by Phil Maxey
“OK, let’s wrap this up and head back to the—”
Bright flashes lit the windows and stairwell the soldiers had just moved into, accompanied with the clatter of gunfire. Raising his rifle he ran forward when the windows above the shop smashed and one of the soldiers appeared dangling like a doll. What looked like a ghostly reflection of a person held the soldier over the ledge as he screamed and tried desperately to shake the things vice-like grip.
“Fuck,” whispered Vic under his breath, while he looked through the night sight on his rifle to try to get aim on the thing holding the soldier.
More shots rang out and the creature dropped the soldier the ten or so feet to the ground. Two other soldiers immediately ran to give him assistance. Vic charged up the narrow staircase and straight into the small room, where the ghoul had now got hold of the other soldier and was holding her up against the wall. Not bothering to fire, he shoulder-charged the creature knocking it backwards and crashing against crates of glass bottles. Grabbing the soldier by her arm, he dragged her out, then unclipped two grenades and threw them both into the room, closed the door and dived down the stairs. Before they got to the bottom, the explosion rocked the building, sending glass, wood, and brick spiralling out into the street.
“Are you OK?” Vic said to the female soldier.
“I think so,” responded Private Mills feeling her shoulder.
He then got to his feet and walked over to the two soldiers who were tending to the man who fell from the now destroyed window above. Before he was able to ask about the soldier on the ground, one of them looked up and shook their head.
Vic swore again. He glanced up at the flames that were now protruding from the hole where the window used to be. “Carry him, we need to move, who knows what we just drew the attention of.”
The larger of the two men carefully picked up the fallen soldier and pulled him up and over his shoulder.
“You don’t want to check out the palace? Commander Collins said it was a priority,” said Private Carr.
“Tomorrow.” Vic then turned to the others. “Night scopes back on.”
Everyone pulled their NVGs down over their eyes, and staggered forward through the snow.
Vic let the warmth from the inferno above him warm his face, then turned and walked back into the darkness.
It wasn’t long before towering substantial buildings loomed above them on both sides of a wide street.
“Temperature gauge is reading minus eighteen, sir,” said Lance Corporal Hunt.
“Least the snow’s stopped falling,” said Mills, her words being formed between nattering teeth.
The crunching of the snow by their boots was the only sound that echoed around the concrete and glass walls.
Vic turned to make sure Private Butler wasn’t falling behind while carrying the dead soldier. He paused for a moment before turning back to the direction they were heading. “Hunt,” said Vic.
“Sir?”
“Don’t turn around, but I think we’re being followed.”
Vic looked at the street in front of them. They were not far from a junction, large white mounds of what were formerly vehicles sat at awkwardly parked angles in the middle of the road. “When we pass that large mound at one o’clock, I want everyone to spread out, get a good eye on the street behind us. Do not engage until I say so.”
Everyone acknowledged.
As they passed the buried single decker bus and other cars, they all sprang to the side, crouching down behind the snow-covered barricades.
“See anything?” said Vic.
“There’s definitely something down there. Looks to be . . . one, two . . . maybe three things moving this way,” said Mills.
“You got better eyesight than I have, Private.”
“That’s why you bring me along, sir.”
The shadows started to take on form.
“I’m seeing one more, and they’re carrying something,” said Mills.
“Can you tell if they are creatures or human,” said Vic.
“From the way they’re moving, I would say human.”
“There shouldn’t be any left in this area, they were all evacuated,” said Hunt.
“Everyone get down nice and low in the snow, let them pass, then we light them up with our torches. Nobody shoot anyone. Got that?”
They all agreed.
Soon they could hear voices.
“I can’t see them anymore up ahead.”
“I need to take a break, this dog’s a lot heavier then he looks!”
“Keep it down, we don’t know what’s out there.”
The four individuals traipsed through the snow keeping close to the buildings and passed the mounds by.
Vic and the other soldiers slowly got up and crept forward. Just as he raised his flashlight and went to switch it on, the last person in the small group whipped around. Bright green eyes looked back at him.
“They’re not human!” shouted Carr raising his gun.
“Nobody—”
Before Vic could finish his sentence Carr fired off a round, sending a neon red streak through the darkness, narrowly missing one of the groups head.
“Stop firing!” shouted Vic. He then saw an intense glow emanate from another of the group, hitting Carr in his chest sending him spiralling twenty feet through the air, landing on one of the distant mounds.
More of the soldiers started firing, but all of their rounds seemed to travel a few yards and then ricochet off into the darkness.
Realizing nothing they were doing was working, Vic quickly moved to Hunt and pushed his gun upwards. “Stop!”
The clatter of gunfire died down.
Vic looked back to the space that they were just firing into. There was no one there.
“What the hell just happened,” said Mills.
Vic spun around, looking for where the group of people must have run to, but he was not seeing any heat signatures anywhere. He then remembered Carr, and ran through the knee-high snow to where the soldier fell. He was still alive, but his breathing was laboured. In the centre of his chest where his body armour used to be was a large burnt mark, exposing his skin to the elements.
