Plague

by Matt James

  Twenty feet separated himself from death and maybe surviving being thrown from a speeding vehicle. A bullet zinged by, dropping another of the creatures, another charging gazelle, its talon-like horns ready to gore him.

  At least I’ve still got some cover fire.

  He jumped, feeling the bottom of his right foot get clipped by something. He spun and fired, knowing that whatever he shot was here to kill him.

  Another zebra, probably the same one that had slammed into the Rhino, fell under the barrage of fire. He emptied the clip into the beast, scurrying backward on his rear, getting further from the edge.

  “Captain!” a voice yelled in his ear. “Hold tight, we’re on our way!”

  Hold tight, he thought. Right…

  “Step on it, Mo!” He then drew his side-arm, having no time to reload the rifle. His Desert Eagle L5 boomed across the field, killing an incoming wildebeest, its front claw-shaped hooves scraping across the rocky surface of the kopje, just missing his outstretched leg by inches. It had tried desperately to reach him, attempting to climb the smooth, weathered stone.

  The flat black .50 caliber handgun was the newest addition to his personal arsenal. He had added it immediately after the initial encounter with the lions in the Nazi bunker. He wouldn’t venture out into the night without anything weaker. The weapon’s single downfall was it only held seven rounds.

  But they’re big ass bullets, Logan thought, pulling the trigger twice more. Another wildebeest had attempted to follow its brother up the kopje, but Logan had been ready.

  As the limp form of the animal slumped to the ground, a grinding noise filled his ears. The Rhino came into view, half-sliding through the grass as it slowed to a stop. Logan saw Mo yank on the wheel and throw the back end around, slamming the driver’s side of the truck into the kopje, pinning the body of the dead wildebeest between them.

  “Jump!” Mo yelled from inside the Hummer, begging him to move.

  Logan didn’t need to be asked a second time.

  He jumped.

  33

  Logan slammed onto the roof of the truck, landing hard on his stomach, feeling every single bump and contusion his body had suffered so far. Hurriedly, he ungracefully rolled across the metal surface and spun his body, laying on what could only be bruised ribs, his feet hanging over open air for a moment. He kicked out and felt the solid door frame under foot, repositioning himself. After doing a quick mental countdown, he half-shambled, half-dove back into the now doorless front passenger seat, crashing into Mo, causing him to jerk the wheel slightly.

  “Throw it in reverse!” Logan yelled, sitting up, hurrying to reload his SCAR assault rifle. “Jan! Get ready!”

  Mo did as he was told and screeched to a stop, shifting the Humvee into reverse. He slammed his foot on the pedal and shot the truck backward, quickly accelerating to 40mph.

  Logan looked down at the dash, smiling as he saw the plains behind them in the camera mounted on the underside of the Rhino. From the thing’s low perspective, he could, unfortunately, see the blood-stained terrain whiz by, including pieces of some of the creatures.

  Another sight I’ll never get rid of…

  The rumble of the vehicle’s unrelenting backward trek would have been enough to shake his teeth loose on its own, but it paired with the .50 cal’s deafening roar was enough to make his vision dance. One after the other, the remaining beasts dropped under the heavy machine gun’s unyielding barrage. Then the ground in front of the Humvee exploded into a fireball as Fitz let loose with his XM25, annihilating anything Jan didn’t.

  The Hummer slowed as Mo lifted his foot off the accelerator, not seeing any movement through the Rhino’s windshield. It stopped a few yards later as Logan made a visual inspection of the land.

  “We’re clear up here,” Jan said, giving the all clear.

  It was hellish, to say the least, looking like a bomb had gone off at a petting zoo. Not seeing anything alive either, Logan climbed out of his already open door, regretting it as soon as his boot found a mush of blood and what looked like something’s innards.

  Feeling the bile rise in his throat, he turned to sit back down but heard something mewling off in the dark. “Cover me,” he said to no one in particular. He didn’t have to. His men would do their duty and cover his six.

