Claws of Darkness

By Jhon Lain

A young man with girl problems is an unlikely savior of the known universe. However, after being abducted by alien slave traders from a camp ground he is the only survivor from the crash of their starship.

A galaxy wide epic adventure begins when he is rescued by an ancient battleship created by an extinct race of demonic shape changers, the Veeshee, and invited aboard the “Well of Death”. The ship is crewed by shape changing demons who once upon a time ruled the galaxies.

The demon warriors waited millenia in stasis for a bond master to arrive. Our young man is that bond master. Their existence in the far distant past left legends alive today on most worlds. The fear of demons still haunt the racial memories of most races.

An alliance is formed that gradually evolves as the ship and its crew of shape changers look for Earth amid the turmoil of the galaxy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jhon Lain
• Release date: Oct 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466139534

Jhon Lain

My wife and I have been married 41 years.We have 2 children and 2 granchildren.We were childhood sweethearts.We now live in Leesburg Florida. Special thanks to the late, great Andre Norton sci-fi grand master, who was our mentor and consultant on Claws Of Darkness, a novel that spanned 40 years in the making.

Book preview

Preface

There are some scientists who believe that aliens have been visiting the Earth for thousands of years. They also believe that the strange figures found on the walls of caves bear a remarkable similarity to beings in space suits, with helmets on. There are some archeologists who believe that the Sphinx and the Pyramids are many thousands of years older than what is currently accepted by mainstream history. There are some scientists and UFO researchers who believe ,that even now, our people are being abducted by aliens for purpose unknown.

Are alien abductions real or imaginary? Tens of thousands of people the world over claim they are abductees. Many claim they are awoken in their beds, then removed, and taken to their abductor’s ship and there they are analyzed, probed and catalogued to be later returned to their beds and to awaken the next day very unsure of what occurred the night before.

Statistically, hundreds of thousand of people around the world, go missing every year and are never found. What has happened to them? Have they been abducted by aliens and taken off world? Has the government truly covered up UFO crash sites and are they even now working with aliens? Are our governments trading humans for alien technology? How have we made the gigantic leaps in technology since World War II ,if we did not have help? Are we so arrogant that we truly believe the human species is intelligent enough that we could accomplish all that has been done without assistance? Our lives are full of unanswered questions; will they ever be fully answered?

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Chapter 1

Erik Williams grumpily kicked the rotted log from his path as he made his way along the old deer trail, his tall six foot three inch frame casting a long irregular shadow in front of him as his body blocked the rays of the sun. The free-floating nebulous form of his shadow, an area of darkness that continued to grow as the sun, in dissension, allowed Nightfall to approach on deathly still wings, flicked from tree to tree to ground and back to the trees, as he made his way down the path, Why me, why am I always the one who has to get the firewood every time we go camping? He mumbled angrily to himself.

Looking down he startled himself by screaming out loud, Ahg! he bellowed out with frantic passion. He did not realize for several seconds that he was the one doing the screaming.

His left leg was covered with white squirming grubs, he frantically swiped them off his jeans with his hands, mashing several to a pulp in his haste. Straightening, trying to regain his composure, he attempted to rearrange his clothes in a more orderly fashion. His checkered flannel shirt was half pulled out, the fronts of his jeans were slewed around to the side and one sandal was kicked partially off his foot.

Evidently the rotted log he had kicked so nonchalantly out of his way had been full of the grubs, just thinking of them made his skin crawl. He feverently hoped and prayed that Steph, back at camp, had not heard him out here making a fool of himself.

There is no reason the rest of you can't do this instead of me, He flung back at his family and girlfriend, knowing full well that they could not hear him. It was more for moral support, because of the bug incident rather than pettiness as he dejectedly moved on in his fruitless search. However, after circling the camp site area several times and finding nothing usable, he began considering cutting down one of the smaller trees, but apparently it was his lucky night, his roaming eyes had accidentally focused on a large pile of would-be-firewood , as an owl took flight, startled by his clumsy approach. A woodsman he was not. The pile of twisted tree limbs were visible through a clearing in the trees, down by the lake shore. It would take him some time to work his way to it because the brush and trees were so thick in this part of the woods, but it would certainly be better than spending hours cutting wood up. A chore that he had been stuck with on their last outing when no dry wood had been available, he had promised himself never again and yet here he was, at it again.

