Sophia smiled slightly as she wiped off her tears.
"Do me a favor and eat a little then get some sleep, alright? Don't worry about watch tonight. I'll cover for you."
Sophia bowed slightly. "Thank you, Dan."
"Of course," Danny winked. He stood and walked outside to find Eric rummaging through his pack.
"What are you looking for there little fella?" Danny asked.
Eric hit his head on an exposed beam. "You scared the shit out of me, Etter." He had his hand cupping the back of his head. He was holding an ice pack in his other hand. "How's she doing?"
Danny nodded his head. "As good as you would expect."
Eric started to walk past him, but Danny grabbed his shoulder. Eric's eyes darted to Danny in surprise.
"What's up, chief?" Eric said with a raised brow.
"I know you can be a little rough around the edges, so try to be a little softer than usual."
Eric rolled his eyes. "Dan, I'm just going to give her some ice." He broke the bag and started shaking it to get it cold.
"Alright, well give me a smile before you head in."
Eric smiled, showing white teeth that looked like fangs protruding from his beard.
"Alright," Danny said with raised eyebrows. "On second thought, just stick to not smiling."
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
DANNY COULD SEE the light. It was clear, defined, and bright. He reached for it clawing at the floor, screaming to get to it. His nails scratched at the concrete. The pain was burning but he kept clawing forward. He was almost there, the silhouette of a tree swaying back and forth in the wind. The door began to close, its hinges creeping shut with loud screams.
Horrible screams.
The room became darker. Something shuffled behind him. The hairs on his neck stood up as he could feel the presence of something stalking him. Panic overwhelmed his senses. He felt like prey about to be taken down by a predator. The burning sensation was replaced with insurmountable fear. He nearly reached the door when a claw grabbed his ankle. His eyes widened and he was pulled into the infinite void of darkness.
"Etter," a voice whispered in the darkness. "Dan?"
Something pushed Danny. He closed his eyes and opened them again. It was still dark out, but the ambient light showed Eric’s face hovered over him.
"You alright there, chief? You’ve been shifting quite a lot since I took over watch," Eric whispered.
These damn dreams.
Danny’s mouth felt like ash as he tried to moisten it a little. He blinked, pulling himself away from the nightmare and back into the world.
"I’m good," Danny sighed as he stood up. "Just sometimes the nightmares seem so real." His chest ached and his throat seared with pain as he yawned awake.
"I wish I could say it gets easier, but it doesn’t." Eric held out a steaming cup to Danny. "Figured this would warm you up. It’s getting cold out there."
Danny grasped the canteen cup with both hands and sipped the hot tea. "Thanks, man."
Eric laughed as he took off his armor. "It’s all about the creature comforts when shit goes south." He slid it over his head and set it against the wall. "I think we will give her a break tomorrow. We should hold up in place. Give her some time to heal up.
The idea made Danny anxious. He took a sip before he spoke. "Eric, we don-"
"Dan," Eric interceded. "We are barely getting by as it is. With her leg the way it is we won’t get very far anyway. Now, it’s three o'clock right now, so you’ll only be on for three more hours. You and I will talk about this come morning."
Danny held his tongue nodding to Eric.
Maybe he had a point, but the longer they waited the higher the risks were. Chaos didn’t age like fine wine.
Eric sat against his back, as he laid his ball-cap over his eyes. "Hey, Dan?"
"What’s up, man?"
Eric lifted his hat a few inches. "I love you, man."
Danny laughed a little under his breath. "I got nothing but love for you too, brother. Now get some sleep."
Eric’s cap retreated over his eyes and within a few minutes, Danny could hear steady breathing, as the low hum of crickets amplified. He walked outside and leaned against the door frame. Danny watched the fence line. His eyes were still a little blurry, but he was starting to wake up. The wind began to pick up sending the oaks above swaying with each heavy gust.
Danny put on his fleece and slid his armor over it. The moon decided to refrain from making an appearance making the night vision goggle he borrowed from Sophia limited to only seeing the faint treeline that stood a football field away.
Might as well walk around.
A coyote howled off in the distance. Danny’s head danced around as he tried to find where it came from. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. Light steam came from his mouth as he exhaled. He stepped through the door pulling it closed on the shed, in hopes of keeping Eric and Sophia warm.
It’s really getting cold out here.
Danny shoved his hands deep into his pockets to keep the cold air at bay. His rifle swung lazily from side to side as he walked along the fence line peering out in the distance. It was about a football field away but he could see the dark shadows that backed the treeline. They looked like little black holes that sucked up everything that came near it.
He felt an uneasy feeling looking into such darkness. It was like a game he used to play as a child. There would be the tiny voice in the back of his head telling him to look deeper. The longer he looked the more that cold rush would flood his body like when a giant wave from the ocean would hit his private parts. Danny would get so scared looking into the abyss that he would run upstairs and throw himself under the sheets.
The wind blew a cold gust, giving Danny that same shiver as he reached the end of the fence line. He pulled his right hand from his pocket. The tritium used to shine brightly at night on Danny’s watch was now dim from years of wear. He pulled the watch close to his eyes trying to see the hands. He wanted to turn on his watch’s backlight, but that might give him away. Squinting he guessed that only thirty minutes had passed.
