The Pilot

by Michael Cole

  CHAPTER

  34

  The clouds thinned as the storm finally passed over the island, allowing the morning sun to pierce the atmosphere. The canopy was a luminous gold as the trees took in the sunlight. The winds died down to a gentle breeze, reducing the squirming jungle back to its normal tranquility.

  Mud squished under Seymour’s boots as he led the team southwest. A thick, misty fog covered the forest floor, inhibiting his vision. It was like walking through the clouds, only these clouds were nearer to Hell than Heaven. Rain water dripped from the trees in a steady drizzle, as though the rainfall hadn’t ceased.

  The journey through the island had been long and tense. Fighting against the elements, while consistently being on the lookout for creatures all-in-all was a mental and physical strain. Mud, grit, and slime had completely covered their gear and uniforms, adding over twenty pounds to each person. The fog and humidity thickened the air, making the simple act of breathing a task in itself.

  It was nothing Seymour wasn’t trained for. He not only had trained to survive the elements, but to embrace them. Terrie had similar training, though she wasn’t as conditioned to them as Seymour. She was more used to desert conditions as opposed to tropical.

  Hawk lagged the most. Her soaked uniform felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds, and her breathing almost felt like waterboarding. Years of lab work and pencil pushing had greatly diminished her training and conditioning from her military experience. Though she didn’t complain, she couldn’t mask her fatigue. Breathing in and out her mouth, she was slouching with each step, momentarily leaning on each tree she passed. Her face was as drenched as her uniform from both sweat and rain.

  Seymour led them through the thick fog, hacking vines and leaves out of his way. All night long he kept the flamethrower pointed, ready to singe any creature they might come across. The mist began to take on a golden sparkle, as the morning sun’s rays were breaking through jungle exterior. They were nearing the coast.

  Seymour moved around a large bamboo bush, then observed the path. There was a clearing ahead. Seeing the black, murky area, Seymour knew that it was not a natural gap. The vile smell confirmed it for him. They had arrived at a nest site.

  It was the first nest that they discovered. It was an indication they were near the harbor. For Seymour, it was also an indication for danger. He quickly debated the options in his mind. He thought of moving around the nest and continuing to the harbor. Doing so, they would risk ambush, not just in moving toward the harbor, but in waiting for Charlie. Another option would be to attack first, and flush out the enemy.

  Having grown sick of surprises, attacking first was the more appealing plan. With the nozzle pointed, he slowly approached the gravesite. Hawk looked toward the decay.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Shh,” Seymour hissed. He placed his finger on the trigger, then rushed in. It only took seven or eight running steps to close the distance. He yelled as he stopped at the edge, trigger halfway depressed.

  The area was dark and silent. No creatures moved about in the area. Seymour looked at the forest of pods. The hosts from which they grew had been reduced to black piles of mush. Hawk and Terrie stepped alongside Seymour and gazed at the dead-zone.

  Like onion peels, the sides of several of the pods had curled downward in over a dozen separate strands. They were empty, except for a pool of the black, slimy substance that leaked into the surrounding forest.

  “Good lord,” Terrie muttered. It was clear that the creatures they stored had hatched free.

  “Where are they?” Hawk said.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if these were among those that attacked us last night,” Seymour said. He stepped further into the nest, passing numerous pods. There were over thirty, all of which were hatched. He finally stopped. “If they wanted to ambush us, they’d do it here.”

  “Why haven’t we seen any?” Terrie asked. She looked to Hawk, who shrugged her shoulders.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “One thing’s for sure, we haven’t killed them all.”

  “Not by a long shot,” Seymour said. “For all we know, they’re all over this damned island. It’s like they’re deliberately…” he trailed off, slightly tilting his head to listen. Terrie and Hawk remained quiet, listening carefully. At first, all they could hear was the tide splashing in. Hawk shook her head.

  “I don’t hear…wait…” she stopped. A slight droning sound took over. It was mechanical, coming from above. Plane engines!

