by Lowry, C. L.
“Keep driving, I got this,” Dannie said.
TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT!
The shots immediately dropped the beasts, as Dannie hung out the window and continued firing. Kyle honked the horn several times to get the women’s attention. They saw the rear passenger door of the Jeep open and immediately headed towards it.
“Get in. Get in,” Candice yelled while reaching her arm out the door.
Just as the women begin entering the Jeep, an army of beasts came from the area of the courtyard and began giving chase. Some of them were covered in the orange smoke. Kyle stood no chance advancing towards the beasts, so he slammed the Jeep in reverse.
TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT! TAT!
Dannie continued firing from the window, but he knew he didn’t have enough bullets to even make a dent in their numbers. “We have to get out of here right now,” one of the women barked. The rear passenger door was slammed shut, and Kyle reversed up the curb, allowing Dannie a clear aim at his targets. Spent AK rounds bounced off the passenger side of the Jeep as Dannie fired shot after shot at the beasts. It seemed as if three more emerged every time one went down. When his rifle locked back, Kyle grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in the Jeep. Kyle sped off in the opposite direction from which they originally came.
“Cover your ears,” one of the women yelled.
“What?” Candice asked.
BOOM!
CHAPTER 24
“Move, move, move.”
The troops ran for cover as the explosions continued. They were under enemy fire and had to retreat. Tossing grenades towards the insurgents brought them enough time to take cover and return fire. The rattle from the automatic rifle mimicked a typewriter as round after round was being fired towards a row of buildings that were approximately seven hundred feet away from their current location. A large explosion rocked the building, as troops posted in windows and others made their way to the rooftop.
“It’s going to be the northwest house of blue three. I copy, over.”
“Captain Quinn, I’m running low on ammo,” one of the troops yelled, trying his best to be heard over the gunfire.
“Huh?”
“I’m low on ammo,” he repeated, pointing to the empty magazines that were dropped by his knee.
“Just hold them off with whatever you have left. Air Support is on their way.”
The troops fired into the distance, trying their best to hit their targets. The rounds ricocheting off the brick building established the task was unaccomplished. The enemy continued firing on the troops. Unable to determine their exact location, the troops reloaded and continued the blind assault. Puddles of sweat formed under the shooters as they tried to maintain cover. Giving up their exact location would be a fatal mistake, and their enemies were waiting for the opportunity to kill on behalf of their country. A mixture of gunpowder and brick residue filled the air and subsequently the lungs of the troops that were panting heavily, inhaling as much air as they could. The only thoughts crossing most of their minds were their families back home. That was more than enough motivation to push them to stay alive.
“Captain I’m out. I’m out of ammo,” one of the troops complained. Captain Quinn removed an extra magazine from his battle belt, tossing it to the young man who began panicking out of fear. The roar of an approaching aircraft forced everyone to look up. The sight of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle soaring through the sky gave the troops an extra boost of confidence. They continued firing, demanding the attention of their adversaries while the F-15E prepared for an air-to-ground strike. Gunfire was no longer being fired at the ground troops but was now aimed at the clouds as enemy forces targeted the approaching aircraft. GBU-28s dropped from the sky and onto the intended targets. The explosions shook the earth and turned the row of buildings into a massive pile of rubble. Cheers erupted from the rooftop as the troops watched the debris crumble to the ground. Without the airstrike, there is no telling what would have happened to the soldiers. The position they were in was not ideal, especially with the shortage of ammunition. Although everyone was cheering, Captain Quinn’s head was still on a swivel; he didn’t underestimate anyone or any situation. He knew the moment they let their guard down and got comfortable; they would become vulnerable. With a wife and daughter depending on him to return home, he stayed focus rather than joining in the celebration.
“Bravo Team, let’s move,” he ordered, jumping in the stack as his team worked their way back into the building and down the staircase. The troops moved swiftly down each step but halted when they came across a grave discovery. “Why are we stopped?” Captain Quinn asked, pushing through the tight formation. His heart skipped a beat once he finally got to the front of the stack. Seeing as though each troop on the roof was accounted for, the assumption was made that the soldiers that were posted in the windows were inside celebrating their small victory. No distress calls were relayed over the radio, so he had no reason to believe otherwise. That was until they came across the body, sprawled out on the steps. It was the body of one of his troops. A gaping hole in the soldier’s face exposed where the enemy fire had hit him. Warm liquid began to fill Captain Quinn’s eyes, and he tried his best not to let them fall from his face. He wanted to stay strong at that moment. Strong for the man he just lost and the surviving members of his team. His knee struck the ground as he lowered his body, getting closer to the fallen soldier. Despite knowing the soldier was deceased, he still wanted to pay his respects. “God bless you brother.” The soft whisper was gentle, intended only for the person he kneeled before, but the words echoed off the crumbling brick walls. Shaking hands was a clear sign of nervousness, which was the case for Captain Quinn. Reaching around the soldier’s neck to remove his dog tags seemed like an impossible feat. Blood soaked through the tactical gloves, causing the chain to slip through his fingers. The dripping gloves went flying across the room, after being ripped off. His hands continued shaking, but they didn’t prevent him from performing the task he had done many times before. Separating the clasp made it easy to slide it from around the neck. With the focus on the actions of Captain Quinn, the troops never noticed someone was watching them through the window. They were exposed and didn’t even realize the vulnerable position they put themselves in.
