by Phil Maxey
His spies in the camps kept him informed of their desperate attempts to survive. And when needed he would give the camps a little ‘push’. A gate would fail allowing E.L.F’s in, or their water supply would suddenly be contaminated. Each event pushing the camps closer to disaster, until they would be overrun. The freaks were working for him even if their mutated bodies didn’t realize it.
Towards the end of the previous year, he knew of three remaining camps, although the camp near Boston was virtually dead and wasn’t worth bothering with. That left the camp near Portland and the one near Austin. Of those, Portland was in the worse shape, so that’s the one his infiltrators would concentrate on first. Soon, their defenses were failing and it was inevitable that the camp was doomed. Then he got word that the new man in charge, a Colonel by the name of Tinley was not what he appeared to be. He was telling one thing to the remaining survivors but was instead creating his own private army of people that were stripping the resources of what was left of the camp for their own purposes, even if those purposes were not clear.
This was a man he would work with.
When they finally met on Tinley’s ‘great’ rescue mission from Portland, he looked into the eyes of a man that was more machine than human. That if you stripped away his flesh you would find only wires and hydraulics driving his passions.
Together they hatched a plan to take over the last camp. Tinley would be greeted as a hero, despite the losses and soon his people would take over. Geneva would then join him, and together they would expand their territory, killing the freaks as and when they found them.
But a Captain by the name Felton messed that up. Instead, Tinley and his people were locked away.
Geneva thought about leaving him there, letting his trial run its natural course, but Tinley had information. He knew how to access the old army’s ‘big’ weapons. He also had people that would still be loyal to him. So some of Geneva’s spies revealed themselves and Tinley escaped and was brought to Atlanta.
Capturing the women was not part of the plan though. That was all Tinley. Geneva learned that he had a hatred of the opposite sex that ran deep, but that was Tinley’s business. Until now.
Clovis appeared behind Geneva with a flashlight. “It’s time. He says that the Captain is to be his.”
Geneva sighed. “Tell him that’s acceptable, but I want the tank intact.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cal looked down the night-scope on his sniper’s rifle at the twin bridges. His location wasn’t ideal, being only slightly elevated but he had a clear view of where the handoff was going to take place, and from this distance he could shoot the skin off a cup of milk.
Even though Zach wanted the honor, they agreed that whoever had a clear shot at Tinley once Daisy was safe should take it. They also knew Tinley wouldn’t make it easy for them, even if he was there, although Zach was sure he would be.
Zach had sent the message of their location back down the radio which they had talked with Tinley on earlier. There was no reply, but he was sure Tinley heard.
The rain started to turn to snow. It was 6:45 pm.
An hour earlier they arrived at the spot which Zach immediately designated as the right location. The water below the bridges was undisturbed ice, meaning no E.L.F’s had passed through recently, and Cal didn’t detect anything anyway. It was also a fairly long bridge meaning, only one way in and out. Each group would wait at their side of the bridge, and Daisy would be sent forward by Tinley’s people to the other side. Then everyone would leave. At least that was the fairytale that no one believed.
Zach was sure that Tinley would try to come for him, that was his weakness.
Fiona sat in the Humvee with Zach on the west side of the bridge. Everyone else was either in the turreted Humvee, the truck or the tank.
“Are we sure the missiles the tank has will take out a chopper,” said Fiona, tapping on the steering wheel.
“Bass thinks they would. It’s got a fairly accurate targeting system, should be enough.”
“And we’re sure he’s going to be using a chopper?”
“They got Abbey and Daisy to Atlanta by air. Likely to be a chopper with a few stops, or a plane. If it’s a plane, then we might have a problem,” he smiled.
“I hope this Daisy is worth it.”
“She’s the reason Abbey escaped. I owe her. And anyway, Tinley’s not going to stop being a problem for us and the camp, unless we stop him.”
Tinley’s voice came through the old radio. “Ready or not, here we come Zach.” Zach clicked on his own radio. “Here we go. Everyone stick to the plan. Stay sharp. Over.”
Hidden in the trees off the highway, Bass from the top of the tank looked towards the east for any lights. There were none. “Not seeing anything. Over.”
Suddenly the bank on the other side of the river lit up. Hundreds of lights stretching a mile in both directions illuminating the ice.
“Fuck,” said Fiona.
“Stay focused.”
“Where did he get all those people? Zach, there must be at least five hundred! If they come across that river… and we must be visible for miles around. If there’s any E.L.F’s around here…”
The old radio came alive once again. “On the ice, leave your weapons behind. And Zach, I’m only going to hand the girly to you, personally.”
Fiona went to say something else, but Zach spoke before she could. “We always knew it would come down to this. Just stick to the plan and we will be fine.” He then got out into the snow that was beginning to settle.
Most of the river looked solid, but there were a few pools of water which splashed onto the surface, a reminder of the flow just a few feet below. Zach carefully made his way down the bank, sliding on his backside when he needed and made his first tentative step onto the frozen river, sweeping his flashlight left and right.
The other side was a haze of light. Fiona was right, there are hundreds. Holding his hand up, he tried to focus when he noticed some of the lights were moving in his direction. Walking forward and trying each step twice he slowly moved towards the oncoming bobbing lights, without being sure who was at their source. I know you’re there.
