by John O'Brien
Within the deafening din filling her ears, Lynn picks up a faint noise of hammering metallic sounds from below her. She looks down to the soldiers below on the walkway trying to fix the sound to the spent rounds falling and the magazines impacting the walkway but the sounds seem out of sequence with what she sees.
A flash of light fills her head, “They’re on the stairs!” She yells to the soldiers manning both the walkway and covering the stairs.
Leaning over the edge as far as she dares, Lynn sees creatures scaling the outside of the stairs and shadows of others rapidly ascending the stairs. They have somehow reached that elusive final ten feet.
“Drescoll, I need two of yours over here!” Lynn shouts to her companion on the roof.
“On the way!” He shouts back.
“Direct your fire on those climbing up!” She yells to the soldiers beneath her. They lean over the railing to aim their fire directly downward.
Bodies fall off the staircase structure as rounds impact their shoulders and heads but the vast numbers on the stairs and the inability to fire directly on those ascending allows the horde to mass ever upward; slowly but surely pressing toward the small group defending the tower. Thoughts penetrate Lynn’s mind that perhaps she will not have to worry about any future, arduous adventure. I will not fail! The thought lends a force to her willpower and the volume of firepower directed on the ever advancing horde; the soldiers apparently sensing this thought direct an even more focused attempt to repel the invaders.
“Sergeant Connell! Sergeant Connell!” A voice sounds repeatedly behind her; having to be repeated due to her intense concentration on the creatures driving ever upward. She turns her head and notices Major Bannerman behind sticking his head through the open hatch to the control room behind her.
“Yes, sir,” she responds between trigger pulls.
“There’s someone on the radio!” He tells her.
Not fully grasping the gravity nor import of the meaning, she looks back at him in askance. Realizing that she has not comprehended what he is saying, Bannerman adds, “Sergeant Connell, there’s someone calling in on the radio with a call sign of Otter39?”
A dawning comprehension reaches into her eyes and soul. “Sergeant Drescoll! Cover the stairs. I’ll be in the control room on the radios.”
Sergeant Drescoll stands from his kneeling position and repositions himself at the other edge as Lynn descends the stairs to hear, “This is Otter 39 on UHF guard. Anyone read?”
Lynn sees Specialist Taylor raise the mic to his mouth and respond, “Otter 39, this is Arifjan, read you loud and clear, over.”
“Arifjan, this Otter 39. We are an inbound HC-130. State status.”
Major Bannerman takes the mic from Taylor and says, “Otter 39. This is Major Bannerman. State your position and intentions.”
* * *
I look over at Robert with one raised eyebrow and a ‘what the fuck’ expression. He looks over and shrugs; our tiredness from the extended trek showing. “Um, Bannerman, we’re now approximately forty miles west and I guess I intend to pick you up. State souls.”
There is a long pause with no response from Arifjan. I see the lights of a seemingly small city stretching off our nose as we continue our descent. “Arifjan, Otter 39. Confirm lights are on.”
“Otter 39, um, Arifjan. Roger. Lights are on.”
“Roger that Arifjan. There wouldn’t happen to be a Sergeant Connell with you would there?”
Complete silence ensues on both ends of the radio. On my side, it is awaiting a final word and verdict. On Lynn’s side, there is a sense of unrealness as all eyes turn and center on Lynn.
“Do you know who this is?” Bannerman asks with his eyes wide in bewilderment.
“I may, sir,” Lynn responds amidst the crackle of gunfire outside.
“Talk to him then,” Bannerman says.
Lynn takes the mic, “Otter 39, this is Arifjan,” she says with her voice cracking slightly.
I hear the response over the radio with sense of incredibility. I look over at Robert, Nic, Bri, and Michelle. They continue to look at me with a measure of unbelief; that we are talking to someone, that there is, in fact, someone at our destination, and that it may actually be Lynn.
“Oh my god! Lynn?” I say over the radio.
“Jack?” Lynn responds.
Descending close to the airport, I see the runway lighting offset from the light emitting from the camp itself in a seemingly small town aspect; streetlights set in small rectangular patterns with smaller lights set in amongst these lights.
“Yeah, babe. What’s your situation?” I ask worried over the sound of gunfire on the radio responses.
“Standby,” Lynn responds and walks over to the door and outside peering over the walkway railing.
She sees creatures climbing unrelentingly on the side of the stairway leading upward. Bodies line the landing just below her position as the soldiers she placed there are firing down on those who have managed to reach the landing. A horde of creatures line the perimeter awaiting room on the stairs; the things completely encompass the stairway structure. She looks to the soldiers firing on the walkway to see their wide eyes as they fire downward on the ever encroaching mass. Their eyes depict an emotion that their life here is only a matter of time but determining to exact what they can.
Walking back inside, she calmly walks to the radio, and picks up the mic, “Jack, it doesn’t look good. We’re in the tower. They’re scaling the tower and their overrunning the top is only a matter of time.”
“Roger that. Hold on as best as you can. I’ll be there in five.” I say in response.
