The Invasion Trilogy (Book 2): The Shadows

by W. J. Lundy

  The frenzied mob continued in the street, still surrounding the vehicle and looking for its occupants. “We need to get to high ground,” Stephens whispered.

  The snap of plastic, and the room filled in a soft, blue glow. Rogers crept forward with a blue chem light. Holding it in front of him, he waved it through the room. He leaned over his pack and removed his night vision goggles and dropped them down over his eyes, passing the chem light off to Stephens. James stood up, placing his left hand on Rogers’s right shoulder, both men now with goggles dropped down over their eyes. They moved into a hallway that led off the main room. Stephens stood in place and waved the rest of them forward into the hallway, taking up the rear with the chemical light.

  “Why don’t we have more goggles?” Jacob whispered to Stephens.

  Stephens placed a hand on Jacob’s back, urging him into the hallway. “Sorry, Best Buy was all sold out.”

  The team moved deeper into the building, the smells of mold and decay filling the spaces. Noticeably absent to all of them was the smell of death. They walked past a bank of elevators, which were blocked off with yellow and red tape. Jacob’s feet kicked and scuffed at broken floor tile. The blue chem light reflected off of a high ceiling covered with water stains. The building had obviously been closed and empty for a long time. On the wall between the elevators was a posted directory listing department names: human resources, legal, payroll. Past the elevators Rogers located a steel fire door, with stairs stenciled across it in black.

  The big man let his rifle hang slack as he pressed down on the push bar. A metallic clunk echoed through the space, followed by a loud squeak as the door opened into the stairwell. Rogers pressed against it, holding it as James slowly crept through and went up the stairs to the top of the first landing. The others filed into the dark damp space behind him. Once they all were inside, Rogers slowly closed the door behind him and pressed it shut until the latch caught.

  Rogers rotated the goggles away from his eyes and clicked on his flashlight, filling the space with bright white light and causing the others to squint and look away. Rogers examined the door then secured the mechanism with two long zip ties he’d removed from his cargo pocket. He looked up at James, who was leaning out, staring almost vertical at the stairwell over their heads. The bearded soldier rotated off his own goggles and sat down on the upper step.

  Chapter 14

  “I feel like I’ve been here before,” Jacob whispered to Stephens.

  Stephens pursed his lips and nodded. “Yeah, another time and place, huh? We haven’t done too good, have we? What has it been? A few months? And here we are back in a stairwell, trying to hide from them.”

  Jacob ambled to the steps and sat down next to Jesse. “The more things change… the more they stay the same,” he said, smiling.

  Marks gave them time to catch their breath and to drink water before he got them back to their feet and continued patrolling up the stairwell, pausing at the landings to secure each door with more zip ties.

  At the fourth floor, they held up while James and Rogers cleared the roof exit then looked back in, signaling them up. This was one of the tallest buildings within view. Even at only four stories, they could see down onto neighboring rooftops. The sun had already set and the western sky was a deep orange and red. James led them down the center of the roof against a mechanical structure filled with vents and exhaust pipes.

  They dropped to the ground, relaxing the heavy packs on their backs. The men sat heavily and stretched their legs out straight in front of them. Marks and Stephens moved away toward the edge of the wall with their maps out, trying to orient themselves while conducting recon on the area with the binoculars.

  James used a shirtsleeve to wipe away the sweat from his brow and looked around. “I won’t say it’s clear, but we’re out of immediate danger,” James whispered. “This place is a real shithole.”

  “Just like the sandbox, brother; the neighborhoods stink and the people all hate us.” Rogers chuckled.

  “I like the rules of engagement better here though. They look at you sideways, you feed ‘em a bullet,” James answered.

  “You two were in Iraq together?” Jesse asked.

  “Ha. Hell no. I was there with the Corps in oh-four and again in oh-five and eight. This fucking guy though, he done way crazier shit than me,” James said sarcastically.

