by Phil Maxey
He prepared to run when his radio came to life with Cal’s voice. He quickly covered its speaker with his hand, even though the volume was low. With his heart pounding he looked around him once more, not being sure if the noise announced where he was. There was no movement and the guards were still more interested in their conversation than anything around them.
Zach sighed, and pulled the radio close to his ear, clicking it on. “Kind of a bad time Cal. Over.”
“You’re near the headquarters? I lost sight of you ten minutes ago. Over.”
“Yes. Over.”
“I’m seeing three individuals, one being mostly carried by the other about three streets to your north. I think they’re our people. Over.”
“Which way they heading? Over.”
“South, but moving away from the headquarters. Over.”
Zach looked at the large building in front of him, and the entrance to the basement and shook his head in frustration. Damn it. “Okay I’m heading back east, the way I came. I’ll then head north. I’ll check back in in a few minutes. Over.”
He waited to make sure the guards were not looking his way, then he ran out of the recess and back the way he came making sure there were vehicles covering his movements. Soon he turned a corner and was in the street north of where was previously.
He clicked on his radio. “Where are they? Over.”
“I lost them behind the buildings at the end of the street to your right. Over.”
Zach sprang forward, running across the street, and down the first alleyway between buildings he could see. Flicking his night vision goggles over his eyes, he looked along the intense darkness of the small pathway behind the buildings and saw them. Three men, none of which were walking particularly well. He recognized Sam and Isaiah instantly even from just their shadowy forms. Running forward, jumping over fallen pieces of fence and trashcans, he came up from behind them.
“Sam! Isaiah!” he half shouted, half whispered.
The men in front of him turned around, their expressions of surprise clearly visible in his ghostly green fluorescent view.
“Zach?” said Sam.
Zach ran forward and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder, and then Bass who Sam and Isaiah were holding up. “You all okay? Any damage?”
Sam went to reply, when a noise in the nearby street made them all fall silent.
When there was no follow up noise Zach spoke. “Keep heading east. About two clicks from here you’ll come across a control tower near the airfield. Cal’s at the top of it,” he then clicked on his radio. “Cal, I found them. They are on the way to you. Over.”
“You’re coming with us, right?” said Bass grimacing.
“They got Abbey, and maybe others in the basement of the headquarters, I’m going to go back for them.”
“How you going to get them out? They got a small army!” said Sam.
“No time to explain. Cal’s going to create a diversion on the airfield. Go, now,” Zach turned and went to move away.
“I’m coming with you,” said Isaiah. Sam went to speak but Isaiah continued. “You got half a leg and a busted up hand. You get Bass back to the tower. I’m going with Zach.”
“Okay, but don’t fucking die,” said Sam, grabbing hold of Bass best he could. Zach handed Isaiah his handgun and each group then went their separate ways.
CHAPTER 8
Zach and Isaiah looked through branches at the side of the headquarters, to the entrance of the basement. Cool water ran from the leaves across their hands and arms. A few windows were lit across the floors above.
“Looks clear,” whispered Isaiah.
Could we be this lucky? Zach wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity either. He emerged from the cover of the shadows and they both ran across the grass glancing up to the windows, until they were leaning up against the wall near the basement entrance.
Zach tried the handle and the door opened inwards. There was no light on the other side apart from a feint glow in the distance. The air vibrated with the hum of a generator, located somewhere in the building around them. He flipped his goggles down over his eyes. “Long corridor, only one door about twenty yards from us,” he said over his shoulder to Isaiah.
They both moved carefully along the confined space, Isaiah feeling the nearby wall to make sure he was moving the right way. He felt Zach’s hand on his arm and he stopped. The small patch of light they had seen earlier was now a slither emanating from under the door.
Zach pushed his ear up against it. “Can’t hear anything.” Once again he tried the handle and he opened the door towards him just a few inches and stopped. The sound of the generator was louder and light flooded into their corridor. Pulling it open a few more inches he slid his head into the gap and looked both ways along another corridor. This one though was double the width and had large piping running the length of it. There were also doors at both ends, and a door half way up.
They both moved swiftly into the larger area, and then to the closest door which was between the others. Above it ‘Storage 03’ was etched into the wall. Opening its door, they quickly filed into the small room, with shelves filled with cleaning products, tools and some overalls that were covered in dust.
Zach put his rifle down and pulled one of the light beige clothing items from it’s hook and started putting it on.
Isaiah went to take the other overalls, but quickly realized it wasn’t anywhere near big enough to fit him.
“Stay here and cover our way back out with the rifle, it’s got a full mag.” Zach then held his radio up, and went to click the talk button when he realized the small LCD display showed ‘No Signal.’ He sighed and handed it to Isaiah. “I’m going to need you to go back to the entrance we came in on, and when there’s a signal, click the talk button tree times.”
Isaiah took the radio. “You still want me to take the rifle?“
“Yeah, I’m going to need the Glock back.”