  Logan calmly strolled fifty feet forward, his aim never wavering. He stopped, confused, only seeing the body of the rhinoceros they had killed at the onset of the battle. He looked around, seeing the battlefield in a new light now that the initial conflict was over.

  Bodies littered the field. Some weren’t even whole anymore. The lethal combination of Jan’s heavy machine gun and Fitz’s explosive XM25 had done the trick…and that’s not even accounting for the sniper attacks carried out by Kel and Dada. Each of the four men, including Mo’s death-defying driving, had done their jobs admirably.

  And then some, he thought, turning back to the truck, shrugging. He couldn’t find anything alive that could have made that sound.

  Maybe it was just in my head. It wouldn’t have surprised him considering what he’d physically and mentally endured so far tonight. Delirium could do that to you, whether caused by being overtired or stress or even—

  Merrr.

  But then he heard it again, behind the corpse of the endangered animal—the rhinoceros. It pained him to even think about it. They had single-handedly killed it and a few other rare species—some of the scarcest alive today. But what could they do? The irony was like a slap in the face. The very animals they swore to protect had become the very thing they now fought against.

  Merrr.

  The cry sounded again. It almost made him think of a baby cow or some other harmless farm animal. He rounded the body and saw it for what it was. It was another rhinoceros. A baby.

  Logan stopped when he saw the mutilated, but very much alive infant Nach. While still much heavier than he was, the young rhinoceros may have only been a few months old. He breathed deep, knowing what he needed to do next. The glowing eyes and fang-filled maw helped him with his decision.

  He raised his SCAR to his shoulder and took aim down the sights, aiming it at the zombie brood’s head. Even though he knew this thing would tear him apart if it could walk, he pitied it—what it used to be. As he stood there the thing’s eyes became even more enraged, like his very presence angered it.

  He pulled the trigger, blowing a clean hole into the thing’s forehead, ending its escalating fury filled shrieks for good. He blinked back a tear and marched back to the Hummer, climbing in.

  “Back to base.”

  Nodding, Mo threw the truck into gear and hastened back to the northern gate, all under the ever-watchful eye of the last remaining creature. It was hidden among the dead, within the felled tree, peering through the foliage, waiting for a perfect time to strike.

  The black leopard slowly climbed out of its hiding spot and crouch-ran after the Rhino, its two-tone black fur camouflaging it from its attackers. It kept its distance, just out of range, but easily kept pace. Sneering as its equally large prey fled, it gave chase.

  34

  CJ fell back into her seat and closed her eyes. The initial assault on the Bullpen was over and she was relieved that everyone made it back alive. She didn’t need to think about another incident like what happened to Saami and Pandu.

  The chair next to her creaked as Adnan leaned forward eyes wide. He had been trying to contact the American’s through the entire battle to no avail. He thought something was messing with their signal or something. She just nodded and let the man explain, even though she didn’t understand a lick of it.

  Quick as a rattler, he grabbed CJ’s arm, eliciting a shout from the startled, nerve-wracked woman. He then flicked a switch on the console in front of him and a voice boomed over the speakers.

  “Come in, SDF. This is United States African Command at Manda Bay. Over.”

  Manda Bay, CJ thought. The Americans are responding from their base in Kenya. She sa
t forward. Thank God for Logan and Fitz’s connections within the military. When the local bases had heard that a former soldier was taking over as head game warden, they had reached out to them, offering help in an emergency. The SDF had never needed it until now.

  “We read you, Manda Bay,” Adnan replied. “This is Adnan Drees of the SDF.” He sat up straighter, emphasizing his next words. “We are under attack and need assistance immediately. We have men down and the situation is escalating.”

  Adnan knew as well as everyone in the SDF that Manda Bay had the capabilities to help. They were part of the U.S. military’s AFRICOM—African Command—and were originally set up to fight against the various Post 9/11 terrorist cells. They had men there that knew how to get things done quickly—and more importantly with anti-terror units… They got it done quietly.

  The soldier on the other side of the radio sounded a little thrown off and expressed as much. “Say again, SDF. Our comms have been down and we are still experiencing some interference.”

