Major Richmond agreed and sent the soldiers who had experience of hunting small game as well. It turned out they had a few farmers’ sons with them, which helped set up a hunting party.
The rest of the group set about concealing the entrance and preparing for the evening. They would not be able to totally cover it, but they could do enough to make it hard to see from a distance.
The beds for the evening would be basic. The caves were quite dry, but they would always have a certain dampness and coldness about them. Corporal Heinz wasted no time in forming a small cave party. He wanted to check the route they would set out on in the morning. He had mentioned by chance he had once been there as a boy and worked his way through the caves with his father.
His father had worked for the government and spent time travelling around the country visiting major towns and cities. On a trip to Tokay they had taken a detour and visited the caverns. With a guide, they had spent a day and night in the caves, working their way through.
That had been a long time ago, but he did know some of the corners were marked out. This information could be crucial as they went along.
The lanterns were lit for a short while as they needed to see what they were doing whilst they prepared for the evening. After two hours the hunting party returned. They had been successful. The sight of bundles of rabbits and wildfowl caused the noise level to rise within the cave opening. Food had been on most people’s minds for a while. Now they were going to have meat.
The head cook had several people cooking at once, whilst he prepped the vegetables. A lot of the hunters already knew what to do and prepared some of the animals themselves and started roasting them.
Captain Hayward was wary of the smell of cooking meat, but he himself was intoxicated by the thought of eating warm flesh. When they started serving the meat, an orderly queue was formed. It did well to maintain its shape and discipline. The women and children were allowed to the front first and the men lined up behind. Major Richmond and the other officers went last. They wanted to make a point of showing that everyone was working as a unit and no one should receive special treatment because of rank.
Once the meat was handed out, it was quickly stripped to the bone. Jaws snapped at flesh and tongues licked the bones. It was a most enjoyable meal and went down well.
The feast was an important morale booster. The satisfaction on everyone’s faces was enough to convince Major Richmond that a hunting party had been a risk worth taking. The lanterns were blown out and the fires stoked. It was not going to take long for sleep to overcome them.
Those on guard duty had been promised some time on the wagon to make up for the lack of sleep.
Major Richmond spent a moment chatting to Captain Hayward.
“Do you think we will make it, Charles?”
Charles Hayward looked at the major.
“We’re in a very sticky situation, outnumbered and running out of food. What we do have is a ‘never say die’ attitude.”
They both smiled at each other. It was an impossible question to answer, but it was a comforting one for the man in charge.
“Get some sleep, Major. I’ll wake you later.”
The night air still carried a chill with it. Private John Brown was on watch near the entrance to the caverns. His eyes were heavy but his instincts were still switched on. He walked closer to the branches and bushes that covered the entrance. His eyes scanned to and fro, to hills and woods in the distance.
A bat shot by the opening, making John step back. He saw a deer in the distance, foraging. It all looked peaceful and calm, so, rolling his rifle over his shoulder, he sat down on a large rock.
His thoughts were of Heidi, her soft lips, her long flowing blonde hair and her tight bosom. These thoughts helped him to get past the tiredness. He got up and decided to find Private William to discuss his growing love for her.
He wanted another look at the deer grazing, because it made him feel relaxed. His eyes slowly worked their way up from the stony ground to the broken branches. He let out a sigh of relief as the deer was still there.
Then, in a flash, a long-limb sprang out and took down the deer. It didn’t have time to let out a scream. Private Brown stood motionless; even though the attack was taking place five hundred metres away, he was reminded that they were out there, and close.
When his adrenaline settled down he went and spoke to Captain Hayward who then informed the rest of the guards. The drill was still the same: no one was to be woken yet. Whilst the long-limbs were out hunting, everyone still needed to rest. If they started to make a beeline for the caverns, then it would be the emergency drill.
The night shift passed without incident. There was movement outside, the odd shriek, call and growl, but nothing more.
Chapter11
As the morning passed they sat around, eating and drinking. The plan was to get to the nearest village on the other side of the caves and restock. The night’s rest and food had given most people a spring in their step. The British and Austrian Engineers started to prepare for the trek through the caves. Oil was poured into the lanterns and the rifles cleaned and checked for battle readiness.
The officers gathered for a quick debrief. The message was simple: find supplies once through the cave or face starvation. With all the troubles evolving around the creatures, it was still the basics that needed to be addressed: daily, food, water and sleep. They had been slowed down by the raider party, losing their supplies and mobility, which seriously hampered things. The small group of civilians and Austrian soldiers that were left lessened their fighting power, but it always still came back to the basic needs.
.
Captain Hayward looked into the darkness of the cave. Corporal Heinz had informed him that there were some openings in the cave ceiling on the way through, allowing natural daylight occasionally to creep in. He had recommended to the major they set off in a couple of hours.
He watched a small lad playing with some stones. He had built a wall and was now taking shots at it. This was the first time in a while that the children could relax and be themselves.