Isaiah handed him the handgun.
“Some time after you click that button three times all hell is going to break loose, so lay low unless you’re forced not too.”
“Got it,” Isaiah went to open the door and leave when he stopped and looked back at Zach. “Good luck.”
“You too.“
Isaiah left, quickly moving back into the narrow corridor they entered from.
Zach, slid the Glock into the large right pocket of his overalls, and placed his goggles on a nearby shelf, covering them with some cleaning items. Some of the tools lying around were covered in black grease. He smeared some across his cheek, and picked up a large wrench. He then took a deep breath and left the small room and walked confidently back into the large corridor. Which way?
The generator hum came from behind him to his left, but his instincts told him right. Walking fast down the corridor he got to the door, listened if there were any noises from beyond it, and pulled it open.
* * * * *
Cal’s heart skipped a beat when he heard his radio make three click noises.
“Here we go,” he said to Sam and Bass behind him.
He stood and looked out over the dark treetops surrounding them, and then closed his eyes. The sensation of being pulled into the void, that he hated, this time he let envelop him and the ground fell away being replaced with hundreds of small orange, yellow and white points of light.
He swung his head around towards the direction he knew the headquarters was and one bright white spark stood out. He knew that was Abbey. Shifting his gaze upwards towards the horizon he then allowed the tingling to increase in the base of his neck, and tried to heighten his own brightness, making himself a beacon amongst all the E.L.F’s that were around him, regardless of how far away they were.
Some of the dots of light started to grow in size. He knew these must be flying E.L.F’s. He watched them get closer and closer, taking on the form of flying illuminated beings. Looking to the ground, other E.L.F’s started to move towards his locati
on.
He opened his eyes to Sam and Bass both wide eyed and looking past him to the windows.
“I think it worked…” Said Sam.
He turned around. Four large winged serpent looking E.L.F’s were hovering just outside the feeble looking glass of the control tower.
“I think you summoned dragons,” said Sam. “You can control them right?”
“Err, yeah,” said Cal not quite knowing what to do next. He looked down upon the rows of helicopters, new and old and delta winged planes and projected his anger onto them. The flying beasts immediately turned away and descended upon the war machines, like eagles honing in on their prey, and started tearing into them.
At the same time the ground started to shake.
“Now what?” said Sam as he and Bass stepped forward and looked out over the treetops.
“There!” said Bass.
Where he indicated, the dark shapes of trees were falling like matchsticks.
Cal went to say something when a high pitch siren started booming from the base to their right. He ran to the other windows and looked towards that direction. The creatures had already laid waste to three helicopters and were now pulling the wings off the planes, which were falling flat to the concrete below them.
“They’re coming,” said Cal. “They might try and get in here, I’ll need both of you to cover the stairs. There’s two Glocks, extra ammo and a grenade in my pack.”
Sam grabbed the weapons and ammo from the bag. Bass winced and hobbled off the table he was laying on.
“Maybe you should sit this one out?” said Sam.
“Don’t start that shit, just give me a gun.” Sam handed him the handgun and the extra ammo and they moved into the dark stairwell.
“The rails just in front of you, to you’re right,” said Sam as the room behind lit up while the tower shook with a huge booming explosion.
“One of the plans just went up!” shouted Cal to them.
The flames from the plane continued to provide light into the control tower, as Sam and Bass descended down the stairs into the shadows.
“I say we sit at the top of the first set of stairs, watching the external door,” said Sam.
“Yup,” said Bass half a staircase behind.
Back in the room at the top of the tower, Cal watched as a convoy of lights approached from the base, proceeded by a stream of neon streaks, which he knew were automatic fire. Some of the bullets slammed into one of the creatures, knocking it back against another plane, which it immediately turned on and started breaking apart.
The convoy vehicles split into three groups, two of which moved towards the creatures. Ten or more streams of gunfire focused on the creatures, knocking each of them back and away from the flying machines.
Just when Cal thought the creatures would all be killed, the ground shook so violently that he fell against the nearby computer console and thought the tower might collapse.
Quickly getting back up, he saw a sight which even being in control of the E.L.F’s terrified him.
Two creatures which stood almost the same height as the control tower roared onto the airfield causing craters which each step. They looked like giant beetles, with huge antlers and each of their six legs was as thick as a car.
His fear soon turned to a triumphant rush when the creatures tore through the planes and helicopters like they were toys.
Go on, destroy them all!
In his glee at the scene below him, he hadn’t noticed the columns of tanks moving onto the airfield and the hundreds of men and women with guns that were closing in on his location.
CHAPTER 9
The sound of the siren seemed to fill every molecule of air around Zach as he looked into another plain room. A few chairs and a table looked back at him. Where the hell is she?
He had been looking for a few minutes before the shit hit the fan, and what sounded like hundreds of boots could be heard running across the floor in the building above him. One of Geneva’s men had even run right past him, without even stopping. Zach went to grab him, with the hope he might have information, but the man was gone in the blink of an eye.
