Tooth & Claw Part 5

Griffin, Nick, and two locals shoved aside the pool table and opened the door. Prosper stood there, muddy water flowing around his ankles, trying to prop up the body of Ned Lansing, without the use of his burnt hands. Blood stained both of them.
Griffin, Nick, and the locals grabbed onto the two men and dragged them bodily into the saloon.
"Get that pool table back in place," ordered Griffin. "Clear that table."
"This poor bastard's done for," said Nick, checking Ned Lansing's pulse.
"Poor Ned," said Uncle Lee. "Who shot him?"
"He called himself Smiler," croaked Dr. Prosper and Griffin almost dropped him on the cleared table.
"What?"
"I knew it!" snapped Nick. "I just knew it."
"Smiler O'Rourke is dead," said Griffin.
"Come on," said Nick, "do you honestly think you're the only one who can jump off a burning boat?"
"This is crazy," said Griffin.
"So are giant lizards running wild all over town," replied Nick, "'tis the season for a hell of a lot of crazy."
"He was all scarred up," moaned Prosper. "Looked like he was smiling..."
"Damn," said Griffin.
"I knew that little bastard was still alive," said Nick. "The moment I heard that I was being blamed for what happened in Tulsa."
"Are you saying that you didn't kill those people in Tulsa?"
"I wouldn't be caught dead in Tulsa," said Nick, "because it's full of Smiler's people. He's got cousins up the ass out there."
"Why would he risk his freedom to frame you?" asked Griffin.
"Because I'm the reason he's called Smiler," said Nick. "He doesn't like that story to get around, because I was just a kid back then, but he's been out to put my onions in the fire ever since. I'm sure luring you here was a bonus to his plan."
Something slammed into the door.
"It's that chicken lizard thing," said Uncle Lee, snapping the breech of his double barrelled shotgun.
Something rammed the window, cracking glass and causing the boards to splinter.
"And he's brought family," said Willy.
"Save your ammo," ordered Griffin, "we don't know how many are out there. Make every shot count."
Boards parted and a creature's snout forced its way in. The creature opened its mouth to hiss, and Uncle Lee shoved the barrels of his shotgun into it.
"Count this!"
BOOM!
Blood and scales splattered against the boarded up window, and all over Uncle Lee's shirt. The pool table inched forward and the door opened a crack.
"I got this one," said Willy, aiming his Tommy gun at the door. A scaly arm reached in and Willy peppered it with bullets. Blood spattered, something screeched and the arm disappeared.
The light bulbs suddenly grew brighter.
"That ain't right," said a local.
"Where do you get your power?" asked Griffin.
"My lab," moaned Prosper. "My nuclear pile generated more energy than I needed, so I hooked up the town. The reactor's unstable, and Smiler said he was going there... I don't know what he'll do with it."
The light bulbs burst in a flurry of sparks and glass.
"Damn," said Beaumont. "Everything's coming apart."
"You have to go to Preacher Hill," croaked Prosper, "you have to find the red lever to turn it off."
"Turn what off?" asked Griffin.
"All this," moaned Prosper. "I tried to go back home, but the technology in this time was too primitive, I opened the wrong portal, and it has to be closed or..."
"Or what?" asked Beaumont.
"...it will overtake the entire planet," said Prosper, then he closed his eyes, and let out one last breath.
"He's dead," said Beaumont.
"I'm going upstairs," said Nick, "and I'll see if we can't clear some more of these things off the road."
"Are you thinking of going up there?" asked Griffin.
"Aren't you?" asked Nick. "We can't just leave her and that with that lunatic."
"Whoa," said Uncle Lee as he peeked out the window. "There are about six of them out their and they're eating their dead and wounded."
"Now's our chance," said Nick.
"Take my truck," said Uncle Lee tossing the keys to Griffin. "It should be able to take you there."
"I know a shortcut to Preacher Hill," added Willy.
"And Griffin's not going anywhere without me," said Beaumont.
"Then it's settled," said Griffin, "we clear the road, then it's straight into the dragon's mouth."

#

"Come on out," said Smiler as Betty felt Duffy's large rough hands grab her arms and drag her out of the truck.
What she saw stunned her. It was the old mission, but the bare rocks and desiccated scrub that usually surrounded it were gone. In their place was a riot of colour as various exotic swamp flowers, ferns, and even full grown trees ringed the building. Muddy swamp water flowed around the building, past Dr. Prosper's apparatus, and down the hill towards the town.
"You don't see this everyday," said Smiler. "Let's see how this thing works. Watch your step. The fun is about to begin."