“Did you just come in on that Helicopter Captain?” His voice was hard, no hint of a welcome.
“I did sir,” said Piper, re-focusing, “I think I’m the only one that got out before it sank. We’re going to need ropes, shovels and volunteers Sir, we’ve got to get to them and dig them out quickly before the air in the Helicopter cabin runs out.”
“I’m aware of that Captain,” he snapped, turning to look at the men milling around the hole that the Helipad had left. “McElroy, Briggs, we need ropes and shovels, get moving.” He shouted.
“We need light Colonel; can we drag these searchlights over to the hole so that we can see what we’re doing?”
She met his hard stare, there was anger in his eyes, she waited for the whip of his temper, but the moment passed, he simply nodded.
Piper got hold of one side, the Colonel the other, together they pushed and shoved the lights into place. The two Marines came back at a run with ropes and digging equipment. Piper tied a rope around her waist and picked up a shovel, then she looked around for more volunteers. McElroy and Briggs stepped forward, followed by Colonel Liderman, each one secured themselves around the waist with a rope and handed the other end to one of the many Marines that jostled around the rim of the pit.
The work turned out to be backbreaking, the deeper they got, the higher they had to throw the earth. Piper’s shovel hit the Helicopter’s plexi-glass dome first, the other three gathered around, quickly clearing the dirt and ash. Liderman pulled a flashlight from his belt and turned it on, expecting to see upturned faces, but the aircraft was empty, it seemed impossible, but both passenger doors appeared to be open.
“I don’t get this,” said Linderman, “how could they disappear from the aircraft when it’s trapped under all that earth?”
“It’s got to be something to do with these Moler people Sir, the ones that you’re having trouble with.”
“What do you know about Molers, who’ve you been talking to?” Asked Linderman coldly
“One of my handlers,” she said quickly, before changing the subject, “look, I’ve had an idea Sir, why don’t we smash a hole in the glass dome, one that I could probably squeeze through, then I’ll try and find out what’s happening down there.”
“That’s out of the question Captain, you’d be on your own down there, with no backup,” said Liderman, “It’s far too risky.”
“Then, what I’ll do, is keep the rope tied around my waist, then if I get into any kind of trouble, I’ll tug it and you can pull me out a bit sharpish. Think about it Sir, I’m the lightest and the slimmest, what other choice do we have? We can’t just abandon them and there just isn’t time to dig the whole Helicopter out of this mess.”
The Colonel gave in and nodded reluctantly, then, he lifted his shovel and hit the cockpit glass as hard as he could. Nothing happened. They all had a go at hitting the glass in turn, still nothing. Piper pulled out her pistol, motioned for everyone to move away, then she fired two shots from the powerful weapon. Each one penetrated the glass, weakening it and spreading a cobweb of cracks, the Marines put their backs into it and managed to hack a small circular hole in the dome.
Piper pulled off her overcoat and laid it around the jagged hole, then slid through without incident. It was black dark, but she had the flashlight, looking around she could see that the door she’d used was not open, it had been ripped off in the descent. That side of the aircraft was sealed tight, pressed hard against the wall of the pit. The other door was open, flung wide, against the side of a dark tunnel.
She pulled out her phone and called Liderman.
“The Molers must have taken them Sir. The Helicopter’s empty, but there’s a tunnel, I know you won’t be happy, but I’ve got to follow it, if I don’t, we’ll lose them.”
“Don’t you dare, soldier,” Liderman was shouting into his phone again, “not on your own, it would be suicide to follow that tunnel, not that I give a damn, but it would reflect badly on me. We’re going to pull you back now.”
Piper quickly untied herself, then re-tied the rope around one of the empty seats, all the while, rehearsing in her mind what she would say to Linderman the next time she saw him.
Pulling the Glock out of its holster, she transferred the torch to her left hand, then stepped out into the tunnel. After fifteen paces, the passageway turned to the left, she flattened herself to the wall and inched around a corner. About twenty paces ahead there was a light where the tunnel that she was in joined another. Piper turned out the torch and stood still, listening for voices, or any other signs of life. Hearing nothing, she cautiously walked forward, until she reached the junction and stuck her head around the corner.
