by Jake Bible
“You’re a doctor?” Moss asks, looking up at Dr. Probst. “Can you look at something on my leg? It’s like a mole or something.”
“You’re going to leave me here with them?” Dr. Probst growls.
Coletti looks over at Moss as the man, still lying on the ground, starts to unbuckle his pants. He looks at Kyle who just stands there like every other bored teenager in the world.
“Yeah, I think you’re good,” Coletti says as he wades back out into the water. “Back in a second.”
A huge cry from above makes them all look up towards the ash cloud. Shapes move in and out of the ash, barely visible in the gloom.
“I’ll try to be fast,” Coletti says as he stretches out his arms and dives under the water.
***
The sound of the gunshot makes Linder hesitate as he straddles the fallen form of Tomboy, his hand cocked back for another hit. The hesitation gives Tomboy the split second he needs to lash out and rake his nails across Linder’s cheek.
“You godless fuck,” Linder says and lets the cocked arm come down with all his strength. He winces as one of Tomboy’s teeth cracks and cuts his knuckle. “Shit!”
Linder brings his arm back and then down, back and then down, over and over until Tomboy’s face is nothing but bloody pulp. Linder stops, his chest heaving from the exertion, and gets up off the dead man. He leans down and wipes his bloody knuckles on Tomboy’s coat then stands straight and takes a deep breath.
“Now, who is shooting?” Linder asks as he leaves the corpse in the middle of the street.
Up against the curb to his left lies Jim’s broken body, his head split open from a little romper stomper action. Linder had always wanted to put someone’s open mouth against the edge of a curb and then stomp on the back of that unfortunate someone’s head. One loud, bloody crunch and it was all over.
Several screeches make Linder glance up at the sky and he glares at the shapes of the monsters that flit in and out of the ash, as if the monsters are an inconvenient annoyance.
“What are you?” he asks as he walks down the middle of the street. “Demons from above? Fallen angels ready to wage war on humanity?” He cups his blood covered hands to his mouth and shouts. “Then come get me! Come on, demons! I’m standing right here!”
He stops and holds his arms out, then thumps his chest over and over.
“I’m! Standing! Right! Here!”
***
“You hear that?” Moss asks, buckling his pants back up after Dr. Probst insisted for the tenth time that she was a geologist, not a medical doctor. “Somebody yelling?”
“I don’t hear any yelling,” Kyle says, sitting on the dead grass next to Dr. Probst as they both stare up at the ash and the increasing numbers of monsters flying about the cloud. “I just hear those things.”
Moss follows their gaze and says, “I sure hope they don’t take a shit on us like pigeons do.”
Kyle and Dr. Probst look over at Moss and stare.
“What?” Moss asks. “Monsters probably have to shit too. I doubt they fly down and dig a hole. I’ll bet they let their droppings just fly where they, uh, well,fly.”
“I didn’t need to hear that,” Dr. Probst says. “Those things are bad enough without having to worry about being defecated on by one of them.”
“That means shit on,” Kyle says to Moss.
“I know what it fucking means,” Moss scowls. “Don’t be a dick, kid.”
Coletti bursts from the water and tosses two large packs up onto the grass.
“There’s more,” he says and points at the packs. “Go through those and inventory what’s in there. Double check them against each other to see if they are duplicates or if each pack is specialized.”
Moss starts to reach for a pack and Coletti snaps his fingers.
“Not you,” he says. “Dr. Probst. I trust her to not miss anything.”
“I can check one,” Kyle says.
Coletti looks at Dr. Probst and she nods.
“Fine,” Coletti says as he turns back, ready for another dive. “Make it fast. I’ll get the last two and then we need to get away from here.” He looks up at the sky. “This spot is too open.”
“Exactly!” Moss exclaims. “Those things could shit on us at any moment!”
“Sure. Whatever,” Coletti shrugs then dives once more.
Kyle gets up and grabs the two packs, surprised by their weight.
