by Greg Ballan
"Five-meter defensive circle," Robinson barked.
Each man responded, forming a rough five-meter circle around Billy, their backs to him, weapons facing out, covering a full 360 degrees.
"Billy, what the fuck happened?" Robinson demanded.
Billy sat, staring down at the lifeless body of his friend, as the blood continued to pour from the tears in the body.
"Damn it, soldier, I asked you a question," the captain hollered, using his deepest military tone.
Billy gazed up at his CO through tear filled eyes. "Something came out of the darkness, and ate his gun and ate his arms. Snap! Just like that, and his arms were gone. He fired at it. He must've hit it. I let loose a hundred rounds into the darkness before it disappeared. It has to be dead, it has to be," Billy whispered staring back down at the body of his friend.
"Sir?" a soldier cried out in a sickened voice. "I think we've found his arms, sir."
Robinson closed his eyes for a moment, and then turned toward the soldier. The soldier was pointing some twenty meters out. He handed Robinson the binoculars, and Robinson panned the general area. Sure enough, he spotted both arms within a scant few feet of each other. Robinson felt the bile build up in his stomach, and quickly put the field glasses down. He pulled out a plastic trash bag from his pack and walked out of the defensive circle toward the limbs. He knelt over them and gently scooped the severed arms into the bag. Robinson looked out, peering into the woods.
"What in God's name could do this to a man?"
Robinson tucked the bag under his arm and lifted the muzzle of his M-16 as he stood. He carefully backed up toward his circle of waiting men, shifting the muzzle of his weapon from side to side, covering his retreat. Once back in the circle, Robinson placed the severed arms next to Kaulfax's body. Billy carefully placed the body and limbs in a thin body bag that was to be used for one of the creatures. He covered the bag with leaves and brush, and emptied a vial of sterile alcohol around the makeshift tomb to ward off any nosey animals until they could come back and move the body.
"I'll be back for you, bro, as soon as I put another hundred rounds into whatever killed you," Billy said to his departed friend. He cycled the M-60's firing chamber and re-activated the unit's battery pack. "Time to go hunting," he growled, heading back toward the other men.
Robinson had been conferring with the Halls Command-and-Control Van, and informed them of the loss of Kaulfax.
* * *
Erik was saddened to hear of the loss of the man, but relieved it wasn't Steve. Nelson and Erik pleaded with Robinson to withdraw, but the soldier insisted on continuing. Erik emphasized what anomalies to be aware of that would announce the creatures' presence.
"Be careful, Robinson, you don't know what you're dealing with," Erik urged.
"Pity you're not out here with us, expert!" Robinson chided Erik. "Maybe we could have saved the life of one of our men if you were here to sense these things!"
Erik's shoulders slumped, and Nelson saw the injured look in his eyes. Erik slowly keyed the mike. "I'm sorry, just be careful," he whispered
"We will," Robinson replied. "Robinson out."
Nelson stared at Erik, wanting to say something, anything to ease him through this difficult moment. "It's not your fault, Erik. Robinson's just letting off steam, he just lost a man. He didn't mean what he said, he spoke out of anger."
"Maybe so," Erik answered. "But he is right though, if I was out there, I could probably sense these things, maybe that man would still be alive."
"And maybe you'd be dead along with him," Nelson argued. "We don't have time for self-pity now. You're not at fault, believe it and move on. We need to monitor the situation even more closely. If you have any inkling of where these things could possibly be up there, you need to let these men know. Think, man!" Nelson urged.
Something struck Erik, something he saw all along, but just put into the front of his mind.
"Steve, come in. Over." Erik called.
"Yeah, Erik, go ahead."
"Steve, if you were a wild feline predator, where would you most likely be in order to ambush your prey, where would you hide, hoping not to be seen?" Erik asked.
There was a long silence as Steve considered the question.
"Look around you," Erik urged. "What's the best position to be in for an ambush?"
"Son of a bitch!" Steve swore, as he finally understood. "Thanks for the tip."
"No charge, amigo, just watch your butt!"
"Will do, out."
Erik looked over at Nelson. The older detective looked puzzled. Erik grinned. "The trees. Our feline creature is using the trees to hunt, just like any wild cat. It came down from the trees at the parkland, they came and went with Lisa Reynolds by utilizing the large oak trees," he guessed. "They have a screening capability, but the only way to carry somebody that distance without being seen, or seeing a disturbance, would have to be the trees. There's a complete network of 100 plus-foot trees between here and the Hopedale Park. Those trees could easily support a creature of that mass and magnitude. They took Lisa Reynolds from the park, carried her up the nearest tree, and carried her from the park utilizing those fucking massive oak trees. That's probably how her buttons fell off her shirt, the fabric got caught on a limb or branch and ripped off, and why nobody saw the darkness or the creatures or the girl after she was taken.
"We never look up. We don't expect anything to come at us from the trees. The cat is hunting us the same way we would hunt a deer; ambush from above, where your prey doesn't expect a threat to come from. There are hundreds, thousands, of those massive old oaks, a literal superhighway all throughout the town and in that mountain. They could travel virtually anywhere in town above the public fray," Erik guessed, not fully understanding the nature of the creatures or how they moved.
