Europe Has Fallen

by Gouriet, Andrew

  Private John Brown was speaking to Heidi. They were happy to have made it through the attacks at the fort and now be en route to Unghvar. Heidi leaned over and kissed John on the neck. He blushed. The other soldiers around him, however, were too busy packing and preparing to leave to notice the show of affection.

  “John, stay close to my wagon if you can.” Heidi whispered.

  He smiled and continued to help the others.

  The moment of tranquillity was broken by a raucous howl. It was so loud and fierce that the sound vibrated off trees and almost shook the very ground they stood on.

  Everyone stopped; it was as if a lever had been pulled and time stood still. Faces were full of dread and concern. A scout returned, but indicated he had seen nothing. Then another arrived with the same news. When a third scout, who had gone off along the road, came back at a normal pace, Von Bloch gave the order for them to move on.

  The officers gathered around the old general who insisted there could be a wolf or two in the valleys, but it did not mean the whole pack was with them. Nonetheless, speed was doubled and they would press on for another long stretch to reach Unghvar.

  As they made haste, scouts were sent out to get a good broad view of the area around them. They wanted to make sure there were no hidden traps waiting ahead. Several farms appeared along the way, but all of them seemed empty and disused. No one was allowed to check them over; the order had been given to keep pressing on. Eventually, Major Richmond spoke to Captain Hayward and asked him to hang back and search the next farm they passed. He wanted to know what was being kept from them.

  The hours passed and the convoy was making good progress. There had been no more howls or sightings of anything. Something started to play on the major’s mind: there had not been one single person en route, not one.

  A farmhouse came into view in the distance, but the group continued on, passing by the track leading to it. Captain Hayward spoke quietly to Sergeant Butcher. Both of them were on horseback and drifted to the back of the convoy before choosing an adequate moment to slope off.

  Further down the track there was an overturned cart which couldn’t be seen from the main road. Sergeant Butcher pointed out the blood surrounding the cart. It was if there had been an explosion, blowing something to pieces.

  The horses stirred as they tried to lead them towards the farm entrance. The gate appeared to have been crushed under some sort of enormous pressure. They tied the horses to a fence a good thirty metres or more from the house.

  Sergeant Butcher had a rifle strapped across his back, which he swung round and readied for what may lie ahead. Captain Hayward drew out his Adams revolver. It felt good to have his old trusty friend with him.

  The area around the farmhouse had been crushed. There had obviously been a struggle here at some point. They both looked at each other, but nothing was said. The look was more to tell the other to be ready for something.

  The door to the farmhouse was broken and there were bloodstains all around the entrance. The smell hit them hard. It was pungent, and made both men lose their breath for a moment.

  Captain Hayward said “We must press on. I’ll go first; you cover me.”

  The captain used his shoulder to push open the door. It was daylight outside, but this farm cottage was old and didn’t have too much light within. They walked along the hallway.

  There was a side table with a picture of a farmer and his wife. They passed it, sparing the photograph only a quick glance.

  The house was a wreck: chairs were broken, tables smashed. There were bullet holes in the walls. The smell was particularly strong from one corner of the house. It seemed to be coming from behind a closed door. The captain nodded in that direction and both men made a slow, calculated approach towards it.

  The door had chipped paintwork and large fractured pieces of wood missing from it. In a soft voice, Sergeant Butcher counted to three and then they both hurled themselves at it. It flung open with some force. They were greeted with an even stronger putrid odour and could almost taste rotting flesh. The buzzing sound was unnerving. There were millions of flies in the room, making it hard to see at first.

  Sitting in a chair, three-quarters eaten, was a human body. The “body” was, in truth, more of a skeleton. Maggots were spilling from where its eyes and lips had been. The room was covered in dried blood.

  As they turned to leave, Sergeant Butcher pointed to the wall. Drawn in blood was an image of an upside-down cross and a figure, holding its arm up.

  Once outside again, both men took in huge gulps of air.

  “Sir, what’s going on?”

  “I don’t know, Sergeant. We’d better get back to the others.”

  Their horses were still tied to the fence, both looking very flighty and nervous. Captain Hayward mounted his first and helped steady the other for Sergeant Butcher. Then they both took off at speed to re-join the rest of the group. Neither man spoke of what he had seen.

  Major Richmond needed to be informed and Von Bloch confronted about whether this was the same scene he had found in the other farmhouse. They quickly caught up with the rest of their party. Corporal Smith was walking at the back of the group some hundred metres or so behind.

  He raised his rifle at first as they approached, but promptly lowered it as he realised it was the sergeant and captain. They nodded to each other as they passed. Captain Hayward made his way to the front of the column and brought his horse broadside to the major’s.

  He waited for a while before indicating to the major he had something to say. He did not want to be too obvious about what they had seen, so instead told the major that one of the wounded men wanted to see him. With that, they broke off from the front of the column and slowly trotted back along the line.

  When Major Richmond was informed of what was in the farmhouse, he understood the need for the discovery to be kept under wraps, although he would have liked to have known a little more, being the second highest ranking officer there. Morale was still high amongst the soldiers and civilians. The general had been wise to keep these findings secret.

