Geordie grabbed a handful of her blouse and hauled her upright. The mass of stone creatures filled her vision again, but this time Kramer had hope. Geordie began shooting, controlled bursts that dropped goblins and wraiths where they stood. Kramer ran to Tom. He’d got his handgun out now but didn’t know where to shoot first.
“Move,” Kramer shouted, pushing him forwards. Over her shoulder, she shouted, “Geordie, the pub.”
The few surviving scientists and soldiers saw Kramer and Geordie shooting their way through the mass of bodies and rallied to them. The stone army seemed to sense danger and a gap opened. Kramer pointed at the pub, and the dozen or so survivors ran with them. Kramer rolled over a dry stone wall into the pub garden. She came back up as the others followed her. They crashed to the ground like runners in the Grand National. She levelled her sub-machine gun across the wall and shot the closest creatures to pieces. Geordie hopped the wall in last place, the biggest grin in the world on his face.
“This is more like it,” he said as he dropped into position alongside her.
“You reckon?” Kramer gave him a sidelong look of disbelief.
“Yeah. All that sitting around in a desert was driving me fucking barmy. I like a bit of action.”
“Well you’ve got it in spades,” Kramer said as a wraith swept towards them, all fluid sand and flint claws.
Geordie and Kramer killed it, but the attack gave others a chance to close.
“Inside,” Geordie said.
They retreated across the pub garden, firing controlled bursts at anything that dared come over the wall. The scientists were milling at the entrance to the pub, not sure what to do.
“What are you hanging around out here for?” Geordie bellowed.
He kicked the closest egghead up the behind and the others piled through the door to escape the crazy soldier. Inside the room opened out to show the main bar. Tables were spaced evenly around the room. Kramer didn’t like the look of all the windows, nor the other entrance she could see diagonally opposite her.
“Tough place to defend,” she said as Geordie shut and bolted the door.
“Yeah.” Geordie took a look at the frightened faces before them. He pointed at Tom. “You, go lock that other door.”
Tom ran and did as he was told as Kramer hustled the others into the centre of the room. The bar ran down the length of one wall and she had a sudden urge to pour herself a pint and knock it all back. Instead, she said to the group, “Okay, civilians go behind the bar and get down on the floor. Soldiers, I need to know what weapons and ammunition you have.”
The group sorted itself out and Kramer found herself looking at Tom and two other soldiers, one male and one female. “Names?”
“Greg.”
“Katy.”
“Weapons?”
“Nothing,” Greg said. “We were on gopher duty for the scientists.”
“I’ve got this.” Tom showed his Glock 17 standard issue pistol.
“Ammo?”
“One spare clip.”
“Jesus,” Kramer said, her word punctuated by the shattering of glass as a goblin tried to force its way through a window.
Geordie destroyed it with a head shot.
“We could call for help,” Katy said. She held out her personal role radio.
Kramer grabbed it from her. “It’s not so much help as warning others that these things have come through with us. Why aren’t you better armed?”
“Direct orders from the top,” Tom said. “The brass didn’t want this to become some militarised zone. We are essentially here to aid civilians in their research.”
“You’d make a good bleedin’ officer,” Geordie said as he came over. “Talking the talk like that.” He shook his head in disgust and said to Kramer, “There’s still some of those things hanging around outside, but the others have all buggered off. I reckon they’re looking for easier prey than us.”
“I’ll warn them,” Kramer said as she brought the radio up to her lips. “All units, all units, be advised there are hostile elements loose in the village. Any unarmed personnel are to take cover. Armed personnel are to intercept the hostiles and shoot to kill. I repeat there are hostile elements loose in the village. If you are unarmed, you must evade and hide.”
“They won’t be able to do much,” Tom said. “There are only half a dozen guys like me with Glocks. All the assault rifles are locked away in the stores.”
“You’re kidding me?” Kramer said.
“No, ma’am.”