  Frustrated, CJ took the helm. “Manda Bay, this is Cassidy Reed. We have multiple casualties and are under heavy attack by the local populace.” The American was about to interrupt, but CJ cut him off. “Look, mate… We don’t really know what the hell is going on, but the local inhabitants are going berserk and killing everything—including two of our men. We need help, now!”

  There was a rustling sound emanating from the speakers as the man on the other end moved something around, like shuffling paper. Then, in a low and murmured voice, he was speaking to someone else nearby. Neither CJ, nor Adnan, could make out what was said, but the urgent tone in the American’s voice said enough. He believed them.

  “Okay, Reed. We’ll have men on the ground at your coordinates ASAP—a couple hours at best. Is there anything else you can tell us?”

  CJ thought back to what Logan had said about combating the Nach and relayed the same to the American. “Tell them,” she answered, looking outside to the north gate as the Rhino passed through, not understanding what she saw, “to dress—”

  It’s then a black aberration leaped out from the shadows behind the Hummer. She screamed a warning into her earpiece, trying to warn Logan and the others, but it was too late. A creature easily the size of the Rhino struck.

  * * *

  “Logan!”

  The voice was shrill, like nails on a chalkboard, shrieking through their comms. The frantic manner in which his sister yelled, made him flinch, but it also spurred him into motion.

  Seeing nothing in front of them, he grabbed for the door handle but remembered it was gone. Instead, he jumped from the slow-moving vehicle, and rolled, coming up with his FN SCAR ready to engage whatever had spooked his sister. But he had no idea what to do next as the monster emerged silently from the darkness.

  He recognized it for what it was, a leopard, and it was most definitely one at one point. But not anymore. This was something much worse…and a shit ton bigger.

  As the truck pulled past him and screeched to a halt, two things happened in what seemed like slow motion. First off, Dada, along with Kel, had both met the Rhino and its occupants at ground level, just inside the main gate. Each man was currently facing away from the opening, watching the Hummer. Big mistake. Next, the leopard, which was easily as large as a rhino—the living kind—went airborne, striking out at the two prone men. Neither of them saw or heard the silent killer attack. It was like looking into a living shadow.

  Dada didn’t stand a chance, having been the closest one to the entrance. The leopard just opened its jaws, unhinging them like a snake’s. It engulfed the local man in one mouthful, stopping at his midsection. Then in one lightning fast motion it bit, severing the SDF member in half.

  Logan watched as the beast threw its head back and swallowed its catch like a duck would its food. The loud gulping sound spurred Logan into motion.

  He pulled the trigger, firing, hitting the creature with everything he had. It took his rifle’s rounds with nothing more than a shake of its head, more annoying than painful. But it worked. He had at least part of the thing’s attention.

  Kel dove away, somehow surviving the attack and opened fire on the monster from its left. While his sniper rifle was much slower, it packed a stronger punch, making up for its limited rate of fire.

  Dammit, Logan thought, seeing Kel from out of the corner of his eye. He’s still too close.

  Logan stepped left, away from Kel’s direction, trying to draw the thing off. Unfortunately for him…it worked.

  The behemoth-sized leopard snarled at Logan and turned its three blood-red eyes towards him, a look of hatred and irritation on its face. The crimson stain on its maw didn’t help the situation any better, either. Logan knew exactly what it was, he had just witnessed another of his friends get slaughtered by one of these bastards.

  A bullet found one of the creature’s eyes—the one in the center—causing it to spasm and roar. It lashed out at the air in front of it, like a bee had stung it, but struck nothing. It obviously didn’t understand that the bullets were what was producing its pain.

  Until it blinked and turned towards Kel.

  Shit.

  “Kel!” Logan yelled, his aim never wavering. “Back up!”

  Kel obeyed and slowly made his way further and further from the beast, taking pot shots at the side of its face, whenever he found a target. Logan knew he was almost out of ammo, having only the bolt-action weapon and a holstered Glock. The latter would be useless against a monster this size. Logan’s hollow points might do the trick if he could score a direct hit into the thing’s skull. The bullet would enter the brain and break apart, shredding gray matter, killing it.