She found herself in a broad corridor, about fifteen feet wide, the roof and walls were shorn up with wooden boards and old car doors. This was obviously the Burrows, the light was electric, with an assortment of strip lights and bulbs, following a cable that snaked in and out of rectangular metal grills running the length of the ceiling. In the middle of the tunnel floor was a small gauge railway line, its steel rails shimmering in the overhead lights, as they disappeared into the distance. The temperature in the passageway was pleasant, Piper noticed a metal pipe following the wall opposite, she crossed over to it, the metal felt hot to her touch.
There was nothing to tell her which way the Helicopter passengers had been taken, so, shrugging her shoulders, she turned right. After walking for ten minutes without incident, her ears picked up a rumbling sound in the distance, she guessed that a train was coming. Dropping on all fours, she put the palm of her hand on the Railway line, the vibration was strong. Something was coming; the only trouble was that she couldn’t be sure as to whether it was coming directly towards the way she was facing or approaching from behind. Looking around for somewhere to hide was a waste of time, there were no convenient alcoves, the passageway was well lit and the walls were smooth. She double checked the Glock pistol in its holster, then, feeling tense and her reflexes on high alert, she leant against the tunnel wall, folded her arms and tried exuding an appearance of nonchalance. Her heart was thumping so hard, she could hardly breath
The train was visible from some distance away and she had time to study it before it arrived. ‘Home made’ was the best description, cobbled together from a car that had been split down the middle, reduced in width, then re-welded. The chimney came through the hood, the firebox was in the front passenger area and there was coal in the trunk. It pulled carriages that had been built the same way, some to carry freight, others that were meant for passengers.
But what really caught her attention, was the craftmanship with which the locomotive was decorated. A beautiful, pacing Tigress had been lovingly painted, in full colour, onto the engine, its young were following behind her in descending height, each one, carefully painted onto each of the carriages. The train hissed and groaned, belching steam as it pulled up alongside her, Piper smiled and waved as the driver opened the rear car door and climbed down.
“Who the hell are you?” Said the woman in German, she was a stocky, in her mid-thirties, dressed in navy blue Dungarees, with goggles on her forehead and a crossbow slung across her back.
Piper told the woman her name and offered her hand.
The woman ignored it, she was squinting at Piper suspiciously.
“Are you a Topper?” she asked, then noticed Piper was looking confused, “It’s not difficult, you know what I mean, are you a topsider?”
Piper nodded, then began speaking in perfect German, “Yes, I’m an American, from the new base that we’ve just built and I’m looking for my friends, I know they’re down here, but I don’t know whereabouts, can you help me?”
“I think you’d better come with me,” said the driver, she unslung the crossbow on her back, eyes on the pistol under Piper’s left arm, “Will I need this bow?” She asked.
Piper decided to take a chance, pulling out the Glock, she handed it to the woman. The train driver nodded and stuffed the pistol i
n her pocket, then climbed back on the train, motioning for Piper to follow.
“What’s your name? Piper asked, clambering aboard.
“Anna Muller.” She replied, removing the brake, the train moved forward, slowly at first, then picking up speed, Piper noticed that the steam and smoke were not a problem, it disappeared through the metal grills above their heads. For Piper, the trip had begun to take on a surreal feeling, traveling on a steam train, in a clean, well-lit tunnel with a German driver that carried a crossbow. Whilst, just above their heads, lay the blasted, twisted remains of a once beautiful city, considered dead and abandoned by the rest of the World. Piper couldn’t stop herself philosophising about the fact that despite all the wreckage above her, down here, there was a promise, a wonderful message that life would always go on, no matter what happened, somehow, it would always find a way.
