I didn't know what to say. "And the other creatures?"
Veronica said, "The wolves and the zombies were offshoots of testing. Originally, the wolves existed in various cultures until they too were hunted to near extinction. With the last wolf’s death two hundred years ago, so died the virus that created them. The wolf that escaped tonight was the next step in the evolution. The wolf is perfect. As close to being an original as possible. Unfortunately, we cannot have a wolf roaming the country side tearing down everything we have worked so hard to create. We can construct more, but right now this wolf must die because capture will be near impossible. The zombies are a whole another issue. Think of them as..."
The chatter on the dangling ear piece picked up. Veronica, though she didn't need to do so to hear the voices, replaced the device in her ear. "We need to get a move on. The wolf is about five miles out. The teams are converging on the position."
She started to run only to stop when she noticed that I didn't move. "No matter how you feel or how confused you may be, we still have a job to do. So move it."
Veronica sprinted cautiously toward the location she had been given. Knowing she was right about doing our duty, I chased her into the still partially burning forest.
Chapter 48
The sounds of shouts and small arms fire permeated throughout the forest followed by the howls of a wolf. A very large wolf. I drove forward with only my mission in mind. Getting caught up in all the bullshit that Veronica had told me would only increase my chance of getting killed.
We arrived to the location that was being fed to Veronica through her uplink. The site was a war zone and it was apparent, from all of the injured and dead men that this group had lost badly. The group was neither mine nor Veronica's. This was the squad that had been given to Logan and Sergeant Hayes. The six humans were spread across an area the size of a basketball court. Hayes was still alert and active, tending to his fallen men though he himself was in need of medical attention. Upon our approach he tried to stand, but clumsily fell back to the wet grass of the field.
I offered my hand then retracted it upon seeing the huge gash across his forehead. I had to suppress the urge to feed as the blood poured from his gaping wound. He noticed my discomfort and decided to stay seated on the ground. It was obvious from is actions that he had a concussion to go along with the injury to his head. The Sergeant was aware enough to not so subtly adjust the location of his SIG closer to his reach.
The natural reflex to feed was extinguished as I became more comfortable around Hayes. It took seconds, but I am sure to him it must have been an eternity. "I am alright Hayes. Still not use to this condition of mine." I tried to reassure him. It didn't work.
"What the hell happened here Hayes? Why did you engage?" Veronica ordered.
"Colonel, we didn't want to combat the enemy. We were making our way through the woods into position when he jumped us. We tried to lure him to the site, but it was a trap. He had two other wolves with him. They were not newbies. These are the nasty generation threes. The homicidal maniacs we keep locked away except for hunts and testing. There was no report of other wolves loose in the field. Were there Colonel?"
Veronica looked concern. "No, there wasn't supposed to be more. The only one reported to me was the GW17. Undoubtedly, there is someone on the inside who has an agenda. What do you mean it was a trap?"
Hayes rose to a knee. "The GW17 lured us to here. Upon our arrival, the GW17 was a couple hundred yards out. We set up a firing position for defense until help arrived. The Threes were already here behind us. We fought them off as the big joker stayed outside of the field watching. The Threes were a handful. There are four dead and another two broken up, but they should live." Hayes began to say something else, but collapsed into unconsciousness.
Veronica rolled the muscular soldier onto his back. "I think he will live. This cut along his head is going to leave a nasty scar though."
I moved from soldier to soldier checking each to see if they were indeed dead. The other two that were alive, Corporal Morales and Corporal Whitten, had wounds and broken bones that needed immediate attention, but with treatment should make it. Veronica radioed for medical evacuation and to see if the other groups had made contact with the now three wolves. She relayed what we learned to the base, while I searched the field covered in late hay for anything that might have been a clue to what was happening. At the same time, what was lacking made me uncomfortable and worried.
"Veronica, where is Logan?" The question made both of us begin to search for our friend with our senses. He had been here recently, but his trail ended at the edge of the hay field.
"They took him. From the trampled grass and disturbed ground, it appears that Logan put up a heck of a fight before being taken back into the forest." I said as Veronica looked over my shoulder at the evidence. "Why would they not kill him? The pad impressions indicate the Threes fought him here, but over there about twenty feet The Seventeen carried him off with the Threes in pursuit."
Veronica studied what I had found. "I don't know, but who can ever know the motives of a wolf."
Approaching helicopters were arriving to tend to the decimated squad. We both watched the noisy helicopters as they came into view over the horizon.
"Now what?" I asked.
"Now we push forward with the mission. I have radioed the other two groups to rendezvous at the road which is about two miles to our right. We will meet up there and see if we can get a bearing for the wolves," She said.
"You realize that is in the direct path of the direction of the tracks. You will be sending the troops to the slaughter."
"It will be their slaughter if we don't hurry and pursue the wolves before we lose the scent, or worse they arrive at our troops without us there to help intervene in the rescue of Logan," Veronica hurriedly said, as she disappeared into a clump of wild hedges.
