by Maxey, Phil
Carla swung the cone of light from her gun, left and right across the bland walls of a narrow corridor. Another side door was nearby and one at the end, with ‘stairs’ painted above it. She started to run, when she felt a sharp pain in her calf. Pointing the light down revealed a piece of glass sticking out through her ripped pants.
“Fuck.”
She knew she couldn’t remove the shard, and walked forward trying to keep her weight from that side. She pushed open the stairwell door and started to descend when a noise from below echoed out. Something was coming up. It scraped the walls as it rose higher, its razor sharp nails leaving scars and it knew she was up there. Could smell her.
Carla looked back at the door she had just passed through.
Maybe there’s another way down… Nah.
“Come and get me, you buck toothed fuck!” she shouted. The creature was now hurtling towards her and she was moving down towards it. Her gun’s light caught its claws first, and she started to fire, each discharge vibrating through her body and jarring her injured leg. Two bullets slammed into its chest, but then her trigger produced nothing. The vamp lunged forward then fell headfirst dead, on the step below her. She let out a breath in relief, then pulled her handgun from its sheath and continued down past floor after floor, each time listening to the doors for any movement beyond, then on not hearing anything continuing, until she reached the exit.
Before opening it she held her radio up to her mouth once more. “Bishop? I’m on the ground floor. Where are you? Over.” Static came from the speaker but nothing else. “Bishop? You there? Over.”
A numbness settled in the pit of her stomach.
I’m alone… no. Can’t think like that. Need to find her.
She pulled the door open slowly, letting the light’s cone explore the corridor beyond. It hit up upon a single door about ten feet away. Walking quickly but cautiously she reached it, then pulled it open to a huge space full of plastic columns of bound carpets and rugs contained within metal frames. A clang echoed out somewhere in the darkness and she stepped forward swinging the light to her left, lighting an avenue between the textile forest which stretched to an absolute darkness.
Really could do with the NVG’s right now.
Turning to face the opposite direction, she walked forward slowly, letting the light lead her way, while trying to make sense of where she was in the huge room, and where other smaller rooms might be. Her breathing was now the only sound she could hear as she walked faster and faster trying to find a way out of the plastic maze.
A door, slightly open, appeared off to her right. A noise drifted from the gap.
“Bishop?” she tentatively shouted.
The sound stopped.
“Bishop?”
The door flung open. The metallic stench hit Carla before the vamp did, its claws slicing across the body armor on her chest as she fell backwards, dropping her M4 and bringing the killing machine with her. She fired desperately with the Glock as she descended to the cold hard floor and slammed into it as the vamp landed on top of her. Rolling to the side, she scrambled to get away, but then realized it wasn’t moving.
Dead.
She quickly picked up her rifle and went to move forward to kick the scourge riddled creature, when the stench wafted past her again from the shadows beyond the open door. As she swung her light beam to the room, she clicked on her radio and instantly the high pitch whine of feedback filled the air, making her switch the device off.
“Bishop?” The question fell from her dry lips, not needing an answer for she knew the woman she had fought countless battles with was no longer living.
All dead...
She stepped forward and shone a light on Bishop’s open eyes, her expression frozen in shock. Carla bent down and searched for a pulse and on not finding any, closed the soldier’s eyes, then proceeded to strip her person of any remaining ammo and weaponry. She did this without feeling, her mind numb to current events. When her radio burst into life she hardly flinched.
“Lieutenant Antos. Are you there? Over,” said a strained voice.
She slowly lifted the radio to her mouth. “I’m here. Over.”
“It’s over. We’re executing operation Mars. Get your people out of there! You know what to do! Over.”
She didn’t bother responding.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Marina ran down the headquarters’ stairs, Jess on one side, Jasper the other, her hands clasping theirs. Mary was behind and the two dogs ran near their feet, no leashes required. Muffled booms rattled the walls. The two adults had backpacks on, and both descended with others, human soldiers, all moving to the ground floor.
They spilled out into the lobby which was filled with uniformed people, some arguing, others checking the magazines in their rifles. Galloway was talking to Gus.
The general spotted Marina. “Get to the train! It’s three blocks to the south!” She then continued her conversation with the colonel.
Confirming Joel’s request, Marina had previously overheard discussion of what the train would be used for. A means for the town to evacuate and was the reason she had chosen to stay. At least these people had a plan if everything went to hell, which it usually had.
They moved outside into a crowd running past to their left. Cracks and booms echoed out all around and mixed with screams and grunts, although in the melee Marina couldn’t tell who was human and who might be a vamp. She scooped both kids up, one in each arm and glanced behind her.
“Stay close!” she shouted to Mary who nodded in return.
“I’m scared,” said Jess.
“I know baby. We’ll get through this.”
They all ran with the panicked townspeople along the sidewalk and into the road, which sloped down a hill, abandoned single story stores on both sides. The train glistened in the distance, its newly acquired armor plating lit by the reds and blues of emergency vehicles.