“I think they sent everything but the kitchen sink,” he says as he sets the packs down by Dr. Probst. “How do you want to do this?”
“We open them up, take everything out carefully, then start calling the items off, comparing what we find,” Dr. Probst says.
“Okay,” Kyle nods as he undoes the top straps of his pack.
A high pitched screech causes him to look up quickly and he sees one of the monsters shoot from the cloud, its wings pulled in tight to its body. The thing dives a few hundred feet then its wings come out and it swoops back towards the ash cloud.
“We should hurry,” Dr. Probst says.
“No shit,” Kyle nods.
***
“Dear God…,” Lu whispers as the group of survivors crest the ridge and look down on Lake Coeur d’Alene and the city of the same name that lies below them.
Smoke rises from the city and every person can see that what’s left isn’t the sanctuary they were hoping for. People turn to each other and the looks of exhaustion are replaced with looks of disappointment and desperation.
“What now, boss?” Lowell asks. “Doesn’t exactly look like they have a vacancy.”
“It’s better than being out in the open,” Bolton says. “We can’t be caught standing here when that ash cloud finally decides to come down.”
“Why hasn’t it?” Lowell asks.
“We don’t know,” Lu snaps.
“I know we don’t know,” Lowell replies. “It was a rhetorical question.”
“Are we going down there or not?” a man asks and the same question ripples through the group.
Lu looks at Bolton and he shrugs.
“You’re in charge, Marshal,” Bolton says. “I’m just along for the ride.”
“Thanks,” Lu smirks, then turns to address the people around her. “You can see what we’re looking at down there. It’s not pretty. We could go down and help out and maybe find somewhere safe to stay or we could go down there and find nothing but chaos and murder.”
“Way to sell it,” Lowell mutters.
Lu glares at him and continues. “Or we keep going and look for someplace else. We might make it to Spokane.”
“No way can we get to Spokane!” someone yells. “Not with those things all around us!”
There are murmurs of agreement and Lu holds out her hands.
“I know, I know,” Lu says. “But we don’t have a lot of options.”
“There was a farm a ways back,” someone says. “We could just stay there. I bet they have food stored somewhere.”
“Those things are back there, you idiot! Didn’t you hear me?”
“Don’t call me an idiot, asshole! It was just a suggestion!”
“Who you calling an asshole, cocksucker? I’ll fucking kill you!”
“Jesus,” Lu snarls as she wades into the crowd and grabs the two men about to come to blows. Her fingers pinch deep into the backs of their necks and the men, both much taller than Lu, come to heel quickly.
“Knock it off!” she roars. “We do not have time for this! I’m going down there! You all can come with me or not, I don’t care! End of discussion!”
She lets the men go and smacks them both upside the head before turning and stomping away from the crowd.
“You coming?” she barks at Bolton as she pushes past him.
Lowell chuckles and then holds up his hands as Lu turns her anger on him.
“Whoa, Marshal. That look is considered a deadly weapon,” Lowell smirks. “Better put it away before someone gets killed.”
“
Fuck off,” Lu says and starts down the trail carved into the hillside below the ridge.
“That could have gone better,” Lowell says as he looks at the angry and stunned faces of the group.
“I don’t think so,” Bolton says. “I know Lu pretty well and that’s about as good as it could have gone. I’m surprised she hasn’t smacked someone before now.”
***
“A fleece jacket, clothes, some rations, water, purification tablets, a multi-tool, binoculars, compass, a gas mask, and this,” Kyle says as he hands over a small, black sat phone. “I’m guessing it’s for you. I can’t get it to turn on.”
“No weapons?” Coletti asks.
“No,” Dr. Probst says, “but there’s a phone in each pack.”
“That’s good,” Coletti says. “We’ll need backups since we have no way to charge these. Once one dies, I’ll switch to a new one. You sure there’re no weapons?”
“None,” Kyle says. “Not even a survival knife.”
“Then these were random, blind drops,” Coletti says. “Even though the crates can’t be opened unless someone has a CLD, they made sure there weren’t weapons in case one broke open and happened to be found by a civilian.”
