by Phil Maxey
“Particularly, a kind of giant tick like creature which live underground and attack as a pack and a fierce carnivore, similar to what used to be known as ‘bear dogs’. Over.”
As the convoy progressed the roads became covered in snow, and patches of ice. “We need to slow down Zach, or we’re going to lose someone off the side of the road,” said Abbey. With a frustrated expression Zach got on the radio, and told everyone to slow down. “Look at the tree’s.” Everyone in Abbey’s Humvee looked where she was looking and saw a scene of destruction and decay.
“They look like they’re dying,” said Zach. “You seeing the tree’s, Raj. Over.”
“I am… Over.”
“Any idea what’s causing it? Over.”
“Could be any number of reasons, the whole ecosystem has been destroyed. It might have even been humans, a lot of weapons were used against E.L.F’s in this area and on Albuquerque. Over.”
As the convoy continued at a steady pace through the brown and white decaying landscape Jacob continued doing the math in his head. He loved puzzles. To him this rescue mission was a puzzle, one that they were losing. Just like the human race was losing against the E.L.F’s. In Nam he used to win all the games he used to play in the underground casinos, so much so that even they eventually banned him. He didn’t play for money. He played because it was a break from the other kinds of math’s he had to play, calculations that cost people their lives. He looked down at himself and smiled, back in uniform again. Maybe this time it would be different. How can it be different when I have already taken a life? He had to go, the numbers didn’t add up any other way.
“Ever been to Albuquerque before?” said Fiona to Cal.
“Once, long time ago.”
“What did you think of it?”
“Can’t really remember much, was drunk.”
Fiona glanced across to Cal. “Never took you as the drinking type.”
“Sometimes you need to forget,” said Cal looking out as rocky cliffs flashed by.
As they drove into Albuquerque, small-blackened walls partitioned the highway, and larger walls, some with potholes, boxed them in both sides. When they approached a few hundred yards from where the highway changed from four lanes to two, a wall of vehicles brought them to a halt.
“Doesn’t look good, all I see is cars and trucks in the lanes we want to go in. Our turn off is completely blocked, we’re not getting through that,” said Michael standing in the Humvee’s gun position.
Zach took his helmet off and ran his hand through his hair, then replaced it. “We’re going to have to turn back, get off the highway then find another way to leave the city by the north. Turn around and follow me. Over.”
“We’re going through the city? Over,” said Fiona.
“We got no choice. Over.”
One by one the vehicles turned around and followed Zach’s Humvee a mile back from where they came, eventually Zach found an exit and they all followed it down to a junction. Ahead of them the sandy colored remains of a hotel stood. The sign out front proudly promoting this ten story luxury home away from home that was now only two stories. All around poles and lampposts lay on the ground like a box of matches had been tossed up and left where they landed. Car’s, trucks and bones sat blackened and melted by an intense heat and the road itself was a patchwork of black soot and winter frost. What foliage there might have been was now just ash that scattered as the convoy drove past.
“How many people lived in Albuquerque?” said Abbey, not really thinking anyone in the Humvee with her had an answer.
“Does it matter. They’re not here now,” said Jacob.
Single and double story buildings, were now piles of blackened masonry and bent pipes, and the roads carried craters and scars from lost battles.
Some of the convoy started to slow down, and Zach noticed he was pulling away from the vehicles behind.
“There’s nothing we can do here, we need to keep moving. This road seems to head north, we should rejoin the highway if we keep going. Over.”
After a few minutes they were at another junction with the way ahead completely blocked by a crater covering the entire road. They turned to the west and continued weaving around abandoned cars, until Rob’s voice came from the radio.
“I got a problem, the engine keeps cutting out on me, I’m going to have to stop. Over.”
The convoy stopped outside a white brick warehouse with two large double vehicle doors and a separate office door.
“How long do you need Rob? Over.”
“No idea until I take a look, which I’m doing now. Over.”
Zach jumped out of the Humvee and looked around, a chill winter breeze made him rub his hands together. Looking back down the convoy, Rob had his head in the engine and was talking to his brother Earl. Zach looked back at the near warehouse, the office door seemed to be slightly open.
“Spark plugs gone, and the air filter needs cleaning, it’s all the ash and dust we have driven through these old engines can’t handle it. Over.”
Various options raced through Zach’s mind, he didn’t want to leave the bus behind, but they were already behind schedule for the day. He looked back at the door, and realized that the sign above it mentioned auto-repair.
“Cal, how’s it looking here, see anything. Over.”
“No sign of anything. Over.”
“Rob, you think you can find what you need in that warehouse on the left? Over.” Looking down towards Rob, he saw him look up.
“I reckon I can. Over.”
“Right, everyone stay alert we’re going to be here for a bit. And if you see anything that looks suspicious, get on the radio. Over.” Zach ordered two soldiers to go with Rob into the auto-repair shop, even though he protested he didn’t need them.
“Fiona, want to stretch your legs? Over.”
“Sure do. Over.”
Abbey went to get out of the Humvee.
“No, you stay here, I’m just going to see if I can find a map,” said Zach. Abbey looked disappointed but sat back inside.