  In unison, they turned east and ran, brushing through the terrain for the nearby coast. The sunlight grew brighter with each step, and the droning grew louder. The shore was a small ledge, lined with trees and various other plants. Stepping between two large trees, they looked out into the Pacific.

  “There!” Seymour pointed. Up in the sky, the ShinMaywa was gliding northbound, a half mile from the coast. It was gradually lowering its altitude, in the initial stages of preparing for a landing run. “What the hell is he doing?”

  “He’s flying north,” Terrie said. “Why would he…wait…” She turned to Seymour. “Didn’t he mention there was a flat plain to the north?” Seymour nodded, keeping his eyes on the ShinMaywa. “He might be landing there.”

  “But why there?” Hawk asked. “Why not just make landing at the harbor?”

  “Why is he coming here at all?” Seymour said. “I told him not to come here until we’ve contacted him.”

  “We’re over an hour overdue for a check-in,” Terrie said.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Seymour said. “He understood the situation. He wouldn’t have come in unless he was called. Only Ivan and I had the radios, and there’s no way…” he stopped and thought for a moment. “Ivan has the radio…” he muttered to himself. His mind flashed back to the firefight, how the creature manipulated Ivan’s vocals to lure them. He has the radio…and the transponder! He looked to the south, seeing the sunken ships near the peninsula. “Oh no,” he muttered.

  Looking at the ships, Hawk suddenly understood the danger. The creatures were luring the aircraft toward the island.

  “There’s a radio in the Zodiac!” Seymour shouted.

  They immediately took off running, quickly disappearing into the wilderness. Seymour was running fast, dodging obstacles as he hurried toward the peninsula, determined to get to the Zodiac before Charlie made his landing.

  ********

  As he came around to the north, Charlie steered the plane nearer to the island. He watched the jungle seemingly “move” underneath him like a film as he flew over it. He turned west, following the northern coast. He watched as the coastline changed from a vast tree line to a large rocky hill.

  Finally, he located a hole in the vast roof of trees. The plain was atop a large hill that overlooked the Pacific. It was made mainly of grass, which was a brighter green than the rest of the island. In the middle of it, he noticed a string of small buildings. Though he only saw them for an instant, it was clear they were very old and broken down. Charlie snickered to himself, realizing this plain was used to launch aircraft in WW2, and the buildings were maintenance shacks. The grass was surprisingly short, as though it had been recently trimmed. What, did they mow for me or something?

  Though Charlie preferred a water landing, the plain appeared flat enough. He flew over it, looking for any signs of the team.

  “This is Eagle Nest,” he said. “I’m preparing to make my landing.” There was no response. He glanced back to the computer. The transponder signal was still coming from somewhere in the plain.

  Maybe they’re in one of those old shacks? he thought to himself. He steered the plane to the north to circle back, preparing for his landing run.

  ********

  Seymour tucked his chin as he crashed through several thick bushes. The terrain acted as a never-ending blockade as he raced over several rolling hills. Every square foot of jungle was covered in roots and vines, which would easily snag on their feet
as they ran.

  Needing to lose the dead weight, Seymour tore his harness off and dropped the flamethrower in the muck. He continued running, followed closely by Hawk and Terrie. They moved over level ground for barely ten meters before the path slanted into a downward hill. The jungle thinned as they worked their way down.

  They reached the bottom of the hill and came up on the ravaged remains of the outpost and harbor. Seymour stopped to look out to the horizon. The ShinMaywa was no longer in view.

  “Hawk! Where’s the boat?” he shouted. Exhausted and out of breath, Hawk stumbled to catch up. Her lungs felt as though they were on the verge of exploding, resulting in Hawk clutching her side.

  “Come on,” she said. Pushing through the pain, she took the lead. Running past the choppers and building, she led the group into the next cluster of trees.

  ********

  The ShinMaywa began its approach. Charlie lowered the landing gear, and he lowered the plane’s altitude, carefully watching the meters. He pulled the throttle to reduce RPM, and lowered the nose.

  He crossed the threshold and pulled the throttle out completely. He pulled back on the control to keep the nose from dropping. The wheels made contact with the plain, resulting in a heavy bounce.