“Hunt, get over here!”
Hunt who also acted as the section’s medic ran over to them, immediately taking Carr’s pulse.
“Pulse is still strong, I think he’s just winded. Looks like his vest took most of the damage.”
On a second-storey balcony overlooking the street, Kat looked down at the soldiers. She grabbed hold of the metal railing that ran along the top of the wall to keep her upright. This latest teleport was one too many. She needed to rest.
“I think I killed him,” she said solemnly.
“You did what you needed to do,” said Algorine. “Nescient’s are all the same, shoot first, ask questions later. They never understand our world.”
Kat wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being part of Algorine's ‘world’.
“They saw your eyes, thought you were a threat,” said Justin.
“Hey, don’t put the blame for this on me!”
“Where’s Kat gone?” said Darren.
Kat stood behind the soldiers that were now all huddled around the one she hit with a blast from her ring. They had no idea she was there.
“Umm—”
“What the hell!” shouted Butler whipping around, as did all the others.
“She’s going to get herself shot!” said Algorine watching from above.
“Who the hell are you?” said Vic, his frosted breath visible even in the almost complete darkness. He then turned on his torch, pointing it at the young woman standing in the snow.
“I’m Kat, I think we got off on the wrong foot . . .” She felt faint and dropped to her knees.
Vic and Mills ran forward, kneeling next to her.
“We got you,” said Vic. “Why weren’t you evacuated?”
Kat shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “I just need a minute, magic takes it out of me.” S
he looked up at the muscular man, most of whom was hidden behind winter fatigues, a helmet, and goggles.
Vic and Mills looked at each other. Mills then jumped back and raised her gun, pointing it at Kat.
“Mills, lower that weapon! She’s just a young girl.”
“I’m sorry for what just happened, we just wanted to see where you were going,” said Kat.
Vic looked back at her, then stood up walking backwards slightly. “Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m—”
“OK, what are you?”
“It’s complicated, but we need your help.”
“We?” said Mills.
“Myself and my friends, who are on the balcony behind me.”
Vic pulled his NVGs back down and looked at the building next to them. Sure enough, there were three people looking down at them. One of them he was sure had green eyes, and another, a portly-shaped man was waving.
Hunt appeared behind him. “What’s going on?”
“I got no idea, but I’m not staying out here to find out. I don’t know what you are, but if none of you zap us with your magic gun, then we won’t shoot you back. Deal?”
“OK,” said Kat, trying to stand back up.
Vic stepped forward and offered his arm, which she used to stand upright.
She then turned to her friends up top. “Come down!”
Darren and Justin looked at each other, and then at the windows behind them. “How do we get down?” said Darren. Algorine, turned around then with a deft kick smashed one of the large windows, slipping through the newly formed gap.
Down below Kat looked across to Carr who was sitting up. “Is he OK? I thought I killed him.”
“That was you?” said Vic. “I don’t see any weapon.”
“If he’s still injured, I can heal him, at least I think I can.” She clapped her hands together. The numbness in her fingers was starting to creep further along her limbs.
Vic looked at Hunt then back to Kat. “He’s OK, he can walk.”
CHAPTER 9
For most of the slow walk back to ‘Home base’ no words were exchanged between the soldiers and the group they ran into. A few platoons of the British Army were using this huge box-shaped building that previously was an exhibition centre in west London as their forward operation headquarters in what was regarded as ‘enemy territory’.
A few lights were lit around the outside walls, but apart from that it just sat as a large rectangular shadow against the grey night sky.
Vic walked up to a small door of the building, knocked then uttered some words of identification. The door opened and they all filed into the warmth.
Darren walked forward robot-like, Chip pulling him down a narrow corridor. “I made it, I made it,” he said under his breath.
Kat moved closer to Algorine. “Don’t smile at anyone.” She had already explained to the guy in charge of this group of soldiers that the woman under the hood is ‘different’ but it had been too cold outside to go into details.
As they moved towards the end of the corridor they passed other doors. Kat stood tall as she moved past them peering through the small windows. Inside were rooms full of makeshift beds, most of which had sleeping soldiers on.
Vic opened the last door which brought them into a large lobby area. The large doors which led to the outside world were barricaded with metal sheets and poles for support. From the other direction came the sight and smell of civilisation.
Some of the small group had been here before, so they already knew of the football stadium sized internal space, but that still didn’t prepare them for the makeshift miniature city, which had sprung up inside. People, some of which were also soldiers and some who were clearly not, milled in different directions, past stalls, large tents, and military vehicles, all neatly lined up in rows.
Vic leaned in to Kat. “There was a comic exhibition or something when all hell broke loose in the area, which is why all these stalls and stuff is here. At least it keeps the kids entertained.” He then stood back looking at the whole group. “I’m taking you all to my commander.”
