Wasteland in Red Square

by Josh Matthews

  And the flood of Nachzehrer continued.

  Sasha kept up the assault, swinging the minigun from side to side. There were too many to stop them all. Eventually, she used up her last round. The only sounds were the whir of the spinning barrel mount and the moans of the remaining Nachzehrer. Close to two dozen had survived. They moved across the roof, circling the humans. Sasha unbuckled the chest straps to her minigun and slid the weapon and backpack off her shoulders. Removing her machete from its sheath, she held it in front of her, her knuckles tightening around the grip. She slashed her way into the approaching horde as if her life depended on it because, in fact, it did. She plunged her machete into the face of the nearest Nachzehrer. It stiffened as the blade sliced into its brain. Placing her foot on its chest, Sasha pushed. The Nachzehrer slid off and tumbled into another demon, knocking it to the ground.

  The Nachzehrer swarmed Sasha. They moved in around her, pinning her arms by her side and pushing against her. A set of teeth dug into her shoulder, biting through the flight suit and piercing the skin. A decayed hand clawed at her face, the fingers gouging at her eyes. Rather than be eaten alive, Sasha tumbled backward over the edge of the wall, plummeting three hundred feet to the ground below, and taking three of the demons with her. Her eyes stared up, locking on Jason’s.

  “I’m coming back for you.”

  Jason woke with a start. He sat upright, his heart pounding, his body damp from sweat. He must have cried out, because to his right Lucifer and Lilith were also awake, both werehounds staring at him. Lilith lay back down and curled up. Lucifer stood, crossed over to Jason, and licked his face.

  “Are you okay?” Jeanette whispered on his left.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?” She reached out and held his hand.

  Jason squeezed it. “I had a nightmare.”

  “Was it about Sasha?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Because you called out her name before you woke up.”

  Jason sighed and moved beside Jeanette so they could talk without disturbing the others. “I dreamed about how she died.”

  “That’s natural.”

  “But it seemed so real, so vivid.”

  “You’re purging a traumatic event.”

  “The strange thing is, I never saw Sasha die. Yet it felt as if I was there.”

  “I wish I could help,” Jeanette said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

  “You can.” Jason spooned her and wrapped his left arm around her shoulder. Jeanette placed her hands on his arm and hugged, sighing in contentment. Jason usually experienced excitement being this close to Jeanette, but not tonight. He enjoyed the softness and warmth of her body against him, only now it had more of a comforting effect than anything else, which he needed. The nightmare bothered him more than he admitted. Sure, he had experienced them many times since the opening of the portals. Everyone had. But this one had been too vivid, too personal, and too real. It felt more like a vision than anything else, and it left him with an unsettling vibe.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Dawn broke at camp. The sun had not yet climbed above the tree line, leaving the area in shadows and the surrounding fields covered in a layer of ground fog. One by one, the team woke and sauntered over for breakfast. Gaston stoked the fire. Some of them sat around waiting for their meal while the majority packed up or moved to the outer edge of the woods to relieve themselves. Jason recalled the sentries. When they arrived at the camp fire, he asked how their shift went.

  “I didn’t see a single Hell Spawn all night,” said Reinhard.

  “Same here,” added Werner.

  “I didn’t see anything last night,” added Slava. “Not even wildlife.”

  “Is that bad?” Vicky asked.

  “It could mean there’s something nearby that scared them away,” said Slava.

  “Or maybe the Nachzehrer passed through earlier,” added Reinhard.

  Jason wondered if his dream was in any way related to this anomaly. “We’ll be extra cautious when we move out. Relax for a while. We’ll break camp after breakfast.”

  As Reinhard and the others left, Jeanette came over. “Sook-kyoung and I are going to check on the horses.”

  “All right. I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”

  “You’d better.” Jeanette’s eyes scanned the campsite. Since no one paid any attention to her, she leaned forward and kissed Jason, and then rushed off.

