Crimson Judgment

by Robert Lyons

  He spotted the open door of a local pub to his immediate left. There were still other scientists who were on shift, milling about Site Zero. They didn’t hear the commotion from what was going down, since they were some distance away and preoccupied with their tasks.

  “Everyone! Get the hell out of here! Hide!” Phillip yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping that the other scientists within earshot would heed the warning and secure themselves.

  Kelly was unstable at first as the tips of her boots caught the ground a couple of times. After correcting herself, she ran in step with Phillip.

  The dog regained a sense of its surroundings, shaking its throbbing head wildly before locating the people it was pursuing a moment ago. Blood, with an unnatural green tint, began to flow down its face, dripping off the corner of the bottom jaw. The beast let out a monstrous howl, swinging its head from side to side until its blood-shot eyes pinpointed the fleeing humans. The instinct to chase its prey drove the dog to bolt after the retreating humans with newfound vigor. That was the moment that Phillip began to hear the screams from the other workers in the surrounding area. The once-silent ghost town was now alive with the shrieks of the soon-to-be damned.

  There are more of these dogs! Phillip’s anxiety ratcheted up three more notches.

  Using every muscle fiber in his body, Phillip swung the solid oak door on its hinges and slammed it shut, right as the dog flew at it with a deafening crash. The impact nearly sent Phillip backward as he braced the door with his body. Kelly ran to Phillip’s side, wedging herself up against the wood.

  “What the hell is that thing?” Kelly cried as her small body received a jaw-clacking jolt from the same dog that charged the door a second time.

  Phillip reached up to the comm unit that was clipped to the shoulder piece of his suit.

  “Kelly Smith and I have barricaded ourselves into a pub down the block from your location! We’ve been cornered by some ravenous dog!”

  Jake’s voice yelled through the radio, “We’re on the way!”

  Borrowing a gun from one of the guards at the back of the transport, Jake disengaged the safety and readied to shoot.

  A ravenous dog? There are things out here that are alive?

  “I hope that you’re good with that thing,” the driver said, throwing a glance over at Jake as he drove the rumbling set of wheels down the street.

  “I know how to use this! You worry about getting us there!” Jake turned to look out in front of him. “Phillip! You still there?!”

  “Yeah! I’m holding it back! It’s trying to break down the door!” Phillip yelled back, his voice strained as he withstood the barrage of attacks from the monster dog.

  The radio fixed to the dashboard of the transport vehicle began blare with sighting reports of the same creature as Phillip had described. The other transport vehicles were scrambling to pick up the other scientists that were spread out around the ghost town.

  “There!” the driver yelled out, pulling the handbrake and turning the wheel with a vicious tug. The momentum propelled the vehicle around a fixed point; the front tires stayed in place while the back end swung around to a stop. The wide construction of the transport vehicle prevented it from rolling over. Completely unfazed by the transport’s appearance, the dog continued ramming its head into the door, determined to kill the humans hiding inside the pub.

  What remained of the mangy fur was a rusty brown color, not including the blood splattering from its already-split scalp. The shoulders of the beast could easily reach up to Jake’s waistline.

  “Phil! Get away from the door! It’s gonna get busy where you’re standing!”

  “Do it!” Phillip’s voice carried through the radio unit after a short delay.

  The two guards in the back of the vehicle opened the top escape hatch, pointing their rifles at the dog. Jake leaned out from a rolled-down window, lining the unsightly dog in his sights. The three pulled their triggers at the same time.

  A barrage of gunfire later, the smoke cleared.

  The dog’s massive body dropped with a deep thud on the wooden deck in front of the pub’s threshold.

  Jake exited the vehicle, keeping his weapon trained on the motionless body. He was watching for any movement. He sincerely doubted that the beastly dog would still be alive, since there were so many holes in its body, but he was playing it safe.

  Screams from humans, snarling and barking from dogs, along with random spurts of gunfire erupted in the distance. Site Zero had come alive with defenseless prey and horrendous monsters.

