Incursion

by Richard Turner

  The look of hesitation in his eyes told everyone that he was as scared as they were. He had no idea what to do next. This wasn’t something he had been trained to deal with.

  “Grenades?” said Shaw to the two soldiers.

  Both men nodded their heads and then pulled two potato masher grenades from their belts. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

  Edging down the side of the vehicle, Shaw pulled himself up so he could see though the cab. He couldn’t see the beast, but he could hear it as it tore its unfortunate victim to pieces. Climbing up a bit higher, Shaw looked out onto the mist-covered field running alongside the road. He gritted his teeth when he spotted the imposter standing in the mist beside the jeep that had run off the road. Only it didn’t appear in its natural form; once more in Shaw’s mind he was looking over at his brother Andrew.

  Seeing Shaw’s head pop up over the cab of the half-track, the imposter, with a smile on his face, waved over to Shaw. Bringing his fingers to his lips, he let out a sharp whistle. Hearing the call, the beast stopped eating and trotted over beside its master. Sitting down on his haunches, the beast started to clean itself.

  “I don’t believe this,” said Shaw.

  “What’s that, sir?” Bruce asked.

  “My brother’s back.”

  “What does he want?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Andrew called out, “Jim, why don’t you come down from there and come talk to me for a minute before I leave?”

  “What about your pet?” yelled back Shaw.

  “It won’t do anything, unless I tell it too. You have my word that you’ll be safe.”

  “Are you hearing any of this?” Shaw said quietly to Bruce.

  “Not a word. It sounds to me like yer having a conversation with yourself,” said Bruce.

  Shaw waved over to Andrew and said, “Give me a second.” Jumping down, Shaw could see the puzzled looks on the faces of the people standing behind the half-track.

  “I’m going out there,” Shaw said in German to Zach. “Climb up on top of the half-track and get a clear view of the imposter. If it tries to kill me, I want you to put a bullet straight between its eyes.”

  Zach nodded his head and then loaded a round into his sniper rifle.

  “You can’t be serious,” said Anna. “You can’t trust him. His monster will tear you apart.”

  Shaw placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking deep into her eyes, he said. “I don’t intend to let it.”

  Handing his submachine gun to Bruce, Shaw reached over and took a grenade from the nearest soldier. Unscrewing the bottom, Shaw took hold of the cord that fell from the bottom of the long wooden handle of the grenade.

  “What yer doing?” asked Bruce.

  “If I go, he goes,” said Shaw to Bruce.

  Beckers said, “Captain, what should we do?”

  “Grab the two jerry cans from the back of the truck and wait until I return,” said Shaw. “If I don’t come back, then use the gasoline like we did in the camp and try to kill the beast.”

  With that, Shaw took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the cover of the half-track and began to walk towards the imposter. Dressed again in his navy blues, Shaw had to keep reminding himself that it wasn’t his brother casually standing in the snow waiting for him, but a creature intent on killing them all if given the chance.

  “You won’t need that,” said Andrew, looking down at the grenade clutched tightly in Shaw’s hands.

  “Let’s just call it insurance,” replied Shaw, stopping a couple of yards from the imposter. The beast at his feet paid him no heed. It sat there busily cleaning itself.

  On top of the half-track, Zach pulled his rifle tight into his shoulder and then took careful aim through the sight. He could see Shaw chatting with Private Hahn.

  “What do you want?” Shaw bluntly said to the imposter.

  “I just wanted to say before I leave that I have grown to admire you,” said the imposter. “You are not at all like what I had been told to expect from your species. You are tough and resilient, and you have my admiration.”

  “Hooray for me.”

  “You must realize that I cannot allow my presence here to be reported. However, as a token of my respect for you, I am willing to let you, and you alone walk away. All you have to do is promise me that you will never tell anyone what happened here, and you can live the rest of your life in peace.”

  “And the others, I take it; they are to be eaten alive by your little pet?”

