The Fourth Man

The Fight By The Tree

The Fight By The Tree

"What was that?" Siggy asked, expecting a nonchalant reply from the Fourth Man, but his concerned expression worried him.

"I'm not sure," he admitted "we'll have to go above ground and check it out."

"We should be careful though," Nerpato warned him "If it's those men again they tricked our friend Quaker into an explosion."

"I'll bear that in mind, but I think I can sort these fellows out, a little gentle persuasion," he tapped the side of his nose with a wink to the boys.

"Should we be armed?" Asked Siggy "Incase they are too."

"Yes, I should think so," the Fourth Man answered

"What do you have? Some special mind powers?"

The Fourth Man smiled and led them out of the room and infront of a short, squat, metal cabinet. Inside there was an unbelievable stash of weapons; pistols, sub-machine guns, rifles, grenades, knives, rocket-propelled-grenade launchers sat idly on the concrete wall.

"Where did you get all this?" asked Siggy

"Well I would still need man's help if the Dark Things attacked, I couldn't take them all straight away, they need to be occupied so I can get to work on them."

Sure enough there were plenty of firearms; enough to set up a small army.

"I should probably say you kids can't wield guns," he said "but when it's life or death there is no other option."

Almost in awe they heavily equipped themselves; bullet-proof vests, a pistol in a waist holster, a sub-machine gun strung over their necks. The guns felt heavy, and very real, and a major sense of apprehension set in among the boys.

The Fourth Man led them to a ladder, which climbed high up a shaft, where the dim glow of dusk seeped in.

"I'll go first," he said, clambering onto the ladder, and moving with surprising speed for his age. The boys followed when they were told to, and broke out into a forest clearing, where nightfall had began to set in, and soon darkness would be total

"The explosion was from over here," the Fourth Man directed, so he led them forward. The opening they found themselves in was a perfect circle, with just a single pine tree in the centre, next to the ladder which ran down to the Fourth Man's hideout.

No sooner had they began to move men - armed with rifles - stepped out into the clearing. There must have been around ten of them, but in the light it was hard to see.

"Gentlemen," said the Fourth Man calmly "It would be a pleasure to escort you off my land, as you are trespassing."

"Shut up," the leader raised his rifle "it's impossible to escape this island, and there's nothing to eat, fresh human looks like it's in the menu."

"Be reasonable," the Fourth Man chuckled "It's easy to escape if you know how, and there are plenty game in the woods, enough not to resort to cannibalism."

"Stop speaking to me in that tone," the crazed leader spat "I'm in the position to be making all the demands."

"I wouldn't be so sure," and with a click of his fingers the entire clearing lit up; bright floodlights onto of all the pines looking onto the clearing flared into life.

"You see, we ourselves are armed," he continued. The leader seemed taken aback a little by the lights, but persevered with maintaining he had the upper hand.

"An old man and four kids?" he asked

"The Fourth Man and four marksmen," he replied back.

"The Fourth Man?" he stammered, barley getting his words out. Then a strange bout of anger overcame him, and he angrily fired his machine gun, bullets ripping through the Fourth Man's fragile torso. He slumped limply to the ground.

Almost instinctively Nerpato withdrew his pistol and shot the leader, once, straight between the eyes. As he collapsed to the floor the other men advanced. They seemed confused at first, but then realised the boys had killed their leader, so they each raised their rifles at them. Standing in a line there proved to be a lot more than ten of them. In an action of surrender the boys dropped their weapons to the ground.

Now they stood, at the end of several rifles, defenceless, and the Fourth Man lying motionless by their feet.