Afraid of the Dark

by Chris Hechtl

  “Aim lower. Try to take out the hip area,” Shane ordered. A shot hit right where he wanted and the animal exploded. He grinned. “Now that's what I'm talking about,” he said as the bazooka girl blew off her tube theatrically.

  “I like these better than an RPG or that gun rocket thing Kyle made,” she said grinning.

  “Just watch for cracking on the barrel. Don't use them too much or it will blow up in your face,” he cautioned.

  “Yeah, that'd suck.”

  “For us too since we're right beside you,” a guy muttered as they reloaded her tube.

  “The Striders have a soft underbelly,” Wayne said over the tac-net. “Hit em where it hurts,” he growled.

  “We've got a breach!” Walt called over the net. “Towngate North East corner!” he yelled.

  “Plug it!” Shane called, gathering his gear and moving off at a trot.

  The wall was indeed breached but armored bulldozers stationed nearby for just such a threat covered the breaches with walls of metal plating. Fire trucks moved forward to the threatened areas and tried to foam the fireballs where they landed. They knew they had only a limited amount of foam however.

  Fireballs landed over the wall and into the lots. Some of the greenhouses, garden areas and water and equipment storage areas were chewed up or destroyed. A couple of water towers toppled when their legs were crippled and crumpled under them...

  The aliens fought in waves, seemingly needing a few hours in between to get organized. The wave started with a trickle of a few aliens but then grew. When the Gremlins realized they were taking high casualties and weren't going to survive they seemed to fall back.

  It was nerve wracking for the defenders. No one knew when the next attack woud start, where and for how long it would last. No one could sleep.

  Near dawn they saw fires out beyond the perimeter, both South and East of them. Some realized that the aliens were swarming the other areas as well. There were mixed feelings in the community, some were glad for the reprieve but they knew what their friends and neighbors were going through and felt guilty for being spared.

  Chapter 61

  When day broke they were strung out and completely exhausted. Many of the crews had a hard time going to bed. Some slept at their posts. They were just too tired to care. Far too many woke with nightmares. Some just stared at nothing at all, clutching their weapons.

  The medics made the rounds, treating any who were lightly wounded but refused to retreat for treatment. So far they had been lucky, they had only a couple of dozen or so dead and less than four hundred wounded. Some of the defenders were so strung out that they have a hard time sleeping though. Some were given sedatives. Others fought it with punch drunk heroism.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  By the light of the day, Bob's crews swung tiredly into action. Fire crews moved forward to put out the flames while Bobby and Hernandez took volunteers out to secure the area. They went back to the surviving annexes and workers fought to repair and reinforce each the best they could.

  A crew found that aliens were buried in the dirt in the fields. They use garden gear or construction vehicles to kill the sleeping, wounded aliens, mulch up bodies and burn them. Shane led crews to clean out alien nests, destroying any eggs they found.

  Grimly, bitterly they were determined to make the enemy pay for the same ground again the next night.

  Jill came over the intercom with a report. They heard that the enemy had torn into the other enclaves during the night. Most of the survivors, the few that managed to hide, evacuated to them. VVHS had held out for a time but it had been beaten down and folded by morning. Canyon Springs Plaza and the Cactus warehouses were barely holding in there.

  Shane believed that in dividing their targets it allowed the mall to survive another night. Had the aliens not divided like that they would have rolled right over them.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  He looked over to Kyle. “You said you've got an idea?” he asked an hour after dark. He was tired, beyond tired. But he couldn't let up, couldn't let his people know that. He had snuck a couple of hours of rest and food but now he felt like his arms and legs were lead. He knew he needed more downtime, he just wasn't sure if he was going to get the chance. He'd already chased a few of the guys off to bed. Nicky had been reluctant but he'd assured the boy he'd get his licks in tonight. Now he was nearby, ready to rock.

  “Yeah man,” Kyle said nodding. He looked at Shane for a bit, then to the faltering lines. “Me and Donnie, and Charlie came up with a rocket. Air barrage fireworks.”

