“Remember what Alistair told us in the cave?” Mike turned from the water. “That he thought it was an ancient god, or elder being called Dagon, the Great Old One. He said it was supposed to slumber in the depths, and maybe those depths weren’t the depths of the ocean at all, but the depths of the planet.”
“It has always been here,” Jane said. “He also said that there was a billion years of lost Earth time that something could have evolved that bore no resemblance to what exists today on the surface. Maybe this thing is from a race that evolved at that time. It could be one of many or maybe it’s the last of its kind. And maybe it has been traveling back and forth forever, wreaking havoc on the surface creatures, eating its fill, and then diving back down to slumber. For all we know there is no Bermuda Triangle, or lost seas, but instead there’s only this thing.”
“Things can’t really be immortal, can they?” Ally asked.
“To a mouse, who only lives a few years, we would seem immortal,” Jane answered. “And there are cetaceans called bowhead whales who can live to be 200, or how about jellyfish, who get old and then simply revert back to their juvenile stage to reset the clock and grow up all over again, and again, and again: that is almost immortality.”
Mike looked back out at the huge mass in the water. “It’s a thing of whispered legend, and not from our time or place.”
In the distance a horn blared, and they all turned to look back at the city.
“They’ll be coming soon,” Katya croaked. “And they move very quickly.”
“They’ll run us down and overwhelm us,” Mike said. “And I don’t think we’re in a state to run all that far. I’ve near had it already.”
“Then we need to buy time,” Harris said. “And nothing will buy time like putting a great big fucking hole in their boat-stealing god-monster.”
He pulled the pulser toward himself and called Jane closer to give him a thumbnail overview of what she had done.
“Got it,” Harris said and turned to Ally. “Take ‘em back to collect our gear and anything else we can use. Everyone suit up, and when I join you, we’re bugging out ASAP.”
“What about Alistair?” Jane asked.
Harris sighed. “I’m sorry, he’s not recoverable.”
She turned back to the city, where she could now see a large group of things assembling.
“I’ll stay to show you the way,” Jane said.
“Aw Jane.” Mike scowled.
She turned. “Get Katya back and find something for her to put on. You’re going to need to carry her and need a head start.”
“Yeah, okay,” Mike replied sullenly.
Ally got her bearings and then clicked her fingers. “Let’s move it, Mike, Nadia.”
She turned away and began to jog.
Jane turned briefly to watch the naked Ally, Mike, Katya, and Nadia depart and for the first time noticed a large wolf’s head tattoo on the military woman’s buttock. She shook her head and grinned. I’m sure there’s a story there, she thought.
Harris pointed the pulser weapon. “Payback time.” He fired at the large greyish lump in the water.
Nothing happened at first, other than the air in front of them became slightly oily and distorted. And then a large rip opened in the top of the smooth, greyish mound. Immediately the ocean erupted as the colossal thing reared up. Jane covered her ears, as the furious bellow was so loud it created a physical wave that battered their nerves.
“Take that you big bastard,” Harris yelled.
The creature rose higher, up and up, filling the sky. It was insanely huge and kept rising on two large arms that were heavily muscled and dangling with tendrils that were oak tree-sized frills like seaweed.
Once again the grotesque face was revealed, and the red eyes contained eon’s-old intelligence and an unbound fury. The dangling tentacles furiously coiled with agitation and for the first time she saw on its back were two vestigial wings.
Misted air blew out from the sides of its neck, indicating there must have been gills there. It glared, looking for its attacker, perhaps not even understanding how anything could dare attack it.
“Shit,” Harris said. “I only winged it.” He looked at the dial. “Hey, you only had it on half strength.” He pushed the dial up to maximum. “Time to send it to Hell…” He grinned. “…from Hell.”
He fired again, and this time the earth-shattering scream filled the air. But whether it took the hit or not was unclear as it dived away.
Its immense size meant the titanic creature’s sudden submergence created a wave fifty feet high that surged in every direction.
Jane and Harris were well above the tsunami, but the city wasn’t. The wave passed over it, washing everything not made of stone down streets, including the hundreds of creatures who were gathering in preparation to pursue them.
“That’s our cue.” Harris got to his feet, still carrying the machine. “We’re outta here.”
Jane led him back to where they had been stripped of their gear. By then the others were dressed and with guns. Katya had been clothed in some of Alistair’s gear. However, it still sagged on her tiny, emaciated frame.
Harris was dressed in seconds, and he quickly found the pack where he had collected all the Russians’ spare weapons he could carry. He used a belt to lash the device to his back.
Jane checked a GPS. “Options are we make our way back to the crystal cave, which is around a month and a half trek. Or we go around the lobster people city and head to the Gadime cave system in Albania.” She lowered the tracker. “Upside, it’s a lot closer, maybe under a week to get there. Downside, we have no idea if there is a gravity well there.”
“Jezuz.” Harris scoffed. “That’s some damn big downside.”
“You choose,” Jane said.
Harris turned to Ally. “Are we feeling lucky?”
She grinned. “We’re still alive aren’t we?”