A horn rang out behind Marina and she jumped to the side with Mary and the dogs, as a truck full of soldiers pushed through everyone. She caught glimpses of their grime and bloodied faces, each one more dead to the world than the last. More screams rang out, even closer, and Marina followed the fear in the eyes around her up to nearby roofs. Humanoid shapes skittered along the top of them, as Shadow and Flint started barking.
Vamps.
Before she could react, the deadly forms sprung down into the crowd, felling man, woman and child alike, people scattered, automatic gunfire rang out, but Marina kept on moving forward, running down the hill, making sure Mary and the animals were alongside.
As they reached the bottom the dogs ran ahead, past makeshift spiked barriers which sat in front of a row of soldiers desperately trying to find their targets amongst the people rushing at them.
Empty vehicles, civilian and military sat to the side of the train cars, with people packed in between, forming queues to get aboard the converted carriages.
Marina, the kids and Mary stopped at the back of one of the lines, while other people buffeted her from behind. She lost sight of the dogs, but their scent told her they were close. The grunts and screeches of vamps appeared to be all around, the gunfire constant. People screamed for the mass of people in front to move quicker. A spray of blood hit the back of her head making her spin around, but there was just terrified faces looking back at her, pushing her towards the train.
“Marina!” shouted Evan.
She couldn’t see him, but she picked up his scent and looked to her right. He was waving about eight rows of people away from her.
“Come over—”
A rocket from an Apache helicopter seared the air above the train and the front of a nearby store exploded, sending masonry and glass into the sky, some of it landing on people and the train cars.
Marina hadn’t realized but she was crouched with those around her. She went to stand when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
“Come with me!” shouted Evan standing next to her.
Picking the kids up again
and keeping Mary close she pushed forward, cutting across the lines of people, catching glimpses of the dogs.
“The trains moving! They’re leaving!” shouted someone close to her, which was quickly echoed by gasps and shouts.
She flicked her head towards the nearest car which was slowly moving away. The rush was now a blind panic and shoulders pushed into her arms and hands scrapped across her face. Jess screamed while Jasper buried his head against her neck.
“Up here! Quick!” shouted Shannon hanging from an opening in the side of a nearby train car.
With a shove Marina pushed the compacted bodies aside, running alongside the car, then held Jess then Jasper up to Shannon who pulled them in. She turned around. “M—”
Mary was nowhere to be seen amongst the crowd, when suddenly Evan burst free of the nearest wall of arms and legs, with the older woman in tow, Shadow and Flint just behind her. He picked Mary up with a speed and strength no human would have managed and leaped onto the train which was accelerating away.
“Jump up!” he shouted to Marina. She looked at the dogs running beside her, gesturing for them to leap into the open car door.
“Come on!” shouted Evan to them, and each dog sprang through the air, landing inside. With a similar effort Marina launched herself after them, her boots landing on the edge, and grabbed the frame to pull herself in. She looked back at hundreds running along the side of the tracks, waving for the locomotive to stop. Letting out a breath she turned away and slid the door closed.
*****
The humvee Galloway and Gus were inside of skidded to a stop near the entrance to the medical center. The colonel busily continued barking orders into his radio while she got out, two guards leaving with her. They jogged up the steps and through the doors being held open. A soldier stationed there tried to grab the general’s attention but she was too resolved towards the reason she was there. She had only visited the hybrid young brother the once. That was enough to know all she needed to about him. Sadism, clothed in an immature attempt at humor and lower than average intelligence. An inconsequential psycho with superhuman strength. And now the older brother had gone back on the agreement and destroyed what she had built.
Never should have trusted them… but then what choice did I have?
At the entrance to the basement she told her two guards to stay up top. She had to do the last part alone. She bounded down the steps, checking where the other exit was then strode forward, making sure her handgun was fully loaded, then moved through multiple security doors, until finally she reached her destination.
The cell door was already open.
She pushed it all the way. A bloody smudge of guts and body parts sat in a heap against the wall. Carla sat nearby with what looked like a piece of iron pipe lying across her lap.
She looked up at the general. “Oh. Hi. How’s the battle going?”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Kizzy looked at her reflection in the window of the back of the pickup which was making its way, with the other, west. She thought she looked older, and then she did. Small creases started to spread out from the corner of her eyes, while her cheekbones became more pronounced. With the slightest of concentration she was back to her twenty something self. “I wonder how the town is doing…”
“They’re surviving,” said Keller in the front passenger’s seat.
“But how will we know what is—”
“We don’t… we won’t. We’re outside comms range.”
She returned to the void which resided outside the vehicle. The headlights lit two large gray doors of a fire station nestled amongst the forest, before the scenery became blanketed in darkness once again.
She hated the idea of what happened to Anna, a fate which would be impossible to befall her. If she lost a limb she could just regrow it. The idea that she couldn’t, was now a horror she had trouble contemplating. It amused her how quickly she had become used to not being human. To being something else, perhaps something more. What kind of future would exist for those the Scourge altered? She didn’t know, she just knew she didn’t want the corporation to be part of it.
