An aircraft roaring overhead eclipsed the sounds of the creatures. All three instinctively glanced skyward, but only for an instant as the team refocused their attention to the problem at hand. Logan battled the creatures coming at them from the hallway as Andy now engaged the hordes, coming up the stairs in even greater numbers.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mia cursed as she yanked the cyclic to the right, turning the VTAL in a sharp bank towards the shores of the dead city; the Radio Building directly on her nose only visible through her night vision remained a black hole. No lights or flares lit it up as Logan promised. That could only mean one of two things. Either she was too late, or the team on the ground was preoccupied. As the VTAL raced toward the pier, her curses became expressions of astonishment. Through her night vision she saw not hundreds, but thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of DEVO’s converging on the structure all in lockstep; their typically rigid gait a relentless march against the building, enveloping it from every direction like the tide of the sea. The hordes extended as far as she could see into the streets, alleys and open areas.
Burning vehicles and buildings, dozens of each all around the perimeter indicated that a hellacious struggle had gone on below. Any objective assessment of the battled field would indicate that the DEVO’s carried the day, or night as it were.
Worsening Mia’s fear, there had been no answer on the sat phone. She thought about breaking radio silence, but that would alert both the authorities and the Outfits that she was on scene, the latter being the more pressing concern.
As she crossed the shore, Mia bled off airspeed and popped up to about 75 feet AGL, or feet Above Ground Level. Low enough for the aircraft to not be detectable from the ground clutter and sufficient to clear the parking lot light poles and any power lines that might be strung nearby. Racing past the building Mia banked hard to the left as she circled above the throngs of creatures below.
Slowing to about 40 knots to hold the tight circle, Mia took a moment to take in the scene below. It made her gasp; a massive hole was blown into the side of the building. Pale bodies were pouring into it in numbers that she could not even begin to estimate. Mia was familiar enough with the structure and the screeching mass of former humanity below her to know that the DEVO’s could not have done that. It must have been one of the Outfits, probably the Crewmen who ruled this part of the city.
“Where did they get the ability to do that?”
It wasn’t like they could have walked in between all the DEVO’s and placed some dynamite on the building, it had to be a standoff weapon. One they would only deploy for a good reason.
They must have known about the gold.
Mia trembled at the thought of them having something that could do that kind of damage. It was bad enough that their machine guns could bring down a VTAL, especially one circling in a predictable pattern at low level and at a slow speed.
Glancing to the roof, she could see it was empty. That could mean only one thing, Andy and his crew were inside that building with all those DEVO’s seeking them. Assuming they were still alive if they could get to the roof landing pad the things would soon be up there as well. Her eyes shifted to the handful of creatures who for whatever reason were now scaling the walls and would soon be on the roof. More, many more would follow now that they saw the VTAL. DEVO’s, as devolved as they were, still had some reasoning skills, or at least some of them did. Those that didn’t would follow regardless.
How long should she circle? How long before one of the Outfits got a bead on her? Were Andy and Logan and his Probie being devoured even now and well on their way to joining the things relentlessly marching toward the building, fighting one another to get through an opening far too small to accommodate their number.
***
“Where the fuck did that bird come from?”
It was a question for the cosmos as Graybeard’s stood on the darkened road alone; his crew remained down below. They thought he was crazy to go up on the street without a flare. But Graybeard knew better than they how the creatures operated. They were a herd animal. Once they massed and moved, they did so like a single body. Not that they wouldn’t feast on the big man, and every moment he remained on the street increased his risk exponentially when some lagging creature or others moving into the area caught his scent as would eventually happen.
DEVO’s were not ambush-animals, at least not in a practical sense. Once aroused they shrieked and clacked their teeth. Graybeard would hear them long before he saw one, or most importantly before one even got close.
As if on cue a shriek came from behind and to the right of him. Graybeard cast a bored look in that direction, not even bothering to raise up his shotgun with the street sweeper magazine attached. It was still a way off but would head his direction, as well as alert others. It didn’t matter, he needed to get closer to the Radio Building if he was going to get a shot at that VTAL.
Graybeard moved down into the sewer, locking the manhole cover above him. The sewers he and his Outfit used right in the middle of the Crewmen territory were typical of the ones used by the Outfits. The safe corridors had locking manhole covers as well as gates made of steel grating welded and bolted into them to keep the creatures out of those sections. UV lights from a crewman generator shining on the barricades kept the creatures from trying to force them open, something they could do given enough time.
The current main sewer was accessible to all the Outfits, and they all had keys to the periodic gates they came across and the manholes overhead. And thanks to the late Crewmen leader now they had keys to the Crewmen bunkers as well.
It had been uncharacteristically quiet down where the Crewmen should have been thickest. Yet other than Clayton and the two with him, Graybeard had not seen any of the rest of that Outfit, especially Haus. They did hear some vehicles racing around up top, and shooting. A lot of shooting. Graybeard wondered if they knew about the gold, since Clayton had everyone topside trying to get to that INFIL-rig.
It was the only explanation that the veteran Outfitter could come up with. Otherwise, these sewers would be teeming with Crewmen, no one goes topside at night and especially against a rig with a Vulcan without good reason.
