bl.necroscope2-第79章

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　Layard；　stumbling　through　damp　shrubbery；　saw　Jordan's　figure　swallowed　into　a　rolling　bank　of　mist　where　he　ran　past　the　open　door　in　the　small　outbuilding…then　saw　something　erupt　from　that　door　in　a　snarling；　slavering　frenzy！　Bodescu's　great　dog！　Without　pause　the　flame…eyed　brute　hurled　itself　into　the　mist　after　Jordan。
　〃Trevor；　behind　you！〃　Layard　yelled　at　the　top　of　his　voice。　He　yanked　open　the　valve　on　his　hose；　jerked　the　trigger；　prayed：　God；　please　don't　let　me　burn　Trevor！
　A　roaring；　gouting　stream　of　yellow　fire　tore　open　the　curtain　of　mist　like　a　blowtorch　through　cobwebs。　Jordan　was　already　round　the　corner　of　the　house；　but　Vlad　was　still　in　view；　bounding　purposefully　after　him。　The　expanding；　blistering　〃V〃　of　heat　reached　after　the　dog；　touched　him；　enveloped　him　but　briefly。　Then　he；　too；　was　round　the　corner。…By　now；　at　the　front　of　the　house；　Guy　Roberts　and　Ben　Trask　were　down　from　the　truck。　Roberts　heard　shouting；　the　roar　of　a　flame…thrower。　It　was　still　a　minute　or　two　to　five　but　the　attack　had　started　which　probably　meant　that　the　other　side　had　started　it。　Roberts　put　a　police　whistle　to　his　lips；　gave　one　short　blast。　Now；　whatever　else　was　happening；　all　six　INTESP　agents　would　move　on　the　house　together。
　Roberts　had　the　third　flame…thrower；　he　headed　straight　for　the　main　door　of　the　house　where　it　stood　ajar　in　the　shadow　of　a　columned　portico。　Trask　followed。　He　was　a　human　lie…detector；　his　talent　had　no　application　here；but　he　was　also　young；　quick…thinking　and　he　knew　how　to　look　after　himself。　As　he　made　to　follow　Roberts　something　caught　his　attention：　a　furtive　movement　glimpsed　in　the　very　corner　of　his　eye。
　〃Twenty…five　yards　away　between　billowing　banks　of　mist；　a　flowing　figure　had　passed　swiftly；　silently　inside　the　shell　of　the　old　barn。　Who　or　whatever　had　gone　in　there；　there　would　be　nothing　to　stop　it　from　clearing　off　out　of　the　grounds　once　Roberts　and　Trask　were　inside　the　house。　〃Oh　no　you　don't！〃　Trask　grunted。　And　raising　his　voice：　〃Guy；　in　the　barn　there。〃
　Roberts；　at　the　door　of　the　house；　turned　to　see　Trask　running　at　a　crouch　towards　the　barn。　Cursing　under　his　breath；　he　strode　after　him。
　At　the　back　of　Harkley　House；　Vlad　came　coughing　and　mewling　out　of　the　mist　and　attempted　to　spring　at　the　three　men　he　found　there。　The　dog　was　a　blackened　silhouette　sheathed　in　smoke　and　flame；　burning　even　as　he　launched　himself　lopsidedly　at　Jordan's　back。
　As　Jordan　had　e　running　round　the　corner　of　the　building；　Gower　had　very　nearly　triggered　his　flame…thrower；　he'd　recognised　Jordan　only　at　the　last　possible　moment。　Harvey　Newton；　on　the　other　hand；　had　actually…drawn　a　bead　on　the　misted　figure　and　was　in　the　act　of　firing　his　bolt　when　Gower　cried　a　warning　and　shouldered　him　aside。　The　bolt　flashed　harmlessly　off　at　a　tangent　and　disappeared　in　mist　and　distance。　Fortunately　Jordan　had　seen　the　two　men　saw　them　apparently　aiming　at　him　and　thrown　himself　flat。　He　hadn't　seen　what　pursued　him；　however；　which　even　now　overshot　his　sprawled　body　and　arced　overhead　in　a　cloud　of　sparks　and　smoulder。　Vlad　landed　awkwardly；　gathered　himself　to　spring　at　Newton　and　Gower；　and　discovered　himself　forging　head…on　into　a　withering　jet　of　flame　from　Gower's　torch。　The　dog　crumpled　to　earth；　a　blazing；　crackling；　screaming　ball　of　fire　that　tried　to　run　in　all　directions　at　once　and　ran　nowhere。
　Jordan　got　to　his　feet　and　the　three　men　stood　panting；　watching　Vlad　burn。　Newton　had　fumblingly　reloaded　his　crossbow；　he　thought　he　saw　something　move　in　the　mist　and　turned　in　that　direction。　What　was　that？　A　loping　shape？　Or。。。　just　his　imagination？　The　others　didn't　seem　to　have　noticed；　they　were　watching　Vlad。
　〃Oh　my　God！〃　Jordan　gasped。　Newton　saw　the　look　on　Jordan's　face；　forgot　the　thing　he　thought　he　had　seen；　turned　to　watch　the　death　agonies　of　the　incandescent　dog。
　Vlad's　blackened　body　throbbed　and　vibrated；　burst　open；　put　up　a　nest　of　tentacles　that　twined　like　alien　fingers　four　or　five　feet　into　the　air。　Mouthing　obscenities；　eyes　bulging；　Gower　hosed　the　thing　down　with　fire。　The　tentacles　steamed；　blistered　and　collapsed　but　the　dog's　body　continued　to　pulsate。