“Good enough for me.” He turned to Jane. “The Gadime it is. If we’re wrong, we can always double back to the crystal cave.” He shrugged. “What’s another month in the garden of Eden, right?”
“Then think lucky and let’s go home,” Jane said and turned to lead them out.
*****
Jane pushed them hard, and they traveled as fast as they could move, but not so fast that it forced Mike to drop behind while he carried Katya.
At first Jane had suggested Harris share the burden in taking turns carrying the small Russian woman. But she had been overruled, first by Katya, who didn’t like the look of him, and second by Mike who agreed with Harris that it was best to have the soldier running for them, rather than some caver with dubious shooting abilities.
After six hours she felt they were finally moving out of the horrifying race’s territory as they began to see more wildlife. It was a good sign but it also meant that they could run into larger predators so caution slowed them even more.
According to Harris’ estimation their surface position put them under the Ionian Sea. Then they would need to make their way under Greece and Albania, a distance of hundreds of miles. But down here it was only dozens.
Even though they hadn’t run into any problems, the going was hard. It was torturous on the limbs and lungs that were already fatigued, and they were all being worn down by the hour.
Jane was conscious of the fact that even though they had collected the Russian’s food packs, they’d need a lot more before they attempted to scale up through the labyrinthine caves of the Gadime. In fact, they might be scaling in the pitch-black underworld for days before they even found the known zones of the Albanian cave system.
A dark thought intruded on her: she knew that they might expend all that energy and time and never find an exit to the surface at all. And then what would happen? She shook away the dismal thoughts, trying to focus instead on one set of problems at a time.
They climbed to the top of a hill, and looking down Jane beheld an unexpected sight. “What the hell are they?”
“Take a break.” Harris stopped them beneath a large tree and took out his field glasses.
Jane put a hand over her eyes. They were structures that formed a long line down the slope and into the valley. They seemed to be crossbeams and were spaced about fifty feet apart.
“The scarecrows again,” Nadia whispered. “But different ones.”
“What?” Mike asked and then turned back to stare.
“I’ve seen something like them before; the crucified animals. Maybe this marks the outer edge of the creature’s territory.” Nadia turned to them. “We think they were placed there as a warning.” She turned back. “There were animals staked out, and a person.”
Jane could see that one of the crosses had things swooping down upon it. They’d alight, dart their heads forward to pull free a piece of the thing and then flap away again.
“One’s still a fresh kill by the look of those scavengers,” Harris said. He half-turned. “Ally, cover my ass while I take a quick look.”
“On it,” Ally replied and lifted her rifle.
“I’ll come with you,” Mike said and carefully sat Katya down in the shade.
Mike and Harris approached cautiously in a crouch. Even though there didn’t seem to be anything living other than the few scavengers in the vicinity, Mike felt a sense of tension and foreboding, and he guessed Harris did too.
Harris held up his hand and Mike froze. The soldier panned his rifle around slowly, and then lowered it. He then ducked down to snatch up a small rock and threw it at the scarecrow, scattering the things working at it. They flew away making a pissed off skittering hiss.
“Come on,” Harris said.
The men walked forward and then around to the front of the x-shaped structure and the pair stared up at the scarecrow.
“Ah, shit.” Mike felt his gorge rise.
*****
Jane went and sat with Katya, and made sure the woman took some water. She saw that her face was pitted with dry, fingernail-sized sores with black edges as the skin cancers ate away at her. Before she was clothed, she remembered her tiny emaciated frame was covered with them. Whatever treatment she had previously been getting had stopped and so the disease was now free to ravage her.
Katya obviously noticed Jane looking at her sores. “They will win the race.” She smiled. “I don’t think I’ll see the sun again. Perhaps it is fitting that I stay here and continue my search for the ghost of my sister.” She leaned forward and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial level. “Do you know I had this silly idea that I might find her?”
Katya scoffed and sat back. “But maybe if my ghost keeps her ghost company, she will be able to rest.” The tiny woman smiled ruefully. “I hear her; she still cries out for me in my sleep.”
Jane suddenly remembered something and dug into the small pocket at her waist. In beside the two gold coins they had recovered in the crystal cave, she found what she sought. She carefully lifted it free and held it out.
“Lena’s.”
Katya stared for a moment with her lip trembling. Then she took the small trinket and held it in her open palm. The tiny locket had her sister’s name in stylized writing on one side.
She traced the writing with one bony finger for a moment before she laid her other hand over the top and pressed them together.
Katya closed her eyes. “Where?”
“In the caves on the way down. I think she had been caught in a rock fall,” Jane lied.
Katya’s eyes opened a crack and slid to her. Jane didn’t think she believed that for a second, but the old woman nodded anyway.
“Thank you.” She held it out. “Help me.”
Jane took it and hung it around the woman’s neck. Katya’s eyes welled up and she touched the small gold heart with her fingertips.
“Rest in peace, little sister. I think I will see you soon.”
CHAPTER 30
Moscow Kremlin Complex, sub-level-6 – War Room
President Volkov was dead-eyed as he watched again and again as computer software predictive attack simulations played out on the screen before him and his assembled military leaders.
