Shaw’s stomach knotted. “Are you sure that it hasn’t left the camp?”
“Captain, I know how to track things. It’s still here,” replied Zach bluntly.
Looking past Zach, Shaw looked from man to man, trying to see if he could see his brother among them. It was pointless. If the imposter was here, it was most likely using all its willpower to hide in plain sight, thought Shaw.
Shaw bit his lip in frustration. “Corporal, did you find any of the missing men and if so what condition were their bodies?”
“I found all of the missing men. They all died in the same manner. Their necks had been crushed. Two of them had been torn open,” said Zach, shuddering at the image in his mind of their mutilated corpses lying half-buried in the snow.
“Well then its strength is back up,” muttered Shaw to himself.
“Captain, there’s another thing you should know. Before we attacked your camp in the woods, I came across a set of tracks that I had never seen before in my life. I could tell that there were two of them moving around just outside of your camp. Sir, you may have killed one, but there’s still another one out there.”
The thought of another beast lying in wait somewhere in the snow filled Shaw with dread. However, he knew that Zach was right. During the attack, he had seen through the blowing snow the silhouette of the other beast waiting patiently outside of the installation. They had barely survived the first attack. He doubted they could last against another attack, especially now that the imposter was most likely amongst them.
Uncertainty filled Zach’s voice. “Captain, with Muller dead I am the highest non-commissioned officer left alive. What should I do?”
Shaw hadn’t expected Zach to ask for advice. Thinking for a moment, Shaw said, “You have to tell Beckers about the other beast. As the ranking, German Army officer here he needs to understand what he’s dealing with. If you can, I would make as many Molotov cocktails as you can before it comes for us.”
“What if Beckers is the imposter?”
“It’s a chance you have to take. If he tells you not to make any Molotov cocktails, then he’s the imposter, but I doubt that he would give himself away that easy. We aren’t dealing with a mindless killer. Our opponent is highly intelligent and can manipulate our minds. Just be wary.”
“And what about the imposter?”
“Keep that quiet for now. If you were to tell your men that one of them is not who he appears to be, how do you think they would react? They’re all tired and scared out of their wits. If you told them that one of them could be a killer, they would turn upon each other in a heartbeat. You would have a bloodbath on your hands. I think it best if you went about your duty, but kept a close eye on your men, especially the ones you brought in this morning,” said Shaw.
“Very well,” said Zach. “Now, Captain, I would ask you to return with the other prisoners. If I need you, I will fetch you.”
Shaw nodded his head and turned about. Walking back over to his friends, Shaw suddenly felt helpless. The imposter wanted to cleanse the camp. It was only a matter of time before the other beast struck. His empty hands itched to hold a weapon. He had seen how hard it was to kill one of the beasts; nevertheless, he wanted something to fight back with. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
34
Weather Station
Shaw looked down at his watch and saw that he had been sitting for close to an hour. He hated at the inactivity. He was trained to lead. Sitting back, waiting for something to happen was antithesis to who Shaw was. His sore eyes reminded him that he needed to get some rest, but he knew he would never sleep, not while his and his friends’ lives hung in the balance.
Bruce, seeing Shaw’s agitation, tried to offer him some more coffee and conversation. Shaking his head, Shaw was in no mood to chat idly.
Suddenly, a voice called out. Looking down the long barracks, Shaw saw Zach wave to him.
Bruce said, “What’s up?”
“I guess I’m going to find out,” replied Shaw. Standing, he made his way over to Zach. Standing to one side of the room with the corporal was Lieutenant Beckers. He looked disheveled and thoroughly exhausted. Shaw doubted that the man had slept a wink in the past couple of days. His ability to think straight was undoubtedly impaired.
Zach started the conversation. “Captain, I told Herr Beckers about the other beast, and he agrees that we need to defend ourselves. I have ordered three men to make their way to the generator and to retrieve all the gasoline they can so we can make more Molotov cocktails.”
