A.N.
Ready, steady, get set Freddy!
Here's chapter 2
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter II - A Mother's Wrath
Two Weeks Later. . .
"According to the readings the Sphinx is moving Southward with each hunt. She's smart, she knows better than to attack in the same place twice. She's moving to a different county after each kill." Doctor Morrison announced to the squad of hunters that had banded together to catch the deadly creature. "If the calculations are correct, the next place she strikes will be Paris France."
"Well tha's all well 'n' good Doc, but how's it help us? Paris is huge, there's only twelve of us, we can't be everywhere at once." One of the soldiers said.
"True, however that is where Professor Blanchard comes in."
The Professor rode from her chair and walked to the front of the room in which everyone was gathered. She turned off the lights and activated a projector, flicking through various photos, each a different scene of attack for the Sphinx.
"There is something in common with every attack the Sphinx makes Gentlemen. It is ALWAYS a group of people, more than 4 in number, always a stand-up citizen, and always in a good area of town."
"What're you sayin' Prof... She's a picky eater?" One of the hunter's asked.
"Precisely. She's picky about who she kills, and where, not only that... But she doesn't leave the bodies behind. She takes them with her. Four or more people at a time, even a creature of her size wouldn't need that much food at one time."
"What are you driving at professor?" One of the trackers inquired. "Are you saying she's hunting for more than herself."
Professor Blanchard smiled.
"Exactly. I believe our Sphinx is in fact, a mother. It would explain why she's moving so often, keeping her children on the move ensures no one stumbles across their den. She's not killing for herself, she's killing for her children." The Professor paused as she considered her next words. "If they're allowed to grow up then we'll have multiple Sphinx's attacking humans. That is something we cannot allow."
"So what's the plan then?" One of the Soldiers asked.
"We stop looking for her, and start looking for the cubs." Doctor Morrison said, as the Professor sat down once more. "We've already had the French government take satellite photos of areas around Paris that might be convenient locations for her and her Cubs to hide, our mission gentlemen, is to search each of these locations. If we get the cubs, the killing stops."
- - -
1:03 AM
"Check point 1, no sign of her, in the clear."
"Copy that check point 1. Check point 2 what's your status?"
"All clear Professor."
"Check point 3?"
"Perimeter of the cave is secure Professor Blanchard, the Doc can move in."
"Roger. Henry, you're in the clear."
"Copy, we're moving in." Henry replied over his head set as he and two of the hunters moved into the cave in which they had located the Sphinx's cubs.
- - -
"Was the other male? We can't leave it behind!" The Doctor shouted to his comrades, shining his light around the cave as two of the men carried out the female and one of the male cubs, both of whom were yowling in distress and fear.
"We lost him when they first tried to run, I think he's in the woods!" One of the hunters at the entrance shouted.
"Rogers! Steinburg! Find him! We cannot afford for one of them to get back to her, Hell hath no fury like a mother's wrath." Doctor Morrison cautioned, looking out into the woods with a grave expression. "Get the other two to Professor Blanchard and then get them back to the command center."
"Yes sir!" The men replied, heading out to carry out their duties.
- - -
The young sphinx cub whimpered softly, scrambling on hands and feet through the forest, being as quite as he could. He could hear the humans behind them, the beams from their flash lights shining through the trees.
He slipped beneath a clump of exposed roots that formed a shallow cave. Quivering in fear he hunkered down in the grass and dirt behind the roots as the human approached. The lights shined through the trees, they were only a few feet from him, almost back to back, searching the ground around them. They checked behind trees and rocks, in piles of leaves and in bushes, but they didn't check beneath the old tree with the gnarled roots that formed his shelter.
They were turning! Heading away, the cub was just feeling safe enough to breathe again when suddenly one of the men whirled. The young sphinx shrank back as a bright light struck his eyes.
"There it is! Get the net..." One of the humans called to his comrade.
The other human moved forward carrying something that even a cub as young as this could recognize. The youngster remembered quite well his mother's teaching that nets were a very bad thing. He whimpered and backed as far as he could into the root crafted cave while the two humans advanced, the light was still in his eyes and the one with the night was right outside the tree now.
His siblings were caught and his mother was no where to be seen. Finally, he gave up, slumping to the ground and ceasing to squirm as the man brought the net through a gap in the roots. The cub gave a feeble yowl of remorse but to his shock, it was blocked out.