Well, at least the time is going faster.
He looked up and by instinct, his eyes went back to the darkness. It almost made him laugh how even forty years later he still played the same damn game. Only this time he didn’t have to stare deep into that abyss. It seemed as if a small portion of the abyss was walking along the treeline, its dark shadow cutting off the light from the trees.
Danny froze.
Twigs and pine needles snapped in the distance. The figure looked around rapidly and then took off in a dead sprint. Something was chasing it now. A few large shadows moved around the figure. The shadows were tall and lanky. Danny blinked. A large twig snapped and the dark figure was suddenly gone but something else was standing there looking out. Its skin shiny against the green contrast from the night vision. It held out an elongated hand that seemed to have long vicious claws protruding from it. Danny tried to adjust his night vision to see what he was looking at. A loud scream made him jump. He blinked again as he looked out at the tree. The darkness stared back, but Danny felt like the scared kid he used to be, except there was no safe place to hide. No sheets he could bury himself in like when he was child. His hand fell onto the soft fur as he ran back to the shed.
* * *
"Right here?" Eric asked. He looked out at the trees and then back at Danny.
"I wouldn’t be making this kinda stuff up," Danny said. He was looking for any trace of blood to indicate a struggle.
Sophia limped up beside Danny. "I heard the screaming last night."
"I heard something," Eric said as he squatted down looking for any tracks in the surrounding dirt. He finished off the last of his cigarette. "This is fucked."
"There is something out there," Danny fretted. "We need to move. I’m sorry, Soph, but if we don’t get out of here then it’s only a matter of time before we find out what is out there." He pointed to t
he tree line with his rifle.
They stared at each other awkwardly and then their eyes went back to Danny.
Eric played with his beard nervously. "Dan’s right, but I don’t think Sophia is gonna make it."
Sophia pushed Eric. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I’m being honest," Eric replied, his hands raised.
Danny put his hand up. "Both of you just pull it together." A heavy sigh made Danny turn back to the fence. He looked out at the treeline with a feeling that something was watching them. It gave him chills that rode up his spine. "We are going to follow the road and stay in the treeline. Once we get within a mile to the closest town we will cut deeper into the woods. Soph, you are tough, but Eric is right. That limp of yours is messed up."
"So, what do you expect us to do?" Eric said. "We can’t just leave her."
Danny’s eyes fell to the ground as he weighed his options. He slapped his tongue on the roof of his mouth making a clicking sound. "After what I saw last night, I am not comfortable leaving anyone alone. Eric, you and I are going to carry two packs. Sophia, you are only carrying your ammo and rifle."
She was about to protest.
"No, this isn’t the fact that you are a woman. Frankly, I don’t give a shit about any of that. The fact of the matter is you are going to be slower and with a pack on, you’ll just get all of us killed."
Sophia’s head sank to the floor.
"What about our armor?" Eric asked.
"I think the extra weight is going to do more harm than good up here. We will stow the armor in the shed. Eric, you are taking the SAW. I’ll carry your rifle and any extra mags we got. Sophia, you take six mags just in case."
They both nodded at Danny.
"Alright, it’s," Danny looked down at his watch. "It’s a quarter to seven. Get some chow and be ready to go at seven-thirty. I want to hit the outskirts of this town for a vehicle. The last thing I want is to get ambushed on some main street." Danny looked at each one of them in the face. "Any questions?"
Eric gave a thumbs up. Sophia rested her hands on her hips and nodded her head.
"Great," Danny smiled. "Let’s get this show on the road."
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
"WE NEED TO stop," Sophia pleaded, wincing in pain.
She limped over to the closest tree and propped her back against it. They had only made it roughly two miles. At the rate they were going, they wouldn't cover more than six by sunset.
We can’t stop.
"How's the leg, Soph?" Danny asked as he held out a canteen.
She waved him off as she adjusted the splint. "As you said, it's messed up."
Danny looked up at Eric who pretended everything was status quo, but of course, that wasn't the case. The truth was, things were getting desperate, and everyone sensed that.
Sophia’s wound was bleeding a little as Danny prepped a new bandage for it. Eric took a knee next to an oak. He had a good view of the valley and was trying to spot anything man-made hidden in the trees. Danny cleaned the wound and left Sophia to curse quietly to herself while he crept up next to Eric.
Danny took a deep breath using his ball cap to wipe his sweaty brow. "This isn't good."
Eric spit into the dirt. "No, I'd say it's not."
"I know," Danny sighed. "We can't just leave her."
"Let me go ahead and see if I can find a vehicle."
"I'm not going to have you go down for my decisions," Danny protested. "Eric, you have no idea what's out there. For all I know, those things are stalking us right now."
A dribble of sweat ran down Eric's face. "What the hell are we gonna do then?"
Danny dabbed his face with his cap. "First place we see we are gonna have to go for. We get in close. You and Sophia are gonna have to provide security, and I will go in alone."
"No," Eric huffed. "That's a shit plan. You know it."
"What other options do we have?"
"No offense, chief, but I'm faster and younger than you. Let me go out there and find something."