“Let me guess,” Geordie said. “Orders from the top.”
None of the soldiers replied because the radio crackled into life and they heard a male voice say,
“This is Victor One. Unit making emergency broadcast, identify yourself.”
Kramer looked at Tom. “Victor One?”
“Lieutenant-Colonel Stanton.”
“This is Joanne Kramer,” she replied.
“Kramer?” he sounded shocked. “Why was I not informed you were back?”
“We were kind of busy,” Kramer said. “When Geordie and I came through we brought a bunch of goblins and wraiths with us.”
“A bunch of what?”
“Goblins and wraiths,” she repeated. “And they are hostile. We already have a number of casualties at the site of the Anomaly. My warning was to let others know the situation.”
“I’m sure we can handle this without you throwing everyone into a panic,” Stanton said.
“Sir, with all due respect you need to open up your stores and arm as many soldiers as you can with assault rifles. Their Glock pistols will be as much use as a pop-gun against these creatures.”
Stanton’s voice came back at her, “Respect is the last thing you have ever shown me, Captain Kramer. I have already filed complaints about your insubordination which should have you back in the United States sooner rather than later. It’s just a pity I couldn’t have your access to this village blocked before you and that foolish young man you think so much of arrived.” He paused for a second or two before adding. “All units this is Victor One, disregard the previous message from Captain Kramer. I will be personally assessing the situation and will update as necessary. Until then continue with your duties as required.”
Kramer stared at the radio and then at Geordie, her mouth open in shock.
“What a fucking idiot,” Geordie said.
As Kramer brought the radio back up to reply the main door into the pub blew open, and two goblins stormed inside. The line of scientists behind the bar screamed. The sound distracted the goblins and gave Kramer and Geordie a chance to shoot them down. But the pub had been breached. More figures forced their way in through the door and then glass shattered as more attackers came in through the windows.
Kramer didn’t know which way to turn. She shoved the radio back at Katy, but the girl dropped it and then Tom began shooting as Geordie ran towards the door. A wraith came in through one window and launched itself at Tom. He fired five times before the creature hit him. Katy screamed at Tom’s head snapped back. Kramer saw a ribbon of blood break free of the soldier’s neck. She fired into the side of the wraith and it broke apart, cascading to the floor. Kramer shoved Katy and Greg towards the bar. She knelt next to Tom. His empty eyes staring up at her.
“Jo!”
Geordie’s warning saved her. A two-headed wolf launched itself from the window sill at her. She rolled beneath its flight. The wolf landed on Tom’s body; stony claws tore into the soft flesh of the squaddie’s abdomen as it turned to attack again. Kramer blew one head off and dived left as the wolf pounced. It landed short, disoriented by the loss of one brain. Kramer turned it to dust. She heard Geordie firing again and as she came to her feet saw the last of the goblins die, pinned to the fireplace by a three-round burst.
Kramer heard someone weeping behind the bar. Geordie gave her a thumbs-up as he pushed the door closed as best as possible. Kramer wiped some of Tom’s blood from her face as she searched for the radio. S
he found it crushed and broken under the remains of the wraith.
Geordie hustled back across the room and said, “There’s maybe six or eight of those things outside. They look like they’re getting ready for another assault.”
“Radio’s screwed.” Kramer gave it a kick.
“It was a pointless conversation anyway,” Geordie said, with a shrug. “What d’you reckon about this place?”
“Upstairs.” Kramer pointed to a sign that said there was more dining area available if anyone wanted to follow the arrow up the carpeted flight of stairs.
“Defend the high ground?” Geordie asked.
“Something like that, and hope there are people left to rescue us when all this is over.”
“We could always call for help.”
“The radio’s bust,” Kramer said.
“I expect one of this lot has got a mobile.”
“What and we call nine-one-one?”
“Not around here,” Geordie said.
“What do you mean?”
“We use nine-nine-nine,” Geordie said. “No, I was thinking you could call your boyfriend.”
