A resounding scrape of steel sounded around him as the others snatched out their blades.
"What's the plan, sir?" asked Blinks.
"We're not leaving without the girls," Westman replied, holding his ground. No amount of talismans were going to stop a collision with a walking collection of bottles, but they couldn't turn back now. "Wait here. Blinks, with me on my signal. Now!"
They raced into the dungeon just before the supernatural monstrosity brought its fist to the ground. Bottles exploded behind them on impact, sending a shower of wine and glass shards in every direction. Master and servant narrowly escaped the monster when it lifted its shattered paw and swiped the air. Wine dripped from the sharp and jagged limb as it lumbered after them.
Jack's barks rang around the prison walls while the monster charged, swinging its bottle-heavy arms. A ruby-coloured trail splattered their clothes as they darted back and forth to evade its punches. The young women imprisoned around the oubliette cried out in terror at the sight.
"Draw it away. I'll help the girls," shouted Westman. He dove behind a stack of oak barrels as the monster slammed its other hand into the wall. Glass rained down, tiny fragments landing in his hair and coat, then he stared up at a metal cage dangling from the ceiling. The monster was standing directly beneath it.
Perfect.
He pulled the pistol from his belt, gaze travelling the length of rope that kept the cage suspended, and he took aim. The old flintlock pistol had only one shot, and he couldn't afford to miss. With the gun trained on the rope, Westman carefully squeezed the trigger, and the shot rang out in a burst of gunpowder smoke. The bullet struck the target, singeing the rope, but it was only grazed. The cage swung a little, stubbornly refusing to fall.
Westman muttered in frustration and tossed the spent gun away. Millicent, Sophie and George unexpectedly landed in a tumble beside him. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"We'll distract it," Millicent replied. "At this rate, that thing will smash itself to pieces."
"I'm counting on it." Westman, peered over the keg. "These barrels won't offer any cover. Go. Quickly."
They abandoned their position and Millicent dropped to the floor to avoid the arm that suddenly veered past her head. Blinks ran behind the monster's back and attacked with his sword, steel striking glass with a smash, but he hardly made a dent in the brute. It swung around in their direction and Sophie swiftly helped Millicent to her feet.
"Keep it distracted," Westman said, doubling back to the barrels. The pile of kegs rolled, knocked over by the hulking fiend.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" George asked, sticking by his side. The boy's grin stretched in an impertinent way that reminded Westman every bit of Jim.
It was a fleeting vision and Westman smirked back. "Would you care for a game of skittles?"
They clutched an empty barrel each and positioned the heavy containers in line with their target. With a hard kick, the kegs went rumbling across the dungeon, gaining speed until they smashed through the legs of the monster. Blinks leaped out of the barrel's path as glass flew and wine washed across the floor. The thing collapsed, several feet shorter than before, but not defeated. It leaned on its broken wrists and made a clumsy charge, hobbling on its stumpy limbs.
"That should slow it down," Westman said and turned to George. "With me. Come on."
Together they picked their way through shards of glass towards the captive girls.
YOU ARE READING
London Shadows (#1 Penderry's Bizarre)
Fantasy--Watty winner-- In Victorian London, monster hunting isn't just a job, it's a way of life. Freddie Westman, a reporter for a paranormal magazine, is one of the best in the business, but now it's personal. His childhood friend, Jim Penderry, has dis...
