The Relic Page #18

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PENDERGAST:

Shut them up!

JONATHAN:

Heel Argo! Hobbes! Heel!

The dogs drag Jonathan forward, paying no attention, foaming at the

mouth. Jonathan is now frightened.

JONATHAN:

They're going crazy! I need help!

Too late. As Jonathan tries to grab the collars, one of the dogs LEAPS

forward, and the leash slips through Jonathan's hands.

JONATHAN:

He's loose! Argo!

Argo BOLTS into the darkness. The men start after the dog, following

the frantic barking which echoes farther and farther in the distance.

Pendergast is in the lead. Suddenly he throws out his arms, halts.

PENDERGAST:

Stop!

JONATHAN:

Holy mother, what is that?

A goatish odor envelops them all.

DEPUTY ONE:

Smells God-awful. Like rotten meat.

JONATHAN:

Argo! Come!

PENDERGAST:

Quiet!

A SCUFFLING sound of claws dragging on brick is heard followed by a

ROAR. The men all freeze. The other dog leaps and twists with

excitement. In the confusion it also breaks free! It tears after the

first dog, disappearing into the darkness. Now Jonathan is wild-eyed.

JONATHAN:

No! Hobbes!

The deputies are terrified, retreat. The darkness is stifling,

claustrophobic. The flashlights are small help. Pendergast alone

remains dead calm. His voice is cool and commanding.

PENDERGAST:

Forget the dogs. You two, get back

here. Don't point that gun at me.

The deputies regain control and follow Pendergast's orders. They fall

into position, pump their shotguns and aim them down the hall. In the

echoing darkness ahead of them, the barking falters and stops.

There is a moment of silence, then a terrible, unearthly SHRIEK. The

deputies quail, frozen in their tracks. Jonathan leaps forward.

JONATHAN:

Argo! Hobbes!

PENDERGAST:

Get back! Now!

At that moment a SHAPE hurtles at them from the darkness! The men YELL

in terror. There are two stunning BLASTS from the shotguns, two

FLASHES of light accompanied by a deafening roar. The rumble echoes

and dies and there's an intense silence, followed by a sob.

JONATHAN:

You shot my dog!

Hobbes lies five feet from them, a black shadow of death. Jonathan

kneels by the dog, tears in his eyes. Down the animals side is a GASH.

JONATHAN:

My dog...

DEPUTY ONE:

(stammers)

He was coming right at me...

In the distance they can hear a terrified howl. It's the second dog,

hurt or frightened. It's a pitiful sound.

DEPUTY TWO:

Let's get out of here!

JONATHAN:

I'm not going anywhere! Not without

my dog!

Pendergast grabs at Jonathan who slips from his grasp. Jonathan inches

back down the hallway calling desperately.

JONATHAN:

Hobbes!

DEPUTY ONE:

Get back!

Jonathan shakes his head no.

JONATHAN:

There's something out there! Let's

go get it now! That's why we came

down here, isn't it?

PENDERGAST:

(to the deputies)

He's right. Follow me.

But the two deputies are terrified. They cling to the wall, inching

backwards, sheer horror in their eyes.

DEPUTY ONE:

No way. I say we get help. A lot

more guns.

PENDERGAST:

I'm ordering you! Cover me!

DEPUTY TWO:

We'll cover you from here!

Jonathan is disappearing in front of them. Pendergast has no choice.

Grim faced, he pulls his Colt .45 Anaconda from a shoulder harness.

It's a narrow and evil-looking gun. From a pocket comes a handful of

255 grain wadcutter and 147 grain FMJ flatnose ammunition. He loads

up, goes after Jonathan, who's no longer in sight. Pendergast passes

down a long, sloping hallway into cavernous blackness ahead. At the

bottom Pendergast stops. He has to stoop down as he goes through an

archway and into...

A VAST ARCHING ROOM...

A dark stream of water runs between concrete walls with tunnels going

off from all sides. It appears to be part of the sewer system. The dog

cowers in a corner. Jonathan moves to his side.

JONATHAN:

Look. It's Hobbes! He's all right.

PENDERGAST:

Come on. Let's get back to the

others. We can't leave them alone.

JONATHAN:

It's alright. I can tell by the way

the dog's acting that whatever was

out there is gone. What is this

place?

PENDERGAST:

Not on the map. Looks like it

connects with the city sewer.

Pendergast calls back down the tunnel for the deputies.

PENDERGAST:

We're coming back!

The words go unanswered. From the hall comes a loud REPORT. It's the

shotguns, blasting desperately. Something flies up all around them as

the sound echoes. BATS!

Pendergast and Jonathan shield themselves from the flurry of beating

wings. Finally the animals settle and Pendergast and Jonathan exchange

a look. The silence is filled by a soft RUMBLING SOUND. They stand

together, waiting. Pendergast points his gun at the hall leading back

to the deputies. A ridge of hair on the dog's back rises and it

growls.

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