No More Bullets
The sound of loud cannon fire echoed up from the harbor and jarred the sleeping giant awake. Stumbling up to his feet the giant looked around dumbly in search of the noise.
More cannon fire echoed from the harbor and with an enraged roar the giant took off for the sounds of war.
The giant now gone we broke cover and rushed for the slave cave. Before we even reached the cave's mouth the iron gates clanged backward as former slaves barreled out of it as a massed group heading for the trees in the distance.
I waited by the cave entrance to see the last of the slaves free of it. They ran with a will born out of fright and the basic human desire to live free. They left none behind to face the wrath of the giants.
Mandy had stayed back with me and she now confirmed, "They're all out."
"All right let's go!" I said grasping her arm and beginning to run after the others.
A loud roar of outrage punctured the scene of escape and I saw that the giant had returned perhaps thinking better about leaving his post. People screamed and ran harder at the sight of the giant who looked absolutely unhinged with rage.
His intent was to kill and maim, but he looked confused as to where to start in the fast-moving line of humanity. I let go of Mandy's arm and shoved her on after the others as I diverted off towards the giant.
He didn't see me as I was coming up on his blindside. I reached behind my back and pulled the flare gun from the dinghy out. I stopped running and taking aim upward I pulled the trigger.
The giant had just started to move forward when the flare burned into the back of his right shoulder. I'd never heard such a caterwauling screech as I did then.
I'd been aiming for his spine, but the giant had moved at the last moment. His right arm hung limp and I took comfort in the knowledge that at least he was maimed up some.
I popped a new flare cartridge in as the giant turned to me with glaring eyes of hatred.
"That's right big boy I'm over here." I said, as I pulled the trigger again.
The flare whizzed off, but the giant dodged out of the way and then lunged for me in the next moment. I sidestepped quickly away, as I fed my last cartridge into the flare gun, even as a giant arm swung through the space where I had just been.