Abruptly the tunnel widened to a large clearing, dug out of the earth, a small settlement or village, surrounded them. Quaint, delicately carved wooden cottages were built on either side of the tracks, with paved pathways between the buildings. Piper almost expected something out of Grimm’s fairy tales, but these were ordinary people that you’d see in any small town, milling about, talking, laughing, there was no Hansel and Gretel here. An appetising smell of baking filled the air, as they pulled alongside a short concrete platform that was piled high with racks of bread, the steam brakes hissed as they ground to a halt and a gang of curious workmen began loading the bread onto the train, shouting to each other as they worked.
“Come along Piper, follow me,” said Anna, as she stepped onto the platform, “We’ll find the Sheriff, he’ll know what to do with you,” she winked reassuringly, “he’ll know where your friends are as well.”
People noticed Piper, a small crowd gathered, murmuring and nodding in her direction. Anna took her arm, ignoring the crowd, she walked Piper the length of the platform towards a small station house bearing the name Bakerstop 4. As they got closer an old man sitting on a chair in the doorway shouted at Anna.
“What you got there? Another topper?”
“Mind your own Heinrich, you seen the Sheriff?”
“Yeah, about ten minutes ago, looked like he was going home.”
Before Anna could say another word, there was a strange sound. Piper heard it first, sounded like a child screaming, then someone shouting, it was the sound of a frightened man. Anna’s hand tightened on her arm, she turned to look at her, just as the siren began.
“What’s going on,” asked Piper
“Sounds like an attack,” she replied, moving her head, trying to see the tunnel entrance on the other side of the settlement. Piper moved sideways for a better look, dragging Anna with her. What she saw chilled her. Pushing itself through the tunnel entrance and out into the village was a colossal, orange insect. So big it was having difficulty getting its Carapace and legs through the hole.
“Oh God,” moaned Anna, “not another one, look at the size of it.”
“What is it? Where do they come from?” Asked Piper
“They’re Cockroaches, mutated with the radiation and they’re starting to become a real problem. They’re from somewhere under the city, obviously, but no-body knows what part. It’s the smell of the bread that attracts them, they can smell it from miles away. But, once they get here, they’ll kill anything that moves.”
“Will you give me back my gun Anna, I’m going down there, we’ve got to stop this situation before it escalates.”
Anna fished the weapon out of her pocket and handed it over without question, then unslung her crossbow.
“Two’s better than one Piper, I’m coming down with you.”
They made their way towards the horror, people were running past them, away from the orange nightmare, but Piper and Anna kept going. The behemoth freed itself from the tunnel, it’s great head turning, antennae flicking this way and that, as it searched for food, Carapace vibrating in anticipation. A body lay on the rails below it, a young girl, severed at the hips. Piper wished that she’d arrived sooner, her heart ached for the child’s family, as she remembered the little girl’s last terrified screams. She’d lost her own fear of insects at an early age, dragged around the city by her drunken mother, living in flop houses and slums, spending so many nights alone, with only cockroaches and rats for company.
Using as much cover as they could, the two women crept down the side of one of the houses. Piper put her head cautiously around the wooden corner. She could see the huge creature clearly, it was fifty yards away and the size of an Elephant. Its legs were like black sticks, covered in giant, needle sharp thorns. Piper noticed a small house across the path from the building they were hiding behind.
“I’m going over there Anna,” she said, pointing to the house opposite, “Will you cover me?
“Why, what’s your plan,” Anna whispered.
“I’m going to get on its back, I think I can get a better run from over there. Once I’m in position, I’ll give you a sign. Shoot at the head to distract it, that should give me a chance.”
“I’ll do my best, good luck.”
Piper double checked the monsters position, then in a burst of speed, ran to the house opposite. Sticking close to the wall, she made her way to the side of a small Porch. The Cockroach was closer now, no more than a hundred feet away. Leaning further out, she waved her arm to the waiting Anna, Piper, focussed and tense, watched as she brought the Crossbow to her shoulder and fired. The bolt hit the beast just below its mouth, angered it turned towards Anna, searching for a target.