  “What good will those do?” Roger asked, glaring. He waved his hands in disgust. “We've got enough going on as it is!” He winced as a rocket barrage lit off near the Towngate plaza just East of them.

  “Air bursts man, big bright things,” Kyle yelled, wincing and shielding his face as napalm fougasse cannons lit off. Even on the roof, two or three hundred meters away they could still feel the heat of the blast as the fireballs roared outward. He could only imagine what it was like for the aliens. Hopefully it was doing a good job of roasting most and blinding any nearby. “We loaded them with shrapnel and thermite.”

  “You think it'll work?” Shane asked. He ducked instinctively as a Firefly came in, flaming.

  “Got a better idea? Star burst man! Thermite will kick anything's ass,” Kyle said wheeling for the nearest radio. A SAM crew spun in place, tracking the Firefly. The rocket went off and then spiraled, lost control and fell short to dig into the side of the wall. He winced as it went off near his crews. “Get Donnie on that thing. Tell him and Charles to get a crew up here with as many rockets as we've got. The thermite fireworks. He knows what I mean.”

  “Serious?” the radio man said, hand to his earphone. He glanced at Shane who nodded. “Okay,” he said with a shrug.

  They watched the crews set up makeshift mortars, made out of pipes and then load them. In a half hour they were ready.

  “Ready? It’s a little late for the fourth...”

  “Should have the star spangled banner going,” Don said.

  “Just light the damn thing,” Shane said waving.

  “Here goes,” Kyle said, touching a wire to the first nail. The rocket tore off, rose up through the air and then burst over the battle in a bright shower of sparks. Defenders looked up.

  “Get them back to watching their sectors not the show,” Shane ordered to the radio man. “Tell them!” he urged growling.

  “Yeah, alright,” the radio man said, momentarily distracted. He glanced over to where Jolie had a crew setting up more mortars on the roof top of Sears. She was angling them to point in the direction of the battle.

  “Rockets red glare...” Kyle sang off key, setting another nail off. “Bombs burst in the air...” Another whooshed up nearby.

  Above them thunder and flashes of explosions lit the night even brighter than the search lights they had on. Shane realized they were using star bursts, with a bit of color thrown in. A little like the first night... or was it the second? But these rounds would be deadly for any of the aliens in the sky. Hopefully.

  “That's it for the manufactured stuff, now it’s the home made stuff...” Donnie yelled at him. He nodded. The guy had forgotten his ear protection again and had his hands to his ears. Shane grimaced and tossed him a pair of earplugs. That was his last pair.

  The crackling explosions were lighting up the area all around. He could see swarms of dragonflies and buzz-bombs silhouetted. Better yet the anti air gunners could see them as well and were engaging the things. Soon some of the buzz-bombs were going off like their own fireworks.

  “Forgot my sunglasses!” Charles said, shielding his eyes as Kyle let another stream loose in rapid fire. The old coot was still singing the star spangled banner. Or at least the part about rockets. They couldn't tell over the thunder. He and a lot of the people were grinning ear to ear. If they were going to go out, at least they'd go out with a bang.

  ...*...*...*...*...


  Hernandez looked up at the chopper as it flew overhead. He shaded his eyes and nodded. Another day. They'd survived another night and it was day.

  He'd heard that there was a Marine landing force group off the San Diego coast. Rumor had it that they had been tasked to reinforce Camp Pendleton but were now heading here. That was the rumor anyway.

  The fight was probably making national, hell, worldwide news. It was the biggest battle yet, as big as the Alamo, and live.

  They used helicopters to track Striders and other herd animals that could move about during the day. Some of the predators like the Screechers and Shielders had bedded down in the fields around town and in the perimeter and tried to cover themselves, with flippers flinging dirt on their heads.

  “Ostrich.”

  “Whatever. Let's kill the bastards while we can. Can we drop something heavy on them?”

  “Like an anvil?” Hernandez joked. “Sorry road runner, I'm fresh out.”

