by Phil Maxey
The old man’s flashlight dipped to the ground and without him speaking, the large man sized creature slid off Miles. He quickly scrambled to his feet, and grabbed his own light from the ground. “What’s your name?” He said to the old man.
“Walter, my wife is Judith.”
Miles noticed some movement in the hallway behind Walter. “Hi Judith.” He switched his attention back to man controlling the E.L.F that was the stuff of nightmares, and had an idea. “Look, we’re out here trying to rescue some friends of ours, who were last seen a few blocks from here. I’m basically not sensing any other E.L.F’s other than yours around here.”
The creature which Miles realized was covered in a form of intensely black long thin spikes, which made it almost impossible to see unless light was directly shone onto it, sauntered across to the old man and lowered its head. Walter then started to stroke it.
“No time for games Miles, we need to be on our way. Old man, keep that damn light off!” Said Boe, turning and walking back towards the stairwell.
Miles looked back at the apartment and the strange sight of the man with his E.L.F. “I have a request.”
“Yes?”
“I would like to borrow your pet.”
Sam waited impatiently outside the apartment block, but then noticed the light go out on the fifth floor. The sound of the entrance opening drew his attention and Miles appeared and quickly walked forward. “Don’t be scared, but I’ve borrowed an E.L.F.”
Sam looked confused. “What?” He then looked over Miles shoulder at the ape like form that was moving amongst the shadows in the lobby. “Can you control it?”
“Its Cascader has allowed me to partially bond with it. So yeah I can control it to a certain extent.”
“I didn’t know that was possible?”
“I leaned a lot in the arena.”
“Okay fine.” Sam looked along the stretch of buildings that ran all the way to where Isaiah was last reported. “We have about three miles to go.” He then flipped his NVG’s down over his eyes.
Miles looked back to the building and beckoned the E.L.F out into the night air, and then they all ran forward keeping as close to the shop fronts as they could. He briefly tried to track where the creature was, but its natural ability to blend into the darkness around them, made it almost impossible to see.
They arrived at the third junction. Small fires burned in some of the nearby skyscrapers, appearing as intense light green glows in their goggles.
Sam clicked on his radio. “Hold up here. I want to try his radio again. Over.”
The other group stopped, kneeling against a small wall.
“Isaiah you out there buddy. Over?”
Wind caused some tarpaulin to flap over some buildings that were part of a building site, but only white noise came back from Sam’s radio. He tried again but after a few seconds shook his head. “We go street by street. Keep your eyes on the build—” He suddenly realized the noise coming from his radio was interrupted by pauses. He held it closer to his ear. “Pause…pause…pause…long pause…”
“Morse code,” said Miles.
Sam flipped his goggles to the top of his head, and looked at the signal strength of the incoming signal. He then put the radio back to his mouth. “Joan, you picking up any white noise with pauses from your radio? And if you are, what’s the signal strength?”
A few seconds later the medic replied. “Yeah, it’s Morse code. Signal strength is about eighty percent. Over.”
“I’m at sixty here. Stay there, I’m trying to triangulate the signal. Over.”
Sam, Miles and Boe moved across the junction, where he checked his signal strength again. It was fifty percent. “Joan, move your group to the opposite corner, and check it again. Over.” He watched as their dark forms moved across the street in the distance, then stopped.
“Eighty six percent. Over.”
Sam looked at the building site Joan and the others were close too.
He’s in there, that’s where I would be.
“Stay there, I think they might be in the building site. We’re coming to you. Over.”
Sam and Boe took off across the street to the others, while Miles looked for where the E.L.F was but still couldn’t see the creature anywhere. Luckily he could still sense it.
Hopefully I won’t lose their pet.
They all converged on the street corner, with metal poles shielded by plastic tarpaulins just behind. Sam took the lead, moving along the sidewalk, trying to find the entrance to the site, while repeatedly checking the signal strength on his radio.
Eighty eight percent…Eighty nine…
A large gate laid half off its hinges. Sam stepped on top of it, testing its stability then walked across it, landing on a dusty concrete floor. Cement mixers and blocks with pieces of steel wire emerging from them sat at haphazard angles, some on their sides. They all moved forward into the open ground floor of a newly formed building.
Once inside Sam raised a clenched fist and they all stopped behind him, he went to click on his radio, when he realized there were a number of dark shapes on the ground, spread out in all directions in front of him. He walked forward slowly, flipping his goggles to his forehead, then turned on his flashlight. Lying in front of him was a man in body armor, smears of blood across his face. His eyes were open.
“It’s Brigg’s,” said Sam. “One of Isaiah’s—”
An intense beam of light scythed through the darkness causing all but Sam and Miles to collapse to the ground, most clutching their faces.
“Spread out!” Shouted Sam, trying to grab the closest person he could, then realizing Boe’s arm was detached from the rest of his lifeless body. He turned and dived behind a thick cement pillar, as the laser flashed across the cavernous space once more, this time hitting another pillar, illuminating some legs that were scrambling to get behind it.
He pulled his rifle from his shoulder, when a noise made him whip around.