Corporal Heinz took several soldiers with lanterns. He wanted to start out on the route through the caverns. At certain points he would leave a lantern and mark the stone next to it. They were planning on leaving altogether, but he wanted to have a feel for the caves again. He knew there would be markings already there, but they would take time to find.
The idea of getting lost could not be allowed to soak into his subconscious. He wanted to focus on getting through, and onto Tokay. There had to be a village en route, and maybe it had not been touched by this onslaught.
Private Brown took time to relieve himself in the bushes they had used to cover the main entrance. The night shift had been woken. They had a quick bite to eat and were now preparing to take over.
He stood there looking out at the same spot as the night before. He pressed his face closer to the leafy foliage. A face appeared in front of a branch, its eyes looking back at him. Then it moved forward, pushing through the thicket they had made. John fell back as he tried to move. He did not have a rifle, only his bayonet. The flesh-eater fell forward on top of him. It started to snap and claw at his body. He was in a good position to hold it back, but he could not quite lift it off. The rotting flesh had a putrid stench, and was almost dripping off from the creature’s face. It growled and snarled at him. In spite of being half-rotten, its strength was a concern.
He tried to call out but the creature had a hand on his throat, and as he thrashed around he noticed another flesh-eater coming through the now partly broken entrance. It went straight for him like a bee to honey. The branch that had given way when the creature first came forward was now lying on top of his body, but it was also wedged under a rock. This was stopping John from rolling the flesh-eater. To make matters worse the other creature was now bending down, trying to bite his legs.
He turned to see more and more of them now shuffling up to the entrance. Priv
ate John Brown fought long and hard, but inside he faced the truth: time was not on his side. As the second creature grabbed his legs and a third staggered through the hole he almost stopped fighting.
Then a great pressure was released from on top of him. A flesh-eater’s head landed next to him. Then the second creature on his legs was smacked hard with a spade.
“Get up, John. There’s too many to stay lying down.”
John got up gingerly and was helped to his feet. The soft voice was Heidi’s. She had come looking for him and saw the attack unfold. She wasted no time in stopping his attackers.
“Thank you so much, you’ve saved my—”
“You can thank me later.”
She grabbed his hand and led him towards the others. Captain Hayward told the men not to fire as that could bring more. They would have to kill them with rifle butts or spades. If the numbers got too many, then they would follow Corporal Heinz through the caverns.
The hand-to-hand battle began in earnest. The first twenty were handled swiftly. This was one of the few times they outnumbered them, which gave them an advantage. At first, the situation was coming under control, but the creatures continued to stream through steadily.
Major Richmond gave the order to fall back. He picked a moment where there was a lull between the creatures reaching the entrance and being inside the cave. Nothing was really known about how they communicated with each other, or how they would track them in the darkness.
As more and more flesh-eaters reached the entrance, the blockade collapsed. Captain Hayward made sure the last man passed him and went into the tunnel. The caverns were now the only means of escape.
Corporal Heinz’s work in laying out the lanterns saved time. The women, children and civilian men had gone ahead with the Austrian soldiers. The British Engineers started picking up the laid out lanterns. At some point they would catch up with the main group.
The deeper they travelled into the caves, the colder it became. It was damp and rough underfoot, making walking difficult. Shuffling and scratching filled the caverns; the predators were following.
The soldiers’ red tunics and blue helmets had lost their spark. Sergeant Butcher made a comment to a young private about his uniform, which the soldier took it seriously until the lantern was put nearer to the sergeant’s face and he saw the wry smile.
Private Brown was with Heidi. She had saved his life and he wanted to thank her. It was hard with so many other soldiers around and he felt a little embarrassed.
“Heidi.”
She looked at him.
“Dankeschön.”
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
Moving through the caves at speed was not easy. The odd slip here and there was a dangerous game. Cries could be heard echoing around the tunnels each time someone fell onto a stone or rock. The whole group was amassed in a large chamber. Corporal Heinz held up a lantern – gathered around him were women and children. The Austrian soldiers were happy to see their British counterparts.
“Good to see you, Major.”
“The same goes for you, Corporal. I’m afraid they’re on our tails. No long-limbs as far as we know, just flesh-eaters.”
The conversation was brief; it was all about following the corporal now. The soldiers carrying the two wheels and frame were burly men. There were other soldiers carrying water barrels and the remaining supplies.
The cook wanted to stop and rest, but he knew there was no point in asking. They set off rapidly down a tunnel which had been marked. The groans that crept out of the darkness had menace. Some sounded throaty; others asthmatic.
It was a timely reminder to every person there: if you slow down, they will get you. The worrying thing was that they seemed to be getting closer even if the group kept up a steady pace.
The captain was concerned that they could end up coming face to face with flesh-eaters from the front of the tunnel and be trapped by the horde from behind. With so few rifles it was a sombre thought to digest.
Major Richmond asked Corporal Heinz whether they could keep up this fast-paced walk, even jogging at times, without burning out. The children were being carried by soldiers to help share the load.