  ***

  Antoine strolled far enough away so that no one could see him. He stood behind a tree and unzipped his pants. A rustling in the bushes distracted him. Grabbing the hilt of his machete, he spun around, ready to attack. Neal stood by the next tree. Upon seeing Antoine exposed, Neal covered his eyes with his hand.

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  “Do you mind doing that somewhere else? I’m taking a piss here.”

  “Of course.” Neal zipped up, nearly catching himself in the process. He pointed to a large bush twenty feet away. “I’ll go over there.”

  Antoine glared at him. Neal shut up and ran off. Antoine went back to business, shaking his head and mumbling under his breath.

  ***

  Haneef attempted to determine the direction of Mecca. Once he had it figured out, he dropped to his knees and placed his forehead against the dirt, initiating his morning prayers.

  ***

  The horses stomped their hoofs and moved away from Jeanette and Sook-kyoung as they approached, although they quieted down a little once they recognized the women.

  Jeanette stroked her hand along the bridge of her horse’s nose. “What’s the matter, girl?

  “They seem spooked.” Sook-kyoung went to pet one of the horses, which backed away.

  Jeanette’s horse jerked its head to the side, pushed her away, and pulled until it strained to break the rope securing it to the tree. The horse grew frantic and neighed in fright. Within seconds, all the horses were acting the same way. Jeanette stepped back a few paces and slid the FAMAS off her shoulder. Sook-kyoung had already done the same. The two women moved against the nearest trees, their eyes scanning the fog for movement, their guns held in the high ready position.

  ***

  Jason spread the map on the dirt to check their current position and plan the day’s trek.

  Ian crouched beside him. “Do you know where we are?”

  Jason pointed to their location on the map. “We’re here, west of Naliboki State Park. I’m hoping by the end of the day we’ll be—”

  Jason detected multiple auras. One moment he distinguished nothing, and the next they overwhelmed his sixth sense, causing him to momentarily lose concentration. He had never experienced anything so powerful before. These auras were dominant and malevolent.

  Ian placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder, causing him to jump. “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” Jason struggled to his feet and swayed. The auras made him dizzy. “We have a shitload of trouble heading our way.”

  ***

  Antoine had zipped up his pants when the noise cut through the silence. It came from an animal, but sounded more terrifying than anything he had heard before. It was a clicking from within the throat, deep, guttural, and vicious. He detected movement off to his right. By its size and gray, leathery skin, it reminded him of a soul vampire, although it had more of a human form. Crimson eyes glowed from a featureless face and honed in on Antoine. It raised a hand, and Antoine’s blood ran cold. In place of fingernails, foot-long talons extended from the ends of its fingers. A slit formed across the lower part of its face and opened, revealing a row of brown-stained, jagged teeth. The demon lowered its hand back to the dirt and poised to strike.

  Antoine reached for his FAMAS as the Hell Spawn lunged.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Antoine ran backward, trying to give him enough space to raise his weapon. The Hell Spawn decreased the distance faster than he anticipated. “Neal, we have company!”

  Neal emerged from behind t
he bush. “What did you. . . . Holy Shit!”

  The exclamation caught the Hell Spawn off guard, giving Antoine the precious seconds he needed to aim. Antoine pulled the trigger. The demon stopped and raised its hands in front of its chin, the fingers closed to protect its face. The first ten rounds slammed into the talons and ricocheted off as if striking armor. Antoine lowered the barrel and emptied the last twenty rounds into the demon’s abdomen. The bullets thudded into dead flesh with no effect; the Hell Spawn did not even flinch. Antoine popped out the magazine and reached for a full one.

  The Hell Spawn dropped its hands, snarled, and sprang.

  ***

  A trio of Hell Spawn descended on the horses. In their panicked state, the animals nearly crushed Jeanette and Sook-kyoung. The women retreated to the safety of the nearby trees and readied their weapons. They could hear the clicking of the approaching demons but, because of the horses, they could not tell from which direction or how near they were.