Kat nodded. It felt strange to be back in the ‘real’ world, and it felt equally strange that, that felt strange.
Soon they were all walking up a set of stairs which rose above the hubbub of the people below, into a new scene of activity. But this one was more of people with purpose. Desks with computers and screens were everywhere, together with earnest-looking individuals having conversations. One of which Vic walked towards.
“Reporting back in, sir,” Vic said to a tall gray-haired man in army fatigues, who nodded.
The tall man looked at Kat and her friends. Algorine kept her head down. “My name is General Alastair Chapman. I heard about all of you on the radio . . . So you know something about what’s been happening in this city I take it?” Behind him was a large map of London, scattered all over it were pins of different colours, and string connecting some of them.
“We know some things, but we also need help getting to our family,” said Kat.
“Why don’t we move into my office,” said Chapman.
Soon they were standing in a small room with a plain carpet, desk, and a few chairs. Outside, two soldiers stood guard.
Chapman sat behind the desk, while Darren, with Chip at his feet, and Kat sat on the two chairs in front. Algorine stayed near the door. Justin leaned against the far wall.
Kat leaned forward. “Me and my friends have been away for weeks, what happened in London?”
Chapman sighed before starting to talk. “You really must have been in a hole to not know. You must know about the winter storm which hit us about a month ago?”
They all nodded.
“Well, this ‘storm’ wasn’t ‘natural’, although we still don’t know what’s causing it. Unfortunately thousands have died, so martial law was introduced to control the supply of food, water, and medical supplies. Most of the wealthy have fled from Western Europe, but the rest we had to evacuate from the major cities to areas where they could be better looked after.”
“Shit,” said Darren, clutching his backpack around his front. “It’s the end of the world.”
“Not quiet. Only Western Europe has been affected so far, although it seems the UK has taken the brunt of it.” He then paused, not being sure of how to proceed. “Then there’s the other matter. From what I heard on the radio, you mentioned magic?” He finished his words, by looking directly at Kat.
“What do you know of that?” said Kat, not being sure of how much to divulge.
“From the early days of the storm there were reports of things being seen. At first, we put it down to a kind of snow madness. Unusual weather causing people to see things. But then the videos started showing up online, and eventually our forces came into contact with such beings. We don’t know what they are, but creatures the like of which we have not seen before are out there—” he looked over their heads,“— My soldiers have run into them on numerous occasions. And they also seem to be concentrated in various locations. Right now they seem to be intent on attacking a particular building near the Museum of Britain.”
“Why aren’t you defending that building?” said Kat.
“We tried, but we were beaten back and frankly if those things are attacking a Georgian house there, they are not attacking the few thousand people I have to protect here. I have a recon team there if the situation changes.”
“Where are the government?” said Justin.
“They have been relocated to a safe location, underground.”
“Underground?” said Kat, although everyone else almost said it as well.
“Yes, why?”
“No reason.”
Kat paused. Do I tell him everything? What if they want to study me? What if they take my ring?
“So, what do you have to tell me?” said Chapman.
“We . . .”
“Yes?”
“We were sheltering at my friend’s flat in Southwark, but
we ran out of food, so we set out to find some, and then it got dark and we got stuck. When we saw the lights we followed them and that led us to your soldiers.” It seemed a reasonably believable lie to Kat, but she needed to look directly at the general to sell it, and that was the hard part. The general nodded as she spoke.
“So what my sergeant told me about a battle between them and you, and that you used some kind of particle weapon on them, none of that was true?”
“I had a flair gun, that I fired off in panic, I’m sorry about your soldier.” She looked down, acting suitably upset. She didn’t want to look back up until she got some sort of sign from the man in front of her that he was buying it.
Chapman sighed. “Did you see any strange creatures?”
She looked back up, shaking her head.
He went to get to his feet then stopped, and looked at something which made Kat’s heart skip a beat. “That ring?”
She looked at him innocently. “Yes?”
“It look’s old, where did you get it?”
“It was a gift from my . . . grandmother.”
He nodded raising his eyebrows. Then got to his feet. “You might want to keep it hidden, there’s a lot of lawlessness out there.”
She feigned a smile.
He walked to the door opening it. “One of my men will show you all to a bed, we can talk again in the morning.” He whispered something to the closest soldier, then waited for Kat and her friends to get up.
The soldier led them to four camp beds near a dimly lit end of the large hall, behind a giant cardboard image of a caped superhero. They all sat heavily on their own beds.
Darren watched the soldier walk away then looked at Kat. “Why didn't you tell him the truth? He's like the head army guy, he could have helped!”
“I dunno, it just didn't feel right.”
Algorine, got up and put her hand briefly on Kat's shoulder. “You did the right thing, I didn't trust him either.” She then looked at the other empty beds and stalls around them. “I’m going for a walk.” She pulled her hood down some more and strolled off towards the sound of people working.
“So what's the plan?” said Justin. “Because we're not exactly helping our parents by being here are we?”