“It’s me!” Said Miles as the rifles barrel moved in his direction.
“You hurt?”
Miles shook his head. “No. Is there a Hulathen in here? I just saw like a laser or something…it sliced Boe in half.” He swallowed not wanting to say the words.
Sam nodded. “I know…It’s some form of weapon, but if there’s an alien on the end of it, I haven’t seen it.”
He clicked on his radio. “Joan? Flores, Jenkins? Over.”
“We’re all here Cap,” said Joan. “Is Boe dead? I can’t see him properly from over there. Over.”
Sam went to answer when another light beam, burned into the pillar above his head, causing him to further retreat behind the pillar. “He’s dead. Over.” He paused then clicked on the radio again. “Can you see what’s attacking us? Over.”
“I can’t see shit. I’m still seeing light echoes in my eyes. Over.”
Sam lowered his radio, briefly pushed his rifles barrel outside of the pillar and fired off a few shots in the direction they were originally heading. The sound of ricocheting was quickly followed by another burst of energy. The smell of burning concrete filled the air and a plume of dust started to rain down to the floor.
“I don’t think it’s an alien, maybe some form of drone that has been waiting for us to appear,” said Sam.
“It has not moved any closer to us…” said Miles. He suddenly sensed the E.L.F close by.
“What?” Said Sam noticing Miles distraction.
“The E.L.F, it’s near us, but I can’t spot it in the dark.”
The bright orange stream of light once again pierced the absolute black around them, but this time it was concentrated on a completely different area. Close to where they came in.
Sam flicked his goggles back on, but held them away from his face. “I think I can see—” The laser targeted the same area, causing Sam to momentarily close his eyes. “— Yeah, I can see the E.L.F it keeps darting around, the drone thing can’t target it quick enough.” He raised his head. “Thi
s is our chance.” Using the pillar behind him, he pushed himself up, and looked away from where the light was spewing from. He clicked on his radio. “Everyone get ready, the E.L.F is drawing the things fire, next time you see a flash of light, aim your fire where I’m firing. Over.” He stood, waiting, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Come on...
A bright flash turned on and off and he stepped quickly out from behind the pillar and scanned the area for any sign of the source. A tiny sparkle emanated on a far wall which he began firing at. The others joined in. Deafening cracks and clatters echoed around the plain walls.
Sam stepped forward letting off more volleys towards the point, which was still sparkling. It suddenly grew brighter in intensity, and he ducked, the shearing light sliced through the top of his helmet, burning his scalp. “Keep firing!” He shouted.
He walked forward again and then felt a sudden presence close by. Looking to his right, the creature seemingly made of shadows bounded forward, zigzagging, then leapt through the air. The laser streaked outwards again, but missed the creature, which smashed into it. Sparks jumped from where he impacted, and then darkness returned to the ground floor of the new skyscraper.
“Is it dead?” Shouted Miles from behind a pillar. “Did Jerry kill it?”
Sam pushed his goggles up then returned to using his flashlight. He waved it in the general direction of the far wall. The creature known as ‘Jerry’ was sniffing pieces of what looked like some form of alien gun turret. “Yup, he sure did.”
Everyone else stood and walked forward.
Sam looked back to Boe and sighed, then swept his lights beam around the other bodies which lay like dolls, some not complete. He listened to his radio again. The white noise with the intermittent pauses was still playing out. The signal strength was ninety percent.
“The source of the S.O.S is in this building somewhere. Let’s find the stairs, but keep alert for any more of those devices.”
They all moved forward stepping over the dead until they reached the far corner, and a rectangular gap in the wall. Stairs with no railings reached upwards.
Sam pointed his light at the steps which had a trail of blood over them. “We got blood here.”
They all slowly ascended, peering around every corner slowly, expecting a bright flash of light to end them. After a few anxious moments they came out to the first floor.
Sam immediately saw two men lying against a wall. “Isaiah?” He ran forward trying to keep his flashlight pointed at the men.
“I knew you’d be fool enough to rescue me,” said Isaiah.
Sam then Joan knelt next to him. She immediately felt his neck.
Sam went to ask if he was injured but then noticed the dark red patch on his friends pants.
“Got a busted leg, doc, but ain’t nothing I can’t deal with. Check on Kyle first. I tried to keep him awake, but he stopped talking about an hour ago. He’s still got a pulse.”
Sam grabbed and squeezed his friends shoulder.
“Owwwl man, what you doing,” responded Isaiah curtly.
“I thought it was your leg that was hurt?”
“It all hurts!”
Joan quickly examined the man lying next to Isaiah. “His pulse is okay, but he has a head wound, and looks like some internal injuries. We need to get them both back to the bunker.”
CHAPTER FOUR
General Mitchell's knuckles had turned white a few minutes earlier as she stood in her office, gripping the front of her desk. “How do you lose a twelve foot high alien!?”
Abbey, Erin and Captain Knave who was responsible for bunker security stood in front of her.
“We had it confined to one section near storage room—”
“I don’t care where you thought it would be Captain, I want to know how it managed to leave our bunker system without anyone even knowing it had left?”