I easily overtook her before we had covered a half mile. I knew that it had been by design, but still I had a purpose in the rescue of Logan. The wolves would be another issue entirely. One matter at a time I told myself as I ran through scenario after scenario of fighting the three wolves.
Without warning, I was blasted from the side. The blow was jarring enough that a rib cracked along my right side. Tumbling through the air, I smacked into a pine tree hard with my face which stopped me cold. Having time to shake off the impact of my collision with the tree was a luxury I realized too late that did not have. I was awakened by screaming: my own.
My mind was a mess. The instrument of my demise was chewing at my left leg. Hazy eyes registered that a large brown wolf was ripping away the flesh from a broken and twisted limb. The scream was a result of the shear pain that was radiating throughout my lower extremity. The fog that was clouding my brain created a broken motion picture of the wolf upon me shredding my lower leg. I knew I was screaming, but I couldn't figure out how. The sounds emanating from me were heard through an effect that made them sound miles away.
The wolf was large, but obviously not the Seventeen. Its gray muzzle was buried inside my open wound. Periodically, the beast would bring his head from my leg to snarl and snap at me. The canine tugged at the exposed bone dragging me across the ground. I was alert enough to claw at the earth and trees surrounding me as he latched on. He began to pick up speed as he ran through the forest banging my attached body against every object within his path without regard to me.
Where was Veronica? I worried about her as we jumped over a row of downed trees. I did the best I could to shield myself, but was slapped repeatedly against the still smoldering logs.
Why hadn't I been alerted to his odor? My mind was beginning to incur rational thoughts again. I was relieved. The hardest part would be getting free from the mutt. After getting hammered by several small saplings that the wolf dodged, I continued to be taken for a unique and horrific ride. Deciding I could force the issue and try to stop the both of us by taking hold of a passing tree or stump, I abruptly detoured from
my plan. The wait was what I needed. Slowly I was healing. My bone was exposed and broken, but the tissue damage surrounding it was being fixed with each additional second the beast didn't reopen the wound. The bone would eventually start to regrow if given enough time, even if it was inside the mouth of the wolf. Where was Veronica? Had they gotten her too? I would be no use to Logan or her if I didn't heal enough to fight.
The leg in the wolf's mouth was healing rapidly now. I could feel the bone trying to snap back into place. The wolf must have felt it too. Suddenly the wolf stopped. I was ready. The wolf disengaged from my leg with the hope of flinging me forward to allow himself time to pounce. The plan was solid except when the wolf let go, I took that as an opportunity to catch the tail with both hands. The sudden stop and my momentum while grasping the tail allowed me to catapult the wolf into a lone standing pine.
The wolf was thrown into the tree with enough force to splinter the three foot diameter tree. I rolled head over heels for a moment then stood on my almost completely mended appendage. The wolf jerked and coughed then whimpered upon unsteady legs. The wolf lurched finally and fell over, howling in pain.
The beast yelped then snapped at me as I approached. Seizing the wolf by the back of his neck, I lifted him to my eyes. I wanted him to see who his killer was before I took his life. Baring my claws, I swiped at the torso of the beast, ripping out a large chunk of flesh from under one leg. The beast howled.
I brought the bared teeth of the about to be departed wolf to within biting distance. The wolf snarled as the beast wiggled wildly in an attempt to get loose. Our eyes locked. When the beast was caught unaware, I drove my clawed hand into the upper neck and through the top of the skull killing the Three instantly. My hand shown out of the top of the dead wolfs head. It was covered with blood and brain. Yanking my hand free, I allowed the deceased wolf to drop to the ground.
Before the body thudded against the ground, I was already making my way through the woods in search of Veronica, Logan and the remaining two wolves who were rampaging through the countryside.
Chapter 49
The scent of Veronica could not be hidden. It was like a roadmap which guided me to the edge of the forest along an old, barely paved county road. The roadway was clearly in view, but the squad that had been ordered to meet us there were two miles further north. No one had thought to give me a radio, so I couldn't relay the troops to the new position.
I focused my attention on locating either Veronica or my adversaries as I scanned my surroundings. Earlier, the Three had gotten the drop on me. There had been no warning. A similar mistake in this isolated location could spell the end for all of the vampires and the continued spread of the wolf virus throughout the U.S.
The scent of Veronica and Logan was strong, but I couldn't get a lock on either. The wolves were also nearby or at least one. The scent of the remaining Three was within fifty yards; He was doing well to hide his position. Occasionally, I could make out his shape stalking me in the woods just ahead of me. The more worrisome matter was the lack of being able to locate the GW17 or my friends.
The thought crossed my mind that the Three was a distraction. The beast was holding my attention. If it hadn't been for the strong aroma of my friends, I would have believed the wolf was made to hold me in this place while the GW17 escaped.
The Three stayed distant. Standing in the middle of the road, I waited. Impatiently, I began walking briskly a few feet in either direction, paralleling the woods on either side of the road. I was mirrored as I walked by the GV3. The wolf had inched closer on a couple of passes then settled deeper into the woods.
Frustrated I yelled, "Come on already. I am right here. I will kill you the same way I killed the other wolf. Come on!"