“Scarrett?”
“Yeah, why not? You do know his number, don’t you?”
***
Alec Stanton stared hard at his adjutant as the radio in his hand remained silent.
Major Clive Walker pursed his lips in thought before he said, “Looks like you were correct, sir.”
The Major never ventured much of an opinion that didn’t agree with whichever senior officer stood closest to him. He said nothing else, waiting for a comment from Stanton that he could agree with. Walker nodded as the Lieutenant-Colonel said,
“I can see now why it all went tits up in Darlford. She’s obviously a very highly strung young woman. I’ll admit she may have had a trying time these last few days when she found herself stranded in an alternate world but operating a shoot-on-sight policy makes accidents likely to happen.”
“So what do you want to do now?” Walker asked.
“I’d like to ignore her, but unfortunately we’ll need to risk assess the situation.”
“So shall I open stores and pass out some SA-80s?”
“Of course not.” Stanton shook his head. “Find a driver, and we’ll make a tour of the village. Your Glock should do the trick if there are any of these so-called ‘hostiles’ around.”
“Yes, sir.” Walker gave him a smart salute and headed out of the office.
Stanton retrieved his uniform jacket and beret. Joanne Kramer came highly regarded by some, but they were obviously easily impressed by a CV that had little more than a few year’s worth of service records and a mass shoot-out in a village written in it. Stanton didn’t oppose women in the services as such, some made excellent officers and enlisted personnel, but there came a limit to their involvement in front line duties. He put it down to emotional instability. His ex-wife had been a perfect example. Sure, she seemed a strong independent woman on the surface but one little miscarriage, and she fell apart like a wet newspaper. Divorce had been Stanton’s only option as soon as she took the overdose. He couldn’t afford to have a wife like that holding him back as he worked his way up the Army career ladder.
Now consider Moira. There was an example of a strong, sexually adventurous woman who would look perfect on his arm at any ball or officer’s day parade. Stanton paused before leaving his office. Moira’s image filled his mind, naked of course. He shook himself. Best not think about that now. He had duties to attend to.
Outside the wind had freshened from the north-west. It brought clouds that threatened rain. Stanton wondered if the rain would clear that odd mist he always encountered on the way to visit Moira. Which brought his thoughts around to the beautiful woman who had stolen his heart. He could almost feel her smooth, tender skin under his fingers. The way her body reacted to his touch. Her warmth.
“No,” he said, surprising himself at the sound of his voice.
The distraction of Walker arriving in a Land Rover driven by a young private came as a relief to him.
“You okay, sir?”
“I’m fine, Clive. Let’s get on.”
“A quick sweep around the village, Harrison,” Walker said to the driver.
“Yes, sir.”
Stanton sat in the rear compartment of the Landy and listened with half an ear as Walker described the route he wanted Harrison to take. They would take the road down passed the harbour and then follow it up as if they were heading out towards the A30 before cutting a loop in front of the local primary school and popping out in the lane beside the church. That would give them a good view of the Anomaly before they came back down to their temporary headquarters at the chandlers.
Despite only looking about eighteen-years-old with his pale skin and acne, Harrison drove the army vehicle with accomplished skill. Stanton let his body rock to the motion as Harrison threw Landy around some tight Cornish corners. He zoned out, thinking about Moira again. Her nails scraping on his back as her legs wrapped around him. Stanton hoped the smile on his face wasn’t visible in the mirrors for either the private or the major. Moira had got into his bloodstream like a drug. He’d have to tell her that. She was a drug and he was an addict. She’d laugh her sultry laugh and beckon him forward into an embrace that would lead to...
Bang!
The world turned over as the windscreen shattered. Loose items from the console smacked Stanton in the face as the vehicle rolled. He heard screaming, metal on asphalt as the Landy slid to a halt and Harrison, his face exposed to the road surface through the broken driver’s window as flesh stripped off in a long, bloody streak. They came to a halt. Harrison wept red tears as he struggled to undo his seatbelt. Walker seemed stunned. He twisted around and looked through hazy eyes at Stanton.