  The first Hell Spawn jumped, leaping over the animals at the edge of the band and landing on the back of one horse in the center. The animal neighed and bucked, trying to throw off its attacker. The demon drove its left hand into the front of the horse’s neck, the talons puncturing the trachea. Stunned by the pain and violence, the animal froze. With its right palm facing down, the Hell Spawn leaned back, plunged its hand into the horse’s lower abdomen, and flicked downward. The talons sliced through the horse’s colon and intestines before ripping through the skin, eviscerating the animal. Collapsing onto the dirt, the horse cried out and thrashed around in its own viscera. The Hell Spawn slid to the ground to feed, its back to the two women. Two more Hell Spawn attacked a pair of horses in the same manner.

  Jeanette pointed to Sook-kyoung and then to the first Hell Spawn. Sook-kyoung aimed her FAMAS. Jeanette selected the one nearest to her. The women fired simultaneously. Jeanette pumped eleven rounds into the demon’s head. It flopped onto its back, flailing and kicking, an anguished mewl escaping from its mouth.

  Sook-kyoung fired half a dozen rounds into the back of her Hell Spawn, which only pissed it off. It spun around to face her. She adjusted her aim and squeezed the trigger, releasing a ten-round burst. This time, the Hell Spawn raised its talons in front of its face and deflected the bullets. Sook-kyoung waited. After a moment, the demon lowered its hands and clicked. Sook-kyoung emptied the remainder of the magazine into its face. The Hell Spawn cried out as its head was pulverized into a bloody pulp and its body flung back onto the horse’s corpse.

  Jeanette didn’t see the third Hell Spawn abandon its meal, duck behind the horses, and circle around the exterior of the band. It leapt out from the right, slamming Jeanette to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. Sitting on top of her chest, it clutched Jeanette by the throat with its left hand. She felt the razor-sharp edges scraping against her skin. The demon raised its right hand and dangled its talons over her face, ready to strike.

  ***

  The screaming and gunfire interrupted Haneef’s prayers. Jumping to his feet, he scurried over to his minigun. A clicking came from his right. Three Hell Spawn raced through the trees. He had never seen this type before. Two broke to the left and headed for the center of the camp while the other charged him. He screamed “Incoming!” to warn the others about the approaching danger.

  Haneef did not have time to mount the weapon system on his back. Instead, he picked up the minigun and swung it toward the Hell Spawn.

  ***

  Jason and the others grabbed their weapons, although they didn’t know where to train them. Lucifer and Lilith morphed. The fur on Lucifer’s back and legs receded, allowing the skin to harden into scales. Three-inch spikes tore through the muscles around his shoulders, and horns extended from behind his ears, giving his head the appearance of a bull. His paws lengthened several inches and his nails became talons. Lilith howled as she changed into her demonic form. The shiny black fur stiffened like the spikes of a porcupine. The tail elongated into a five-foot appendage with a stinger on the end, much like a scorpion. They took up a protective stance on either side of Jason. When Haneef screamed his warning, the group turned in that direction in time to see a pair of Hell Spawn rushing through the trees toward them. All seven opened fire at once. Over a hundred rounds of ammunition slammed into the demons, which broke to the right and disappeared back into the woods.

  Gunfire erupted from where the horses were tied up. Jason tapped Reinhard on the shoulder. “You and Ian help the girls. Slava and Vicky, find Haneef and make sure he’s all right.”

  As the four raced off to help their comrades, Jason glanced around the camp. “Shit! Where are Antoine and Neal?”

  Werner pointed toward the woods. “They went off to take a leak a few—”

  Lucifer growled and stepped toward the trees behind Werner.

  “Watch out!” Jason shoved Werner out of the way as one of the Hell Spawn, which had doubled back on them, emerged from the trees and charged.

  ***

  Antoine raced forward, raised the butt of his FAMAS, and drove it into the demon’s face. He had done that to Nachzehrer and soul vampires in the past, and had knocked them off their feet. The blow didn’t even phase it. The Hell Spawn slammed into Antoine, pushing him against a tree. It swung at him with its right hand, its talons extended.

  ***

  Jeanette could not avert her eyes from the talons dangling over her face. Damn it, she thought. Just get it over with.