Even with overwhelming first strike scenarios on all American weapon’s facilities, military bases, and command structures, they still ended with only sixty-two percent destruction to the US war capabilities. The following retaliation resulted in ninety-seven percent to their own: it was devastatingly unacceptable.
China had refused all requests to join in any attack, and suddenly his calls to the Middle East and North Korea went unanswered. The message was clear in this, Russia was on its own.
Several hours ago their advanced hydroaccoustics had picked up significant movement of US attack class submarines in the East Siberian Sea, the Bering Sea, plus Kara and Barent Seas. Russia was slowly being ringed.
Volkov’s back teeth ground in his cheeks. The USA had developed advanced stealth surfaces to their submarines known as anechoic coatings that worked by absorbing sound waves from sonar. However, Russia’s hydroaccoustics had still detected them.
They were confident they could track them.
Until they vanished.
Volkov felt dead inside. He had heard in a previous briefing his adversaries were working on some sort of glide capabilities, meaning their craft could travel for many miles from their last known position without sound. So, now those nuclear-armed killer fish could be anywhere.
“Stop.” He exhaled in a long, exasperated breath. “No more simulations.” Volkov’s eyes slid to General Yevgeni Voinovich. “Anything?”
Voinovich swallowed a lump as the eyes of the other generals swung to him. “Nothing, sir. But we will know in eight hours if they survived.”
“And we will know that only if they contact us, or carry out their attack, yes?” Volkov’s eyes were like ice as he stared. “And then in eight hours and one minute we will know just how much of Russia is to be destroyed.” He slowly rose to his feet. “Because of your incompetent planning.”
Voinovich stood at attention, waiting.
“You did this.” Volkov’s voice was like death itself.
General Yevgeni Voinovich didn’t flinch when President Volkov took the revolver from his desk drawer and aimed it at him. And he didn’t flinch and kept his eyes open when the man fired at near pointblank into his forehead.
*****
United States President, Dan Redner, slowly rose to his feet, his eyes blazing. The phone in his hand creaked as he squeezed the frame as he listened to the Russian leader.
He then replied through gritted teeth. “President Volkov, you may just have avoided total obliteration. But be advised, our military assets will stay in place, and one way or another, you will pay a little, or you will pay a lot depending on what happens in the next few hours. We will speak again when this is over.”
Redner hung up and immediately turned to Michael Penalto and Mark Jasper. “Mark, we need to evacuate Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, ASAP. It was their next target and they’re nearly there.”
“Sir.” Jasper immediately lifted the phone on the desk, dialed and began to speak urgently as he barked orders.
Redner began to pace. “Volkov is blaming a rogue general, Yevgeni Voinovich.” He stopped and turned. “The man has already been executed. He says they’ve lost contact with their deep Earth team, and they expect the attack on Camp Bondsteel will or won’t happen within, now, seven hours.”
Jasper hung up. “It’s begun sir. They’ll pull back ten miles, and all the birds will be in the air and away within an hour.” He shrugged. “Still gonna lose a lot of hardware and real estate if it goes down.”
“If that base is destroyed, they’ll pay for its rebuild, bigger and more formidable than ever.” His eyes burned. “And then Volkov will pay in more ways than he can imagine.”
“Do you believe him that it was all done by a rogue general?” Penalto asked.
“Not a chance in hell.” Redner
seethed as he stopped his pacing. “They, he, tried to cut our throats while we slept.”
“It needs a response, sir, but something surgical,” Penalto replied.
Redner looked up slowly and began to nod. “Agreed. Get me Colonel Jack Hammerson. I’ve got a job for his HAWCs.”
CHAPTER 31
Mike coughed and then spat out some bile as he looked back at the body lashed to the cross.
“Poor bastard,” Harris said. “They damned tortured him.”
Mike wiped his mouth, imagining the horror the young man endured. Alistair’s jaw was hanging open, obviously broken, and his tongue was cut or torn out. But even though his eyes had been removed, probably by the scavengers, the expression on his face was one of agony.
“I don’t know,” Mike observed. “Maybe they were intrigued by how he, a human, could make the same sounds they did, and wanted to investigate.”
Harris scoffed. “So they cut his damn tongue out; I’m suddenly thinking I should have spent a few more minutes taking out more of those bastards.”
“Should we take him down?” Mike asked.
“And then what?” Harris looked around. “We don’t have the time to bury him or even find stones to cover him. Plus it’ll alert whoever, or whatever, comes by that we took him down.”
Harris looked up at the young man on the cross. “Sorry Alistair, but best we just leave you be, and make sure no one else ends up like you.”
Mike didn’t like it, but understood the logic. Fact was, they were being run down right now, and even basic honoring of the young scientist would erode any head start they had given themselves.
They moved quickly back to the group, who all rose to their feet.
“What was it?” Jane asked.
Mike looked to Harris who simply shrugged. Mike turned back and sighed. “It was Alistair staked out. It’s not pretty.”
“Why didn’t you cut him down?” Nadia asked.
From far behind them a mournful horn blared again.
“Because that’s why,” Harris replied. “We better start moving, or we’ll all be nailed to damn crosses soon.”
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