Shaw simply nodded his head, unsure of where the conversation was heading.
Beckers said, “Major Vogel wanted to try to determine what happened here, but I feel that it is now impossible to fulfil his mission. We have lost more than half our men and are faced with the possibility of an attack by another one of those monsters. Therefore, I have ordered Corporal Zach to prepare the men to leave within the hour. I feel it is essential to make our way back to battalion headquarters right away. They need to know what has happened here.”
“Lieutenant, why are you telling me this?” asked Shaw.
“Because Captain, I want to know if there are any partisans waiting to ambush us when we try to leave.”
Shaw shook his head. First Wagner, now Beckers saw a threat where none existed. “If there were any partisans waiting to ambush you and your men, I would not be obliged to tell you. However, I can assure you that the losses to your men were not caused by the Norwegian resistance.” Taking a deep breath, Shaw decided to take a chance and said, “Lieutenant, one of your men is responsible, and if you leave now, he will most assuredly get away.”
“I do not believe you,” snapped Beckers. “There has to be a partisan from the local area involved. How else would explain the ease by which he gets in and out of the camp?”
Shaw looked at Zach. “Did you tell him that no one left the camp last night and that the killer is still here with us?”
Zach shook his head.
“Is this true?” demanded Beckers.
“No one left the camp last night Herr Lieutenant.”
“That doesn’t prove a thing. The snow probably covered the man’s tracks. I do not believe that a German is responsible for any of this.”
Shaw could see that it would take a miracle to convince the young officer that something unnatural was happening. “Lieutenant, put aside the killer for a moment. Surely you have to agree that the beast that attacked the camp is unlike any creature you have ever seen. How do you explain its presence inside the camp?”
“It was an aberration that is all,” said Beckers. “It must be sick or hungry to attack us. I have heard of animals ranging far from their normal hunting grounds.”
Shaw realized that there would be no reasoning with the young officer. He was scared and wanted to leave before he or any more of his men died.
“Why do you not want us to leave?” said a voice from behind Shaw. Turning his head, he saw Wagner standing there with an arrogant look on his face. His eyes were bloodshot. His uniform was rumpled and covered in blotches of dried blood.
“As I already explained to the lieutenant, there is a murderer amongst his men and that if you leave now, the killer will escape,” said Shaw.
“You are lying,” said Wagner. “You are an enemy of the German people and would say anything to cover the crimes committed against the Reich by these partisans.”
Shaw clenched his fists in anger. These men couldn’t see the damned forest for the trees. Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Shaw said, “There are no partisans sneaking in and out of this camp killing off your men one at a time. The killer is one of you, and he can disguise how he looks. That’s how he has been able to stay hidden for so long. He first killed off the garrison here and then took the place of a Norwegian fighter. When you attacked our camp, he once again changed his disguise, this time passing himself as one of your men. You may think I have lost my mind, and I am making all of this up but Cor
poral Zach can tell you that someone who doesn’t belong here is probably here in this room right now.”
Wagner stifled a chuckle. With a superior look on his face, he said, “Well Corporal, is there a hobgoblin inside the camp?”
Zach held his tongue for a second. With a straight look on his face, he said, “Herr Sturmbannfuhrer, the American never said there was a hobgoblin inside the camp. I shot at a man last night that was not as he appeared through my rifle’s scope.”
“Well then Corporal, where is this man’s body?” said Wagner.
“I only wounded the man. He got away.”
Beckers asked, “Then how do you know that he is still inside the camp?”
“I followed his tracks. They led to the headquarters building and the mess hall where I found you and Privates Lowe and Unger hiding, Herr Lieutenant,” replied Zach respectfully.
“That doesn’t prove a thing,” said Wagner, dismissing everything that Zach had said. Looking at Shaw, he said, “So Captain, please enlighten me, how does he disguise himself so that he can move among us without being seen?”
“Before it tried to kill me, it told me that it can cloud our minds to make us believe that we are seeing someone else instead of it.”