  The Hell Spawn snarled and stiffened its arm. A moment later, a dozen rounds tore into its head. The demon grabbed its shattered skull and moaned, loosening its grip on Jeanette. Sook-kyoung rammed the butt of her FAMAS into its wound, pushing it into the dirt. Reaching down, Sook-kyoung yanked Jeanette to her feet.

  “Thanks,” said Jeanette.

  “Save it.” Sook-kyoung pointed to the other two Hell Spawn. Their head wounds had almost healed. “We need to get out of here.”

  The first demon stood up. Its eyes focused on the two women. It clicked and lowered itself on its haunches, ready to strike.

  Sook-kyoung took Jeanette by the arm and headed back into the band of horses.

  ***

  The Hell Spawn swung its talons at Haneef’s face and would have sliced it off had Haneef not blocked the blow with his minigun. When he attempted to pull the weapon back to get off a shot, the demon clutched the barrel in both hands. The two struggled. Haneef hung on tight, knowing he would be slaughtered if he released his grip.

  “Hang on, buddy.” Slava approached from the left, with Vicky on the right.

  Upon spotting the new threat, the Hell Spawn flung Haneef to the side. He dropped the minigun as he tripped over a rock and tumbled onto his back. Slava and Vicky opened fire. The demon placed its taloned hands across its face, blocking the fusillade. When the two ran out of ammunition and replaced their magazines, the Hell Spawn lowered its hands and attacked.

  ***

  Antoine ducked at the last moment. The Hell Spawn’s talons missed him by inches, becoming embedded in the tree instead.

  “Stay down!” Neal raced up on the right, his machete raised above his head. He brought it down on the Hell Spawn’s neck. The angle was off, so instead of decapitating the demon, he lodged the blade deep into its shoulder. Antoine removed his machete from its sheath. He pointed the blade up and drove it into the demon’s abdomen, slicing up under the rib cage. The Hell Spawn convulsed so violently it snapped off two of its talons, leaving them stuck in the tree. Antoine twisted the blade one hundred and eight degrees, gutting the demon. He tried to remove the machete, but it would not slide free. Standing up, Antoine pushed Neal aside, removed the latter’s machete from the demon’s shoulder, and, brandishing the weapon like a baseball bat, swung it against the back of the Hell Spawn’s neck. The blade sliced half way through skin and muscle. He had to hack three more times before the demon’s head separated from its body and dropped to the dirt.

  Falling back against the tree, Ant
oine inhaled several times to catch his breath. As he did, Neal placed his right foot on the demon’s body for leverage and yanked at the machete lodged in it its abdomen. The blade pulled free with a sickening slurp. “Are you ready to help out the others?”

  “Let’s go.” Antoine pushed himself off the tree and followed Neal back into camp.

  ***

  Jeanette and Sook-kyoung exited the band as the two regenerated Hell Spawn jumped to their feet and gave chase. The demons shoved the animals aside, desperate to find their attackers. Jeanette needed to figure out a plan to get out of this, and quickly. They had, at best, a few seconds before the Hell Spawn tracked them down.

  ***

  If Jason had not shoved Werner out of the way, the Hell Spawn would have slashed him across the back of his neck, decapitating him. Instead, it tripped on Werner’s hunched over body and crashed face first into the dirt. The force of the contact flipped Werner over. He landed on his side, rocking back and forth, crying out and clutching his abdomen. Gaston went to help.

  The second Hell Spawn, which had circled around behind Jason, leapt at him. Lucifer and Lilith jumped in front of their master, catching the demon in mid-flight and driving it into the ground. Lucifer sat on its chest, resting his weight on his front paws and pinning down the demon. It lashed at him with its talons, which scraped harmlessly against Lucifer’s scales. The demon became frantic, clicking and thrashing, threatening to throw off Lucifer. Lilith circled around to its head. Raising her tail, she plunged the stinger between the Hell Spawn’s crimson eyes. It convulsed underneath Lucifer. Lilith kept her stinger in its skull, injecting paralyzing fluid and preventing the demon from regenerating.