“We’re going to take this opportunity to do some refueling. Over,” said Bass.
“Sounds good. We should be back in thirty, just going to see if we can find a map to find a route out of here, I’ll also talk to Martinez when I’m back. Over.”
As Bass and other soldiers got out of their vehicles, Fiona jogged the length of the convoy to join Zach and they looked around them for somewhere that might contain a map.
“Rob, you see any maps in there? Over.” Rob replied in the negative. Zach and Fiona looked around them for vehicles that might contain a map, but all were almost completely destroyed, like partially constructed toy models.
“We passed a gas station back at the junction, let’s check that out,” said Zach as they both started jogging. Rob came out of the office door, with a small box full of parts and tools, the soldiers closely behind. Raj was busily making notes, looking up he saw Tyler was anxiously looking at the destruction around them.
“Is this your first time outside your home town since the Cascade?” said Raj.
“Hell it’s his first time out of Brownstone, period,” said Earl answering with a snigger.
“Hey, I’ve traveled to Austin as well.”
“When you were a smaller than a hog!”
“It still counts!” Tyler said loudly back to his brother. “But anyway yeah this is the first time I can remember going to a big city.”
“It’s no city anymore,” said Earl sarcastically but then realizing the sarcasm was misplaced.
“Are all the big cities like this?” said Tyler.
Raj felt sorry for the young man. “Yes, most are. When the animals evolved they had a thirst to eat and a heightened aggression, and the big cities were like magnets drawing them all in.”
“Why where they so angry?”
“We still don’t know, it had something to do with the mutation. Luckily for us it meant they attacked each other as well, if n
ot I doubt if there would be any humans left alive anywhere.”
“So what’s your story? You were in that Cambridge place when the animals changed?” said Earl.
“No, I was in Stanford University in southern California…” His voice tailed off for a few seconds. Earl and Tyler looked at each other, then he continued. “I was studying biophysics, specifically using computation models for the model and simulation of biomolecules and cells.”
“So you’re like a doctor?” said Tyler looking impressed.
Raj smiled. “Yes, something like that.”
“I don’t trust doctors,” said Earl getting up. “I’m going to see how Rob’s doing.”
Zach and Fiona ran across the forecourt, passed empty pumps and torn sodden adult magazines to the entrance of the gas stations shop. Through the glassless windows, they could see that the shelves were largely empty.
“I’ll check out back,” said Zach, walking inside and past the shelves to the back of the shop. A white door with a broken handle was only the exit. Raising his gun he pushed it open. The door swung back and hit the wall behind, causing a few screws to fall off a shelf that ran along the wall. The room was small, with a desk, shelves and another door opposite the first. Zach sighed. Who would think finding a map would be so difficult. He walked behind the desk and tried the first drawer, which was empty. He then tried the second, which was also devoid of any maps, but did have a small key ring. Picking it up he turned it over in his fingers, then put it his pocket.
“Found something,” shouted Fiona. Zach left the small room. Fiona was holding two pocket sized road maps of Albuquerque and smiling.
Zach took one. “Good going.” Fiona went to offer the other. “No, you keep that,” he then clicked on his radio. “How’s everything looking Rob? Over.”
“Probably another twenty minutes. Over.”
A brisk wind blew through the shop, causing Fiona and Zach to rub their hands and arms.
“You’ve been to Albuquerque before?” said Fiona.
Just as Zach was about to respond, a sound emanated from the small room that he had just left. Instantly they both raised their guns and spun around facing the door. The low rumbling noise continued. Zach indicated with his hand that he was going to look in the room and that Fiona should stay where she is.
Walking back to the room, the door was still against the wall, Zach looked into the office and nothing was any different. The rumbling happened again. He realized it was coming from beyond the opposite door. Slowly he walked through the office, trying not to crunch anything on the floor and listened up against the door. The sound seemed to be coming from far away but was carrying through the door. He laid down flat on the floor and looked best he could under the small gap to see if there was any movement on the other side and there was none. What he could see was a wall just a few feet away, a tiled floor and some toilet paper scrunched up. He stood up, stepped back, and then kicked at the door sending it flying open. Zach kneeled, his gun pointing at this small space, but nothing appeared. A sound came from behind causing him to spin around quickly, Fiona stood with her hands up. Zach frowned then got to his feet. He looked into the small bathroom, but there was no sign of any life in there. The low rumbling noise continued though, and now also had a crackling noise combined with it.
“What the hell is that?” said Fiona looking into the bathroom as well.
“No, idea but it seems to be coming from the sewers. We’re hearing it from the toilet and the sink. Maybe it’s time we left.” As they left the bathroom the sink started shaking slightly. Running back across the forecourt they still heard the rumbling-crackling noise, but now it was coming from the manhole covers around them as well. “Bass, can you hear that noise? Over.”
“Sure can, it seems to be coming from beneath us. We are fueled and ready to go. Over.”
“Get everyone ready to…” Before Zach could finish, manhole covers all around them exploded upwards into the air, followed by a sea of tiny black creatures, flowing out onto the street. The sound of crackling was no incessant and so loud it made the occupants of the convoy want to cover their ears.