"I said no," Danny said. His patience was starting to wear thin.
Eric pointed at himself. "I am expendable here. If I get bogged down at least, you have a chance to get back to your family. You stay back, and I'll go." Eric held out his binoculars to Danny. "Here come on look. I see a dirt road maybe half a mile down this canyon. It looks like it could have a few cabins tucked away."
Danny looked through. His eyes scanned the road then to the right, a light reflection shined through the trees. A twig snapped from behind. Eric and Danny both looked up only to find Sophia limping up to them slowly.
"I know what you two are talking about." Sophia's eyes moved to each one of them.
Danny ran his hands through his hair sighing. "Look, Soph---"
She put her hand up in protest. "No, Dan. I know how much of a liability I am. Trust me, I am not an idiot. What is more stupid is going down there alone." She stared at Eric now with a vindictive grin. "Get me to a position where I can cover you both with that SAW."
Danny shook his head. "Sophia, how the hell is that going to work?"
"I can't move fast, but I can sure as hell shoot."
Eric and Danny looked at one another. Lately, there appeared to be no definitive answers, and the risks were more significant now. Danny could feel that pressure start to overwhelm him. His brain felt like it was boiling a pot of water. All of his thoughts were heating up until it reached the brim of his mental capacity. He had to pick a direction.
You pick a direction and stick with it. Sometimes the best choice is never the easiest.
Sophia and Eric both looked at Danny, whose eyes were staring at the ground.
"It's your call, chief," Eric said.
Danny patted Sophia's shoulder. "I forgot how deadly you can be with that SAW."
***
The sweat on Danny's face chilled as the cold wind blew across the field. He tried to get low to the ground in the prone, but he had trouble seeing the cabin. He resorted to taking a knee, which made him feel exposed. Nevertheless, Danny could see the cabin. It was two stories and stained a dark mahogany red. A light gravel driveway steered to the right of the house with a matching three-car garage facing the home. It looked empty, which was the only good sign about the whole situation. Footfalls came from behind, and Eric crept up next to him taking a knee.
Eric was breathing a little heavy as he spoke in a low tone. "Soph is all set up about one hundred meters down the road. If we make contact, I told her to use up the rest of the ammo and head back towards the Humvee to wait for us."
"You took a long enough time," Danny said, smirking.
Eric shook his head. "Had to just let her know the fields of fire."
"I’m sure you did."
Both men smiled as they kept their eyes on the cabin.
The radio crackled on. "Alright boys, ready when you are," Sophia said.
"Roger," Eric replied. He released the button on his headset. He tightened up his sling and looked over at Danny. "Ready?"
"Ignorance before wisdom," Danny joked.
Eric smiled as he clicked his headset. "We are moving." Eric shot up and took off in a dead sprint.
He ran through the brush with Danny ten meters back. They used the tree line to cover their approach. Eric weaved in and out of bushes and trees like it was second nature to him. Danny, on the other hand, had a tough time keeping up with him as he began to breathe heavily.
How is he not tired?
Danny’s legs started to burn from the weight of the pack, but he kept pushing. Eric was waiting by the edge of the treeline still with a smart ass grin on his face. Danny caught up to him, still breathing heavily.
"Looking old there, Dan," Eric smiled as he had his rifle aimed at the house.
Danny gasped for breath as he aimed in as well. "Screw you, Eric," Danny said, under labored breathing. He clicked his headset. "Soph, we are going to break from the treeline, over."
"Roger," she
replied, her voice sounded broken over the communication.
Danny tapped Eric on the shoulder. "We will clear the garage first."
"You got it, chief," Eric replied, as he took off in a dead sprint across the road.
Danny kept his rifle up as Eric reached the other side, then it was his turn.
Oh, don’t get shot in the street.
He felt so vulnerable as he counted his paces across the road. It became almost a nursery rhyme.
One-shot. Two-shot. Three-shot. Four.
He reached the tree line with his adrenaline spiked. Eric didn’t wait as he stepped off towards the garage. The two men set up on the side door of the garage as they tried to quiet their breathing. Eric shoved the muzzle of his rifle into the glass panel that was next to the handle. The noise was so loud it made Danny grit his teeth in agony.
"Come on," Danny whispered.
Eric carefully reached his hand in and undid the deadbolt. The door swung open, and both men flowed inside. The sun shined through the high windows on the garage door. The three-car garage had a workshop closest to the door. A dark green Ford Excursion sat at the far end, and a small Jeep sat in the middle. Danny had to tiptoe past a milling machine that sat against the wall. Eric glided towards the vehicle with his weapon up. They both cleared the first red colored vehicle quickly and then moved onto the large SUV that sat at the end. Eric took the front end. Danny held as Eric swept the front and then cleared the right side of the vehicle that was facing the back wall.
"Clear!" Eric called out as he walked around the large vehicle. He slapped his hand on the hood. "I likey a lot." He smiled, rubbing the hood.
"I don't get the fascination with little guys and big trucks," Danny joked as he let his rifle rest from the sling.
"Just check for keys."
They both started rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Danny pulled open the drawers on the workbench. A picture of a father and son fishing hung in front of him. A slur of emotions ran through him at the sight of it.
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