, these weren’t propelled forward on wheels, but just like a tiger, they raced forward on four powerful, robotic legs. Even their engines roared like the beasts they had been inspired by. The bikes were coloured black, but had orange and yellow flames painted along their flanks. It had been these markings which , at first glance, had given Zach the impression they were tigers. He guessed these were just one of the creatures Faraday had described as becoming entangled with the technology Cribbot had smuggled back into Endra, along with the animals.
They bounded through the night, their engines growling, their burning eyes acting as headlights in the darkness. They skidded to a halt, their giant metal paws spraying sand over the hermit. Zach noticed that one of the tiger-bikes had what looked like a sidecar attached to it, and this hovered above the ground. The masked riders dismounted and approached the skeletal man.
“Who are you?” one of the riders asked the man.
Zach watched the riders, and guessed they were like cops, as they were dressed all in black. They wore padded coveralls, which were tucked into sturdy-looking boots. Their heads were covered with hoods, which formed a tight seal around the black respirators which covered their faces. A circular shaped canister protruded from the side of these masks, and they made a deathly rasping sound, as they breathed in and out. Around their waists they each wore a belt. Their hands were covered in thick , black rubber gloves, which gripped what looked like guns.
“I’m just out here scavenging,” the hermit said, his voice sounding fearful.
“Under whose authority?” one of the riders demanded.
“I’m just looking for food…” the old man began.
“You need authority to be so close to the outer-rim,” another of the riders wheezed from behind his respirator. Then without warning, the lead rider pointed his gun at the hermit and shot him. The retort of the weapon echoed and bounced off the rocks that Zach and his friends hid behind. Bom gasped in horror, and Faraday was quick to clasp his hand over the Captain’s mouth.
“What was that noise?” one of the riders barked.
“I didn’t hear anything,” another said.
The rider who had shot the old man raised his gun again and made his way towards the outcrop of rocks.
Chapter Ten
Zach lay huddled next to his companions and held his
Then from out of the darkness , several sets of bright white lights appeared. They seemed to skim just above the ground and they were approaching fast.
“What are they?” Bom panicked, getting to his feet as if to run away.
With lightning speed, Faraday shot one arm out and gripped the back of the Captain’s armour. “Get down and be quiet,” Faraday ordered. Then looking at us with his black eyes, he added, “all of you.”
They pressed themselves flat to the floor and watched the lights approach out of the distance. By the time the hermit had noticed them, it was too late. Shielding his eyes against the glare of the lights, he watched as if frozen to the spot as they raced towards him. The sounds of emergency sirens filled the night. Zach peered around the edge of the rocks to see several masked men approaching at speed. On seeing them, Zach blinked and rubbed his eyes. At first glance, he thought they were riding on the backs of Bengal tigers. But after taking a second look, he realised the creatures they rode were, in fact, machines.
The tiger-like creatures were similar to motorbikes, and they bounded towards the hermit with emergency lights flashing and sirens screaming. Unlike the motorbikes Zach was familiar with back in Earth, these weren’t propelled forward on wheels, but just like a tiger, they raced forward on four powerful, robotic legs. Even their engines roared like the beasts they had been inspired by. The bikes were coloured black, but had orange and yellow flames painted along their flanks. It had been these markings which , at first glance, had given Zach the impression they were tigers. He guessed these were just one of the creatures Faraday had described as becoming entangled with the technology Cribbot had smuggled back into Endra, along with the animals.
They bounded through the night, their engines growling, their burning eyes acting as headlights in the darkness. They skidded to a halt, their giant metal paws spraying sand over the hermit. Zach noticed that one of the tiger-bikes had what looked like a sidecar attached to it, and this hovered above the ground. The masked riders dismounted and approached the skeletal man.
“Who are you?” one of the riders asked the man.
Zach watched the riders, and guessed they were like cops, as they were dressed all in black. They wore padded coveralls, which were tucked into sturdy-looking boots. Their heads were covered with hoods, which formed a tight seal around the black respirators which covered their faces. A circular shaped canister protruded from the side of these masks, and they made a deathly rasping sound, as they breathed in and out. Around their waists they each wore a belt. Their hands were covered in thick , black rubber gloves, which gripped what looked like guns.
“I’m just out here scavenging,” the hermit said, his voice sounding fearful.
“Under whose authority?” one of the riders demanded.
“I’m just looking for food…” the old man began.
“You need authority to be so close to the outer-rim,” another of the riders wheezed from behind his respirator. Then without warning, the lead rider pointed his gun at the hermit and shot him. The retort of the weapon echoed and bounced off the rocks that Zach and his friends hid behind. Bom gasped in horror, and Faraday was quick to clasp his hand over the Captain’s mouth.
“What was that noise?” one of the riders barked.
“I didn’t hear anything,” another said.
The rider who had shot the old man raised his gun again and made his way towards the outcrop of rocks.
Chapter Ten
Zach lay huddled next to his companions and held his
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