Portal Combat Read Online Free PDF Page B

I always wanted."
    Erica rolled her eyes. "Hey buddy, can you help us get outta here?"
    The lizard nodded and began walking toward the cave entrance. As the two of them followed, Erica tried her cell phone again.
    "Damn."
    Natalie gave Erica a sideways glance. "Calling animal control?"
    Erica sighed. "I doubt our friend here is the only one in town."
    As they reached the pile of rocks that blocked the entrance, the lizard started moving the rubble to the side.
    Natalie scratched her head. "Why don't you ask him?"
    Erica smiled. "Good idea. Hey lizard-breath, what's the grand plan?"
    The creature began gurgling with a series of indiscernible grunts.
    Erica cleared her throat. "In English, if it's not too much trouble."
    The creature mimicked Erica's throat-clearing and began speaking with some difficulty. "The books. The sword. Gatekeeper."
    As astounded as Natalie had been to see a giant lizard in the first place, she was even more impressed it could speak English.
    "It can talk?"
    "Draconfolk usually know multiple languages." Erica seemed preoccupied. "What did you mean by gatekeeper?"
    The lizard continued to push the rocks out of the way as a sliver of light cut in from the outside world.
    "Gatekeeper. Dark soul."
    Erica joined in beside the lizard and started moving the stone away as well. "No, no, no, no, no."
    Natalie did her best to help beside Erica. "What is it?"
    "It's impossible."
    "What's impossible?"
    Erica ran her hands through her hair, causing small pebbles lodged in her curls to drop to the ground. "Gatekeepers control the flow of people between worlds. Their locations are secret and hidden. If one was turned into a dark soul, all the worlds could be in deep trouble."
    All the otherworldly things Natalie had seen so far – the lizard, Mr. Redican's mind control, Nigel's gang of thugs – had been frightening, even to her. She had no desire to see what else the other worlds had to offer.
    "What're we going to do?"
    Erica and the lizard cleared a large enough hole for the three of them to escape the cave. She took Natalie by the shoulder.
    "We kill her before she can do any damage. We need to get to the sheriff's right away."
    Natalie felt the brightness of the sun burn her eyes after they'd spent so much time in the cave. They crawled out and walked to Natalie's car. The lizard followed closely behind Erica like a lost duckling.
    Natalie gestured in the creature's direction. "What are we gonna do with him? No way he's gonna fit in my car."
    Erica paused her momentary panic for a wide grin. "I think I've got an idea." She looked at Natalie. "You ever learn to ride a horse?"
     

Chapter 7
     
    Dhiraj watched the top hinge of the door to the Sheriff's Department snap clean off and clank on the ground. He felt his heart skip a beat. Dhiraj looked over at the sheriff, who seemed to have forgotten about hating him for the time being.
    He gestured to the hinge. "That does not inspire confidence."
    The sheriff nodded. "Backup should be here any second."
    As if on cue, a set of sirens blared through the parking lot. The sheriff got on the radio to the cars outside while Dhiraj scampered over to a window to watch.
    "The creature at the door is extremely dangerous." The sheriff attempted to sound as assuring as he could. "You have a green light to fire. I repeat, a green light."
    Dhiraj could see a few vehicles block off the entrance to the lot. Several deputies and officers came out with their guns drawn. While Dhiraj couldn't watch the creature from his vantage point, the terrified looks on the officers' faces clued him in that the lizard had turned his attention toward them.
    "Fire!"
    The sheriff's command roused the officers who began taking shots at the lizard. Dhiraj covered his ears from the noise and backed away from the window. He could feel his pulse racing as fast as the officers fired. While the first couple of shots elicited groans from the creature, the next set seemed to ricochet off him, like he'd