by Maxey, Phil
“Sure can, it seems to be coming from beneath us. We are fueled and ready to go. Over.”
“Get everyone ready to…” Before Zach could finish, manhole covers all around them exploded upwards into the air, followed by a sea of tiny black creatures, flowing out onto the street. The sound of crackling was no incessant and so loud it made the occupants of the convoy want to cover their ears.
Zach and Fiona started running harder. “We need to go. Now!” Zach shouted into his radio, his words useless against the wall of sound the creatures were making. Looking like an oil spillage, the writhing black groups started combining to form even bigger forms, one of which enveloped one of the coaches. The scream of the soldier inside lasted a few seconds before the mass moved from the coach, just leaving the vehicles internal metallic parts and nothing else.
Bullets started flying into the creatures, causing some to fall dead to the street, but it was having no effect on the others.
Fiona and Zach looked on in anguish as they ran up to Fiona’s Humvee, Cal was already outside shooting at the closest form which was just a twenty yards away. Everywhere Zach looked, soldiers where running and firing at the closest group to them, with it having no effect. As the previous attack in the desert the creatures seemed more interested in the vehicles then the people.
“Everyone inside!” shouted Zach, running and waving everyone towards the auto-repair shop. Fiona, Cal and some soldiers ran for cover inside the building, while Zach looked along the convoy to see where everyone else was. He ducked as a protruded extension of one of the forms swept across the road, enveloping another soldier.
“Abbey, Bass! Everyone run for the warehouse on the left!” Zach shouted as loud as he could into his radio, not knowing if anyone on the on the other heard it or was even alive. He then stood up and ran along the convoy as fast as he could carry his body. Another bus behind him became victim of the creatures and he felt one of them hit his foot, sending him scrawling to the ground. Getting up again he continued running and made it back to his Humvee, the doors were open with no sign of anyone. He tried to focus on his surroundings, when he spotted Abbey and Michael about fifty yards away, crouching down behind a small fence. Michael seemed to be injured and was clutching his side. Zach waved to them, Abbey saw and waved back. The creatures were devouring the vehicles behind him at an increasing rate and it was only a few seconds that his Humvee would be next. It was then he noticed a large industrial sized bin between Abbey, Michael and himself on the auto-repair’s forecourt. Zach sprang forward, running towards Abbey and Michael, quickly getting to them and putting his arm under Michaels shoulder.
“That bin, we can get behind it, and wheel it across to the office entrance.”
They ran as quickly as they could and dived down behind the bin. The creatures still seemed more concerned with the vehicles. They started pushing it towards the office door, out of which came Bass and some soldiers who started firing towards the closest mass.
“Ok, now! Run!” Zach, Abbey and Michael left the shelter of the bin and ran as hard as they could for the door. Just as they did thousands of creatures slammed into the bin sending it skidding across the forecourt and slamming into a wall. They made it inside the door, the soldiers running in last and quickly slammed the door behind them.
“We need to get something up against that door,” said Zach. Looking around the office, a large tool-shelving unit stood on one wall. Zach, Bass and another soldier slid it across and it fell against the door with thump.
Zach bent over, put his hands on his knees and breathed in heavily. “Who’s in here?” he said breathlessly.
“We lost fourteen soldiers, including Martinez…” Bass went to continue when he heard a Rob shouting and objects crashing into one another in the workshop next door. Zach stood and walked to the doorway of the next room, Rob was sitting on top of a toolbox sobbing. Tyler had his arm around his Rob’s shoulder.
“Mr. Harris’s brother was killed as well,” said Bass quietly to Zach.
Zach sighed heavily, then looked around the rest of the workshop. Jacob, Cal, Fiona and the rest of the soldiers sat on the oil stained floor, looking drained. Turning back to the shop, Abbey was sitting next to Michael who was sat up against the counter, with Dr. Tanner examining the wound on his side.
“How’s he looking doc?” said Zach.
“He’s got a deep laceration. I can’t tell much more than that right now. My supplies where on the coach I was on. I don’t have anything here to help him if it’s more than just a deep cut.”
“Just do what you can.”
CHAPTER 19
Hour after hour passed of the noise they had all come to hate. Michaels wound had stopped bleeding, but Dr. Tanner was still concerned. Rob had grown silent, just staring at the space in front of him, despite Tyler’s attempts to get him to talk. They had explored more of the inside of the auto-repair building, and found it contained another much larger repair area to the left of the first, which wrapped around the back of the small front shop, and contained another office and an external door. Zach had tried reaching Brad and then when there was no reply anyone else he could on the radio, but there was never anything other than static.
After a few more hours Zach looked at his radio, the time said 5:08 pm and the light was fading from the small gap still visible under the front offices door. After another hour the light had completely gone and so had the sound.
“Is it just me or has the sound stopped,” said Abbey to Zach. He got up from his position against the wall behind the counter and stood in front of the shelving unit they had placed there many hours before. There was no sound. He then walked into the first workshop area and listened near the large metal shutters, still no sound, walking into the larger workshop area, Bass was already standing near the metal shutter and listening for himself.