Gold, a lot of it was the only thing that made sense to him. He needed to make sure he got to it before the Crewmen, or what was left of them did. He doubted even Haus would enter that building at night. Graybeard needed to have his team ready to go at first light. But in the meanwhile, he needed to take care of that VTAL. If it flew off with the gold or whatever portion they could take from the secret vault all his efforts these past few weeks would be for naught. More than that he would have just started a war with the Crewmen for nothing.
“Come on, let’s get moving. We don’t have much time.” The ATV took off as soon as he got in.
***
The ear-shattering noise of the gunfire and exploding rounds finally were muffled as Keith slipped on his helmet. Best of all he had his night vision back, although what he saw was as bad as what he could only hear a few seconds before. DEVO’s, a lot of them were piling into the hallway while even more were coming from the stairs below. Waiting for all his systems to synch, he watched as both Logan and Andy remained steady. Calmly engaging the creatures when enough of them justified expending their limited ammo or got close enough where there was no choice.
Watching both his team leader and teammate doing their jobs, Logan covering the hallway and Andy the stairs below, back to back made Keith feel ashamed. The only reason they were here, in this mess fighting to the last round was they had come to save him and David, and now just him. They raced to his rescue without regard to their own safety or even their lives, which he felt sure they would all eventually lose tonight. Each of them carried maybe 200 rounds. Even if they were uber efficient the 600 or so rounds between them could perhaps destroy 1000 creatures best case scenario, probably far less in the heat of battle. That was a lot to be sure, but not nearly enough.
Their M420 rounds would have l
imited use inside such a confined space and might make things worse by blowing holes into the walls giving the creatures a new route to get to them. They had a handful of hand grenades they could toss into some massing DEVO’s, but not nearly enough to matter. The few flares they would save to use as a blocking mechanism, keeping the things from following them at least until they burned out.
During all the simulation runs when he was put in a no-win situation the protocol was to fight to the last man and last round hoping that would be enough. The unspoken backup plan in everyone’s mind was that you would save the last round, or preferably grenade for yourself. Something you never did in a simulation, the idea being that you never let defeat enter the calculus of what was pure mortal combat. You looked for a way out, fighting to the end. Now with everything on the line would he fight to the last round or save one for himself? Looking at the screeching creatures, knowing that would be his fate after they tore the flesh from his body and ate him alive, easier now that he was only in his underwear. Keith now thought that he might use far from the last round for himself.
“Keith, are you up?” It was Andy’s voice in his headset.
“I’m golden.” He used Voracious Soldier slang that he copied Andy’s question and all systems were five by five.
“We’re moving to the roof. Keith, you take point. Logan, you follow. I’ll bring up the six.”
“You’re gonna have your hand’s full, man. We should fade back together!”
“Negative, Logan! I need you with Keith when you open the door to the roof. I’m going to drop a flare on the landing here, it will hold them back at the hallway and from below.” Four or five more DEVO’s racing up the stairs got blown apart with two well-placed rounds that Andy fired at the end of his transmission.
“Get some!” Logan laid waste to another half dozen in the hallway before turning and trailing Keith up the stairs. “Moving!”
Andy kept his back to Logan and Keith as he took a few steps up. Creatures were filling the hallway again, and more were coming up the stairs. Andy reached down into a cargo pocket and retrieved a round canister with his left hand. Gripping it by the spoon that would keep it from igniting until it was freed, he released the “jungle clip” that kept the safety pin from being accidentally snagged on something and dislodging it, like when moving through thick foliage, hence the name.
Once it was free, he inserted his right index finger into the pull-ring and yanked it off. Andy dropped the grenade to the landing floor as he rapidly backed up the stairs as a half dozen creatures or more converged on the landing from both the hallway and the stairwell below, their anguished faces and clacking teeth just two meters away now.
Their advance was brought to an abrupt halt when an instant later the flare ignited. Light, twice as bright as the sun lit up the space sending the screeching monstrous things either back down the hallway or retreating far into the stairwell below.
Until that flare burned out, no DEVO’s would pass or even come near that juncture, causing their numbers to get backed up and stalled outside the building. The things would search until they found another way inside, or go up the walls.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The driver slammed to a stop. A column of bright light flowed down the manhole opening in front of them. Squinting, Graybeard saw a lone figure quickly ambling down the ladder. As soon as the man spotted the caravan of ATVs, he yelled and gestured wildly towards them.
Graybeard got out and sauntered over to the individual who stepped off the last rung as he got there. Bleeding from some cuts on his head as well as scrapes on his arms he began talking quickly, saying something about injured people topside. The leather vest identified him as a member of the Crewmen.
Studying Graybeard, the man was at first confused. He thought it was Haus. But now was even more shocked to see the leader of a rival Outfit, along with most of his crew, the Day Breakers. It didn’t matter to the wounded man. He’d take any help he could get. When it came to killing DEVO’s, or the infiltration teams, they were all on the same side.