  “Meep meep,” Nagomi said over the radio net, making Shane snort softly. At least some people were clinging to what they thought was a sense of humor. It was weird how that worked. If you didn't get the joke you shouldn't have joined ran through his tired mind briefly. “So what do you propose?”

  “The usual. Fire. Head back and we'll get Walt to set you up.”

  “Some of the choppers are rigged to fight the fires. Should we convert all of them?” Hernandez asked turning to Shane.

  Shane hung up the mike and shook his head.

  “No. “We'll rig one helicopter to drop paper soaked in gas onto them and then hit it with a flare.”

  “I'll tell Walt,” Hernandez said with a nod.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Hernandez sat on the truck bumper chewing a tasteless sandwich and watched the helicopter make its run. The crews were too tired and worn out to cheer when the usual inferno erupted. They ignored the herbivores, they had been driven to stampede by the predators and now were either milling about or getting the hell out of Dodge. Most were getting out while they could.

  He really wanted to kill the damn things, but Shane was right. They couldn't waste the precious ammo. Besides, if the herds moved far enough away it might get the aliens to split their forces. Some to chase them down, others to fight. Or they could all just up and leave. He'd love to see that. Hell everyone would.

  Work crews were doing their best to fix the broken defenses. A crew of what looked like mostly kids were out, driving what looked like metal pungi stakes into the ground wherever they could. It wouldn't deter a charge, but it might funnel the bastards into the kill zones.

  The inferno had spread to track housing. Alien fliers and others rushed out of some of the homes in confusion. Hernandez's crew erupted into fire, shooting the big ones down. The fire fighting chopper dropped more napalm mixed water around and on top of the aliens, penning them in and making a back fire to try to contain the damage. Many, possibly hundreds were killed. A few of the people too close to the fire had to be trucked back to base suffering from heat exposure.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Bob angrily reported that the gates on Eucalyptus had been breached and torn apart. He had crews spot welding it back together but it was like patching a dike with bubble gum and bailing wire. Shane ordered them to drop fill behind the gates. Rock, rubble, and dirt, anything they could find to fill each breach. Fortunately they had plenty of still smoldering buildings to get rubble from.

  “We're in trouble,” Hernandez said quietly to him.

  “Oh, I don't know,” Shane said, looking off to the East. He shaded his eyes and nodded. He could just feel the thrum approaching.

  “What?” Hernandez asked. “No,” he said.

  “Yup. Morgan's broadcast helped get some fires lit in other circles,” he grinned as a procession of military cargo aircraft lined up on the 60. The day's drop was about to arrive. This one was expected to be even more interesting than the last.

  “Now I know why you insisted on the 60 being cleared,” Bob said coming over.

  “I do have my moments,” Shane said as the people around them looked up, saw the planes and cheered as the first loads dropped from the rear to hit the tarmac. They cheered even louder when an aircraft flew higher overhead and parachutes started dropping out of it. Dozens of them. The cavalry was arriving.

  Shane recognized a wounded but still game Eddy Newman. The guy gave him a thumbs up with his good hand. Shane nodded in return. Hope was returning. At least for some of them. He turned to the mall.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  He managed to take the time to check on Jen. She was asleep. Machinery around her beeped and whirred quietly. They had some equipment on standby but Jen had ordered them not to resuscitate her. He tried to put the thought out of his mind. He held her hand. That was all that mattered right that second, right then, holding his lover's hand.

  The nurse came in and she looked tired and weary. “She's slipped into a coma,” she said, fluffing the pillow. Jerrica Newman was nearby, she looked up with a troubled expression before biting her lip and going about her duties with the cart of linen.

  “I thought so,” he said softly.

  “It won’t be much longer,” she cautioned. “Her vitals are... I'm sorry sir.”

  “I'd try to be here but...”

  “She knows. So do your kids. Give 'em hell sir,” she said softly with a wan smile.