“Is that good or bad?” Dr. Probst asks. “I’m guessing by the look on your face it isn’t good.”
“It means the brass is flying blind,” Coletti says. “They have no idea who is on the ground and that means a rescue team isn’t coming anytime soon.”
“How can they not know who’s down here?” Moss asks. “It’s the government. Don’t they have spy satellites? They have like drones and shit that can see a mouse fart at ten miles up.”
“The EMP must have hit a huge area,” Coletti says, pointing at the sky. “Could have been big enough to take out satellites. And do you see any drones flying around? All I see is a huge amount of ash blocking out the sun.”
“Is it morning yet?” Dr. Probst asks. “I don’t even know what time it is anymore.”
“It’s time to make a call,” Kyle says. He nods at the sat phone in Coletti’s hand. “Get on that thing and find out what’s happening.”
“Good idea,” Coletti says. He takes a few steps away and sees the looks of surprise. “This call is considered classified. Sorry.”
“Not classified from me!” Dr. Probst snaps.
Coletti nods and then walks off, followed closely by Dr. Probst. And Kyle and Moss.
Coletti ignores the eavesdroppers and presses the CLD against the sat phone. The solid black face lights up and the phone instantly starts to dial. Coletti takes a couple of deep breaths as he waits for an answer on the other end.
***
“One hour, sir,” Joan says, her face drawn and tired. “One hour before we launch the bombers.”
“Sir!” a tech shouts. “Mr. President! We have an incoming call from one of the sat phones!”
President Nance stands up, his eyes locked onto the main monitor. “Where is it coming from?”
“Missoula, Mr. President.”
“Jesus H crackers and toast,” Admiral Quigley says. “Someone’s right next to ground zero.”
“Put it through now,” President Nance says. “Hello? Hello, who am I speaking with? This is President Charles Nance speaking, identify yourself.”
“Mr. President? This is Lieutenant Jason Coletti, sir. I’m here with Dr. Probst. We made it in, but it’s not good, sir.”
“Holy shit,” Admiral Quigley laughs. “Leave it to Team Six to get a man inside.”
“Lieutenant? What can you tell us about the situation? We need details, son.”
***
Coletti looks up at the sky and the creatures flying about the ash. He then turns his attention to the direction the hole is in.
“Sir, I don’t exactly have good news,” Coletti says. “Whatever these things are, there are a lot of them.”
“Tell us what you know.”
“Dr. Probst and I landed close to ground zero and was only maybe a half mile from the edge of the chasm, sir. What we saw was like out of a nightmare. There are so many of these monsters, sir. And they aren’t all the same.”
“We know that, son,” President Nance replies. “We know of the smaller ones, the big ones, and the flying ones. Any others?”
Coletti laughs at the use of the word “smaller.”
“Those are the three types we know of, sir,” Coletti replies. “And we aren’t sure they are all working together.”
“Lieutenant? This is Admiral Quigley. What do you mean they aren’t working together?” Several voices start shouting as once. “Shut up!” The voices quiet down. “Keep talking, Lieutenant. Why would you think these monsters would be, or wouldn’t be, working together?”
“The doctor and I watched as the smaller ones kept getting squashed and then eaten by the bigger ones, Admiral,” Coletti explains. “The smaller ones were trying to get as far away from that hole as possible, as fast as possible. They did not like being near the big ones.”
“How many?” a different voice asks.
“Total, sir?” Coletti asks. “Or how many of each type?”
“Each type.”
“I can’t say how many of the flying ones there are,” Coletti replies, his eyes drawn back to the monsters above. “But there are a lot and they are getting more active.”
“Son, this is General Tulane,” General Tulane snaps. “I saw them take down some of my best pilots. That’s pretty damn active right there!”
“Yeah, we saw that too,” Coletti says. “The missiles didn’t even faze the big ones. The explosions just rolled off their backs.”
“And how many of those are there?” General Tulane asks.