  “It’s dead,” Jake announced over his shoulder.

  “We shot about two pounds of lead into it, what do you expect?!” one of the guards shouted, ejecting his magazine and checking for jams. “Hurry up the extraction!”

  “Phil! You all right?” Jake called out, facing the front door of the pub as he cautiously approached the building.

  “Yeah, we’re fine.” Phillip slowly opened the door that was riddled with bullet holes. The two occupants ran to one side of the pub, avoiding the line of fire. Jake walked up to the small wooden porch situated at the pub’s door. He took a closer look at the corpse. Blood was pooling underneath the lifeless body.

  “What is this thing?” Jake whispered, spotting the strange lines running down the fur of the dog’s back.

  “Phillip, let’s get out of here.” Kelly held on to Phillip’s arm, not daring to let go.

  “Is anyone out there? The interference is preventing us from getting updated! Anyone?” a voice came over the communication unit that was installed in the vehicle.

  The driver picked up the comm unit. “Site Zero is under attack! Mutated dogs have appeared and are hunting down the scientists!”

  Phillip turned his head briefly to look at the corpse of the dead dog. His mind went blank as he analyzed the peculiar mutations present on the canine’s body. Besides the odd design in the fur and slightly tinted blood, Phillip recognized two small horns protruding from the canine’s skull. The bone spurs were located just above the eyebrow ridge.

  “We’re picking up Mister Delgado and escorting him back to camp—!”

  “AHHH!”

  More gunfire rang out, the close proximity making Phillip’s ears ring.

  Following the sound back the source, Phillip whirled around to look back up at the vehicle. Without making a sound to warn the humans of their arrival, several dogs emerged from around the back of the vehicle. They snarled with foam-encrusted mouths, flaunting their gigantic incisors.

  “Fuck!” Jake hollered, his eyes drawn to the escape hatch. Two dogs had already scaled the vehicle and were making a mess of the guards and driver inside of the transport.

  “Get back inside!” Phillip yelled, grabbing a hold of Kelly’s arm again and pulling her back to the pub. Jake followed in close pursuit, providing cover fire with what was left in the magazine of his borrowed pistol. He took out two canines on the ground before they could go for the kill. However, the bio-isolation suit’s limited peripheral vision prevented the gunman from spotting the target to his immediate left.

  Kelly’s shrill scream tore through the air, briefly drowning out the incoming pack of snarling dogs.

  A dog slipped past Jake’s pre-occupied gaze and after lunging forward, it clamped its massive jaws onto Kelly’s leg as Phillip pulled her through the door. The beastly mutt’s claws dug into the wood, wrenching back to yank the young woman back out of the pub.

  Phillip’s mind went blank. He had no plan or clue on how to save Kelly. All he could do was to hold on and never let go.

  “Die, fucker!” Jake turned, aiming his pistol a mere foot away from the devilish mongrel. He unloaded the last of his bullets into the dog’s neck and head. Blood sprayed in the form of mist, coating all three humans who were close enough to catch the gory shower. The canine’s mouth unclenched, letting go of Kelly’s leg.

  “GO!” Jake yelled, pushing the two through the door and slamming it shut behind him. He spread out
his arms and leaned against the wooden structure as more ravenous dogs joined to collide against the door.

  Phillip’s face drained as he examined Kelly’s leg.

  The miracle, considering the situation, was that the dog missed penetrating her flesh. The teeth of the canine pierced the skin of the bio-isolation suit. Phillip glanced at his friend with a lost look on his face. “The seal’s compromised! She needs an emergency decontamination!”

  “Block the opening!” Jake yelled. His body jolted forward as he held the door closed from the constant barrage imposed by the hellhounds trying to break past the wooden barrier.

  Phillip extracted a roll of tape from his belt and patched up the row of holes, using the adhesive strips to reseal the suit from cycling more contaminated air into the interior.

  “Are you feeling off? Anything weird?” Phillip rattled off.

  “W-well, I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack.”