  Rogers shook his head. Removing a granola bar from his pack, he broke off a chunk and passed the rest down to Jesse. “Don’t sell yourself short, James; you’re probably one of the craziest sons of bitches I know.”

  Jesse broke off a small piece of granola and washed it down with a sip of water. “So, James, you’re a Marine; what about you, Rogers?”

  “Army, born and raised. Grew up a brat and signed on my seventeenth birthday. Played the game for six years before jumping into the civilian side with Dark Horse.”

  “Dark Horse? Like the mercenaries?” Jesse asked.

  Rogers grinned and leaned back against his pack. “Contractors, little brother. Don’t believe everything you hear,” Rogers corrected. “Security work for the State Department big wigs. When the civilians need someone willing to do the dirty work, they called on us. Guess we were too proficient for our own good; they canceled our contract early. Said we were too aggressive. Took us out of theater and blacklisted us for overseas work.

  “No hard feelings though. They had no problem tracking us down and putting Black Horse back on the payroll when the first of the attacks started.”

  “Yeah, what did you do?” Jacob asked, now listening intently.

  “First, it was the usual shit: watching gates, providing backup to the regular mall cops at the Pentagon and White House. As things got worse, they split us up. I got paired with a senator from Pennsylvania and charged with the protection of his family.

  “The guy was a real pain in the ass. I told him we needed to get out of Philly; get up in the mountains, someplace quiet, where we could lay low and have options. He didn’t want to listen to anything I had to say. Stupid bastard thought the iron gates and security system would protect him.

  “By the time we got the order to evacuate the city, it was too late. The airports were closed and there was no way his fat ass was getting away on foot. He made some calls and secured a seat on a helicopter; he said the state governor agreed to get us all out.”

  Jesse shook his head. “What happened?”

  Rogers paused, looking into the dark night. “We left in two cars; the guy wanted to bring everything with him… pets, furniture, all kinds of useless shit. He rode in the second vehicle with his assistant and one of his private security guards. I rode in the lead vehicle with his wife and kids. By this time, I wasn’t one of his favorite people. They set up a helicopter-landing zone on this golf course—a country club or whatever; guess this guy was a lifelong member there. I remember racing across the green and this guy yelling at us over the radio about fucking up the grass. Can you believe that shit? This son of a bitch is worried about the grass while Philly burns.

  “It was mayhem. Turns out Mr. Two-Bit Senator didn’t have the pull he thought he did. We weren’t the only ones there, and it was becoming apparent there wouldn’t be enough birds. The National Guard had a checkpoint. They were screening everyone for infection and crosschecking them before you could cross the barrier. A smug officer in dress blues held a clipboard determining everyone’s destiny.”

  Jesse sat up. “Did he tell the truth? Was his name on the list?”

  “Oh yeah, his name was on the list, but his family wasn’t. I told the fat fuck I could get them across the border. I pleaded with him to make the call while we still had time. Gunfire opened up on the far side of the course. I could see the tracers arcing through the air. People panicked. I saw his face go pale; told him again to get back to the car, and I would get them all out.” Rogers paused to take a sip of water.

  He looked down then leaned back, looking up at the dark sky. “He didn’t listen. I wat
ched him turn and walk through that barrier. The National Guard soldiers escorted him away and out of sight. He never once looked back at his wife and kids.”

  “Damn, he just left you all?” Jesse gasped.

  Rogers took in a deep breath and held it before exhaling. “The Guardsman said the helicopters were going to Toronto. So I loaded up his family and hauled ass. Five hundred fucking mile, six-hour drive on a good day. Ten days later, we got there, his wife and both kids. Yeah, some wear and tear but still, they’re alive. Mr. Senator’s bird never touched down in Toronto. Last I heard they still don’t know what the hell happened to him.

  “I keep waiting for it, you know… to see that fat bastard in his Italian-cut suit. Sometimes I find myself watching the crowd, looking for him, to see him out there walking around with those dead black eyes. I’m not sure what I would do. Nahh, fuck him. I know how it would end.” Rogers rocked forward on his heels and got to his feet. He grabbed his rifle and slipped away into the dark.

