[Lord Stanley]

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Klot approached the back of the crate, where the Vamps always kept the door. Ordinarily there would be an energy field protecting the crate door, but since the truck cab was totaled against the car, the energy generator was smashed and the door was unprotected.

His new Inrik was only made to injure living flesh, but the small laser cannon built on the side of the barrel pierced the lock with a single shot. He reached out and tapped the button meant to raise the door – but again, it relied on the cab for assistance.

With a shrug, he reached out and bashed the door with his fist. The solid metal bent, making a fist-shaped indention under his hand. He drew back and punched a second time, warping the metal further. A third punch tore totally through the metal.

Klot stepped up on the back bumper of the truck, thrust both arms inside the opening and wrenched to either side, ripping himself an opening.

He stepped inside the hole, lowering his fists to show the Fangus slaves inside that he was not an enemy. “It’s Fangus Klot,” he said. “I’m—”

He stopped when he realized that there were no Fangus slaves in the crate. It was empty…at least, in the parts that he could see. That meant there was something hiding in the shadows around him.

Klot had barely raised his fists before something roared and leapt at him out of the darkness. It wrapped two arms around his neck and twisted, throwing him to the ground.

Klot rolled and came up in a punch. The creature – whatever it was – blocked his punch on its crossed wrists, lashing out in a kick at his groin. Klot swung down both hands and grabbed the creature’s leg, twisting hard. The creature fell to the floor, snarling.

“Don’t make me—” Klot began, but the thing swept his ankles out from under him with a sharp sweep and brought him crashing down again. He reached out both arms, grabbing onto the beast’s shoulders – but he realized it couldn’t be a beast when his fingers gripped clothes, made of some rubbery material.

“Make one move, and your shoulders go out of their sockets,” he warned coldly.

The beast stopped struggling for a second – only to perform an incredibly quick wrench with its entire upper half that spun Klot in the air and slammed him down hard on his back on the metal floor. Stunned, shocked at its martial arts prowess, he could only struggle to regain his feet as it loomed over him.

It spoke, in a voice deep and dark.

“The Steef will never…be extinct.”

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