Wagner snorted contemptuously. “That is preposterous. I have never heard such lies.” With a dismissive wave at Shaw, Wagner turned to face Beckers. “Lieutenant, I am assuming command of your men. Unlike that incompetent fool Vogel, I outrank you; therefore, I am exercising my right as your superior officer to take command.”
“Yes Herr Sturmbannfuhrer,” meekly replied Beckers.
“We will abandon this camp immediately. Take only what you need to and nothing more,” said Wagner.
Beckers nodded his head and then ordered Zach to prepare the men and vehicles to leave.
Shaw stood there knowing there was nothing he could do to stop the imposter from escaping now. He knew that with another one of the beasts on the loose that they didn’t stand much of a chance against it out in the open. Clenching his jaw, Shaw wanted to scream at Wagner and call him an arse, but he knew that wouldn’t help their predicament; in fact, he knew that any outburst made now would only make things worse for him and his friends.
“Will that be all?” said Shaw to Lieutenant Beckers, ignoring Wagner.
Beckers sheepishly looked over at Wagner, who waved off Shaw as if he were some annoying insect buzzing around his head.
Moving back to his comrades, Shaw took a seat and told them that they were leaving.
Bruce leant forward and barely above a whisper said, “Do you think we’ll get a chance to make a run for it? I don’t fancy the idea of Miss Anna ending up in the hands of the SS.”
Shaw smiled. He could see that Bruce had become quite smitten with Anna. It was easy to see why. Her warm eyes and infectious smile could melt even the coldest heart. “I think that our best and only chance to escape will be when we wind our way through the hills outside of town. If we can get away there, we should be able to lose them in the woods.”
Anna said quietly, “I know of a perfect spot for us to try to escape. On the far side of the village, there is a sharp s-curve. With this much snow on the roads, they’ll have to slow down as they make their way through the curve or risk running off the road. I know that area really well. My grandfather was a logger and used to take me for walks through that area when I was a child.”
“Ok then its settled,” said Shaw. “When Anna gives us the signal, we overpower our guards, jump from the truck and head into the hills.”
“Well, that sounds all too easy,” said Bruce sarcastically. “What if the guards don’t see things our way?”
“Duncan, we only have one shot at this,” replied Shaw. “I don’t care what it takes, I’m not going to see Anna taken to Oslo, and besides you have to get back to England in one piece, in case you’ve forgotten about our mission.”
“No sir, no I haven’t. It’s just that I’m not trained to kill people like you are.”
“Self-preservation is a powerful motivator. When the time comes, trust me, you’ll know what to do.”
“What about the imposter?” said Anna. “What’s going to happen to it?”
Shaw shrugged his shoulders. “I’d rather we stopped it from getting away, but at this moment in time, I don’t see how we can.”
“Why do you care if it gets away?” Anna asked.
“You may find this hard to swallow, but I honestly believe that it is a greater threat to us than the Nazis are. It’s a scout. Its mission here is to observe and report…on what I don’t know. However, one thing is for sure it is hostile, and I don’t want it getting away to pass on what it may have learned about us during its time here.”
“Also, let’s not forget the wee beast that nearly killed us all,” said Bruce. “That critter was not like any tiger that I’ve ever seen in a zoo. It was monstrous in size and strength. I’ll never forget that it had a mouth full of teeth like a shark, not a tiger. That thing weren’t natural.”
“We all saw the cracked open egg or whatever it was up at the crash site. It had to have come from that. There’s no other explanation,” said Shaw.
“What is it doing here?” asked Anna.
“I think it’s a weapon,” mused Shaw. “We build ours out of steel and pack it full of explosives to kill and maim the enemy. Whoever is here is far more advanced than we are. Suppose for a moment that they have moved well past our weapons technology and are using biological weapons instead of steel. Just think about it. You carry these eggs with you, and if you get into trouble, you simply drop them on the ground, and soon you have a living, breathing weapon at your disposal.”
