Caprice, Noel-Len and Michael climbed out of the car while Noel-Len called for Mike and ordered the dog to stay outside. Caprice, Michael and Noel-Len headed to the reception desk.
A large line of civilians gathered in the office, no doubt family members of the other soldiers who were inquiring about what they were required to do. Noel-Len turned to Caprice, “You’ll need to show the lady behind the counter your ID and inform her that your father is a soldier. Call anyone you need to and tell them where you are.”
“What if they don’t pick up?” Caprice asked, worried filled her eyes.
“Keep trying,” Michael said and pulled out his phone. “We need to make sure our loved ones are safe.” Caprice nodded, and Michael placed the phone to his ear. Noel-Len heard the hysteric voice on the other line and Michael’s attempt at calming down that same person. Noel-Len knew it was without a doubt his mother with that notion, he knew he’d have to call his father. When Michael walked outside, Noel-Len felt Caprice’s trembling hands over his.
“You have to go ... don’t you?” she asked, her eyes brimmed with tears. A loud bang ripped the skies overhead as they have been for the past twenty minutes. This one was particularly loud caused everyone to drop to the ground. Several covered their heads from the shock while the soldiers lining the office watched the trembling walls hesitantly. Noel-Len viewed Caprice’s trembling frame, he saw the fear in her glassy eyes and the trembling that confirmed her fear. She fought to hold back the tears, but he knew that they’d eventually fall.
“Caprice.” Noel-Len gently said, “Listen, you need to do everything you can to keep yourself safe and alive. Take Mike with you, wherever you go. He’s trained to listen.” At last, the tears fell, Caprice shook her head. Not entirely believing what she was hearing. She’d grown up in another country but had come to call this hot sticky place, home—now it was under siege and she feared for her life but feared more for Noel-Len.
“Look at me,” he whispered, and Caprice forced her attention on him. “Can you do that?” Closing her eyes, relinquishing to the freshly spilt tears she nodded. “Good.” Noel-Len placed a soft lasting kiss on her forehead and stood. Caprice felt the pressure of his grip she never realised was enthralling hers as it began to slack before disappearing entirely. She watched him walk to the door. With one last lingering look at her, he vanished from sight.
Caprice felt a warm hand over hers. Peering beside her, a middle-aged woman with straight brown hair pulled into a bun smiled reassuringly at her. The woman, crouched on the ground, as did everyone else while the thundering sounds of explosions rang over their heads, shaking the entire entity of the building.
Soldiers that guarded the civilians, scanned the walls and ceiling with uncertainty. Even with her smile, the woman’s brown eyes mirrored Caprice’s angst. The stranger tightly squeezed her hand and it was in that moment she knew what the woman before her was trying to say, this gentle squeeze of her hand might be the last thing she’d ever feel again.
When Noel-Len stepped outside.
Knelt before his companion attempting to quell his fear, which he struggled with, as explosions of jets exploded above and drop pods landed fell to the soil.
The pup bought back a memory, Noel-Len was surprised he didn’t forget. Michael held up the pup the day they’d visited his friend who worked at the animal shelter. That same day, Noel-Len had adopted pup however, Michael had bestowed his the rather uncanny name, he’d felt suited the dog. Regardless, of how many gentle pats Noel-Len bestowed, the dog was terrified not that he’d blame him.
With Mike’s comforting fur beneath Noel-Len’s fingers, with his free hand he dialled his father’s number. “Noel-Len. Where are you?” his father demanded. Nero Ignatius, Noel-Len recalled was often like his mother reserved. However, right now, he heard the concern his father’s voice as equally as he heard the explosions the background and the screams of his step family.
His heart sank at their terror.
“At the Barracks. Are you alright?” he asked his father.
“Yes, we’re on our way out of the city.” Relieved by his words, Noel-Len felt the tension in his shoulders ease a little. Noel-Len heard his father’s breathing and the roar engine. “Be careful. Love you, son.” With those final words, Nero hung up.
Michael returned with a white taped collar, a leash and a black marker before handing it to Noel-Len as he pulled the phone from his ear.