  Charlie looked ahead. He only had another three hundred yards to bring the plane to a stop.

  “Hold it steady,” he whispered to himself. As the aircraft leveled out on the ground, he pressed his feet to the pedals. The plane gradually slowed, jittering as it moved along the slightly uneven terrain. As it came to a stop, Charlie pulled the mixture knob, killing the engine.

  He stepped out and looked toward the old shacks, waiting for the team to step out. The doors were shut, and the windows were busted. So far, nobody was in sight. He lifted his portable radio to his mouth.

  “This is Eagle Nest, I’ve landed. Repeat, I’ve landed. Please embark.” He waited, and yet nobody arrived. “Fuck,” he muttered. He strapped his radio to his vest and held his rifle close.

  He started for the shacks.

  ********

  “It’s there!” Hawk shouted, leading the group into a small cove. Seymour dashed past her, seeing the Zodiac tucked underneath the reach of branches. He ducked underneath the low branches and climbed over the gunwale.

  He stepped up to the helm, and snatched the microphone extender.

  “Eagle Nest! Eagle Nest, come in!”

  ********

  “What the…” Charlie had just stepped out of the ShinMaywa when his portable radio started blaring. “Boss? I’m here where the hell are you guys?”

  “Where are you?”

  “The north plain,” he said. “You guys activated the transmitter.”

  “No, that wasn’t us! Take off! Take off immediately!”

  Charlie knew better than to question him. He turned and ran toward the plane. He hopped inside, shutting the door behind him. Taking his seat in the cockpit, he observed his surroundings to gauge his distances.

  He pushed the knobs in and started the engine. Moving the plane forward, he slowly circled to starboard to ready the plane into takeoff position.

  He was halfway through his circle when he glanced back toward the shacks. The doors were open.

  A loud thud hit the portside hull.

  What the hell? Charlie hit the brakes, stopping the plane. He stood up from his seat, and looked through the window. Another thud hit the hull directly beneath him.

  A loud slam caused him to look back into the cabin. He could see sunlight streaming in near the back. He stood up from his seat and approached. The cabin door had been opened.

  A loud hiss pierced his eardrums, prompting Charlie to snatch his H&K from the co-pilot seat. By the time he shouldered it, a greenish-grey figure climbed its way into the plane. The creature stood upright on two legs like a man. Mandibles flailed from its face, and each digit on both three-fingered hands bent back, exposing rounded palms. Flesh folded back like flaps as pointed barbs protruded from the palms.

  The creature screeched and rushed through the cabin toward him.

  “Holy Christ!” Charlie yelled, squeezing the trigger. The gun blasted at full-auto, sending over a dozen rounds into the creature’s torso. Chunks of exoskeleton burst from its chest and abdomen, spilling gallons of orange blood. The creature screamed and fell back. It twitched as it lay in the pool of bubbling fluid.

  Charlie’s eyes were wide open, his breath nearly driven from his lungs. He kept the gun pointed at the corpse as he recovered from the sudden burst of adrenaline and shock.

  A shadow overtook the cabin entry. Another hiss filled the air, as another creature climbed its way in. Charlie yelled as he pointed the gun and fired. Several rounds ripped through the creature’s head. Its body slumped to the floor, partially hanging out the cabin entrance. Charlie ran through the cabin to shut the door. He stepped over the first dead creature, splattering its blood over his boots. With a hand on the door, he pressed his boot against the second creature to push it clear from the doorway.

  His eyes turned to the landscape. The plain had come alive, with over two dozen creatures scurrying toward the plane like ants. Some were humanoid, while others had an insect-like appearance. Charlie shrieked and pulled the door shut.

  A beast leapt into the frame, blocking the door. Charlie fell backward, hitting a nearby gunrack. Laying against the wall, he pointed his rifle toward the creature. The beast jolted with the repeated blasts, as though it were having a seizure. Its body slumped against the floor, only to be pulled backward by more creatures.