“No way to say, sir,” Coletti replies. “I couldn’t see the entire hole, just the part I was closest to.” He looks at Dr. Probst. “But the big ones were standing by the edge, spaced out every quarter mile or so.” Dr. Probst nods to him in agreement.
Moss sits back on the ground, his arms wrapped about one of the wet packs. His face looks pale and he glances at Kyle, but the boy is too busy listening intently to Coletti to notice.
Coletti waits as several voices start talking at once again. “Sirs? Hello? Admiral Quigley? General Tulane? Mr. President? What do you need me to do?”
“Get somewhere safe, son,” President Nance replies. The other voices quiet down immediately. “Any place that will shield you from the blasts.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but did you say blasts?” Coletti asks.
Dr. Probst and Kyle both take a step back at the words while Moss looks like he’s going to faint.
“Son, those things have left me no choice,” President Nance says. “I’m ordering the area be blanketed with MOABs. The bombers will be launched within the minute. I am truly sorry, but we cannot risk these things, as you said earlier, working together. Godspeed, son.”
“Wait!” Coletti shouts into the sat phone. “Mr. President! We watched those missiles hit the monsters! They didn’t even scratch them, sir! Their skin is like slick looking leather and must be impervious to fire, Mr. President! All you’ll do when you drop the MOABs is kill any survivors in the area!”
Coletti waits, but there’s no response.
“Sir? Mr. President? Son of a bitch!”
He nearly hurls the phone into the water trap, but restrains himself and carefully places it in his pocket instead.
“That did not sound promising,” Dr. Probst says. “What’s a MOAB, by the way?”
“Massive Ordinance Air Blast,” Kyle replies.
“That’s right,” Coletti nods. “Most people call it the Mother Of All Bombs.” He looks at Dr. Probst and sighs. “It’s the most powerful conventional bomb in our arsenal.”
“The things set the air on fire,” Moss says. “We are so dead.”
“It doesn’t set the air on fire,” Coletti says. “But, yeah, we’re dead.”
Nine
The streets of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho are strewn with rub
ble and debris. Barely a building is intact, with most of them collapsed in on themselves. Smoke drifts everywhere as fires burn, spreading to whatever buildings still have combustible materials left in them.
Lu stares at the horror of it all, her lips pressed together in a tight line.
“There’s nothing here for us, Lu,” Bolton says at her elbow. “Look around. This place is done. We need to just keep moving.”
“The buses from Champion were supposed to meet here,” Lu says, her voice even and calm.
The even and calmness worries Bolton.
“Buses? You saw what happened to our buses, right?” Lowell snorts. “Whatever buses you’re looking for, I doubt they made it.”
Lu whips around on the man and decks him with one punch. The even and calm is gone. Lowell, sitting on his ass in a puddle of mucky water, wipes his mouth then looks at the blood on the back of his hand.
“I’m just stating reality,” Lowell says as he gets to his feet.
Lu sends him back to the ground.
“What the fuck, Marshal?” Lowell yells. “I know you don’t like me, but stop fucking hitting me!”
“Kyle and Terrie were on those buses, right?” Bolton asks.
“They were following in the Bronco,” Lu replies. “They had to leave sooner. It’s complicated.”
Kyle and Terrie?” Lowell asks.
“Her son and mom,” Bolton says.
“Jesus,” Lowell says. “Why didn’t you just say so? I’d have shut the fuck up without you breaking my fucking jaw.”
Lu looks down at Lowell, and then extends her hand. He eyes it warily, but finally grabs it and lets her pull him up. Then she punches him again and he’s back where he started.
“Mother fucker!” he snarls and gets to his feet, his eyes red with anger, his fists clenched.
“Hold it!” Bolton shouts and stands between the two. “Not the time for this!”
“You,” Lowell snarls at Lu. “You think you’re in charge? Rule of law is shit now.”
“Really? Because I’m declaring marshal law!” Lu says, lunging for him. “And when I say marshal, I mean it like-”