“Sir?”
“I’m fine,” Stanton released his harness and squatted on the inside framework. “Can you get out?”
“I think so.”
“Through your door is best. The front has too much broken glass. What happened anyway? I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Something hit us.”
“Another vehicle out on patrol?” Stanton asked as he shoved a door open and hauled himself up onto the side of the Land Rover. He looked around. He couldn’t see any other vehicle, only what looked like a mess of rubble and sand spread across the road.
Walker didn’t answer as he was on his hands and knees helping the injured Harrison out of the door. Stanton glanced away for a moment. The poor kid wouldn’t have acne problems for a while on one side of his face at least. He’d be lucky to have a face at all. Prepared for the worst, Stanton turned back and helped the private climb from the vehicle onto the road. The young man slumped down.
“I’ll put in a call for assistance,” Walker said. He hopped back up onto the Land Rover. “I’ll grab the first-aid kit as well.”
Stanton knelt next to Harrison and put his hand on the private’s shoulder. “Keep calm, Harrison. Help will be here soon.”
He heard a couple of deep thumps that rocked the Landy and glanced up. Walker remained in place, silhouetted against the sky. He seemed mesmerised by something.
“Sir?”
“What is it, Walker?”
“I think...”
Walker vanished, plucked from existence by a shadow that blotted out the clouds. Stanton looked up into a rough-hewn face dominated by a mouth laden with disjointed tusks. He swallowed bile. Blood spilled from the lips of the creature along with the lower half of Walker’s body. The thing grunted, filling the air around Stanton with the stench of death. A final bite and Walker’s legs tumbled down in a rain of blood and entrails. Stanton skittered backwards. The smell sickened him as the remains thumped onto Harrison. The kid stared at them with his one good eye. Pain, fear and the need to escape pushed the private onto his hands and knees. His movement drew the attention of the monster. A huge hand reached down and crushed Harrison’s spine as it lifted him up. Harrison hung as limp
as a dishcloth above the creature’s mouth. The hand released him, and he dropped like a tasty morsel between the blood streaked tusks.
Stanton ran.
He had no idea where to. He saw a row of grey, stone buildings and aimed for them. The brief thought of a weapon and a radio trickled through his brain but in all the static of fear that howled around inside his head he paid no heed to it. He stumbled through a rotting garden gate and hit the front door hard enough to jolt himself back to reality. Stanton looked back. The monster wrenched the Land Rover open as easily as opening a paper bag. It sniffed inside and then cast the wreck aside. Stanton sank to the doorstep. If he stayed still the thing might not see him. With any luck it would go in search of others to eat.
To eat.
Stanton couldn’t quite believe his thoughts. A man-eating ogre that seemed to be built from stone. And where did the blame for this lie? With Joanne Kramer, of course. She’d admitted it herself ‘when Geordie and I came through, we brought a bunch of goblins and wraiths with us’. Stanton began planning her court-martial. Gross negligence resulting in the deaths of military and civilian personnel would be a start.
Stupid bitch, with any luck she’ll end up getting eaten as well. At least that will save the cost of a court martial.
The thought gave him a reason to smile as the monster moved away, heading down the hill towards the harbour. Stanton waited, his head rattling along with the prosecution of Kramer. He came to his feet and walked back to the Landy. In the mess of blood he found Walker’s Glock. He cleaned it as best as possible and searched the wreckage for a radio but came up empty. He crawled out through the broken windscreen as the first sounds of faint gunfire reached him. Too late for any warning now.
Best thing is to evade any more of these monsters if I see them. I’ll head out to the perimeter of the exclusion zone and link up with the lads manning the road block. Then we can call in reinforcements and mount an effective rescue mission.
The Anomaly (Scarrett & Kramer Book 2) Page 18