* * *
Billy took the lead, sweeping the barrel of his M-60 in a wide arc. Each man carefully looked above into the treetops, fearful of some black creature ambushing them from above.
After twenty minutes of travel, Billy paused. He knelt down and picked up a shiny object.
"Brass casing from a 45, they're all over the place. The ground's been kicked up in quite a few places," he radioed to Robinson who was still several meters back with the main body of men.
"That's where the initial contact was made with the creatures," Steve remarked, "He'll find some .44 casings as well. The .45s are from Knight's Wilson pistols," he added, recalling the events that took place the last time he'd been here.
The group approached the area and carefully studied the forest floor, looking for more indications of the earlier conflict.
"We have more of that sulfur-based fluid on the leaves," a soldier reported. "And this…." He held up the handle and one inch of broken blade from a large hunting knife.
"Just like they reported," Robinson whispered as he examined the broken blade.
He casually tossed the blade and handle back onto the ground and carefully continued his examination of the area, studying the upturned earth. He easily read the signs of conflict and studied the different foot patterns in the upturned earth. Robinson knelt down before a set of prints he quickly ascertained weren't human. He studied the prints intently, trying to estimate size and weight from the deep impressions in the soil.
"This thing's gotta weigh at least three hundred pounds, maybe four," he said aloud as he concluded his analysis. "What the hell are we dealing with?" Robinson scanned the area intently, looking for any unusual signs of movement. "Okay, soldiers, let's keep moving due west. These things are out here. Let's find them."
"And hope they don't find us," a police officer mumbled as the group proceeded up the sloping terrain.
* * *
The party ascended another quarter mile up the mountain. Steve didn't really know when he noticed the silence, but he felt a deep shiver run down his back.
"They're near," he called out.
Everybody stopped and began peering into the depths o
f the woods. It was only then that Robinson noticed the absolute silence.
"Aw shit," Robinson cursed as he panned the treescape surrounding them.
Billy hefted the massive M-60 rifle and adjusted his grip in the firing mechanism. "Come on out, you bastards!" he screamed. "Come on out and face me like a man!"
"Billy," Steve whispered harshly, "shut up!" Steve radioed Command and Control, and locked the transmitter key down on his radio. The folks at C&C would be able to hear everything that would occur.
"Over there!" a soldier whispered excitedly. "I saw something moving, over there!" He pointed.
"Where? I don't see anything." Steve raised his forty-four magnum and assumed a combat stance.
"What the hell happened to the sunlight?" Robinson asked as it grew as dark as night in the forest surrounding them. "Switch to Starlight and activate IR scopes!" Robinson barked as the darkness around them intensified. "Find me a target, soldiers."
"I thought they were in the trees!" Billy said. "This blackness came out of nowhere, right in front of us!"
"Sir, I've got a silhouette, big and moving right at us," a soldier announced
"Oh, God, help us all," Steve whispered.
All Hell broke loose.
A large black figure appeared from the darkness and impaled the nearest soldier. The man fell, vomiting and coughing up bile and blood. Billy spun around, screaming as he fired his rifle. The flame from the muzzle lit up the darkness, and illuminated the dark figure briefly. Then it was gone. The forest was deathly quiet and dark as the deepest, starless night.
"Hudson!" Robinson screamed. "Activate the spotlight. Find me a target, damn it."
The young soldier fumbled with his pack, reaching for the desired item. He didn't see the long whip-like tail that dropped from the trees and coiled around his neck like a noose until it had begun strangling him. Hudson gasped and wheezed, choking as he was lifted into the treetops by the silent abductor.
"Hudson!" Billy screamed as he fired into the trees. The remaining men heard a roar that was louder than any African lion, and caused the ground around them to vibrate. Hudson's body fell limply from the trees landing with a sickening thump on the forest floor. A Hopedale police officer panicked and began running. In his mindless terror, he ran further up the mountain, instead of down. He didn't see the creature until it reached out and grabbed him, lifting him clear off the ground holding him aloft with one hand. The officer screamed, a shriek of pure unmitigated terror, as the creature's icy grip slowly squeezed his life away.
Steve heard his fellow officer scream in terror, but there was nothing he could do. He was totally blinded by the darkness. He heard gunfire all around him, and Robinson barking orders to his remaining men. Steve felt a cool shiver race down his spine. He slowly glanced up into the tree nearest him. Two large green cat-like eyes returned his gaze.
Steve raised his revolver and squeezed off three rounds before a large leg, the thickness of a heavy tree limb, swatted him, lifting him nearly fifteen feet into the air. Steve was carried backward, slamming his back into a large tree. Steve heard his back break, shattering like glass from the forceful impact. He tried to move, but couldn't, losing all sensation below his neck. He looked up and saw the large cat-like creature approaching him. He tried to scream for help, but his voice was drowned by the sound of gunfire.