Zach and Fiona started running harder. “We need to go. Now!” Zach shouted into his radio, his words useless against the wall of sound the creatures were making. Looking like an oil spillage, the writhing black groups started combining to form even bigger forms, one of which enveloped one of the coaches. The scream of the soldier inside lasted a few seconds before the mass moved from the coach, just leaving the vehicles internal metallic parts and nothing else.
Bullets started flying into the creatures, causing some to fall dead to the street, but it was having no effect on the others.
Fiona and Zach looked on in anguish as they ran up to Fiona’s Humvee, Cal was already outside shooting at the closest form which was just a twenty yards away. Everywhere Zach looked, soldiers where running and firing at the closest group to them, with it having no effect. As the previous attack in the desert the creatures seemed more interested in the vehicles then the people.
“Everyone inside!” shouted Zach, running and waving everyone towards the auto-repair shop. Fiona, Cal and some soldiers ran for cover inside the building, while Zach looked along the convoy to see where everyone else was. He ducked as a protruded extension of one of the forms swept across the road, enveloping another soldier.
“Abbey, Bass! Everyone run for the warehouse on the left!” Zach shouted as loud as he could into his radio, not knowing if anyone on the on the other heard it or was even alive. He then stood up and ran along the convoy as fast as he could carry his body. Another bus behind him became victim of the creatures and he felt one of them hit his foot, sending him scrawling to the ground. Getting up again he continued running and made it back to his Humvee, the doors were open with no sign of anyone. He tried to focus on his surroundings, when he spotted Abbey and Michael about fifty yards away, crouching down behind a small fence. Michael seemed to be injured and was clutching his side. Zach waved to them, Abbey saw and waved back. The creatures were devouring the vehicles behind him at an increasing rate and it was only a few seconds that his Humvee would be next. It was then he noticed a large industrial sized bin between Abbey, Michael and himself on the auto-repair’s forecourt. Zach sprang forward, running towards Abbey and Michael, quickly getting to them and putting his arm under Michael’s shoulder.
“That bin, we can get behind it, and wheel it across to the office entrance.”
They ran as quickly as they could and dived down behind the bin. The creatures still seemed more concerned with the vehicles. They started pushing it towards the office door, out of which came Bass and some soldiers who started firing towards the closest mass.
“Okay, now! Run!” Zach, Abbey and Michael left the shelter of the bin and ran as hard as they could for the door. Just as they did thousands of creatures slammed into the bin sending it skidding across the forecourt and slamming into a wall. They made it inside the door, the soldiers running in last and quickly slammed the door behind them.
“We need to get something up against that door,” said Zach. Looking around the office, a large tool-shelving unit stood on one wall. Zach, Bass and another soldier slid it across and it fell against the door with a thump.
Zach bent over, put his hands on his knees and breathed in heavily. “Who’s in here?” he said breathlessly.
“We lost fourteen soldiers, including Martinez…” Bass went to continue when he heard a Rob shouting and objects crashing into one another in the workshop next door. Zach stood and walked to the doorway of the next room. Rob was sitting on top of a toolbox sobbing. Tyler had his arm around his brother’s shoulder.
“Mr. Harris’s brother was killed as well,” said Bass quietly to Zach.
Zach sighed heavily, then looked around the rest of the workshop. Jacob, Cal, Fiona and the rest of the soldiers sat on the oil stained floor, looking drained. Turning back to the shop, Abbey was sitting next to Michael who was sat up agains
t the counter, with Dr. Tanner examining the wound on his side.
“How’s he looking doc?” said Zach.
“He’s got a deep laceration. I can’t tell much more than that right now. My supplies were on the coach I was on. I don’t have anything here to help him if it’s more than just a deep cut.”
“Just do what you can.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Hour after hour passed of the noise they had all come to hate. Michael’s wound had stopped bleeding, but Dr. Tanner was still concerned. Rob had grown silent, just staring at the space in front of him, despite Tyler’s attempts to get him to talk. They had explored more of the inside of the auto-repair building, and found it contained another much larger repair area to the left of the first, which wrapped around the back of the small front shop, and contained another office and an external door. Zach had tried reaching Brad and then when there was no reply anyone else he could on the radio, but there was never anything other than static.
After a few more hours Zach looked at his radio, the time said 5:08 pm and the light was fading from the small gap still visible under the front office’s door. After another hour the light had completely gone and so had the sound.
“Is it just me or has the sound stopped,” said Abbey to Zach. He got up from his position against the wall behind the counter and stood in front of the shelving unit they had placed there many hours before. There was no sound. He then walked into the first workshop area and listened near the large metal shutters, still no sound, walking into the larger workshop area, Bass was already standing near the metal shutter and listening for himself.
“I think it’s stopped,” Bass said.
“They have gone back to hell,” said Rob, Tyler still sitting next to him. They were the first words he had said since they took shelter in the building.
“Have they gone?” Dr. Tanner stood up from sitting in the front seat of a dark blue sedan that was sitting in the workshop. Michael was laid out sleeping in the back. Fiona and Cal stood up from sitting in a black truck that was positioned behind the first vehicle.