The roar echoed for miles, eight miles away from where the cub was now crouched beneath the old tree Professor Blanchard sat in a military humvee beside two caged sphinx cubs. Doctor Morrison was in the front Passenger seat and the hunters and trackers were perched in sets or on the cars top look out spot.
Everyone within that automobile froze for a moment as that roar echoed through out the trees around them, overpowering even the rumble of the humvee's engine.
"We have to leave, NOW!" Morrison shouted to the driver. "Step on it, don't stop for anything! GO!"
The humvee roared, tires tearing up chunks of dirt and grass as it plowed down the old dirt road that winded hither and thither through out the woods. There was another sound they couldn't hear, the cry of a dying man a high-pitched scream of pain that was turned into a gurgling moan as his body slumped, his had hanging at an odd angle and his juggler spewing fourth what seemed like gallons of crimson liquid.
The second hunter fumbled for his tranquilizer rifle, his light forgotten on the forest floor, casting a faint hue over the outline of the creature stalking towards him. Hers eyes were glowing within an internal power, casting a bright yellow light across her elegant facial features that were now marred by blood. Her lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl, deadly feline fangs lined her humanoid jaw, her ebony claws dripped with the blood of the first victim and as the second hunter dropped his case of tranquilizer darts hew knew that he was next.
A human's flesh is a fragile thing, it can be scratched, ripped, torn, sliced.One of these alone can be enough to kill if the right area receives the blow, but not for this man. For this man there had to be a more just worthy punishment. He was a hunter, hunting HER children, and he would suffer for his insolence.
His death was no quick blow like the firsts; the first had been farther back, away from the tree beneath which her cub was sheltered. But this man, this man with his net, this threat to her son's safety. He died slowly, clawed hands sunk deep into his torso, taloned feet lacerated his legs, and feline fangs sunk through the flesh of his neck and began to rip away vital tendons.
Death spasms, a few twitches as his nerves died and the human's soul passed on.
- - -
Two days later. 2:06 P.M. Somewhere in England.
"Remarkable. Absolutely remarkable." Doctor Morrison stammered. "I've been waiting my whole life just to find proof of the existence of things thought to be of fairy tales."
He stood with Professor Blanchard looking through the one way window mirror into the room in which the Cub had been placed. One side of the room was furnished to look like a cave, the other side like a house.
"This is incredible, they walk like humans, they have humanoid forms, yet their minds and movements are more animal." Professor Blanchard murmured as she scribbled notes on a clip board.
"The grace and power of a big cat and the intelligence of a human. It's no wonder the species has survived so long. We'll have to keep a 24 hour watch on them, once they've recovered from the shock of their capture they may start trying to find a way out." Doctor Morrison announced to one of the hunters standing near by.
"As you say sir." The Hunter replied.
"Is their any word on the mother or the other cub.?" Professor Blanchard asked, glancing back at the hunter.
"Negative. We found Roger and Steinburg... what was left of them... this morning. No sign of the mother or the cub.
"In hiding most likely. Worried we'll come back for the other." Doctor Morrison surmised.
"No. I don't think so." Blanchard responded, heading to her work desk.
"Leslie??" He asked, looking at her curiously.
"I know mythology... Or I suppose now it would be ancient history." She paused to reflect on that, what she once thought were the exaggerated stories of ancient civilization were, in truth quite real. "In almost any legend in which there is a sphinx it is always vengeful. They don't take kindly to being wounded mentally or physically, and we certainly taxed her by taking two of her cubs."
"What're ya sayin' Prof???" One of the hunters asked.
"I'm saying gentlemen that she isn't in hiding. She's planning. She will have found a safe place for her remaining cub to keep safe, and now she's going to come looking for the other two." Leslie said, turning to those in the room with her.
"How can you be sure?" the same hunter asked.
"Because gentlemen, I am a woman, and if some maniac's had hunted down my babies and dragged them away, I'd be tracking them closer than a blood hound tracks prey." Leslie replied. "We're going to need more men, she'll strike soon."
"More men?" One of the leader hunters asked in an almost stunned tone. "This is a military base, it's one of the most heavily fortified bunkers in this area, NOTHING can get in here without some type of heavy fire power."
"Captain Davis, with all due respect, we're talking about a creature that is most likely older than your great grandmother. A creature that's kind has existed since the feudal ages. I sincerely doubt wings, quick reflexes and sharp claws are the only tricks she has at her disposal."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A.N. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out folks I hit a bit of a dry spot in my creative flow, but now it's back!
Enjoy, Chapter 3 will be coming as soon as I make a final decision on how to proceed in the story.