I set up an overhead assault pattern minimizing my time in the air and descend rapidly to the airfield; the runway lights are 1,000 feet below as I bank the aircraft over into a steep, left hand descending pattern. Rolling out on final, I glance over to the tower on my left at the far side of the ramp. Light flows from the tower out onto the ramp and is filled with flashes of gunfire from all vantages on the tower top. Give me just a few more minutes, I think rolling out of the turn and descending toward the green lights at the runway threshold with the white runway lights stretching away before me.
The strobe-like flashes echo off to the side of my vision as my landing lights pick up the threshold markings and they flash underneath. The first 500 foot markings stream by my window as I draw the power back and start my flare; the nose rising in response to my control inputs. The drone of the engines diminishes yet we remain airborne as the aircraft continues its instinct to remain aloft. Gravity overcomes the wants of the aircraft with a chirp and the aircraft settles as it transitions from a creature of the sky to one of the earth.
With the flashes of weapons still being fired in the distance to the left, I pull the prop levers back into reverse thrust. The aircraft responds with a reluctant, nose down attitude. Coming to the first taxiway onto the ramp, I come on the radio and say, “Lynn, standby. On my way. Pull your people in when I say and ready your people to exit ten at a time.”
“Roger that,” Lynn says and relays the info to Drescoll on the roof above her.
Pulling off the runway at high speed onto the taxiway at about midfield with the landing and taxi lights on, I see a multitude of creatures on the ramp and around the tower; many of them scaling the stair superstructure and close to the top. Bodies fall from the stairs only to be replaced by a multitude of others. I continue across the ramp slowing down slightly; a plan already coming to mind.
“Lynn, I’m going to clear your path for moments at a time, be ready for my signal.”
“Jack, we’ll be ready,” Lynn replies.
I drive the 130 directly at the tower with the kids all looking in askance as to what I am planning. The heads of the creatures turn in my direction, pausing in their assault of the tower to stare at the new intrusion into their environment. Whipping across the ramp, I pull close to the tower and turn a 180 in place coming to a stop.
“Robert, I’m go
ing to the back and ready the ramp. I’ll plug into the intercom in back. When I signal, hold the brakes and rev up to full power. Hold onto those brakes tightly. Nic, you’re with me.”
Unplugging and unstrapping, I head to the rear along the aisle. Reaching the back, I plug into the intercom to hear Robert’s heavy breathing. “Robert, how do you read?” I ask.
“I hear you,” he says in slightly exhilarated voice.
“Lowering the ramp,” I say.
The ramp descends revealing the ramp outside by slow increments. As it reaches the tarmac, I see the horde of creatures encompassing the tower and the strobe flashes from the top as the soldiers attempt to fend them off.
“Okay, Robert, tell the tower to pull in and prepare their first ten.”
As the soldiers all rush into the tower I tell Robert, “Power up now.”
I hear the engines begin their throaty roar as they are brought up to max. The thrust powers the wind to hurricane force levels to the rear. At first, it just propels the creatures on the outside and railings forward and then it lifts them from their feet. As the power increases, they are thrust away from and over the fence beyond. Many of them become pinned against the far chain link fence as the wind from the propellers pushes them to and then almost through it. The stair structure is swept clean of the creatures.
“Tell them to go now!” I shout into the intercom to Robert.
I see several soldiers in fatigues emerge from the tower and tell Robert to bring the throttle back to half. The soldiers fight their way down the stairs against the wind and drop the final ten feet to the ground. The wind whips their fatigues as they come to rest against the containers supporting the tower.
“Power back now Robert.”
The vibration of the aircraft decreases as Roberts draws the power back. I see the soldiers recover and begin running toward the aircraft. As far as the extension cord of the intercom allows, I walk down the ramp to cover the soldiers’ extraction, covering the sides as they head over the now downed fence, across the small distance of the ramp, and up into the aircraft. As they pass by, I grab four and point them to cover the sides of the aircraft; two to each side of the ramp and advise them not to step out from behind the aircraft.
I then tell Robert, “Power up again and tell them to ready the next ten.”
The wind and vibrations increase as the engines increase their thrust and wind velocity to the rear; the wind catches the creatures just recovering from the last hurricane force and throws them against the fence once again. Those not caught in the fence are blown into the desert beyond.
I call on the intercom over the sound of the engines, “Tell them to send the next ten and power back to half.”
As the next ten soldiers make their way down the stairs, I see the ones placed on the edges of the ramp open up. A quick glance and, in the glare of the landing lights, I see several creatures on the pavement at the wingtips. Bringing my own M-4 up, I sight and fire single bursts but without effect toward the creatures attempting to close. The rounds of the other soldiers are also not having any telling effect.
Sidling to the soldiers by the ramps, I yell into each their ears, “The engine thrust is causing your rounds to be blown to the rear. Compensate but don’t hit the engines.”
They all look at me and then center on their sights once again. “Robert, ask them how many more,” I call.
“They said 6 more,” he responds several moments later
“Okay, tell them to get ready.”
After telling Robert to power back, the ten drop to the ground, scramble over the fence, cross the intervening space and race up the ramp past me into the aircraft. I look over to see Nic on the opposite side of the ramp motioning with her hands; urging the soldiers up the ramp and into the aircraft.