As he headed in what he hoped was the right direction he shivered uncontrollably, chuckling to himself as goose bumps appeared on his arms. Mom would say that was a premonition of something bad about to happen or maybe someone was walking on my grave. Crr-aaa-ck! He glanced around quickly with apprehension, no startled owl this time, he knew he had heard something larger and more menacing, no bird did that. Only something really large could cause a sound that loud. That had to have been a tree limb snapping in half in the underbrush off to his left. He peered intently into the gloomy area where he thought the sound had originated from but was unable to spot any movement,

Just the wind, I guess. he said quietly, knowing he was lying to himself. He shivered again and moved on.

He could still faintly hear his family, their voices carrying on the wind through the trees, busily complaining about everything as they set up camp back at the site that the impatient park rangers had directed them to in the overly crowded park. The condition created by the weekend camping frenzy of all the city workers trying to get away from the strife of city life, their jobs and the dull routine of day to day living. Trying to find peace and relaxation only to become stressed by their inability to find acceptable campsites. Life did go on, even here in this poorly maintained national park in eastern Montana.

The site the Williams’ had gotten stuck with was worse than usual, it was way out in the middle of nowhere. The site clearing was maybe thirty feet in diameter, barely large enough for their three tents and camp fire to be set up. To make matters worse, the previous tenants had not cleaned up or thrown away their garbage. There was food strewn over the entire area, which of course, meant there were a zillion bugs everywhere. Ants were already into their food. It took over an hour just to clean up that mess. The tents the family had were state of the art. They were entirely self-contained, with sealed floors, screened windows, built in air mattresses, with the sleeping area partitioned off from the living area, inflatable chairs and tables, all the comforts of home. They were even colored a bright day glow orange for high visibility, in case they were used during hunting seasons.

The trees that encompassed their site however were stupendous, two hundred feet tall if they were an inch. The boughs were a rich deep emerald. The best part of pine trees, the part he appreciated the most, was the sound that the wind made as it blew around, through and over them. But no, he was leaving out the fantastic smell of pine, how he loved that smell!

As he breathed in the aroma of pine, he could hear his Mom and Dad still arguing. He must have been at least a half mile from camp. As he made his way closer to the lake shore these sounds diminished and finally ceased. His progress was slow as he made his way along the overgrown path towards what he feverently hoped would be usable firewood.

To keep his mind busy and to try and rid himself of the nervous anxiety he felt trying to overpower him, he thought about his family. Take for instance, the fact they constantly were saying they liked to rough it when camping out but they still wanted the comfort of knowing there were other families with in ear shot. His family, while he loved them all, including Dwayne, gave him fits.

Where should he start in describing the Williams' clan? Dad, Tom Williams tall, in his late fifties, considerably over weight, but good hearted. Then there was Mom, Delayne Williams, still very attractive and vibrant, and full of life. And finally, his sister Erica, unhappily approaching thirty but still playful. Then there was her overbearing husband Dwayne, who constantly made his life miserable, and of course himself, now just turned twenty three and rather handsome if he did say so himself, black hair pulled back in a ponytail to meet the current fashions, smooth skinned but darkly tanned from all of his outdoor sports, and, who was along only because they had allowed his off again on again, girlfriend, Stephanie to accompany the family on its’ first outing in the first year of the new Millennium, it was May 30th, 2000, Memorial day weekend.

The standard family bickering had been well underway before they even arrived at the park, but it was understood that it was all in good natured fun, at least usually.

He stumbled again for the umpteenth time trying diligently to make his way through the increasing gloominess of the approaching darkness that continued to thicken as he wedged, jumped and crawled his way towards his would be destination, he thought back over their arrival at camp and what had led up to his being out here alone. To tell the truth he was feeling kind of spooked and he was trying to keep his mind off of focusing on his feeling defenseless out here by himself. He could no longer see or hear his family and he really felt cutoff. His thoughts drifted back, replaying events in his mind like a prerecorded Ipod.