  It took several hours before they were on the outskirts of a small town. The lack of activity and life was a concern: there were no farm animals in the fields and no people anywhere.

  Von Bloch hoped to find them all camped in the town, awaiting reinforcements, but feared the wolves had been here too. He sent two scouts off to check out the area. They would wait a safe distance before being given the all clear.

  Most people were ready to have a break; the folks in the carts and wagons were desperate to stretch their legs and the wounded needed some peace and quiet. It was not easy being injured and travelling on the bumpy roads.

  The scouts chose a nearby hill to survey the town. It was covered in long, wild meadow grass, gently swaying in the spring breeze. From this vantage point they looked down across the town. Even from there they could see no movement. There was no one around at all. Both scouts then rode into the town. Their initial assessment was that there seemed to have been signs of a struggle – there were some burnt-out buildings and patches of dried blood spread throughout the town. It was not long before they came back and confirmed as much.

  It was decided the convoy would go into the town and get what supplies they could before moving on to Unghvar. It was hoped that the city would still be under Austro–Hungarian control.

  The conversation turned to what was happening. They wanted to know where everyone was and if they should expect another attack from the wolves. The soldiers were kept in line by the corporals and sergeants and the civilians were spoken to by the captains. Soon enough, they were able to calm the mood down.

  Captain Hayward led ten men into the town on a quick reconnaissance mission. They did not want to take any unnecessary risks. The bullet holes in the houses and broken windows did not bode well. Once the area was secured, a soldier rode back and led the convoy in.

  Uzhok had a wooden church – Saint Archangel Michael – and a
collection of other buildings. Von Bloch ordered some soldiers to find him a table. The old general was still convinced that the wolves had been here and the town folk had fled to Unghvar.

  Once the table was set out in the street, the general laid out a rolled-up map. He used his sword to weigh down one end and his pistol the other. The wagons and carts were kept on the road. This was for everyone’s safety should they need to leave in a hurry. Detachments were sent around the town to collect what useful items they could, such as water from the wells.

  The wounded were unloaded and the civilians got down to stretch and move about. There was an air of tension hanging over everyone. Lookouts were posted around the town.

  Von Bloch did not waste time. He pointed out different routes and suggested they get to Unghvar as soon as possible, ideally via the Uzhok Pass, which had been used for many years as a transport highway through the Carpathian Mountains. He wanted to rendezvous with the nearest garrison.

  Whilst he went over details with the captains and the major, the soldiers searched the houses for food and supplies. Some were coming out looking shocked and puzzled at their findings. It was now becoming obvious the farmhouses were not the only ones holding dark secrets.

  There had been some good finds: a hardware shop, which was full of fresh blankets and tools; a butcher’s shop, which had some dried meat and supplies and a grocery store, with fresh fruit. This led them to believe the town had only recently fallen.

  After an hour the stock and supplies were fully replenished. Cook had started cooking, helped by two Austrian women who didn’t mind peeling potatoes. He was going to make some sort of broth.

  Major Richmond took the time to talk with Von Bloch. The day was drawing in and both had second thoughts about setting off for Unghvar that evening. There had been no sightings of anything; no humans or wolves. This gave them enough comfort to decide to stay the night in the town.

  Several houses were picked out and some time was taken over the best way to keep watch over the weary group. A couple of soldiers were sent to the church as it had a high bell tower and offered the best viewpoint over the village in daylight. In the evening, should an attack materialise, they would ring the bells to warn everyone.

  Private Brown took time to chat to Heidi. He was happy to be near her. In all this darkness she was his light. He was a young man and hadn’t really had these kinds of feelings for a girl before. It made him feel strange and light-headed. He had been with a girl back in England, but she was frequented by many of the soldiers before they went on their tour of duty. It all happened very quickly and when it was over, she wanted payment for her services. John wished he hadn’t been drunk. He wouldn’t do it again.

  Heidi stood outside the house she was to stay in for the night. John was on sentry duty, which gave them a moment of closeness. He gave her a quick kiss. She smiled at him and brushed the side of his face. Her chest brushed against his body, causing a rush of blood and excitement within him.

  Just as things were going in the right direction, a call went out.

  “Private Brown. On holiday, are we, son?”

  He froze to the spot.

  “Back to your post and let the young lady rest.”

  Sergeant Butcher had let him have more time with the girl than he knew. Even the battle-worn sergeant saw a moment of youthfulness filled with love and let them have that. Sadly, though, all the sentries had to be on full alert and that meant Private Brown as well.

  The evening passed without incident and the well-earned rest was welcomed by everyone.

  The general briefly thought about sending a scout to check out Unghvar, but then decided they could do that once the city was in sight.

  Chapter 4

  The weather had been kind to them over the past few days and this morning was no different. The sun burst into life and the clouds were few and far between. The convoy set off quite early. The track that led to the Uzhok Pass was narrow in places and crossed a large open plain. It would probably have been grazed by cattle and sheep at one point. The shrubs and bushes were well maintained by foraging creatures and the animal tracks led up and down some small foothills.