Piper took her chance, she’d paced the distance in her mind and was ready. From a standing start, her speed was incredible, half way there she threw herself forward into three astonishing summersaults, building her momentum for a final momentous leap onto the creatures back. Anna’s jaw dropped in amazement, as she watched, the crossbow falling from her hands.
Piper was stood astride the Leviathan as she pulled out her pistol and aimed at the point where the creatures head met its thorax. She walked up and down, emptying the clip, slowly and methodically, like a seamstress, stitching the bullets in a line. The resultant trauma, severed all the creature’s neural pathways to its head, eyes and mouth. With an enormous shudder the creature died, falling forward as its legs folded beneath it. Piper dropped to her knees and braced herself, holding on to fine hairs that covered the Cockroaches back. Once the monster was still, she slid to the ground, avoiding the legs.
People were coming out of their houses, there was quite a crowd building around the insect. Nothing much was said to Piper and no eye contact made. She stood on her tip-toes, trying to see over the crowd, searching for Anna. She finally located her, further down the railway track, outside the tunnel that the Cockroach came from. She was stood with a group of people who were retrieving the young girls body, her arm was around the weeping mother.
“Your name Piper?”
It was a man’s voice, behind her, she turned, her face blank for a moment before she adjusted her eyeline and looked down. The man in front of her was small, perfectly proportioned, but only about four feet high, with the customary goggles on his forehead. His neck looked uncomfortable as he looked up at her, so she stepped back to lessen the angle.
“I’m Sheriff Muller,” he continued, his face expressionless, “that was one hell of a job you did there.” He nodded towards the carcase.
“Thank you, Sheriff,” she said and held out her hand, he shook it vigorously.
“Makes no difference though, I’ve still got to take you in for questioning, you being a topper and all that, it’s the law.”
“Otto, stop being a prat,” it was Anna, pushing her way through the crowd, “this woman’s just saved dozens of lives and got us all out of a bad spot and you treat her like a criminal. She’s come for some other toppers that you and the others kidnapped earlier. I told her that you’d know where they were.”
“Well I don’t know about that Anna, I can’t just let prison
ers go when I feel like it, if word ever got back to Central I could lose my job or worse. Don’t forget, things aren’t quite as easy going as they used to be, ever since those three were killed nosing around on Topside.”
“Don’t give me all that old flannel Otto, if my memory serves me right, we got our own back for that, we took three of them topsiders didn’t we? They got sent to the coalface at Welzow-Sued for two years, didn’t they? The dead men’s families were well taken care of, so, as far as I’m concerned, justice was served. It also occurs to me that, we’ve just downed a Helicopter and kidnapped eight more toppers. So, tell me what happens when word gets back to Central about that? I would imagine that they’re not going to be too well pleased. Think about it Otto, things are just starting to calm down here now, so what’s the point in stirring it all up again?”
Otto looked miserable as he looked around the crowd.
“Well alright then,” he said reluctantly, “but if anything goes wrong, then it’ll be you that’s to blame.”
Anna smiled and kissed him.
“It always is,” she said, slapping his cheek gently, “what else is a wife for?”
“So, you two are married,” said Piper smiling.
“For my sins,” said Anna, as she turned to Otto, “So, come on, tell me where you’ve hidden the new arrivals?”
They followed the crowd, as they all began drifting back to the village.
“I locked them in the cabin at Pumping Station 12, just down the track from here, I didn’t know what else to do with them, to be honest.”
“Well don’t you worry about it Otto, just hand over the keys, I’ll sort it all out for you,” said Anna sarcastically.
He shrugged and handed them over without a word. Anna then turned to Piper.
“The first thing I’d better do, is go get your friends before there’s any more trouble, then I’ll take them and you back and get you all Topside where they rightly belong. After that, I’ll have to finish off what I was doing, get the rest of that bread down to Ironworks 7 and that should be fun, they’ll all be complaining like hell ‘cos I’m late.”
Soul Taker Page 4