Erik, how about getting some more wood for the fire? His Dad had asked. It's dying down pretty fast."

Why me? he retorted, while uselessly fiddling with his tent to make it appear he was doing something useful.

I'm always the one who has to do everything he mumbled to no one in particular, but certainly not directing his short lived anger at his Dad who had an explosive temper when he didn't do what he asked.

Speaking up and directing a question to his girlfriend, he asked Steph, want to come with me, and help find some firewood? With the possibility of romance in the air the thought of wood gathering did not seem so bad, the two of them could do some fooling around while looking for firewood, his hopes and enthusiasm crumbled quickly the minute she responded.

No, not on your life his curvaceous blonde girlfriend replied with heart felt fever, it's getting too dark for my tastes and I might step on something. she said, shivering for emphasis, as she knelt on one knee and examined her neatly tied sneaker. I don’t want to get these dirty.

This place gives me the creeps. I haven't the faintest notion why I even agreed to come on this trip. My idea of roughing it is staying at a Suite Hotel. I'll just wait right here for you to come back. Plus I might break a nail and I just had them done. she replied as she held up her small dainty hand for everyone’s inspection.

All right, be back I will, in a few minutes. he quipped, as he lowered his head and began walking in that slow gait that everyone was so familiar with. He turned his back on the group that was beginning to settle around the diminishing campfire, and slowly disappeared from their line of sight into the trees.

He did not even remember to pick up a flashlight before stumbling off into the brush. After several minutes of walking, kicking at tree roots, picking up damp logs and dropping them back to the ground, he realized he would not be able to find any wood within ear shot of the camp that would burn well. He began to move slowly deeper into the forest that enveloped their cozy, isolated camp site.

His attention was immediately focused towards an area of very thick brush, where he noticed the high green weeds moving frantically. Suddenly a small startled owl took flight into the dusk. There we are. he said, again muttering regretfully to himself as he stopped and wiped at the drops of perspiration that had begun to form on the back of his neck, along his hairline.

He had spotted a limbless tree that must have been hit by lightning, through a clearing in the forest just a few hundred feet away, however the trees and brush were very thick so no telling how far he would have to go to get to it, but that would be much easier than cutting up wood for the fire. It looked like the limbs had burst into hundreds of small pieces as they had broken off and crashed onto to the rocky ground.

After another fifteen minutes of stumbling around in the near dark Erik finally reached his destination and stepped out of the tree line into the clearing by the lake and right at the foot of the stricken tree. Looking around he couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the setting he beheld. The full moon rising up off the lake against a painter’s palette of dark blues, vermilion and grays, shadowed by a few stray clouds faintly highlighted by the sinking rays of the now absent sun. The mountains very still clearly visible in the distance over the tops of the swaying pine trees. The waters of the lake gently lapped the shore with barely a whisper. Wow. He said to the air, what a turn on, If Steph had only come with me.

As he readied himself to reach for the nearest piece of firewood, he took one last look back over his shoulder at the fantastically beautiful scenic sight, a beam of eye blinding light caught him dead center.

He stopped, frozen in eternity, as the flash of light seized him like a deer, framed in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, not knowing what to do or where to run.

Hey! His voice wavered, as the word came unbidden to his lips, still not realizing what was occurring.

Shielding his eyes, he squinted upward between his fingers at what must have been the source of the brilliant burst. It was moving slowly, from out over the lake, a murky shape, its outline barely discernible, it had to be a helicopter or something, didn’t it?

Without thinking where he was at or where his parents were he bleated out hoarsely. Mom, Dad, come here quick, you have got to see this!

Still shielding his eyes from the glare he continued to gaze upwards towards what he could now identify as some type of ship or craft.

No plane would be flying that low or that slow without stalling and crashing. The realization of what the craft truly was hit him like