Amos sat awkwardly between the two women. He knew the plan residing inside Joel’s mind. Rescue Anna then head south to the coast. If things had gone bad in Jankle, that’s where the townspeople would be. The next part of the plan was murky but he was sure had something to do with the tablet. Fragments of images and ideas had come from brief interactions with the general, Gus and the others. Thoughts gleamed on passing them in corridors at the headquarters, but they appeared to now guard their minds from him. A wise choice.
Dalton looked in the rear mirror at Geri. Her head was back against the headrest, her eyes closed and her straggly hair fell across her nose and cheeks. It was a face full of expressions that made him smile, not just because she was of the same Alkron type as he, both werewolves but because she was one of those rare people that the end of the world hadn’t changed. He admired that. He liked to think he was the same, but he knew that was a lie. The death of civilisation had changed him. He now had hope of a good life. Not something you seriously think about when you’re facing a life term.
The two vehicle convoy passed through mile after mile of dense forest, over rivers and towns so small that their main streets only consisted of a handful of stores, a water tower and a gas station. Joel constantly pushed his senses out to the ramshackled structures whenever they appeared, but each time no sense of any danger came back.
After roughly two hours of driving, homes then stores started to appear on the sides of the four-lane road.
“We’re ten minutes out from the center of town,” said Keller through Joel’s radio. “We shouldn’t be on this road for too much longer, and we should look for a place to stash the vehicles. Over.” Joel agreed.
After a few more minutes of driving Joel indicated to Keller that the two-story motel coming up on the right, would be the place. Opposite was a car showroom, complete with glossy new coupes and pickups lined up out front.
They drove into the motel’s lot, then kept going until they were parked up around the back of the first block of rooms.
As soon as the engine died, Geri’s head tilted forward and she sniffed the air.
“Vamps,” said Dalton, before she was able too.
Keller placed his helmet back on his head and dropped the NVG’s upon his eyes. “Not seeing anything out there.” He held the radio to his lips. “The wolfs—” Dalton and Geri frowned at the same time. “— Are picking up vamp scent. But I can’t see anything around us. Over.”
Doors on the first pickup opened, and Joel walked to the vehicle behind. Keller opened his door.
“I’m picking up something in the rooms around—”
Before Joel finished a brief scuffling against doors became a heavy knocking and two windows shattered, with vamps clambering out of them.
Dalton was already around the front of the hood, moving towards the rooms before Joel could react. “I got this,” said the big man. Geri got out and ran to catch up.
Joel turned back to Keller and the others. “Lets get inside.”
After a lock on a room’s door was broken, everyone moved into the dark space, and sat on what they could, while Kizzy immediately disappeared into the restroom. Keller switched on a flashlight so the humans could see. Outside screeches from the remaining vamps were abruptly ended, with a squelch and a thud.
“Apart from the former motel’s residents,” said Joel. “I’m not sensing any scourge individuals, meaning if the corporation is here, they must be at the center of town.” He pulled out the piece of map that Jasper had marked, and placed it on the bed, then traced his finger along the route they had come in on. “We’re here. And the center of town is—”
“About a thirty minute march,” said Pachmayer.
Joel nodded. “Yup. If we lose comms with each other, this motel is our rendezvous point. Lets go.”
*****
The huge bat-like wings of a Dr
ak beat amongst the black smoke that bellowed from the buildings of Jankle. In its claws a king looked down upon the burning town and briefly smiled, some solace to not having heard from his brother Tyror.
“Down,” said Rynon.
Five other Draks beat against the dense air, with a group of ‘otherhumans’ in their grasps, and the entire group descended to the roof of the medical center, one of the few structures that the flames had not reached yet.
The plan to destroy their enemies had worked perfectly. He and Eltir had laughed at how foolish the humans had been in keeping their greatest asset, the hybrids trapped inside a large building outside the walls. Easy pickings for his specially selected group of Alkrons. And despite the formidable human technology, the flaw in the towns defenses was obvious to even the simplest of minds. Vamps had always been good at tunneling. A tactic he and his brothers had used against human settlements eons before.
They never learn.
Humankind had forgotten about the scourge and the gifts it had bestowed on humanity until the Drak known as Copeland in his pitiful search for youth, stumbled upon their tombs. Eventually the capsules heard the calling of the tablets, and released the three kings upon a very different world to the one they had left. Civilizations had risen and fallen during the time they were sleeping and those that had survived the turmoil became weak and comfortable with their technologically led lives, blind to true power. The power of the scourge.
The final piece of the strategy to take the town and rescue his brother was to take someone important to those in charge. The hybrid that cared for those that were slaughtered was perfect for the role and would keep Tyror alive, despite the destruction of the town. Those that cared for her would make sure of it, and when everyone around them was dead, and they realized that they would never see the doctor again, it would be too late, for the kings would have arrived and the brother would be freed. A perfect plan.
Rynon landed on the roof of the center. Through his spies he had leaned that Tyror was being kept in the basement of the structure. At the back of his mind was a silence that troubled him though. A vacancy that was usually filled by one of his siblings presence. His type of Alkron did not have the same abilities to control or read the minds of others, an ability made up for by being stronger and more durable than most, but he could sense those infected, and especially feel when his brothers were close. An enhanced familial bond.