  Phillip nervously shrugged. “Well, that can’t be helped…”

  Kelly winced as she looked at him, her lips trembling. “Phillip … what’s going to happen to me?”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you!” Phillip said without making eye contact. “We’re going to get you out of here! Everything’s going to be fine!”

  It wasn’t a complete lie, but Phillip couldn’t be one hundred percent sure that what he was saying would come to pass. On the flip side, what was he supposed to say? That Kelly was as good as dead? At the moment, she wasn’t showing any symptoms. They could have a small amount of time to get Kelly into decontamination before it was too late.

  Maybe my theory of the Alter-gens’ effects being instantaneous was wrong. But if that’s the case, why was everyone in the village spread out like they died on the spot?

  Phillip shook his head, coming out of his analytical state of mind. “Jake! You got any more bullets?”

  “I’m all out, bud.”

  “Well shit … hold on.” The young scientist ran over to the bar’s massive counter.

  The flashlight in Phillip’s headgear illuminated the bar space that he thrashed his way through. He was looking for anything that resembled an effective weapon, but there was nothing to be found that could be used to eliminate the threat.

  There was one small detail that Phillip saw in passing.

  A couple of sheets were laid out behind the counter with some rudimentary medical supplies strewn about. Whatever was back in this location, it appeared to be a makeshift medical station.

  The locals were giving first aid … but why in a bar? Phillip couldn’t afford to speculate. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

  Jake let out a couple of strained grunts as he continued to hold the door against attacks. Kelly’s predicament and the dogs’ relentlessness brought Phillip to snap.

  “Fuck it all!”

  “Nothing back there?” Jake asked.

  “Just a bunch of fucking useless pieces of wood!”

  “Hey now! A two-by-four of hickory makes one hell of a weapon!”

  Phillip kicked over a small stool, sending the furniture clattering across the pub floor. The crashing sound alerted Kelly, who was still in a mildly disconnected state. Her fear-stricken face turned to look at Phillip, lips still trembling.

  “I’m sorry, Kelly. I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” Phillip sighed, grabbing the top of his bio-isolation suit. He couldn’t run his hands through his hair, so this had to make do to satisfy his nervous twitch. “I’m just—”

  “No! It’s okay.” Kelly shook her head, trying her best to put up a brave smile. “I’m just a little shaken up. I’m more used to my quiet lab environment.”

  Jake growled under his breath. The dogs’ attacks were nowhere near as frequent as the first couple of volleys.

  “Driver! Are you there?” Phillip called over the radio.

  Radio static was the reply. Phillip’s hand slowly let go of the radio unit.

  “Phil, we both saw what happened.” Jake sighed. “Could you switch out with me? I’m getting tired.”

  As Phillip ran to assist Jake, he absent-mindedly slammed his hip into the ancient counter as he made the turn.

  The impact sent a tremor all the way down the long, wooden structure. The pain shooting up his back was almost enough to bring him to another outburst until he heard a crunching sound, followed up a distinctive thud. Scrunching his eyebrows, Phillip hobbled back, looking underneath where he had previously checked. His eyes locked onto the metal body and wooden stock of the sawed-off, side-by-side shotgun. His eyes lit up like fireworks.

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Phillip exclaimed, ducking under the counter and grabbing a hold on the firearm. He grabbed all the shells he could find, which was fairly sparse in number. Each one would have to count.

  “What did you find, Phillip?” Kelly exclaimed, picking up on his excitement.

  “This!” Phillip held up the newly acquired shotgun up over his head like it was a trophy.

  Phillip ran back to the window to gauge the situation. “I’ve never had a thing for guns, but damn! This thing is beautiful!”

  “Badger 13! Come in, Badger 13!” another voice thundered over the communications line. The stationary vehicle outside of the pub was designated as Badger 13. Phillip and Jake’s radios were also linked to Badger 13’s communication channel.

  “Badger 14! There are three survivors from Badger 13! Three casualties, one very critical. In need of an emergency decontamination!” Jake called on the radio.

  Coming across the ear like the voice of a hero, the uplifting call came back.