The wolf did not even offer a growl at my taunts. The creature stretched out atop a log to watch me.
My inability to track the other vampires and the GW17 was getting to me. The pacing quickened. Further up the road, I could hear the actions of the soldiers as they swept closer to my position. I started to call out then thought the better of putting the men in danger.
Kicking a rock from my path, I noticed two glowing reddish brown eyes were staring at me as it moved in my direction. The Three joined the GW17 as the large wolf clambered through the woods. At issue was the knowledge that the creature was larger than what I could have imagined. On instinct I phased.
The eyes were seven feet off the ground as the wolf walked upright on its hind legs which was disconcerting. The shoulders were at least twice as wide as mine. Razor sharp claws hung from arms that, when extended, hung to the beast's knees. A fresh wound in the abdomen was leaking blood. The smell proved that it was self-inflicted. It was part of a master plan that had yet to be fleshed out.
Where was Veronica or Logan? There were no indications of their whereabouts, and I didn't have time to worry about either as the wolf jumped the last thirty feet, landing on the edge of the pavement. His companion galloped the distance in a few running strides to rejoin his master.
"Where are the others?" I requested abrasively.
A deep roaring laughter exited the wolf. "They have been here the whole time only masked by my smell. You have more things to worry about than them at the moment, but I will show you your friends." The wolf's voice was familiar as he pointed upward toward the trees above my head.
Getting me to look up had been a trick. Almost instantaneously the Three attacked. I caught the wolf in mid leap. Slamming the brown and black speckled wolf to the pavement, I steadied myself against attack from the GW17 which did not come. The larger wolf could hear the reinforcements coming, but did not get excited to fight or anxious to flee. Instead the wolf watched as the Three rebounded nicely from my defensive tactic.
The wolf flipped from the ground shaking out the cobwebs as it prepared to resume the battle. I dared to not turn my back to the GW17 which limited my response. I placed my back to the woods from wince I came. My hope was to fight a war of attrition long enough against the pair that I could gain some help when the soldiers arrived. Using the woods as a wall, I stood my ground.
The Three wanted to circle me, but I cut him off at the first two attempts. There was no third. The wolf lunged at me. I caught the wolf with a hard punch to the muzzle that sent him tumbling. The Three did not rise from the right that I had landed. His vitals detailed his unconscious state. I didn't realize I hit him that hard.
The claws upon the Seventeen's feet could be heard digging into the earth. The wolf sprang from the ground as he bellowed a monstrous roar over shooting my position. I thought it had been a miscalculation, but when he was about to crash into a tree, the animal rebounded by pushing from the tree, leap frogging to another then back to another large pine. Using the added momentum, he exploded toward me with impossible speed. I threw myself at the earth at the precise moment of impact. The Seventeen flew wildly overhead. We both traded blows before the wolf landed head first into the blacktop.
I tried to capitalize by spinning and sprinting to attack my adversary, but the Seventeen had already recovered and met me halfway. I dodged the first wave of his melee style attack, but the wolf finally connected with a single set of claws to my arm. The arm began to throb and bleed uncontrollably. Staggering away as best I could, I held my sliced open arm as I dealt with the reality that this was about to end badly for me unless I found a way to defeat him. Blood was pouring from me in huge amounts. My healing ability was being somehow affected by the cut inflicted by the wolf.
The soldiers were closer now, but were still over a mile away. If the result so far was any indication of what was going to happen, then this fight would be finished in less than a minute, two at the most. The Seventeen roared with a sound that mimicked laughter then followed that with a long deep howl. The wolf was aggressive and fast. There had to be a way to use one of the two to my advantage. He certainly was using them to his. The wolf did not give me time to deal with my injury. The Seventeen knocked me off balance then pinned m
e to the ground. As I struggled, the wolf tried to bite me. The snapping jaws were positioned for my throat. His large teeth were deflected by a head-butt that almost rendered me unconscious. The creature drew back as we tussled upon the ground then launch ferociously another attempt finish me by tearing away my throat. In the corner of my eye, I noticed the Three starting to awaken. I had to find a way to escape or kill the Seventeen before the Three was fully aware.
The Seventeen rammed his head against mine in an attempt at retribution, or so I had thought. I almost realized too late that the plan was not to retaliate because of my painful blow, but to knock my head to one side so that my neck was exposed. Letting go of one clawed hand, I grabbed the muzzle of the wolf clamping it shut. The wolf fought as I twisted the neck to a breaking point. The maneuver had left me vulnerable to attack from the clawed arm to which I was no longer attached. The wolf slashed at my torso. No longer tightly thrown together, I wedged my leg between the wolf and I allowing me to deflect most of the blows.
The further I twisted the neck of the wolf, the louder his whimpering became. In an attempt to free himself, the Seventeen rolled away from me, but I held fast to his arm and muzzle flipping with him. The wolf was afraid and in great pain as muscle and bone began to crack and rip as we rolled. I stuck the freed leg outward to stop the roll, placing me on top of my opponent pinning his free arm with my knee.
Created (Book 1 of the Created) Page 28