“Okay, bud, once more. Throttle up.”
I feel and hear the engines as they increase their thrust. The creatures are still pinned against the fence on the far side of the tower and the ones circling the wings are being blown backward as they venture behind the giant props, their bodies skip and bounce across the ramp like rag dolls. Some drop to the ramp as a few rounds find their marks through the hurricane winds; their bodies skipping along with the rest of them.
Once the ramp is clear of bodies, I jump on the intercom and direct Robert to tell the remaining soldiers in the tower to exit. I see them exit the doors above and race down the metal fire stairs. As they near the ground, I tell Robert to cut back on the throttles to allow them to make it to the aircraft. As the engines wind rapidly down, the creatures on the fence fall to the ground and scramble to their feet in a disoriented state.
The remaining soldiers drop the final ten feet one after the other and run across the ramp toward the safety of the aircraft. Another streak of luck, I think watching them race across the ramp. Rounds reach out from the soldiers’ weapons stationed on the edges of the ramp impacting into the disoriented creatures as the last of the soldiers run to safety. As the last of them pounds up the ramp, I call out above the din for the soldiers guarding to scramble up, raising the ramp as they reach the interior.
“Keep it steady bud, I’ll be right up,” I tell Robert before unhooking from the intercom.
Coiling the cord extension up as the ramp closes completely, I look around at the soldiers in the rear of the aircraft and lining the aisle along the left side, most of them are leaning forward with their hands on their knees panting from the close call and run across the ramp. I stop by the supplies lashed to the cargo deck to reach in and extract an item from the boxes, sliding it into the leg pocket of my flight suit. I spot Lynn standing near the now closed ramp.
“Sergeant Connell, a word with you in private,” I say catching her eye.
A voice sounds from almost directly behind me, “Captain. Check with me first before calling out one of my soldiers!”
I turn my head over my shoulder to see a soldier standing there with a subdued rank of major velcroed to the front of his fatigues. “And who are you?” I say in return.
“Major Bannerman and you will address me with respect, Captain. So it is sir or Major to you,” Bannerman answers.
“Well, Bannerman, I just flew half way across the world to pick your ass up out of a fire and apparently in the nick of time from what I saw,” I say turning completely around to face him.
“I am the ranking officer here so that places me in charge of this outfit, Captain,” he says placing his hands on his rather round hips and glares at me with a challenge.
The soldiers around who can hear our conversation are all finding very interesting things on the ground in front of them to look at but their ears are glued to the words being exchanged. Nic looks at me with an amused smile knowing how this conversation is going to go and what’s coming next but curious as to how it is going to be received.
“Not on this aircraft it doesn’t. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more pressing business to take care of,” I say turning back towards Lynn.
I notice Nic’s smile and there are small smiles played across the faces of some of the soldiers who continue to find their interest directed at anything but this development. I hear Bannerman start to say something but falls silent as I turn and walk over to Lynn.
Standing before her, I reach out and we hug each other tightly. “I’m so glad you are okay. I love you,” we both say in each other’s ears.
Releasing our hug after a long moment, I reach into my leg pocket and hand her a bottle of beer. “I promised to have one of these for you when I picked you up,” I say as she takes the beer with a smile. “Enjoy it. I have to go up and see if I can remember how to do that pilot stuff. Have everyone strap in as best as they can, babe.”
“It’s so wonderful to see you, hon,” I add taking a step backward. “I’m so happy that you’re safe.”
“It’s so, so good to see you, babe,” Lynn answers in return.
I head back up into the cockpit and strap in. I see a lot of creatures running around in f
ront of the aircraft lit by the landing lights. “Are we going run through them like at Brunswick?” Robert asks once I plug into the intercom.
“No. I’m too exhausted. Let’s just get airborne, fuel up here in the morning and plan our flight back,” I say wearily, not looking forward to flying for a couple more hours after the fourteen plus hour flight here.
I bump the throttles forward and the aircraft responds by rolling across the ramp; the creatures in front of us part as we make our way to the runway. The 130 transitions once again to a creature of the sky as our wheels lift off the asphalt, leaving those earthbound to the earth. I level off at 3,000 feet and set up an orbital path three miles from the camp on the nav system and engage the autopilot. The camp lights come into our windshield with each turn back towards the encampment, looking like a small, peaceful city at night. My thought is be close to the airport in case our fuel supply runs low and to hopefully draw some of the creatures out our way and trap them with the dawn coming just a couple hours away.
We bore holes in the sky until the horizon lightens announcing the next scheduled appearance of the sun. With its tip poking above the horizon, I turn back towards the runway and land. We taxi up to the base of the tower looking at the ruined fence and the bodies scattered around. I shut down and head back to the cargo compartment to lower the ramp. Lynn walks up as the ramp lowers letting the pale light of the coming day inside.
“We’ll gather what food, water, medical supplies, weapons, and ammo we can,” she says.
“Sounds good. We’ll refuel and then I’ll need a few hours of rest. I have to plan our return legs and should be ready around noon,” I say as we give each other a big hug and kiss. “I’m sure glad we actually talked about this rendezvous before. Weird that we actually had to use it huh?”