BOOM!
CHAPTER 25
“What the hell was that?” Candice asked, still rattled from the massive explosion. Glass from the shattered rear windshield dangled from her hair.
“That was a good amount of C-4,” one of the women answered. Each occupant in the Jeep was trying to piece together the events that just took place. It was the first time any of them had encountered such a large number of creatures. Although it appeared the colossal blast took care of the beasts, some questions still needed to be answered.
“Seeing as though you too got your grand entrance out the way, do you mind telling us who you are?” Kyle asked.
“Well, I am Cierra, and this is one of my partners, Amanda.”
“What were you doing in that courtyard?”
Amanda looked over at Cierra, wondering if they were at liberty to tell the strange group about their mission. Although their discrete display of concern went unnoticed by the rest of the group, Kyle noticed it right away. He slammed on the brakes, causing the rear passengers to jerk forward. He turned and looked back at the women. First, they noticed the grimacing expression on his face and then the small handgun he had pointed in their direction. Cierra repositioned her body and attempted to lean out of the path of the gun, which was pointless because before she knew it Dannie’s rifle was up and ready to be used.
“Don’t make me have to ask again. What the fuck were you doing in the courtyard?”
“We are researchers. We belong to a group called The Association—“
Kyle’s gun was now pressed against Cierra’s forehead. Any more pressure on the trigger and her brains would be blown out the back of the Jeep. “Get your fuckin’ hands up,” Kyle orde
red; remembering the boy they left back at the house referenced The Association. The women raised their hands in the air and before they knew what was going on, they felt hands fondling their bodies. Candice wasted no time patting the strangers down and confiscating their weapons. “We know all about your little group and all the pain you cause.”
“Pain? What do you mean?”
“Don’t play dumb buttercup,” Dannie interjected. “You guys do nothing but go around killing helpless people. You are bullies.”
“Oh no, you have it all wrong. The Association doesn’t kill anyone; we help people.”
“So what are these for?” Candice asked, showing the women the guns that were taken from them.
“Protection,” Amanda blurted. “We have those to protect us while we are on our research missions.”
Candice sucked her teeth. “This is ridiculous, we — we have seen it with our own eyes. Members of your association have slaughtered people. Innocent people.” She watched the words that came out her mouth, not knowing what type of response they would receive if they disclosed they were almost victims of The Association’s brutal attacks. That tad bit of information would raise suspicions, and it wouldn’t be long before someone would realize the group was responsible for the deaths of several members of The Association.
“I don’t know where these crazy allegations are coming from, but I promise you we are a friendly group. We take stragglers in and allow them into our community to rebuild what we all have lost. All we want to do is restore our city. Let us take you there,” Amanda insisted.
“Hell no,” Dannie blurted out. “We ain't going nowhere with yall.”
“Ok wait just a minute,” Kyle said, thinking about the resources and supplies The Association was probably in possession of. The group was running on fumes and needed a safe place to stay for a while. “Do they have water and food?”
“Yes and plenty of it. We catch rainwater, and we scavenge for food. The Association sends out small groups, and they search for food. You guys would be a great fit for us. Especially with all those moves you just showed off.”
“Oh yeah, what exactly were you doing out there?”
“We were investigating a lead we received about a possible habitat for those creatures. One of our groups stumbled upon it a while ago, and we were sent to conduct research. There were supposed to be around ten creatures that linger around, and we were going to study them. That’s when hundreds of them suddenly surrounded us.”
“And we lost two members of our research team. One of them I’m sure you saw with your own eyes,” Cierra added.
The new information hit Kyle and the others like a MAC truck. They all looked around at each other because they could hear the honesty in the women’s’ testimonies. They have to be telling the truth. If they are then why were members of the organization slaughtering people? Kyle was so confused about the organization he had grown to hate in such a short period of time. He still remembered the face of the women who orchestrated the attack on his home, which ultimately led to the death of his wife and daughter. Her dark skin, the large afro, the broken sunglasses, and the disregard for innocent lives. He remembered her all too well. The pain inside his heart still burned and Kyle still wanted revenge. The last thing he wanted to do was jump to conclusions, seeing as though he actually watched the hefty man be ripped to shreds moments before the explosion. Despite witnessing the gruesome attack, he wasn’t done with Amanda and Cierra. “Well, we still need to know what the hell happened out there. What type of research was it? What was up with all that orange smoke? And where the hell did you get those explosives?”
