The Phantom Doorway
by
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Ubel stalked to the center of the cage and whirled to face Clay. His long scraggly hair glistened in the glare of the spotlight, his scarred, red face a mask of sadistic anticipation. He grinned as he swayed slightly from side to side, confidently tossing his knife from hand to hand.
“Tonight,” he sneered at Clay, “in this cage, you will die.” The crowd roared, their bloodlust rising to a frenzy.
“Kill him, Ubel,” came a shout from a man in the crowd as he pushed his face closer to the bars, his eyes bulging with sadistic glee.
“Slice him open,” another encouraged.
Ubel grinned and slowly moved to the side. Then, to the roar of the crowd, he lunged forward in a false charge. With a moronic laugh, he dropped back, again tossing his knife from hand to hand.
“I’ve been in hundreds of knife fights,” he bragged. “After I kill you, in a few days, I won’t even remember what you looked like.”
Clay stood his ground. “If that’s supposed to scare me,” he said, “it won’t work.” Turning to the crowd, Clay smiled. “This ugly bastard can’t be nearly as good as he thinks he is,” he chuckled. “Otherwise he wouldn’t be carrying all those scars on his ugly puss.” A slight titter rustled through the crowd.
Enraged, Ubel lunged forward, slicing a wide arc with his blade. Clay jumped back; barely avoiding the sharp knife as it swished close to his chest. Slowly Clay retreated a few steps as Ubel lumbered forward, his eyes burning with hatred. Clay was smaller than Ubel but more agile. Still Ubel had Clay at a disadvantage. He was a merciless killer of men, while Clay had never taken a human life.
Again Ubel sliced at Clay, then stepped back. “You can’t keep away from me forever,” he sneered. “There’s no place to run. Sooner of later I’m going to gut you.”
“Do you plan to do it with your knife or your mouth?” Clay taunted. He knew he had to keep Ubel attacking, wearing himself down, while he evaded his murderous assaults.
Angered, Ubel lunged forward, his knife flashing in the spotlight. Clay jumped back, avoiding the deadly arc, and lashed out with a hard right. The blow caught Ubel on the chin. He staggered back, shook his head, and glared at Clay.
“That was a mistake,” he said. “You should have used your knife. I intend to kill you, and the only way you’ll leave this cage alive is to kill me first.”
“In my own time,” Clay replied, a smile on his lips. “I never rush my pleasure.”
Ubel glowered and rushed in, slicing a wide arc, then stepped back. He had learned from his experience. He wasn’t giving Clay an opportunity to counterattack again while he was off balance.
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About the Book
While on a fishing trip to upstate New York Clay Devon is sucked beneath the water by some mysterious force. Fighting his way to the surface he finds his camp, boat, and everything familiar are gone. Even the placid, blue lake has been transformed into a murky, stagnant swamp.
Making his way along the shore he encounters a gang of hijackers, their carts laden with a crystal vital to all life in this world. Talya, an investigator working for the mine that is the single source of the crystal, rescues him. Realizing he can never return to his own, familiar surrounding, he joins Talya in a plan to recover the stolen crystals.
Their search begins in Farside, a den of thieves on the edge of a huge desert. From there the trail leads to Darkveil, where the evil Queen Adria, who has usurped the power of the rightful rulers, banishes Clay and Talya to a labyrinth beneath the city.
After encountering numerous perils they meet Prince Brian, last surviving member of the rightful rulers of Darkveil. Together, the three, along with the help of the Hawkmen, who inhabit the lofty crags surrounding Darkveil, battle the forces of Queen Adria to take back control of the city and smash the hijacking ring.
About the Author
W.F. Edwards is a prolific freelance writer who feels equally at home in various genres. His works include Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, and Rough-and-tumble Action Adventure, all marked by vivid imagery, fast paced story advancement, and hard-hitting action.
As a twenty-year veteran of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, he has traveled extensively in the
Since his retirement to
Several years ago he gave up his column to devote full time to writing adventure novels. He is very active in the local theater group, serving as actor, director, set builder, usher, and all-around gofer. Acting comes natural to him as in his Air Force career he was required to assume many different characters. He volunteers a good amount of time to civic projects as well as tutoring and encouraging young aspiring writers at the local high school and funds an annual scholarship in creative writing.