“I need some help! I need to go up and get some of my guys out before the flares go out and they come for them. There’s creatures everywhere man! Never seen anything like it. I dunno why those INFIL-rats came in this far so late, they got the DEVO’s riled up like I ain’t never seen. At least the largest bunch of them are at the Radio Building where the maggots went to hide, but there is a shit load of them still moving through this area.”
“Where’s your team, son?” Graybeard asked, sounding genuinely like he wanted to help.
“Just down the street. Our rig hit a DEVO road block, we tried to drive through it to get to a manhole that we could unlock from the street, but we lost control, and the rig flipped. I got one guy unconscious, and my driver is trapped.”
“What you got on the rig, weapons wise?”
“The mini-gun is out of ammo, but the 240 is still running.” The man answered, assuming that the older man wanted to know what he had to fight with up there.”
“Where are your other trucks?” Graybeard asked in a compassionate but direct tone. He was aware that rigs always went out in pairs, in case something like this happened, or there was a mechanical issue.”
“DEVO chow, man! Only reason we were up there was to save Haus and his guys. That INFIL-rig had a quad Vulcan that chewed the shit out of them, we lost fifteen guys just on the street when our armored bus got taken out at some roadblock even before that Vulcan spit holy hell.”
Fifteen. A third of the Crewmen. Graybeard tried to hide his elation, not that it mattered. The kid was in shock clearly, giving up info like that to a rival Outfit.
“And Haus and his guys, do you know if they were all taken out for sure?”
“Ain’t heard. All we know is their rigs got taken out by that Vulcan. We saw the carnage, and the DEVO’s feasting on bodies, man.”
“Any word from Haus?”
“No, sir. I’m afraid he got taken out with his guys, but the boss wanted us to keep searching and then to follow the rats best we can. They’re cornered now in the Radio Building; the boss must’ve blown a hole in it and now hopefully them maggots are having the flesh ripped from their bones.”
“Thanks, you’ve been an immense help. I’m sorry to tell you that Clayton didn’t make it, he’s gone, son. I’m running things down here now, be glad to have you on my Outfit but the choice is yours. Of course, you’d be back to being a prospect.” Graybeard said with a thoughtful grin that was real enough. If he could grow his ranks now, it would be in his interest.
The man, apparently confused and traumatized, gave a blank stare.
“Tell you what, why don’t you go back to our rigs and sit down a spell, get some water and get acquainted with some of the group. You think on it while we go topside and see if we can’t get your buddies down here with you, then you can all decide what you want to do, no pressure. In the meantime, you’ll be safe with us.”
“Thanks, boss,” the younger man said finally, relieved he was back down among the living. Graybeard knew he had him. The kid had little choice, and who knows he might be a real asset. He had just fought his way through a shit load of DEVO’s, more than the relatively untested members of his Outfit, that’s for sure.
“You four, topside with me and bring the flares!” Graybeard growled at the first ATV. The four men, two with “Prospect” patches looked at each other.
“You heard the boss. Hurry the fuck up!” Graybeard’s second in command barked. They moved out of deference to the big man, nearly the size of Graybeard and reportedly just as mean. They were more afraid of him and the boss than the DEVO’s. Besides, if he and the boss were going top side, then they would be as safe with both as anyone in that environment.
***
Keith and Logan were relieved that they were not facing a wall of pale chomping heads when the roof door swung open. They had emerged on the tower side, where the assorted antennas, satellite, and microwave dishes were locate
d. At the other end was the round VTAL pad, elevated above the rest of the roof by eight feet.
Logan and Keith nodded in sync. They moved through the door, swinging their weapons to the high ready.
“Clear,” both hollered in unison.
Andy joined them a moment or two later, filing up through their middle and taking up position in the center.
With their front clear, at least for the moment, they would not need to retreat into the stairwell, Andy shut the door wishing he had a way to jam it. Once that flare went out the DEVO’s would flood up those stairs and through it by the dozens and then hundreds.
Andy’s attention turned from the door to the parking lot; his night vision turning night into day.
“Holy hell.”
Andy had never seen so many DEVO’s gathered in a single place. There had to be thousands of them. For the first time, it sunk in how tenuous things were; the end game was on them now. There was no way they could defend up here, not for long anyway. Rappelling down was going to be tricky. He doubted they had enough flares to push back those numbers in a wide enough perimeter to reach the water. Going back into the building was not a good option, although they might live longer. Andy glanced at the countdown timer on the HUD in his face mask. The red number indicated -08.39. They had been in the DZ a little more than 3 hours since the sun went down with more than 8 and a half to go till the safety of sunrise.
In that short time, they had lost the JLTV, the gold and the safety of the Radio Building. They were surrounded by thousands of DEVO’s and an Outfit with powerful standoff weapons. They had maybe four to five hundred rounds of ammo left between them. A few flares and hand grenades left plus two dozen M420 rounds that he would blast the roof stairway entrances with when the DEVO’s broke through. Fortunately, the explosion had taken out the bottom of the other stairwell and what was left was hopefully still aflame, if the things got up that way then they’d have to split their firepower in two directions exhausting ammo at a greater rate.
METAVERSE GAMES: OMNIBUS Page 15