“Let me see!” pleaded Abbey, while grabbing the scope from Bass, balancing it best she could with her good hand. “He’s out there alone!”
“That was the plan, Abbey.”
“Yeah but on the bridge, not on the ice.”
“They might have the numbers, but we got enough to hold them back, at least long enough for us to get the hell out of here.” He then clicked on his radio. “If anyone tries to get across that ice, shoot it up. Over.”
Abbey watched as Zach’s flashlight and the other flashlights grew closer and closer. “I can’t watch from up here, I need to be closer.”
Tossing the scope back to Bass, she ducked back into the tank, pushing the back open and jumped out. Checking the gun she kept tucked in the back of her pants, she ran through the woods ignoring Bass shouting at her to return.
Zach watched Tinley, a woman in a hood, and two other men approach. The two men were holding old fashioned burning torches, which were doing their best to stay alight between being hit by snow flakes.
“Going back to the stone ages with your lighting there I see,” smirked Zach. “That makes sense.”
“You make a joke because you have your Abbey back?” replied Tinley, his eyes fixed like stones on Zach.
“Oh I’m happy for lots of reasons. But why don’t you let Daisy go, so we can get on with things.”
Tinley smiled, then pulled her hood off to reveal a face that only hinted at being what it once was. Slices crossed her face while her eyes looked out from blue and black skin. She could of been crying but Zach couldn’t tell. He felt sick.
“Well, yeah I know she looks a state, but she had to pay! I really liked Abbey, we were getting on so well, and then this bitch helps her escape. Anyway, she functions pretty much as she did, just won’t be getting married anytime
soon!” He laughed, then hit her in the middle of the back, sending her sprawling forward onto the ice.
Zach swiftly moved to her, helping her to her feet while trying to keep his view on those in front of him. “Can you walk?”
She nodded.
He then handed her his flashlight. “Take this, get as quickly as you can to the other side, someone will be waiting.” She staggered off towards the other bank. “Well looks like you got me,” said Zach looking back at Tinley.
“Looks like I have. I could just kill you right now, but I want your lady to watch you suffer a bit, and it will also be good for the moral of my people. I’m sure you understand.”
Take the shot Cal.
“Your people? I thought they belonged to the Hell Fire gang?”
Tinley smiled. “Take him.”
The two men walked towards Zach. One swiped at him which he deftly avoided, instead kicking the man in his knee, then the stomach, then the middle of the chest planting him on his backside. The other though grabbed Zach’s jacket, and pulled him knocking Zach off balance, causing him to slip and fall on his shoulder. The pain vibrated through him, making him momentarily dizzy.
Bass watched Zach kneel on the ice with the two men and Tinley close to him. Get away Zach we can’t fire. He then clicked on his radio. “Cal, if you get a clear shot on Tinley and the others take it! Over.”
Back on the ice Tinley sniggered. “Oh right, I keep meaning to ask, how’s the shoulder? No permanent damage I hope?”
Zach tried to get to his feet, as the two men bore down on him. The fist of one connected with his face, knocking him backwards. The other came in to kick him, but he dodged, grabbing his foot sending the man tumbling backwards and falling onto the ice which was now beginning to crack. Take the shot Cal!
Looking around, he tried to see where Tinley was. He then went to get to his feet again, when he felt the butt of a gun connect with the back of his head, and he went down, his face hitting the cold wet ice with a slap.
“Abbey, I do hope you can see this!” Tinley shouted towards the far bank, he then beckoned to the man who was now back on his feet. “Pick him up,” the man pulled Zach onto his knees. “Zach, you still with us? Not sure how hard you hit the ice?”
Zach’s world was a blur for a few seconds, then Tinley’s face came into view. “I will kill you.”
“No. No you won’t. But I am going to kill you. But not before you watch all you hold dear die. Look behind you Zach.”
Zach turned slowly, back towards the bank he had just come from and the one that he had just sent Daisy to. To the south and north orange streaks rained down on his friends positions. More streaks flew in the opposite direction, and the silence of the evening was cracked open by the constant drone of automatic fire and explosions.
“While you have been doing your long walk to your final resting place Zach, my people have been crossing the river, and soon will be killing whoever you have waiting for them.”
No.
Tinley clicked on his radio. “What’s the condition of the sniper? Over.” Zach didn’t hear the reply. Tinley looked again at Zach. “Did you expect that I wouldn’t know you had a sniper somewhere out in these trees pointing straight at my head?” he moved close to Zach, and pointed his gun at his head. “So you go to your end, knowing you couldn’t save anyone. Not your wife, not your…” The sound of a bullet flashed past, causing him to duck slightly. When Tinley stood back up he was smiling. Another bullet flew past.
“Looks like Abbey can’t keep away from me.”
One of the men fired back, hitting her in the leg. The impact causing her to fall onto the ice in agony.
“Don’t kill her!” shrieked Tinley.