  Fat chance of that happening with as much as this thing is moving, he thought. The only other thing that could work was Kel’s SR-98 sniper rifle.

  The sniper rifle!

  “Kel!” Logan shouted again, getting an idea. He fired off five more rounds, pulling the leopard’s attention away from Kel. “Get farther away and aim for its eyes. Try to blind it!”

  Kel dashed away, towards the front door of the Bullpen, giving himself more time to line up the shot needed.

  Automatic gunfire erupted from behind Logan as Mo stepped up next to him, doing what he could to assist him.

  “Where’s Jan with the .50?” Logan yelled, slowly backpedaling. “We could use the heavier ammo right about now!”

  “It was close to overheating after we finished out there.” Logan saw Mo motion with his head to the plains outside the fencing, never looking away from his target. Logan had taught them to never, under any circumstance, take your eyes off the engaged target. “He was worried about damaging it long term.”

  Logan knew he was right. If that weapon went down they’d be royally screwed.

  “Flash out!” a voice shouted, tinged with a German accent. It had come from behind the two men. They both instinctively shut their eyes and turned their heads away from the blast.

  A whump and a light as bright as the sun could be seen through his eyelids, making Logan grit his teeth. His ears felt like someone had just stabbed them with an icepick, but he could deal with the following disorientation. The Nach on the other hand…

  Cringing as he opened his eyes, he took in the scene. The leopard was on its side thrashing, roaring in pain, blinking its eyes rapidly. Jan was next to Mo, pumping slugs from his Mossberg into the monster.

  Mo quickly recovered and joined in, doing the same.

  Sit still you bastard, Logan thought, raising his rifle to his shoulder, taking aim at the monster’s head.

  “Logan!”

  He quickly glanced back, away from the action, looking for the voice that had called his name. Within that split second, he saw who was yelling, causing him to sigh in relief.

  “Get back!” He knew what was coming next. “Get behind the Rhino!”

  Trusting their leader, Mo and Jan abided, sprinting behind the idling Hummer that sat twenty feet away. When they rounded the fro
nt of the vehicle, they dove, just as a set of massive explosions rocked the concrete encompassing the command center.

  35

  “You alright?”

  Logan didn’t need to look at the speaker to know it was Fitz. The man had single-handedly saved them from an enemy that would have sooner or later bull rushed them, ending their valiant efforts. It had bitten Dada in half and swallowed his upper torso whole with little work. It wouldn’t have had a problem with them.

  We got lucky, Logan thought, laying on his back. He looked to his right, under the Rhino, and saw the carnage his former SAS teammate had brought upon the creature.

  The leopard lay dead, smashed up against the outer fencing, smoking from the crater in its side. From this low vantage, Logan couldn’t see the other wound, but what he could see was another cloud of smoke near where the thing’s head should be. Apparently, Fitz had scored a direct hit.

  “Ugh,” Logan moaned, grabbing his head as he sat up. “One too many hits to the head for one day.”

  Fitz helped him up, slinging his XM25 around his back. They both circled the front of the Rhino, Mo and Jan circling around the rear. What they saw was both reassuring and downright depressing.

  The leopard-creature was definitely dead, the left half of its face and skull missing. As Logan shambled closer, his vision waned from the after effects of the flashbang Jan threw. He shook his head and blinked heavily, slightly clearing up his sight.

  He then looked to the fence, inspecting the damage. This is what gave him the feeling of dread.

  The inner ring of the fifteen-foot high chain-link fencing was damaged beyond repair, a hole large enough to drive through, blown into the section the leopard now laid in. Thankfully, the outer ring of fencing, this one measuring ten feet in height, was still intact. The leopard’s girth had been propelled through the inner while laying up against the outer. At least the razor wire at the top is still intact. He knew it didn’t really matter, but at least they knew where to concentrate their fire when the next attack came. And there would be another one. He knew that for a fact. They’d seen it on the some of the cameras.