“You may have a point sir,” said Bruce. “But why didn’t it attack us back at the camp?”
“I think the snow is the answer. It seems to affect their metabolism,” said Shaw. “I suspect that it took longer than normal for it to adapt to its new environment.”
“So for once being bloody cold is a good thing,” offered Bruce.
“Yeah, I suppose it is.”
An hour passed. The camp was a beehive of activity as the diminished German platoon feverishly worked to leave before anyone else died. The half-track belching thick black smoke from its exhaust was brought around and loaded with supplies first. It would clear the way through the deep snow for the other vehicles. Behind it came a couple of jeeps and one of the three-ton trucks. Everything else was to be abandoned. The mood among the soldiers grew lighter with each passing minute. The thought of leaving was like a heavy burden being lifted from each man’s shoulders.
Seeing that they were almost ready to depart, Shaw could feel the tension building inside his body. Like a cat, Shaw needed to be prepared to strike when the opportunity came. Walking over to an empty table, Shaw saw that several discarded mess tins with their utensils lay abandoned. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was watching him, Shaw quickly reached down and picked up two knives. Hiding them away in his parka sleeve, Shaw nonchalantly rejoined his friends.
“Here,” said Shaw to Bruce, as he surreptitiously handed him one of the knives. “Hide it in a pocket until we are on the road.”
Bruce’s eyes widened at the sight of the knife. Doing as he was told, he took the knife. With his heart racing in his chest, Bruce looked about to see if any of the Germans were looking his way and then quickly stashed the blade away. He had never been trained in unarmed combat. When the time came, Bruce hoped that he had the strength to do what he must.
The sound of a soldier’s boots walking on the wooden floor of the barracks made Shaw turn his head. Walking towards them was Lance Corporal Steiner. His greatcoat was covered in frost. With his submachine gun clenched tight in his hands, coolly he said, “You are to come with me.”
“It’s time,” said Shaw to his friends.
Following Steiner outside, the drop in temperature was a rude shock to the system. Right away, Shaw, Bruce and Anna hurried to wrap their scarves aroun
d their faces to prevent frostbite from setting in.
The ice fog hung heavy in the camp. Steam rose from the idling vehicle’s engines, adding to the near impenetrable gray mist.
Shaw had never felt such a biting cold morning. Stamping his feet, he waited to be told which vehicle they were to climb into. He suspected that they would be riding in the back of the truck with several soldiers as guards, the less, the better.
From out of the fog stepped Wagner. Even though he was swaddled from head to toe in clothing that he had borrowed from several dead soldiers, Shaw could still see an evil glint in the man’s eyes. Instantly wary, Shaw could tell that the man was planning something.
Wagner said to Steiner, “There’s no point keeping them together anymore. Put the American officer in the half-track. The woman will travel in my jeep, and the Scotsman can ride in the back of the truck.”
Shaw swore under his breath. The look of fear in Anna’s eyes as she was led away said it all; his plan lay in ruins. There was no chance in hell for them to escape all together now.
“This way Herr Captain,” said one of the German soldiers to Shaw. With his jaw clenched tight, Shaw took a deep breath through his nose and reluctantly followed the soldier to the back of the half-track. Climbing up inside the open crew compartment, Shaw took a seat and then looked back as Anna was forced inside the jeep directly behind his vehicle. He was about to turn his head away when he saw a soldier standing beside the second jeep in line. The man stood immobile, staring straight at Shaw. For a brief instant, Andrew appeared in his dress uniform. He smiled and then nonchalantly waved at Shaw before climbing into the back of the jeep.
Bolting to his feet, Shaw struggled to see Corporal Zach. In the fog, all the men looked like the abominable snowman as they moved around covered in a thick coat of frost. His frustration turned to urgency when he saw that the last of the equipment had been loaded, and the soldiers began to shuffle to their respective vehicles. Leaning over the side of the half-track, Shaw spotted Beckers.
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