He watched, paralyzed and helpless, as the creature vindictively tore the arms and legs from his body. Mercifully, his broken back prevented him from feeling the pain, but it also prevented him from losing consciousness from the pain and shock. Steve Forrest was forced to watch himself being torn apart, only to eventually die from severe blood loss. Steve watched, as the remaining men continued to fight. Steve saw the last of his brother officers fall. He placed a picture of his wife and children into his mind.
"Erik, I don't know if you can hear me. We're being butchered. We've lost three men already. It's not just the trees, it's something else, too, they came right out of nowhere," he shouted, hoping that his radio was still active. "I'm dying, Erik. I'm not going to make it back. Please, tell my wife how much I love her, tell her how sorry I am. I only wish…" Steve felt his grip on consciousness fade. "I only wish…" He tried to continue speaking, but found he could no longer talk. He took comfort in the images of his wife and children, surrendering himself to the oncoming blackness.
* * *
Billy continued to lay down a pulse of bullets. He knew he'd hit his quarry several times. He could see glowing blue and purple fluids spilled on the dark forest floor and in the trees above. The remaining men had gathered, huddling back-to-back, their weapons held at the ready, and senses alert, listening for the slightest disturbance. The soft hum of IR scopes and Starlight lenses was the only sound that could be heard in the darkness.
Robinson gave the order for them to fall back, and as a group, they prepared to descend the mountainside in the darkness.
"Does anyone have their light?" Robinson whispered.
Billy carefully reached into his pack and activated his 50,000-candlepower Mag-lite. The usually powerful beam seemed wan and weak in comparison to the surrounding darkness. Billy moved the beam in several directions, looking for their adversaries. He saw nothing.
Gradually, the forest grew brighter. Sunlight filtered through the tree limbs illuminating the forest floor. The remaining three men paused when they were once again bathed in radiance. The sunlight also illuminated the destruction and carnage of their fellow soldiers and police officers. Robinson walked over to the broken corpse of Steven Forrest. Although a battle-hardened veteran, Robinson threw up violently as he saw what remained of the large Hopedale cop.
In the distance, Robinson heard the songs of birds and other wildlife. Now, a scant three minutes later, the forest seemed as harmless as a fairy tale.
"What the fuck just happened?" he asked to no one in particular.
"We just had our asses handed to us," Billy answered bitterly as he surveyed the broken bodies around them. "What the hell are those things?"
"What do we do now?" the other soldier asked.
"We gather our dead, and get the hell out of here. Billy, how many bags you got?"
"Not nearly enough," he whispered. "Not nearly enough."
"Then we improvise," Robinson replied bitterly
* * *
Robinson radioed a report to C&C, and began the gruesome task of gathering body parts of his men and the police officers into separate plastic bags. It was not a job he relished, but no one was going to be left here, no matter what was out there. He steeled himself for the messy task ahead.
The three remaining men constructed a makeshift sled out of small trees and their shirts. There were too many casualties for the three men to carry down without the construct. Billy took the lead with two M-60 rifles plugged into his battery pack, while Robinson and the other soldier, Reese, pulled the sled of casualties behind them. It seemed like an eternity that they walked down the mountainside. No one spoke, each man was lost in his own thoughts about the horrors they had witnessed.
* * *
Erik and Nelson sat outside the control van. Erik's eyes were red and bloodshot, and his body still shook with grief. Both men heard the carnage. The final message from Steve put Erik over the edge.
"I should have been up there, Nelson," Erik whispered as he stared at the ground.
"That wouldn't have made any difference and you know it. We'd just have another body to add to the count," Nelson replied sadly.
"We'll never know, now, will we," Erik replied bitterly.
"No," Nelson agreed. "We never will. Did you know the other two officers?"
"Not very well. Steve was my focal point with the police. I was comfortable dealing with him. He's one of the few officers who actually gave me any amount of professional courtesy."
"He seemed like a good man, I liked him," Nelson replied softly.
"We've lost a lot of good men to these things, and one young woman, and possibly a
child." Erik adjusted his position on the van's rear bumper. "I can't stop thinking about Steve's wife, his children. We've succeeded in making another widow, Nelson, and I can only assume that the other soldiers were married or had some family ties."
"True," Nelson agreed. "But that's how it always is though. Death doesn't only affect the one that died, it affects all the people that knew or cared for the deceased. It's always been that way. It's what makes us human, I think, grieving for those we lost."
"I'd rather keep my friends alive, around me," Erik whispered.
Nelson smiled a sad smile and gently patted Erik on his shoulder. "So would I, son, so would I."
Both men turned to see several officers escorting what was left of the original scouting party out of the parklands.
Erik and Nelson were not allowed at the debriefing of the three remaining soldiers. Scant minutes after they arrived at the Hopedale Police Station, an armored military transport arrived with several Army brass. After an hour behind closed doors, the brass collected the three officers and the remains, and quietly departed. Erik and Nelson waited at the Hopedale Police Headquarters for nearly three hours in order to give a written transcript and verbal account of what they heard over the radio.
Erik answered some brief questions and other formalities, and then was free to go. He didn't know what to do with himself. He felt deeply saddened, guilty, and angry. Three powerful emotions that made him feel powerless over the control of the events surrounding his life.