  Sergeant Butcher was riding at the back of the convoy, which moved at a steady pace. The route was to take them through the Uzhok Pass and into Unghvar. Then there was a bridge to cross over the River Uzh.

  A breeze crept up over the hills and swept down the valley. It was cold and carried a strange odour on it. The long grass swayed side to side, like a sea on a stormy day.

  A dust cloud started to gather on the horizon, stretching for miles in both directions. The weather had been dry, but there must have been some strong wind to cause such an enormous cloud. Captain Egger pointed this out to the officers who were riding at the front. He questioned whether they should get undercover and bed down until the storm passed.

  Two scouts rode out to check on the storm that was coming. After twenty minutes, the convoy had almost reached the Uzhok Pass highway. Private Clegg, who was lagging behind and dreaming of drinking vodka in Unghvar, spotted the two scouts coming back across the plains at great speed.

  An Austrian soldier who was also watching the riders returning took in the situation before riding on to the front of the convoy. The dust cloud was now moving at incredible speed over the hills and onto the plains.

  Captain Hayward raised his binoculars to the riders. They looked shell-shocked and were at full gallop. He then raised them towards what was coming out of the dust cloud. At first, he put the binoculars down and cleaned them, not believing what he saw. He looked again. His eyes fell upon thousands of faces, their eyes sunken, skin torn and mouths stripped to the bone with teeth and gums showing.

  The captain could barely take it all in. Some of the people looked human but had stretched bodies with long limbs. They had enlarged jaws with teeth protruding out of the sides of their mouths like tusks.

  Without further ado, he barked out to the Bugler to raise the alarm. He galloped to the general and the major and hurriedly explained what he saw. Without a second thought, the order was given for everyone to get to the Uzhok Pass. The drivers of the wagons and carts snapped at their reins. Soldiers on foot started to run towards the pass.

  Many were helped onto the carts and wagons. Most people did not realise what was going on, but the thought of a mass wolf attack spurred them all into action.

  The human-like creatures with their extra long limbs went down onto all fours and picked up speed. They started to let out shrieking sounds that pierced the airwaves. Their movement was gangly but quick.

  Von Bloch was leading the wagons and carts towards Unghvar. He told Captain Egger to hang back with twenty Austrian soldiers, who were then ordered to bring up the rear of the last wagon.

  Captain Hayward rode swiftly with Sergeant Butcher to the back of the convoy. He passed two more mounted British soldiers and took them with him. A minute later, they were the only ones left on the junction entering the pass.

  The noise coming from this mass army of long-limbed creatures was thunderous, with groans and barks, grunts and snapping sounds. They would be upon the four of them within minutes. One of the soldiers lent forward on his horse.

  “Er, excuse me, sir, for asking, but should we possible leave now?”

  “Don’t worry, were not going to charge this abomination, oh no. We’re going to see if they’ll follow us.” said Captain Hayward in a calm manner.

  The soldier sat back in his saddle, his face white with fear. This was probably not what he had in mind.

  The soldiers looked on in amazement and with apprehension.

  “What are they, sir?”

  “God only knows.”

  Captain Hayward had seen enough.

  “Follow me, men.”

  Sergeant Butcher gripped his reins tightly. He was a tough man, but what was coming at him was something he had never even seen or imagined possible. It was hell as he imagined it.

  With that, Captain Haywar
d led the men off at an angle to the Uzhok Pass. He wanted to draw as many creatures as possible away from the main group. He knew that there was a bridge further up the highway before entering the road towards the city. He wanted to stay away from the dead forest if possible, too. Captain Egger had warned him off it because of the number of dead pine trees there, making it very hard to manoeuvre through.

  He had also said that a large area of forest had suddenly died and that the locals had become superstitious about and had never ventured in there again.

  Captain Hayward did not let that cloud his mind. He was more interested in where the horses could gallop at speed.

  The majority of the attacking horde followed them as planned. The plains and woodlands were now crawling with movement.

  What Captain Hayward did not see were several riders coming over the foothills amongst the horde. They were dressed in black robes and carried upside down crosses. Nothing was attacking them. If anything, the creatures were acting as their personal bodyguards.

  With controlled riding they galloped over the highway and up onto a ridge above it. The convoy had moved on swiftly but was still being pursued by a large group of creatures.

  Chapter 5

  The robed riders stopped in the distance.

  A shadowy figure rode in front of the men.

  “I want them dead. There should be no one in this area now.”

  Another rider came forward.

  “Sire, we let the flesh-eaters loose on the whole valley. They must have come from the fort in the Carpathian Mountains.”

  “Why wasn’t that fort destroyed? Should I tell the Great Ruler that his plan has failed?”

  The rider looked him in the eye.

  “No, I shall call in the bears.”

  With that, he snapped his horse round and signalled to another rider, who brought a horn to his lips and belted out a high-pitched call.

  Moments passed before a large bald man brought forward ten bears. These were no ordinary bears. They were the size of elephants, and had two heads. Their fur was prickly and claws razor-sharp.