  “Naturally,” said the imposter. “Come on Jim, don’t turn this offer down. Barely, twenty-four hours ago I was going to kill you and then eat your organs for sustenance. Now I’m giving you the opportunity to walk out of here alive.”

  “Quit calling me Jim!” snapped Shaw. “You’re not Andrew and I’m not your brother. I’ve seen you for what you really are and find this game being played out in my mind to be repulsive. So why don’t you drop the charade and become yourself again.”

  “Suit yourself,” said the imposter. A second later, Shaw was looking into the cold, reptilian eyes of his enemy. A new scar ran along the right side of its face where it had been hit by Zach the night before.

  “That’s much better,” said Shaw, meaning it. With it no longer disguised as his brother, Shaw knew that it wasn’t in his mind either.

  “The offer,” said the imposter, still using Andrew’s voice.

  “Sorry, but I cannot accept. I’d rather go down fighting than run away a coward.”

  “I suspected as much,” said the imposter, shaking its elongated head from side to side. “You are foolish to turn my offer down, but I will respect your decision. I will allow you to rejoin the others before I have you torn to pieces and devoured.”

  “What is to stop me from just pulling this cord and taking you with me?” said Shaw, holding up the grenade in his hands.

  “Because it will take a couple of seconds for the fuse to burn before igniting the explosives in your primitive device, in that time, I will have made my escape, and your guts would have been spilled on the ground by my protector,” said the imposter, looking over at the beast.

  Shaw shrugged his shoulders. The imposter was right. There was nothing instantaneous about a grenade.

  “One thing, before I leave. Why are you here? Surely, there is no need to keep it a secret anymore. You said it yourself, I’m going to die, there’s no harm in telling me why you are here.”

  “Your species is on the cusp of huge technological advances that will change the way you live and fight. My mission, this time, was to observe and report on your enemy’s rocket facilities. They are crude, but efficient. Now I have said enough. I will give you thirty seconds grace before I have you all killed.”

  Shaw looked into the cold eyes of his adversary and said, “You know I’m going to have to try to stop you, don’t you.”

  “You won’t have the chance. Your thirty seconds begins now.”

  With that, Shaw turned about and struggled through the knee-deep snow as he raced back to the half-track. Behind him, the imposter stepped back and then simply vanished into the thick wall of fog.

  Coming around the front of the vehicle, Shaw almost ran straight into Bruce, who had been standing there watching the proceedings.

  “What did he say?” Bruce asked.

  Shaw fought to catch his breath. “In about ten seconds, he’s going to unleash his little pet on us.”

  “Fucking wonderful,” said Bruce, feeling his heart begin to race.

  Turning on his heels, Shaw tried to see somewhere decent that they could fight from. Seeing none, he yelled out, “Everyone into the back of the half-track. Now!”

  Bruce didn’t understand what was going on but followed Shaw and Anna up into the back of the half-track. Congealing blood and gore covered the floor.

  “What the hell are we doing?” Bruce asked Shaw.

  Shaw ignored the question and in German told the soldiers to dump their jerry cans of
gasoline down the outside of the half-track. They had just started when an ear-piercing whistle burst from the mist. Instantly, the beast stopped grooming itself, let out a deep roar and then got up on its legs. Slowly, it walked towards the vehicle and then as if released from an invisible leash it began to charge straight towards them.

  Seconds separated it from the half-track.

  Pulling the cord from the bottom of his grenade, Shaw dropped it over the side of the vehicle. With a splash, the grenade landed in a puddle of gas. Seeing the beast close in on them, the soldiers dropped the still half-full jerry cans over the side of the vehicle and reached for their weapons.

  Zach fired first. He had never left his position on top of the vehicle’s cab. Aiming for the beast’s eyes, Zach knew it was going to be one shot in million. He had killed the other beast that way, but it had been stationary, not racing towards him. The bullet struck just below the beast’s left eye. Wincing in pain, the beast stopped in its tracks, let out an angered cry and then quickly closed the last couple of yards.