“We must get to the middle of the caves before they do.”
This troubled the major as he thought they were already on the main route through.
“Why would we need to beat them there when they’re behind us?”
“All roads lead to paradise, Major. There are other routes.”
It was not exactly what he wanted to hear, but it was too late to start a protest.
The pace was kept up. The odd opening at the top of the caves let in light. It was welcomed, but also sharp and painful on the eyes due to the prolonged spells of darkness. In some places the caverns opened up to reveal larger chambers with ceilings hundreds of metres high.
The rock formations inside the caverns were peculiar, formed by water and ice over thousands of years. The stalactites, hanging from the cave ceiling, were long and cone-like. This was why Heinz’s father had taken him on a tour all those years ago.
The corporal said he could only remember part of it, but he did recall his father saying something regarding minerals and other scientific things about the caves. For a short while this was enough to take their minds off what had been happening and marvel at Mother Nature’s creation. It was truly awe-inspiring.
“I believe if we can get to the main tunnel at the centre we can rest there and then its one passage out after that,” said the Corporal
The brief respites normally took place in the larger chambers, where water was hurriedly consumed and the odd dry biscuit was handed out to the women and children. The children had done remarkably well. The constant echoes and grunts made sure no one slacked off. By the time they reached the centre, though, exhaustion was creeping in. It had been a hard slog but without Corporal Heinz it would have been nearly impossible. The knowledge he’d gained about the marked cave routes gave them the edge.
They all collapsed as they reached the location. It was a large enough chamber to take them all. The passage out lay directly in front of them, but no one was ready to use it. The soldiers with rifles were sent to three entrance points into chamber.
They could rest there, but shoot anything that came through. Some lanterns were put down each entrance tunnel to give them fair warning of anything coming.
An hour passed and fortunately there were no signs of flesh-eaters. Everyone was thankful for the rest but the only thing on the menu was water.
Captain Hayward asked Corporal Heinz if he thought it would be okay for people to sleep. It was only midday, but the journey had been frantic. The darkness also helped people lose track of time and hunger made them weary. It was decided that they would rest as long as they could.
Captain Hayward checked his pocket watch by a lantern and then put his backpack and rug on a stone. It was damp and the air wasn’t great to breathe, but it was a good enough place to close his eyes. Major Richmond arranged for the tunnel entrance guards to change after an hour.
Sergeant Butcher fell asleep leaning against a rock.
Silence fell over the cave.
Chapter 12
A roar woke everyone up. It was startling to come from deep sleep and then be fully alert. No time was wasted in gathering the group and setting off down the main passage out of the cavern.
The guards by the entrances to the other tunnels fell back quickly. The noise was coming at them fast, but they could not work out which tunnel it was.
The major stood with the captain and several armed soldiers looking for what might come through. The lanterns had been blown out due to the fear of attracting flesh-eaters, but later re-lit.
The ground shook a little with the noise of the oncoming beast. The major ordered most of the men to leave, saying he would stay back with four armed soldiers. Captain Hayward wanted to stay but he was ordered to retreat with the others.
The silence that followed
the roar was unnerving. The major and the four men watched each tunnel. The lanterns flickered – still nothing. Major Richmond felt his heart as it pounded. The darkness was now more of an enemy than a friend.
Suddenly there was movement from the right-hand tunnel. The lantern shattered as a green flash went past it and into the chamber. The four men and the major were holding firm at the main exit tunnel. He did not want them to leave that position.
The thing that was now with them moved around at speed. They could hear its hard rasping huffs. The sound of grinding teeth and hissing was also prevalent.
“Sir, shall we move out and find the beast?”
The major put his hand on the soldier’s shoulder, then put his finger to his own lips to indicate the need to be quiet.
The light in the chamber was dimmed due to the right-hand tunnel losing its lantern. It did not matter; the creature started to emerge from the darkness in front of them. Its head looked like a lizard’s, but the difference was the loose fur covering it. The body was also lizard-shaped, again covered in loose fur.
It came forward, nostrils flared, and its shoulders revealed thick muscles as it moved. The monster was huge. Its claws were a foot long and its teeth protruded from its mouth.
Major Richmond stood firm. “Take aim, men,” the recent order of shoot for the head was now mandatory. The beast stopped around ten to fifteen metres in front of them, its eyes following them all.
“Fire!”
The bullets shot into the beast, piercing its skin around the head and shoulders. It reared up and then charged. The shots had been accurate, but it was going to take a lot to stop this thing.
One Engineer was fumbling around with his bullet, trying to re-load it into the breach, when his eyes caught sight of teeth bearing down on his head. In one quick swoop the beast ripped it off. It brushed the other soldiers aside and its tail knocked the major into the wall. He was not carrying a rifle, but an axe, which he flung into the darkness. Blood was now pouring out from the neck of the Engineer’s corpse. The lizard creature swallowed the head in one quick flick and turned to attack the other soldiers.
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