Matt Archer: Monster Hunter (Matt Archer #1) by Kendra C. Highley Page B
Authors: Kendra C. Highley
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branch. “Hey, ugly!
Over here. Pick on a man, why don’t you?” He glanced back at me, face tense,
then darted his eyes to the right.
He wanted me to crawl right and get behind the beast. I
nodded and started moving.
Will lay flat on his back with his eyes screwed shut,
saying, “I don’t believe in Bigfoot. I’m asleep. I’m asleep. Okay, Will, wake
up now.”
Mike walked backward, shouting insults, most consisting of
some really cool swear words, and whacked the branch against a tree trunk. The
Bear couldn’t have understood the insults, but it shrieked at Mike anyway. The
sound, like school bus brakes forced to stop short on the highway, filled the
whole clearing. For the first time ever, my uncle looked scared.
“Come on, you hairy mess, bring it.” Mike’s voice shook as
he swung the branch at the monster’s head. “Let’s dance.”
It loped toward him, howling. Mike backed himself into a
group of trees that grew in a thick line. Caught, he took one last look my direction,
steel in his eyes, and gripped the branch like a baseball bat.
“Buying time.”
That’s all he said—but I understood. He’d let the monster
get him if that meant I could kill it and help Will escape.
“Not today,” I whispered.
Everything around me slowed down and came into sharp focus.
My heart rate slowed; I felt steady, ready. I made my way behind the monster,
then unsheathed the knife.
The thing lunged at Mike, growling in rage, and swiped at
his head. Mike ducked, but not fast enough. Its claws cuffed his ear. Mike went
down with blood streaming from the side of his head.
The sight pissed me off. Forgetting all my training, I flew
out of the brush with a bloodcurdling yell.
The monster whirled around.
Johnson’s voice growled instructions in my head. Just wait. Make it come to you.
Patience, Matt, patience. I bent my knees in the defensive
position Johnson had taught me. I needed to stay on my feet and move at the
last possible second.
The Bear ran my direction…maybe because it sensed easier
prey. I was the weaker one. Or so it thought.
Not today.
It flung its arms wide, like it planned to wrap me up in a
big hug and snap my spine.
Don’t
hesitate. Use its momentum. Kill it before it kills you. I
chanted Johnson’s orders, waiting for the monster’s rush. No matter what, I
wasn’t going out cowering like a kid. Tonight, I was a Green Beret.
I pulled my arms up to chest level, elbows turned out, my
right palm wrapped around the bone handle, and my left palm flat, pressed
against my right fist for added resistance.
It took a final bound, leapt at me with a shriek.
I braced my feet.
The monster realized, too late, that it had brought about
its own death. It couldn’t stop when I sidestepped underneath its arm. I
twisted my shoulders, rotating the knife upward for the only blow I knew I’d
have. Missing wasn’t an option.
And I didn’t.
Chapter Eleven
Will threw up a second time and wiped his mouth with the
back of his hand. His breath came in rasps. I’d pulled him up and dragged him
away after I took out the Bear. Now he sat against a massive juniper twenty
yards from the carcass. He closed his eyes, wheezing harder, pulling at his
hair while he rocked back and forth. Each time he did, his back banged against
the tree trunk. He was so messed up, I didn’t have time to think about what I’d
just done.
I knelt next to him, worried he’d hyperventilate. “Dude,
calm down. Everything’s gonna be okay now. It’s dead. I killed it.”
Will’s eyes flew open. He scrambled away from me and threw
up again. I rocked back into a squat. “Major, he looks pretty bad. We need to
get him out of here.”
Mike came over to squat with me, bringing the first-aid kit.
He pulled the first piece of gauze off his ear without saying anything. The
gash had cut a jagged tear through his earlobe. Had to hurt like heck, but Mike
slapped a fresh piece of gauze against it without
Over here. Pick on a man, why don’t you?” He glanced back at me, face tense,
then darted his eyes to the right.
He wanted me to crawl right and get behind the beast. I
nodded and started moving.
Will lay flat on his back with his eyes screwed shut,
saying, “I don’t believe in Bigfoot. I’m asleep. I’m asleep. Okay, Will, wake
up now.”
Mike walked backward, shouting insults, most consisting of
some really cool swear words, and whacked the branch against a tree trunk. The
Bear couldn’t have understood the insults, but it shrieked at Mike anyway. The
sound, like school bus brakes forced to stop short on the highway, filled the
whole clearing. For the first time ever, my uncle looked scared.
“Come on, you hairy mess, bring it.” Mike’s voice shook as
he swung the branch at the monster’s head. “Let’s dance.”
It loped toward him, howling. Mike backed himself into a
group of trees that grew in a thick line. Caught, he took one last look my direction,
steel in his eyes, and gripped the branch like a baseball bat.
“Buying time.”
That’s all he said—but I understood. He’d let the monster
get him if that meant I could kill it and help Will escape.
“Not today,” I whispered.
Everything around me slowed down and came into sharp focus.
My heart rate slowed; I felt steady, ready. I made my way behind the monster,
then unsheathed the knife.
The thing lunged at Mike, growling in rage, and swiped at
his head. Mike ducked, but not fast enough. Its claws cuffed his ear. Mike went
down with blood streaming from the side of his head.
The sight pissed me off. Forgetting all my training, I flew
out of the brush with a bloodcurdling yell.
The monster whirled around.
Johnson’s voice growled instructions in my head. Just wait. Make it come to you.
Patience, Matt, patience. I bent my knees in the defensive
position Johnson had taught me. I needed to stay on my feet and move at the
last possible second.
The Bear ran my direction…maybe because it sensed easier
prey. I was the weaker one. Or so it thought.
Not today.
It flung its arms wide, like it planned to wrap me up in a
big hug and snap my spine.
Don’t
hesitate. Use its momentum. Kill it before it kills you. I
chanted Johnson’s orders, waiting for the monster’s rush. No matter what, I
wasn’t going out cowering like a kid. Tonight, I was a Green Beret.
I pulled my arms up to chest level, elbows turned out, my
right palm wrapped around the bone handle, and my left palm flat, pressed
against my right fist for added resistance.
It took a final bound, leapt at me with a shriek.
I braced my feet.
The monster realized, too late, that it had brought about
its own death. It couldn’t stop when I sidestepped underneath its arm. I
twisted my shoulders, rotating the knife upward for the only blow I knew I’d
have. Missing wasn’t an option.
And I didn’t.
Chapter Eleven
Will threw up a second time and wiped his mouth with the
back of his hand. His breath came in rasps. I’d pulled him up and dragged him
away after I took out the Bear. Now he sat against a massive juniper twenty
yards from the carcass. He closed his eyes, wheezing harder, pulling at his
hair while he rocked back and forth. Each time he did, his back banged against
the tree trunk. He was so messed up, I didn’t have time to think about what I’d
just done.
I knelt next to him, worried he’d hyperventilate. “Dude,
calm down. Everything’s gonna be okay now. It’s dead. I killed it.”
Will’s eyes flew open. He scrambled away from me and threw
up again. I rocked back into a squat. “Major, he looks pretty bad. We need to
get him out of here.”
Mike came over to squat with me, bringing the first-aid kit.
He pulled the first piece of gauze off his ear without saying anything. The
gash had cut a jagged tear through his earlobe. Had to hurt like heck, but Mike
slapped a fresh piece of gauze against it without
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