“I think it’s stopped,” Bass said.
“They have gone back to hell,” said Rob, Tyler still sitting next to him. They where the first words he had said since they took shelter in the building.
“Have they gone?” Dr. Tanner stood up from sitting in the front seat of a dark blue sedan that was sitting in the workshop. Michael was laid out sleeping in the back. Fiona and Cal stood up from sitting in a black truck that was positioned behind the first vehicle.
“We need to see what’s out there. But not out the front office door, we leave that barricaded. Maybe we can open one of these shutters a few feet and see what’s going on,” said Zach. Walking over to the shutter, he grabbed hold of the handle at the bottom and pulled up but it wouldn’t budge. “I think it’s locked. The key might be in here, in the back office.”
Just as Bass went to disappear into the gloom of the workshop area, Rob stood up, walked to the shutter, grabbed the handle and pulled. His tendons stretched as he pulled upwards with all his might, eventually a clunk sound came from the lock and the shutter slide upwards a few inches. Zach and the others immediately raised their guns and crouched trying to see under the shutter. Rob walked back to his previous position and sat down.
Zach and Bass lay on the floor, their heads turned to get a look out into the darkness.
“What can you see?” said Zach to Bass.
“Not much, the light’s almost all gone. I can see shapes where our vehicles were, but it’s hard to see any details. I’ll go out there. Grab what I can and run back.”
“Not alone, I’m coming with you and one of the privates.”
“I’m coming too,” said Dr. Tanner.
“No way, we can’t risk our only doctor,” said Zach.
Tanner stepped forward to face Zach. “It’s dark out there, who knows what’s left of my supplies, will you know what to grab? Your friend needs me to get this stuff, Zach,” She then leaned in further. “I think he’s got internal bleeding, I might have to operate, if I don’t get my supplies he might die.”
After a few minutes of making sure their guns were fully loaded and locating a source of light for
each of them, Zach, Bass, Dr. Tanner and private Hall stood near the shutter.
“I’ll go first, if it looks clear I’ll flash my radios light in your direction, then you all come out. Bass protect the doctor. I’ll get what other supplies I can.” And with that they lifted the shutter and Zach rolled out. Immediately he listened into the night for sounds, but there were none apart from the wind blowing against his face. He waited for his eyes to adjust then ran towards the first large dark angular shape he could make out. Arriving at the front wheel of one of the coaches, he felt along the side but only made it a few feet before his hand lost contact. Only the front of the coach was remaining. In his mind he tried to remember the order the vehicles were in. This coach was roughly in the middle. He then flashed his torch in the direction of the shutters. It rose and fell quickly with Bass, Tanner and Hall running across to join him near the remains of the coach.
“Was this the coach you were on?” said Zach to Tanner.
“I think it was. There were more medical supplies in the supply truck, that should have been a few vehicles to our left.”
“Bass, go with her. Hall your with me, we’re going to check out the first Humvee.”
Keeping low, Zach and private Hall ran past the remains of another coach and some buses until they reached Zach’s Humvee. His hand touched the back of it then ran along the side until he reached air, but this time it was due to the side door still being open. “It’s still here,” he said to himself climbing inside and grabbing all the backpacks he could find. Examining the inside with the glow from his radio, he couldn’t find any real damage. Only the back right window was smashed.
Bass and Tanner ran past the other Humvee which hadn’t gotten off so lightly, the top half of the vehicle was completely missing, with it’s seats exposed to the night air. Directly behind it was what remained of the supply truck. The cabin and engine were gutted, but the canopy at the back was largely undamaged. Bass climbed up into the back of the truck, and used his torch to see the damage, but there wasn’t any. All the food, ammo and other supplies were still there.
“How’s it look?” said Tanner in a whisper. A hand reached down and pulled her up to see for herself.
“Go and help Bass and Dr. Tanner, I’ll return these backpacks then come back out.” Zach ran to the gap under the shutter threw the backpacks inside then ran back to the supply truck. Tanner was standing outside the rear of the vehicle her arms full of medical supplies and a large bag thrown over her shoulder. Bass and Hall were carrying a large supply crate they had hastily filled with other things as well as ammo. Walking as fast they could, they all returned to the shutter, sliding everything underneath then rolling inside themselves.
Bass took a deep breath. “Looks like most of our supplies were left untouched. We got off pretty li…” Bass was about to finish the sentence when he saw Rob suddenly look up at him. “umm, all the vehicles we saw were destroyed.”
“The first Humvee wasn’t, and I could be wrong but Rob’s bus still looked the same shape as before,” said Zach.
“Nothing can take her down,” said Rob. Raj smiled and clenched his fist in silence.
Zach flipped the lid of the supply crate to reveal boxes of ammo, food and bottled water. He then turned to Dr. Tanner who was already back in the rear of the car, looking at Michael’s wound. Michael was awake and attempting a smile when Zach leaned into the back to see his friend.
“Just need a nights rest and I’ll be good to go,” said Michael.