“You need to write down his name and your ID number.” Without hesitation, Noel-Len wrote his name and his ID on the collar before securing the dog to the post sheltered from the explosions. Noel-Len patted Mike who whined even more as the sounds of battle rained over their heads before stepping away. “Let’s go.” Michael and Noel-Len sprinted south. Eventually, halting before a familiar Commando soldier.
Dave McFarland.
“Michael. Noel-Len.” Dave greeted, dressed in full gear with a Para Mini fully automatic gun in his hands. “You’re here. Follow me.”
Michael and Noel-Len followed Dave. He gave them an account of when the attack occurred and when the immediate call for response was declared. An hour before he’d woke up. When the three men, arrived at where a male Captain stood before the soldiers with strict orders at his lips. A large group of Commandos and other Combat and Security Personnel stood at ease listening to the Captain’s words.
Noel-Len and Michael joined the line at the back, Ian’s eyes swiftly drifted over them but repeated his previous orders. Once Noel-Len and Michael were informed, they were stationed off into a response unit with Dave and Leandra under the supervised vision of Sargent Curt McGuire. Quickly, Noel-Len and Michael donned on their Kevlar, rucksacks and assault packs before picking up a Para Mini and climbing into a truck within minutes.
The open vehicle allowed Noel-Len and Michael to regard the haunting darkness of the skies above and open bushland surrounding them. As they listened to the Sargent’s next orders and their unit’s primary objective; they soon discovered, they weren’t even five hundred metres before another pod dropped from the sky. Noel-Len glanced at the Sargent and the other trucks behind them.
Several soldiers remained armed behind the tanks, lining the base while Noel-Len’s unit and a few others continued to press on. Noel-Len watched, Dave squeeze the silver cross around his neck and whispered a prayer before tucking it away beneath his uniform. Tightly, he gripped his gun attempting to quell his trembling fingers that didn’t escape Noel-Len’s gaze. Most streets were bare at first before Noel-Len recognised men and women running towards their vehicles.
Their movements were quick and their strength unmeasurable as they threw off several military vehicles from the road, killing some soldiers instantly. Bullets were fired by the soldiers on the open vehicles, directed by the lights above their rifles.
When the light on their rifles, revealed their attackers Noel-Len froze in horror as he stared at the men and women drenched in blood running towards them. He was hesitant at first and fired his weapon. The echo of the rifles’ gunfire at the civilians rang loudly against his ear.
Shockingly, the rounds only slowed them down. “Head-shots!” Sargent Curt McGuire ordered, and everyone obeyed. Quickly, the men and women fell to the soldiers. Noel-Len observed the sight thrown before him.
“Oh my god,” Leandra whispered from beside him, dread raking the confines of her voice as her hazel eyes slid over the unmoving bodies on the ground. “We just...” Her throat constricted, as she stared at the men and women cladded in ordinary evening wear.
“No.” Noel-Len announced beneath his breath. His eyes drifted over the fallen civilians as he recalled the actions of that prisoner, “They appear human but they’re not at the same time.” All eyes fell on him, including the Sargent’s.
“You want to explain what you’re talking about private.” Sargent Curt McGuire expressed, the question everyone in the truck was considering.
“It’s not anything important sir, just a thought,” Noel-Len rema
rked aware of all eyes on him, the Sargent steadily examined Noel-Len’s face and body language as his attention observed the passing bushland, the buildings and the empty roads surrounding the vehicle.
When the Sargent found nothing out of character, his gaze returned to the landscape, his dark contemplating eyes assessing the area for more enemies—even if they were his own fellow citizens he was sworn to protect.
It had been an hour since Noel-Len and his unit were deployed from the Barracks and throughout this time, he and his comrades had blown-up a robot or two by setting a few strategic traps and luring them in. Through in it all, Noel-Len noticed there was another humanoid enemy. This time cladded in deadly silver armour.
They resembled a human but were not.