  Shaw and everyone else in the back of the half-track opened fire just as the beast leapt up into the air. Bullets tore through the air like a swarm of angry bees striking the beast. Some slipped past its armor plates and sank deep into its flesh. It didn’t care. Driven by an insatiable desire to feast, the beast landed on the side of the vehicle. Quickly scrambling with its claws, it tried to climb up inside.

  With a loud explosion that shook the half-track, Shaw’s grenade exploded. Instantly, the pools of gasoline ignited. Flames, like a surging wave, swept up the side of the vehicle, wrapping themselves around the beast. Driven on by an insatiable desire to feed, the beast ignored the flames consuming it and shot its head inside the back of the half-track. Its jaws clamped down on the arm of an unlucky soldier, ripping it from his body. Screaming in pain, the man fell back away from the burning beast.

  Like a demon sent from the depths of hell, the beast struggled to climb inside the vehicle, its body engulfed in flame, yet it still fought to eat. Lashing out with a flame-covered arm, the beast tore open another soldier, spilling his guts all over the floor of the half-track.

  Fire wasn’t enough this time to make it stop.

  “Jump,” hollered Shaw as he jumped over the other side of the half-track, quickly followed by everyone else but Lieutenant Beckers.

  Standing with a grenade in his hand, Beckers yelled at the creature and then pulled the cord on his grenade. With a fanatical look on his face, Beckers stepped forward and thrust his hand inside the creature’s gaping maw. Instantly, the mouth closed. Rows of razor-sharp teeth severed Beckers’ arm. Screaming in pain, he fell back from the beast holding his bloody stump with his good arm. A second later, the beast shuddered. With a dull boom, the monster’s neck exploded. Blood, bone and sinewy muscles flew into the air.

  “Jesus,” muttered Bruce, looking over at burning heap that had seconds ago been their attacker.

  Zach jumped down into the back of the half-track and pulled Beckers towards him. Quickly removing the young officer’s belt, he tied it off around Beckers’ severed arm. Making sure that the expedient tourniquet was working, Zach went to check on the other soldiers. It took mere seconds for him to realize that they were all dead.

  Looking into the fog, Shaw knew what he had to do. Turning about, he looked up at Zach. “Leave him with Anna. She’s a nurse.”

  Jumping down to the ground, Zach ran over beside Shaw. He didn’t need to be told what Shaw was thinking. “He can’t have gotten too far. I know that I can track him.”

  “Have the vehicle driver stay with Anna for protection. You, I and Bruce will follow and kill that bastard.”

  “Why bring the Scotsman? He’s not a soldier.”

  “I have my reasons,” replied Shaw. Calling Anna and Bruce to him, Shaw told them what was about to happen. Neither seemed pleased with his plan. Anna wanted to come with them as she knew the terrain while Bruce couldn’t comprehend what good he would be in a fight. Cutting off debate with a raised hand, Shaw told Anna to stabilize the officer, leave him with the soldier and then head into the village for help. He made it clear that she was not to come back under any circumstances. Digging out a pistol from the cab of the half-track, Shaw checked that it was loaded and then handed it to Bruce.

  “What’s this for?’ Bruce asked, looking down at the 9mm Luger in his hand.

  “I know you don’t know how to use a submachine gun. Perhaps you’ll have better luck with a pistol. The safety is already off. Just point the weapon and pull the trigger. Remember to shoot at its head.”

  “I’d do better throwing it at the thing,” muttered Bruce under his breath.

  With Zach in the lead, Shaw and Bruce headed off into the fog.

  Anna watched them leave. A pang in her heart told her that she still had feelings that she could still be a normal human being once the war was over. With a tear in her eye, Anna wasn’t sure if she would see her newly found friends ever again.

  Their struggle was far from over. Before long, it was about to turn deadly once again in the race to stop the imposter from leaving.

  36

  Tracking the Beast

  The sound of Bruce gasping for air as he struggled through the deep snow to keep up began to grate at Shaw’s already stretched nerves. His decision to bring him had been based on his orders to protect him; however, he was now beginning to realize that he hadn’t thought it through. It had been a gut reaction to bring Bruce. A better choice would have been to leave him with Anna and have brought the soldier along instead. Only it was too late now. They were committed.