The Captain fumbled for an explanation.
“General—” Erin walked forward and sat sideways on the front of her desk. “—It’s not the Captains fault if a being of advanced intellect and technology finds a way to evade our primitive security measures.”
Abbey watched the general visibly relax, and a chill ran through her. From what she knew of the general she was not a woman who let go of her anger so easily.
Mitchell sat down on her chair. “We can’t have these things coming and going as they please. What’s stopping any of them from just killing all of us? Do we even know how it escaped?”
“Elcher was never our prisoner general,” said Abbey.
Mitchell looked at her angrily. “And you! That thing was your friend, correct?”
Before Abbey could talk Erin interjected. “Jessica. May I call you Jessica?”
“Umm…”
“The alien has gone. How does it help us now to argue over that fact?”
“Well I guess—”
The more Erin talked the more Abbey knew who was really in control of the bunker and the few thousand people that resided inside its labyrinth of tunnels.
Raj you need to finish that toxin.
A short while later, she and Erin were walking back to the Cascaders living quarters. No words had passed between them. Suddenly he stopped and stood in front of her.
“I’m sensing some hostility from you.” It was a statement from Erin not a question.
Her mind raced trying to discover the best way to hide her true feelings. “Well…”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like how you were towards Zach.” It wasn’t a lie and did a good job of covering up the truth.
He looked confused. “I have not shown any anger towards him. Did he say something to you?”
She could feel his waves of persuasion wash over her and she had to answer with honesty. “No…”
“Then I—” A soldier appeared behind Abbey and in front of Erin. “Yes what is it?”
She turned around.
“General Felton is on comms in the CIC for Ms. Reisner,” said the soldier.
Immediately she started backing off.
“We will clean up this misunderstanding, later,” said Erin. She nodded and followed the soldier out of the corridor.
As she turned the corner, out of the view of the leader of the Cascaders, she let out a breath.
“Is there anything wrong ma’am?” Said the soldier.
“I’m fine, let’s go.”
Soon they were in the CIC. The soldier pointed her to a headset that was lying on one of the desks.
She picked it up and held it to her face. “Zach?”
There were a few seconds of delay. “I’m here Abbey. The signal is being relayed through the outpost in Kentucky, so there will be some delay. Are you okay? Over.”
A flush of warmth ran through her. A single tear began to run down her cheek which she brushed away, hoping no one around her had seen. “I’m okay! How are you? Have the Hulathen left? Err… Over.”
“We managed to get around twenty percent of the population of the camp, into the main bunkers, including most of the young, sick and elderly, the others are sheltering in smaller bunkers and other buildings. Some Hulathen and their craft have been spotted within the walls of the camp, but not to the extent as before when they attacked in larger numbers. They took a number of E.L.F’s and Cascaders. Any sign of them up there? I heard that Elcher was there? Over.”
She went to reply when Raj appeared in the small room, she could see the sweat on his forehead even from a few feet away. He walked straight to her.
“Hold on, Zach. Over.”
Raj leaned in close to her, trying to look less suspicious to the soldiers around him. “I did it.”
“Did?...oh.”
“You ready to go?” He whispered.
She subtly nodded then felt his hand press on her side, the side that was hidden from everyone else in the room. Her fingers drifted to his and took the small flat box from him.
“Get that to the labs in the camp, they will know what to
do with it.” He then backed away.
“I’ll tell Zach you said hello!” She said a bit louder then she needed too.
Raj smiled then looked around the room and left.
“Zach? Sorry, right, yeah where was I…”
On the way out of the CIC she played the plan of how to leave the bunker system, over in her head. It seemed easy enough, the only problem is that it relied upon a man she hated more than the one she was trying to escape from.
Before she entered the corridor to the Cascaders living quarters she tucked the five inch long flat container under the front of her top, hoping it wasn’t too obvious. She thought about stashing it somewhere within the tunnels, but if the fate of humanity was inside the box, she wasn’t going to risk it being out of her sight.
Maybe I can just run. Grab my stuff where I left it and go.
She played with the idea, but then discarded it. She had no idea how far Erin’s influence reached, and she wasn’t going to risk getting all the way to the main exit to the tunnels just for his words to start flowing through her mind, and for her to change direction and be pulled back.
Taking a deep breath she walked into the corridor. The two Cascader guards were standing outside the double doors as always. She smiled at them as she approached, and one of them opened the door for her. Entering, the scene was the usual one, some Cascaders sleeping, some playing games, while others were involved in conversation. And as always Erin with a small group of cohorts was at the end of the room sitting at one of the tables. She saw him look up as soon as she walked into the room. Clovis was standing against the wall not far behind him.
She walked to her bed, picked up her single pillow, turned it over then placed it back down. Sneaking a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw Clovis kneel down, open one of the kitchen cupboard doors, then after a short pause, close it and walked in her direction.
Time to go.
Not wanting to look in Erin’s direction, she walked away from her bed and towards the double doors. Clovis started to follow when she was a few feet in front of him.