He stood in the corridor sweating and trying to push the panic from his mind. The guy in the street told him they were in the basement. Maybe they were moved? A different building?
His thoughts then resolved. He needed to go up and find someone who knew where they were. He quickly ran back to where he saw the man who ran past him go to, and opened a door revealing a small set of stairs which ended with a half open door at the top. He walked up to it quickly. As he neared the top voices could be heard. He steadied himself then stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. Two men ran past him, while another two with rifles were arguing near some open doors.
“What the fuck is going on?” Zach shouted to the men.
One of them looked back at him. “A shit storm of E.L.F’s at the airfield. They are tearing up our planes and things, Geneva’s super pissed. Why was you in the basement?”
“I was told to bring water to the prisoners, but I couldn’t find them, and then the siren went off.”
“The boss had them moved upstairs, to be closer to him, he said this could be a diversion for the camp people to try and rescue them,” said the other guy.
“Yeah well, they still gotta drink, what floor they on?”
The first guy went to reply, when the other guy put his hand up stopping him. “Where’s the water?”
“What?” Said Zach.
“You said you were giving them water, where is it?”
Zach slowly put his hand in his pocket. “It’s in the stairwell, I ran up here to see what the fuss was about.”
The guy pulled his gun off his shoulder. “Show me.”
“Why the fuck I gotta show you anything, I got too—”
The man swayed his rifle in Zach’s direction.
“Okay, calm down, it’s just in here, this way,” Zach backed off towards the basement stairwell.
The man approached him, waving his rifle in his direction. “Why don’t you go first?”
Zach pulled a face, pushed the door open and walked a foot inside. Just as the guy went to do the same, Zach slammed the door closed smashing the guy in his face, while pulling his own handgun out and shooting the guy at point blank range. He instantly fell. The other guy almost dropped his rifle in surprise, and as he tried to raise it, Zach fired another two shots, hitting him in the chest. He fell onto the wall and then to the floor.
Zach looked both ways and waited for people coming his way. None came. Siren covered the shots.
He quickly ran to the guy he last shot, grabbed his rifle, throwing it over his shoulder, then pulled the guy into the basement stairwell with the other. He slid the Glock back into his pocket, then picked up the first guys rifle. Pulling the mag’s out of both rifles he checked how much ammo each had left.
Unlike the basement, this corridor had clear etched words on the walls, detailing what floor and where the stairs to the other floors were. Running, he quickly found the entrance to the stairs and started to ascend.
* * * * *
On the ground floor of the control tower Sam heard shouting and footsteps walking over the wet concrete outside and had an idea. He moved down the stairs as quietly as he could, tugging on Bass’s shirt as he passed him. He then sat with his back up against the external door and braced himself best he could. Bass appeared from the gloom and did the same. Sam could hear him grimacing in pain.
The door handle above their heads turned and they pushed back against the door ready for someone to try to open it. They felt some pressure on their backs.
“Who’s got the key to the tower?” said a young male voice outside.
“How the hell should I know!” replied a female voice.
“Clovis told me to get up in the tower and see if any more of those things are coming this way.”
“Then you got a problem.” The female voice faded away with her footsteps.
; “Dang it.”
“What you doing!” A second older mans voice shouted.
“I’m going to shoot it open,” said the young man.
“We need the bullets you idiot. Just go find the damn key!”
A number of footsteps then receded into the distance.
Sam and Bass both let out breath, although Bass’s was accompanied with a groan.
“I’m glad they wanted to save their bullets,” whispered Bass looking up at the door handle just inches from his head. They both laughed as quietly as they could.
At the top of the tower Cal watched as at least five tanks fired shells at the insect like creatures that were now floundering on the airfield. The armored covered E.L.F’s had trashed at least a third of all of the planes and helicopters, but they were now immobilized themselves, their tentacles thrashing around as they tried to stop the barrage of molten metal rain down on them. As each tank fired the tower shook.
It was obvious to Cal the battle outside was going to be over soon, and he still hadn’t heard from Zach. If Geneva’s forces knew they were in the tower it would only take one shot from one of those tanks and none of them would be returning to Camp Bravo. Can’t stay here.
He looked down below the tower. Three quarters of it was surrounded by the airfield, but behind were some small buildings intermingled with trees. They might be able to shelter there, although it would mean Zach and anyone with him would not have his protection. He wavered on the spot, not being sure what the best option was, then thought of Fiona back at the pharmacy, and he made up his mind. Grabbing his pack and rifle he descended down the stairs, with his night vision goggles on.
At the bottom he clearly saw Sam and Bass with their backs up against the outside door. The tower shook again.
“We can’t stay here,” said Cal.
“We heard voices outside a few minutes ago, they wanted to come in. They will be coming—” before Sam could finish, the sound of boots splashing through puddles came from outside and a key slid into the doors lock.