  “Holy….” Charlie yelled as he scrambled to his feet. He reached for a fresh weapon on the gun rack, only to jump away as an arachnid creature scurried toward him. Its pointed limbs clanged against the metal floor. Tentacle appendages unfolded, wet barbs protruding from the tips. Charlie scampered backward, throwing anything he could at the creature. He grabbed a metal box from the shelf and launched it. It broke against the creature’s head and fell to the floor, scattering its contents.

  Charlie backed into the cockpit, finally pulling his pistol from its holster, immediately shooting a round off which skimmed the creature’s back. Clasping the gun with both hands, Charlie focused his aim. Several rounds burst into its head, splattering innards onto the cabin floor.

  Still holding his pistol, Charlie sat at the controls, immediately throttling the plane forward for a fast takeoff. The ShinMaywa continued its semicircle as it turned to face outward.

  Thumps rattled throughout as the creatures climbed onto the hull. Humanoids leapt onto the nose, and onto the windshield. Several creatures mounted onto the starboard wing, causing the plane to slightly tilt. Charlie was now blind, steering with uneven weight distribution.

  Metal clanging from the cabin caused him to look behind him. Several creatures had boarded the vessel and were now storming the cabin. In an automatic reaction, Charlie sprung from his seat, letting go of the steering as he pointed his gun toward the horde. He fired several rounds and closed the cabin door.

  The plane straightened its path from a semicircle, still rolling forward at increasing speed. Charlie emptied his pistol into the nearest creature. As he slammed a fresh mag in, a heavy jolt launched him back against the console.

  The wing had smashed into the shack, stopping the plane’s momentum. Charlie killed the throttle, then kicked the door shut. He looked around, seeing creatures climbing all over the plane. He pressed the radio transmitter.

  “BOSS! I’ve crashed! I’m trapped! They’re all over me! I’ve…”

  The door flung open, and creatures flooded the cockpit. Charlie turned, screaming as he fired several rounds into the crowding horde. The nearest arachnid beast rammed its bulk into him like a rhinoceros. Charlie fell back hard against the controls, the impact shaking the gun from his hand.

  Charlie looked up, seeing the tentacles unfold. He screamed. The tentacles lashed down, driving both barbs into his stomach. The scream turned to a brief gurgle as all control wa
s taken from Charlie. Fluid spilled from his lips, and every muscle became rigid, immobilizing him completely.

  He slid from the console, and slumped to the floor, as the embedded tentacles pulsed.

  The Pilot walked amongst its army, approaching the plane. The starboard wing had crashed into the guard shacks, severely damaging the rudders. It would require repair before departure. It was nothing the Pilot couldn’t handle.

  It entered the cabin entryway. The spawn vacated the cockpit, making way for their leader. The Pilot walked the length of the aircraft to the cockpit, intending to inspect the primitive design. As it walked, its foot knocked over the fallen metal container. Its flap opened, exposing the flare gun it contained.

  CHAPTER

  35

  “Son-of-a-bitch! Goddamnit!” Seymour yelled, repeatedly slamming the mic down onto the Zodiac’s console. He could hear Charlie’s scream over the radio as he was overwhelmed. Like a man possessed, he struck the helm and the dashboard.

  “Seymour!” Hawk called out in an attempt to calm him down. Seymour ripped his H&K from its strap and threw it to the floor, and kicked the seat before finally stopping. He looked to Terrie, who had turned away to hide her distress. Like Seymour, she was overcome with grief and anger. “Seymour!” Hawk called to him again.

  “WHAT?” he shouted. Hawk hesitated a moment. Seymour stormed off the zodiac. In a whirlwind of anger, he lost all patience. “Spit it out!”

  “W-We have to stop it,” Hawk’s voice croaked. “It’s going to use your plane to escape. It’s gonna get off the island.” Seymour stared at her. He shook his head in disgust and walked past her. Hawk followed him with her eyes. “We have to stop it.”

  Seymour swiftly turned around. “WE?” He marched toward her. “It was YOUR man who let that thing out. Not us! We were here to eliminate the Koreans. We were not hired to go to war with an alien! You’re the one who’s been lying to us this whole time. YOU got my men killed. You and that goddamned agency!”