Zach made a lunge for the man firing at her, catching his back leg and causing the next shot to fly into the gray darkness above. The other man pulled him off, holding Zach’s arms behind him, while the first ran towards Abbey who was trying to lift her arm off the ground to fire at him. Soon the man was with her, kicking the gun out of her hand. He then picked her up, and half carried half dragged her back to where Zach was.
The sound of battle reigned on Zach’s side of the river. “Everyone get across the river, I want this finished quickly, and don’t screw up that tank, Geneva wants it. Over.” Hundreds of lanterns and flashlights fell upon the ice and started moving across it.
Tinley looked at Abbey and Zach in front of him. “So who’s dying first? although it looks like it might be Abbey.”
Zach tried pulling his arms free, but his strength was somewhere else. He looked at Abbey who was also struggling, then he heard it. The sound of ice cracking.
Tinley and the men heard it too, looking at the ground around themselves nervously. Tinley slowly started to raise his radio to his mouth, and the dots of light up and down the river had stopped moving forward.
Zach watched as Abbeys eyes closed as if the pain had switched from her leg to her head.
With an almighty roar about a hundred yards to their south, a tentacle the size of a semi-truck burst through the ice sending the people carrying the sources of light flying into the air. Shockwaves rippled through the remaining ice, knocking Tinley and the two men to the ground. Tinley’s gun and radio spiraled across the ice, with the latter instantly being swallowed into a crack.
Zach saw his chance, and threw himself forward to grab the gun. Tinley saw the danger and slammed into Zach with both men landing on a piece of ice that was now fully separated from the rest.
More tentacles sprung up around them, each one reaching five stories into the sky.
Chaos reigned all around as Abbey opened her eyes onto Tinley standing above Zach, who was struggling to hold onto the side of the block of ice they were on. As he raised the gun towards Zach, he looked at her and grinned.
A kind of hatred she had never felt before mixed with something else. No. Just being able to raise her arm, she swept her hand across in front of her and as she did a huge dark gray tentacle did the same impacting Tinley, sending him into the air and then landing in the deathly cold water. He instantly sunk into the darkness below. Abbey looked to the north, where the ice was reasonably stable. Red streaks of munitions flowed back and forth between the river and the bank. Once again she raised her hand, as she did tentacles burst through that region of ice obliterating the attackers. Those that were still standing, turned and ran back to the bank.
“Abbey! Grab the rope!” she looked back to where she had seen Zach before. He was standing on the ice which now had a ten foot gap between them. Her mind buzzed with thoughts and sensations she didn’t understand, and her leg felt like it was on fire.
Zach could see she was fading fast, he had to get to her. Taking three steps back, he ran and launched himself in her direction. Landing a few feet short, he plunged into the icy water which instantly numbed any attempt he was about to make to grab for the ice shelf just ahead of him. Desperately he tried to swim, but it was too cold. His thoughts began to close out, when a hand grabbed him from above pulling him onto the ice. He coughed out some of the river water and looked up as Abbey was being pulled upwards to the bridge by a rope. Standing next to him was Bass.
“We got you Zach, Abbey’s going to be okay. I’m no medic but I think she got lucky.”
Zach tried talking but words weren’t coming together as they should. “The battle… how…”
Bass tied a second rope around him. “We took some loses, but they have retreated, the bridge is secure for now,” he then looked upwards, and Zach started ascending.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Geneva paced back and forth in the early morning sun, on a small balcony overlooking a plaza in downtown Atlanta.
He looked out into the faces of nearly nine thousand men and women, crammed into the concrete space. “I failed you,” a murmur rippled through the crowd. “Your friends that died yesterday were my fault,” the murmur increased. He looked solemn, his face-paint giving the impression of an unhappy clown. “I
was tempted from our true path by a devil. No!… not one of those things that torment us, but by a human devil! Someone who was obsessed with revenge, so much so that it consumed two hundred and eighteen of our family,” his movements grew more agitated. “But let me say this, as I stand before you on this fine morning. Never again will I be swayed.” Some cheers rang out from the masses. “Never again will I lose sight of what our path is, and where our journey must end.” More cheers echoed around the filled to capacity area. “We are the chosen few. Those that must rise up, and take this land back. We must strike down those that oppose us, and rebuild in the ashes.”
His expression changed to one of ridicule. “Those from that place, we know the place with the silver walls. They are trying to return us to the past, the past of where we were told how to live our lives. Meddlers and thieves!” The crowd cheered in unison, as he moved up and down the confined second floor space with the vigor of a preacher. “We will not let them take us back to those times. We will not let them crush our pride and passion. We will war with them and we will defeat them!”
By the end of his speech, he was out of breath and the throngs were shouting “Geneva, Geneva!”
He raised his hands aloft, smiled as best he could and then turned, walking through the open doors behind him, which was part of the Hell Fire gang’s headquarters.
“Fucking Tinley!” The words spat out of Geneva’s mouth. The large room was decorated with some of the gang’s bounty from the previous year. There was also a good sized table. Geneva sat at the top of it. Taking up the other five chairs were his lieutenants. Standing behind him was Clovis.
Geneva shook his head. “Four hundred you say we lost?”
A man with tattoos and sporting a gray beard, and short cropped gray-black hair, nodded.
“Fuck.”