Minutes to Burn

Shoving off Justin's body, Cameron sprinted up the road. She felt the creature bearing down, sensed the spikes only feet, then inches from her back, and she pumped her arms as hard as she could, sprinting for the watchtower and panting so hard the air almost choked her. She broke from the shadow of the trees, then the mantid screeched and Cameron ran toward the watchtower screaming and swinging her arms wildly, knowing the creature was upon her.

But she wasn't.

Cameron turned and saw the mantid watching her from the edge of the shade, her legs snapping reflexively. The dirt felt hot even through Cameron's boots.

Cameron sank to her knees, throwing her arms wide and looking up at the sun. As Rex had said, the mantid wouldn't expose herself directly to the baking sun during the day; it would dry out her cuticle. Though she owned the whole island at night, she was limited to the forest's cover during the brightest daytime hours, needing the protective cover of the canopy.

Justin's body lay in the road just behind the creature. Cameron had swung the butt of the knife so that it would strike him between the ear and the back of the head, a region where the skull plate was solid, so it wouldn't crack, and strong enough to absorb a blow that could knock a man unconscious. The mantid only attacked moving prey; she'd left Sav-age in the ditch earlier when he was unconscious.

The mantid turned and examined Justin's body, lying still in the shade provided by the balsas that lined the east side of the road.

"Don't you touch him!" Cameron screamed. "Don't you fucking touch him!"

The mantid leaned over Justin, scanning his body with her massive head, the spear stock sticking up like a black feather. She paused over his face, her mouth inches from his cheek. Justin's eyes remained closed, but Cameron noticed one of his fingers twitching. The mantid's legs snapped, as if she were debating picking him up for a closer look.

"Oh, Jesus," Cameron whispered. "Don't wake up. Oh, baby, please don't wake up." She shook her head, her lips moving quickly, as if in prayer.

Justin's hand rose an inch above the ground, then fell. The mantid was too intent on his face to notice.

Cameron stood up, waving her hands to get the creature's attention. The mantid raised her head to Cameron as Justin stirred on the ground beneath her. "Justin!" Cameron yelled. "Just stay perfectly still! Play dead and she'll leave you alone!"

She thought she saw the flash of Justin's eyes, and then he seemed to be agitated, fighting off panic. His body trembled, his head rocked side to side.

"Don't fucking move!" Cameron screamed.

The mantid's head snapped down, but Justin lay perfectly still. Cameron felt herself go limp with terror, and she collapsed on the ground. She'd never felt so helpless.

"Stay still, baby! God, please stay still!" Justin wasn't stirring; either he was still out cold or had registered what she was shouting to him. The wound on his shoulder glittered.

Cameron sat on the road, her legs curled beneath her, the sun blazing down, and watched the mantid at the edge of the shadows. The mantid met her stare. As the sun rose, shortening the shadows the balsa trees threw across the road, the mantid was forced to step back off Justin's body. Cameron began to sob with relief, continuing to call to her hus-band, reassuring him and telling him not to move.

Every few minutes, the mantid had to step back to remain in the shade. Her front legs remained just at the edge of the shadows, and she moved back only when forced to by the sun, her remaining eye never leaving its focus on Cameron.

Finally, when the heat grew too intense, the creature turned and scur-ried back to the edge of the forest proper.

Cameron ran forward to her husband. He stirred under her touch.

"The speargun," Justin said. "I lost the speargun." He was trembling and sweating. The wound on his shoulder was deep and bleeding freely.

"That's okay," Cameron said. She pressed her cheek to his, helping him sit up.

When the mantid saw Justin move, she stepped forward into the sun-light, air issuing from her spiracles, but quickly withdrew again from the heat.

Cameron looped Justin's good arm around her neck and half-carried, half-dragged him across the eastern field to base camp. To the north, the creature shadowed them, moving among the trees at the edge of the forest.

Justin was delirious, mumbling to himself. "Gotta go into the forest," he muttered. "Gotta find my wife."

"It's okay, baby. I'm here. I'm right here."

When they neared the tents, Cameron's legs gave out. Justin grunted in pain when he hit the ground, then he passed out.

The mantid watched them from among the waving trees, then turned and lumbered back out of sight. Cameron collapsed on top of Justin.

They had survived the night.

Chapter 69