Ready, steady, get set Freddy!
Here's chapter 2
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter II - A Mother's Wrath
Two Weeks Later. . .
"According to the readings the Sphinx is moving Southward with each hunt. She's smart, she knows better than to attack in the same place twice. She's moving to a different county after each kill." Doctor Morrison announced to the squad of hunters that had banded together to catch the deadly creature. "If the calculations are correct, the next place she strikes will be Paris France."
"Well tha's all well 'n' good Doc, but how's it help us? Paris is huge, there's only twelve of us, we can't be everywhere at once." One of the soldiers said.
"True, however that is where Professor Blanchard comes in."
The Professor rode from her chair and walked to the front of the room in which everyone was gathered. She turned off the lights and activated a projector, flicking through various photos, each a different scene of attack for the Sphinx.
"There is something in common with every attack the Sphinx makes Gentlemen. It is ALWAYS a group of people, more than 4 in number, always a stand-up citizen, and always in a good area of town."
"What're you sayin' Prof... She's a picky eater?" One of the hunter's asked.
"Precisely. She's picky about who she kills, and where, not only that... But she doesn't leave the bodies behind. She takes them with her. Four or more people at a time, even a creature of her size wouldn't need that much food at one time."
"What are you driving at professor?" One of the trackers inquired. "Are you saying she's hunting for more than herself."
Professor Blanchard smiled.
"Exactly. I believe our Sphinx is in fact, a mother. It would explain why she's moving so often, keeping her children on the move ensures no one stumbles across their den. She's not killing for herself, she's killing for her children." The Professor paused as she considered her next words. "If they're allowed to grow up then we'll have multiple Sphinx's attacking humans. That is something we cannot allow."
"So what's the plan then?" One of the Soldiers asked.
"We stop looking for her, and start looking for the cubs." Doctor Morrison said, as the Professor sat down once more. "We've already had the French government take satellite photos of areas around Paris that might be convenient locations for her and her Cubs to hide, our mission gentlemen, is to search each of these locations. If we get the cubs, the killing stops."
- - -
1:03 AM
"Check point 1, no sign of her, in the clear."
"Copy that check point 1. Check point 2 what's your status?"
"All clear Professor."
"Check point 3?"
"Perimeter of the cave is secure Professor Blanchard, the Doc can move in."
"Roger. Henry, you're in the clear."
"Copy, we're moving in." Henry replied over his head set as he and two of the hunters moved into the cave in which they had located the Sphinx's cubs.
- - -
"Was the other male? We can't leave it behind!" The Doctor shouted to his comrades, shining his light around the cave as two of the men carried out the female and one of the male cubs, both of whom were yowling in distress and fear.
"We lost him when they first tried to run, I think he's in the woods!" One of the hunters at the entrance shouted.
"Rogers! Steinburg! Find him! We cannot afford for one of them to get back to her, Hell hath no fury like a mother's wrath." Doctor Morrison cautioned, looking out into the woods with a grave expression. "Get the other two to Professor Blanchard and then get them back to the command center."
"Yes sir!" The men replied, heading out to carry out their duties.
- - -
The young sphinx cub whimpered softly, scrambling on hands and feet through the forest, being as quite as he could. He could hear the humans behind them, the beams from their flash lights shining through the trees.
He slipped beneath a clump of exposed roots that formed a shallow cave. Quivering in fear he hunkered down in the grass and dirt behind the roots as the human approached. The lights shined through the trees, they were only a few feet from him, almost back to back, searching the ground around them. They checked behind trees and rocks, in piles of leaves and in bushes, but they didn't check beneath the old tree with the gnarled roots that formed his shelter.
They were turning! Heading away, the cub was just feeling safe enough to breathe again when suddenly one of the men whirled. The young sphinx shrank back as a bright light struck his eyes.
"There it is! Get the net..." One of the humans called to his comrade.
The other human moved forward carrying something that even a cub as young as this could recognize. The youngster remembered quite well his mother's teaching that nets were a very bad thing. He whimpered and backed as far as he could into the root crafted cave while the two humans advanced, the light was still in his eyes and the one with the night was right outside the tree now.
His siblings were caught and his mother was no where to be seen. Finally, he gave up, slumping to the ground and ceasing to squirm as the man brought the net through a gap in the roots. The cub gave a feeble yowl of remorse but to his shock, it was blocked out.