  “Badger 14 is on the way!”

  5.

  Phillip’s body ached from the compiling stress over the past two weeks of non-stop working and the events of today. His muscles began to cramp up as his eyes were starting to shift in and out of focus in intervals.

  “This is not what I signed up for!” Jake groaned, his body sore from taking the shock of all of the dogs battering on the door. For now, the canines were no longer slamming their heads against the entry point. Looking to his left, Jake saw a plank of wood in the beam of the flashlights attached to the head of his bio-isolation suit. He grabbed the piece, placing it in the metal clamps and blocking the door from opening. “Phil, give me that gun!” Jake demanded possession of the firearm, knowing it would be nowhere near as effective in Phillip’s inexperienced hands. Phillip handed the weapon to Jake without any resistance.

  When Jake extracted the ammunition that was loaded into the weapon, he took a quick glance at the shells sitting flush against the firing pins.

  “Judging by the shell, are those are buckshot?” Kelly took notice.

  “Oh?” Jake raised his eyebrows, his expression suddenly shifting. “Don’t tell me, a fellow gun enthusiast?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far…” Kelly looked away. “I just know a thing or two…”

  “You sure seem to know what you’re talking about, Miss Smith!” Jake nodded, clearly impressed. “Hey, Phil, would you be mad if I called dibs on her, assuming we make it out of this alive?”

  “Really? Right now? You have to do this shit right now, Jake?!” Phillip shouted.

  Kelly sagged her head, looking at the ground while her face was red-hot from embarrassment. Jake chuckled at first, and then let out a yelp when Phillip wacked him on the back of the head.

  “Seriously, man…” Phillip shook his head partly in disbelief and also with a bit of jealousy. The trivial matter was quickly forgotten as the three humans began to hear the distinct sound of glass cracking. The window on the far side of the pub became a new target for the pack of ravaging dogs.

  “Never seen something so hell-bent on killing humans.” Phillip sighed, placing himself in front of Kelly.

  “Is there a way out, Phil? As far as I can tell, we’re cornered!” Jake growled, hoisting the newly acquired shotgun up to his shoulder.

  “I saw a ladder in the back when I was scavenging earlier! It might lead to
the roof!” Phillip rattled off quickly, unable to take his bloodshot eyes away from the breaking window.

  “Don’t you usually have good ideas that head of yours?” Jake rolled his eyes. “If they break the window, I can pulverize whatever comes through! I can’t miss when the dogs are funneled in!” Jake argued a solid point. The opaque glass began to crack as the first dog slammed against it with both front paws extended.

  There was no time to craft a better strategy; the dogs were on an all-out offensive, resolved to feast on the humans taking shelter inside the pub.

  “Here it comes!” Jake yelled.

  Firing both barrels, two dozen steel balls were shot through the broken glass with a thunderous roar.

  The speeding, metal buckshot pierced the head of the charging dog. The skull fractured, splitting the cranium into several large pieces.

  The world was no longer as realistic as Phillip was taught to believe.

  For years, the media reported of ravenous humanoids they called “Chroma.” They were just as hungry for human flesh as these dogs were. Phillip never thought he would see one of those humanoids, but he imagined it was somewhat as frightening as what he was experiencing at that moment. The world was filling with the monsters that were only supposed to exist in fairy tales.

  “Reloading!” Jake yelled again, swapping fresh shells that Phillip threw over to him.

  There were still three canines outside trying to break into the establishment. Jake tensed up, keeping mental note of how many shots he had left before he would have to use the shotgun as a club. That was only as a last resort.

  The window offered a route into the pub for the dogs, but it was not the path chose to take after Jake killed one of theirs. Instead, the canines began slamming their weight against the wooden door again. The sun-beaten, weatherworn door began to slowly buckle after the repeated jolts.

  “Now what are they doing?” Jake huffed as he craned his neck to direct his gaze back at the shaking door. Judging by the sound, all of the dogs were now taking turns pounding on the wooden structure, giving each other an opportunity to rest between volleys.