  “That’s a messed up story,” Jesse whispered, looking to James.

  James stuffed a large wad of dip under his lip and shook his head. “Don’t look at me, man. I ain’t no open book.”

  Marks returned to the hide site and lifting up his small pack then stuffed the radio set inside. He dropped heavily and tossed the pack next to him, leaning back and pulling his hat over his eyes. “Well, we’re on our own. No response on the handheld; the ship’s long out of range.”

  Stephens returned to the group and pointed at Jesse and Jacob. “Grab your rifles and follow me; I’m giving you two the first watch.”

  The two of them were led away to a far corner. The roof was nothing more than a large square, flat and covered with small pebbles. At the corner, they could look back and see the rest of the team positioned near the mechanical equipment and the stairwell structure across from them. Stephens handed Jacob the low-light binoculars. “Just keep an eye on things. In two hours, wake up James and Rogers. If you need anything, come get me.”

  The sergeant walked away, leaving them alone for the first time since they’d joined the group. Jacob took the binoculars and looked out over the edge of the roof, scanning the city. They were located in an industrial park—or at least that’s what they would have called it back home in Chicago. He could easily count ten warehouses within view and several more at the edge of town. Just to their south was a large factory complex where he counted several large chemical tanks.

  Jacob pointed at the far off complex. “I bet that’s the spot,” he whispered to Jesse. Jacob passed off the binoculars to his friend, who put them to his eyes and looked in the direction indicated.

  “Dang, that’s a long way. I wonder how we’re supposed to know which one of those has the dioxin,” Jesse whispered. Lowering the binoculars, he looked out over the street below then quickly swiped his head back. “Oh shit, they’re still down there.”

  “How many?” Jacob asked.

  “Too many. How can this whole city be dead? None of us left, not a single one?” asked Jesse, feeling defeated as he lifted the binoculars back to his eyes and searched farther out. He scanned left to right before spotting another group of them on a far off corner. “They always seem to come out at night. A stereotype that always fits. Monsters come out at night.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Jacob said.

  Eyes still glued to the street corner, Jesse asked, “What are they doing here?”

  Jacob rose. Leaning back, he used the optics on his rifle to look at the group. There were at least ten of them, all standing together in a tight pack. “I don’t know. Getting ready for dinner?”

  Jesse shook his head. “Not just those; I mean all of them.”

  “What, you mean like why did it happen?”

  Jesse looked down over the edge again, watching the things below. “Yeah, why are they here? What do they want?”

  “I don’t know. They don’t seem smart enough to want anything. Hell, I’m just tired of the empty streets. Sometimes, when I see a group of them, I try not to look too hard and pretend they’re people just like us. Not just something that we have to kill.”

  Jesse laughed. “Better not go saying shit like that too loud, bro. James will smack you in the mouth.”

  The group below gathered smartly together and moved as a single entity. They stalked off to the north, leaving their spot. Although not obvious at first, they moved in an organized method, and Jacob was starting to see the pattern. They moved, keeping an even distance from each other. Then they slowly spread out over the street, and in groups of two, splintered out in a large, circular search pattern. As the small groups moved away, the larger group followed them but remained organized in a tight pack.

  Jacob took the binoculars from Jesse and searched in all directions. “It’s like a ripple effect.” He dropped the binos and looked at Jesse’s confused expression.

  He pointed. “Look… see how they’re spreading out and leaving in groups of two hunters? Now look how the rest of them have centralized themselves. They’re shifting slightly and moving to the centers. See how they’ve spread out, following those hunters? It’s like army ants searching for prey. They send out these tiny hunters on patrol. Once they find something, they call in the main body for the attack. Then they destroy everything in their path.”

  Jesse stared back. “It’s exactly like that.”

  A noise of boots scraping the roof turned them back. James had moved close and knelt between them. “So what are you girls talking about?”

  “Oh, just boys and stuff,” Jesse replied, causing James to laugh.