  Just ahead in the thinning fog, Shaw could see Zach on one knee, his head down, examining the imposter’s tracks in the snow.

  “What’s up?” said Shaw to Zach.

  “They are the same footprints from inside the camp,” replied Zach, pointing at the smooth-looking track. “You can see that the boots he is wearing have no grooves, they aren’t designed for traction in the winter.”

  “He’s a reconnaissance pilot, not a foot soldier,” said Shaw, just as Bruce caught up with them.

  “What’s everyone looking at?” said Bruce, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

  “The imposter’s tracks,” replied Shaw.

  Looking down at the trail in the snow, Bruce said, “Good God, he’s a big bastard. Those footprints are enormous.”

  “It’s odd,” said Zach, studying the tracks.

  “Why do you say that?” Shaw asked.

  “He’s not running. If he were, his tracks would show it.”

  “He could be tired. Or he doesn’t suspect that he’s being followed,” offered Bruce.

  “I wouldn’t make that mistake, and I doubt that it will either,” said Shaw.

  “No, I guess not.”

  “It looks like he’s heading up into the hills,” said Zach.

  “Makes sense. He’s looking to be picked up. A location that’s high up and out of sight would be perfect for him.”

  Zach nodded his head and then stood up.

  “I need you to keep up Duncan,” said Shaw to Bruce. “I can’t afford to lose you in this fog.”

  “No worries. I was just pacing myself back there,” replied Bruce with a wide grin on his face.

  Shaw switched back to German. “Ok then let’s go. Corporal, you lead, but be wary. I don’t trust this thing as far as I can throw it.”

  After quickly explaining what was going on to Bruce, they took off once again, hoping to catch the imposter before he got to the hills.

  In the cab of the trashed half-track, Anna gently placed a greatcoat over the top of Beckers. He was fast asleep. With the help of the vehicle’s driver, Anna had moved Beckers to the cab of the vehicle to get him out of the cold. With the engine running, there at least would be some heat to help prevent Beckers from slipping into shock.

  Leaving the soldier with Beckers, Anna walked back past the still-smoldering carcass of the beast. The smel
l of burnt fur and flesh almost made her gag. Trying her best to stay detached among the bloodied and torn remains of the soldiers littering the back of the vehicle, Anna rummaged around until she found a submachine gun. Quickly loading a round into the chamber, Anna jumped down and walked to the front of the half-track.

  “I’m heading into the village,” Anna explained to the battered driver. “If their phone lines are still up, I’ll get someone to make a call to Haugesund. They can tell the garrison there that you need help.”

  “And if the phone lines are down?” said the driver, looking decidedly uncomfortable at the thought of being left alone to look after Beckers.

  “Then I’ll ask someone if they will drive to your base and tell them to come right away to help you.”

  “How do I know that you’ll do as you say?”

  “You don’t,” replied Anna bluntly. “However, as a nurse, it’s my job to make sure people get care, so I’ll ensure that the message gets passed on. After that, I don’t give a damn. You’re the enemy, and you’re on your own.”

  With that, Anna began to jog down the road. The snow had blown across the road during the storm, creating thick drifts. Several of which were so tall that she had to climb over them. Within minutes, she was sweating. Judging that she was less than five minutes from the village, Anna dug deep and picked up her pace. She wanted to pass on her message and then head out right away to try to help her friends stop the imposter before it was too late.

  Fifteen minutes passed. Shaw was beginning to think that they had screwed up and let their quarry escape when Zach suddenly stopped in his tracks and swiftly brought up his rifle to his shoulder. Carefully, he took aim at a darkened shape barely visible through the mist.

  “Is it him?” said Shaw quietly as he moved beside Zach.

  “I can’t tell. This fucking fog is still too thick for me to get a clear sight picture.”

  “Take the shot. It can only be the imposter,” said Shaw, crossing his fingers that they wouldn’t shoot a civilian by mistake. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take.