The roar echoed for miles, eight miles away from where the cub was now crouched beneath the old tree Professor Blanchard sat in a military humvee beside two caged sphinx cubs. Doctor Morrison was in the front Passenger seat and the hunters and trackers were perched in sets or on the cars top look out spot.
Everyone within that automobile froze for a moment as that roar echoed through out the trees around them, overpowering even the rumble of the humvee's engine.
"We have to leave, NOW!" Morrison shouted to the driver. "Step on it, don't stop for anything! GO!"
The humvee roared, tires tearing up chunks of dirt and grass as it plowed down the old dirt road that winded hither and thither through out the woods. There was another sound they couldn't hear, the cry of a dying man a high-pitched scream of pain that was turned into a gurgling moan as his body slumped, his had hanging at an odd angle and his juggler spewing fourth what seemed like gallons of crimson liquid.
The second hunter fumbled for his tranquilizer rifle, his light forgotten on the forest floor, casting a faint hue over the outline of the creature stalking towards him. Hers eyes were glowing within an internal power, casting a bright yellow light across her elegant facial features that were now marred by blood. Her lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl, deadly feline fangs lined her humanoid jaw, her ebony claws dripped with the blood of the first victim and as the second hunter dropped his case of tranquilizer darts hew knew that he was next.
A human's flesh is a fragile thing, it can be scratched, ripped, torn, sliced.One of these alone can be enough to kill if the right area receives the blow, but not for this man. For this man there had to be a more just worthy punishment. He was a hunter, hunting HER children, and he would suffer for his insolence.
His death was no quick blow like the firsts; the first had been farther back, away from the tree beneath which her cub was sheltered. But this man, this man with his net, this threat to her son's safety. He died slowly, clawed hands sunk deep into his torso, taloned feet lacerated his legs, and feline fangs sunk through the flesh of his neck and began to rip away vital tendons.
Death spasms, a few twitches as his nerves died and the human's soul passed on.
- - -
Two days later. 2:06 P.M. Somewhere in England.
"Remarkable. Absolutely remarkable." Doctor Morrison stammered. "I've been waiting my whole life just to find proof of the existence of things thought to be of fairy tales."
He stood with Professor Blanchard looking through the one way window mirror into the room in which the Cub had been placed. One side of the room was furnished to look like a cave, the other side like a house.
"This is incredible, they walk like humans, they have humanoid forms, yet their minds and movements are more animal." Professor Blanchard murmured as she scribbled notes on a clip board.
"The grace and power of a big cat and the intelligence of a human. It's no wonder the species has survived so long. We'll have to keep a 24 hour watch on them, once they've recovered from the shock of their capture they may start trying to find a way out." Doctor Morrison announced to one of the hunters standing near by.
"As you say sir." The Hunter replied.
"Is their any word on the mother or the other cub.?" Professor Blanchard asked, glancing back at the hunter.
"Negative. We found Roger and Steinburg... what was left of them... this morning. No sign of the mother or the cub.
"In hiding most likely. Worried we'll come back for the other." Doctor Morrison surmised.
"No. I don't think so." Blanchard responded, heading to her work desk.
"Leslie??" He asked, looking at her curiously.
"I know mythology... Or I suppose now it would be ancient history." She paused to reflect on that, what she once thought were the exaggerated stories of ancient civilization were, in truth quite real. "In almost any legend in which there is a sphinx it is always vengeful. They don't take kindly to being wounded mentally or physically, and we certainly taxed her by taking two of her cubs."
"What're ya sayin' Prof???" One of the hunters asked.
"I'm saying gentlemen that she isn't in hiding. She's planning. She will have found a safe place for her remaining cub to keep safe, and now she's going to come looking for the other two." Leslie said, turning to those in the room with her.
"How can you be sure?" the same hunter asked.
"Because gentlemen, I am a woman, and if some maniac's had hunted down my babies and dragged them away, I'd be tracking them closer than a blood hound tracks prey." Leslie replied. "We're going to need more men, she'll strike soon."
"More men?" One of the leader hunters asked in an almost stunned tone. "This is a military base, it's one of the most heavily fortified bunkers in this area, NOTHING can get in here without some type of heavy fire power."
"Captain Davis, with all due respect, we're talking about a creature that is most likely older than your great grandmother. A creature that's kind has existed since the feudal ages. I sincerely doubt wings, quick reflexes and sharp claws are the only tricks she has at her disposal."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
A.N. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out folks I hit a bit of a dry spot in my creative flow, but now it's back!
Enjoy, Chapter 3 will be coming as soon as I make a final decision on how to proceed in the story.