The women looked at each other once more, and Amanda let out a deep sigh. Between their near death experience with the beasts and now having guns pointed at them during an interrogation, they were ready to break down. Tears began to trickle down their eyes as they began to ponder about the details that led up to the explosion. Amanda let out a loud sob as the waterworks began. Cierra wrapped her arm around Amanda and pulled her partner in close. “One of the members of our team that didn’t make it was Amanda’s brother. He’s the one that set off the explosives.” The expressions on everyone’s faces quickly changed and sympathy worked its way into their hearts. “We were sent out to monitor the area and the creatures because something was attracting so many of them to that specific area for some reason. Once they all popped up Amanda’s brother got hurt and couldn’t move his leg. He told us to run because he was going to blow the place. The large smoke you saw came from gas canisters he released to attract the beasts towards him, in the center of the courtyard. That orange gas usually attracts the beasts, but once they saw us running, they came after us. The explosion was to ensure none of those things made it out alive. We need to take our land back.”
“So what do you think attracted so many of them to that spot?” Candice asked. She rested her hand on Amanda’s leg. Seeing as though she was on the verge of losing her boyfriend once before, she couldn’t imagine the pain Amanda felt.
“We aren’t completely sure because we didn’t have much time at the site before the ambush. I’m sure The Association will send out another team to research whatever is left back there.”
“Ok, you’ve given us the answers we wanted,” Kyle said. He did not feel the need to continue the interrogation after listening to every detail about the mission seeing as though Amanda would be reliving the moments of her brother’s death. “Where would you like us to drop you off?”
“Drop us off?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, our van was probably destroyed in the blast, and we need to get back to The Association.”
“I don’t think we’ll be able to do that.”
“Why not? It’s too far to walk, especially with these beasts roaming around. Come with us.”
“No, we can’t do that.”
“I’m telling you its ok. They will accept you with open arms.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Trust me; they will. Where else are you going to go? We have food, shelter, security, doctors, teachers, and much more. You don’t have to sleep on the streets anymore; you can become one of us.”
Kyle cut his eye at Dannie, who had his gun lowered, and then looked at Candice and Marcus. He no longer wanted to be responsible for the group. Anything that happened to them would be more weight on his shoulders. Jacqui lived to help people, and he thought by dragging them along, he would be fulfilling out her purpose. Kyle had nothing to provide the group, in terms of resources. He had only knowledge, instincts, and survival tactics. Although Candice and Marcus picked up some of his habits, it was time to separate himself from the group. The Association would be able to provide them with everything they needed to survive. They wouldn’t have to look over their shoulders at night any longer. Deep down inside, he knew they would or wouldn’t approve of his decision, but it was best for him at the moment. He didn’t completely trust The Association and couldn’t form an alliance with the organization that has caused him so much pain. To avoid a confrontation with the group, he planned to dip out and leave them after they were settled in their new home. “Ok, we are headed to The Association,” Kyle announced.
CHAPTER 26
“Agh,” Benny shouted as blood poured from the deep wounds on his left arm. He felt the force from the beast’s swipe during their encounter but never realized the claws had dug into his skin. Rob raced through the abandoned cars that filled the streets as he worked his way back to The Association. Once there, The Association would have their medical staff at the camp tend to Benny’s injury. The speedometer was right at a hundred miles an hour, as Benny’s excruciating screams made Rob floor the gas pedal, in an attempt to save his friend’s life. Benny’s vision began to blur as he began to dip in and out of consciousness.
“Hold on Buddy; we’re almost there.” Those words of encouragement fell on deaf ears, and Rob didn’t receive a response. He glanced back to see Benny’s eyes rolling to the back
of his head. Two swift smacks to the face brought Benny back to consciousness, and he began coughing. “Come on man, you better not die on me.” Benny didn’t mutter a word, but his grunts and groans were enough for Rob to feel confident about his chances of survival.
The Mercury came to a screeching halt as they reached The Association’s territory. Rob had to drive slowly knowing that approaching at a high rate of speed would be the perfect reason for the exterior guards to open fire on the vehicle. Rob honked the horn four times, activated the windshield wipers, and flickered his lights, a code that only certain members of The Association were privy to know. The front gate slid open, and he pulled right in.
“You dare return here without my guns or creatures,” Micah yelled as he approached the vehicle alongside a crew of ten men.
“I can explain,” Rob replied, exiting the Mercury with his hands raised in the air.
“Start explaining!” Micah pressed a shotgun against Rob’s chest.
“It was Dale. Dale turned on us. We found the guns and the creatures, but Dale took everything. He tried to kill us, but we fought him off. Benny got injured. He’s in real bad shape.”
Creases spread across Micah’s forehead as he heard the bad news. He glanced past Rob, once he heard the faint groans coming from the sedan. Micah saw Benny and his bloodstained shirt. “Get him out of there and over to the nurses,” Micah ordered. Rob quickly turned and with the assistance of three other men, lifted Benny from the vehicle and carried him over to a triage area, a few feet from the customized medical building. Although it was hard for Benny to say a word, he never took his eyes off Rob. He would have never agreed to lie on Dale and basically sign his friend’s death certificate. There was no way Micah wasn’t going to send a crew to go after Dale, especially if he knew that Dale was tucked away in that small room. Rob avoided all eye contact with Benny as they hoisted his bloody body onto a gurney.
