He pulled, using all of his strength. His arms burned from the strain. The sand grasped at him like strong, greedy fingers, holding him in place.
Grimacing, he continued to hoist up his two hundred pounds of muscle. His shoulders popped, the weight straining sockets and bones. The sand continued to tighten its embrace, burning the wound in his leg. The teeth marks in his neck throbbed against the exertion, perhaps even split open because he felt a trickle of something warm and wet on his skin.
Just a little more... almost... there. The sound of ripping cotton and poly filled his ears. With a final yank, his body landed on dry, solid ground. He sucked in a relieved breath.
No, run. Hurry. The demon has already begun to stir.
Ignoring her, Gray rolled to his back before easing up and into a crouch. As he glanced at his wristwatch, a soft, salty breeze drifted past him, reminding him of the beach vacation he so craved. This area would be as good as any other, he supposed. He'd run out of time.
"Let Operation KTB commence." He slipped on his shirt, unzipped his backpack and rooted inside. What are you doing? Turn, you fool.
"You need a name," he said, ignoring her demand and continuing his search inside the bag. Didn't all split personalities have names? If he was going to be insane, he might as well embrace it fully. For now, at least. Once he returned home and told the captain about his new friend, he'd be poked with so many needles it would make an alien probing seem like a sensual massage.
Maybe he'd call her Bunny. Or Bambi.
Please, she cried. You need to hide. If you don't you'll be hurt again and - "I'm not running. I'm going to kill it."
She paused, absorbing his words. Listen, Gray. You aren't insane, I'm not a figment of your imagination or a personality inside your mind. I'm very real, and I can help you. I know Atlantis and the creatures here. Listen to me and you just might live for one more day.
Now it was his turn to pause. Her claim made a weird sort of sense. Throughout the years, he'd seen and experienced all sorts of strange things. "Can you prove it?" he almost said, but stopped himself.
Though he hadn't actually spoken, she heard him and uttered a frustrated hiss. You are such a human. Prove this, prove that Humph! I'm speaking with you, aren't I?
Several alien races communicated psychically, so he already knew it could be done. He just hadn't known it could be done with him. Fact is, he was relieved his brain hadn't experienced full meltdown.
"Where are you?"
Hades, It seems.
He grinned. "Yeah? Me, too. Want to tell me how you know my name?" He resumed his search inside the bag. "And how are you getting inside my mind?" That bothered him, a lot, but he had too many other things to worry about right now.
Do you really wish to discuss this now? Time is your enemy.
Again, she was right. He truly didn't have long, perhaps five or ten minutes and he needed every second. "I'll let those questions slide, but there's one thing I've got to know. Why are you helping me?"
Pause. It would be a shame to mar your pretty face. Good answer. Dare he say irrefutable?
"You know how to take down a demon?" Myths claimed garlic, a stake through the heart, or holy water would do the trick. Wait. Those killed vampires. What the hell killed demons? The Book of Ra Dracas might have very well provided step-by-step instructions, yet he'd paid no attention, seeing the script merely as camouflage for the hidden code about the jewel. Stupid.
There is no reason to fight. I can lead you to safety.
"Poison? Dynamite?" As he spoke, he lifted the items in question.
Heavy silence blanketed his mind.
"I'm not going anywhere, honey, so you might as well tell me."
His haul, she finally said on a trembling catch of breath. You have to - well, you know.
"Yes, I'm afraid I do." He bypassed the grenades; he might need those later, and withdrew four sticks of dynamite, as well as his night vision goggles.
That dynamite, won't help you. Demons are strengthened by fire.
"I'm hoping the force of the explosion will slow him down so I can get close enough to him to... you know." He slapped a clip into his gun and slid a load into the chamber. This was his last round of ammunition, so he