  James leaned his rifle against the ledge. “You two get some shut eye, we’re going to the warehouse tomorrow; you’ll need your strength.”

  Chapter 15

  Jacob woke to the smell of brewing coffee. Even before he opened his eyes, he knew it would be Stephens playing barista. Jacob stretched and lifted his head from his sleeping bag. He lay in the open and looked up at the gray sky. Heavy clouds blocked the sun; the outside of his bag was damp with water from the morning dew. “Tell me again why we couldn’t sleep inside.” He groaned as he removed himself from his bag, opening it so that he could sit on the dry fabric as he dressed.

  “Better to be out here in the open. Here, have some coffee; it does wonders for your spirit.” Stephens poured part of the contents of the pot into a small cup and passed it across to Jacob, who took it eagerly in his hands. He sipped at the liquid as he looked around the roof. He could see that Rogers was on watch at the far wall. Jesse was still asleep in his bag just across from him. Marks, once again, had the map out, plotting their next move.

  “We saw them moving again last night,” Jacob said between sips. The air was cold and he could see the condensation as he exhaled. “There are a lot of them.”

  Stephens looked up at him. “Yeah, they move a lot at night; they’re nocturnal.”

  “No, it was like we saw at the Marina—the predictability of the pattern they follow. I thought about it and I know how we can use it,” Jacob said. “I’m a process engineer; I solve problems, it’s what I do.”

  Stephens pursed his lips and nodded his head. “I’m listening, Mr. Engineer.”

  “It’s like with anything else… have a problem, look for the patterns, right? Like with a Tsunami. How do we know when they are coming?”

  Stephens looked at him sideways. “Well, earthquakes then a really low tide.”

  “Exactly. All those things sound the warning and an alarm goes off and you head for the hills. With these things, it’s the same principal. We always see a hunter, usually two; they call a warning and it’s followed by a massive wave attack… or the Tsunami. Well, what if we were ready for the Tsunami, even called for it? And what if we had a way to stop it?”

  “So we would intentionally trigger the mass, like alert the hunters on purpose instead of hiding from them?” Stephens said skeptically.

  “Yeah… but at a place and time of our choosing—a place where we
could box them in and kill them all.”

  Stephens grinned at Jacob’s sudden enthusiasm. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll bring it up with the L-Tee. Seriously, it’s good work, but right now I need you to focus on the task at hand, okay?”

  Jacob nodded and drank the rest of his coffee before pulling on his boots. He got to his feet and kicked Jesse’s bag as he moved past him to find a makeshift, rooftop bathroom.

  During the night, the mass on the ground had dissipated and moved on. Currently, they were nowhere to be found, having moved back to their daytime hiding places or wherever they nested during the day. Searching the immediate area, they looked to be alone. The city streets were empty with the exception of the occasional hunter quietly walking the odd street.

  Plotting a direct route to the chemical plant took them through a grassy, overgrown area that would provide good cover. On the map, it was designated as a park, but from the rooftop it appeared to be nothing more than a long-forgotten vacant lot. One of those areas that gets returned to nature until the city has funds to do anything else with it. Still, now it would serve their purpose well and give them standoff room as they patrolled forward toward the plant.

  After packing up their gear, the team scarfed down Meals Ready to Eat, drank water, and changed out their socks, not knowing what the day would bring. Rogers tried again to reach the Navy ship. Even using the long-range antenna from the top of the building, they failed to get a message out. Slowly, the clouds thinned, opening up and allowing the sun to break through. Marks stood, took a final look around, and ordered them all downstairs.

  They opened the stairway door and listened for signs something may have moved in during the night. After feeling confident it was clear, they pressed on. Moving tactically, they followed James back into the musty lobby. Sunlight now filled the space, allowing them to easily navigate. With a quick search of the ground floor, they confirmed the building was empty except for odd bits of furniture. As suspected, the place was vacant long before the fall. They moved the desk away from the door and cautiously stepped back into the now empty street.