Dr. Tanner put Michaels shirt back down. “Exactly do not move! Just rest, I’ll be back in a bit.” She then pulled Zach towards the back of the workshop. “There’s internal bleeding, but I can’t see where. I’m going to need to operate and stop it, otherwise he might bleed out, or get an infection.”
Zach looked around at the grime laden walls and floors, then further back to the office at the back of the building and it’s large desk. “Would that work?”
They both walked to the rear office.
“Yes. This will do,” she put her bag down. “I’ll need thirty minutes to set up, then I’ll be administrating a sedative to put him under. I don’t have to tell you that this is a highly irregular situation, usually I wouldn’t attempt it, but I think he has no choice, can you ask Dr. Joshi to come in.” Zach left and Raj walked in.
“What can I do for you doctor?” said Raj.
“Do you have any medical training?”
“I did some basic training when I was in London, why?”
“I’m going to have to operate on Mr. Chang. I’ll need you to assist.”
Raj wasn’t sure how to respond. “When I said basic training, I meant basic training, I’m not qualified…”
“Look behind you, do you think anyone out there is better qualified?”
Raj didn’t answer.
Cal and Zach carried Michael into the back office. Candles were lit as well as private Hall holding the torch according to Tanners directions. Tanner than put Michael under and started her procedure. After an hour she came out of the office.
“I’ve stopped the internal bleeding and sewn him back up. As long as he doesn’t get an infection, he’ll live.”
Abbey grinned and hugged Zach and a wave of relief swept through the gloomy auto-repair workshop.
“Now, I’m going to get some sleep, when he wakes up, tell him not to move, and if he’s in a lot of pain, give him two of these.” Dr. Tanner threw Zach a small plastic bottle and walked off in the direction of the first car.
Raj and Hall emerged from office, looking exhausted and sat down against the wall. Grabbing a bottle of water and some food Zach and Abbey went into the small front office, and closed the door. Placing the food and bottles down, Zach lit a few candles placing them on the counter, then half sat half slid down the wall behind the counter. Abbey sat next to him.
“We got lucky with the Humvee, I was sure all the vehicles would be eaten or whatever it is those things do,” she said.
“I’m not sure lucky is the word I would use for this rescue mission. We started two days ago with fifteen vehicles and thirty men, now we have a lot less of both.”
She grabbed his hand. “We could of all died today. But we didn’t, and we can still rescue the people in Portland.”
“That’s a good point, we didn’t just lose the soldiers and Earl’s brother, we also lost another twelve Portlanders by losing another day. At this rate there won’t be anyone left to rescue.”
Abbey pulled her hand back and looked angry, then sad, tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Zach sighed and then went to reach for her when he felt something sticking into his leg and remembered. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small metal computer model on the end of a key ring.
“I found this and thought of you,” he said smiling and offered it to her. Abbey looked nonplussed at first, but then took the small gift and gave out a quick stifled laugh. She then leapt forward and threw her arms around him.
“I think we better eat, who knows when we will get another chance,” said Zach.
After some crackers, nuts, canned tuna and bottled water they sat watching the shadows from the candles flicker on the walls of the small room. Zach got out the small road guide to Albuquerque they found earlier and started flicking through it’s pages, he then stopped and looked up.
“I want to ask you something, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want too.”
“Okay…” Replied Abbey not sure of what was about to be asked.
“New Mexico, why where you there?” Zach got up and lit another candle, sitting back down next to Abbey, who look hesitant to answer. “Trust me I’m sure it’s not as bad as the reason I was there.”
She took a deep breath. “It was summer of 2011, my department head had been tasked me to look into some rich overseas assholes bank accounts. So I did, and I found the usual crap you find in rich assholes accounts, money that shouldn’t be there. There was no trail from where this money c
ame from. So I dug deeper and found that it connected to another rich asshole, only problem was that this asshole was my department head.”
“So you were framed?”
“Not exactly. I kind of blew a gasket, went off the rails. Over the following weeks I kept digging into these accounts and I found that a lot of the work I had been doing over the previous months was for my department head to make money. He had been subcontracting my services and I had no idea. He used to tell me ‘Abs remember it’s always the people you can’t see, that you’re helping” I thought he meant unfortunate people in countries around the world, what he really meant was himself. Anyway I wanted to get back at him, so I kind of put malware into our spy satellite network…”
Zach started laughing. “Wow you really are a genius.”
“Yeah well, the malware made the satellites flip out, they were sending all kinds of messages in all directions, they tried to gain control of them, but it was too late, they were too far out from their orbits, and well, the government lost around fifty billion dollars worth of equipment. They couldn’t tell anyone of course, if our ‘enemies’ knew our network was down it would have been chaos, so they threw me in that hole in New Mexico, frightened I would talk.”
“How long where you there for?”
“It would have been five years this Christmas. What about you?”
“Maybe we should talk about something else,” said Zach, trying to hide his discomfort with a smile.
“Whatever it is, I can take it.”
He looked away and took a deep breath. “I used to be Military police.”
“I know...”
“The reason I was inside, it’s not a pretty story.”