They were stronger than anything he anticipated. Noel-Len attempted multiple times to avoid the strikes of his enemy in amongst close quarter combat searching to find any obvious weakness. The armoured human figures were able to take bullets from a distance but up close they were as vulnerable as he was. A vital strand of information he relayed to his Sargent. “Don’t hesitate to exploit their weakness,” he replied. Silently, Noel-Len agreed.
The once peaceful city of Darwin became a forsaken city of destruction, littered in dead soldiers and civilians alike smeared against the abandoned vehicles and ruined buildings. Noel-Len ducked around a corner, his back planted against a concrete wall.
Adrenaline coursed through his body and sweat lined his flustered features beneath his armoured helmet. His earpiece buzzed with voices of his comrades and their locations. Listening to the orders of his Sargent before him, “The enemy has secured another building.”
“Orders sir?” Dave asked as he kneeled with Noel-Len opposite where Sargent Curt McGuire stood hidden from enemy view. They both knew the answer but as expected they needed to wait for their charge.
“Take it out. Leave no stone unturned and no monster alive. If deemed a mission fail, you know what to do.” Noel-Len and Dave nodded in response.
Once the Sargent walked away as did Dave, their steps carefully moved along the concrete pavement. Aiming their rifles, their grips tight with tension as they rounded a corner and moved to their designated locations. A minute or two passed and everyone was positioned waiting for their final order. Sargent McGuire commanded his unit to carry out their strategic plan that he hoped would give them a fighting chance.
Noel-Len waited for the continuous line of expected explosions. Two explosions lined the tarmac roads and Noel-Len waited for the final one before he heard Leandra’s report of her compromised position.
“Move out!” the Sargent ordered.
With his rifle drawn, Noel-Len scanned the area around him, quickly moving to where he knew Leandra was. The pop of her rifle lingered in the air. The area was cleared of any hostiles and Noel-Len sprinted towards her location. Rounding a corner, he pointed his rifle at the back of the alien’s head which cornered Leandra with an array of bullets hitting the metal rear of the dump truck.
Without hesitation, he fired. The alien fell to the ground. Another gunshot of a pistol caught Noel-Len’s attention. Behind Noel-Len, the second alien crumbled to the ground and Leandra climbed out of the abandoned tip-truck with a nine-millimetre pistol pointed behind Noel-Len before she relaxed, ready to fire again.
Noel-Len pulled her to her feet and Leandra groaned. “I smell like shit,” she grumbled, putting her gun away and moving to pick up her discarded rifle on the ground several feet from her. A mistake she aimed to never make again.
Noel-Len agreed, “You did climb out of a truck filled with everyone’s rubbish.”
Leandra stifled a laugh, “It was my only option.” Noel-Len observed the thick metal lining of the garbage truck.
Noel-Len and Leandra waited, their ears perked for the new footfalls of more aliens. Then there were footfalls, Noel-Len glanced at the wall to their right. Leandra hesitated, at first, then with Noel-Len moved to hid behind the corner.
Noel-Len and Leandra glanced at each other before their attention landed on the shadows drifting down the alleyway. Leaning back against the wall and a voice followed, “They went this way?” an unfamiliar voice inquired, his tone curious. Noel-Len and Leandra remained motionless but listened.
Leandra moved to expose herself, but Noel-Len held her back. A terrible feeling in stomach kept her braced against the wall for a moment. “Of course, they did. Didn’t you see one of them sprint this way? And you know our orders.” Leandra’s accusing look befell Noel-Len who managed an innocent shrug. However, it was their words that caused both Leandra and Noel-Len remain hidden where they were.
“Are you sure that they’re not Special Forces?” another man asked. Noel-Len discreetly peered around the corner. He made out three figures. All of whom, wore the same military uniform as him and Leandra. No voices echoed over the radio, something he presumed they switched off. Why?
“Even if they are. You really think they’re a match for us?” one of the men queered, confidence to his tone. His voice was the first voice Noel-Len recognised. He scanned their identical uniforms, revealing their names.
“Shut up. You’ll jinx us. Sargent Curt McGuire is with them and from what I heard he has a few extra medals to his title. But the rest, I’m pretty sure will fall. After all, they’re nothing but privates. The others didn’t last as long after all.” With that said, a man gaze drifted over the area Leandra and Noel-Len hid behind, searching for hostiles.