  “That I will,” he said, reaching up to stroke Jen's cheek with the back of his finger. “That I will,” he said again, getting up and kissing her on the cheek.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Kyle and Ross sent crews out to service the automated weapons and spread the mines that the military had thoughtfully provided. The claymores were strapped to anything standing, all facing outward.

  The crews that parachuted in were a welcome addition to the defending militia. A captain Ernie Pappas was taking over the 215 side for now. His men were familiarizing themselves with the defenses or bedding down.

  Kyle grinned as he showed the boss a pair of small field pieces that the military had shipped in. They only had fifty rounds each, but the two 155s would come in handy. They even came with gun crews.

  The smaller mortars were distributed around the perimeter. Bob's people did what they could to refill the Fougasse cannons and flame throwers, even going to the extreme of siphoning gas from the tanks of vehicles and using all the cooking oil on site. They still only had enough for half the perimeter.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The next night he called a general retreat back to base two hours prior to dark and stood down most of the force. As soon as the first dying rays of sunset streaked the darkening sky they could see fliers hit the Eastern air. They could see them from ground; it was like a swarm of birds coming up from the ground. As thick as smoke in some areas.

  They were getting low on improvised surface to air missiles. They were harassed by fliers at night this time. He was surprised by the change in tactics and curious as to how the aliens could be controlling the fliers.

  It was hard to get people to keep from blazing away at the sky, wasting ammo. However a friendly fire incident an hour into the raids put an end to that, people sheepishly realized that what went up, must come down.

  Clouds of Creepling gliders and small Hoppers tried to get in to the base but spotlights kept them confused while flame throwers held them at bay. Bursts of flames threw off their aim. They either lost control or rode the thermals up too high. Some caught the fireball just right, they fell to the ground in flaming ruin.

  Nagomi got an idea and rushed to the choppers with a pair of mechanics. Together they turned the helicopters on. The whirling blades tearing up the cool night air, making it turbulent, whipping smoke up, away from the ground and into the air, making it harder for the aliens to see and fly. Any that got too close got chopped up by the blades.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The South Eastern side reported movement. “I knew it was too good to
last,” Hernandez muttered darkly. At least the aliens had wasted nearly four hours trying to invade by the air.

  “They are taking their time to get organized and hitting us from the air bought us some time.”

  “Yeah but our people are focused on the air.”

  “Not all of them. We'll work on it.”

  “Boss we've got the big boys. Big as in real big. Rex sized,” the section leader reported.

  “Coming,” Shane said. Pappas and Hernandez followed.

  He made his way through the defenses to the wall facing Fredrick. The section leader nodded as he patted people on the shoulder in passing. They murmured a bit and he nodded, moving on.

  “What have you got?” he asked as he got to the section leader.

  “There,” Dublin said, pointing to a large Rex staring at them. Lesser Gremlins and Creeplings milled at its feet. It reached down and fingered something on its belt. “Trophy belt,” Shane said, eyes narrowing.

  “Huh?” Dublin asked.

  “Nothing. Something for the eggheads to consider,” he said. The thing had a necklace made out of teeth and fangs. It was scarred heavily on the right side. It had obviously been through the wars. They saw the alien leader watching them watching it.

  “Anyone got a rifle?” Shane asked looking around.

  “I do sir,” a female marine private said, hefting a Barrett.

  “Perfecto, why don't you put that bastard out of my misery dear,” he said with a malicious grin.

  The girl stared at him and then grinned back. “My pleasure sir,” she said. She set up with her spotter nearby.

  The shot was as much of a surprise to them as it was to the Rex when it roared down range. The Rex took the hit in the right arm and roared. It lumbered into a turn as the girl worked the bolt and fed another round in.

  By now the alien was trying to retreat, it didn't care who it stepped on as it did so. It looked over its shoulder to roar and was hit again as it turned to glare. The shot tore its throat out. It dropped to the ground in a welter of gore, crushing those around it beneath its bulk. Feebly, arms waved under it for a moment or two before dropping.