　〃Jesus　Christ！〃　Jordan　moaned　his　horror。　〃He　changed　the　dog；　too！〃　He　unhooked　a　cleaver　from　his　belt；　moved　forward；　shielded　his　eyes　against　the　blaze　and　severed　Vlad's　head　from　his　body　with　one　single　clean　stroke。　Jordan　backed　off；　shouted　at　Gower：　〃You　finish　itmake　sure　you　finish　it！　I　heard　Roberts's　whistle　just　now。　Harvey　and　me　will　go　on　in。〃
　As　Gower　continued　to　burn　the　remains　of　the　dog…thing；　Jordan　and　Newton　went　stumbling　through　smoke　and　reek　to　the　rear　wall　of　the　house；　where　they　found　an　open　window。　They　looked　at　each　other；　then　licked　their　lips　nervously　in　unison。　Both　of　them　were　breathing　raggedly　of　the　sodden；　stinking　air。
　〃e　on；〃　said　Jordan。　〃Cover　me。〃　He　aimed　his　crossbow　in　front　of　him；　swung　his　leg　across　the　window　sill　。　。
　
　In　the　barn　Ben　Trask　pulled　up　short；　his　square　face　alert；　ears　attentive　to　the　silence。　The　silence　said　there　w　as　no　one　here；　but　it　was　lying。　Trask　knew　it　as　surely　is　if　he　sat　behind　a　one…way　window　and　listened　in　on　an　important　interrogation　by　police　of　big…time　criminals。　The　picture　here　was　false；　a　lie。
　Old　farm　implements　were　strewn　everywhere。　The　mist；　billowing　in　through　the　open　ends　of　the　building；　had　turned　old　steel　slick　with　a　sort　of　metallic　sweat；　chains　and　worn　tyres　hung　from　hooks　in　the　walls；　a　stack　of　tongue…and…groove　boards　teetered　uncertainly；　as　if　recently　disturbed。　Then　Trask　saw　the　wooden　steps　ascending　into　gloom；　and　at　the　same　time　a　single　stem　of　straw　where　it　came　drifting　down。
　He　drew　air　in　a　sharp　gasp；　turned　his　face　and　crossbow　up　towards　the　badly　gapped　boarding　overhead…and　was　just　in　time　to　see　a　woman's　insanely　working　face　framed　there；　and　hear　her　hiss　of　triumph　as　she　launched　a　pitchfork　at　him！　Trask　had　no　time　to　aim　but　simply　pulled　the　trigger。
　The　pitchfork's　sharp　offside　tine　missed　him　but　its　twin　scraped　under　his　collar　bone　and　passed　through　his　right　shoulder；　driving　him　down　and　backwards。　At　the　same　time　there　came　a　mad；　babbling　shriek　to　end　all　shrieks；　and　Anne　Lake　crashed　through　rotten　boards　in　a　cloud　of　dust　and　powdery　straw。　She　landed　square　on　her　back；　with　Trask's　bolt　sticking　out　of　her　chest　dead　centre。　The　bolt　alone　should　have　done　for　her；　and　the　fall　certainly；　but　she　was　no　longer　entirely　human。
　Trask　lay　against　the　side　wall　and　tried　to　pull　the　pitchfork　out　of　his　shoulder。　There　was　no　strength　in　him；　he　couldn't　do　it；　pain　and　shock　had　left　him　weak　as　a　kitten。　He　could　only　watch　and　try　to　keep　from　blacking　out　as　Yulian　Bodescu's　〃auntie〃　crept　towards　him　on　all　fours；　grabbed　the　pitchfork　and　yanked　it　viciously　free。　And　then　Trask　did　black　out。
　Anne　Lake　drew　back　the　pitchfork；　growling　like　a　big　cat　as　she　aimed　it　at　Trask's　heart。　Behind　her；　Guy　Roberts　grabbed　the　fork's　wooden　handle；　hauled　on　it　and　threw　her　off　balance。　She　howled　her　frustration；　fell　on　her　back　again；　grasped　the　bolt　in　her　chest　with　both　hands　and　tried　to　draw　it　out。　Roberts；　impeded　by　the　apparatus　on　his　back；　lumbered　by　her；　took　hold　of　Trask　by　the　front　of　his　jacket　and　somehow　managed　to　drag　him　clear　of　the　barn。　Then　he　turned　back；　aimed　his　hose；　and　applied　a　firm　and　steady　pressure　to　the　trigger。
　The　barn　was　at　once　transformed　into　a　gigantic　oven；　heat　and　fire　and　smoke　filled　it　floor　to　tiled　roof；　spilling　out　of　its　open　ends。　And　in　the　middle　of　it　all　something　screamed　and　screamed；　a　wildly　hissing；　rising　scream　that　finally　shut　itself　off　as　the　upper　floor　collapsed　and　tipped　blazing　hay　down　into　the　roaring　inferno。　And　still　Roberts　kept　his　finger　on　the　trigger；　until　he　knew　that　nothing…nothing…could　have　survived　in　there　。
　At　the　back　of…the　house　Ken　Layard　found　Gower　burning　Vlad。　Jordan　had　just　stepped　in　through　the　open　window　and　Newton　was　about　to　follow　him。　〃Hold　it！〃　Layard　shouted。　〃You　can't　work　two　crossbows　together！〃　He　came　forward。　〃I'll　go　in　this　way；〃　he　to