Noel-Len eased away from the wall, waiting. It was silent, the only thing Leandra and Noel-Len could hear was the slowly haunting fall of their approaching combat boots, along with their intense breathing. “James.” a voice whispered. It was one name Noel-Len recalled seeing on the uniform of one of the soldiers. “Let’s go. We should keep moving.” James stopped inches from the wall.
His rifle pointed at the bottom before sliding to the top and back down. After a moment of since and a few steps closer he finally whispered, “Whatever you say, Smith.”
Another voice proclaimed, “Let’s go Johnson.” That name had frozen Noel-Len on the spot. Swiftly, Leandra and Noel-Len shared a worried gaze, recognising that name. It wasn’t confirmed until he uttered a few jokes. Leandra felt Noel-Len’s tension and anger but remained silent. Noel-Len relaxed and risked a final glance.
He identified that face he knew went with that name. It was his dark eyes and heavy-set jaw Noel-Len knew that he was part of his regiment. Patrick Johnson, a man Noel-Len shared a room with during training. When Noel-Len and Leandra were certain, the men returned to their prior objectives, they hesitantly stepped out from around the corner, bewildered by what he heard. Immediately, they feared treason.
An hour later, Noel-Len’s eyes captured the fallen enemy soldiers down the street, behind him. He spoke into his ear-piece lining his jaw declaring his and Leandra’s position at the rendezvous point. A position, Noel-Len knew the others were expected to arrive at after they had removed the aliens from the scouting sites.
Noel-Len knew it would take some time before his comrades would show up, as such he needed to keep his guard up while both he and Leandra kept the area secure. Or attempted to as those aliens they fired at, slowly drifted towards them. Noel-Len and Leandra’s bullets dropped before their feet. They were too far away to cause any real damage. “The world’s gone to hell, hasn’t it?” she yelled at Noel-Len who remained shielded from the aliens by the concrete construction wall.
Her hazel eyes skimmed over their surroundings. Her hands tightened around the Para Mini. Noel-Len eyed the thick bullets lapping the side of the gun. He knew they had a while before they’d need to reload, so he made a mental note, to keep an eye on his ammunition. He knew Leandra could take care of her own.
“Pretty much,” he said with the darkness surrounding him. Noel-Len glanced at his watch, pressing the side, the screen lit up. It was five-thirty in the morning. He scanned the sky. The light osculated the detached skyline enough so that it was easy to mak
e out the shape of a large dark ship in sitting over Darwin, lined in green like the silver pods he had stumbled upon recently. Below the alien ship, were specks of explosions and black dots zipping across the sky. The explosions were still prominent, but he wondered for how much longer.
Leandra crouched and fired at the aliens reminding Noel-Len they were still far away even though they continued to move towards them. The aliens needed to get close enough to cause any real damage.
He hadn’t heard the echo of approaching feet to his right by the roar of his rifle. It was by chance, Noel-Len caught a glimpse of a figure to his right and pointed his rifle at the attack. Ready to shoot, Noel-Len heard a voice, “Stand down!” a familiar voice sounded. Leandra faced the voice, her rifle ready. They both watched as the figure revealed itself. It was another soldier, a woman cladded in Kevlar, weapons, gear and a familiar military uniform.
Noel-Len lowered his weapon, the moment he recognised her face but not without a few mumbled curses. Leandra regarded the soldier before them and recognised the unit patch, the rank and the name. Lieutenant Colonel Anaphora Raegan watched Noel-Len her eyes unreadable. Her gaze drifted to the approaching aliens with her weapon pointed at them, she fired and slowly moved to where Leandra took cover over a wall.
Noel-Len considered Anaphora’s unexpected presence for a moment longer then scrutinised her uniform. She was an officer. And yet he didn’t know.
He feared she’d court-martial him for something he hoped wasn’t possible... He internally grumbled at that word, he felt like a child being scolded for not listening to his parents. “Ma’am.” Noel-Len greeted.
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